Feature films from Josiane Blanc and Serville Poblete will make their world premiere at the 24th edition of the Reelworld Film Festival, which runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 3.
Words Left Unspoken (Indian Grove Productions, Diversified Voices Productions) is written and directed by 2022 Playback 10 to Watch alum Blanc. The documentary follows comedian and motivational speaker Joze Piranian as he confronts his stutter that has held back his ability to speak in public for over two decades.
Also making its world bow is Lovely (New Radio Pictures), directed by Poblete and written by Mark Bacolcol. In the film, an up-and-coming boxer begins to question his dream when he encounters an unforeseen situation.
Opening the festival for its Toronto premiere on Oct. 21 is Stealing Vows (BSB Films; pictured), directed by Bobby Singh Brown and written by Brown alongside Ali Hassan. Inspired by a true story, the South Asian wedding-heist drama features four wedding vendors robbing the houses of wealthy clients during their receptions.
Other features selected for Reelworld include Ron Dias’ Morningside (Ron & Aussie). The film, written by Dias and Joanne Jansen, is set in the Scarborough, Ont. neighbourhood of Morningside and explores the lives of its characters amid the looming threat of gentrification. Reelworld is the film’s Toronto premiere
Drop (Nur Films), written and directed by Ramin Eshraghi-Yazdi, follows an aging contemporary dancer as he seeks redemption by attempting to guide his young friend away from a life of crime. The film will make its Ontario premiere at the festival.
Simply Johanne (Sahkosh Productions), written and directed by Nadine Valcin, is a documentary, also having its Ontario premiere, that tells the story of Johanne Harrelle, an actor and fashion model and the first Black fashion model who rose to prominence in Canada.
Boxcutter (Scenario Media), directed by Reza Dahya and written by Chris Cromie, follows an aspiring Toronto rapper over the course of a day in Toronto, right before one of the most important meetings of his life. The film is set for its Ontario premiere at the festival along with The Madman (Rotin Productions), written and directed by Akram Adouani. In this thriller, the only person that may be able to stop a violent killing spree is a taxi driver.
Making its Toronto bow is Corey Payette’s Les Filles du Roi (Urban Ink Productions), written by Payette and Julie McIsaac. The musical drama is a film adaptation of Payette’s original musical of the same name and follows two Mohawk siblings having their lives disrupted by the arrival of a young French woman in what is now known as Quebec.
Rounding out the selected features is 8th Street Menace (Dynamic Video Imaging, Dorothy Studios). The film, making its Ontario premiere, is co-written and co-directed by Jacob Farrell and Gavin Baird. It follows a Métis rapper from Saskatoon, Sask. looking to make it big to pay back his cousin.
Reelworld has also announced that FKB Media Solutions founder Fennella Bruce and actor-writer-director Sugith Varughese will be honoured with Visionary Award and the Award of Excellence, respectively, at the Reelworld Summit, which runs from Oct. 22 to 23.
The Visionary Award recognizes an individual lifetime work of its recipient who has helped shape the Canadian media industry. The Award of Excellence recognizes creatives whose work in film and series has led to more authentic stories being told on screen.
Image courtesy of Reelworld Screen Institute; photo by Ricardo Diaz