Caribbean Tales Film Festival Presents: Film Screening: Lee Scratch Perry's Vision of Paradise @ Royal Cinema & Reggae After Party @ Crawford Bar, Toronto, ON - Thurs Sept 17th!

Host: Shana McCalla (Producer, Writer and Director)

SHORT FILM
Jolly Boys dir: Rick Elgood
Jamaica | 2014 | 48 mins | English/Jamaican Creole

FEATURED PRESENTATION
LEE SCRATCH PERRY’S VISION OF PARADISE dir: Volker Schaner
Germany/Jamaica | 2013 | 98 mins | English/Jamaican Creole | 14A
Synopsis: A unique, poetic, humorous and “prophetic” adventure with the legendary Lee Scratch Perry.

Location:  Royal Theatre, 608 College St, Toronto, ON

Time:  9:25pm

Reggae After Party
@ Crawford Bar, 718 College St , Toronto, ON
featuring performances Jay Harmony, Kondriah, Richie Flo, and Skieze. Promoter:  Ady KTV.

Sponsored by Azan’s Hair and Film Jamaica.

For tickets click here

For full Caribbean Tales schedule click here

Caribbean Tales Film Festival Film Screening: KINGSTON PARADISE @ The Royal Cinema, Toronto, ON - Fri Sept 12th!

Last year’s Audience Favorite and winner of the Audience Award for 2013 returns!

Finding himself stuck in the violent ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica, a sympathetic street hustler (Christopher Johnny Daley) devises a daring but not-so-clever plan to steal a fancy sports car, right under the owners nose, after which things rapidly go downhill until he finds himself at rock bottom and begins to realize that he has to change in order to fulfill his dreams.

Awards: Best Diaspora Feature, African Movie Academia Awards (AMAA) 2014, Festival Programmers Award- Narrative Feature: Pan-African Film Festival 2014, Audience Award and Special Mention Best Mention CaribbeanTales Toronto Film Showcase

Friday, September 12th

Time:  9:30p

Location:  The Royal Cinema, 608 College Street, Toronto, ON

Tickets:  $12

For tickets and info click here

The Reel World Film Festival Opening Night Gala Film World Premiere: DESTINY @ Famous Players Canada Square Cinemas, Toronto, ON - Wed Apr 2nd!

Synopsis: Destiny follows the turbulent life of Lisa, a recent college graduate. The film is a romantic drama and explores several story lines that integrate a love story, the passionate pursuit of a music career and a return visit to Jamaica by the lead character. The film is a fast-paced contemporary Jamaican story, set mainly in Jamaica with introductory scenes set in Toronto. Destiny masterfully and artistically portrays Jamaican culture and music.

Director: Jeremy Whittaker

Principal cast: Karian Sang, Sabrina Diana Colie, Christopher Martin, Lyndon Forte, Kerstin Whitaker, Grace "Spice" Hamilton

Type of Premiere: World

Genre: Drama

Language: English

Country:  Jamaica

Film length: 105 mins

Famous Players Canada Square Cinemas - Theatre 2
2190 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON

Time:  6:30p

General Admission $15.00

For tickets click here


Reel World Film Festival runs from April 2nd - 6th. For schedule, tickets and more details, click here

Note:   Encore presentation in Markham on Saturday, April 12, 2014 - 2:30pm

Film Screening: AKWANTU: THE JOURNEY @ Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, ON - Fri Aug 23rd!

Featured Panel Discussion by Roy T. Anderson, Director & Producer of Akwantu-The Journey

Akwantu: the Journey documents the struggle for freedom of the Maroons of Jamaica who were able to flee the plantations and slave ships to form communities in some of the most inhospitable regions of the island. The Maroons are the new world’s first freedom fighters as highlighted by Akwantu-The Journey.

This Special Screening of Akwantu-The Journey is in Recognition of the United Nations International Day for the Remembrance of Slavery and the Abolition of the Slave Trade and builds on international events to recognize and celebrate day globally.

This event joins an international forum of screenings in Kingston (JAM), Los Angeles (USA), Liverpool (UK), Ocho Rios (JAM) and builds on the celebratory events of Jamaica 50 Celebrations in Canada and the Black History Month activities in the Toronto and Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The film is being screened yet again in response to the overwhelming demand.

Friday, August 23rd, 2013 at 7:00pm
Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto
2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON

Tickets: $10.00 (Advanced Purchase)
$12.00 (At the Door)

See the trailer here

See Facebook event link here

For tickets visit:  www.unitedachievers.org

Film Screenings - HOME AGAIN @ Various Locations, Toronto, ON - Fri Apr 12th - Sun Apr 14th!

Home Again is still screening in select Toronto Theatres and because of your support is the Top Canadian Film!  Make sure you go out and support it!

A searing drama in the vein of City of God, Home Again tells the story of three young people deported ‘home’ to Jamaica after being raised abroad since infancy. Once landed in Kingston and without a compass of any kind, each of the characters embark on a journey that pushes their endurance beyond measure and forces them to discover who they truly are. On the most fundamental level, Home Again asks the question, “How would you survive?”A story based in fact, the script was inspired by the practice of Western governments to deport incarcerated landed immigrants to rid themselves of their unwanted population. Sudz Sutherland directs from a script he co-wrote with Hungry Eyes producing partner Jennifer Holness.

Check out the trailer at http://youtu.be/NYMaOS0_GpM

Here are messages from the the film`s Writers/Directors & producers, Jennifer Holness & Sudz Surherland.

Jennifer Holness

``We're so happy that Home Again is the top Canadian film in the box offices, but to keep it that way, see it in theatres this weekend! If you haven't seen it yet, go see it!

Sudz Sutherland

``We've been thrilled that Home Again is the number 1 Canadian film in the box offices! Help keep Home Again in theatres and make it to these cinemas this weekend with your family and friends!``

For film locations/screenings visit:  http://www.cineplex.com/Global/SearchResults.aspx?q=home+again

Reggae or Not: The Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica and Toronto @ The Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, ON - Fri Feb 1st - Thurs Feb 28th!

Reggae or Not: The Birth of Dancehall Culture in Jamaica and Toronto

Friday Feb 1 to Thurs Feb 28, 2013
Exhibition Hours: 12-5pm daily
Venue: 2nd Floor Gallery
Opening: Friday Feb 1, 7pm-10pm – featuring deejay Everett Cooper aka King Culture
An exhibition of photographs that document the history of modern reggae music and dancehall culture to celebrate the important story of Jamaican musicians of the 1970s and 80s. This presentation will be Beth Lesser’s first public art exhibition – she travelled between Toronto and Jamaica extensively during the 1970s and 80s documenting this emerging music scene through her photography and publication, Reggae Quarterly.
Curated by Wedge Curatorial Projects Director, Kenneth Montague.
The exhibition will be accompanied by varied programming including a music night, a panel discussion and guided group tours. Curated by Wedge director Kenneth Montague, the exhibition is presented in partnership with The Gladstone Hotel in Toronto.

Programming Overview

Saturday, February 2
MUSIC NIGHT
Gladstone Ballroom – 9:00pm – 1:00 am
An event to celebrate traditional Jamaican sound system sessions. Deejay Dave Kingston, also known as Lord Selector from 9-11pm, followed by a local sound crew performance from 11pm-1am.

Sunday, February 17
PANEL DISCUSSION
Gladstone Ballroom – 2:00pm – 5:00pm
This panel will include discussions around music, film, fashion and art; immigration and cultural export in Toronto and Canada; identity and representation within the Jamaican Canadian community.
Participants include: Beth Lesser, Dave Kingston, Jo Jo Bennett, Jerry Brown, and Lisa Steele. Moderated by Kenneth Montague.*

Sunday, February 10 and 24
EXHIBITION TOURS & FILM SCREENING
Gladstone Gallery (2nd floor) / ArtBar – 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Kenneth Montague will host an exhibition tour with Beth Lesser. These tours will be followed by film screenings:
Sunday, February 10 –  Rockers (1978, Ted Bafaloukos) and Proverbs (2008, Peter Dean Rickards)
Sunday, February 24 – The Harder They Come (1972, Perry Henzell)

*Panelist Bios
Beth Lesser is a Canadian photographer whose work has appeared on countless album and CD covers, in various books, magazines and movies and are considered rare artifacts of the reggae and dancehall era from the late 1970s and 1980s. Lesser is also a prolific writer, who has completed four books on 1980s dancehall including King Jammy’s, Dance Hall: The Rise of Dance Hall Culture, The Legend of Sugar Minott and Youth Promotion, and Rub-a-Dub Style: The Roots of Modern Dancehall.
David Kingston got involved with reggae when he and his wife Beth Lesser started a fanzine for Augustus Pablo’s organization Rockers International in 1980. The fanzine soon became a magazine, Reggae Quarterly which began to explore dancehall territory. At this time, David Kingston was also hosting Reggae Showcase on CKLN community radio in Toronto, under the name Lord Selector.
Joseph “JO JO” Bennett began an early musical career in Jamaica. In 1980s, Bennett moved to Canada and started a music school with verteran Toronto musician Fergus Hambleton. The school lead to the creation of the pioneering, Juno award winning band The Sattalites.
Jerry Brown had an early start in Jamaica’s music industry as a key participant in reggae and the emerging dancehall scene. Brown moved to Canada in 1968 to become of the first artists performing in Toronto. His studio in Malton was a focal point for local reggae and the place where legendary Jamaican engineer and producer King Jammy served his apprenticeship.
Lisa Steele, Associate Chair of Visual Studies at Univeristy of Toronto, works in video, performance, installation and photo-text, to investigate issues of the body and the individual’s relationship to society. A co-founder of the media arts centre Vtape, Steele continues to be active in the artist-run culture.

Location:  Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street, West, Toronto, ON

More info:  http://www.gladstonehotel.com

Film Screening: Late Night Kuumba Films: The Story of Lover's Rock @ Harbourfront, Toronto, ON - Fri Feb 1st!

Often dubbed "romantic reggae," lover’s rock is a unique genre of British music, developed against a backdrop of racial tension, the Brixton riots and sound systems in the late '70s and '80s. It went from being a small UK scene to become a global phenomenon that defined a generation through artists such as UB40 and Maxi Priest.

Directed by award-winning director/producer Menelik Shabazz, The Story Of Lover’s Rock combines comedy, live performance, interviews and archival footage to shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Contributors to the documentary include UB40, Maxi Priest, Levi Roots, Linton Kwesi Johnson, comedians Angie Le Mar, Robbie G and Eddie Nestor, alongside new artists such as Ava Leigh and Lovella Ellis.

Best known for his award-winning feature film Burning an Illusion, Menelik Shabazz is one of the pioneers of black British cinema. The Story of Lover's Rock marks his return after a 30-year absence from cinema.

Directed by Menelik Shabazz
96 minutes | UK | 2011
In partnership with CaribbeanTales Film Festival.

Location:

Harbourfront Centre,

Studio Theatre

York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON

Admission:  FREE

Don't miss our other Late Night Kuumba Films screening over the weekend: I'm Santana The Movie.

For a full listing of Kuumba festival events visit,
http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/whatson/seasonalfestivals/index.cfm?festival_id=124

Film Screening: GHETT’A LIFE @ The Toronto Underground Cinema, Toronto, ON -Sat Oct 20th!

GHETT’A LIFE is an “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, a determined inner city teenager realizes his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family conflicted by divisive political system.

Starring:
Chris McFarlane, Winston Bell, Kevoy Burton, Kadeem Wilson, Carl Davis, Karen Robertson, O'Dain Clarke,

Directed By:
Christopher Browne

Awards:
2006 | The Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Award -Winner
Cannes Film Festival
2012 | Best Actress/Karen Robinson | Salento International Film Festival

SHOWTIMES

Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON

Oct 20 - 7p - 1 show only

TICKETS
$10 on-line (no additional fees)/door
$6 Seniors  over 65 and students under 29 with valid ID
Buy tix Online on Eventbrite.com

Visit www.GhettaLifeCanada.com

for more info.

United Achievers Jamaica 50th Film Showcase Screenings: MARLEY, AKWANTU: THE JOURNEY, POOR BOY'S GAME & RING DI ALARM @ Cineplex Odeon Morningside, Scarborough, ON - Wed Oct 17th & Thurs Oct 18th!

In honour and celebration of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of Independence, United Achievers Community Services Inc has decided to host a Jamaica 50th Film Showcase saluting Jamaica through Film.

Marley, a documentary delving beyond the music icon, to the life of the man is screening on October 18 at Cineplex Odeon Morningside, 7pm.

Akwantu: The Journey,, is a film about Jamaica’s first freedom fighters by Jamaican born Hollywood stuntman and director of the film Roy T. Anderson.  It's  playing on October 17 at Cineplex Morningside at 7pm.
  

 
What happens when a newly released ex-con returns to his old neighborhood? Find out in Poor Boy’s Game, a film by Clement Virgo. Showing October 18 at Cineplex Morningside, 9:30pm.

Storm Saulter, the trailblazing Jamaican film director, alongside St. Lucian filmmaker Michelle Serieux have created a groundbreaking film collective called New Caribbean Cinema. The pair has been wowing international audiences with Ring Di Alarm, a compilation of seven short films set in Jamaica, which is an innovation in the film making industry.  Showing on October 17th at 9pm, Cineplex Odeon Morningside.

Location:  Cineplex Odeon Morningside Cinemas 785 Milner Avenue Scarborough, ON

Tickets: $10


For Tickets and More info visit:  

http://unitedachievers.org/ja50thfilmshowcase

The Jamaica 50th Film Showcase (JFFS) @ Various Locations, ON - Sun Oct 7th - Thurs Oct 18th!

The Jamaica 50th Film Showcase (JFFS) is a premiere lifestyle event in honour and celebration of Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence and is being hosted by United Achievers’ Community Services Inc. in association with Jamaica 50 Celebration Inc. The Jamaica 50th Film Showcase capture the spirit and dynamism of Jamaican/Canadian filmmakers and will feature a mix of films made in Jamaica over the period since our independence, as well as a few more recent films which were either directed or produced by Jamaican/Canadian film makers.

The Jamaica 50th Film Showcase (JFFS) will launch Sunday, October 7, 2012 at TIFF Bell Lightbox opening with Akwantu: The Journey. Created by award-winning Jamaican-born Hollywood stuntman Roy T. Anderson, Akwantu tells the story of his ancestors, the legendary Maroons of Jamaica, the world’s first freedom fighters. An Exhibition and Silent Auction will complement the Canadian premiere of Akwantu-The Journey at TIFF Bell Lightbox premiering of the film.

Other films chosen for the showcase will include retrospectives The Harder They Come - featuring Jimmy Cliff; The Lunatic - featuring Paul Campbell; Dancehall Queen – featuring Audrey Reid; the documentary film just recently released Marley – featuring one of Jamaica’s most famous families. Each film delves into a delicious part of the island’s history, while capturing the spirit and essence of Jamaica.

Canadian film programming will also include films from Clement Virgo’s - A Poor Boy’s Game, David ‘Sudz’ Sutherland – Love, Sex and Eating the Bones; and Charles Officer’s - Nurse Fighter Boy and a short (fresh from TIFF 2012), 100 Musicians.

Tickets $10.00 Double Bill $16.00 Triple Bill $24.00

$10 Single
$16 Double bill
$24 Triple Bill

TIFF Bell Lightbox (Toronto), Cineplex Odeon Morningside Cinemas (Scarborough), Cineplex Odeon Courtneypark Cinemas (Brampton/Mississauga) and Albion Cinemas (Rexdale)

For more info visit:
 http://unitedachievers.org/ja50thfilmshowcase

Film Screening: GHETT’A LIFE @ The Toronto Underground Cinema, Toronto, ON - Fri Oct 5th & Sat Oct 6th!

GHETT’A LIFE is an “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, a determined inner city teenager realizes his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family conflicted by divisive political system.

Starring:
Chris McFarlane, Winston Bell, Kevoy Burton, Kadeem Wilson, Carl Davis, Karen Robertson, O'Dain Clarke,

Directed By:
Christopher Browne

Awards:
2006 | The Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Award -Winner
Cannes Film Festival
2012 | Best Actress/Karen Robinson | Salento International Film Festival

SHOWTIMES

Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON

Oct 05 | 9:00pm
Oct 06 | 9:00pm

TICKETS
$10 on-line (no additional fees)/door
$6 Seniors  over 65 and students under 29 with valid ID
Buy tix Online on Eventbrite.com

Visit www.GhettaLifeCanada.com

for more info.

Film Screening: GHETT'A LIFE @ Toronto Underground Cinema, Toronto, ON - Fri Sept 28th - Sun Sept 30th!

GHETT’A LIFE is an “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, a determined inner city teenager realizes his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family conflicted by divisive political system.

Starring:
Chris McFarlane, Winston Bell, Kevoy Burton, Kadeem Wilson, Carl Davis, Karen Robinson, O'Dain Clarke,

Directed By:
Christopher Browne

Awards:
2006 | The Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Award -Winner
Cannes Film Festival
2012 | Best Actress/Karen Robinson | Salento International Film Festival

SHOWTIMES


Sep 28 | 9:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Sep 29 | 9:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Sep 30 | 5:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Oct 04 | 8:00pm | Barrie, Uptown Theater, 55 Dunlop Street West
Oct 07 | 5:00pm | Waterloo, Princess Cinema, 46 King Street North

TICKETS
$10 on-line (no additional fees)/door

BREAKING NEWS $6 for seniors aged >65 & students <29 font="font" id="id" valid="valid" with="with">

Buy tix Online at TicketGateway.com

Visit www.GhettaLifeCanada.com for more info.

Follow us on Twitter @ghettaLife

Film Screenings: GHETT'A LIFE @ Various Locations, ON - Fri Sept 21st - Sun Oct 7th!

GHETT’A LIFE is an “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, a determined inner city teenager realizes his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family conflicted by divisive political system.

Starring:
Chris McFarlane, Winston Bell, Kevoy Burton, Kadeem Wilson, Carl Davis, Karen Robinson, O'Dain Clarke,

Directed By:
Christopher Browne

Awards:
2006 | The Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Award -Winner
Cannes Film Festival
2012 | Best Actress/Karen Robinson | Salento International Film Festival

SHOWTIMES

Sep 21 | 8:00pm | Ajax. St Frances Centre, 78 Church Street South
Sep 23 | 5:00pm | Ajax. St Frances Centre, 78 Church Street South
Sep 28 | 9:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Sep 29 | 9:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Sep 30 | 5:00pm | Toronto, Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave
Oct 04 | 8:00pm | Barrie, Uptown Theater, 55 Dunlop Street West
Oct 07 | 5:00pm | Waterloo, Princess Cinema, 46 King Street North

TICKETS
$10 on-line (no additional fees)/door
Buy tix Online at TicketGateway.com

Visit www.GhettaLifeCanada.com for more info.

Follow us on Twitter @ghettaLife

Film Screening: GHETT'A LIFE @ Albion Cinema, Toronto, ON - Mon Aug 27th - Sun Sept 2nd!

Ghett’a Life was Jamaica’s highest grossing film in 2011!

 

  Its initial Canadian premiere was to a sold out audience at the CaribbeanTales

  Film Showcase in 2011 and it then went on to play to audiences in Jamaica for

  12 consecutive weeks.  If you missed it the first time around, now is your chance

  to catch it as Ghett’a Life returns to T.O. for its official general release at the

  Albion Cinema from August 27 - September 2nd.

 

GHETT’A LIFE is an “against the odds” action drama set in a politically turbulent inner city community of Kingston. Derrick, a determined inner city teenager realizes his dream of becoming a champion boxer despite a country, community and family conflicted by divisive political system.

Derrick dreams of being Jamaica’s next world light weight boxing champion. He knew from an early age that he had the ability to out box even the bigger boys on his lane but it’s election year and politics divide the country and Derrick’s community. His father, a loyal party supporter, forbids Derrick from going to the boxing gym, as to do so he has to cross party lines.

Derrick defiantly follows his heart and is confronted with the serious repercussions of his decision. The don of Derrick’s community, Sin, is set on keeping him from crossing over to the “other side” even if it means destroying Derrick’s dream and Derrick’s father is so blinded by political tribalism that he sees Derrick’s actions as betrayal. On the “other side”, at the gym, is a coach who becomes Derrick’s mentor and someone who shows him that Jamaica is bigger than just one community and that Derrick’s dreams are worth fighting for.

Derrick’s journey of discovery takes the audience through his coming of age and the realization that anything that divides cannot be good for anyone. The ignorance of divisiveness gives way to the triumph that comes with unity.

GHETT’A LIFE is a wholly Jamaican film with all investors, cast and crew being committed to an authentic depiction of what life is and what life can be in the inner city of Kingston. This film with its positive message of overcoming adversity and ignorance will inspire audiences at home and abroad.

Dates:  August 27 – September 2 - Only 7 shows!

Location:   Albion Cinema, Albion Mall, 1530 Albion Road (Kipling & Finch), Etobicoke, ON

Tickets: $10

Watch Trailer: http://youtu.be/w3SsS0YRS8UBuy tix Online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/265826
About the film: http://www.ghettalifethemovie.com/synopsis.html

Film Screening: OUT THE GATE @ The Toronto Underground Cinema, Toronto, ON - Sat Apr 28th!

THE MOVIE TORONTO HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!!

OUT THE GATE
APRIL 28TH, 2012
ALL DAY VIEWING!! TIME: 12:30PM* 2:45PM* 5:00PM* 7:30PM* 10:00PM*

THE TORONTO UNDERGROUND CINEMA
186 SPADINA AVENUE
TICKETS $15

CONTACT: 647-625-6798
www.OUTTHEGATEMOVIE.com
 
For online tickets and trailer:
www.WRIGHT-SUN.com

After a turn of unfortunate events in Jamaica, Everton leaves his home to make it big in the music business in America. Everything is not a bed of roses in Hollywood, but with struggles and perseverance he finds love and success, only to have it all threatened when the Don of LA (Paul Campbell) wants his dues. Written by Far I Films, Inc

RED CARPET AFTER PARTY WITH PERFORMANCES FROM E-DEE THE STAR OF THE MOVIE PRODUCED BY R&B IN THE CITY TEMPERATURE EDITION WITH WAYNE CHUNG, G.Q HENDERSON, HANS ROBERTO, DAMON B @ 6 DEGREES NIGHTCLUB, 2335 YONGE STREET.

CONTACT:416-5286257, 416-704-5487

PLEASE MARK THIS DATE DOWN FOR THE BIGGEST JAMAICAN MOVIE IN CANADA!! THE TORONTO RELEASE OF OUT THE GATE!
 
Ticket Outlets:

Diners Corner, 3 Gloucester Street, Toronto 416-929-7031
Play De Record Downtown 416-586-0380
Negrill Catering 905-459-7203
Nicey's Food Mart Mississauga 905-270-4417
Granny's Mississauga 905-272-4950
Charlie's West Indian Food Mart Mississauga 905-896-3663
DMR Hair Salon Mississauga 905-949-4367
Broadway Fashion Mississauga, Square One 905-848-4823
Broadway Fashion Scarborough Town Center 416-296-0609
2Lined Music Hut Malvern Town Center 416-264-3999
Cut Creator Scarborough 416-754-2030
Way of Life 2526 Eglinton Ave West 647-4287126
Irie Veggie Takeout Eglinton 416-653-4925
DSM Hair Salon Toronto 416-901-4376
Envision Business Solutions Toronto 647-9323677
Niceys's Food Mart Brampton 905-450-6045
Nicey's Food Mart Scarborough 416-497-9717
Rock Da House, 100 Bond Street, Toronto 416-693-0006
Ritz Caribbean Foods 211 Yonge Street Toronto 647-351-7489
Ritz Caribbean Foods 450 Yonge Street Toronto 416-943-1480
Wright-Sun World Toronto 647-625-6798

Film Screening: BETTER MUS' COME @ University of Toronto, Toronto, ON - Sat Apr 7th!

Caribbean Studies at New College, University of Toronto invites you to a screening Better Mus’ Come, a coming of age drama set in Jamaica’s turbulent 1970s, against the backdrop of the Cold War, a national water crisis, an energy crisis, corruption, and numerous murder scandals that gave birth to the polarized violence gripping the streets of Kingston both then and now.

Writer/Director Storm Saulter and other panelists will do a talkback after the show

Location:  Innis College, 2 Sussex Avenue,  (one block south of Bloor between St. George and Huron St)

Time:  6pm

Admission:  FREE

See Trailer here:

FILM SCREENING: BAD FRIDAY: RASTAFARI AFTER CORAL GARDENS @ William Doo Auditorium, Toronto, ON - Fri Mar 16th!

BAD FRIDAY Trailer from Deborah Thomas on Vimeo.

 

The CARIBBEAN STUDIES AT NEW COLLEGE, U of T invites you to a film screening of..

BAD FRIDAY: RASTAFARI AFTER CORAL GARDENS (2011, DIR: Deborah A. Thomas and John L. Jackson, Jr.)

With Deborah Thomas, Director and author of Exceptional Violence: Embodied Citizenship in Transnational Jamaica (Duke University Press, 2011)

For many around the world, Jamaica conjures up images of pristine beach vacations with a pulsating reggae soundtrack. The country, however, also has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world, and the population is actively grappling with legacies of Western imperialism, racial slavery, and political nationalism – the historical foundations of contemporary violence in Jamaica and throughout the Americas. BAD FRIDAY focuses on a community of Rastafarians in western Jamaica who annually commemorate the 1963 Coral Gardens "incident," a moment just after independence when the Jamaican government rounded up, jailed and tortured hundreds of Rastafarians. It chronicles the history of violence in Jamaica through the eyes of its most iconic community, and shows how people use their recollections of past traumas to imagine new possibilities for a collective future.     

FRI MARCH 16^th

WILLIAM DOO AUDITORIUM

45 Willcocks St 

(Bloor & Spadina - Just S of Harbord, at the corner of Spadina & Willcocks on E side)

Time: 6:30 PM

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE    

For more info visit:  

http://badfridaythemovie.com/

Screenings of RasTa: A Soul’s Journey @ Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON - Sat Feb 4th - Sun Feb 26th! (Every wknd)

RasTa at the ROM, a new initiative to celebrate Black History Month, was created by In Search of Rastafari Inc. and SNR Agency in partnership with the ROM.

The HD feature length documentary, RasTa: A Soul’s Journey, tells the story of the epic journey of Rita and Bob Marley’s granddaughter, Donisha Prendergast, as she travels to eight countries around the world to explore the roots and evolution of the Rastafarian movement and the many cultures it has influenced. The film follows her travels to Ethiopia, England, Israel, South Africa, Canada, United States, India and Jamaica, while documenting Prendergast's personal transformation and understanding of Rastafari. The film includes interviews with Rita Marley, Damian Marley, UK entrepreneur Ras Levi Roots and poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

RasTa: A Soul’s Journey is executive produced/produced by Patricia Scarlett, produced by Marilyn Gray and directed and written by award-winning filmmaker Stuart Samuels.Following a private world premiere screening on February 1st, RasTa: A Soul’s Journey will be shown at eight free public screenings in the Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre at 2:30 pm every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of February and is free with general Museum admission.

Location: Royal Ontario Museum, Signy and Cleophee Eaton Theatre, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON

http://rom.on.ca/news/releases/public.php?mediakey=34t43xl4de

View the trailer at: http://www.rastaonline.ca/rastarom

Caribbean Tales Youth Film Festival Gala Brunch & Premiere of Better Mus' Come @ TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto, ON - Sat Feb 4th & Sun Feb 5th!

CaribbeanTales Youth Film Festival (CTYFF) and TIFF join forces to celebrate Black History Month, with a presentation of Storm Saulter's award-winning film Better Mus' Come, a part of a special TIFF screening series entitled "Music, Magic, Clash: New Voices in the African Diaspora".

A fundraising Gala Caribbean Brunch at TIFF Bell Lightbox (Saturday, February 4 at noon) will recognize the 50th Independence Anniversaries of Jamaica and Trinidad, including the Canadian premiere of Better Mus’ Come, hosted by Cameron Bailey.

On February 5 at 3.45pm, Bailey will host a Youth and Community screening of Better Mus’ Come.

Set within the politically turbulent turf wars of 1970’s Kingston, Jamaica, Saulter’s film tells the story of the Green Bay Massacre, a landmark in Jamaica's political history, and a young gang leader who must choose between fighting for his tribe and making a better life for his five-year old son. Hailed as "heralding a new era in Jamaican filmmaking", Better Mus’ Come is currently on a successful festival tour and most recently won the Audience Award at the highly regarded Bahamas International Film Festival.

“We are excited to work with TIFF to grow and diversify Canadian audiences and help bring great Caribbean and Diaspora films to the world stage” says Frances-Anne Solomon, founder and CEO of CaribbeanTales.

Solomon says Better Mus’ Come is important because it represents a contemporary take on the region's historical reality. ”Young people need to know where they come from in order to step forward with confidence and pride. Better Mus’ Come is a fresh dynamic approach to the past that enhances our critical perspective on Canada’s children of the African Diaspora.”

Tickets are available at tiff.net and CaribbeanTales-events.com.

Proudly supported by Manifesto and Manifesto Jamaica!

Tickets: Brunch & Screening, $50.00, Screening only Feb 4th or 5th - $12.00

Official movie website: www.bettermuscome.com

For clip visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojESbV_okhA&feature=player_embedded

Film Screenings @ Studio Theatre, Harbourfront Centre - Fri Feb 3rd & Sat Feb 4th!

Friday, February 4th

Joebell and America @ 6:30pm

Based on the true story by Earl Lovelac, Joebell and America tells the story of Joebell, a gambler, who concocts a risky plan to escape to the promise and fantasy of America. Prepared to leave everything behind, including his newly-found romance with the village beauty, Joebell sets out for his final destination, with each step of his journey uncovering him to himself and revealing the island he had never really seen. The film received the Best International Narrative Feature Award at the Women’s International Film Festival.

Directed by Asha Lovelace.

Devotion @ 9:30p

Alice, a bi-racial 11-year-old girl, has recently lost her mother in a car accident due to her father’s drunk driving. As father and daughter begin a new life, Alice is haunted by nightmares and memories of her mother’s death and the new woman in her father’s life. Alice’s identification with her mother (who was white) and reluctant forgiveness of her father (who is black) forms the heart of this coming of age story. The film received the Best Feature Award at San Francisco Urban Kidz Film Festival, the Star! Audience Choice Award at the ReelWorld Film Festival and the 1st Annual Tony Stoltz Completion Fund Award.

Directed by Dawn Wilkinson.

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Saturday, February 4th @ 1:30p

Join us for a series of short films celebrating the richness of Jamaican and Trinidadian cinema.

The following short films will be featured:

Caribbean Skin, African Identity
The documentary examines the concept of African identity as it has evolved over the generations in Trinidad & Tobago. The director explores her own identity using the Emancipation Day parade and its rituals as a starting point for her journey. Interviews with African-Caribbean and scholars define and explain some of the complexities of race in this society. Directed by Mandisa Patin.

Directions
No one gives directions like a Trinidadian. Ask a Trini how to get to a certain place and if he doesn’t know the way, instead of admitting his ignorance, he’ll send you on a roundabout route guaranteed to get you hopelessly lost. In this short dramatization of that endearing and frustrating phenomenon, a number of persons are asked to give directions to a well-known Port of Spain landmark, with unsurprisingly hilarious results. The film received the People’s Choice Award at the Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival. Directed by Renee Pollonais.

Entry Denied
A young Jamaican footballer, from the ghetto of Kingston, is refused a visa to take up a scholarship at a university in the US. Dramatic events and coincidences conspire to take the story to an alternate conclusion. Directed by Christopher Browne.

Now Jimmy!
A short documentary that explores land rights issues. The film follows a riveting and unusual story about the character Jimmy, a squatter who has built his own house out of salvaged materials on prime Jamaican real estate. The film received the Outstanding Documentary from the Caribbean Award by the Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jamerican Film & Music Festival; it was screened at TIFF, it was also chosen by UNESCO to be a part of an international selection of films from around the world for the new Radio-Television Afghanistan. Directed by Mary Wells.

Lying Lips, directed by Oscar Micheaux in partnership with COMMFFEST

Saturday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. (Studio Theatre)

Lying Lips is a 1939 drama starring Edna Mae Harris and Robert Earl Jones (the father of James Earl Jones) that follows a nightclub singer who refuses to "date" customers, so she's framed for the murder of her aunt, convicted of the killing and sent to prison. However, her friend, who is a police detective, doesn't believe she did it and sets out to prove her innocence.


Finder of Lost Children, directed by Ricardo Scipio (Trinidad & Tobago)

Saturday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. (Studio Theatre)

Finder of Lost Children is the story of two half-sisters that meet for the first time after the funeral of the father neither one of them knew. These reluctant siblings make a road trip to deal with their father’s meager possessions and discover the existence of several other lost brothers and sisters who are unaware of their father’s passing. The film was screened at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and at CaribbeanTales Film Festival.

Studio Theatre
Location: York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON

Part of the Kuumba Festival

Visit: http://www.harbourfrontcenter.com for a full list of events