18 world premieres. Eight North American premieres. Nine Canadian premieres. 14 Toronto premieres. Over the course of five days, ReelWorld Film Festival 2013 offers more than 85 films and videos hailing from 17 countries, with more than 66 per cent of them by Canadian artists from Aboriginal, Asian Black, Latino, Middle Eastern, South Asian or another racially diverse background.
The Festival’s selection of dramas, documentaries, shorts and music videos boasts an eclectic collection for film enthusiasts. Activities are presented at Famous Players Canada Square Cinemas (2190 Yonge Street) from April 10 to 14, 2013.
“From Contract, our opening night film from Ghana, to our closing night dramatic feature Aayna Ka Bayna from India, we have films that will prompt people to laugh, to inspire others and to reflect. This year we have searched across Canada and around the globe to offer a lineup that showcases diversity in non-stereotypical ways. We are presenting 85 films and videos, with 66 per cent of them by Canadian artists,” said Actress Tonya Lee Williams, Founder and Executive Director of ReelWorld Film Festival.
I think audiences will enjoy what our programmers have curated for our 13th year. Special thanks to TD Bank Group, NBC Universal, Telefilm Canada, OMDC and all our funders and sponsors for partnering with us to offer this year’s festival,” added Williams.
Special presentations and galas include:
Opening night film Contract (d: Shirley Frimpong-Manso, 125mins, 2012. Ghana) is a romantic comedy featuring a rich entrepreneur who wants to become a father without dealing with “mama drama”. Gala presented by TD Bank Group. Screens April 10 at 7pm. Pre-reception at 5pm. North American premiere.
Closing night film Aayna Ka Bayna (d: Samit Kakkad, 94 mins, 2012. India) is about nine juvenile delinquents in a detention centre run by a tyrant warden. They dance for passion, for hope and for their dreams to come true. Screens April 14 at 5pm. Pre-reception at 4pm. North American premiere.
ReelSpeak features a candid discussion (The Actor’s Studio – style) with Actress and Producer Tangi Miller (Felicity) followed by a screening of Christopher Nolen’s The Good Life, a film that gives us a more realistic view of the “perfect couple”. ReelSpeak is presented on April 11. Pre-reception at 6pm. ReelSpeak at 7:30pm. Screening at 9:30pm. ReelSpeak is sponsored by NBC Universal.
The ReelWorld Music Video Night is presented on April 12 at 9pm (pre-reception at 7:30pm) by TD Bank Group and features 24 of the best music videos and a one-on-one conversation with award-winning music video artist Davin Black.
Families are invited to our Free Family Screening of Shayamal Uncle: Turn Off the Lights and Calcutta Taxi, presented by Shaw Media on April 13 at 1pm. Shayamal Uncle: Turn Off the Lights, by director Suman Ghosh, follows a family patriarch as he fights the bureaucracy of India to have his street lights turned off during daylight hours. (65 mins, 2012, India, North American premiere).Calcutta Taxi unravels the story of three lives that coincide and affect each other, each one having lost and found some things in this chance encounter of life. (d: Vikram Dasgupta, 20 mins, 2012, Canada/India).
In addition to our special presentations, ReelWorld will showcase 19 features and 38 shorts from Canada, Australia, Chile, Egypt, France, Ghana, India, Iran, Mongolia, Nigeria, The Phillipines, Russia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Uganda, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
Schedule, screening times, synopses and the online box office are available at the rebuilt and redesigned reelworld.ca by clicking on the films page and choosing schedule. Events/screenings are listed in chronological order. (Note to editors: film synopses included in appendix)
Tickets may be purchased online at
reelworld.ca (click on films, then choose schedule then scroll down the list to find your event), in person at the ReelWorld Film Festival offices (438 Parliament, Suite 300, Toronto, ON) or by phone at 416.598.7933.
Scheduling information is subject to change.
Opening or Closing gala tickets are $25 each. Other tickets are $10.00 per person ($5.00 for students/seniors with valid ID). Applicable taxes and transaction charges are additional.
Shyamal Uncle Turns off the Lights is co-presented by the Global Film Initiative and is part of the Global Lens 2013 film series. For more information, visit
www.globalfilm.org.
ReelWorld Film Festival also offers professional development opportunities for emerging and establishing filmmakers through our Industry Panels, our OMDC Networking Brunch and our Face2Face mentorship session (preceded by a ReelPrep coaching session).
The 13th ReelWorld Film Festival offers world-class cinema – dramas, documentaries, shorts and music videos - along with professional development opportunities for filmmakers and individuals interested in expanding their careers in Canada’s film and television industry. Launched in 2001 by Actress Tonya Lee Williams, ReelWorld Film Festival celebrates and promotes racial and cultural diversity both in front of and behind the camera. In addition to the five-day festival, ReelWorld hosts the Indie Film Lounge in September. Key sponsors include: TD Bank, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Trillium Foundation, NBC Universal, Global Toronto, Wired Messenger, Pierre Laurent, DJ Woods, City Television and Cineplex Entertainment.
