Welcome to the newest and soon to be most talked about Film Festival this summer!

The Black Beauty Effect: The Crown Effect
Created by: Andrea Lewis

Friday, August 16
Screening Time: 7:45 pm
Talk back session with filmmaker Andrea Lewis

This docuseries explores how influential Black professionals in the beauty industry challenged and redefined standards around their representation.  This episode celebrates Black hair in all its diversity and examines the evolution of ways to style and care for it.

Thirsty AF 
Directed by: L.A. Wade

Saturday, August 17
Screening Time: 12:15 pm
Talk back session with filmmaker L.A. Wade

Based on the book series "The Adventures of a Recovering Sex Addict", Thirsty AF is a side-splitting series that traces the escapades of a charming ensemble, spearheaded by Cali Church, a recovering sex addict. The group embarks on a journey to confront their personal addictions, navigating a landscape of both poignant and uproarious blunders. As they join a writing group aimed at overcoming trauma, led by an African immigrant renowned for his treasury of African proverbs, the group unearths profound revelations about the universal human yearnings for love, connection, and self-discovery.

Can You Hear Us Now? a SMALL book
Directed by L.A. Wade

Saturday, August 17 
Screening Time: 1:15 pm
Talk back session with filmmaker L.A. Wade

Embark on a profound journey into Black mythology and African retentions with 'a SMALL book,' part of the Can You Hear Us Now? Docuseries. Led by Pan-Africanist scholar Professor James Small, this captivating documentary delves into historical threads and cultural concepts, fostering self-reflection and exploration. Through insightful commentary, Professor Small illuminates the impact of cultural heritage on individuals and communities, offering a thought-provoking exploration of cultural narratives and their significance in shaping our understanding of ourselves and the world.

Ice Queens

Saturday, August 17
Screening Time: 2:45 pm
Talk back session with filmmaker Kwame Mason

A documentary showcasing Black women in hockey, will make its broadcast debut across North America during Women’s History Month. Ice Queens is a film about resilience, perseverance and jubilance as well as the continued efforts and valuable contributions of Black women to the game of hockey.

Ray of Hope
Directed by: Nikila Cole, Ryan Singh

Saturday, August 17 
Screening Time: 4:45 pm
Talk Back session with filmmakers Nikila Cole and Ryan Singh

The 26-year armed conflict in Sri Lanka compelled numerous Eelam Tamils to seek refuge in foreign nations, notably in Canada. Among them is Rathika Sitsabaiesan, a former Canadian Member of Parliament, who fled the armed conflict in Sri Lanka with her Tamil family as a five-year-old child. The anguish and tales of the conflict drove Rathika's advocacy. In 2013, her visit to Sri Lanka rekindled her own traumatic memories, as she was surveilled by the very government accountable for widespread suffering.

A Mother Apart

Directed by: Laurie Townsend

Sunday, August 18
Screening Time: 12:15 pm

An emotionally sweeping tale of healing and forgiveness, A Mother Apart accompanies powerhouse Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin as she re-imagines the essential art of mothering—having been abandoned by her own mother.