Diaspora Film Festival - 7 to 10 November 2024, Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave., Toronto,
The 24th edition of the Diaspora Film Festival is returning to Toronto, from 7 to 10 November. Once again, we have carefully crafted a festival with a number of award winning fiction and documentary films that you would rarely have the opportunity to see in Toronto. From a deeply personal account of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement of Iran, to illegal immigrants on the Mediterranean shore of Spain, to the mountains of Afghanistan where locals gather at a ski championship using makeshift skis, we offer stories that make you laugh, cry, and feel inspired. Let your family and friends know about the Diaspora Film Festival and bring them along for a unique experience that you wont have anywhere else.
Anywhere Anytime, Milad Tangshir, Italy, 2024, 85 min, in Italian with English subtitles. Venice FF 2024, Winner, Premio Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Award & Luciano Sovena Award; More. A tribute to Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 Bicycle Thieves, the story of an illegal immigrant in Italy, who has to look for his stolen bicycle everywhere in Rome.
Champions of the Golden Valley, Ben Sturgulewski, Afghanistan, Germany, US, 2024, 80 min, in Farsi Dari and English, with English subtitles, Toronto Premiere. Heartland FF 2024, Winner, Audience Choice Award; More. In a rural region of Afghanistan, the passion for skiing attracts the local athletes to the slopes with makeshift wooden skis. How would they survive under the Taliban?
In the Land of Brothers, Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli, Iran, France, Netherlands, 2024, 95 min, in Farsi, Dari with English subtitles, Toronto Premiere. Sundance FF 2024, Winner, Directing Award; More. An Afghan refugee family navigates the harsh realities of their new life in exile. A father trying to protect his family struggles under the weight of displacement.
Inay (Mama); Thea Loo, Canada & Philippines, 2024, 56’, in English and Kampampangan, with English subtitles, Toronto Premiere Inay offers a personal exploration of Canada's flawed immigration system, which separates children from their mothers, leaving long-lasting mental health effects on Filipino migrants.
Persian Lessons, Vadim Perelman, Germany, Belarus, 2020, 127 min, in German, French and Farsi, with English Subtitles Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over.
Mongrels, Jerome Yoo, Canada, 2024, 111 min, in English and Korean, with English subtitles, Toronto Premiere. Vancouver FF 2024, Emerging Canadian Director Award. In rural Canada in the 1990s, a Korean family attempts to find footing in a new land. Young Hana, missing her mother, dreams up ways to bring her back to life.
My Stolen Planet, Farahnaz Sharifi, Germany, Iran, 2024, 82 min, in Farsi, with English subtitles. Berlin FF 24, nominated, best documentary. Farah, an Iranian filmmaker born during the 1979 revolution captures moments of happiness and rebellion under a repressive regime. The Woman, Life, Freedom uprising becomes a pivotal moment in her journey of resistance and remembrance.
Souleymane’s Story, Boris Lojkine, France, 2024, 92 min, in French, with English subtitles. Cannes FF 2024, Un Certain Regard Best Performance, and Jury Prize; Jerusalem FF 2024, Winner, Best International Film; More. Over two days in Paris, we experience the life of an illegal immigrant from Guinea. Working as a bike courier, he delivers food under a rented account within a precarious underground system.
The Party’s Over, Elena Manrique, Spain, 2024, 103’, in Spanish and French, with English subtitles. Valladolid FF 2024, Nominated, Best Film. The world of Carmina, a privileged woman living in southern Spain, is thrown into disarray when Bilal, a young immigrant from Senegal, takes refuge in her toolshed. She drags Bilal into becoming her reluctant companion.
Last Resort, Samiramis Kia, Canada, Iran, 15 min, in Farsi with English Subtitles Leila has only one day to defy the odds and reclaim her future by fighting to secure custody of her daughter
Diaspora Film Festival (DFF) provides Toronto audiences with an opportunity to experience the cultural mosaic of the present world through the medium of cinema. “Diaspora” refers to the dispersion and migration of a people from their homeland and the communities they form in new lands. The DFF explores themes of migration, immigration, and cultural diversity by showcasing works of both established and emerging filmmakers. The festival pays special attention to independent Canadian filmmakers from ethnic minorities. The DFF is a charitable not-for-profit organization founded in 2000 to foster understanding and discussion among different cultures. By giving voice to “Others” we hope to help diminish stereotypes and prejudice and promote dialogue over conflict.
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www.diasporafilmfest.com 11/6/2024 |
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