How do you raise a child when your own mother abandoned you? In a remarkable story of healing and forgiveness, Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin, renowned for performances in Def Poetry Jam and hit solo shows like MotherStruck!, radically re-imagines the essential art of mothering. In seeking her elusive mother—a trail that leads to Brooklyn, Montreal, Cologne and, finally, Jamaica—Staceyann and her daughter forge a new sense of home.

Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, is willing to do almost anything to keep her family afloat. When the opportunity to case drivers passing by her toll booth presents itself, she falls in with a gang of thieves promising a chance at a better life. Suellen’s idea of a better life, however, does not align with that of her very assured teenage son, Antonio. Convinced she is doing what is right for her family, she invests in an expensive gay conversion workshop led by a renowned priest; an investment that threatens both her relationship with her son, as well as her freedom.

Singer Dalton Harris’s dreams came true when he won The X Factor in the UK in 2018. But the joy of winning was mixed with pain when people back home in Jamaica threatened boycotts and violence against him, perceiving Dalton to be gay after seeing a photo of him sitting on a man’s lap. This compelling and honest documentary by acclaimed director Kim Longinotto and newcomer Franky Murray Brown looks at a talented artist working to overcome a childhood filled with poverty and violence and find success in the face of mental health challenges, amidst the struggle to be open about his sexuality.

This film contains discussions around homophobia.

Canadian Premiere

There will be an extended Q&A from our 2020 festival immediately following the screening.

Tunde Johnson, an African-American teen, is stuck in a Groundhog Day nightmare, waking up to experience the same day over and over again—the day he dies at the hands of Los Angeles police officers.

On the day of his death, Tunde attends a film seminar; visits his secret boyfriend Soren (who happens to be dating his best friend Marley), and comes out to his supportive parents, all the while trying to survive as a Black gay high school student. We witness each ‘new’ day a little differently, as Tunde is forced to confront difficult truths about the world he lives in.

Written by Stanley Kalu at the age of nineteen, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson tackles issues of racism, police brutality, LGBTQ acceptance, mental health, and addiction, offering an urgent and timely commentary on what it means to grow up as a Black American.

Available with closed-captions Canada-wide

The Obituary of Tunde Johnson

Available with closed-captions Canada-wide

Tickets on sale February 26 at noon ET.

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