Currently, the series has partnered with Toronto’s Reel Asian International Film Festival. Screenings take place once a month with the opportunity to learn from the creators about their craft and journey of putting thoughts into their films.

Why did the hotel decide to introduce this film & talk series as a monthly event?
Michael Nyarkoh, Community & Marketing Manager at Ace Hotel tells us, “‘Shorts in Conversation’ was conceived to bring an open and honest discussion forum to the discipline of film. The program aims to provide a new approach to the panel discussion format by inviting directors, writers, and actors to be candid about their practice while sharing work with our broader community.”

Their current partnership with the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival organizers aligns with the hotel’s commitment in supporting the arts community. “Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival and Ace Hotel both work to celebrate a wide range of communities and their stories through our programming and initiatives,” said Nyarkoh. “This partnership was born from admiration for the organization’s work and their dedication to supporting marginalized groups through the arts, which is a mission that’s deeply aligned with the Ace brand.”

The films were selected by Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. “They provide an important forum for Asian media artists and their work,” said Nyarkoh. “The selected filmmakers are a mix of emerging and established creatives, with varied styles and approaches. We’ve screened a range of film formats including documentaries, animated shorts, narratives and music videos.”

The next Shorts in Conversation screening on July 26th from 7:00pm- 9:30pm will focus on mood-based shorts, featuring works by local filmmakers including Kyle Credo (A Two, 2022) that reflect the spectrum of feelings during the summer season. Ace Hotel is located at 51 Camden Street. Interested attendees can RSVP for free here.

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Immersive Klimt! A Revolution: 1 Yonge Street, Toronto Star Building. From the producers of the wildly popular Immersive Van Gogh Experience comes another larger than life digital production, this time featuring the works of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. Considered a rebel of his time, expect to be immersed into his world filled with symbolism, colours and shapes. From Imperial Vienna to vibrant blooms and mermaids. It’s not just about seeing his work come to life but also to feel.

ByBlacks Restaurant Week: November 15 to 21. Various locations. The Fall edition of this food lovers’ event is coming up! Support Black-owned restaurants, chefs, and caterers with exclusive prix fix menu offerings. Meals range from $16 to $22. Each restaurant will offer a considerable collection of delectable dishes from across the diaspora that exhibit the authentic tastes of African and Caribbean cuisine. Full list of participating restaurants can be found here.

The Spectators’ Odyssey – o dell’Inferno: Dopolavoro Teatrale & TO Live. November 2 to 14.  is an immersive, contemporary multimedia theatrical experience that takes the audience behind the scenes of two of Toronto’s most iconic buildings, making the audience the central character in the narrative they experience. Inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey and Dante’s Inferno, the terms ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Inferno’ are used as metaphors and re-imagined to be two distinct epic journeys for the audience: BLUE and RED. In BLUE, audiences voyage through the remote parts of the backstage areas of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, rediscovering what it means to be a “spectator”. In RED, audiences venture through the streets of the surrounding neighbourhood, finding themselves inside the St. Lawrence Market after-hours – a place of exchange where worlds meet through stories. Check our feature interview with Artist Director, Daniele Bartolini to learn more.

Older & Reckless — now more than ever: MOonhORsE Dance Theatre. November 5 to 14 (online event). The 2021 edition of the dance theatre’s acclaimed series celebrates mature dance artists. Curated by Artistic Director Claudia Moore, will feature innovative new dance films created and performed by notable dance artists Peter Chin and Christine Friday, Julia Aplin and Kim Farris-Manning, and William Yong.

Eternals: The IMAX Experience at The Cinesphere, Ontario Place: beginning November 5. The highly anticipated film will give movie lovers the opportunity to see this film on the largest possible screen, creating a truly immersive experience. Filmmaker Chloé Zhao had full creative control in the production to ensure her personal vision for the IMAX version was done right. Captured with high-resolution IMAX certified digital cameras, the Eternals will provide the IMAX viewing audience 26% more picture in the Cinesphere. You’ll fee like you’re IN the movie!

Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the ROM: opens November 13. The popular exhibition of winning nature photography will feature prestigious winners across nine main categories. The ROM is the international photo competition’s exclusive Canadian venue and North American debut host. The competition is organized and presenter by the Natural History Museum in London.

No Change in the Weather: CAA Theatre. November 19 to 27 (in-person). Direct from Newfoundland, this hit musical from Terra Bruce Productions celebrates the rich musical heritage of Newfoundland whilst telling a story about the personal and political shenanigans of Canada’s youngest province. The plot is built around the death of family matriarch Peggy O’Brien. Her family and friends sneak her corpse out of the funeral home (and tanning salon) and back across the water to her family home on the unsettled island of God’s Back Pocket. As this brood of body snatchers wake Peggy into the light, a wandering American and a newly stationed RCMP Constable from Quebec find themselves in the middle of a family racket that exposes decades of pettiness, secrets, and enough familial bad blood to ruin every Christmas for eternity. 

Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival: November 10 to 19. The 25th annual Festival is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and works from the Asian diaspora. A hybrid on in person and online screenings will happen at this year’s Festival including 18 feature presentations as well as shorts, industry conference, and more. Opening night in-person screening is Islands by Martin Edralin. Tickets and passes are now on sale. Our top picks here.

Shorts That Are Not Pants Film Festival: November 19 to 28.  The fourth edition of this Festival of Short Film will once again be virtual this year. This year will feature 70 films from 32 countries and will include narratives, documentaries, animated films Canadian films and more. The festival is a blend of new work and festival award-winners.

Snow Magic at Ontario Place: November 12 to January 16. Take a mythical drive through in this immersive 1.7 km wonderful filled experience. Unlike any other drive thru experience in the city, Snow Magic offers a world of fire, ice and fantastical sights. Eighteen incredible art installations created by some of Canada’s most acclaimed artists come together in this winter wonderland brimming with larger than life mythical creatures, crystal caverns, and a forest of light. Timed entry. Tickets available directly form DriveThruFunCo.com. Price ranges from $45 to $65 per vehicle (prices depend on peak and off peak times).

The Canadian Tire Christmas Trail: November 13 to December 23. The multi-sensory drive-thru experience returns this year with a 1.5 km trail located near Black Creek Pioneer Village brings the magic of the holidays. Twinkling lights, festive sets, live entertainers, merry elves and a special guest delight all visitors. Admission per vehicle $25 and must be booked ahead of time on their site. Tickets go on sale November 8. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities to benefit child and youth sports programs across Canada.

Candlelight Concerts: Vivaldi Four Seasons: November 5, 9, 10, and 24. Listeso String Quartet performs an intimate concert at the Metropolitan Community Church as part of the Candlelight series of concerts featuring well known composers in classical music. The quartet is surrounded by warm candlelight offering a stunning setting ideal for a quiet and inspiring evening out. Read more about the concert series here.

Immersive Nutcracker: A Winter Miracle!: 1 Yonge Street, Toronto Star Building. November 20 to December 24. From the producers of Immersive Van Gogh comes a new way to experience a holiday tradition. Enter the winter wonderland and experience the larger than life digital projections The March of the Toys and The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy like never before in this 500,000 cubic feet space.  Great for all ages.

Lessons in Temperament: Outside The March Immersive Theatrical Experience. November 13 to November 27. This theatrical and streaming tour of the cinematic adaptions of James Smith’s award-winning play Lessons in Temperament will have it’s World Premiere with an in person screening at The Meridian Arts Centre presented by TO Live – followed by a series of in-person and virtual screenings. This cinematic escape into the art and science of piano tuning and the precarious landscapes of the mind. An instrument goes out of tune water or not anyone plays it — something that musician and theatremaker James Smith knows all too well. So after months of being lockdown visit shuttered theatres and doing what he can to keep pianos in tune This ritual soon knocks James’ own search for blanche, growing up as one of four brothers living with obessesive-compulsive disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

POLAR Winter Festival:  Bandshell Park, Exhibition Grounds. November 25 to December 26.The magical holiday experience presented by The Concierge Club returns this year but this time it will be an outdoor walk through! Tons of photo ops with later than life decorations from giant teddy bears to a breathtaking Play Ice Tunnel filled with thousands of crystals.  The Bandshell stage will be transformed into Santa’s living room filled with festive decor for the perfect photo with Santa. A holiday market will feature local shops to get to your gift list. Expect a few rides as well on the Christmas train, classic carousel anymore.  Fill your bellies with holiday east from the food trucks or cuddle around the fire pits with cocktails at the Hotel X’s X-Lounge. Tickets start from $14.99 (rides and Santa photo packages are additional).

Looking ahead..

Hometown Holidays with the Barenaked Ladies: CAA Theatre. Looking ahead to December but tickets will go on sale November 1 to the public. BNL will have a run of holiday concerts that are not to be missed! These special performances offer fans a rare chance to see one of Canada’s most cherished musicians in an intimate setting. The show will consist of “Hits for the Holidays” and some of their greatest hits. “Snacktime” matinee concerts will offer family fun sized version suitable for all ages.

The post The Best of What to See & Do in Toronto this November appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Here are 10 films that are on our watch list at first glance.

ISLANDS by filmmaker Martin Edralin (Canada 2021). Opening Night film.

Joshua, a timid, middle-aged Filipino immigrant in Canada (Scarborough) has lived in the comfort of his parents care his entire life. When his mother suddenly passes and his father’s health declines, he quits his job to look after his father full-time despite his inexperience taking care of anyone, including himself.

DRIFTING by Jun Li (Hong Kong 2021)

Just out of jail, a man finds a spot on a street corner where other homeless people welcome him. However, the police soon chase them away from there make-shift homes without any notice, and their possessions are raided and thrown away. A young social worker decides to fight for them in court. This film is based on an actual court case in 2012 involving homeless people in Sham Shui Po.

TAIPEI SUICIDE STORY by filmmaker KEFF (Taiwan 2020)

A receptionist at a suicide hotel in Taipei, Taiwan forms a fleeting friendship over the course of one night with a guest who can’t decide if she wants to live or die. It’s a hotel where people check in with options on how they would like to check out. But this one guest’s overstayed welcome has viewers contemplating what we owe a stranger who’s life, we are presuming, will end.

MY MISSING VALENTINE by filmmaker Chen Yu-hsun (Taiwan 2021)

Hsiao-chi has never been an ordinary girl. She is always a step faster than everyone else, perhaps too fast for her to connect with anyone romantically. With Valentine’s Day approaching, Hsiao-chi’s anxious about finding someone. When she finds herself the dream date, she goes to bed looking forward to Valentine’s Day. But to her surprise and disappointment, she wakes up on February 15. Maybe A-tai, the bus driver who is a step slower than everyone else, has the answer to her missing Valentine’s Day.

BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES by filmmaker Junta Yamaguchi (Japan 2021)

A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future. This 70 minute one-take entertaining time travel sci-fi comedy of a simple man is touted as warm and fuzzy …something we don’t often heard described for the genre.

I WAS A SIMPLE MAN by filmmaker Christopher Makoto Yogi (USA 2021)

A family in Hawai’i faces the imminent death of their eldest, Masao, as the ghosts her carries from the past haunt the countryside on the North Shore of Oahu.

TRY HARDER! by filmmaker Debbie Lum (USA 2021)

In a universe where cool kids are nerds, the orchestra is world class and being Asian American is the norm, seniors at Lowell High School compete for the top prize: admission to the college of their dreams. This documentary follows the students as they apply and hope to achieve their  next goal in life.

THREE SISTERS by filmmaker Lee Seung-won (South Korea 2020)

Three sisters in different damaged marriages and lifestyles.  Mi-yeon seems to be living the perfect life as a choirmaster and the wife of a successful man. In comparison, her sisters Hee-sook and Mi-ok seem to be miserable, making Mi-yeon frustrated. But in the shadow behind her perfect smile, Mi-yeon’s also suffering from the three sisters’ shared childhood trauma that they’ve yet to come to terms with as they regroup at their hometown for their father’s birthday.

7 DAYS by filmmaker Roshan Sethi (USA 2021)

Set up on a pre-arranged date by their old-fashioned Indian parents, Ravi and Rita seem to have nothing in common, which makes their first encounter comically awkward in this rom-com that will sure to leave the audience with good vibes.

IN BETWEEN GIRL by filmmaker Mei Makino (USA 2021)

After being met with the destabilizing news of her parents’ divorce, Angie, a teenage, mixed-race Asian girl, reckons with her multiracial identity and sexual awakening in this quirky coming-of-age story.

For tickets, schedule and for more info on the full line up including feature films, shorts and other programming can be found at www.reelasian.com.

The post 10 Films to watch for at the 2021 Reel Asian International Film Festival appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

He can’t recall that he did it on a whim, hastily etching the animal onto a freshly coated canvas, his index finger splitting the paint as if he was parting the red sea. As his mother, I’ve had the chance to witness Yosef’s artistic development from the beginning and I can attest that from the fleeting moments of triumph to the dark nights of the soul, Yosef’s creativity has always carried the same bursts of impulsivity he channeled while making his hippo.

Today, as a filmmaker, Yosef lets his work be guided by limitations that facilitate this method of spontaneous creation. He has devoted the better part of a decade to exploring contemporary life in his native Afghanistan hoping to familiarize the spectator with its changing political and social landscape. The country and its perpetual instability offer no safeguards. Budgetary restraints and security risks are limitations that force Yosef to employ amateurs instead of actors, work with minimal equipment and turn the war-torn streets of Kabul into his sets. The spontaneity afforded by this guerilla-style filmmaking is fertile ground for someone like Yosef whose most fruit-bearing insights come from being inspired by the words and actions of real-life subjects. You will often see his work populated with natural landscapes, animals and children and it’s no wonder; they rejoice and despair with equal abandon exuding the immediacy of the present moment which reignites the impulsive hand that’s guided Yosef’s artistic journey from the day he fashioned that faithful hippo.

– written by Yosef Baraki’s mother Meriam

Which ‘hood’ are you from?

I live in Caledon, although I grew up in Brampton. Because it’s more of a rural area there’s always physical labour to keep you occupied no matter the season. I like that and in many ways it helps me get away from the arduous months spent filming abroad or having my face buried in a screen for the better part of the day while editing.

What do you do?

I am a filmmaker and a writer.

What are you currently working on?

I’m in the middle of making a film about alienation in Afghanistan’s middle-class. After so many years of war, the country has finally found stability and with it more prosperity. I am interested in how the newly established middle-class balances progress and tradition, wealth and poverty, and violence and peace.

Where can we find your work?

My new film I Do My Work screened at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival. It’s a documentary about students at a music academy preparing to put on a concert to commemorate Afghanistan’s independence. The screenings are happening online because of COVID so you can enjoy the whole program from the comfort of your home. I encourage everyone to check it out.

The post “A Day in the Life” with filmmaker and writer Yosef Baraki appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Dani loves dogs. She Skypes people using her boom mic. She still plays Pokemon and she built her own computer that glows in neon colours. She loves to cook and make fancy salads, and she’s good at both. She plays a lot of video games and draws inspiration from them. She goes to orchestra concerts and actually enjoys vegetables. She drinks beer. She’s thoughtful and an excellent gift-giver. 

Working with Dani is a delight. Her skill and knowledge in her field are a guarantee, but it’s her passionate aura that really makes her a favourite colleague. The way she cares about her work makes you care about yours, too. She solves problems with ease, and never gives anything short of 110%. She’s successful because she puts her heart into everything she does.

And finally, she would kill me if I didn’t include that her favourite film is “Bend It Like Beckham”, which in her words, is ‘the pinnacle of South Asian cinema’. 

– Written by Rebekah Terpstra

What ‘hood are you in?

I live in Mississauga right now, but I’m hoping to move to Toronto within the next year or so.

What do you do?

I am a freelancer in the film industry working primarily working in sound. I wear a lot of different hats – I am a location sound mixer, a sound editor, a re-recording mixer, and a composer. I’ve worked on documentaries, commercials, short films, feature films, and even VR projects. I’m a huge nerd and love to learn as much as I can about my craft, and that constant pursuit of knowledge and skill is what drives me forward. I love to write and direct my own projects as well, but I try to save that creative energy for ideas I’m really passionate about, such as my short drama “Priya” which will be screening at Reel Asian this year.

What are you currently working on? 

Currently, I am mixing a few short films, and will be recording location sound for a few other projects this month. I’ve also been developing an idea for a music video that I want to direct, which I am hoping to shoot some time next year.

Where can we find your work?

My website would be the best place to go for that: www.danielapinto.com. I also actively post about what I’m currently up to on both Twitter and Instagram

My short film Priya will be premiering at Reel Asian International Film Festival (Nov 8-16), Toronto as part of Uprooted shorts program on Nov 14 and Spectrum shorts program on Nov 12.

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