/ 6th Annual Reel World Film Festival

by Anokhi Admin

6th Annual Reel World Film Festival

Aug 10, 2013

Summertime in Toronto is the hotspot for film festivals, and ReelWorld Film Festival kicked off the season in its sixth annual running from April 19-23. With over 110 screenings over five days, including international premieres, feature fictions, documentaries, shorts and even music videos, ReelWorld brought together thousands of filmmakers, film lovers, industry visionaries and international media. The premiere non-profit film festival, founded by actress Tonya Lee Williams, is dedicated to nurturing, promoting and celebrating the full spectrum of culturally and racially diverse film and video. With films from over 16 countries, including England (A Very British Bollywood), Cuba (Barrio Cuba), South Africa (Lucky), Canada (The Toronto Rap Project), the U.S.(Flip the Script) and India (Iqbal) – to name a few – ReelWorld is hitting its target of showcasing Canada’s truly diverse talent in the entertainment industry. Event highlights included opening film Katamaki by award-winning Canadian director Claude Gagnon and the captivating closing film, A Bittersweet Life (Dal-kom-han In-saeng) from Korean director Kim Jee-woon. The festival is also geared at helping talent of colour – from directors, screenwriters and actors – gain success in the industry by having a platform to showcase their talent, network and learn from other emerging artists and industry achievers.

South Asian Spotlight

Iqbal directed by Nagesh Kukunoor
Iqbal, the main character of this feature film, is a deaf and mute boy who dreams of becoming a famous cricketer. Though he practices almost daily on his father’s farm, it seems the odds are against him as are his chances of playing in the national tournaments. Kukunoor adds twists and depths to his characters, and Iqbal’s diligence spins his destiny along with his cricket ball. Ultimately a tale of triumph and strength, interwoven through a variety of characters living in a small Indian village, this is a warming piece of cinematic magic.

Big Girl

directed by Renuka Jeypalan
Winner of Best Short Film of the 2005 Toronto Film Festival, this narrative short is a sweet tale of modern family matters, where an interesting jousting match begins when nine-year-old Josephine is less than welcoming to Mom’s new boyfriend. Moral of the story: Joesphine learns that letting people into your life can provide more control than leaving them out.

A Very British Bollywood

directed by Jag Mundra
The global impact on the Indian film industry provides compelling and provocative fodder for this documentary. When Mundra formed his British/Indian film venture, he set out to create content with less-thantraditional Indian flavour, spurring a new genre of films. This racy and controversial documentary shows audiences the new Bollywood variations wherein Indian filmmakers are creating their own formulas.

All Roads Lead to Here

directed by Richie Mehta
Mehta brings to screen a battle of the beats, but in this case it is the human voice (Jugular “The Human Beatbox”) versus the drum (Gurpreet “The Table Guy” Chana) for a show down of talents. The black and white music video has an old time western feel with an East Asian spin.

_{WORDS JAYANI PERERA}