Rendezvous Spoken Word and Open Mic

Please join us at our first Rendezvous spoken word and open mic event as part of our Shine ; Together year!

We are excited to feature esteemed writers Ghadeer Elghafri and Kelly Rose Pflug-Back – see their biography and contact details below! The event will also feature open mic from Workman Arts writers each sharing 5 minutes of writing with our audience – sign up for the open mic begins at 1:30 PM and continues until the 12 slots are filled. Tickets are available at the door or in advance – pay what you can and no one turned away!

This event follows the Workman Arts short film program

Any questions please contact info@workmanarts.com.

Ghadeer Elghafri is a Palestinian-Canadian poet from Gaza, born and raised in Dubai, UAE, living in Toronto. She immigrated to Canada 10 years ago from Dubai without her family. She is a Palestinian activist, a feminist, and an advocate of women, children, human rights and social justice.

Since she was 10 years old child, she was writing poetry in her mother language Arabic. What inspired Ghadeer to write is nature, her father, love, longing, nostalgia, diaspora, her homeland Palestine, difficult emotions, hard feelings, trauma, feminism, freedom, liberation, human rights and justice.

Ghadeer is the founder of Toronto Poetry Club. She has organized inclusive and diverse multicultural multilingual open mic poetry nights in Toronto for 8 years. She has published her Arabic and English poetry in newspapers, magazines, exhibitions, including the anthology “Poetry ReRooted: Decolonizing Our Tongues” and in the anthology “To Hear The Birds” 

Ghadeer’s poem “Alhuwiyya (The Identity)” had been published in English in an anthology of “Muslim American Writers at Home” in San Francisco by Freedom Voices Publisher. It was about her 3 different identities contained within her while being in diaspora, relocating in different countries and her nostalgia to her homeland Palestine. She received a grant from The Toronto Arts Council to start a Multilingual Poetry Collective. 

Ghadeer is an Ontario Ambassador, Outreach to Arab speaking community of National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA). She completed her BSc. in Computer Science and MBA at the American University of Sharjah in UAE. Her dream is to have her own house and host her poetry nights, under the name Qahwa Art Café, in its back or front yard in the Summer and in the basement in the Winter. “Qahwa” means coffee in Arabic.

Instagram: gghafri

Kelly Rose Pflug-Back is a writer and creative writing workshop facilitator. Her fiction, poetry, and journalism has appeared recently in publications like The Briarpatch, The Deadlands, and This Magazine, as well as anthologies such as Queer Little Nightmares (Arsenal Pulp, 2022) and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing (ChiZine, 2012) . Their debut collection of poems, The Hammer of Witches (Caitlin Press/Dagger Editions, 2020), recently placed as a finalist in the upcoming Bisexual Book Awards.

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Tranzac Club | 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
Box office: 1 PM | Open Mic signup opens at 1:30 PM
Spoken Word event starts at 4 PM sharp and runs until 5:30

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Bionico's Bachata (La Bachata de Bionico)

Yoel Morales | 2024 | Dominican Republic | Experimental Fiction | 80 minutes | Spanish with English subtitles

GENRE: Experimental Fiction (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Rehabilitation, Addiction, Recovery, Hybrid film

Bionico (Manuel Raposo) and his closest pal Calvita (El Napo) live their lives on the wild side, driven by their insatiable desire to get high, no matter the cost. Early on in the film, Bionico decides to turn his life around. He’s a romantic at heart, and he wants to clean up his act before the love of his life La Flaca (Ana Minier) completes rehab. To begin this new phase of life, he must find a job, buy an engagement ring, and find a nicer place to live. But making life-changing plans is easier said than done, as Bionico struggles to detox while facing an endless parade of temptations.

WITH SHORT FILM ——— CHRYSTALLID —— Esteban Powell | 2023 | Canada, Mexico | Experimental documentary | 7 minutes | Spanish with English subtitles

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Streaming online November 4-11 (available in Canada)

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Aziz

Majid Tavakoli | 2023 | Iran | Fiction | 90 minutes | Farsi with English subtitles

GENRE: Fiction (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Alzheimer’s, Aging, Caregiving, Family

Aziz, an 80-year-old matriarch lives with progressive dementia and requires constant caregiving by her children. Anoush, her youngest son, who is about to get married, loves and takes care of his mother more than his siblings. Aziz lost her husband years ago and is suddenly professing her love to someone while her family engages in a search for this mysterious man. They eventually discover Aziz is in love with her younger son.

مجید توکلی | 2023 | ایران | داستان | 90 دقیقه | فارسی با زیرنویس انگلیسی
ژانرا: داستان بلند
نوع برنامه: اکران حضوری
کلمات کلیدی: الزایمر ، کهولت ، مراقبت ، خانواده
عزیز، زنی هشتاد ساله و با سمت بزرگ خانواده دچار بیماری رو به پیشرفت فراموشی شده است و نیاز به مراقبت دائمی فرزندانش دارد.
انوش، جوان‌ترین پسرش که در آستانه ازدواج می‌باشد، بیش از سایر خواهران و برادرانش مسئول نگهداری از مادر است. عزیز که همسر خودرا سالیان پیش از دست داده عشق خود را نسبت به فرد دیگری با خانواده مطرح می‌کند. فرزندان عزیز کنجکاوانه در پی یافتن این شخص هستند. در پایان همگی متوجه می‌شوند که عزیز عاشق جوان‌ترین پسر خود شده است.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

CAMH Auditorium | 1025 Queen Street West, Toronto
Reception at 3:30 PM with art, snacks and refreshments
Box office: 4 PM | Film: 5 PM

RECEPTION

To reserve your reception tickets ($20, includes food, art, socializing & film) please contact I2CRC at 416-388-9314 or info@i2crc.org.

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Intercultural Iranian Canadian Resource Centre

Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin

Katia de Vidas | 2023 | France, United Kingdom | Documentary | 95 minutes | English

GENRE: Documentary (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Addiction, Recovery, Music, Documentary

Opening Performance: Contemporary Dance | We Lost You A Long Time Ago | Nicole Decsey Dance Projects | 2023 | 25 minutes

“‘As the lead singer of The Libertines and Babyshambles, Pete Doherty became the most iconic singer and rock n’ roll poet of his generation. First came the music, then came the success, but then came the drugs. At the peak of his career Doherty was best known for his dual relationship with Kate Moss and the tabloid press and for the turbulent episodes that followed in the wake of his very explicit heroin use. And it is this abuse that Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin finally faces. Over a ten-year period, director Katia DeVidas – now Doherty’s wife – follows the musician as he attempts to overcome his addiction and relapses. Her unique access to Doherty provides a relentless insight into an addict’s struggle to overcome his demons without losing himself and his undeniable artistic genius in the process."

– CPH:DOX

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Streaming online November 4-11
(available in Canada)

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We Lost You A Long Time Ago

Opening for Feature Film | Peter Doherty: Stranger in My Own Skin | Katia de Vidas | 2023 | France, United Kingdom | Documentary | 95 minutes | English

This Performance Opens for Film Program: Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin.

Dance Synopsis
We Lost You A Long Time Ago is a poignant contemporary dance piece by Nicole Descey Dance Projects, running 20-30 minutes, that delves into the emotional turmoil of losing a close friendship. This work explores the unraveling of a bond that once felt familial but disintegrates seemingly without warning or closure, reflecting on the deep, often unspoken grief that accompanies the loss of a friendship. Choreographer Nicole Descey draws from her personal experience of watching a friend struggle with mental health, leading to an inevitable and painful separation. Through intricate, expressive movements, dancers Nicole Decsey, and Melissa MacTavish bring to life the stages of emotional turmoil – such as grief, anger, confusion, and sorrow, offering a raw portrayal of the longing for answers and closure that never comes.

Accompanied by a live musical track composed and performed by Luc Gaylie, the choreography takes audiences through memories and moments of connection and the chaotic aftermath of a friendship slowly fading, highlighting the complexity of coping with the absence of resolution. In this powerful exploration of mental health, friendship, and the enduring pain of relationships that cannot be mended, We Lost You A Long Time Ago resonates as a moving portrayal of loss, acceptance, and the memories of a bond that can now only be mourned and remembered.

 

Keywords: Grief, Trauma, Loss

Accessibility: Active Listener on-site

ABOUT NICOLE DECSEY DANCE PROJECTS

Nicole Decsey is an emerging artist with a BFA in Performance Dance from Toronto Metropolitan University. She works as a performer, choreographer, and rehearsal director with multiple Toronto and Mississauga based companies such as Frog in Hand, Create Dangerously, Dance : Corps Company, and Human Body Expression. Nicole has trained in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Mississauga with companies such as Transformation Danse, Addo Platform, The Toronto Community Love In, and Toes for Dance. Nicole struggles with body dysmorphia, anxiety and depression and uses her personal experiences to create her work.

Melissa MacTavish is a Toronto based dance artist who graduated from George Brown Dance with a Certificate and Diploma in 2019. Melissa has a deep appreciation for contemporary dance and acrobatics. She has performed with Beats and Intentions for Nuit Blanche and worked for Legends of Horror in 2019, performed works by Hanna Kiel and Syreeta Hector for The Fifths Summer Intensive in 2022, and most recently performed “We Lost You A Long Time Ago” with Nicole Decsey’s Dance Projects in August 2023 and performed “Listen, this will be fun” by Teagan Ariss for The Garage’s 2023 Showing.

As a professional composer and instrumentalist with over 20 years of experience, Luc Gaylie has honed their craft through international tours with St. Michael’s Choir, performances as a member of award-winning band Jammers Waffle House, and a long history of music directing for theatre and dance shows. With a deep passion for creating music that elevates the art of dance, Luc Gaylie is grateful for the opportunity to work with talented choreographer Nicole Decsey and her talented dancers

Friday, November 1, 2024

Tranzac Club | 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto
8PM

Ticket Link Redirects to Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin

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IF YOU ASK ME

2024 | CANADA | SHORT FILMS | 60 MINUTES | WORLD PREMIERE | ENGLISH

GENRE: Short films
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
Featuring artists: Cai Bell-Jerome, Noor Gatih, Gulzar, Mio Muyoboke, Katrina Rodriguez, Kurtis Watson, Sydney Waters

For the eighth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experiences to create new short films. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These new films were developed from July – September 2024 under the guidance of Robin Riad, along with IYAM alumnus Esteban Powell serving as mentor. Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor and partner, LIFT. 

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Streaming online November 4-11 (available in Canada)

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SHORT FILMS FROM SCOTTISH MENTAL HEALTH ARTS FESTIVAL

Various artists | Scotland | Documentary + Fiction | 60 minutes | Festival organizers in attendance

GENRE: Documentary + Fiction (shorts)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON

Join us for a program of short films from recent editions of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF). Stick around afterward for discussions with staff from the festival who will talk about the films and share how the SMHAF is organized.  This year’s Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival takes place across Scotland from 10 – 27 October 2024, exploring the theme of ‘In/Visible’. You can learn more at www.mhfestival.com.

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Streaming online November 4-11
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Ink, Blood and Socks (Ink, blod och strumpor)

Johan Ribe | 2023 | Sweden | Documentary | 68 minutes | Swedish with English subtitles | Canadian Premiere | Director in attendance

GENRE: Documentary (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Homelessness, Addiction, Graffiti, Punk

Hanna Finn’s talent and charisma were undeniable from an early age. By the time she reached preschool, her creativity and sharp sense of humour were on full display. Now a young adult known as Psykos, she exists on the fringes, describing her life as one in a “parallel society.”  Ribe’s documentary Ink, Blood and Socks chronicles Psykos’ struggles with addiction and her journey toward recovery. Keywords:  Homelessness, Addiction, Graffiti, Punk

WITH SHORT FILM ——— Off Suit —— Lou Estores & Brian Demoskoff | 2018 | Canada | Documentary | 3 minutes | English | Directors in attendance

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Streaming online November 4-11
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Malu

Pedro Freire | 2024 | Brazil | Fiction | 100 minutes | Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles | Canadian Premiere

GENRE: Fiction (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Poverty, Housing, Intergenerational Trauma, Family, Fiction

Writer-director Pedro Freire’s feature debut Malu offers a raw and emotional exploration of motherhood and the circumstances perpetuating transgenerational trauma. Amid the many sequences of emotional chaos, Malu emerges as a touching story about healing, forgiveness, and learning to see the people we love for who they truly are rather than who we expect them to be.

WITH SHORT FILM ——— Mechanism ——  Eva Grant | Canada | Experimental | 2023 | 5 minutes | English

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A Man Imagined

Brian M. Cassidy & Melanie Shatzky | 2024 | Canada | Documentary | 61 minutes | English and French with English subtitles | Directors in attendance

GENRE: Experimental Documentary (feature)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: Schizophrenia, Housing, Experimental Documentary

Pushing at the limits of non-fiction cinema, A Man Imagined is a bracingly intimate and hallucinatory portrait of a man with schizophrenia surviving amidst urban detritus and decay. Made in close collaboration with 67-year-old Lloyd, this immersive documentary fable follows the jagged path of a decades-long street survivor, across harsh winters and blistering summers, as he sells discarded items to motorists, sleeps in junkyards and lapses into near-psychedelic reveries.

When Lloyd reveals a startling detail from his past, the filmmakers try to help him piece together a story that spills out in fragments—a jigsaw puzzle of painful childhood abstraction that seems to hold an unspeakable mystery at its core.

With its subjective, lyrical camerawork and expressionistic sound design, the latest feature from directors Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky finds poetic power and transcendence in the harrowed mind of its protagonist, delivering a poignant meditation on life at the margins.

WITH SHORT FILM ——-Uncle Bardo —— Luke Mistrucci | 2024 | Canada | Documentary | 14 minutes | English

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Streaming online November 4-11
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