In conversation with Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas on Venezuela’s political unrest

Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugas directorial feature It Would Be Night in Caracas had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film, based on a book of the same name, takes place in Venezuela during a time of massive political unrest following the heightened tensions between the government and its political opponents. The film follows Adelaida (played by Natalia Reyes) as she struggles with the loss of her mother, only to find her home has been seized by a corrupt militia. As she takes refuge in a nearby apartment, she needs to survive and…

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A Tribe Called Love sets the stage for more Somali-Canadian stories

Mohamed Ahmed’s A Tribe Called Love is a heartwarming and heartbreaking Romeo & Juliet story for the Somali diaspora. Although not flawless, the directorial debut from Ahmed is full of nostalgia, strong shot work, and a transparent look at how tribalism affects modern communities far from home. Set amongst the Somali community in Toronto, the film follows Farah both as a child (played by Ahmed Ibrahim) and adult (played by Dalmar Abuzeid) as he tries to pursue a romantic relationship with in with Halima (played by Older Feaven Abera), a fellow Somali but from a different tribe than his own. …

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“Food Chain Labour”: CLIFF and Justice for Migrant Workers joint film screening depicts worker struggles

From November 5 to November 8, an audience passionate about great movies and workers’ rights had the chance to watch six curated short films based on the theme “food chain labour”. These selections were made possible due to a collaboration between Justice for Migrant Workers and the Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF).  Among the selected films, three were documentaries that show the struggles, challenges, and organizing victories of workers in various sectors. Working for Freedom documents the experiences of a woman in prison labour at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, A Tarea is set in the Galician estuaries in Spain…

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18 to 35 co-creator talks filming in London and bringing diverse comedies to Canadian TVs

The Reel Asian International Film Festival returns for its 29th year, bringing Asian filmmakers and enthusiasts together to celebrate the stories that exist both in the Asian-Canadian diaspora and the many countries from which they hail. Although the festival usually focuses on the big screen, there’s plenty of room to celebrate the achievements of Asian-Canadian creatives on the small screen as well. One such creative is Rahul Chaturvedi, director and co-creator of Bell Fibe TV1’s 18 to 35, a workplace sitcom following Misha Patel (played by Natalia Gracious) a young Indian-Canadian woman as she struggles to run a youth hostel…

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Injured workers advocates continue call for WSIB investigation

On November 5, labour rights activists and community members joined in Victoria Park to mark the ten year anniversary of the release of “Prescription Over-Ruled”, a whistleblower’s report by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG).  The report includes several allegations from healthcare professionals about the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), including failing to heed medical advice regarding readiness to return to work, insufficient treatment, blaming ‘pre-existing’ conditions for ongoing illness, and using independent medical reviews which proclaim patients to be healed, despite the evidence of treating practitioners. Many critics have…

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“Silence is complicity, trade is betrayal”: Sudan protest demands Canadian government cut ties with UAE over war crimes in Sudan 

On November 1, Londoners gathered at Victoria Park to protest genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes by state violence in Sudan. Chants, speeches, and banners educated the public about current violence in Sudan and its historical roots.  Since April 2023, Sudan has been scarred by warfare between Sudan’s national army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A September 2025 UN report titled A War of Atrocities states: The RSF…committed myriad crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement and persecution on ethnic, gender and political grounds. The…

Read More“Silence is complicity, trade is betrayal”: Sudan protest demands Canadian government cut ties with UAE over war crimes in Sudan