Reelworld Film Festival
Canadian film festival
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Reelworld Film Festival, founded in 2001 by Tonya Williams, is held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1] The festival screens film and provides professional development for Canadian racially diverse and indigenous filmmakers and media artists.[2]
Official festival logo | |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Website | www |
History
Reelworld was founded by Tonya Williams, who noted the lack of opportunities for minorities to break into the film industry.[3] The festival's mandate states that they showcase diverse work from Canada and abroad while bringing together assorted communities.
Reelworld has started a number of initiatives directed towards diverse artists. In 2020 Williams launched Access Reelworld, a casting database to help publicize and promote minority actors.[4]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the 2020 festival was presented entirely online.[5]
In 2024, Williams was named the recipient of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television's Changemaker Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards, for her work with Reelworld.[6]
2021 ReelWorld Film Festival
The 21st annual ReelWorld Film Festival was held from October 20 to 27, 2021 in Toronto.
Award winners
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Feature Film Award | In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland (Brishkay Ahmed) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Director | Kaveh Nabatian, Without Havana (Sin la Habana) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Writer | Kaveh Nabatian and Pablo D. Herrera Veitia, Without Havana (Sin la Habana) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Producer | Brishkay Ahmed, In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actor | Yonah Acosta Gonzales, Without Havana (Sin la Habana) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actress | Aki Yaghoubi, Without Havana (Sin la Habana) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Cinematographer | Juan Pablo Ramirez, Without Havana (Sin la Habana) |
2022 ReelWorld Film Festival
The 22nd annual ReelWorld Film Festival was held from October 11 to 17, 2022 in Toronto.[7]
Award winners
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Feature Film Award | Golden Delicious (Jason Karman) | [8] |
| Outstanding Feature Film Director | Jason Karman, Golden Delicious | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Writer | Gorrman Lee, Golden Delicious | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Producer | Ivan Madeira, Pattern | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actor | Cardi Wong, Golden Delicious | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actress | Jayne Kamara, Bite of a Mango | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Cinematographer | Kaveh Nabatian, Kite Zo A: Leave the Bones | |
| Audience Choice Award | Ron Dias and Joanne Jansen, Bite of a Mango | |
| Outstanding Short Film | Cazhhmere Downey, I Remember the Footprints in the Snow | |
| Outstanding Short Film Director | Alireza Kazemipour, Split Ends | |
| Outstanding Short Film Producer | Amir Zargara, More Than Hair | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actor | Gitz Crazyboy, Peace Pipeline | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actress | Nicole Nwokolo, I Remember the Footprints in the Snow | |
| Outstanding Short Film Cinematographer | Gabriela Osio Vanden, Saturday Fuego Diablo | |
| Outstanding Short Film Writer | Tesh Guttikonda, Mom vs Machine |
2023 ReelWorld Film Festival
The 23rd annual ReelWorld Film Festival was held from November 1 to 7, 2023 in Toronto.
Award winners
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Feature Film Award | Kim Albright, With Love and a Major Organ | [9] |
| Outstanding Feature Film Director | Jamila Pomeroy, Union Street | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Writer | Lonzo Nzekwe, Orah | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Producer | Gavin Baird, A Storm Blows Over | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actor | Hamza Haq, With Love and a Major Organ | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actress | Oyin Oladejo, Orah | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Cinematographer | Leo Harim, With Love and a Major Organ | |
| Outstanding Short Film | Amir Honarmand, Silkworm | |
| Outstanding Short Film Director | Derek Kwan, 100 Days | |
| Outstanding Short Film Producer | Asa Kazerani, Desync | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actor | Mohammad Rashno, Silkworm | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actress | Briauna James, Oversight | |
| Outstanding Short Film Cinematographer | Ashley Iris Gill, The Future Above Us |
2024 ReelWorld Film Festival
The 24th annual ReelWorld Film Festival was held from October 21 to November 3, 2024 in Toronto.
Award winners
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Feature Film Award | Nadine Valcin, Simply Johanne (Tout simplement Johanne) | [10] |
| Audience Choice Award | Bobby Singh Brown, Stealing Vows | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Director | Reza Dahya, Boxcutter | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Writer | Corey Payette, Les Filles du Roi | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Producer | Bobby Singh Brown, Stealing Vows | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actor | Olivier Ross-Parent, The Madman | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actress | Gia Sandhu, Stealing Vows | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Cinematographer | Hazem Berrabah and Omar Bouhoula, The Madman | |
| Outstanding Short Film | Amir Zargara, A Good Day Will Come | |
| Outstanding Short Film Director | Tara Aghdashloo, Empty Your Pockets | |
| Outstanding Short Film Writer | Ian Bawa, My Son Went Quiet | |
| Outstanding Short Film Producer | Amir Zargara, A Good Day Will Come | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actor | Kiarash Dadgar, Empty Your Pockets | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actress | Aixa Kay, Hatch | |
| Outstanding Short Film Cinematographer | Carine Zahner, Strangers |
2025 ReelWorld Film Festival
The 25th annual ReelWorld Film Festival was held from October 16 to 19, 2025 in Toronto.
Award winners
| Award | Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Feature Film Award | Fitch Jean, It Comes in Waves | [11] |
| Audience Choice Award | Mohamed Ahmed, A Tribe Called Love | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Director | Lamia Chraibi, Circo | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Writer | Sammy Mohammed, It Comes in Waves | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Producer | Amir Zargara, It Comes in Waves | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actor | Adrian Walters, It Comes in Waves | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Actress | Joan Chen, Montreal, My Beautiful (Montréal, ma belle) | |
| Outstanding Feature Film Cinematographer | Jelan Maxwell, It Comes in Waves | |
| Outstanding Documentary | Lamia Chraibi, Circo | |
| Outstanding Short Film | Kevin Jin Kwan Kim, My Dad, the Rockstar | |
| Outstanding Short Film Director | Vanessa Magic, I Am Pleased | |
| Outstanding Short Film Writer | Jenny Lee-Gilmore, With Time | |
| Outstanding Short Film Producer | Grace Shutti and Momo Spaine, Lost Wax | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actor | Sangbum Kang, My Dad, the Rockstar | |
| Outstanding Short Film Actress | Rochelle Avis, Lichun | |
| Outstanding Short Film Cinematographer | Antonia Ramirez, Lost Wax |