Reel World Film Festival 2009

April 14 to 19, 2009

Martin Luthur King had a dream. So did Tonya Lee Williams: it was the Reel World Film Festival - a film festival to promote films and film makers of cultural diversity. It was held this year in Toronto from April 14 to 19, 2009. This is the 9th year of the festival. The festival consists of industry series, films from countries across the world such as India, Australia, England, German, United States, China and Mexico, festival awards and the opening and closing gala parties.

The Opening night gala film was Gospel Hill which tells a story about a black neighbourhood in Julia, South Carolina, where residents are faced with losing their homes to make way for a multimillion-dollar golf course development and an unsolved murder which left the town reeling. The movie boosts a steller cast including Danny Glover as John Malcolm, the son of assassinated civil rights activist Peter Malcolm (Samuel L. Jackson) and Angela Bassett who plays John Malcom's wife. This film recently won best feature at the 2009 Texas Black Film Festival.

The 2009 Reel World Film Festival closed with the film, ALOO CHAAT ( Robby Grewal - INDIA- INTERNATIONAL ) - a light-hearted comedy about family preferences for a bride of the same religion and same culture and a man who switches brides on his family. It stars Aftab Shivdasani (Kassor, De Taali, Masti, Mr India), television actress; model Aamna Shariff (Kahiin To Hoga) and Aftab Shivdasani who plays Nikhil.

The 2009 ReelWorld Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday April 19th, 2009 at Manyata Cafe (Halelton Lanes) and the winners are!:

Tonya Lee Williams Award for Outstanding Canadian Feature: Moccasin Flats: Redemption Directed by Rob King, Produced by Laura J Milliken, P.J. Thornton, Stephan Onda. Presented by Chantelle Nicholls, District Vice-President of TD Canada Trust
ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Feature: Shades of Ray, Directed by Jaffar Mahmood, Produced by Jaffar Mahmood, Melvin Mar, Samantha Olsson, Carey Dietrich. AND Gospel Hill, Directed by Giancarlo Esposito, Produced by Giancarlo Esposito, Scott Rosenfelt, Freddy Braidy. Presented by Cindy Frost Director Of Sales, Cineplex Media
ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Feature Documentary: A Dream for Kabul Directed by Phillippe Baylaucq, Produced by Nathalie Barton, Patricia Bergeron, Yves Bisaillon. ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Documentary Hidden Heart Directed by Cristina Karrer, Werner Schweizer, Produced by Adschoint Ventschr, Filmproduktion. Both Presented by Executive Producer Silva Basmajian from the NFB
ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Short Film: Mouse Directed by James Flaherty, Produced by James Flaherty, Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. ReelWorld Award for Outstanding International Short Film Souljah, Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair, Produced by Carleen Beadle, Rikki Beadle-Blair, John R Gordon. Both Presented by Trish Mehrasa, Operations Manager, Entertainment Imaging – Kodak
ReelWorld Award for Outstanding Canadian Music Video: Save You Directed by RT
Tony Stoltz ReelWorld Visionary Award 2009: Helen Paul of Telefilm Canada.
ReelChoice STAR! Audience Award: Shades of Ray, Directed by Jaffar Mahmood, Produced by Jaffar Mahmood, Melvin Mar, Samantha Olsson, Carey Dietrich.
2009 ReelWorld Trailblazers. Presented by Actress, Producer and Founder of the ReelWorld Film Festival Tonya Lee Williams: Karla Bobadilla, Diego Fuentes, Zacharias Kunuk, Lisa Ray, Warren Sonada and Mark Taylor. "Created eight years ago by RWFF Founder and Executive Director, Tonya Lee Williams, the Trailblazer Award recognizes the achievements and contributions of Canada's brightest emerging talents of diverse cultural backgrounds."[reelworld.ca]
2009 Award Jurors: Jon Cassar, Director/Producer, Cassar Filmworks USA, Jennifer Chen, Director of Acquisitions & Programming, Channel Zero inc.; Wendy Crewson, Actor; John Galway, President, English-language Program, Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund; Eric Jordan, Producer, The Film Works Ltd.; Floyd Kane, VP, Creative and Business Affairs, Halifax Film; Edna Khubyar, Talent Agent, Edna Talent Management Ltd.; Don McCutcheon, Executive Board Chair, Directors Guild of Canada (Ontario Chapter); Joanna Miles, Director, Marketing, Maple Pictures Corp.; Sara Morton, CEO, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television; Karl Pruner, Actor and Executive Committee Member, ACTRA Toronto; Ambrose Roche, Producer.

With films from a wide diversity of cultures, Tonya's dream has come true - this festival is now a significant and important film festival and mark your calendar for next year! TorontoArtsandEvents! will.