“Sway” is among the Canadian narrative films at the Toronto Black Film Festival.

TORONTO – Even though it was shot in downtown Toronto's Regent Park neighborhood and features a soundtrack by local underground rappers, Emmanuel Kabongo says his new film “Sway” doesn't feel like a Canadian creation.

“Everyone was excited to do something that we, as Canadians, don't always see on screen: raw, gritty, unapologetic,” says the Toronto-based actor and producer via video call from Los Angeles.

“What I notice when I watch Canadian television is that sometimes there's this sense of caution. You don't want to go a little too far and step on people's feet.”

Kabongo suggests that the problem is the lack of platforms that amplify Canadian stories from different perspectives. It points to Clement Virgo's coming-of-age drama “Virgo” and CBC's historical saga “Porter” as breakout performances, but were under-promoted despite being cleared at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards.

“There's still a key component missing when it comes to getting stories out there and selling them the right way,” he says.

“'Brother' was beautifully made with a big budget, but it didn't do so well in terms of financial success across Canada. We don't always know why, but I think there are more opportunities to get the word out there.

“Sway” is one of more than 80 films from 20 countries at the 12th annual Toronto Black Film Festival, which opens Wednesday. This year's program includes a tribute to the late director Charles Officer on Saturday and a screening of the 1974 film Fox Brown, followed by a career achievement award for star Pam Grier on Thursday.

Fabien Colas, the founder of the festival, says that the festival is designed to celebrate domestic talent.

“It's about providing a platform and empowering the voices of black artists and bringing in stars who will energize and inspire the next generation,” Colas says.

While there are other broad platforms, including the annual Toronto International Film Festival and Reelworld Film Festival, Kabongo says the black-focused festival gives filmmakers the most opportunity to change the perception of what Canadian film looks like.

“There are so many stories out there about black people and people of color,” he says.

“It's important in Toronto for stories like this to be heard, for people to create stories from their experiences and have a stage to show it. Not everyone gets into TIFF or Reelworld, so it's necessary.”

Sway is a brooding, mind-bending thriller that sees Kabongo play a prominent black community leader whose life unravels after a one-night stand extortion plot and a mysterious gang threaten his family.

Co-directed by Zach Ramelan and Charlie Hamilton, Sway marks Kabongo's first film for Unscene Pictures, the company he founded during the pandemic. It makes its Canadian premiere on Saturday.

“I always want to tell stories that you don't see on the big screen or the small screen. That was my vision not only as a producer, but also as an actor,” says Kabongo, who has starred in Paramount Plus' Star Trek: Discovery, CityTv's Hudson & Rex, and Simu Liu's sci-fi 2023 – has a fantastic thriller. “Simulator”.

Sway, he said, had a budget of less than $100,000 and was made possible by a group of passionate people “finding a way to make it happen.”

“Instead of expecting a big budget or someone to give me an opportunity, I wanted to create an opportunity for myself.”

The 37-year-old says that he dealt with his turbulent childhood. His family fled civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1996 and immigrated to South Africa when apartheid ended. They moved to Toronto in the 90s.

“I've had a lot of challenges in life, so when I came to Canada I was always this raw kid. My approach to everything has always been raw, with great charge and energy,” he says.

Kabongo believes Canadian industries have a reputation for playing it safe. He says he pitched the pilot to a major US showrunner who was impressed by the script's grit.

“What's that? Is Toronto like this? I'm like, 'Yeah, that's Toronto.' Most people don't really know about it. They have an idea of ​​what it is. But a lot of filmmakers out here are starting to break that mold, to step out of that comfort zone and say, 'We have our own voice. We have talent.''

Some of that talent is on display at TBFF. This year's festival will feature Being Black in Toronto, a series of films by emerging filmmakers selected from Colas' Being Black in Canada, an incubator program designed to mentor black filmmakers in Canada.

Among them is Toronto director Celestina Aleobua's Tina, When Are You Getting Married? In it, Tina, in her early 30s, explores the stories of three Nigerian-Canadian women who are navigating societal pressures to get married.

“We need to be able to create opportunities for black talent from different perspectives, if not from above, from ourselves,” says Kabongo.

“A festival like this gives people hope that it's possible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 13, 2024.

Alex Nino Getsiu, The Canadian Press