SHIFTER editor and Golden Globe® Awards voter, Kevin Bourne, calls Ron Dias and Joanne Jansen’s latest “a groundbreaking moment in Toronto and Canadian cinema” in his Morningside film review.
Toronto has long been a major player in the international film industry as the home of the Toronto International Film Festival and as a location where major films studios choose to shoot big budget feature films, often doubling as New York City. Still, two things which have alluded Toronto are feature films made by Toronto filmmakers which have garnered attention outside of the city, and films set in Toronto. Fortunately, this is changing with films like R.T. Thorne’s 40 Acres recently screening at SXSW and Karen Chapman’s Village Keeper, which screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival alongside 40 Acres, being set in Toronto.
Now, there’s another film which is marking the coming-of-age of Toronto filmmaking, especially among BIPOC filmmakers. Written by Joanne Jansen and Ron Dias, who also directed the film, MORNINGSIDE, tells the story of a community in transition as it grapples with the effects of gentrification, gun violence, and poverty. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Behind the societal pressures, it’s really a celebration of community and the resilience of the people who live there. It’s also a kind of social commentary highlighting the community’s strained relationship with the police and early responders whose biases can hinder them from serving the very people they are supposed to protect.
“With MORNINGSIDE, I wanted to capture the full picture—the challenges, yes, but also the culture, the people, and the strength that make this place special.” -Ron Dias, co-writer/director
The film boasts an all-star Canadian cast of actors who have made a name for themselves south of the border, including Kiana Madeira (Trinkets, Brother), Fefe Dobson, Alex Mallari Jr. (Dark Matter, The Adam Project, Ginny & Georgia), Brandon McKnight (The Flash, The Clark Sisters), Olunike Adeliyi (The Fire Inside, The Porter), Lovell Adams-Gray (Power Book II: Ghost, Brother), and Joanne Jansen (Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker).
Before getting into the film itself, MORNINGSIDE is impressive for a few reason. Aside from the cast, it’s one of the first Toronto-made films to secure a theatrical run with Cineplex, the largest theatre chain in Canada. It also had some of the best marketing and promotion for a Toronto film, hosting premieres and meet-and-greets at east end Toronto staples like Scarborough Town Centre and Scarborough Spots’ Eglinton Square store. When have you seen meet-and-greets for a Toronto film?
When it comes to the film itself, it’s set at the fictitious Morningside Community Centre, a staple in the community which is being torn down to build a condo. It walks the fine line between having themes and experiences that reflect inner city life, similar to major American and UK cities, that will resonate with audiences everywhere, while being distinctly Toronto. It features the beloved, yet sometimes hated, Toronto accent, sites like Warden Station (including its beloved patties), the TTC subway, and Global Kingdom Ministries, and has references to Scarborough Town Centre.
Standout performances include Lovell Adams-Gray as Jay, the complex and seemingly contradictory friend and boyfriend who is trying to turn over a new life while getting in his own way, Alex Mallari Jr. as Josh, the community centre security guard and soon-to-be cop who is trying to get his life together, Fefe Dobson, who is exceptional as his slightly older and supportive girlfriend, Olunike Adeliyi as Fi, a mother of three, Kiki Hammill as Amber, her talented singer-songwriter/vlogger daughter, and Orville Cummings as Breeze, Jay’s waste man best friend who is all about getting bread and clapping cheeks.
“MORNINGSIDE is a love letter to Scarborough.” -Ron Dias, co-writer/director
Supporting the standout performances and storytelling are the directing and cinematography, including
overhead and over the shoulder shots and angles, that did the performances justice.
For co-writer/director, Ron Dias, it was an opportunity to portray both the challenges and culture of the area he grew up in.
“MORNINGSIDE is a love letter to Scarborough”, Dias explains. “This film is deeply personal to me—not just because I grew up here, but because I’ve seen firsthand the beauty, resilience, and struggles of this community. Too often, stories from places like Scarborough are told by outsiders, focusing only on hardship. With MORNINGSIDE, I wanted to capture the full picture—the challenges, yes, but also the culture, the people, and the strength that make this place special.”
This is a side of Canada that we rarely see on the big screen, and a side of Canada that our traditional broadcasters and streamers have neglected to depict on screen, unlike in the United States and the UK. That’s why films like MORNINGSIDE are important. It’s representation at its best and may feel like home to some viewers, while enlightening others who are ignorant of some of the realities of inner city life in Toronto.
I said it before and I’ll say it again. MORNINGSIDE is a groundbreaking moment in Toronto and Canadian cinema which is helping to usher in a new era of local filmmaking.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toront-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the 81st and 8nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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