Next Gen Men Turns 10

This November marks 10 years of Next Gen Men striving for a future where boys and men feel less pain and cause less harm—now that’s a reason to celebrate!

To mark this milestone, we’re thrilled to bring our community together in Calgary this November. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate with a special screening of clips from the award-winning documentary We Will Be Brave.

Each clip will be followed with a panel discussion between We Will Be Brave director, Chrisann Hessing and Good Guise Founder, Julian Diego, facilitated by Next Gen Men’s Executive Director, Jake Stika. Together, they’ll dive into the powerful themes of the documentary and share behind-the-scenes insights, making for an inspiring and thought-provoking evening.

Every guest will receive access to watch We Will Be Brave in its entirety for a limited time after the event!

Come down from 6:00 pm to enjoy a drink on us, some delicious bites, and the opportunity to connect with like-minded people who are passionate about changing how we see, act, and think about masculinity. The screening and panel discussion will begin at 7:00 pm.

Let’s come together to honour the progress we’ve made and keep building the future we want to see!

About the film:

WE WILL BE BRAVE follows the journey of Toronto's "Good Guise" collective, who are committed to sparking conversations around healthy masculinity through art. From photography and beatboxing to poetry and martial arts, the artists in the collective share their unique lived experiences and welcome others to join in their mission of finding radical alternatives to shame and punishment. As each of them grapples with upheavals in their personal lives, their resolve is further tested by a dire lack of resources and the burden of racialized discrimination. WE WILL BE BRAVE is a story about personal evolution, healing and an unlikely brotherhood forged in vulnerability.

About the panelists:

CHRISANN HESSING - Writer, Director, Producer

Chrisann Hessing is a documentary filmmaker and impact producer based in Toronto. She has produced award-winning short films that have screened at Hot Docs, RIDM, Global Impact Film Festival and the London Asian Film Festival. Her work has been supported by the Ontario Arts Council, Inspirit Foundation, BravoFACT! Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent and Telefilm Canada. Chrisann’s latest film, Turning Tables, won Best Short Documentary at the 43rd American Indian Film Festival, and has screened in over 30 film festivals internationally. In 2020, Chrisann was selected as one of Reelworld's Emerging 20 and named Talent to Watch by Telefilm Canada.

JULIAN DIEGO

Julian Diego is a Community Arts practitioner and passionate advocate for access and inclusion in art-making. He believes that everyone has creative aspects that can be encouraged and developed, fostering deeper connections within communities. Previously serving as the Creative Director at SKETCH Working Arts, Julian contributed to projects like The Good Guise, which explored healthy masculinity for racialized men, and New Eyez. At SKETCH Julian contributed for decades to the implementation of artistic interpretations of Transformative Justice and community building. He is an experienced screen printer, a highly trained kung fu practitioner and fire performer, and is certified as a Mentor Artist-Educator through the RCM. In 2017, he received the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations from the City of Toronto

Tickets are available on a sliding scale to maximize accessibility. By purchasing a 'Supporter' ticket, your generosity helps cover the cost of an 'Access' ticket, making it possible for others to attend. As always, we are grateful for your support.🧡

This event is kindly supported by ATCO.