FREE: We Will Be Brave // Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival Pre-Gala Opening Film

Please register for this free documentary film screening at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 on Sunday, April 13th as part of the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival. Everyone is welcome, no one will be turned away. There will be an audience talkback with Toronto guests and local experts, and a live musical performance. Food and refreshments provided!

Trailer and Synopsis

From photography and beatboxing to poetry and martial arts, the "Good Guise" collective sparks conversations around healthy masculinity through art. They welcome others to join in their mission of finding radical alternatives to shame and punishment for men who have harmed, or been harmed. How can a group of racialised men confront their privilege and power, while also honouring the hurt that society punishes them for feeling? How can we move away from punishment towards healing?

We Will Be Brave talks about men's mental health in a way that is honest, vulnerable, timely and very rarely seen on screen. Explorations around what masculinity is, and re-evaluations of what it could be are intertwined with revelations about the unique mental health challenges faced by men of colour, who are often sidelined or exclusively villainized in these conversations.

This screening is made possible with the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

With thanks to our community partners:

• Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival
• Roots of Hope
• Nurturing Strong African Nova Scotian Families / Strengthening Black Fathers

Our 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.

MOBÓLÚWAJÍDÌDE (BO) JOSEPH - film protagonist, writer
Bo (he/him) is a Nigerian writer who lives and works in the diaspora and on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. His work is animated broadly by questions of abolition, care, and spirituality. Bo is currently working on his first play - an exploration of the stakes of grief and longing by children of immigrants. As a part of the Good Guise, a collective of activists, artists, and scholars, Bo worked on a number of zines, workshops, and art exhibits that focused on tackling gender based violence amongst racialized men from an anti-oppressive and abolitionist framework. Their work is covered in the recent documentary, We Will Be Brave.

JULIAN DIEGO - film protagonist, co-founder of Good Guise
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.

COLTER SIMMONDS - local expert from Strengthening Black Fathers
Colter Simmonds is a passionate advocate for youth and community development, whose lifelong dedication to basketball and recreation has made a significant impact in his community. With a career rooted in recreation management and youth mentorship, Colter has leveraged his love for basketball to inspire and empower young people. His commitment to public service is further demonstrated through his three campaigns in provincial elections, where he has championed causes related to community wellbeing and youth engagement. Colter's work continues to reflect his unwavering devotion to enriching the lives of those around him and fostering a vibrant, inclusive community.

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