Authors Ibi Zoboi and Dr. Yusef Salaam (of the Exonerated Five) joined forces to bring forth their impactful novel, Punching the Air. I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the book earlier this month and can easily say it’s been one of the best that I’ve read thus far in 2020. Punching the Air follows Amal Shahid, a teenager who has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he’s seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system.

Award-winning author, Alaya Dawn Johnson’s novel, Trouble the Saints is available now and definitely a book that should be added to your TBR lists right now. Set in 1940s New York City, the novel is a brilliant blend of historical elements, assassins and magic. I luckily had the chance to do an interview with Johnson all about Trouble the Saints, including where the idea came from, the creative process behind the book and the fundamental characters throughout the novel.

Jasmine Cephas Jones is a star! Whether performing on stage (on and off-Broadway), dropping her EP titled Blue Bird, or tackling important subject matter in films such as Blindspotting and Monsters and Men, Cephas Jones is a force to be reckoned with. Having recently starred in the hit musical, Hamilton (which has its in-home debut via Disney+), I had the pleasure of chatting with Cephas Jones about playing two roles in one show, the on-set dynamic, which roles she gravitates toward...

If the name Jordan Hayles rings a bell, it’s likely that you’ve seen his work or perhaps you’ve seen him on Twitter (@MR_STiXX), especially recently. His tweets have a penchant for going viral (he was recently quote tweeted by Zendaya and now, naturally, I can’t tell him anything) and he has a new podcast that is three episodes in that you should definitely check out!

From directing one of our favourite Marvel characters, to writing and directing the sci-fi creature feature, Sea Fever (which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival), Irish director Neasa Hardiman is always hard at work. Luckily for me, I was able to catch up with the director during TIFF for a brief interview about Sea Fever, subverting genre tropes, the necessity for diversity on the big screen, and the myth and folklore behind her feature film debut.

Having had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September 2018, Giant Little Ones is poised to take the big screen. The second feature from Canadian director and writer Keith Behrman, the film boasts a cast of talented young actors, including Josh Wiggins, Taylor Hickson and Darren Mann, who star alongside Kyle MacLachlan and Maria Bello. During TIFF, The Reel Roundup got a chance to catch up with the young stars during a roundtable interview to talk about their on-set process, the familiarity that came with being brought back to high school, what they learned from MacLachlan and Bello, and what they hope audiences will take away from the movie.

Rising Star Kiki Layne has come onto the scene in a big way, starring as Tish in the highly-anticipated new film by Barry Jenkins. GoC had the pleasure of sitting down with Layne after the premiere of If Beale Street Could Talk at the Toronto International Film Festival. Based on the novel of the same name by the acclaimed James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timely piece of cinema in which Layne shines as Tish.

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins screened both of his films Medicine for Melancholy and Moonlight at the Toronto International Film Festival. So, it was no surprise when it was announced that Jenkins would be bringing the amazing If Beale Street Could Talk to TIFF this year, where it was the runner-up for the Grolsch People’s Choice award. If Beale Street Could Talk is based on the book of the same name by the iconic, James Baldwin and is a love story

A few months ago, GoC had the pleasure of participating in roundtable interview with legendary Canadian actress, Megan Follows at Toronto ComicCon. The star who is best known for her roles as Anne in Anne of Green Gables and Queen Catherine in Reign, will embark on her next journey where she plays the matriarch, Michelle Earp, in the latest season of Wynonna Earp. With acting credits such as the above under her belt, Follows talked about her career, being part of a Canadian legacy

Every family is different, and every family faces different struggles that they have to tackle, and they have to find out where that will ultimately leave them. In Meditation Park, family matriarch Maria (Cheng Pei-Pei) has to decide just where her fork in the road leads, after finding out about her husband Bing's (Tzi Ma) infidelity. The Reel Roundup got a chance to sit down with writer/director Mina Shum to chat about the importance of Meditation Park as it relates to family, diversity and Canadian identity, and to find out which of her personal attributes can be found within the film.

In the Fade was one of the anticipated foreign language films at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September, and having had the chance to see it when it was here at the festival, it is clear to see why. It's a story that is both tragic, yet inspiring, centered on a woman who has lost everything and yet still finds a way — after grief takes hold of her — to get up and focus on the task at hand, to get justice for the family she's lost. In a world so full of hatred, defying the odds seem insurmountable. The Reel Roundup had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable interview with the film's director, Fatih Akin, and its lead actress, Diane Kruger, who won the Best Actress award at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival for her role as Katja.

Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut is upon us in the form of Lady Bird. Having had its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, it is a movie that is focused around a rebellious teen by the name of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, who longs to leave Sacramento, California behind and make something of herself. With its title character charismatically portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird showcases all the struggles that coming of age brings, and it will no doubt leave viewers feeling a little bit of everything while they take in its magic.

The world of comics and gaming collide with the groundbreaking Shuyan Saga. Created by Loft Sky Entertainment Inc., Shuyan Saga is a game unlike any other. In fact, it’s a graphic novel that comes to life through the action of 3D gaming while you play your way through the story as Shuyan. Voiced by People’s Choice Award winning actress, Kristin Kreuk, Shuyan Saga has artwork by comic book artist Daxiong and a score by Aaron Tsang. Shuyan Saga is a treat in gameplay, visual arts and sound.