Shane Slater
Shane Slater is a passionate cinephile whose love for cinema led him to creating his blog Film Actually in 2009. Since then, he has written for AwardsCircuit.com, ThatShelf.com and The Spool. Based in Kingston, Jamaica, he relishes the film festival experience, having covered TIFF, NYFF and Sundance among others. He is a proud member of the African-American Film Critics Association.
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in Interviews
Interview: ‘2018’ Director Jude Anthany Joseph On Recreating the 2018 Kerala Floods
With a film industry only rivalled by the United States in terms of the number of productions, the selection of the Indian submission for the Best International Feature Oscar is always fiercely competitve. And when 2018: Everyone is a Hero was selected this year, director Jude Anthany Joseph was as surprised as anyone. Based on […] More
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Interview: Discussing ‘The Mother of All Lies’ with Director Asmae El Moudir
One of the most striking films among this year’s Oscar contenders for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature is undoubtedly Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Best Director prize at Cannes, this probing documentary uncovers the personal and societal trauma of the 1981 Casablanca bread riots, […] More
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Interview: Showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar On Making ‘Black Cake’
Adapted from the Charmaine Wilkerson novel of the same name, Black Cake is an epic family saga following a series of life-changing events in the world of a woman named Covey. In anticipation of its streaming release on Hulu, Awards Radar chatted with showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar to talk about the making of this ambitious […] More
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Interview: Ilker Çatak Discusses Germany’s Allegorical Oscar Contender ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’
To understand how the world works, sometimes all you need to do is look at the dynamics of school. Such is thesis of İlker Çatak’s new film The Teachers’ Lounge, which follows a teacher who becomes embroiled in an investigation into a case of theft. As the plot thickens, the dynamics of the school setting […] More
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Interview: Talking ‘Silver Dollar Road’ with Director Raoul Peck
With an esteemed filmography that points a critical lens towards society’s unjust power structures throughout history, Raoul Peck continues to be one of the most important working filmmakers. His latest work, Silver Dollar Road, sees the Haitian director examining the case of the Reels family of North Carolina and their fight to keep their land. […] More
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in Festivals, Interviews
TIFF Interview: Noora Niasari On the Cultural and Emotional Impact of Australia’s Oscar Submission ‘Shayda’
In a move that perfectly exemplifies the globalization of world cinema, Australia recently announced the selection of Shayda as its entry for the Academy Awards. Centering an Iranian woman and her young daughter living in Australia, this expertly acted and deeply touching drama follows the pair as they navigate an uncertain future after leaving an […] More
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in Festivals, Interviews
TIFF Interview: Henri Pardo Explains the Magic Realism of ‘Kanaval’
Following films like Kite Zo A and Mountains, Henri Pardo adds another notable Haitian-themed film to the festival circuit with the world premiere of his striking drama Kanaval. Set in the mid-1970s, it follows a young boy who is forced to leave his native Haiti and navigate the strange new world of Canada with his […] More
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in Festivals, Interviews
TIFF Interview: Talking ‘I Don’t Know Who You Are’ with M. H. Murray and Mark Clennon
Premiering out of the Discovery section at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, M.H. Murray’s I Don’t Know Who You Are is one of the year’s most noteworthy debuts. This intense drama follows a musician (played by TIFF Rising Star Mark Clennon) during one weekend, as he desperately tries to get enough money to pay […] More
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TIFF Review: ‘In the Rearview’ is an Understated but Potent Look at the Russia-Ukraine War
On first glance, Maciek Hamela’s heartrending new documentary In the Rearview is based on a simple premise. After an unassuming introduction, we join an assorted group of travellers in a van, as they settle in for a long journey and discuss their lives. Under better circumstances, it could almost be the setup for an indie […] More
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TIFF Review: Sturdy Performances Bolster Uncertain Melodrama in ‘Yellow Bus’
In one of many poignant scenes in Fran Kranz’ harrowing school shooting drama Mass, a victim’s mother pontificates that her son’s death should mean something. And it’s a sentiment that comes to mind in Yellow Bus, the similarly tragic debut feature from Wendy Bednarz. Specifically, it explores the fallout when a freak accident causes a […] More
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23 Films to Watch at TIFF ’23
It feels like just yesterday that the curtains closed on the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where Steven Spielberg‘s The Fabelmans took home the coveted People’s Choice Award. And yet here we are again, just a few days away from the 2023 edition. As always, the festival features an impressive lineup of films seeking to […] More
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in Festivals, Interviews
HollyShorts Interview: Talking ‘Bertie the Brilliant’ with Gabriela Garcia Medina, Vicki Syal and Prince Pieters
With one of the most charming films at the 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival, it’s hard to believe that film wasn’t the first love of filmmaker Gabriela Garcia Medina. The former spoken word poet directs Bertie the Brilliant, which follows a young Latino boy from a working class background who desperately wants to see his favorite […] More