TONYA LEE WILLIAMS
in
"Empire Of Dirt"
2013 Toronto International Film Festival
in
"Empire Of Dirt"
2013 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto,
Ontario (August 15, 2013) --Tonya Lee Williams will appear as "Sandra" a Social Worker in the film "Empire Of Dirt", produced by
Jennifer Podemski, written by Shannon Masters and directed by Peter Stebbings,
screening at this years Toronto
International FIm Festival on September
6. The two-time Emmy nominated
actress is thrilled and honored to be a part of TIFF 2013.
Empire of Dirt,
a story about three generations of Native Canadian women who find
history repeating itself. At 15, Lena (Cara Gee) was pregnant and
kicked to the curb by a mother (Podemski), only 14 years her senior.
Since then, she’s been struggling to make ends meet in Toronto. But
when her own 13-year-old daughter (Shay Eyre – daughter of Smoke Signals director Chris Eyre) overdoses, and
when her social worker (Williams) gets involved, Lena decides to return home and face the past she’s tried to escape. Can family provide a second chance?
Williams ability to humanize her characters
showing both their vulnerabilities as well as their strengths in honest
portrayals has endeared her to dedicated fans world wide. The actress,
best known for her role as Dr. Olivia Winters on The Young and The Restless has
worked with actors such as Danny Glover in the feature film Poor Boy's Game,
Tia and Tamara Mowry in the Lifetime film Double Wedding, Canadian actor James
Robert McGowan in the CBC night-time hit drama The Border and with Rob Lowe in
Prosecuting Casey Anthony. A tireless advocate for diverse Filmmakers,
the two-time NAACP recipient puts
her notoriety to good use. Williams revolutionized the Canadian entertainment
industry by founding the ReelWorld Film
Festival, based in Toronto Canada, now in its 13th year. ReelWorld's mandate, to
create opportunities for racially diverse artists, both in front of and behind
the camera. "I'm thrilled that Tonya accepted our offer to
be in Empire of Dirt. She's a grounded and natural actor who's
participation helped us achieve the strength and realism we were hoping for.
I'm forever grateful!" Jennifer Podemski - producer
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| Sunday September 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scotiabank 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9:15 AM |
Three
generations of First Nations women struggle to deal with the demons of
their past, in this powerful and affecting drama from
actor-turned-director Peter Stebbings (Defendor).
Centring on three generations of Canadian
Aboriginal women, Peter Stebbings' Empire
of Dirt is a gripping story about confronting
the past, set within a family burdened
by cycles of addiction, poverty, and teenage
pregnancy.
Lena Mahikan (Cara Gee, 2013 TIFF Rising Star), a former addict and model, is now a single mother struggling to make ends meet in Toronto. True to her last name — which means wolf in Cree — if Lena senses danger, her instinct is to run. So, when her troubled and headstrong thirteen-year-old daughter Peeka (Shay Eyre) overdoses, attracting the attention of child services, Lena packs them both up and flees to her hometown in rural Ontario. There, reunited with her estranged mother Minnie (Jennifer Podemski, who also coproduced the film), she is forced to face a past she has desperately tried to ignore.
Based on a superb script by Cree screenwriter Shannon Masters, Empire of Dirt brims with sharp, candid dialogue and memorable characters imbued with refreshingly human flaws and contradictions. (Though Lena can't get her own life together nor control her daughter, she counsels street kids on their life choices at a community centre.)
The film also marks a striking departure for talented actor-turned-director Stebbings, whose debut, the quirky superhero film Defendor, premiered at the Festival in 2009. Though it traverses an entirely new terrain, Stebbings' latest is a major progression; his taut direction captures the emotional tumult of his protagonists' lives with maturity and verve, eliciting remarkable performances from his cast, particularly newcomer Gee in a breakout role. Not just a contemporary portrait of an indigenous family, Empire of Dirt resonates as a film about a mother's struggle to make the right choices, and about making peace with the past.
AGATA SMOLUCH DEL SORBO
Lena Mahikan (Cara Gee, 2013 TIFF Rising Star), a former addict and model, is now a single mother struggling to make ends meet in Toronto. True to her last name — which means wolf in Cree — if Lena senses danger, her instinct is to run. So, when her troubled and headstrong thirteen-year-old daughter Peeka (Shay Eyre) overdoses, attracting the attention of child services, Lena packs them both up and flees to her hometown in rural Ontario. There, reunited with her estranged mother Minnie (Jennifer Podemski, who also coproduced the film), she is forced to face a past she has desperately tried to ignore.
Based on a superb script by Cree screenwriter Shannon Masters, Empire of Dirt brims with sharp, candid dialogue and memorable characters imbued with refreshingly human flaws and contradictions. (Though Lena can't get her own life together nor control her daughter, she counsels street kids on their life choices at a community centre.)
The film also marks a striking departure for talented actor-turned-director Stebbings, whose debut, the quirky superhero film Defendor, premiered at the Festival in 2009. Though it traverses an entirely new terrain, Stebbings' latest is a major progression; his taut direction captures the emotional tumult of his protagonists' lives with maturity and verve, eliciting remarkable performances from his cast, particularly newcomer Gee in a breakout role. Not just a contemporary portrait of an indigenous family, Empire of Dirt resonates as a film about a mother's struggle to make the right choices, and about making peace with the past.
AGATA SMOLUCH DEL SORBO
Director Biography
-
- Peter Stebbings
- Peter Stebbings was born in Vancouver and attended the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City. His feature acting roles include Pigeon (04), The Limb Salesman (04), and Citizen Duane (06), all of which screened at the Festival. He co-wrote and acted in Jack and Jill vs. The World (08). He has directed the features Defendor (09), which premiered at the Festival, and Empire of Dirt (13).
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Independent Film Maker & Rap Legend previously known in the UnderGround Rap World as Godzillha Selling & Breaking Records as far east as Japan,LavaKid got his big Break in TV Production after being sought out by MTV Producer in N.Y.C. after creating a Buzz for his HEAT DVD, LavaKid Since Moving Forward to Toronto Has been Mentoring Fresh Talent in the Industry & is on the verge of Launching his Game Changer Project.
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Chilling in the Cut !
Dewitt Lee -
Content provider for the small screen's
of ipads, iphones and computer. For over a decade he has produced 100's
of videos covered the movers and shakers of over 30 different
industries. His team made history by merging the world's of
commercialism and art - in Toronto's 1st mini movie series called
Love's Bugg which has given local artists both in film, music and
fashion a platform to perform and showcase their talents. Running for mayor of Toronto on
a platform that would bring more film production to Toronto has earned
him the name Mayor of Hollywood North, Using film to combat youth unemployment, Dewitt
believes that the film industry that targets Toronto as a backdrop to
their films should expose
our youth to film and create temp jobs on and off camera.
Lyric DVD Magazine
is an innovative media format catering to the Reggae and Dancehall
industry, running from downtown Toronto, Canada and Kingston, Jamaica.
It has become the most highly anticipated global urban source for Reggae
and Dancehall music, lifestyle and news. Lyric offers a comprehensive
compilation of artist interviews, including ‘one-on-ones’ with many of
the popular DJs, sound systems, and also provides footage from reggae
concerts worldwide. You will also get information regarding news,
fashion trends, new dance styles and the lifestyles and musical
backgrounds of various artists. At Lyric, we have built a strong rapport
within the Reggae and Dancehall community which has enabled us to
obtain in-depth interview segments and video footage. Lyric Magazine
will also function as a platform for local and international up and
coming artists, and in doing so, Lyric will fuel the growth, exposure
and development of the Reggae artist
Lyric DVD Magazine
is an innovative media format catering to the Reggae and Dancehall
industry, running from downtown Toronto, Canada and Kingston, Jamaica.
It has become the most highly anticipated global urban source for Reggae
and Dancehall music, lifestyle and news. Lyric offers a comprehensive
compilation of artist interviews, including ‘one-on-ones’ with many of
the popular DJs, sound systems, and also provides footage from reggae
concerts worldwide. You will also get information regarding news,
fashion trends, new dance styles and the lifestyles and musical
backgrounds of various artists. At Lyric, we have built a strong rapport
within the Reggae and Dancehall community which has enabled us to
obtain in-depth interview segments and video footage. Lyric Magazine
will also function as a platform for local and international up and
coming artists, and in doing so, Lyric will fuel the growth, exposure
and development of the Reggae artist.
Lyric DVD Magazine
is an innovative media format catering to the Reggae and Dancehall
industry, running from downtown Toronto, Canada and Kingston, Jamaica.
It has become the most highly anticipated global urban source for Reggae
and Dancehall music, lifestyle and news. Lyric offers a comprehensive
compilation of artist interviews, including ‘one-on-ones’ with many of
the popular DJs, sound systems, and also provides footage from reggae
concerts worldwide. You will also get information regarding news,
fashion trends, new dance styles and the lifestyles and musical
backgrounds of various artists. At Lyric, we have built a strong rapport
within the Reggae and Dancehall community which has enabled us to
obtain in-depth interview segments and video footage. Lyric Magazine
will also function as a platform for local and international up and
coming artists, and in doing so, Lyric will fuel the growth, exposure
and development of the Reggae artist
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LINDO P
Toronto boasts some outstanding multi-hyphenates. Lindo P is rated among the best. • Reggae DJ/Selector (rips it both behind and in front of the booth) Recording Artist (uses his voice to make di gyal dem bruck out) Songwriter (master of lyrics, even the notepad bows in his presence) Dancehall/Foundation Ambassador (helps di youth dem nah forget about their roots).
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