JAYU Canada is thrilled to announce its 12th annual Human Rights Film Festival+ 2023 (HRFF+). This year from December 7-10, 2023, HRFF+ is excited to present 4 feature-length documentaries including 3 Toronto premieres, as well as accompanying Q&As, and 4 short films.

The festival will screen these films at Hot Docs alongside a moving gallery installation of We Grow Together, in partnership with the White Owl Native Ancestry Association and Wisahkotewinowak, featuring the work of 6 Indigenous youth. On closing night, HRFF + is proud to present its 4th annual JAYU Slams Poetry Competition featuring Eddie Lartey at the Ace Hotel.

This year HRFF + is pleased to share the following films:

A Bullet Pulling Thread (December 7, 2023): In January 2020, the RCMP killed homelessness activist Barry Shantz at his home in Lytton, B.C during a mental health crisis. In response to this tragedy, his sister Marilyn creates a series of art quilts called Kairos – a Greek word which means ‘an opportune time for action’. The film will be followed by a Q&A with director Ian Daffern and Marilyn Shantz.

Coming Around (December 8, 2023, Toronto Premiere): Coming Around follows 28-year-old Eman as she weighs the decision to come out to her devout Muslim mother. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Eman Abdelhadi and Sandra Itäinen.

The Space Race (December 9, 2023, Toronto Premiere): The Space Race weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden, among many others.

Hong Kong Mixtape (December 10, 2023): Using her own voice to guide us through this time, filmmaker San San F Young pieces together works by underground artists, musicians, dancers, illustrators and performance artists, showcasing how art can provide some of the most powerful forms of activism. The film will be followed by a Q&A with San San F Young and Nikki Parrott.