By Fred Alvarado Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

The 21st Annual Regent Park Film Festival celebrated Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) storytelling with free programming from November 23 to 26, 2023 at Daniels Spectrum 585 Dundas St East. People from across Toronto and beyond attended four days of independent films, workshops, film panels, parties and special events such as the RPFF 2023 awards, an industry meet & greet, and the Emerging Director’s Pitch Competition -  an annual competition that invites emerging filmmakers to submit a proposal for a new project.

RPFF is Toronto’s longest-running, free community film festival since 2003 and it’s dedicated to showcasing and amplifying the stories of local and international racialized filmmakers, people of low-income, and public housing communities like Regent Park on themes such as racial justice, community activism, working class and immigrant experiences, and cultural identity.

This year’s festival had an impressive selection of 48 feature and short films exploring the experiences and stories of marginalized communities, including the movie 'In Flames', a Pakistan-set horror film and debut feature written and directed by Zarrar Kahn; 'We Will Be Brave', a documentary about a Toronto-based arts collective exploring healthy masculinity by Chrisann Hessing; and 'When Morning Comes', a drama coming of age film that follows a young Jamaican boy immigrating to Canada by award-winning filmmaker Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, and much more.

Events like this aims to reach isolated communities throughout Regent Park and beyond, providing a forum for people from all walks of life to engage in meaningful conversations on social issues and to enjoy local and international independent films.