2018Festival

2018 Regent Park Film Festival

16th Annual Festival

Time For Ilhan

Nov 15 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
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Talkback with panelists Ausma Malik and Munira Abukar, moderated by CityNews’ Ginella Massa.

  • Year: 2018
  • Genre: Documentary Feature
  • Country: USA
  • Language: English, Somali
  • Audio: Partial Subtitles
  • Length: 89 min
  • Watch Trailer

Filmed prior to the US election in 2016, this documentary explores the rise of 34-year-old Ilhan Omar, a dedicated community organizer who partakes in the highly contested race for a seat in the Minnesota State Legislature. With a team that firmly believes in the power of a truly representative democracy, Omar becomes the first Somali-American and Black Muslim woman to be elected to a state legislature in the United States.

Directed by

Norah Shapiro

Norah Shapiro is a Minneapolis-based filmmaker and mother of three, who left a decade-long career as a public defender to pursue documentary filmmaking, and hasn’t looked back since.

Talkback

Speakers

Talkback with panelists Ausma Malik and Munira Abukar, moderated by CityNews’ Ginella Massa.

Panelist: Ausma Malik
Elected to the TDSB in 2014, Ausma Malik brings expertise and experience in education policy and community organizing to representing her vibrant downtown community, and championing progressive political and social change. With her election, she was the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to be elected to public office in Canada. Ausma is a life-long human rights and social justice activist. Her work continues as Director of Social Engagement at the Atkinson Foundation.

Panelist: Munira Abukar
Munira Abukar is a university graduate who is passionate about serving her community. Munira is one of nine children, and daughter to Asha, and Aden- two hardworking Somali immigrants. Some of Munira’s past and present involvements include ; Board Director at Toronto Community Housing ( youngest director on municipal board in Ontario) workshop facilitator with the Canadian Council for Refugees, and most recently a candidate in the 2014 Toronto municipal elections where she ran against Rob Ford. Munira is also a recipient of multiple academic and community scholarships including Scadding Court’s Investing in our Diversity (2010), Ryerson’s Second Chance (2011), the For Youth Initiative Scholarship program (2010), and the Toronto Police Service Hand in Hand award (2013) For her community work, Munira has been featured in multiple media outlets including; Chatelaine’s November 2011 Women of the Year contest as a top 20 under 30women, Toronto Police Service Hand in Hand award, and in a 2011 CBC special on Black History Month.

Moderator: Ginella Massa
Ginella Massa became Canada’s first hijab-wearing television news reporter in January 2015. She made history again in 2016 when she filled in as the late anchor on CityNews Toronto, making her the first woman in hijab to ever anchor a major newscast in Canada. Ginella has worked both behind-the-scenes and on-air for local and national Canadian News outlets since 2010, including CityNews, CTV, NewsTalk 1010, and Rogers TV.


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