Celebrated Documentary Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy Set for Toronto Screenings at Hot Docs and Nia Centre for the Arts

The powerful new film explores Carnival’s roots in resistance and its enduring global legacy as a celebration of freedom

TORONTO, ON – [July 18, 2025] – Following acclaimed selections at the 2025 American Black Film Festival and the Caribbean Film and Arts Festival, the vibrant and deeply moving documentary Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy is coming to Toronto with screenings at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema on July 24, 2025, and at the Nia Centre for the Arts on Emancipation Day, August 4, 2025, as part of its national rollout.

Directed and produced by Kitchener-based filmmaker Ian Mark Kimanje, this visually stunning documentary captures the cultural, historical, and emotional essence of Caribbean Carnival like never before. Through a dynamic blend of interviews, archival storytelling, and breathtaking cinematography shot across Canada, the UK, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, the film traces Carnival’s origins in joy-driven resistance and its evolution into a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Today, Carnival is celebrated in over 85 cities globally, standing as both a spiritual tradition and a modern declaration of freedom.

At its heart, the film follows Kimanje’s personal journey as he explores why Carnival resonates so profoundly with African and Caribbean diasporas. A chance encounter with a woman on the parade route—who shared how Carnival brought her healing during cancer treatment—inspired the film’s emotional core.

“This woman’s story reminded me that Carnival isn’t just celebration,” says Kimanje. “It’s a life force. It’s memory, legacy, and resistance wrapped in colour, sound, and movement.”

Produced by an award-winning team, including Emily Jane DeVries and Robert Lang, with writing by Allen Booth, the film features cinematography by Russell Gienapp, editing by Mark Stork and Sonia Godding Togoba, and an original score by Freetown Collective, Sheriff Mumbles, and Derek Brin. Executive producers include Robert Lang, Emily Jane DeVries, and Ian Mark Kimanje, with support from Jane Jankovic and Alexandra Roberts (TVO) and Patrice Ramsay (Knowledge Network).

Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy weaves together history, cultural commentary, and intimate narratives to reveal how Carnival has always been a tool of expression and survival—from its origins among enslaved Africans to its present-day economic impact. In 2023 alone, Toronto Carnival contributed $465.7 million to Ontario’s GDP, uniting 1.67 million attendees in a celebration of resilience and joy.

Through every feather, drumbeat, and dance, the film delivers a powerful message: Carnival is joy, and joy is power.

SCREENING DETAILS:

• Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema – July 24, 2025 | [Time TBD]

• Nia Centre for the Arts (Emancipation Day Screening) – August 4, 2025 | [Time TBD]

Hot Doc Tickets Here

About the Film

Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy is a feature-length documentary directed by Ian Mark Kimanje, produced by Film Garage North and Kensington Communications, with support from the Canada Media Fund and Rogers Documentary Fund.

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