CARNIVAL: THEY CAN’T STEAL OUR JOY DOCUMENTARY SET TO SCREEN IN TORONTO AND ACROSS CANADA AFTER MAJOR FESTIVAL MOMENTUM
Following celebrated selections at the 2025 American Black Film Festival and the Caribbean Film and Arts Festival, the vibrant and powerful new documentary Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy will screen in Toronto at Hot Docs on July 24, 2025, and at the Nia Centre For The Arts on Emancipation Day, August 4, 2025, as part of a national rollout. Directed and produced by Ian Mark Kimanje, this dynamic film captures the cultural, historical, and emotional impact of Caribbean Carnival in ways never before seen on screen.
Told through a powerful blend of interviews, archival storytelling, and breathtaking visuals shot across Canada, the UK, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, the film highlights Carnival’s roots in joy-driven resistance and its continued evolution into a global cultural force. With events now celebrated in over 85 cities worldwide, Carnival stands as both a spiritual tradition and a modern-day celebration of freedom.
The documentary is anchored by Ian Mark Kimanje’s personal journey. The Kitchener-based filmmaker, who also serves as co-writer and producer, set out to explore why Carnival resonates so deeply with African and Caribbean diasporas across generations. His experience meeting a woman on the parade route—whose own story of finding healing and joy through Carnival during her cancer treatment—provided the spark for the film’s deeper emotional lens.
“This woman’s story reminded me that Carnival isn’t just celebration,” Kimanje says. “It’s a life force. It’s memory, legacy, and resistance wrapped in colour, sound, and movement.”
Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy was brought to life through the talents of an award-winning production team. In addition to Kimanje, the film is produced by Emily Jane DeVries and Robert Lang with writing by Allen Booth. The cinematography is led by Russell Gienapp, with editing by Mark Stork and Sonia Godding Togoba. The film’s original score was crafted by Freetown Collective, Sheriff Mumbles, and Derek Brin, who also handled music supervision and sound editing.
Executive Producers include Robert Lang, Emily Jane DeVries, and Ian Mark Kimanje, with additional support from Jane Jankovic and Alexandra Roberts (TVO) and Patrice Ramsay (Knowledge Network). Distribution and development support comes from Film Garage North, Kensington Communications, the Canada Media Fund, and Rogers Documentary Fund.
The film weaves historical research, modern cultural commentary, and intimate storytelling to show how Carnival has always been a vehicle for expression and survival—from its origins as a form of rebellion among enslaved Africans to its current-day role as a multi-million-dollar contributor to local economies. In 2023 alone, Toronto Carnival generated $465.7 million in GDP for Ontario, drawing 1.67 million attendees and energizing the city’s streets with sound, beauty, and purpose.
Through every feather, drumbeat, and dance move, the film makes one thing clear: Carnival is joy, and joy is power.
Get tickets here.