Draft:Morningside (2024 film)

Morningside is a 2024 Canadian drama film written by Joanne Jansen and Ron Dias and directed by Ron Dias. The film stars Fefe Dobson, Kiana Madeira, Lovell Adams-Gray, Alex Mallari, Olunike Adeliyi, Joanne Jansen and Brandon McKnight.

Plot
Morningside charts the intertwining lives within Scarborough's Morningside community center. Following the personal struggles, relationships, and societal challenges faced by the diverse set of characters amid the looming threat of gentrification.

Cast

 * Fefe Dobson as Steph
 * Olunike Adeliyi as Fi
 * Alex Mallari Jr. as Josh
 * Lovell Adams-Gray as Jay
 * Kiana Madeira as Nicki
 * Joanne Jansen as Shanice
 * Brandon McKnight as Mark
 * Orville Cummings as Breeze
 * Kiki Hammill as Amber
 * Nathan Taylor as Bandoh
 * Zahra Bentham
 * Leighton Alexander-Williams

Development
Dias and Jansen embarked on the development of the film "Morningside" in 2018, drawing inspiration from the Danzig Street shooting and collaborating closely with the real-life families of the victims. As the project took shape, Elevation Pictures joined as the Canadian distributor, and the film was publicly announced in the Hollywood Reporter, with Fefe Dobson and Iñigo Pascual initially cast in leading roles. During their promotional press run for their first feature, "Bite of a Mango," Dias and Jansen made appearances on CP24 and Breakfast Television, where they discussed their commitment to authentically portraying the Danzig story and their ongoing collaboration with the victims' families since 2018. However, in 2023, Iñigo Pascual withdrew from the project due to the actor strike, leading to Alex Mallari Jr. stepping in to replace him.

Fefe Dobson also shared insights into the project during an interview on YouTube, revealing that she and Dias had decided to change the film's title to "Morningside." This decision marked a significant shift from the original title, "Danzig." Despite these changes, the film continued to evolve, and in 2023, Elevation Pictures withdrew from the project due to funding challenges. Subsequently, AMC Allblk took over the reins, with the film now scheduled for release in 2025. In response to these developments, Dias and Jansen decided to pivot and create a fictional film that would pay homage to the two victims of the Danzig shooting, Josh (played by Alex Mallari Jr.) and Amber (played by Kiki Hammill).