Learn to Swim

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Learn to Swim
Directed byThyrone Tommy
Written byMarni Van Dyk
Thyrone Tommy
Produced byAlona Metzer
StarringThomas Antony Olajide
Emma Ferreira
CinematographyNick Haight
Edited byBaun Mah
Shaun Rykiss
Music byChester Hansen
Leland Whitty
Tika Simone
Production
company
Leilani Films
Distributed byMongrel Media
Release date
  • September 11, 2021 (2021-09-11) (TIFF)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Learn to Swim is a Canadian drama film, directed by Thyrone Tommy and released in 2021.[1] Tommy's debut full-length feature, the film centres on a stormy romantic relationship between Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) and Selma (Emma Ferreira), two talented but troubled jazz musicians.[2]

Both Olajide and Ferreira were named among TIFF's annual Rising Stars program for emerging actors.[2]

The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]

Critical response[]

Norman Wilner of Now rated the film four N's, writing that "from one angle it could be A Star Is Born; from another, maybe it's Once. But music – especially jazz – is all about taking the standards and reinterpreting them into new forms, giving us something new that we can still recognize in flashes. That's what Tommy and co-writer Marni Van Dyk are doing with Learn To Swim, scrambling time and weaving other storylines into Dezi and Selma's collaboration."[4]

Awards[]

The film was a nominee for the DGC Discovery Award at the 2021 Directors Guild of Canada awards.[5] and was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2021.[6]

The film received two Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, for Best Actor (Olajide) and Best Original Song ("And Then We Don't" by Tika Simone and Casey Manierka-Quaile).[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Norman Wilner, "10 Canadian films we’re excited to see at TIFF 2021". Now, September 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Victoria Ahearn, "From ‘Night Raiders’ to ‘Scarborough’: Five Canadian films making waves at TIFF". Toronto Star, September 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Rebecca Rubin, "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery Lineup". Variety, July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ Norman Wilner, "TIFF 2021, Day 3: Don't let Learn To Swim be drowned out by bigger pictures". Now, September 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "TV & Film News – DGC reveals Discovery Award long list of emerging directors to watch". Broadcast Dialogue, September 23, 2021.
  6. ^ Norman Wilner, "TIFF announces Canada’s Top Ten films of 2021". Now, December 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.

External links[]

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