This adaptation of the award winning Canadian novel by Catherine Hernandez follows three pre-teens in a low-income Toronto neighborhood who find friendship and community. This unblinking drama chronicles the struggles of the kids and their families. Scarborough is a neighborhood populated by marginalized groups that don’t mesh in the grander scheme of Canadian culture. Drug addiction, abandonment, violence and racism are mixed with normal growing pains. There are heroic adults alongside horrific parenting. Scarborough premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. Hernandez, who penned the screenplay won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022. The film also won the award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Liam Diaz won Best Actor for his portrayal of Bing, one of the children.

This film screening will be a part of a cross-community series of events sponsored by WWU's Center for Canadian-American Studies and in coordination with Village Books and Evolve Cafe. The writer of the book, Catherine Hernandez, will be attending author events at Village Books and Evolve (visit villagebooks.com for tickets and details), and she'll be joining us at the Pickford for a post-screening Q&A hosted by Christina Keppie, Director of the Center for Canadian-American Studies.