OPENING FILM: OF MUD AND BLOOD + TRIBUTES TO STANLEY NELSON, SHAMIER ANDERSON AND STEPHAN JAMES

OPENING FILM: OF MUD AND BLOOD by Jean-Gabriel Leynaud

Numbi, a small village hidden in the heart of the mountains of the Congo DRC. Here, with bare hands, miners extract coltan, which will find its way - legally or not - to our industrialized world. For decades, this grey gold, essential for the manufacture of modern technological devices, has been the source of conflicts and ruthless exploitation. By sharing their lives and intimacy, Of Blood and Mud documents the daily existence of the inhabitants of Numbi. Revealing their ordeals and their illusory hope of escaping their fate and one day benefiting from the riches of Congo.

TRIBUTES

The Toronto Black Film Festival is proud to honor Stanley Nelson with the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award. Widely regarded as the foremost chronicler of the African American experience in nonfiction film, Nelson’s work has reshaped the documentary landscape. His films stand as essential records of Black history, culture, and resistance.

The Toronto Black Film Festival is also proud to honor Shamier Anderson and Stephan James with the 2026 Career Achievement Award. Both are celebrated Canadian actors and producers whose groundbreaking careers have elevated Black Canadian talent on the global stage through powerful, internationally acclaimed performances in film and television.