CHRISTIE PITS park
Sunday, August 4, 2024

Sister Act

With the short films Rung and Janelle Niles: Inconvenient

Nightclub singer Deloris Wilson, played by comedy icon Whoopi Goldberg, is forced to take refuge in a convent (disguised in a nun’s habit) to escape her mobster boyfriend (played by Harvey Keitel) after she witnesses a murder. Despite the solemn setting and less-than-welcoming regiments enforced by the parish’s Mother Superior (Maggie Smith), Deloris can’t help but express her lively personality through her love of music. Before long, she transforms the buttoned-down church choir into a soulful chorus, complete with a Motown repertoire. This beloved feel-good musical comedy makes joyful noise, celebrating acts of community care in an unlikely vocational setting. 

Chris Hanratty’s comical short film Rung pits two women in a fraught competition with each other over a hotly contested spot on the local cathedral bell-ringing team. Much like Sister Act, the not-so-friendly rivalry between the two women leads to unexpected outcomes, in an unexpected setting.

Janelle Niles is a Black, Mi’kmaw, two-spirited woman from Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia, and a stand-up comedian. Niles embraces her biracial experience and queer identity in her comedy, using stand-up to foster a new era of inclusivity in the Canadian comedy industry. Directors Kelly Zemnickis and Cass Gardiner’s humorous and thought-provoking short documentary empowers audiences by offering a glimpse into the experiences of performers who don’t match our preconceived notions of working comedians.

This screening will be presented with optional pre-recorded Audio Description available for blind, low vision, or visually impaired audience members. More information about this accessibility feature is available at TOpictureshow.com/audio. Other accessibility features available at TOPS events, including open captioning, are outlined at TOpictureshow.com/accessibility.