As someone who grew up in Toronto, this film meant a lot to me. It’s great to see more films based on Scarborough, especially after seeing Shook at TIFF last year. Morningside follows seven diverse characters whose lives intersect at the Scarborough Morningside Community Centre as they face relationship challenges, societal issues and the threat of gentrification.
Director and co-writer Ron Dias and actor and co-writer Joanne Jansen—both co-founders of Ron & Aussie Productions—aim to authentically portray the vibrancy and resilience of Scarborough’s communities through Morningside. The film emphasizes heritage and the struggle to maintain a close-knit community in Toronto’s east end.
The all-Canadian cast is a rare sight, capturing some of the best talent from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Morningside features Scarborough native and Canadian pop artist Fefe Dobson, who stars alongside Oluniké Adeliyi, Orville Cummings, Alex Mallari Jr., Lovell Adams-Gray, Kiana Madeira, Jansen, Kiki Hammill, Nathan Taylor, Zahra Bentham, Leighton Alexander-Williams and Brandon McKnight.
CGMagazine spoke with Jansen and co-star Cummings to discuss the film and everything it has to offer. They explored how art can reflect real life in many ways, as demonstrated in Morningside. Additionally, they shared their thoughts on the rapid changes and growth of Canada’s entertainment industry—and how it could evolve further. They offered advice to young artists and filmmakers, encouraging viewers of the film to help build the supportive communities they seek.
The topic of language and using authentic language in Morningside can’t be ignored, especially for a film like this—set in Scarborough. For each of your characters, Breeze and Shanice, how did you find that balance of using Toronto slang?
Orville Cummings: My character touches on three speech patterns. One minute he’s having a conversation; one minute he’s going full Toronto man; and one minute he busts out the Patois when he’s cheesed. I think it’s very important for us to bring that into a film, especially representing Toronto. It’s a multi-diverse [city], and there’s a huge population of Jamaican immigrants, so there’s no way to talk about Toronto without talking about the people and the influences that come into our food and our language.
That’s why we have Mona’s Roti and all the other places that we went to in the film, on location. But the language itself, we tried to sprinkle it in there and not make it too heavy for two reasons. One, it can become a little bit gimmicky. The Toronto language sounds weird, then cool, and then weird again. So, we wanted to find that good, healthy [middle ground].
But also, we want people to be involved and understand what’s going on in Toronto. Because of ignorance, we want to educate them about how we see and go about our culture and everything. We had to be careful too because it’ll be hard for them to understand. We don’t want to come off as a foreign film. It’s a film set in a place that might be foreign to you, but we want to make sure you’re involved somehow and understand where we’re coming from.
The language was a huge part of that, and I think everyone did a good job sprinkling a little bit of Toronto slang and Patois to make it understandable in context. The context is the most important thing, and because the context is there, even if you don’t understand what’s being said, you understand what’s being communicated. I think we hit the mark on that one.
Joanne Jansen: To echo what Orville said about the three parts to it, I think the casting is really important, too. You want to give your actors enough freedom to feel like they can say things that they feel make sense at the time. I don’t speak Patois well, but I know Orville does and I know he’s going to feel like he can infuse those little moments where he feels it’s right.
I want to give them the freedom to do that. I give them the blueprint and the layout of the scene and then let the actors put their little bit of spice or sauce on it. That’s how I see the language and writing in it.
And I felt like you all did a great job doing that. It’s like seeing and hearing a mirror of how I’d be talking with the boys and the mandems (a group of friends).
Joanne Jansen: Yeah, it’s like how friends are speaking with friends, and it’s meant to feel like that.
Exactly. And going deeper into each of your characters, how was it finding their relatable personalities?
Joanne Jansen: For my experience, it’s always a little strange because I co-wrote it with Ron [Dias]. I rewrote that character so many different times, but she always, at the essence, had the same core values or the same sort of issues that she needed to work on. It was exploring that and rewriting that over the six years allowed me to fully explore her life. So, I kind of did my character development, not only mine but all the other characters. Then, it expanded for the other characters once I handed that over to the actors, and they just made it magic.
But for Shanice, it was an interesting thing to do, and I feel like it’s also very relatable, whether you’re male or female. The trials and tribulations she goes through in her relationship. I don’t think you need to be from Scarborough to go through some of those issues, but this is what it looks like for her.
The issues with her love life, self-love, and the love of her relationship are big things. It’s her predominant theme, until it ceases to be that. Then, when she does start to consider herself, her career and things like that, that was always secondary. But I’m glad to see where she landed after all is said and done.
Orville Cummings: [Breeze] is a menace to society. I thought it was very interesting that I got this character because, as an actor, I have a responsibility as an artist to what I portray on screen and how it influences how people see people like me. I was very wary at first, but I trust Ron and Joanne, and I know they’re not just going to throw me [a role] as a thug.
I know they’re going to give this character some depth and make sure he means something greater than what’s on the surface. And knowing that, it made me dive into it a little bit more because I grew up in Jamaica, and I think about that moment a lot. My dad came to get custody of me, and I’m like, ‘Wow, my life really shifted because of that one choice he made to come and get me.’ If he never came to get me, with all the influences around me, who would I be? I felt like I would have transformed into Breeze.
It felt like I got to live that lifestyle onscreen, which is what I love about my job. I can live many different lives. It was a very interesting character to dive into and fully lean into because he represents the mentality of the people, or some people—specifically men on the streets who just lost their way.
People are there because they’re a product of their environment, but a lot of people are there because of the consequences of their choices. And I feel like Breeze represents both. He’s a product of his environment, but at the same time he’s a consequence of his choices. This is why I’m paired up with Lovell [Adams-Gray’s] character, who’s trying to move in the opposite direction of me.
This creates a kind of rivalry in our relationship, where he thinks he can do better, and I think that we’re doing the best we can. I think a lot of people can relate to that, especially growing up in the ends (a slang term for a neighbourhood or the part of a city where someone is from). There’s always that one guy in the group who tells the dawgs and the mandems that we got to do better for ourselves, and he’s that voice of reason.
Then, there’s my character who’s like, ‘What are you talking about doing better? We’re making stacks; we’re getting girls; we’re having a great time. We’re young. Let’s be young, dumb and have some fun.’ I think a lot of people are going to relate to that character, love the character, and love the little chemistry that we have. But there’s a deeper meaning behind our characters, and the story that we’re telling from that perspective.
Yes, I agree. I have a lot of stories similar to both Shanice and Breeze. But when it comes to the characters, the hidden one is the community centre itself. Was having the community centre as the focal point for everyone always part of the plan during the writing process of Morningside?
Joanne Jansen: Over the six years, a lot changed—the script changed. Our intent was always the same, to tell a heartfelt story and bring up some difficult social issues. The best way to tell a story like that is to tell it through different characters and different walks of life. The hardest part we faced was bringing all of that together. And so, the community centre was going to be [the place] that made sense.
It’s a safe space; it’s somewhere that everybody frequents. Everywhere is a safe space, but you don’t expect things to happen [at a community centre]. It’s where people go to spend their time doing [all kinds of activities]. So, the community centre was a way that we could let everybody cross over.
You see that in the opening of Morningside, when you see all these different characters coming in. They’re all in the same space, but they’ve all got completely different lives. We were able to explain the gentrification through that, and the loss of jobs. We later developed that the community centre was going to be the best way to go, and we transformed it over time.
Orville Cummings: I want to add something to the community centre being a character because I’ve had this conversation with a lot of people. I tell them, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of characters in this movie, and the one that’s not listed on IMDb is the community centre.’ It’s a very important character too.
From my personal experience with Scarborough, one of the things I love about people from Scarborough is how they represent themselves, and they’re very community-oriented. If you come downtown, and you have beef with someone but someone knows you’re from Scarborough, they’re coming to help you. The Scarborough community is so tight-knit, and so proud of it. I love that.
And I think that’s the thing that’s missing from a lot of different pockets in the world, that sense of community and togetherness. The community centre really represented that, and it also shows that if we come together as a community, we can build something great. But if one person or a few individuals are acting out of pocket, it can really destroy the community. Without giving too much away about the film, the community centre itself has a character arc too. I love that it’s its own character, and it could represent something bigger.
Switching gears a bit, I wanted to get some insights into the Canadian film industry—specifically how it has been either lacking or thriving. Last year, I had the opportunity to speak with executive producer and president of Toronto Film School (TFS), Andrew Barnsley. It was incredible to learn that about 1,500 productions were filmed in 2023, providing jobs for more than 35,000 people in Toronto. What have each of you noticed in the industry in terms of growth or change now that it’s 2025?
Orville Cummings: From my perspective, the biggest shift came from 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit, and productions were [in limbo]. And then with the strike, it really inspired a lot of artists, be it writers or actors, just to create their own content—to make their own way. This industry is so fickle. If you’re just going to be living by the dogma that stability is determined by the conditions of the industry, then you’re not going to have a stable life. This is why a lot of people say, ‘Oh, artists are unstable’, but it’s up to us to create that stability for ourselves—not just with stability of income. I’m talking about the fulfillment of telling your truth and being a part of a story.
If you’re a real actor, no one can stop you from being an actor. If you’re a writer, no one can stop you from writing. So, I think a lot of people saw the power in being independent. And I feel like a lot more independent projects are being made by Canadian artists. People are really seeing the value and the power of the artist again because I felt like we’ve lost that at some point—and we were just service artists to the industry and these corporate machines.
But now, people are taking the power of art back into their own hands, and it’s a beautiful thing. And there’s more productions coming to film here and everything, and it’s great that they employ us. But a lot of times, especially as an actor, when I get auditions, I ask myself, ‘Why am I going out for this? I don’t understand.’ [There’s a disconnect between] who I am and who I represent, to tell the stories I want to tell.
Ron and Joanne are really good at that. They don’t just sit around and wait for someone to give them a project to work on. Now they sit there, and they work through it, and I can’t expose anything, but Ron showed me some stuff he’s working on. I said, ‘How do you have time to do all of this? This is crazy. You have documents and documents of movie shows and animation,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’
I think that’s truly inspiring. And I hope this movie and what these guys have done really inspires other artists in the industry, especially people from Toronto and Toronto Film School. To new graduates, they should try to create their own work and tell their truth first—as well as create a new value and economy around that. I think it’s changed in that way that people are becoming more independent and relying on their own artistry to pave their own way.
Joanne Jansen: Wow! You nailed that!
(Everyone laughs)
Orville Cummings: Yeah, I’ve been feeling it, man. I’ve seen it, and I’ve been peeping.
Joanne Jansen: It’s very important. As I started out as an actress, I saw there weren’t many roles for me, or that sometimes it got a little slow and difficult. Then, sometimes, when I’m getting things, I see repeats of certain characters or stereotypes. If I’m not happy about it, I look at the people behind the production, who’s creating it or writing it. And I say to myself, ‘If they’re not exactly like me, or don’t come from a similar experience, how are they going to do that?’
If I have these ideas, then I need to put them into motion. By doing that, you can collaborate and include a whole lot of other people who understand the kind of stories you’re trying to tell, and you can make something great—people want to see that. As much as we’re told that people from diverse backgrounds don’t like to be entertained, I think that’s absolutely untrue. We want to see more reflections of ourselves and stories told by us.
We’re in a really strange place with TV and film at this point. Even though the strikes were happening in the States, it heavily affected us here in Canada. [Even so], that really pushed us to make sure we had an all-Canadian cast. I’m really glad about that because we have great stars here, and we were actually able to highlight them a lot more. And I really hope that other creators and artists just go out and make their own stuff.
Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for someone else to tell you how to do it, or water it down to tell your stories. Learn as you go and make it work for you. If you stick to it and work smart, not just hard, I think that you’ll find your way because that’s the kind of thing I want to watch. [Ultimately],you have to knuckle down and just do it.
That’s really well put by both of you. I know we’ve touched on parts of this last question, but feel free to add to it. What do you hope audiences from across Canada and internationally take away from Morningside? And what advice would you give to film students or aspiring actors and filmmakers?
Orville Cummings: When I watch a movie, I want to walk out of the theatre feeling great, excited and inspired. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the inspiration of an actor or director. It doesn’t have to just stop there. There’s the writing, cinematography, and lighting. I love films because it’s entertainment and an educational thing.
To my detriment, being in the film industry for so long, I can’t watch a film without thinking [more about the film techniques]. I’m saying to myself, ‘How do they do that lighting? How did they do that shot?’ I’m watching the background too. I’m looking at who’s not doing their thing as a background.
There’s a lot of stuff we can learn from watching each other’s work, especially when it’s very unconventional and we don’t see these kinds of stories very much. It can open up and activate new neural pathways in our minds of what is possible; we don’t have to stick to this old template. It’s art; it’s supposed to be messy; it’s supposed to make you feel uncomfortable. It’s supposed to take you from reality and bring you on this adventure. And I really feel like I want people to get a sense of that, and I’m sure they will.
We’ve done a private screening during the ReelWorld Film Festival and people loved it, and I felt inspired by their inspiration. It inspires me to do more of this because there is value in it.
Speaking of value, the thing that sets us apart from the States, aside from the amount of production we put out ourselves, is how we appreciate the stars that we have here. We don’t have a star system in Canada. If we start developing a star system, there’ll be more value in the artist and there’d be more investments in artists. The only way to do that is if we promote ourselves because no one’s going to come and do it for us. They’re not going to just open for us because we’re not in the States. They value entertainment above all.
For us, we value other things. Art is one thing that when society crumbles, it will not leave. It’s what started the communication; it’s what started the conversation, and opened up our eyes and expanded our awareness. We need to value it. It’s not just a hobby, and it’s not just something you do because you want to be famous.
Achieving fame nowadays is so easy. You just need a TikTok and just do the Dougie, and you’ll be famous. That’s fine. But if you really want to make an impact and change as an artist, you have to first see the value of the art you’re creating, and the value of the fellow artists that surround you. If we start building that value, the artist’s stock is going to rise.
If we had a star system, we’d have a more sustainable industry. It doesn’t have to be reserved for renowned actors, it could be for writers, directors, and producers. We need to start seeing the value in ourselves and celebrating each other. At tonight’s premiere, we’re not doing these things to impress anyone.
We’re doing it to express to people that if you come together as a community and create this art, see the value in it, and push it as far as you can go, there’s literally no limit to where you can take it. Once we start developing that, this industry is going to explode in Canada. This is just one of many films that are going to pave the way for that.
Joanne Jansen: Going off of that, the important takeaway for this film is community. It’s a big theme in our movie, and I really want people to be able to pick up some different perspectives when they’re going on this journey with the different characters. I would love for people to be able to have the opportunity to have some more empathy for what people are doing in their lives.
For my character, Shanice, she thinks she’s not responsible for everything that happens but she has a hand in it too—bringing toxicity around. We’re all responsible for each other and taking care of one another. What we do absolutely impacts the next person. There’s a lot of things I mentioned that I hope people will think about.
Even when it comes to voting, it’s about not waiting for somebody else to open and create a community centre. It’s about asking the questions: what can you do to get involved or help with something? How can you support somebody else around you? There’s so many things I want people to take away, but I feel like we’ve touched on so many different things that people will go away and think about some of those issues.
I agree. Seeing these issues addressed in Morningside made me reflect on the challenges happening today. And going back to what you said, Orville, we absolutely need that system in place for our artists. Most recently, it was great to see the Canadian gaming industry celebrated at the Canadian Game Awards as well.
Orville Cummings: Yeah, shoutout to Humberly González (Star Wars: Outlaws, Star Trek: Section 31)!
Haha, oh yeah! But coming back to Morningside, I agree that it tackles issues at so many levels of government. Was the political scale of Morningside eventually a part of the plan to be released during this election year for premier and prime minister?
Joanne Jansen: No, absolutely not. As I said, we’ve been writing and developing it for six years. And there were some things that were added very last minute. I even experienced something when I was getting my hair done. Somebody was telling me about how their apartment building where they lived, the rent kept going up and they weren’t fixing anything.
As I was hearing these experiences, I was infusing them into our script. I think Ron was doing the same as we heard about those issues. As you start talking about it, people share their experiences. So you say to yourself, ‘Okay, I think people should know about this. Let’s make the conversation a little bigger.’
We always say the medicine is in the candy, and that’s how you get people to think about it or talk about it. Entertainment is one of those ways in which you can get people to think a little more while they’re being entertained. That’s the power of TV and film. Warden Station just got shut down, and we shot there just in the nick of time. Now, the LRT is gone too. That falls into the line of life reflecting art and art reflecting life. That was a good way of showing [the issues the film talks about] because that’s literally what was happening in real life.
Oh, definitely. Thanks again so much to the both of you for your time!