True North: Inside the Rise of Toronto Basketball (Feature)

Ryan Sidhoo
2019 | 90-minute feature documentary

Selections and Awards

Official Selection Montreal International Black Film Festival, Montreal, Canada (2020)

On the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA Championship and the record-setting number of Canadian draft picks, the Toronto hoop dream is more alive than ever.

In this feature-length doc, director Ryan Sidhoo shines the spotlight on 12-year-old Elijah Fisher, 15-year-old Keone Davis and 18-year-old Cordell Veira as they navigate today’s youth basketball machine in pursuit of their own NBA dreams.

The film follows their coming-of-age stories as they unfold in an evolving city, sharing a unique Canadian experience that’s rooted in generational immigration. At its heart, True North is about ambition, the pursuit of full-ride scholarships, and the intersection of luck and opportunity.

Short Synopsis

On the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ historic NBA Championship and the record-setting number of Canadian draft picks, the Toronto hoop dream is more alive than ever.

Photography by Yasin Osman:
http://yescene.com/
https://www.instagram.com/yescene/

Credits

A National Film Board of Canada production
In association with Red Bull Media House

Created and Directed by
Ryan Sidhoo

Producer
Shirley Vercruysse

Line Producer
Jennifer Roworth

Director of Photography
John Price

Editor
Graham Withers

Composer
Alex Punzalan

Sound Designer
John Diemer
Troy Slocum

Additional Camera
Chris Romeike
Jesse McCracken
Matthew Nauser
Andrew Bissonnette
Mike McLaughlin
James Pace-Cornsilk
Chris Wardle

Sound Recordists
Ryan Cox
Nick Davey
Neil Curschman
Benjamin Barton
Dane Kelly
Nathaniel Robinson
Kevin Brown
Mike Kool
Bernie Ozol
Max Hirtenstein
Justin Lacroix
Zach Thorpe

Coordinator, Pro Athlete Interviews
Mike Hamilton

Production Coordinator
Nathan Conchie
Veronika Paz

Production Assistants
Patrick Sue-Chan
Mackie Montgomery
Paul Kim
Marcus Armstrong
Chris Niesing

Stills Photographer
Yasin Osman

Researcher
Caroline Coutts

Assistant Editor
Mike Howey

Re-recording Mixer
Isabelle Lussier

Sound Editor
Luc Léger
Michelle Hwu
Chris Robison

Digital colourist
Serge Verreault

Graphics
Jacknife

VFX
Bun Lee
Cynthia Ouellet

Music
“Going Upstairs”
by Alabama Slim and Little Freddie King
reproduced with permission from Lucky Guitar Ltd.

“Tinted Glass”
by Network
reproduced with permission from Westar Music

“Runaway Train”
Performed by Ira Moore
Written by Alex Punzalan and Ira Moore

“Angel”
Performed by Dylan Sinclair
Composed by Alex Punzalan and Dylan Sinclair

“Praise”
By Dylan Sinclair
Written by Dylan Sinclair, Justin Chin and Alex Punzalan

“Curse”
By DATU
datumusic.com

“Dirty Spoon”
Composed by Alex Punzalan and Jed Harper

Archival
Ball is Life
CBC Archive Sales
CHCH
CTV Bell Media
Graham Withers
Jesse McCraken
Kareem Griffin of Canletes Sports
National Film Board of Canada
Marist College Athletics
North Pole Hoops
On Point Basketball Inc.
Rogers TV
Rovonn Russell
St Bonaventure University
The Canadian Press
Toronto Sun a division of Postmedia Network Inc

Thank You
Alvin Noel
Bill Epstein
Cary Smith
Cliff Sarmiento
Gary Charles
Kareem Griffin
Krysia Geeves
Lisa Newton
Mary Ford
Mary Lopreiato
Patrick Shaw
Ravi Sidhoo
Shelley Gordon
Sol Guy
Thomas Benski
Acme Works
CYBL
Excel Sports Management
Indiana Pacers
Isthmus Canada
Pulse Films
Team Canada
Toronto Raptors
The First Nations School of Toronto
Toronto District School Board
Toronto City Elite

Marketing Manager
Kay Rondonneau
Andrew Millard

Technical Coordinator
Wes Machnikowski

Studio Administrator
Carla Jones

Executive Producer
Shirley Vercruysse

Executive Director, English Program
Michelle Van Beusekom

NFB.ca

Media Relations

Katja De Bock
NFB Publicist – Vancouver
C.: 778-628-4890
k.debock@nfb.ca | @NFB_Katja

About the NFB

Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.
About Red Bull Media House

Red Bull Media House is an award-winning, globally distributed multi-platform media company on a mission to inspire with ‘beyond the ordinary’ stories – both direct-to-consumer and through partnerships. With a focus on sports, culture and lifestyle content, Red Bull Media House offers a wide range of premium media products across TV, mobile, digital, audio, and print. Red Bull Media House produces and licenses a broad selection of global live broadcast events, compelling and inspirational local storytelling with original short and long-form programming as well as feature films from around the world.