TORONTO — Fefe Dobson has toured the world, achieved pop-punk stardom and found a new home in Nashville, but she’s never truly left Scarborough behind.
“I've seen the good and the bad of that part of the city,” the singer says of the east-end Toronto district where she grew up.
“Scarborough has always had its own energy. Its own community. I appreciate where I come from. I don't think I'd be who I am if I didn't grow up there. There’s a lot of stories and a lot of strength that comes out of Scarborough.”
When her friend Ron Dias reached out to her six years ago asking for help bringing those Scarborough stories to life via a film called “Morningside,” it was a no-brainer.
Opening in select theatres Friday, the film follows seven people whose lives converge at a community centre in Morningside Heights, Dobson’s childhood neighbourhood.
Dobson plays a nurse in the drama, joining Toronto actors Kiana Madeira and Lovell Adams-Gray as Scarborough residents navigating relationship turmoil, systemic barriers and the creeping effects of gentrification. The film also explores the ripple effects gun violence can have on communities.
Dias says he always wanted to make a movie about the diverse suburb he grew up in, but securing financing as a debut filmmaker proved challenging.
“We kept running into roadblocks, which helped us in a way, because the community came together to help us make this,” he says.
"Morningside" is the latest Canadian film to feature the region prominently, following 2021's "Scarborough" and 2022's "Brother," which both won several Canadian Screen Awards. Perhaps because of this, Dias suggests local film financiers may have had some Scarborough fatigue.
Dobson says Scarborough natives tend to be proud of their community because “we’ve overcome a lot of stuff.” She recalls witnessing street violence in her neighbourhood growing up in the '90s.
“Back then, it was rough. And to get out of tough situations, there's something about that.”
Dias and his writing partner Joanne Jansen say they initially pitched the film to various financiers in Canada, including Telefilm and Canada Council for the Arts, but had no luck. Beyond hesitation backing first-time filmmakers, Dias says funders questioned the “profitability" of yet another movie about Scarborough.
“They asked, ‘Is there a market for these Scarborough movies?’ There sure is, but it was more of a show-and-prove. Even with ‘Scarborough’ out, even with ‘Brother’ out, it was still tough,” he says.
"It might be just too much Scarborough movies."
So Dias and Jansen focused instead on making a lower-budget film, 2022’s “Bite of a Mango,” about four best friends navigating relationship struggles during the pandemic. It was picked up by U.S. streamer AllBlk, owned by AMC Networks, who eventually provided funding for “Morningside.”
"We couldn't get attention from the Canadian industry, but the Scarborough community really came to our help,” says Jansen.
She adds local businesses, including burger joint The Real McCoy and Caribbean restaurant Mona's Roti, offered filming locations.
Dias says Telefilm eventually provided funding after seeing the film, which was used for marketing.
Most of the cast grew up in the Greater Toronto Area and were encouraged to speak the way they normally do around friends. Characters use Patois-inflected slang, eat at Hakka restaurants and wear clothing by local streetwear brands like 100 Miles.
“It really is so true to how people in Toronto talk,” says Madeira, who grew up in Mississauga and starred in Netflix’s horror film trilogy “Fear Street.”
Madeira, who currently lives in New York, is eager for audiences beyond Canada to catch a glimpse of the GTA’s unique customs. The film will stream in the U.S. on AllBlk and open theatrically in Detroit with more cities potentially on the way.
“I think we have such a cool culture and I'm excited for people on this side of the border to get a taste of what we have to offer,” she says.
Dias describes "Morningside" as "emergency art." He wants it to spark conversations about the systemic issues poverty-stricken areas continue to face.
But more than anything, he hopes it shows how “resilient” people from Scarborough are.
“It just comes back to even making the movie, and how we pushed for it. That's just the Scarborough mentality: not giving up," he says
"It’s a universal theme, to be honest with you.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
