Breaking the 4th Wall BIPOC TV & Film

In this episode, Vinay Virmani discusses his career moves, the social impact he is proud to have made and the importance of balancing your craft with your business goals.



For the final episode of Breaking the Fourth Wall’s first ever season, we are joined by the highly accomplished Vinay Virmani. Vinay Virmani was born and raised in Toronto. After graduating York University, Virmani studied filmmaking and theatre at New York's prestigious Lee Strasberg Institute. He wrote and starred in the hockey comedy Breakaway (2011), followed by the highly successful Dr. Cabbie (2014), where he was a writer, lead actor and producer. Dr. Cabbie broke the Canadian record for audience numbers on opening day.



Vinay joined the cast of Canadian indie film "The Steps" along with Jason Ritter and James Brolin, which was featured at TIFF 2015. His aptitude for production and interest in screenplay are showcased in films like "Little Italy", "The Grizzlies", "Two Lovers and a Bear", as well as memorable titles like Deepa Mehta’s 2005 drama film "Water" and the very popular, "Bollywood/Hollywood". Featured as a panelist on CBC’s Canada Reads and the annual Battle of the Books, the creative visioneer has broken social, cultural and professional barriers in a highly competitive industry that continues to surprise us.



His deep connection to film and experience in acting, writing and production were elemental in the creation of First Take Entertainment. Driven by the belief that diversity in storytelling is the future of the film industry’s ability to give life to real stories that span time and culture, FTE was created in the spirit of connecting people to compelling stories no matter where they are in the world. As the content industry continues to evolve, so does Vinay’s vision. His latest appointment as Partner & Chief Content Officer with UNINTERRUPTED, the joint venture founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter marks an industry turning point as the highly publicized expansion moves into the Canadian market accompanied by a partnership with Drake.



Vinay’s latest role with the brand brings promise to the country’s most celebrated and diverse group of athletes. UNINTERRUPTED is a valuable creative endeavour and platform that will empower athletes to share their unique stories and authentic experiences with an audience that’s ready to be inspired. Most recently, Vinay produced Black Ice, a 2022 Canadian documentary film directed by Hubert Davis. Executive producers of the film included Drake, LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was the winner of the People's Choice Award for Documentaries and was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2022.

Leena Minifie, a member of the KitKatla nation, is a Vancouver-based film, television producer and film release strategist whose work includes: LILY GLADSTONE: FAR OUT THERE (from PBS); BONES OF CROWS (from CBC &APTN); BRITISH COLUMBIA - AN UNTOLD HISTORY (from Knowledge Network); THE RECKONING: SECRETS UNEARTHED about residential schools (from CBC’s 5th Estate) and producing the interactive piece SENSE OF HOME (which took home Best New Media at ImagineNative in 2012), and ‘THE CAVE’ (official selection at Sundance Festival in 2011 and was TIFF Top Ten in 2011). Her company Stories First strategically marketed INDIAN HORSE, THE GRIZZLIES, MONKEY BEACH, THE NEW CORPORATION, NIGHT RAIDERS, and RUN WOMAN RUN.

Hannah Yohannes is an Eritrean director and producer who is well known for her work on her critically-acclaimed and award-winning short film, Home Away, which has been featured on Issa Rae’s Short Film Sunday Series. She has recently directed a CFC film called "The Crown" with the phenomenal composer Kaia Kater and is currently developing her next project called "Ignite the Spark!" with the phenomenal writer Solange Fermin. At the time of recording this episode, Hannah was also the Manager of Programming at BIPOC TV & Film.

Film & television writer/director Jasmin Mozaffari sits down to reflect on her impressive career path. Her debut feature, FIRECRACKERS, premiered at TIFF in 2018 and won Best Film at the Stockholm International Film Festival. In 2019, Jasmin took home the award for Best Director at the Canadian Screen Awards. FIRECRACKERS was lauded by Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, LA Times, was listed on Vulture Magazine’s “Best Films of 2019” list, and was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Jasmin has branched out into directing television for networks like Netflix, HULU, Global, and CBC. She most recently directed the pilot and co-exec produced the Netflix series, FAKES, as well as 2 episodes of ROBYN HOOD, created by Director X.

Did you miss our IG live with Anthony Shim and Ethan Hwang? Have no fear! This episode of Breaking the 4th Wall repurposes the conversation with our host, Yazmeen Kanji. They discuss prep leading up to production, the film's international success and everything in between. Don't miss Riceboy Sleeps at the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show on August 13th.

Yazmeen sits down with the Executive Director of BIPOC TV & Film, Kadon Douglas. They discuss community care and share how they keep themselves sustained in their advocacy work.