- Downloadable trailer (Vimeo)

Poster (click to download):
 - Main Poster (portrait) - high resolution
 - Landscape Poster - high resolution
 

Stills (.tiff):

 - Montreal reception centre for Ugandan refugees in October 1972 at Canadian Forces Base in Longue-Pointe
 - A car garage owned by a Ugandan Asian family
 - Ugandan President Idi Amin meeting Sherali Bandali Jaffer, father of Canadian Senator Mobina Jaffer
 - A cancelled Ugandan passport after Idi Amin announced the Asians had 90 days to leave
 - Ugandan Asian refugees boading an Air Canada flight in the fall of 1972
 - Nandish Yajnik, who came to Canada as a refugee from Uganda in 1972, clearing snow
 - Odette Pinto, who came to Canada as a refugee from Uganda in 1972, proudly carries a Canadian flag
 - Interview with Salma Lakhani, the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and a former Ugandan refugee

Logline (25 words):
The story of struggle and hope from Canada’s first major non-European refugee movement, caused by Idi Amin's expulsion of South Asians from Uganda in 1972.

Short Synopsis (37 words):
After Idi Amin's expulsion of South Asians from Uganda in 1972, Canada opened its doors to its first major non-European refugee movement. Their story of struggle and hope became part of Canada’s conversations about refugees and diversity.

Longer Synopsis (84 words):
In 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin announced that all South Asians had 90 days to leave the country. Among other countries, Canada offered an “honourable place” to almost 8,000 refugees. This documentary explores Canada’s first major migration of non-European and non-white refugees, set against the backdrop of African post-colonialism, a brutal military dictatorship, and changing Canadian attitudes to diversity. Their story of struggle and hope became part of Canada’s conversations about refugees and cultural pluralism, and informed Canada’s response to future refugee movements.

Aleem Karmali - Producer, Writer, Director and Editor:
Aleem Karmali is a documentary filmmaker based in Edmonton, Canada. Through his company, Crescent Productions, he works at the intersections of history, diversity, religion, and culture. He focuses particularly on telling stories about the diversity of Muslim cultures and civilizations. He is also a writer, educator, and public speaker.

 - Headshot - square (click to download)
 - Headshot - wide
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 - Instagram

Cinematographers:

 - James Cadden (Edmonton)
 - James Cooper (Southwestern Ontario)
 - Andy Tran (Ottawa)
 - Diego Lam (Vancouver)
 - Aaron Rivera (Hong Kong)

Featured Interviews:

 - Salma Lakhani, the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta and former Ugandan refugee
 - Mobina Jaffer, Canadian Senator and former Ugandan refugee
 - Dr. Shezan Muhammedi, Author of Gifts From Amin: Ugandan Asian Refugees in Canada
 - Michael Molloy, former Canadian immigration official
 - Dr. Karim H. Karim, Carleton University
 - Dr. Laura Madokoro, Carleton University
 - Dr. Alyshea Cummins, Carleton University
 - Clifford J. Pereira, The University of Hong Kong
 - Tasneem Jamal, Author of Where the Air is Sweet
 - Nizar Fakirani, former Ugandan refugee
 - Dr. Zaheer Lakhani, former Ugandan refugee
 - John Nazareth, former Ugandan refugee
 - Odette Pinto, former Ugandan refugee
 - Zera Rashid, former Ugandan refugee
 - Rai and Shanta Saujani, former Ugandan refugees
 - Nandish Yajnik, former Ugandan refugee

Title: Thrown into Canada
Subtitle: The Settlement of Asian Refugees from Uganda
Tagline: The story of Canada's first major non-European refugee movement
Genre: Documentary
Running Time: 78 minutes
Resolution: 1080p
Country: Canada
Website: https://www.crescentproductions.com/thrown-into-canada
Film Profile: The Movie Database profile
Social Media: Facebook page

Film Festivals:

 - Vancouver Asian Film Festival 2023 - Award Winner: Best Director for a Canadian Feature Film and Best Editing for a Canadian Feature Film
 - Central Alberta Film Festival 2023 - Nominee: Best Feature Documentary
 - Okotoks Film Festival 2024 - Nominee: Best Documentary
 - New York International Immigration Film Festival 2024 - Official Selection
 - South Asian Film Festival of Montreal 2024 - Official Selection
 - Embassy Film Festival 2024 (Australia) - Official Selection
 - African Diaspora Cinema Festival 2023 (Italy) - Official Selection
 - Global Peace Film Festival 2023 (Orlando, USA) - Official Selection
 - Tasveer South Asian Film Festival 2023 - Official Selection
 - African Film Festival 2023 (Kisumu, Kenya) - Official Selection
 - Muslim Film Festival 2023 (Australia) - Official Selection
 - ETHOS Film Awards 2023 - Official Selection
 - Equality International Film Festival 2023 - Semi-Finalist
 - Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival 2022 - Official Selection

Media and Promotion:

 - Interview with Aleem Karmali for Global Peace Film Festival
 - Interview with Aleem Karmali on CBC Radio Calgary's The Homestretch
 - Interview with Aleem Karmali on Salaam Namaste Calgary on Punjabi National Radio 94.7 FM
 - Article on IsmailiMail: Filmmaker Aleem Karmali Received Two Awards for His Documentary “Thrown into Canada”
 - Article by Aleem Karmali for Simerg.com: The Ugandan Asian Refugees: Canada’s First Major Movement of Non-European Refugees