Canadian 'Red Carpet' Premiere of Race (2016)

Christopher J. O'Brien
Apr 23, 2016
3 min read

Feature film Race ran it's course in the '6ix' as Torontonians attended the Canadian premiere.

A red carpet rolled out for the cast and crew welcomed back both Hollywood and homegrown talent. Honouring Black History Month and part of all weekend party the downtown February 12 event inside Scotiabank Theatre began at 7:00 p.m.

Packed with media it was an interview frenzy as celebrities smiled for the cameras. Fans lined the sidewalk, and flooded the street, while some even scored a selfie.

Featured in the film (among others) are actors Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt, and Jeremy Ferdman.

"It's so cool, all these actors are just hanging out with everyone... Oh look, there's Jason Sudeikis!" Said Suzanne Lee, superfan of celebrity culture.

Toronto local Stephan James is a rising Canadian star. James portrays main character Jesse Owens, a late great American hero. Owens was a 1936 Olympic runner, competitor in Nazi Germany, and three time American gold medal champion. He fought for right of racial equality, and changed the world of sport forever.

"Brought #RACE movie to the city last night. What a wonderful time," tweeted James.

(Photo Credit: Stephan James/@tdotsteph – Middle)

James took time both before and after the screening smiling in selfies and signing autographs with fans. He was in accompanied by an abundance of friends and family, including his proud Aunt Joliet Anderson, who saw the movie for the very first time.

James is also celebrating the NBA All-Star weekend by attending events, and participating in the final NBA All Star game, coached by Drake.

Also featured in Race is none other than actor Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis plays the authoritative role of Owens' coach, Larry Snyder, and helps to guide him through his journey. He too was a famous track star, though was forced to leave it all behind.

Sudeikis had fun meeting his Canadian fans as he is always an American favourite. The actor, comedian and screenwriter has been working since 2003, and currently engaged to actress Olivia Wilde in Brooklyn, NYC.

Canadian actor Jeremy Ferdman is another rising star in the film. Ferdman plays Marty Glickman, a Jewish member of the 1936 U.S. Olympic track team.

Ferdman grew up in Toronto where his acting career first began on the stage. He graduated acting school in NYC then toured the play/festival scene in Atlanta. He has since appeared in TV sitcoms, commercials, and now feature Hollywood films.

A portion of Race was shot in Montreal though it's majority was filmed overseas in Berlin. Ferdman, back on Canadian soil is ready to get back to work and said, "I'm doing a play in Calgary that opens in a few weeks, so it's been very busy. I'm back in Toronto next month."

His proud, though humble mother accompanied him as his date. They had both said the film was great and also had a great night.

"#RACE Premiere in my hometown. HUMBLED to be a part of this inspiring film @jasonsudeikis @RaceMovie #jonathanhiggins," tweeted Ferdman.

(Photo Credit: Jeremy Ferdman/@jeremy_ferdman - Left side)

In celebration of black history month, Toronto City Councillor Norm Kelly and his wife were in attendance at the premiere. The Twitter Ambassador has been known to have a strong reputation for continually supporting local Toronto talent. The Deputy Mayor, (a.k.a. '6ix Dad') said to fans of his own that he was very excited to see the movie.

Kelly's weekend is packed full as along with Mayor John Tory, he attends various NBA All-Star weekend events, and a 'key to the city' presentation for Drake. He later tweeted, "A great movie to watch during #BlackHistoryMonth. (Plus, Scarborough's own @realstephj stars in it)."