Jordan Power launched his podcast, SHAME ON YOU, this year where him and his co-host explore the idea of shedding shame and living openly and honestly. Read more below about the show and Jordan’s other projects.

Hi Jordan, welcome to Defective Geeks! Tell us about yourself and where did the idea for your podcast, Shame On You, come from?

I’m a published writer, comedian and LGBTQ+ activist based in Toronto. I’m most known for being the co-host of Shame on You podcast. The podcast is an exercise in self exploration. We wanted to imagine a world in which we eliminated any residual shame we had about being gay. The best way to kill shame is to expose it through vulnerability. As such, we spoke in a no holds barred way on the podcast. It seems to be going pretty well. 

Shirin Ariff’s empowering and heartbreaking memoir tells the story of how she experienced and survive trauma and abuse. When she re-married her second husband and moved to Canada, she was kept as a slave in her own home and endured her husband’s abuse. She hopes to show hope with her writing to other victims, learn more about her journey below.

Hi Shirin, thank you for discussing your memoir, The Second Wife, with us. Please tell us about yourself, where you are from and what your book is about. What inspired you to write it?

Hello! I was born in Kolkata, India and live in Toronto, Canada. I am a proud mother of four beautiful children, an award winning author, an inspirational speaker and women’s empowerment coach. After braving immigration to Canada and surviving cancer, I committed to helping women find their inner strength and become their own guiding force. My book is a memoir with a bit of self-help activities to make it interactive for the readers. There are several reasons for writing this book. I wanted to be heard. I wanted to leave a legacy of no abuse for my children. I wanted to be the voice of all those silently suffering women who are going through what I went through. I wanted the men to know the impact on us women when they hurt us. 

Brandon Ash-Mohammed is an award winning comedian and writer who created THE ETHNIC RAINBOW– Canada’s first and only LGBTQ+ comedians of color show. He will be releasing his first comedy album with Howl & Roar Records, find out more below!

Hi Brandon, thank you so much for answering our questions. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? How did you get into comedy, and what kickstarted this creative path for you? Who or what inspired you?

Thank you for having me! I’m Brandon Ash-Mohammed! I am comedian based in Toronto. The CBC recently named me one of their 15 Comics To Watch and my stand-up can be seen on Crave TV as part of the Homegrown Comics special. I also wrote on CBC’s Tall Boyz which just wrapped for the year! 

Anne with an E premiered it’s third season on the CBC this September (the whole season will be available on Netflix in January 2020). Actress, Helen Johns, returns to her role as Mrs. Eliza Barry, a loving but nervous parent of her two daughters in the show. Find out more on what you can expect from the show below!

Hi Helen, tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and when did you know you wanted to become an actor? What inspired you to pursue this path?

I’m a British-born actress, now living in California. I’ve always known I wanted to act. Apparently I started telling people when I was three! I loved reading aloud as a child, and putting on shows for my long-suffering family, so it was inevitable really. My aunt was a stage manager in the West End theatre world, so that was my first real taste of the industry. I would sit with her up in her perch backstage and watch the shows again and again.

Actor Romaine Waite joined the cast of Hallmark’s Movies & Mysteries film series Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder and Crossword Mysteries: Abracadaver. Read below on what inspires Romaine and what he hopes to accomplish as an actor.

Hello, Romaine! Can you tell us a little about yourself? What inspired you to pursue a career in acting and what continues to motivate you?

I was born in Montego Bay Jamaica, and raised in Canada. I’m a simple guy, just trying to experience all the good that life has to offer. I enjoy motorcycles, traveling and one day I hope to open a small restaurant. 

It was my experience on an indie film, that really made me feel like acting was a career option. Prior to this my only experience with acting was in high school. What motivates me now, is knowing that I have yet to tell the stories I feel I’m supposed too. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I received so far, but I think I’ve barely scratched the surface. 

Renée Wynter is a powerhouse singer-songwriter and her brand new single, Speak, is now available on Spotify. She is also the founder of Wynterland, a fully integrated music production company which she founded with her family. Find more about her new song below!

Hello Reneé, congratulations on your new single, SPEAK. What was behind your vision for this new song and what compelled you to write it? 

Hello, thank you so much I appreciate it! The vision behind Speak was to get people to have a conversation when you’re having issues in a relationship. Instead on sending a subliminal message on social media, pick up the phone. It’s interesting how many people expect their partner to be a mind reader.

Reelworld is Canada’s most diverse film festival festival and each year, they put the spotlight on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) content creators. Actor and founder, Tonya Williams spoke to Defective Geeks about the festival, the films and creators, and her insight into the industry.

Hello Tonya, thank you for taking the time on answering our questions. Tell us about the Reelworld Film Festival and about some of the programming, filmmakers and films you showcased. What are the highlights from this year? 

Thank you for the opportunity to chat! This year was the 19th Reelworld Film Festival and for the first time ever, the festival showcased 100% of its festival films created by Canadian BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) filmmakers. For 2019, our programmers picked films with stories about finding a home in the community, in culture and in people. Some of the films that are part of this year’s lineup includes “Farewell Regent,” a documentary which charts the complex canvas of the Toronto neighborhood Regent Park, and puts a human face on the unique tensions and fellowships of the country’s most infamous social housing project. The closing film “Becoming Labrador,” explores the story of a whole generation of Filipino men and women who have traveled halfway across the world to work in Labrador, leaving behind families and friends as they struggle to adjust to a remarkably different climate and culture in Canada. It was a great festival this year and we are already excited and in the planning stages for next year!

Emily Piggford is a rising star, and you can watch her on compelling web shows like That’s My DJ and on the popular Netflix series in The Umbrella Academy. She is back on the blog to talk about her new show, Warigami, a fantastical and action-filled adventure series on The CW. Read more about it below.

Hi Emily! Thank you for talking to Defective Geeks again! I watched the premiere of Warigami and loved it. Can you tell our readers all about it and about the character you play, Wendy Ohata? 

Thanks for having me back and for loving Warigami!! Warigami is an action-fantasy digital series that follows Wendy Ohata, her long-lost twin brother Vincent (Kai Bradbury) and his best friend Mark (Akiel Julien) as they face down a secret organization called the Akuma, armed with paper. Wendy and Vincent are descendants of an ancient bloodline called kami-jin who have the ability to turn paper into a weapon with a touch. The Akuma are also kami-jin and they want something the Ohata family protects. In a short amount of time, Wendy and Vincent have to figure out how to use their newfound ability and together with Mark prepare for some super-powered showdowns with a formidable enemy.