EMPz 4 Life

EMPz 4 Life
Directed byAllan King
Produced byAllan King
CinematographyMark Ellam
Edited byNick Hector
Music byChris Ellis
Production
company
At Home in the Hood Films
Release date
  • September 9, 2006 (2006-09-09) (TIFF)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

EMPz 4 Life is a 2006 Canadian documentary film, directed by Allan King.[1] Made in conjunction with writer Joseph Jomo Pierre, the film profiles a small group of Black Canadian youths living in the troubled Toronto neighbourhood of Malvern, who are enrolled in an after-school math tutoring program run by social worker Brian Henry in an effort to keep them in school and not out on the streets.[2]

The film takes its title from graffiti in the neighbourhood, referring to Empringham Drive.[1]

The film premiered on September 9, 2006, at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] but was distributed primarily as an episode of TVOntario's documentary series The View from Here in February 2007.[4]

It was King's final film, as his planned next film was in production but not completed at the time of his death in 2009.[5]

  1. ^ a b Geoff Pevere, "Toronto's troubled youth in focus; Seen through eyes of social worker: Documentary has no easy answers". Toronto Star, September 9, 2006.
  2. ^ Betsy Powell, "King's doc tackles race; Festival offering headed to television Film sheds light on Malvern area youth". Toronto Star, September 14, 2006.
  3. ^ "Quick Hits on big films". Toronto Star, September 3, 2006.
  4. ^ Anthony Rinehart, "Close-ups in the fight against the thug life". The Globe and Mail, February 23, 2007.
  5. ^ Bruce Kirkland, "Canadian Filmmaker Allan King dead at 79". Edmonton Sun, June 16, 2009.