This screening pairs two films that explore how young people develop their identities through relationships, memories, and everyday experiences.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, King’s Court and Maybe Elephants reveal how friendships, family, and the places we grow up shape how we see ourselves and our place in the world.
Together, they support classroom conversations about belonging, memory, and the influence of place, offering accessible entry points for students ages 12 and up to reflect on identity through lived experience.
Includes educational resources for each film and a post-screening discussion with special guests.
KING’S COURT
In the vibrant and diverse neighbourhood of Bleeker Street in Toronto, Canada, two close friends, Marley and SK, engage in an intense and intimate game called King's Court. Set against the backdrop of their day-to-day lives, this fast-paced one-on-one basketball game becomes a metaphor for their journeys into adulthood and experiences with masculinity and friendship.
This short film blends documentary and fiction to create an immersive and emotionally honest portrayal of the path young boys tread in their pursuit of identity and acceptance.
This screening features a special version of the film created for 12–15-year-olds that differs from the publicly available version on nfb.ca.
MAYBE ELEPHANTS
A spontaneous move across the globe changes a family’s life forever.
In the ’70s, three rebellious teenage daughters, a restless mother, a father struggling with potatoes, and maybe some elephants, find themselves in bustling Nairobi, Kenya. Created by Oscar®-winning animator Torill Kove (The Danish Poet), Maybe Elephants is an autobiographical tribute to family, adolescence and the ways memories, however unreliable, help us make sense of change.
Through humour and warmth, this animated film explores how youth can experience transition, how families adapt to new environments, and how memory and storytelling shape identity over time.
SPECIAL GUESTS
Marley Zion is an artist, creative visionary, and community builder whose work lives at the intersection of culture, storytelling, and social impact. As the founder of Change the Narrative, he uses fashion, art, and mentorship to challenge perspectives and create meaningful opportunities for the next generation. Rooted in authenticity and lived experience, Marley’s work centers on empowering youth—especially those from underrepresented communities—to find their voice, embrace their identity, and redefine their futures. Through both his creative practice and community initiatives, he is committed to shifting narratives and building a legacy grounded in purpose, resilience, and transformation.
Filipino-Canadian filmmaker Serville Poblete lives in Toronto’s Bleecker Street neighbourhood, where he grew up with the two main participants in his new National Film Board short documentary, King’s Court, filmed in the same neighbourhood. His 2019 debut feature, Altar Boy—produced with Mark Bacolcol through New Radio Pictures—is currently streaming on Netflix. His second feature, Lovely, was released in 2025. Poblete’s series The Centre was selected for the 2024 TIFF Series Accelerator program, and he’s now released his second short documentary, In the Morning Sun.
Laurie Townshend spent more than two decades as a middle school Drama teacher, watching stories unlock something in young people that nothing else could. That experience confirmed a truth that now guides her as a full-time documentary filmmaker and writer: that before we shape stories, stories shape us.
