Yes, yes, I know. The race is annoying. Streets and sidewalks are blocked. You can’t get to your favorite cafe, or maybe you can’t get essential services that you need. We’re all impacted in different ways, but thankfully, it's temporary.

The amazing thing about art is that it has a way of releasing us from things that cause stress. It can transport us to new worlds and places that we’ve never been…especially film. That’s what I love about it…I can travel without leaving my seat. I can experience the joy, pain, love, passion and excitement through the lens of a camera or the notes of a song...

And you can too!! The Montreal Black Film Festival is on and it gets better and better each year. This is the 22nd edition and it's brought to us by the truly impactful Fabien Colas Foundation. It’s also Fashion Week, and there are some blissfully creative events that can give you a reprieve from the grind…and the group 4Soul is playing a small, intimate cafe. Enjoy your week, loves.

VERONICA'S TOP 3

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VERONICA'S TOP 3 💜

MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

As a filmmaker, this festival is always a must-go for me. It’s the 22nd annual event and Opening Night is tonight at Théâtre Outremont. The featured film is the Quebec premiere of The Eyes of Ghana, directed by Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker Ben Proudfoot and executive produced by Michelle and Barack Obama. Producer Nana Adwoa Frimpong will be in attendance for a Q&A session following the screening.

Directed by Ben Proudfoot, a two-time Oscar winner, The Eyes of Ghana is a powerful feature-length documentary that follows Chris Hesse, a 93-year-old filmmaker and former personal director of photography for Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. As his blindness progresses and his time grows short, Hesse embarks on an extraordinary mission: to save and repatriate a hidden archive of more than 1,000 films chronicling the birth of African independence in the 1950s and 1960s.

WHAT: Montreal International Black Film Festival

WHERE: Cinema Musée (and other locations)

WHEN: 23-27 September 2026

METRO: Various

TICKETS/DETAILS: https://montrealblackfilm.com/en/

THE COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF: FASHION AND ART EXHIBITION

Brought to you by Montreal Fashion Week, The Courage to Be Yourself is a multidisciplinary exhibition by artist and designer Maya Amoah exploring authenticity, identity, and the ways we are shaped and often pigeonholed by culture, place, and expectation.

Bridging journalism, photography, documentary film, textile art, and garment, the exhibition brings together work developed across Amoah’s time in Egypt and her ongoing practice between Ghana and Canada. The exhibition includes photographs documenting everyday life in Egypt, film and visual storytelling, documentation of artisanal textile-making processes, and textile works created from salvaged remnants of Amoah’s own production practice.

A textile lab introduces visitors to selected African textile traditions and processes, while garments are presented not simply as products, but as cultural objects and artistic works carrying traces of labour, material, place, and identity.

WHAT: The Courage to Be Yourself: Fashion & Art Exhibition

WHERE: Galerie Fais Moi L’art 900 Rue Cherrier, Montréal, QC H2L 1H7

WHEN: 27 September 2026 @ 12-10PM

METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)

TICKETS/DETAILS: Eventbrite

LIVE MUSIC: 4SOUL

It’s always fun to discover new Black artists that I haven’t experienced before…I’m definitely gonna check them out. The group 4Soul blends neo-soul and other Black musical genres to create a unique new sound. With Caribbean roots, their rhythms, style, and musical imagination are woven into vibrant original compositions.

WHAT: 4Soul

WHERE: Cafe Ligne Vert, 2531 Ontario St East

WHEN: 26 September 2026 @ 5-7PM

METRO: Frontenac (Green)

TICKETS/DETAILS: Pay What You Can

Montreal's PARADISE

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Montreal's PARADISE ⭐

LATIN LIVE! FOLKLORE & JAZZ

Latin American folk music gets to shine at this live music event that also features, jazz, & bossa nova. This sounds like it would be the perfect after work, chill activity. Brought to you by:

River Lee @riverleewriter
Sanhauá en Duo @sanhaua.mtl and @arthurarj
Joanna & Friends @jochomusic

WHAT: Latin Live! Folklore & Jazz

WHERE: La Feuille Verte Cafe, 370 Marie-Anne St E, Montreal, H2W 1B3

WHEN: 26 September 2026 @ 5-8PM

METRO: Mont-Royal (orange)

TICKETS/DETAILS: PWYC

AUTUMN MARKET AT LOCOSHOP ANGUS

Fall into autumn with Collectif Créatif MTL’s Autumn Market! They will be at the iconic Locoshop Angus this weekend and next weekend (10 AM to 5 PM) for the ultimate local shopping experience.

Discover 100+ unique local artisans each weekend featuring handmade decor, original artwork, fashion, illustration, gourmet treats, and one-of-a-kind finds. Housed in a stunning historic industrial landmark in the heart of the vibrant Shop Angus neighborhood, it’s the perfect destination to shop, stroll, and taste your way through the season. Entry is FREE—bring your friends, meet the makers, and soak in the autumn vibes!

WHAT: Autumn market at Locoshop Angus

WHERE: Locoshop Angus, 2600 William-Tremblay, H1Y 3J2, Montreal QC

WHEN: 26/27 September 2026 @ 10AM-5PM

METRO: Préfontaine (Green) / Rosemont (Orange)

TICKETS/DETAILS: Facebook

THE ROUNDUP

Howdy, partner. UCI Race got you pissed off? Grab your cowboy boots & hat and go laugh. Head on down to THE ROUNDUP, an English stand-up comedy showcase of Montreal comedians' favorite comedians at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine.

Featuring:
- Maya Kanitkar (OFF Just For Laughs)
- CJ Monias
- Johnny Dellas (OFF Just for Laughs)
- Dominic Allen

DRESS-UP ENCOURAGED
Do you have a pair of boots or a cowboy hat that's been collecting dust? Audience members are encouraged to dress like they're between cow-herding shifts at their local saloon.

WHAT: The Roundup- A Standup Comedy Show

WHERE: Théâtre Sainte-Catherine, 264 Sainte Catherine East, Montreal QC

WHEN: 26 September 2026 @ 7:30PM

METRO: Berri-UQAM (orange/green/yellow)