Deemed “Tragically pertinent" by The Hollywood Reporter, #WhileBlack heads for a successful final stretch of its festival circuit.
Following its acclaimed World Premiere at SXSW, the film celebrated its Canadian Premiere at Hot Docs and has since screened at the Milwaukee Film Festival, San Francisco Documentary Festival, and MSPIFF45, where it received the Special Jury Award for Feature Documentary.
Produced by Ann Shin alongside Mariam Bastani, #WhileBlack is directed by Sidney Fussell and Jennifer Holness, with Executive Producers Geeta Gandbhir, Jeff Orlowski-Yang, Larissa Rhodes, and Stacey Piculell.
Ann Shin Recognized on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Women in Entertainment Canada Power List
Ann Shin, founder, principal, and award-winning filmmaker at Fathom Film Group, has been recognized as a Power Honouree on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2026 Women in Entertainment Canada Power List, celebrating the executives and creatives helping shape the future of Canada’s screen industry — and increasingly, the global entertainment landscape.
The annual list recognizes women across film, television, media, and cultural leadership whose work continues to influence what stories get told, how they are funded, and how Canadian talent reaches audiences around the world.
The Loneliest Race has won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Documentary Program.
This recognition is a testament to the extraordinary talent, dedication, and collaboration of the team who brought this ambitious film to life. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to producers Hannah Donegan, Erica Leendertse, and Ann Shin; director Alexander Craig; writer Celine Wong; associate producer Dorcas Ho; editor Steve Taylor, with additional editing by Peter Denes; composer Todor Kobakov; director of photography Stephen Chung; technical director Josh Marr; and the many creatives, crew members, and collaborators whose passion and expertise shaped the project every step of the way.
Our sincere gratitude to CBC Docs and Michelle McCree for championing the film from its earliest stages, and to Gaurav Shinde, whose remarkable journey inspired the project.
ANN SHIN’S BOOKS
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The Last Exiles
WINNER OF THE 2022 TRILLIUM AWARD
Available to purchase:
In the U.S.A.: Amazon.com
In Canada: Indigo.ca
Top Book picked by E!, Kobo,49th Shelf and Parnassus Books.
Available in Canada, USA, U.K and Australia, Italy, Serbia, Croatia and Russia.
Shin’s suspenseful debut sets an adventurous love story against the backdrop of North Korea... With taut pacing and rich prose, Shin provides a revelatory view…a moving and powerful story.” —PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
“This powerful tale of two lovers from North Korea who struggle to be reunited is a searing interrogation of the price of love and freedom. A thought-provoking, poignant and unflinching novel.” — JEAN KWOK - NY Times bestselling author of the novel Girl in Translation
“In this moving debut, Shin depicts the incredible resilience of people and the power of love in the grim and oppressive realities of North Korea.” — BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW
What People Are Saying
“With a love for her characters that is infectious, Ann Shin immerses us in the lives of two young lovers fleeing the dictates of one of the most oppressive regimes on earth. The Last Exiles is an exhilarating page-turner, at once intimate and epic, and a testament to resilience and hope.”
— Camilla Gibb, author of Sweetness in the Belly
“…an exploration of the moral boundaries good people must navigate when their survival is at stake. This powerful tale of two lovers from North Korea who struggle to be reunited is a searing interrogation of the price of love and freedom. A thought-provoking, poignant and unflinching novel.”
— Jean Kwok - award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation
"The Last Exiles offers a fascinating glimpse into North Korea, the desperate measures undertaken to escape its guarded walls and the human trafficking underworld of neighbouring China. A rich testament to human resilience and ultimately to love."
— Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of Daughter of Black Lake
“In this moving debut, Shin depicts the incredible resilience of people and the power of love in the grim and oppressive realities of North Korea.”