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| Akuyoe Graham |
Ghanaian Princess’s Cinematic Memoir Lands Coveted Toronto Spot
LOS ANGELES, CA — Akuyoe Graham, founder and CEO of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Spirit Awakening Foundation, will make her directorial debut on the world stage as her feature film Spirit Awakening enters TIFF: The Market, the industry hub of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival.
TIFF: The Market runs September 10–16, 2026, alongside the Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 10–20, 2026.
Spirit Awakening screens Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at TLB5.
For a first-time filmmaker, selection for TIFF: The Market is a significant achievement. The Market is TIFF’s invitation-only industry hub where projects connect with global buyers, sales agents, and financiers.
Graham’s entry positions Spirit Awakening for the partnerships needed to bring the film to audiences worldwide.
“Between betrayal and redemption is the soul's longing for itself.”
That logline drives Spirit Awakening, Graham’s cinematic memoir chronicling her journey as a Ghanaian princess navigating Western society.
Shot on location in Ghana and other locales, the film amplifies the often-overlooked experience of cultural displacement, generational trauma, and self-discovery.
Full of colorful, unforgettable characters, it is a testament to the human spirit’s resilience and capacity for love.
“At a time when immigrant stories are being marginalized and even demonized by powerful interests, stories of healing and identity reclamation are more needed than ever,” Graham said.
Graham is not new to transformation. For decades, her Spirit Awakening Foundation has empowered incarcerated and at-risk youth across Los Angeles, helping thousands of underserved young people discover their true identity through creative expression. Her work blends storytelling, spirituality, and social justice. Now, she brings that same mission to the screen.
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds.
TIFF: The Market is where the global film, series, and innovation community gathers to move projects forward — creatively and commercially — and shape what’s next for the screen industry.
Across seven days, filmmakers access intelligent matchmaking with international buyers, sales agents, creators, platforms, funders, technologists, and producers who can change a project’s trajectory.
Programming includes a speakers’ summit, creator labs, business sessions, and expanded market screenings.
TIFF’s new downtown footprint features pavilions, suites, stands, and pods, plus spaces for talks, screenings, lounges, meetings, and networking.
'Spirit Awakening' stars Akuyoe Graham as Woman and Mama, Hanadie Keyes as Little Girl, Kennedy Zimet as Young Woman, Louise Houghton as Miss Coat, Kyrie Mcalpin as Julie, Pluto Brown as Kola Blue, Paige Westbrook as Remi Carlisle, and Terrance Taylor as Dylan.
Producers: India Radfar, Nabwire Butali, JC Diaz, Dr. Sally Goodwin, Coco Stewart, Martha Della Scala, Gina Morris & EDL Northwest, Bert Christian Esq., Lynn Kitchen, and Richie Yau
Executive Producer: Michael B. Beckwith.
Directors of Photography: Richie Yau and Crystal Kelley
Editors: Michelle Botticelli and Anthony Echegoyen
VFX Artist: Sven Dreesbach
About Spirit Awakening Foundation
Spirit Awakening Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved youth discover their true identity through creative expression. Founded by Akuyoe Graham, the organization has reached thousands of incarcerated and at-risk young people through programs that integrate storytelling, spirituality, and social justice. Learn more at:
www.spiritawakening.org
SCREENING INFO
Spirit Awakening will screen at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., TLBS, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, during TIFF: The Market, Running time: 1 hr. 10 min.
Learn more: www.spiritawakening.org
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