A FILM BY
SHARON LEWIS
W H AT D O YO U D O W H E N T H E B L I N G,
T H E G I R L S A N D T H E FA N S
AREN’T ENOUGH?
And he was always
quietly arrayed,
And he was always
human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses
when he said, "Good-morning,"
and he glittered
when he walked
FESTIVAL SYNOPSIS
RITCH is the moody tale of a hip-hop sensation
and his return home. Ritch's intimate concert
for his hometown entourage offers the photo
opportunity of a lifetime to his number one fans
Kinzo and Mozie. Ritch however has different plans.
The film explodes open in a music-video style with
an urban score, a shiny hip-hop star, the bling,
the girls and the fans, but then quickly settles into
four minutes of beautifully crafted storytelling.
Complimented by an evocative neo-noir look,
RITCH suggests that within the shadows lies a
different truth, as Kinzo and Mozie are about
to find out. RITCH is a modern adaptation of
Richard Cory, Pulitzer Prize winning poet
Edwin Arlington Robinson's
shockingly ironic poem
about loneliness.
CREDITS
URBANSOUL INC. P R ESEN TS RI T CH A FI LM B Y SHA RO N L E WI S
BAS ED O N TH E P O EM RICHARD CORY B Y E D WI N A RL I NGT O N RO BI NSO N
S TAR R IN G PJ KERR BENNY MI N FAY LY A N D N A R R ATED B Y DA RRE N A NT HONY
C IN EMATOG R A PH Y B Y RUSS GO OZ E E
ED ITED B Y KE N WA NNI NGE R
O R IG IN AL S C O R E B Y RYA N L AT HA M A N D BI L LY JA RDI NE
P R O D U C TIO N D ESI G N B Y PI E RRE BONHOMME
P R O D U C ED B Y DARRE N PO RT E L L I A N D KE RRY YOUNG
WR ITTEN AN D D I R ECTED B Y SHA RO N L E WI S
WITH TH E S U P P O R T O F ONTARIO ARTS COUNCI L A N D T ORONT O A RT S COUNCI L A N D T HE NF B
ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL
CONSEIL DES ARTS DE L’ONTARIO
SHARON LEWIS
WRITER & DIRECTOR
Recently Sharon’s short screenplay, “Lullaby”, was made into
an award winning film “Best of the Fest at Outfest”, and has
been screened at festivals all over the world. She was also
nominated as “best writer” in 2001 by the Black Film and
Video Network for the film “maple”. Working on the opposite
end of the spectrum, Sharon’s leading role in the film,
“Rude”, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
Sharon has been nominated for two television
hosting awards for her work on ZeDtv, a
groundbreaking CBC television arts show
with an interactive web component. Her work
on counterSpin a prime time live political
debating show on CBC television, garnered
the highest ratings in the history of the
program.
Being one of the first in Canada to train with
the internationally acclaimed master and founder
of Forum Theatre Augusto Boal, Sharon was eager to
make her mark in theatre. As Artistic Director and
Co-Founder of the theatre company, Sugar’n’Spice she
produced the first Canadian show utilizing women of
colour on stage and in technical and administrative
capacities. This show, “sistahs”, which she wrote and
directed, played to sold out houses for three weeks and
was remounted in Ohio and San Francisco.
In every major artistic medium she has been the recipient
of numerous grants. At present Sharon is converging all
of her experience, storytelling skills and directorial
knowledge to fully realize her talent as an exceptional
filmmaker.
FILMOGRAPHY
SHARON LEWIS
FILMOGRAPHY
Director
2005 Old is the New Black
2000 Impasse At Holy Faith
1998 Desire
Producer
2003 Lock Her Room
2001 Maple
1999 The Style of My Soul
1998 Dreamin’
1997 6/29
Spec Commercial
Short Film
Short Film
Short Film
HBO INNOVATION AWARD
Short Film
BFVN – BEST DIRECTOR
Spoken Word Video BLACK HOLLYWOOD “BEST OF”
Spec Commercial
Short Film
RE L AT E D AWA RDS
WRITER
2001 Reel Black Awards
Nomination for – Best Writer for Screenplay – “MAPLE”
1998 Chesterfield Screenplay Competition/Fellowship
Runner Up - “MARKED”
ON AIR HOST
2004 Leo Awards
Nominated for Best On Air Host Zed/CBC
2003 Gemini Awards
Nominated for Best On Air Host Zed/CBC
MAGAZINE
2002 ELLE Magazine Canada
Named as one of the 30 most powerful women in Canada
RICHARD CORY
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich - yes, richer than a king And admirably schooled in every grace;
In fine we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
1921
ORIGINAL POEM
BY EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON
u rb a n s o u l i n c .
3 3 P o u ch e r S t re e t
To ro n t o O N M4 J 2 Z 1
Canada
A FILM BY
SHARON LEWIS
416.527.2111
www.ritchthefilm.com