The Heart Behind GOAT(2026)
GOAT (2026) opens to the chanting of a crowd: "Roots run deep!" The rest of the film goes on to echo that sentiment, offering gorgeous animation and a heartfelt story along the way.

Adam Ondra is the best climber in the world, a mantle he has earned by doing the unthinkable. After he established not one, but two new grades in the world of sport climbing , feat almost unfathomable in its difficulty, where does he go from there? This feature film follows Ondra across Europe to North America, as he innovates new training methods and attempts to be the first person to send 5.15 on the first try. A rare, intimate journey with one of the greatest athletes at the peak of his powers.
GOAT (2026) opens to the chanting of a crowd: "Roots run deep!" The rest of the film goes on to echo that sentiment, offering gorgeous animation and a heartfelt story along the way.
He’s a nine-time Oscar host and a revered comedy legend. He’s an up-and-coming comedy star who was a voice in the biggest animated movie of all time. So what happens when these two are forced to work together?
Films staring black transgender actresses/actors are few and far between, it’s refreshing to see a demographic represented in film that hardly gets any attention. This is especially important as the Black trans community has been shown in studies to face the highest level of discrimination amongst general trans and non-binary groups. That is why it’s so crucial that we amplify their voices through any way we can, storytelling being a great medium to do so.
Barry Jenkins' masterpiece holds up as the story of a lifetime centered on the intersection of Blackness and gay identity.
"Be good. It doesn’t mean you can’t be tough. It doesn’t mean you always have to be nice. Just be good."
'Midnight at the Paradise' premieres tomorrow at Toronto's Paradise Theatre! I had the pleasure to sit down with Vanessa Matsui to discuss the making of this film.