Can I Get a Witness? is a 2024 Canadian science fiction film directed by Ann Marie Fleming.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024 and was released in Canada on March 14, 2025.
Premise Blending live action and animation, the film is set in a postapocalyptic world in which travel and technology are virtually banned, and people who reach the age of 50 have to submit to death to control the size of the population, while young people are tasked with artistically documenting their final moments.
Cast Keira Jang as Kiah Joel Oulette as Daniel Sandra Oh as Ellie Ben Immanuel as Peter
Production The majority of shooting took place in Powell River, British Columbia.
Production on the film was first announced in 2022. According to Fleming, the film was inspired by themes of eco-anxiety and ecological grief. Fleming originally intended for the film to be a satire inspired by the work of Jonathan Swift, but by release it had become what she called "a gentle comedy".
Release Can I Get a Witness? had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2024. It was commercially released in Canada by Mongrel Media on March 14, 2025.
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2024.Carlos Diaz, "Canada’s Top Ten: TIFF Celebrates the Best in Cinema for 2024". That Shelf, January 8, 2025.
Critical response Courtney Small of Exclaim! rated the film 5 out of 10, writing that "Similar to the witnesses, Fleming keeps the audience in the dark regarding the politics and overall logistics of the world. Can I Get a Witness? displays little interest in delving into any of the meaty topics it raises. For all its talk of equality, we never get the sense that the society Fleming constructs actually is an equitable one. Even Ellie's emotional plea for her daughter to continue the important work of witnessing feels at odds with itself since she uses illegal items as a tool for teaching about the past, banned by the same system she wants Kiah to uphold."Courtney Small, "'Can I Get a Witness?' Asks Intriguing Questions with Insubstantial Answers". Exclaim!, March 11, 2025.
For Original Cin, Chris Knight rated it A, calling it a thought-provoking film that he was still processing after seeing it both in its original screening at TIFF and in its March 2025 commercial release.Chris Knight, "Can I Get a Witness?: 50 Is The New Life Expectancy". Original Cin, March 13, 2025.
Awards Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Vancouver Film Critics Circle 2024 Best Canadian Film Ann Marie Fleming Nicholas Sokic, "Ann Marie Fleming’s Can I Get A Witness? leads VFCC noms". Playback, January 23, 2025. Best Director of a Canadian Film Jamie Casemore, "Can I Get a Witness? leads winners for 2025 VFCC Awards". Playback, February 19, 2025. Best Actress in a Canadian Film Keira Jang Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film Sandra Oh Best Screenplay for a Canadian Film Ann Marie Fleming Best British Columbia Film Best British Columbia Director One to Watch Keira Jang Leo Awards 2025 Best Motion Picture Ann Marie Fleming, Ruth Vincent, Raymond Massey, Haydn Wazelle, Sandra Oh Nicholas Sokic, "Can I Get a Witness? leads 2025 Leo Awards winners". Playback, July 15, 2025. Best Lead Performance in a Motion Picture Keira Jang Best Direction in a Motion Picture Ann Marie Fleming Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture C. Kim Miles Best Editing in a Motion Picture Justin Li Charlie Smith, "Ann Marie Fleming’s Can I Get a Witness? wins big at the Leo Awards". Pancouver, July 15, 2025. Best Musical Score in a Motion Picture Brent Belke Best Production Design in a Motion Picture Cheryl Marion Best Costume Design in a Motion Picture Angela Bright, Julie Edgeley Best Casting in a Motion Picture Tina Marie McCulloch Best Sound in a Feature Length Drama Kelly Cole, Karla Melendez, Daniel Cardona, Gregorio Gomez, Rylan Kerbes, Paradox Delilah, Chris Baker, Kevin Belen
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