Tareq Hadhad Discusses SHOKOLATA at TIFF

Peace by Chocolate founder Tareq Hadhad joined filmmakers at the Toronto International Film Festival to discuss SHOKOLATA, the upcoming animated film inspired by his family’s journey.

The panel, presented by the MPAC Hollywood Bureau as part of TIFF Marketplace programming at TIFF Lightbox, explored the future of animation and Canadian stories reaching international audiences. Barbara Lee of the Racial Equity Screen Office moderated the conversation, which featured Hadhad alongside filmmaker Sadia Ashraf and Time Hoppers director Flordeliza Dayrit.

Marking his first participation at TIFF, Hadhad discussed bringing his family’s experience to a new generation through animation. The conversation examined how filmmakers can approach difficult subjects, including displacement and starting again, in ways that connect with children and families.

For SHOKOLATA, that means balancing the creative possibilities of animation with a commitment to the lived experience behind the film. The project reimagines the Peace by Chocolate journey for younger audiences while preserving the family relationships at its centre.

Representation was also a focus of the panel, including the importance of immigrant and refugee children seeing their experiences reflected on screen. The discussion considered how stories rooted in a particular family or culture can connect with audiences whose lives look different.

SHOKOLATA remains in development, with Hadhad’s TIFF participation offering an opportunity to introduce the project within a broader conversation about Canadian storytelling and its place in international cinema.