Movie Written by Jamaican Author to be Screened in Toronto

A movie, adapted from a short story written by Jamaican-born author and screenwriter, Anthony Winkler, will have a gala screening in Toronto, Canada as part of activities for Black History Month.
The ‘Annihilation of Fish’, starring celebrated actors James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave, will be shown on Saturday, February 26 in the Brigantine Room at Harbourfront Centre in downtown Toronto. Producer Paul Heller will be on hand to take questions from the audience.
Set in the United States, the movie tells the story of a Jamaican man, Obadiah ‘Fish’ Johnson (Jones) and Flower ‘Poinsettia’ Cummings (Redgrave) who each live in fantasy worlds. Fish is always fighting evil spirits, which are seen only by him, while Poinsettia is having an affair with an imaginary lover. When they become neighbours they are forced to deal with each other in the real world and in so doing find love.
Filmed in 1999 in Los Angeles, the movie has had successful screenings in Jamaica and at several film festivals, including the Toronto Film Festival, but has never been televised or distributed commercially.
Mr. Winkler, probably best known for the book and movie, ‘The Lunatic’, was born in Kingston and now calls Atlanta, Georgia, home. His other books include ‘The Painted Canoe’, ‘The Great Yacht Race’, ‘Going Home to Teach’ and ‘The Duppy’.
The movie is being brought to Toronto by Gamut Productions, a Toronto-based production company owned by Jamaican-born actor Paul Harrington-Smith, who wants to showcase “the little known immigrant playwrights, actors, directors, technicians and storytellers who have vibrant, interesting tales to tell”.