In Conversation with Sonia Godding Togobo & Tom Third – A MOTHER APART

Sonia Godding Togobo is a 2025 Canadian Screen Award–nominated editor, director, and storyteller with over 25 years of experience. Her editing has shaped award-winning documentaries like MR. JANE AND FINCH, SHELLA RECORD – A REGGAE MYSTERY, and A MOTHER APART, with broadcast credits on CNN, CBC, and BBC. Sonia’s directorial debut, Adopted ID, premiered at BFI and Hot Docs. She recently directed Answering the Call for Citytv, a documentary on Toronto’s community-led Crisis Service. Committed to impactful storytelling, Sonia creates work that explores identity, challenges injustice, and inspires change.

Multi award winning composer Tom Third has scored over 250 hours of film and television, specializing in dramatic series and documentary work. Recent projects include the TV series Coroner for CBC, and BLK An Origin Story for History Channel. Tom’s background as an electronic music artist informs his progressive hybrid scores that make use of novel synthetic textures and traditional instruments alike. Tom also teaches film composition, audio production and film music history at the The Canadian Film Centre, The Ontario College of Art and Design, and Toronto Metropolitan University.

Ricardo Acosta, CCE  is a film editor, script consultant and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Canadian Cinema Editors. Acosta moved to Canada in 1993 from his native Cuba where he studied and worked at the world-renowned Cuban Film Institute (ICAIC). He has been an Alumni and Adviser of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Editing Lab, and the Music Composition and Sound Design Lab. A few of his editing and story consulting credits include: ONCE UPON A TIME IN VENEZUELA (2020), THE LETTER (2019), THE SILENCE OF OTHERS(2018), winner of GOYA, ALMA, and the Berlinale Panorama Documentary Audience Award, SEMBENE! (2015), and MARMATO (2014). His films have premiered at Sundance, Cannes, Berlinale and IDFA, among other world film festivals. He is an Emmy winner and nominee for the Canadian Industry Genie and Gemini Awards, Canadian Film Editors Association Awards and Canadian Screen Awards.