'Micronations' by Joe Kowalski (Special Screening)

Joe Kowalski's documentary makes its Toronto debut: a whimsical, timely journey into self-declared countries and the people who run them. Following its world premiere at New York’s Tribeca Festival, Micronations comes to Toronto for a one-night showing at Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto. Joe Kowalski’s directorial debut takes us into the quirky and unexpectedly moving world of self-declared countries. Across backyards, small plots of land and international diplomatic summits, we meet kings, queens, emperors and presidents who have built nations of their own. They have flags, constitutions, borders, ceremonies and citizens. Some are playful experiments. Others have grown into communities that have lasted for decades. What begins as a journey through an eccentric global subculture soon becomes something bigger. Micronations asks: what makes a country real or legitimate? Who gets to decide where borders are drawn? And why do people create their own nations in the first place? Kowalski approaches this world with humour and genuine curiosity. The result is a warm and surprisingly timely film about sovereignty, identity and the desire to belong. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Joe Kowalski, University of Toronto faculty member and micronations researcher Dr. Robert Motum, and King George 2.0, leader of the Toronto-based micronation, Slabovia. Doors open at 6:30 | Sceening at 7:00 | Runtime: 97 minutes | Q&A and Reception to Follow Micronations (2026) Directed by Joe Kowalski Produced by Substance This event is sponsored by the University of Toronto through the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, the Department of Political Science, and School of Cities.