Toronto Fringe Festival to Present WHERE ARE YOU FROM, FROM? With Comedian Aliya Kanani 

Comedian and Canadian Screen Award nominated actress Aliya Kanani is bringing her internationally toured show 'Where You From, From?' to Toronto Fringe after 2 years of waiting to share her work at home. Her show has previously sold out at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs, Sydney Comedy Festival and World Fringe. She is set to take it to Edinburgh's Fringe Festival this year right after this run.

There's a question that has followed Aliya around the world: Where are you from? Well she's made up of 30 countries, 10 schools and 6 languages (she is fluent in both English and French!) so, where is she from? Good question....

Aliya Kanani takes us on a turbulent journey around the world with tales of fitting in, sticking out and standing up. How does one find a place of belonging in a place they don't fit in? Aliya learned to adapt and take up space in her ever-changing surroundings.

Constantly moving meant she was always the new kid and an easy target... until she learned the best way to handle a bully is to beat them to the punch! By virtue of circumstance, she developed a thick skin and quick wit.

Aliya relocated with her family from one Canadian city to the next, and when they ran out of places to move... they went to Africa! Growing up with this nomadic rhythm contributed to her taste for movement and adventure. Embracing her vagabond lifestyle, naturally she went on to become a flight attendant, which she continued to do for over 10 years until recently! Aliya learned about life by immersing herself in different cultures and meeting teachers through the people she encountered. Her curious nature meant she sometimes got herself into trouble, but somehow always talked her way out... usually by making people laugh... sometimes without even speaking their language!

In addition to her standup comedy, Aliya has been writing for TV and performing on the big screen. This year she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, as Ms. Hina, in the Best Motion Picture film 'Scarborough'. This film is now playing in theatres and has recently been added as inflight entertainment on the very same aeroplanes she used to work on as a flight attendant. She went from inflight service to inflight entertainment!

After extensive travelling that included climbing to the top of Africa (Mt Kilimanjaro) and diving to the depths of the Red Sea, selling out her solo show on international stages and being nominated for an academy award, Aliya still stongly believes her greatest accomplishment is the time she made a man throw up from laughing too hard.

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