King of the Dancehall, a film by American entertainer Nick Cannon and shot in Jamaica last year, will premiere at the renowned Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September.

A source close to the production confirmed that the film, which stars Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes and Ky-Mani Marley, will have its Jamaican premiere shortly after debuting at the prestigious film festival in Canada.

Cannon has been quoted in other sections of the international media saying he is “over the moon” with the film’s selection as part of the line-up at TIFF, which will run from September 8 to 18. He remarked that King of the Dancehall is one of those things that has been missing.

“As a storyteller, I often complain, even for one of my spoken words; I say I don’t want to see anymore slave movies. So as a content provider and as a filmmaker and a storyteller, I want to tell different stories — and this is a very different, artistic approach to tell the dancehall story, and the story of the West Indian culture, and the story of Kingston, Jamaica.

I feel like I’m taking that torch and that’s what it’s all about. I have to tell stories that the average studio wouldn’t. And the Toronto Film Festival is giving me the opportunity to display my film and my art on such a wide stage. It’s truly an honour,” Cannon is quoted on the website for popular entertainment magazine, The Source as saying.

The film was written, directed, produced and financed by the Hollywood actor, film and music producer and television host.

King of the Dancehall follows the experiences of a New Yorker, played by Cannon, who visits his family in Jamaica and falls in love with the music and culture of the island. Jamaican dancehall personalities Beenie Man and quartet T.O.K make appearances along with Jamaican-Canadian singer Kreesha Turner and Ky-Mani Marley. Local actor Carl Bradshaw, who has the distinction of appearing in a almost every major film shot in Jamaica for the past four decades, also forms part of the cast of King of the Dancehall.

The movie mirrors Cannon’s own experience. He first visited Jamaica in December 2014 and immediately fell for the music and popular culture, visiting spots including Hellshire Beach in Portmore, St Catherine; Wet Sundaze — a weekly party on Hillview Avenue in St Andrew; and Mojito Mondays at Susie’s Bakery and Coffee Bar on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew.

Last year May, the cameras began rolling at various locations in the Corporate Area and St Catherine for the film.