TORONTO – It turns out the world outside your front door is very much like the one inside – except that secrets are shared in the open air.

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Sarah Goodman’s Porch Stories is a touching, layered and musically-rich portrait of revolving stories – all connected by events on the porches of neighboring homes. The Victorian fixer-uppers are home to a transitional mix of young-and-old, artistic and blue-collar, with more in common than they think.

Their dramas and joys – shot in evocative black and white – play out against a backdrop of passers-by, who offer up eavesdrop-worthy snapshots of romance, anger, friendship, family life and self-doubt.

The message: We are all connected, by proximity and by our similar experiences.

At the core of events is Emma (Laura Barrett), a musician who has put music on hold for marriage to the decent but workaholic Stefan (Alex Tindal), when her former bandmate and ex-lover, the rootless, couch-surfing Gabriel (José Miguel Contreras) shows up.

In a stroke of inspired casting, both Barrett – who has her own solo recording career and who has performed as a member with a number of bands including The Hidden Cameras – and Contreras, the lead guitarist and vocalist of well-known Toronto band By Divine Right – are both well-known Toronto musicians.

Emma’s dilemma is grist for judgmental porch small-talk for Maria and Antonio (Uerania Silveira and Sergio Sarmento), the Portuguese-Canadian couple across the street, whose relationship spans 50 years and carries its own secrets.

And her turmoil is balanced by the light romantic conundrums of Brianna, the lyricist next door (Hallie Switzer) who falls sweetly for the sci-fi/fantasy nerd (Brad Hart), the tenant in her house’s second suite. Again, it all happens on the porch.

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“I have spent a lot of time sitting on my porch, writing, and eavesdropping on people as they go by” says Goodman. “I started to think of all the stories that must have happened on the porches on my block. All the romances, fights, misunderstandings, childish arguments, drunken conversations, hipster small talk, and Portuguese commentary that gave the neighbourhood its fabric.“

Porch Stories is written, co-produced and directed by Sarah Goodman (known for her award-winning and acclaimed documentaries Army Of One and When We Were Boys) and produced by Sarah Galea Davis. Its executive producer is Avi Federgreen (Empire Of Dirt, One Week and Leslie, My Name Is Evil).

Porch Stories will be distributed in Canada by KINOSMITH Inc.