In October 2024, Words Left Unspoken, a documentary about Speaker Slam® champion Joze Piranian, premiered to a sold-out Paradise Theatre in Toronto as part of the Reelworld Film Festival. The film was directed by Josiane Blanc, and its roots go back to before Speaker Slam® existed.
Where It Started
Before Speaker Slam®, there was a Toastmasters group at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto called CSI Pitchmasters, where co-founders Dan Shaikh and Rina Rovinelli first met. It was also where they got to know Joze Piranian and filmmaker Josiane Blanc. Every week, the group honed their public speaking skills, laughed together, and grew as a community.
When Speaker Slam® launched in 2016, the Pitchmasters friends were right there helping it get started. Josiane's guidance on the video production setup was instrumental to its early success. During those first competitions, Josiane's passion for storytelling connected with what was happening on stage, and the idea of a documentary began to form. It was Joze who quickly accepted the challenge to step up and compete.
From Silence to the Global Stage
What followed was a magical moment. Joze commanded the stage and won, and eight years later he is an international keynote speaker inspiring audiences worldwide. He was named Inspirational Speaker of the Year in 2017, has delivered TEDx talks across three continents, and his book Stop Holding Back was published by HarperCollins.
Words Left Unspoken is a reflection on that journey, from a lifelong stutter that kept him silent to the global stage. Speaker Slam® gifted four tickets to the sold-out premiere to community members who shared what inspired them most about Joze's story.
Joze has since returned to Speaker Slam® many times as a judge, including for Reinvention 2026.