You’ve heard us going on about them during TIFF ’22 and now’s your chance to experience the magic that is INK Entertainment all for yourself! INK Entertainment x Mr. Will are giving our Readers a chance to win a $70 Gift Card to Bisha Hotel or any of its establishments: Kōst, Akira Back, French Made or Mister C.
The stunning Bisha Hotel was an official TIFF ’22 Hospitality Partner and hosted various official afterparties this year, plus the official Getty Images lounge, where several of the A-List talent in town were hosted.
Located in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, the glamourous Bisha Hotel welcomes some of the world’s trendiest guests each year during TIFF. Known as a celebrity hotspot, Bisha is preparing for the return of the glitz and glamour to the city, with incredible events, and premiere parties lined up throughout the Festival.
This year, the hotel will be home to Getty Images’ Portrait Studio, with many A-list celebrities expected to stop by for their stunning close-ups throughout TIFF.
Stars spotted in the past include: Bryce Dallas Howard, Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Riz Ahmed, Sarah Paulson, Susan Sarandon, Antonio Bandaras, Eddie Redmayne, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Wesley Snipes, Cynthia Erivo, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Elle Fanning, Ben Stiller, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Carrell, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Lenny Kravitz and Olivia Munn.
The Bisha Hotel’s cozy and avante-garde lobby bar, complete with velvet walls and a seductive atmosphere, has been home to many pre and after parties for TIFF films. Stars spotted in the past include Julianne Moore, Jake Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney and Greta Gerwig.
Located on the second floor of the Bisha Hotel is Michelin-Starred Chef Akira Back’s first Canadian namesake restaurant, featuring a unique blend of modern Japanese cuisine and authentic Korean flavours, within a glamorous setting. Designed by the award-winning Studio Munge, the restaurant’s glamorous gold staircase, black and charcoal tones and lavish materials, make this a celeb favourite for dining out. Most recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen enjoying dinner with his son and even took some photos with the staff.
On the 44th floor of The Bisha Hotel sits one of Toronto’s most Instagrammable restaurants and late-night bars, with unparalleled panoramic views of Toronto and a fantastic open-air patio that has been a popular location for many TIFF parties and events, with celebs such as Julia Roberts, Siena Miller, Christina Hendricks, Halle Berry, Geena Davis and Martin Short making an appearance in the past.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post on MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM or MR. WILL ON TWITTER. Tag a friend and comment there which Bisha Hotel establishment you’d want to check-out! You must be following.
They were most certainly bustling #TIFF22 and we want our Readers and Followers to have a chance to enjoy a $70 Gift Card to any dining establishment including Kōst, Akira Back, French Made or Mister C at the gorgeous BISHA HOTEL in Toronto!
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 29, 2022
Details: https://t.co/u0c7AsigBj pic.twitter.com/dnrvRRPjpv
Rules and regulations here.
Good luck!
(Photo credit: INK Entertainment)
Today, TIFF Cinematheque unveiled an exciting fall programming slate with a series of retrospectives, special screenings, new restorations, commemorative events, the return of Wavelengths Presents, exclusive New Releases, and many special guests at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Starting October 14, TIFF Cinematheque shines a light on contemporary Italian cinema with its comprehensive focus on four visionary filmmakers — Alessandro Comodin, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pietro Marcello, and Alice Rohrwacher — who have revitalized their national scene on a global level. The first series of its kind to draw resonances between these singular bodies of work, Lost and Beautiful: New Italian Cinema is a major 17-film retrospective curated by TIFF Cinematheque Senior Curator Andréa Picard and co-presented in partnership with Cinecittà, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Consulate General of Italy, Toronto. Comodin and Frammartino will be in attendance for the opening weekend.
This Halloween season, TIFF is inviting audiences to explore HERROR, a series of honest, daring, and darkly satisfying horror films created by women, co-presented by Rue Morgue. Midnight Madness Presents will complement the lineup with a special presentation of Stephanie Rothman’s under-screened classic The Velvet Vampire, featuring a virtual Q&A with the filmmaker on October 29. Horror fans will be able to enjoy a lineup of women-centric films on digital TIFF Bell Lightbox on October 7: The Blair Witch Project, Crawl, The Lair Of The White Worm, The Ring, and You Won’t Be Alone.
TIFF will spotlight Nordic Noir films in November, the final of three retrospectives in a year-long series celebrating the best of Nordic cinema, which includes Morten Tyldum’s adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s novel Headhunters; and the adaptation of Arnaldur Indriðason’s book Jar City by director Baltasar Kormákur — made possible as part of Nordic Bridges 2022 in collaboration with Harbourfront Centre, Toronto.
Audiences can also look forward to the Canadian premiere of Pedro Costa’s haunting debut film and TIFF Official Selection O Sangue, newly restored in 4K; the Toronto premiere of the 2K restoration of Arthur Bressan’s Buddies on World AIDS Day, featuring an introduction by filmmaker John Greyson; the return of TIFF Wavelengths Presents, with the Toronto premiere of C.W. Winter & Anders Edström’s monumental, multiple–award-winning The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin); and the Canadian premiere of The African Desperate from installation artist and filmmaker Martine Syms, featuring a Q&A with Syms presented in partnership with Mercer Union.
Other in-person guests include Academy Award–winning writer John Irving, who will discuss his highly anticipated new novel The Last Chairlift, as well as The Cider House Rules; pop culture critic and podcaster Elamin Abdelmahmoud, who will present a screening of his favourite film, Moneyball, as part of TIFF’s Loved It series; American filmmaker and screenwriter Lodge Kerrigan to present the 4K restoration of Keane, his startling third feature and a 2004 TIFF Official Selection; and Argentine filmmaker Matías Piñeiro will present the Toronto premiere of his latest film, Isabella as part of MDFF Selects. Also, writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour joins us for a live remote Q&A following a screening of her cult hit A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night.
In addition, TIFF Bell Lightbox will be showing New Releases fresh off their run at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, including Denmark’s entry for best international feature at the Oscars 2023, Ali Abbasi’s Holy Spider; Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning film Triangle of Sadness; Decision to Leave, Park Chan-wook’s Cannes Best Director prize–winning film and Best International 2023 Oscar entry for South Korea; and Michael Grandage’s My Policeman, which was honoured with the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance (Ensemble). Additional internationally acclaimed films include Santiago Mitre’s Argentina, 1985, Best International 2023 Oscar entry for Argentina; Juan Pablo González’s Sundance winner Dos estaciones; and Canadian actor Charlotte Le Bon’s directorial debut feature, Falcon Lake.
TIFF CINEMATHEQUE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
Boosie Fade Film Club — October 6 and December 1
Presented in 35mm
TIFF’s ongoing series of cult classics that have made a huge impact on hip-hop and R&B culture is back in October with Spike Lee’s controversial cult favourite Bamboozled, in which a TV writer (Damon Wayans) pitches a minstrel show at the television network where he works in an attempt to get fired, only to have it become a huge success. Then in December, see the 1997 buddy comedy film BAP*S, about two diner girls (Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle) who become embroiled in a scheme to take advantage of a rich older man, only to find themselves growing emotionally attached to their victim.
HERROR — October 7–30
Panel Discussion – October 7
HERROR presents six women-written, -directed, and -centred films from the past decade that use genre and a gendered gaze to explore all manner of trauma: grief and motherhood (The Babadook, Prevenge), sexual (Revenge), racial (Master), intergenerational (Relic), and the sum total of patriarchal oppressions (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night). Following the screening of The Babadook on October 7, TIFF Cinematheque will feature a panel discussion with Andrea Subissati, Rue Morgue magazine executive director and the producer and co-host of the Faculty of Horror podcast; film writer and curator Sarah-Tai Black; and film critic and writer Carolyn Mauricette.
To Sidney, with Love — October 8–November 22
To mark the passing of icon and actor Sidney Poitier earlier this year and to celebrate his life, TIFF is a featuring a selection of Poitier’s filmography including Buck and the Preacher, which he also directed; Paris Blues; A Raisin in the Sun; To Sir, with Love; and In the Heat of the Night.
Forever Godard — October 9–15
After Jean-Luc Godard’s death just a few weeks ago, TIFF examines what his legendary work means to cinema with this trio of 35mm films from our Film Reference Library collection, including Breathless, Week-end, and Numéro deux.
New and Restored — October 13–December 1
A diverse and thrilling selection of recent restorations that have been painstakingly brought back to life. Films include Alain Resnais’ The War is Over (La guerre est finie), Sarah Maldoror’s Sambizanga, Edward Yang’s A Confucian Confusion, Lodge Kerrigan’s Keane, Pedro Costa’s O Sangue, Sara Gómez’s One Way or Another, Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Hyenas, Robin Phillips’s The Wars, Arthur Bressan’s Buddies, Jacques Rivette’s Love on the Ground, and a 35th anniversary screening of Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys.
Lost and Beautiful: New Italian Cinema — October 14–November 29
Filmmaker panel discussion – October 14
Lost and Beautiful: New Italian Cinema shines a light on four internationally celebrated contemporary Italian filmmakers — Alessandro Comodin, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pietro Marcello, and Alice Rohrwacher — who have revitalized their national cinema with uncompromising and visionary films. Frammartino and Commodin will attend in person for a panel discussing their work before their screening of Roberto Rossellini’s masterpiece Journey to Italy on October 14. Comodin will also introduce the Canadian premiere of his latest, award-winning film, The Adventures of Gigi the Law, and Frammartino will present his Festival favourite, Le Quattro Volte. In addition to numerous premieres and rarities, a free, accompanying publication Cinema According to Alessandro Comodin, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pietro Marcello, Alice Rohrwacher published by Cinecittà and Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Toronto will be available at TIFF Bell Lightbox for the duration of the series.
MDFF Selects — October 27–November 24
MDFF co-founder Kazik Radwanski will host a Q&A (virtual and in-person) with directors following their screenings.
MDFF Selects features a showcase of the world’s best, most challenging, and most provocative new international cinema. Films in this series include the folkloric film One Man Dies a Million Times, Jessica Oreck’s first narrative feature about a seed bank and the botanists who worked throughout the Siege of Leningrad during World War II, preceded by Canadian Filmmaker Carol Nguyen’s emotionally complex and meticulously composed portrait of intergenerational trauma in the TIFF 2019 Official Selection No Crying at the Dinner Table — winner of the Short Documentary Jury Award at SXSW, and selected by TIFF for Canada’s Top Ten Shorts.
Then on November 24, the Toronto Premiere of Isabella by Festival favourite Matías Piñeiro, who will be on hand to present the screening, starring longtime collaborators María Villar and Agustina Muñoz as two actors vying for the lead role in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, the director’s most structurally daring and artistically striking film to date.
Midnight Madness Presents — October 29
Virtual Q&A with filmmaker Stephanie Rothman
Since 1988, TIFF’s annual Midnight Madness programme has presented the wildest and strangest cinematic provocations from around the world. Inspiring contemporary films and feminist filmmakers, the undeniably stylish conceit of The Velvet Vampire and the playfulness of Rothman’s directorial voice will delight and dare the audience to reflect on the centuries of vampire fantasy.
Nordic Noirs — November 6–23
This retrospective traces the Nordic crime-fiction phenomenon to its roots in modern literature and the foundations of the region’s cinema itself. Each of the films in this series uses local elements to craft compelling and unique mysteries which stand with the best of the genre. Films include: Bodil Ipsen’s Melody of Murder, Baltasar Kormákur’s Jar City, Óskar Jónasson’s Reykjavik Rotterdam, Reynir Oddsson’s Story of a Murder, Morten Tyldum’s Headhunters, and Mikael Marcimain’s Call Girl.
Pure Cinematic Oxygen: The Films of Michael Roemer — November 16–25
This spotlight on the celebrated independent writer-director Michael Roemer features three of his narrative features: The Plot Against Harry, Nothing But a Man, and Vengeance is Mine — the only ones to have ever received theatrical release. Roemer suffered a disproportionate amount of bad release luck, which initially prevented his singular films from reaching audiences. The 94-year old filmmaker is finally being recognized for his astounding contributions to American independent filmmaking.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Nuit Blanche — October 1, 7pm–October 2, 7am – FREE
TIFF is proud to host Toronto-based artist Haneen Dalla-Ali’s animation and augmented reality installation Between a Rock and a Hard Place, bringing a remote, Southern Ontario landscape to downtown Toronto and showcasing it through the eyes of the immigrant. Dalla-Ali’s installation is part of Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s all-night celebration of contemporary art, which takes place from sunset on October 1 to sunrise on October 2
imagineNATIVE iNdigital Space — October 18 to 23 – FREE
The iNdigital Space is back and bigger than ever. Flowing from the TIFF Gallery into the TIFF Atrium, imagineNATIVE and TIFF are excited to share Indigenous new media with audiences! Featuring virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), video games, interactive web, audio, and more! Visit @imaginenative on socials for more information.
Sexual Politics and Storytelling, According to John Irving — October 25, 7pm
In-person talk by author John Irving
For more than 40 years, literary icon John Irving has been weaving themes of tolerance for sexual differences throughout his writing. His novels advocate for sexual minorities and reproductive rights with urgency and sincerity, while captivating readers with tragicomic turns and unforgettable characters. At this moment — with the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the US Supreme Court, and with US state legislators moving to curtail protections for 2SLGBTQ+ youth — Irving’s work has never felt more vital or timely.
Audiences are invited for a special evening as Irving reflects on the sexual politics that compel his storytelling. The author and screenwriter will launch his new novel, The Last Chairlift, look back at the Academy Award–winning film adaptation of The Cider House Rules, and speak to the parallel impulse of both works.
Viola Desmond Day — November 8–27 – FREE
Public Spaces Art — Activation in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium
When Morning Comes screening — November 8
To commemorate the 76th anniversary of Viola Desmond’s historic stand against racial segregation on November 8, 1946, TIFF is presenting a special screening of Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s debut feature that premiered at TIFF 2022, When Morning Comes, followed by a conversation about representation, authentic storytelling, and community with Black-led organizations that are at the forefront of supporting Black creators in the entertainment sector. In addition, from November 8 to November 27, TIFF is presenting free public artist activations programmed in partnership with Black Artists’ Networks in Dialogue (BAND) and Vintage Black Canada. Join us on November 8 at 6pm in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium for a celebration of Black Toronto-based artists and creators. More details to be announced in the coming weeks.
TIFF Next Wave Presents: Open Screen — November 15, 6:30pm
Open Screen invites emerging filmmakers to share something on screen that they’ve created with a community of supportive peers. It can be a finished project or a work-in-progress, something they’ve screened before or something they’ve been sitting on for a while. Filmmakers will receive helpful perspectives and feedback on their work after it plays on the big screen.
His Name is Ray — November 22, 7pm – FREE
In acknowledgment of National Housing Day on November 22 and National Addictions Awareness Week (November 22–28), TIFF is screening Michael Del Monte’s documentary His Name is Ray followed by a conversation about the devastating opioid and housing crises in Toronto ― exacerbated by COVID-19 ― and the vital role of harm-reduction approaches in reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use.
Loved It: Elamin Abdelmahmoud on Moneyball — November 30, 7pm
Pop culture critic and podcaster supreme Elamin Abdelmahmoud revisits Moneyball, a baseball movie with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill that is not totally about baseball. Featuring Aaron Sorkin’s signature dialogue, it is one of the most riveting and defining movies of the 2010s.
NEW RELEASES
PLAYING AT TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
Opens September 29
Ponniyin Selvan: I, KW Talkies
Mani Ratnam | India | 2022 | 170 mins.
Vandiyathevan (Karthi), sets out to cross the Chola land to deliver a message from the Crown Prince Aditha Karikalan (Vikram). Kundavai (Trisha Krishnan) attempts to establish political peace in the land as civil war is seemingly being plotted by vassals and petty chieftains.
Opens September 30
Argentina, 1985, Amazon Studios
Santiago Mitre | Argentina, United States | 2022 | 140 mins.
Inspired by the true story of Julio Strassera, Luis Moreno Ocampo, and their young legal team of unlikely heroes in their David-vs-Goliath battle in which, under constant threat, they dared to prosecute Argentina’s bloodiest military dictatorship against all odds and in a race against time to bring justice to the victims of the Military Junta.
Opens October 6
Triangle of Sadness, Elevation Pictures
Ruben Östlund | Sweden, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Turkey, Greece | 2022 | 150 mins.
Ruben Östlund’s latest Palme d’Or–winning satire explores hypocrisy, greed, and thirst for power amongst the idle rich (and the luxury-cruise industry).
Opens October 7
Dos estaciones, Cinema Guild
Juan Pablo González | Mexico | 2022 | 99 mins.
In the bucolic hills of Mexico’s Jalisco highlands, iron-willed businesswoman Maria Garcia fights the impending collapse of her tequila factory.
Opens October 14
Falcon Lake, Sphère Films
Charlotte Le Bon | Canada, France | 2022 | 100 mins.
Canadian actor Charlotte Le Bon’s directorial debut, based on Bastien Vivès’s graphic novel, is part summertime coming-of-age story and part eerie gothic.
Opens October 21
My Policeman, Amazon Studios
Michael Grandage | United Kingdom, United States of America | 2022 | 113 mins.
This tale of forbidden romance and changing social conventions follows three people — policeman Tom (Harry Styles/Linus Roache), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin/Gina McKee), and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson/Rupert Everett) — and their emotional journey spanning decades.
Opens October 28
Decision to Leave, Mongrel Media
Park Chan-wook | South Korea | 2022 | 138 mins.
A dramatic love story is the beating heart of Park Chan-wook’s mesmerizing and lavish noir masterpiece, featuring the charismatic Chinese star Tang Wei.
Opens November 18
Holy Spider, Sphère Films
Ali Abbasi | Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France | 2022 | 116 mins
In Iran’s spiritual capital, Mashhad, a dangerous and brutal cat-and-mouse-game unfolds between a serial killer and a journalist seeking justice.
RENT ON DIGITAL TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
Available September 30
Carmen, Vortex
Valerie Buhagiar | Malta, Canada | 2022 | 87 mins.
In a small Mediterranean village in Malta, Carmen (Natascha McElhone) has looked after her brother, the local priest, for her entire life. When the Church abandons Carmen and she is mistaken for the new priest, Carmen begins to see the world, and herself, in a new light.
God’s Creatures, Sphère Films
Saela Davis, Anna Rose Holmer | Ireland, United Kingdom, United States | 2022 | 94 mins.
A mother (Emily Watson) tells a lie to protect her son (Paul Mescal), ripping apart their family and close-knit community in this sweepingly emotional drama.
Available October 4
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Elevation Pictures
Dean Fleischer-Camp | United States | 2021 | 90 mins.
In this heartwarming mockumentary that mixes live action and stop-motion animation, a one-inch-tall shell (gently voiced by Jenny Slate) searches for his long-lost family.
Available to rent now
Celebrating Steven Spielberg Shelf
Now that he’s shown us his origin story with The Fabelmans, digital TIFF Bell Lightbox is happy to showcase a selection of Steven Spielberg’s work over the decades.
Schindler’s List (1993)
Amistad (1997)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Announced late last year, a new membership benefit has been added to TIFF Memberships for the duration of 2022: Members now receive free access to over 200 Cinematheque screenings, which includes new essentials, classics, rarities and recent restorations. Additionally, TIFF recently introduced the TIFF Under-25 Free Pass, which offers young film lovers under the age of 25 a pass to access a range of free benefits, such as tickets to Cinematheque screenings, encouraging them to take advantage of exclusive year-round benefits and be part of a community of up-and-coming film lovers.
(Photo credit: Prime Video)
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TIFF Bell Lightbox was buzzing with energy all Festival long this year and if you noticed, there was a door marked “BVLGARI Portrait Studio” on the Widmer Street entrance? Ever wondered what these photos actually turned out like? Well here you go! Such gorgeous portraits and you won’t believe the names that went through the studio for this official TIFF partner.
See more of Carlyle Routh’s portraits at The Hollywood Reporter here.
(Photo credit: Carlyle Routh)
Hot off its Premiere at TIFF ’22, Lena Dunham‘s CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY now has a release date.
Synopsis:
The year? 1290. In the Medieval English village of Stonebridge, Lady Catherine (known as Birdy) is the youngest child of Lord Rollo and the Lady Aislinn. Her playground is Stonebridge Manor, a house that, like the family, has seen better days. Financially destitute and utterly greedy, Rollo sees his daughter as his path out of financial ruin by marrying her off to a wealthy man for money and land. But Birdy, like all the great teen heroines, is spirited, clever, and adventurous, and ready to put off any suitor that comes calling in increasingly ingenious ways. Her imagination, defiance, and deep belief in her own right to independence put her on a collision course with her parents. When the vilest suitor of all arrives, they are presented with the ultimate test of love for their daughter.
CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY arrives October 7, 2022 on Prime Video.
(Photo/video credit: Prime Video)
Hot off its People’s Choice Award win at the TIFF ’22, Steven Spielberg‘s autobiographical THE FABELMANS has a new Trailer.
Synopsis:
Directed by Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans is written by Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America, Caroline, or Change), who has earned Oscar® nominations for his screenplays for Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich. The film is produced by three-time Oscar® nominee Kristie Macosko Krieger p.g.a. (West Side Story, The Post), Steven Spielberg p.g.a. and Tony Kushner p.g.a. The film is executive produced by Carla Raij (Maestro, co-producer West Side Story) and Josh McLaglen (Free Guy, Logan).
The film stars Gabriel LaBelle (The Predator, American Gigolo series) as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman; four-time Academy Award® nominee Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea, My Week with Marilyn) as his artistic mother, Mitzi; Paul Dano (The Batman, There Will Be Blood) as his successful, scientific father, Burt; Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs, An American Pickle) as Bennie Loewy, Burt’s best friend and honorary “uncle” to the Fabelman children, and Academy Award® nominee Judd Hirsch (Uncut Gems, Ordinary People) as Mitzi’s Uncle Boris.
The ensemble cast includes Oscar® nominee Jeannie Berlin (The Heartbreak Kid, Inherent Vice) as Sammy’s paternal grandmother, Hadassah Fabelman; Julia Butters (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, 13 Hours) as Sammy’s sister Reggie; Robin Bartlett (Moonstruck, Lean on Me) as Sammy’s maternal grandmother Tina Schildkraut and Keeley Karsten (Hunters, Evil Lives Here) as Sammy’s sister Natalie.
The music is by five-time Academy Award® winner John Williams (Schindler’s List, Jaws), the costume designer is two-time Oscar® winner Mark Bridges (The Artist, Phantom Thread) and the production designer is two-time Oscar® winner Rick Carter (Lincoln, Avatar). The Fabelmans is edited by three-time Academy Award® winner Michael Kahn ACE (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List) and Sarah Broshar (West Side Story, The Post). The film’s director of photography is two-time Academy Award® winner Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan).
Universal Pictures Canada release THE FABELMANS November 23, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
We don’t believe the Festival’s about to wrap! What a year it was with lots of amazing new memories created. We admit with the first weekend of the Festival being so frenetic, it really came down to being everywhere all at once. And everywhere we were. And if it weren’t that way, would it be TIFF? Exactly.
Just highlighting some amazing moments for us at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival this year, all taken on the Samsung S22.
TAYLOR SWIFT IN-CONVERSATION with Sadie Sink
HARRY STYLES AT THE PREMIERE OF “MY POLICEMAN”
BRENDAN FRASER AT THE PREMIERE OF “THE WHALE”
TILDA SWINTON AT TIFF FOR “THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER”
DANIEL RADCLIFFE AT THE PREMIERE OF “WEIRD”
VIOLA DAVIS & THE CAST OF “THE WOMAN KING”
OLIVIA COLMAN AT TIFF FOR “EMPIRE OF LIGHT”
CLAIRE FOY AT THE PREMIERE FOR “WOMEN TALKING”
BILL NIGHY AT TIFF WITH “LIVING”
PAUL MESCAL AT TIFF FOR “CARMEN” AND “AFTERSUN”
GABRIEL LABELLE AT TIFF FOR “THE FABELMANS”
HUGH JACKMAN AT TIFF FOR “THE SON”
LILY TOMLIN AT TIFF FOR “MOVING ON”
NICOLAS CAGE AT TIFF FOR “BUTCHER’S CROSSING”
BILLY EICHNER AT TIFF FOR “BROS”
MIA GOTH AT TIFF FOR “PEARL”
SADIE SINK AT TIFF FOR “THE WHALE”
HARRIS DICKINSON AT TIFF FOR “TRIANGLE OF SADNESS”
LEE JUNG-JAE AT THE PREMIERE OF “HUNT”
HILLARY & CHELSEA CLINTON AT TIFF FOR “GUTSY”
JESSICA CHASTAIN AT TIFF FOR “THE GOOD NURSE”
LAMAR JOHNSON AT TIFF PREMIERE OF “BROTHER”
SIR BEN KINGSLEY AT TIFF FOR CLOSING NIGHT GALA, “DALILAND”
A huge thank you to you. Whether you were following from your phones or home, or shouted “It’s Will Wong!” at me on the crowded streets of Entertainment District during the Festival, the love was felt and I appreciate you. To be called an “TIFF Icon” by the likes of BlogTO and having some of our top news outlets like CITY, CBC, The Toronto Sun and more, all come to us as a subject matter expert for the Festival is incredibly validating, and a badge I will wear proudly for our City.
So grateful for the support of our official partners of the Festival for their generosity including: Starbucks Canada, La Crema, H&M Canada, Happy Natural Products, CP24, Acura Canada, Samsung Canada, amika, boscia, Stoic Beauty and Chatime Canada. We truly couldn’t have done it without you.
So happy to award Melissa, who’s followed us for years, our amazing TIFF ’22 Surival Prize Pack:
We loved that our Readers and Followers had a chance to win Starbucks Canada and Chatime Canada Gift Cards across our Social Media channels! Only the best.
My Top Five Films of TIFF ’22:
The Whale
Bros
The Inspection
Women Talking
The Eternal Daughter
Also so thankful to our amazing Team who were amazing sending in their contributions: Amanda Gilmore, David Baldwin, George Kozera, Nicholas Porteous and Justin Waldman. Please take a moment to check-out our thoughts on the Festival’s hottest titles here.
Is it TIFF ’23 yet?
Mr. Will
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
And that’s a wrap! Award winners were announced earlier today at TIFF‘s Awards Breakfast Ceremony at LUMA Lounge. As expected, Steven Spielberg‘s autobiographical THE FABELMANS came into the Festival with a ton of fanfare and walks out with all the accoloades. This is the famed Director’s first time at TIFF in its 45 years as a Director, and he made it a big one with the Film leaving a lasting impression on audiences in its generous opportunities for fans to see it throughout the Festival.
Complete list of Winners this year:
IMDbPro SHORT CUTS AWARDS
The 2022 IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are for Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each winning film will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD and a one-year membership to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, to help them continue achieving success in their careers. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, IMDbPro empowers entertainment professionals to discover new talent and projects and has an ongoing commitment to supporting and collaboratively working with organizations that create greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry, including TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign. IMDbPro also supported the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance presented by IMDbPro, which was presented to Brendan Fraser for his outstanding performance in The Whale at the TIFF Tribute Awards gala fundraiser on September 11.
“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of IMDbPro, we are honoured to present four TIFF Awards that so perfectly align with our mission to help entertainment industry professionals launch and grow their careers and our commitment to highlighting diverse artists and inclusive storytelling,” said Col Needham, Founder & CEO of IMDb. “We congratulate these Award recipients and all professionals whose work was featured at TIFF, and look forward to watching their careers continue to grow following this breakthrough moment.”
The winners of the three awards are:
IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film: Snow in September, dir. Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir.
Jury’s statement: “Told through a bold and sophisticated lens, this tense yet poignant portrayal follows a young man’s shift from wide-eyed boy to yearning pursuer. The jury is pleased to present the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Snow in September directed by Mongolia’s Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir.”
Honourable Mention:
For its wildly entertaining and incredibly realized portrait of a flight attendant’s personal crisis, the jury is very pleased to present an honourable mention for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Airhostess-737 by director Thanasis Neofotistos. Centred on Lena Papaligoura’s impressive performance, the film is an unhinged, compelling, and memorable tragicomedy.
IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Simo, dir. Aziz Zoromba
Jury’s statement: “Featuring convincing, natural performances and tight direction, the film astutely plays off of narrative conventions to deliver an unexpectedly tender take on growing up in an all-male immigrant family. The jury is delighted to give the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short to Aziz Zoromba for Simo.”
Honourable Mention:
For its intensely taut and pulsating tale following an aging delivery driver’s movement through a gritty, desperate night in the city, the jury is pleased to present an honourable mention for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film to Same Old by director Lloyd Lee Choi.
IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award: Nanitic, dir. Carol Nguyen (2022 TIFF Filmmaker Lab)
Jury’s statement: “With skill, precision, and sensitivity, this film stood out for its delicate and assured portrayal of love and sacrifice within a multi-generational household. The jury is thrilled to give the IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Carol Nguyen for Nanitic.”
The 2022 jurors for the IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are Sally Lee, Thyrone Tommy, and Lisa Haller.
NETPAC AWARD
The 2022 NETPAC jury members include: Ida Yoshinaga and Diana Ashimova. TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2022 NETPAC Jury has selected Sweet As, dir. Jub Clerc as this year’s NETPAC winner.
The 2022 NETPAC jury released the following statement: “A model road film in all aspects with great locations and a strong cast, Jub Clerc’s Sweet As convincingly tells the story of an Indigenous girl on a youth-therapy bus tour — dealing with family, friendship, inspiration and self-identity.”
FIPRESCI PRIZE
The 2022 FIPRESCI jury members include: Andrew Kendall, Marriska Fernandes, Márcio Sallem, Andrea Crozzoli, and Max Borg. The jury is delighted to announce Basil Khalil’s A Gaza Weekend as this year’s FIPRESCI winner.
The 2022 FIPRESCI jury released the following statement: “For its empathy and intelligence in capturing the zeitgeist, and with its daring approach to contemporary satire and world cinema, we award Basil Khalil’s A Gaza Weekend the 2022 FIPRESCI Prize. Basil Khalil’s direction finds space for the more sorrowful, more tender moments of interpersonal crises even as he deftly escalates the bawdy humour on display, capturing the nature of survival as very serious and very funny business for these characters.”
AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE
Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including technique and passion that transports storytelling to the screen. This year, Canada Goose presents the Amplify Voices Awards to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. All feature films in Official Selection by emerging filmmakers who are Black or Indigenous or persons of colour and Canadian, were eligible for these awards, and the three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.
The three Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose winners are:
Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: To Kill A Tiger, dir. Nisha Pahuja
Jury’s statement: “It’s not easy to film love. In Nisha Pahuja’s To Kill A Tiger, a father defends his daughter, and together they change a village, a country and, maybe, the world.”
Special Mention for Best Canadian Feature Film: Viking, dir. Stéphane Lafleur
Jury’s statement: “The jury would like to acknowledge Stéphane Lafleur’s brilliant satire, Viking, exploring the intersection of technology and ego.”
Amplify Voices Award: Leonor Will Never Die, dir. Martika Ramirez Escobar
Jury’s statement: “Leonor Will Never Die, for its original voice, made by a fearless filmmaker who knows how to bring the fun and an incredible lead performance. This film is truly one of one.”
Amplify Voices Award: While We Watched, dir. Vinay Shukla
Jury’s statement: “While We Watched is a compelling, urgent film that collapses our differences. It is a wake-up call to how perilous and fragile the relationship between a free press and democracy is everywhere.”
Special Mention for Best Feature from an Emerging BIPOC Filmmaker: Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, dir. Madison Thomas.
Jury’s statement: The jury would also like to give special mention to Madison Thomas’s Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On, because “everyone should know about Buffy Sainte-Marie.”
The 2022 jurors for the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose are Ann Marie Fleming, Anne Emond, Nathan Morlando, Jennifer Holness, Albert Shin, and Luisa Alvarez Restrepo.
SHAWN MENDES FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKER AWARD
Presented by the Shawn Mendes Foundation, the 2022 Changemaker Award is awarded to a Festival film that tackles issues of social change, and comes with a $10,000 cash prize. The winning film was selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world. The Shawn Mendes Foundation will also be making an annual contribution in support of TIFF Next Wave, helping TIFF deliver key initiatives to elevate young voices.
The 2022 jurors for the Changemaker Award are members of TIFF’s Next Wave Committee: Naiya Forrester, Arjun Persaud, Norah Daudi, Honora Murphy, Ellie Tripp, Celina Tang, Simona Williams, Faven Tesfamichael, Tara Sidhu, Keertan Somasundaram, Maggie Kane, and Dev Desai.
The 2022 Changemaker Award is presented to Luis De Filippis’ Something You Said Last Night. Director De Filippis (2018 TIFF Filmmaker Lab, 2020 TIFF Talent Accelerator) offered this statement: “It is an honour to have Something You Said Last Night be acknowledged by the next generation of filmmakers. Thank you to the Next Wave Committee for seeing this story. I am so excited to watch you lead our industry in the coming years. Thank you to the team behind this film who supported, and believed, and put their all into it, even on the bad days — which there were a few. It’s hard not to ignore the building tide of new voices this year at TIFF, and I am so happy to see our stories finally being told and celebrated — a new wave is coming.”
TIFF’s Next Wave Committee provided this statement: “The TIFF Next Wave Committee announces Luis De Filippis as the 2022 Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award recipient for her debut feature Something You Said Last Night, an honest, immersive, and intensely relatable portrayal of an Italian Canadian family on a summer vacation. Ren (Carmen Madonia, 2022 TIFF Rising Stars) is a character unlike any other we’ve seen. She is talented, she is struggling, she is flawed, she is loved, she is passionate, and she is accepted. She is all of these things, and she is also a young trans woman finding her place in the world. Created with queer and trans creators in front and behind the camera, Something You Said Last Night finds its power in the complex, imperfect truth of humans and our relationships with family. With her film, Luis De Filippis is changing the game — giving a voice to trans people along the way, and creating a future where queer representation exists beyond the one-dimensional stories and characters we’ve seen over and over again. We hope the visibility and recognition of this award will help more young people see and be inspired by the film like we were, and support De Filippis in her development and journey as a filmmaker.”
PLATFORM PRIZE
Named after Jia Zhang-ke’s trailblazing second feature, Platform is the Toronto International Film Festival’s competitive programme championing bold directorial visions. Platform was curated by Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer; and Robyn Citizen, Director, Festival Programming and TIFF Cinematheque. The Platform Prize Jury members for 2022 are Patricia Rozema (Jury Chair), Iram Haq, and Chaitanya Tamhane and they are delighted to announce that their selection is Riceboy Sleeps, dir. Anthony Shim.
The Platform jury provided this statement: “The 2022 TIFF Platform Jury announces the unanimous choice for the Platform Prize — Riceboy Sleeps, written and directed by Anthony Shim for its deeply moving story and precisely-observed characters as they navigate racism, dislocation, family, and love. It balances social realism with pure poetry. Plus, it’s very funny. The leads Choi Seung-yoon (2022 TIFF Rising Stars), Ethan Hwang, and Dohyun Noel Hwang deserve top honours. Riceboy Sleeps touches on, in a most accessible way, some of humanity’s biggest challenges — how to merge cultures without erasing individuals, how to grow up whole in fragmented families, and how to defend ourselves from internalizing the subtle and not so subtle discriminations of the privileged.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
For the 45th year, the People’s Choice Awards distinguish the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection were eligible.
The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is Weird: The Al Yankovic Story dir. Eric Appel
The first runner-up is Pearl dir. Ti West.
The second runner-up is The Blackening dir. Tim Story
The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is Black Ice dir. Hubert Davis
The second runner-up is Maya and the Wave dir. Stephanie Johnes
The second runner-up is 752 is not a Number dir. Babak Payami.
The TIFF 2022 People’s Choice Award winner is The Fabelmans dir. Steven Spielberg
The first runner-up is Women Talking dir. Sarah Polley
The second runner-up is Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson
(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)
By Amanda Gilmore
This True Crime Thriller is about Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) a nurse who over a 16-year career confessed to killing 29 people, although the actual number is believed to be much higher. The Film follows Amy (Jessica Chastain), a nurse who worked with Charles and helped the detectives get their confession.
Director Tobias Lindholm, making his English language Feature Debut, creates an enthralling murder mystery Film. He opens on a patient dying with Charles, in his uniform, eerily looking on while many doctors and nurses try to save the life. There’s no doubt that something isn’t quite right with him. It’s this knowledge that we carry with us throughout, even in his tender moments, mostly shared with Amy. Redmayne is cast perfectly in this highly mysterious performance that captivates.
Screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns brilliantly adapts the novel The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber. Her tight Script builds tension while highlighting America’s health care system. We learn that Amy must complete her first year at the hospital before getting health insurance for her life-or-death heart transplant. This makes The Good Nurse more than your typical true crime chiller. It critiques the unjust health care system and insurance requirements.
Then we arrive at the detective part of The Good Nurse. It digs into unethical health care practices within the institutions. We fully become aware of exactly what Charles did, which is shocking and horrifying. However, the investigation exposes how these hospitals that employed Charles, were culpable. For instance, the hospital he works at with Amy refuses to hand over the evidence of their internal investigation. They had suspicions about he committed the murders, yet, they refused to own up to it. And in their refusal, they allowed him to continue.
He was only stopped due to the fearless help of Amy. Once again Chastain is extraordinary. The complexity of her performance is immense and she lands every beat. It’s mesmerizing to watch her come to the realization of the horrific acts he committed. Both Chastain and Redmayne deliver tour-de-force performances.
The Good Nurse screens as follows at TIFF ’22:
Fri, Sep 16 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 9:00 am
Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON at Roy Thompson Hall at 11:00 am
Sun, Sep 18 IN-PERSON at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 12:00 pm
By David Baldwin
A group of the worst of the worst prisoners are being transferred in secret from the Philippians to South Korea on a cargo ship. The cops assigned on board are doing their best and putting on happy faces, though they all know they are in over their heads.
What follows this elevator pitch can be summed up quite succinctly as “Shit gets real”. I do not use the phrase lightly – I should have worn a poncho when I saw PROJECT WOLF HUNTING in order to save myself from all the blood spraying on-screen. And I’m not talking buckets of blood. No, I am talking oil tankers full the stuff. It is obscene, it is intense and it is outrageous. If you are the least bit squeamish, look elsewhere because this movie is not for you. If the idea of someone getting their arm ripped off and then getting beaten to death with it does not sound like your idea of a fun time at the movies, then stop reading.
If you are as twisted as I am though, then you are in for a film that is certifiably bonkers.
Writer/Director Kim Hongsun has created a picture that is literally a litmus test of bad taste. The screening I went to had multiple walkouts and I can only imagine the mayhem that is going to descend on Midnight Madness when this plays. It is a little rough around the edges in certain instances and I wish it did not get so caught up in the conspiracy, Sci-Fi and world building nonsense that tries to at least partially explain what is going on. When he is focusing on what does work though, PROJECT WOLF HUNTING is damn near perfect.
PROJECT WOLF HUNTING screens as follows at TIFF ’22:
Fri, Sep 16 IN-PERSON Royal Alexandra Theatre 11:59pm
Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 7:30pm
By David Baldwin
It is the 1870s and Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger of The White Lotus and the Fear Street Trilogy) has just dropped out of Harvard. He is looking to experience more of what life has to offer and travels West to the titular Butcher’s Crossing in Kansas. He desperately wants to go on a buffalo hunt, yet cannot join any hunter’s party. That is until he meets Miller (Nicolas Cage), who claims he knows of a remote valley in the Colorado Rockies, untouched by hunters and teeming with buffalo. Will finances the hunt off this very promise, and as you might expect, gets more than he bargained for.
Days later and I am still perplexed by BUTCHER’S CROSSING. It looks absolutely stunning, doing its very best to accurately depict what the Old West looked like (without relying on extensive CGI to help). The outstanding vistas, the hand built buildings, the costumes, the horses, I could go on and on. It all looks outstanding and really goes a long way in depicting the time period the Film takes place during. The Script could have used some of that high-level attention to detail, rather than the plethora of themes, allusions and metaphors it gets bogged down by. Are we watching a movie about loneliness, despair, obsession and/or the effects of Icarus flying too close to the sun? Or, as the credits spontaneously suggest, is it about buffalo and animal preservation? I am completely unsure and it seems like the Film itself feels the same way.
Supporting turns from Xander Berkeley, Jeremy Bobb and especially Oscar-nominee Paul Raci (of TIFF’19 selection Sound of Metal) are all solid, and Hechinger does a great job as the audience surrogate. He holds his own against everyone on-screen and continues to prove his worth as an emerging talent to watch out for. Of course, they all are standing in the shadow of Cage, who brings a God-like gravitas and charisma to every one of his scenes. He has an edginess to himself and gloriously unleashes his inner Cage-Rage a handful of times. It is not exactly Earth-shattering work, but seeing Cage in his element is worth the price of admission all on its own.
Also – I am not sure just how much buffalo skinning is too much buffalo skinning, but BUTCHER’S CROSSING could have done with substantially less of it. So prepare yourself in advance should you choose to venture in.
BUTCHER’S CROSSING screens as follows at TIFF ’22:
Fri, Sep 9 IN-PERSON Roy Thomson Hall 9:30pm
Sat, Sep 10 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 1:00pm
Sat, Sep 17 IN-PERSON Scotiabank Theatre 5:30pm
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