#TIFF20: SPECIAL EVENTS, IN-CONVERSATIONS WITH… AND AWARDS ANNOUNCED

More exciting TIFF ’20 announcements today were made including additional In Conversation With… talks, Special Events, and Short Cuts. Above this, the People’s Choice Awards will be returning again this year, plus the new IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards and Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose.

IN-CONVERSATIONS WITH…

In Conversation With… Halle Berry 
This conversation delves into all aspects of Berry’s experience directing Bruised, in which she also stars, and will also provide a first-person discussion about her groundbreaking film and television career that spans 30 years. As previously announced, this event is part of TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative in support of women behind and in front of the camera.

In Conversation With… Claire Denis & Barry Jenkins
Prolific French auteur Claire Denis and Oscar-winning writer-director Barry Jenkins come together for a conversation that’s been years in the making.

In Conversation With… Ava DuVernay
Oscar-nominated multi-hyphenate Ava DuVernay discusses art, activism, and Black Lives Matter in this intimate conversation.
Presented by BRON

In Conversation With… Saoirse Ronan
Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan discusses her powerhouse performances over the past decade that have catapulted her to international fame.

In Conversation With… Barry Levinson & Denzel Washington
Master filmmaker Barry Levinson discusses the art of directing with Denzel Washington in this conversation between two Academy Award winners.
Presented by BRON 

In Conversation With… D-Nice & Anthony Mandler
Club Quarantine founder D-Nice and Anthony Mandler, one of the most influential music-video directors of our time, discuss the power of music and film.
Presented by BRON

SPECIAL EVENTS

Above this a variety of intriguing Special Events have been announced as well:

Underplayed Stacey Lee | Canada

• This documentary follows radical female artists breaking the rhythm of inequality in the electronic-music industry. Underplayed will screen at OLG Play Stage at Ontario Place on Saturday, September 19, followed by a live performance set with Top 100 DJ/Producer REZZ, one of the main subjects of the film.

The Boy from Medellín Matthew Heineman | USA 

• With unprecedented access, this deeply immersive and character-driven film will give viewers a front-row seat to J Balvin, one of the world’s most famous Colombian musicians, as he is forced to define his voice as an artist amidst the largest protests his country has seen in decades. There will also be a talk with Colombian reggaeton superstar J Balvin.

The Truffle Hunters Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw | Italy/USA/Greece

• Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle — which, to date, has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. They’re guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly trained dogs. A special curated menu from Official Hospitality Partner Oliver & Bonacini will be available for purchase by audiences.

The Water Man David Oyelowo | USA

• Selma star David Oyelowo directs this mystical adventure recalling the beloved, family-friendly movies of the 1980s. One of two specially selected family films at the Festival.

Wolfwalkers Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart | Ireland/Luxembourg/France

• From the brilliant animators behind Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells comes this tale of a girl who goes hunting wolves in Ireland and discovers a surprising world. Steeped in Irish folklore, this is an uplifting fantasy for the whole family.

PLANET AFRICA 25

BLACK LIVES MATTER events will be front and center as Co-Head Cameron Bailey‘s PLANET AFRICA Programme returns after first debuting 25 years ago. Other offerings include:

Akilla’s Escape Charles Officer | Canada

• In a crime-noir about the urban child-soldier, Akilla Brown captures a fifteen-year-old Jamaican boy in the aftermath of an armed robbery. Over one gruelling night, Akilla confronts a cycle of generational violence he thought he escaped.

Downstream to Kinshasa (En route pour le milliard) Dieudo Hamadi | Democratic Republic of the Congo/France/Belgium

• From 5th to 10th June 2000, the city of Kisangani, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was the scene of heavy weapons fighting between two Congolese rebel groups. Since then, the Association of Victims of the Six-Day War has been fighting for the recognition of this bloody conflict and demanding compensation for the damage suffered. Tired of the bureaucratic negotiations and unsuccessful pleas that have been drawn out for years, the members of the Association have finally decided to take their fate into their own hands: after a long journey on the Congo River, they will voice their claims in Kinshasa, the capital.

40 Years A Prisoner Tommy Oliver | USA 

• 40 Years A Prisoner is the story of 9 people from Philadelphia-based back-to-nature group, MOVE, who were convicted of murdering a police officer they likely didn’t kill. It’s now 40 years later and they’re still in prison as the son of two of the convicted has committed his life to fighting for their release.

The Way I See It Dawn Porter | USA 

• Inspired by the New York Times #1 bestseller comes Dawn Porter’s The Way I See It, an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in American History, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza. 

SHORT CUTS

A wide variety of voices and genres are represented in this Short Film Programme at TIFF.

4 North A Jordan Canning, Howie Shia | Canada
Aniksha Vincent Toi | Canada
The Archivists Igor Drljača | Canada
As Spring Comes (Comme la neige au printemps) Marie-Ève Juste | Canada
Benjamin, Benny, Ben Paul Shkordoff | Canada
Black Bodies Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Canada
David Zach Woods | USA
Drought Remi Itani | Lebanon 
Dustin Naïla Guiguet | France
Every Day’s Like This Lev Lewis | Canada
Found Me David Findlay | Canada
The Game (Das Spiel) Roman Hodel | Switzerland
History of Civilization (История Цивилизации) Zhannat Alshanova | Kazakhstan
In Sudden Darkness Tayler Montague | USA
Loose Fish Francisco Canton, Pato Martinez | Morocco/USA/Argentina 
Marlon Brando Vincent Tilanus | Netherlands
Mountain Cat (Shiluus) Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir | Mongolia/United Kingdom
Navozande, the musician Reza Riahi | France
O Black Hole! Renee Zhan | United Kingdom
Our Hearts Beat Like War (Zchuhit Bayam) Elinor Nechemya | Israel 
Pilar Yngwie Boley, Diana van Houten, J.J. Epping | Netherlands/Belgium 
Point and Line to Plane Sofia Bohdanowicz | Canada/USA/Iceland/Russia
The Price of Cheap Rent Amina Sutton, Maya Tanaka | USA
RKLSS Tank Standing Buffalo | Canada
Rules for Werewolves Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux | Canada/USA
Scars Alex Anna | Canada/France
Sër Bi (Les Tissus Blancs) Moly Kane | France/Senegal
Shooting Star (Comme une comète) Ariane Louis-Seize | Canada
Sing Me a Lullaby Tiffany Hsiung | Canada
Sinking Ship (La Naufrage) Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada
Stephanie Leonardo van Dijl | Belgium
Still Processing Sophy Romvari | Canada
Strong Son Ian Bawa | Canada
Succor Hannah Cheesman | Canada
Tie (Elo) Alexandra Ramires | Portugal/France
The Water Walker James Burns | United States

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

The winner of this coveted Award – now in its 45th year – will be announced Sunday, September 20, 2020.

IMDbPro AWARDS

Films programmed in this year’s Short Cuts selection are eligible for three jury-selected IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards: Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each prize is valued at $10,000. These will be announced Sunday, September 20, 2020.

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE

These awards will be presented to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. Three BIPOC and Canadian Filmmakers will be award $10,000 each.

For more information and how tickets can be purchased, click here.

The official Film Schedule also now is available here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)