#TIFF24: SHORT CUTS AND PRIMETIME PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is pleased to announce its Short Cuts, supported by the Ontario Arts Council, and Primetime programmes for the 2024 season. Celebrating the very best of short and serialized content, audiences will be immersed in new worlds, experience lives unlike their own, and gain fresh perspectives through powerful storytelling and diverse narratives. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

This year’s Primetime lineup features eight new series from around the world, and of those, five are World Premieres: Tomas Alfredson’s Faithless, Janicza Bravo’s The Listeners, Mike Downie’s The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing, and Dylan River’s Thou Shalt Not Steal. The other three series are: Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, and Joe Wright’s M. Son of the Century.

Watch Primetime Lead Programmer Geoff McNaughton’s video on this year’s selection:

This year’s Short Cuts includes 48 short films from 23 countries, selected from a record-breaking 5,300 submissions, and features a variety of live-action narrative, animated, and documentary films, presented across seven screenings. This year’s short films include directorial debuts from Dakota Johnson and Maika Monroe, plus World Premieres of new films by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, Connor Jessup, Joyce A. Nashawati, Amanda Strong, and more.

New this year for Short Cuts is Strange Cuts, a programme of six bold genre films in the spirit of Midnight Madness that range from satirical horror, to mind-bending animation, to innovative thrillers. The programme includes World Premiere shorts by Matty Crawford, ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, and Joyce A. Nashawati.

Watch Short Cuts Lead Programmer Jason Anderson chat about this year’s selections:

The 2024 Jurors for the Short Cuts Awards for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film are Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith. TIFF is an Academy Award–qualifying Festival, and films that win a TIFF Short Cuts Award are eligible to submit for 97th Academy Awards consideration.

Primetime (in alphabetical order)
Disclaimer Alfonso Cuarón | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Faithless Tomas Alfredson, Sara Johnsen | Sweden
World Premiere

Families Like Ours Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany
North American Premiere

M. Son of the Century Joe Wright | Italy/France
North American Premiere

The Knowing Courtney Montour, Tanya Talaga | Canada
World Premiere

The Listeners Janicza Bravo, Jordan Tannahill | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal Mike Downie | Canada
World Premiere

Thou Shalt Not Steal Dylan River | Australia
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 1
Deck 5B Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden
World Premiere

Silent Panorama Nicolas Piret | Belgium
North American Premiere

Fantas Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere

Amarela André Hayato Saito | Brazil
North American Premiere

Maybe Elephants Torill Kove | Norway/Canada
North American Premiere

Sauna Day Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash | Estonia
North American Premiere

welima’q shalan joudry | Canada
World Premiere

Julian and the Wind Connor Jessup | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 2
Percebes Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves | Portugal/France
North American Premiere

Fuck Me Anette Sidor | Sweden/Norway
World Premiere

One Day This Kid Alexander Farah | Canada
World Premiere

Every Other Weekend Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose | Canada
World Premiere

Mercenaire Pier-Philippe Chevigny | Canada
World Premiere

perfectly a strangeness Alison McAlpine | Canada
North American Premiere

The Yellow Maika Monroe, Simone Faoro | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 3
Serve the Country Fabián Velasco, Miloš Mitrović | Canada
World Premiere

Who Loves the Sun Arshia Shakiba | Canada
North American Premiere

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia
North American Premiere

Inkwo for When the Starving Return Amanda Strong | Canada
World Premiere

Masterpiece Mommy Dorothy Sing Zhang | United Kingdom/China
World Premiere

Loser Baby Dakota Johnson | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 4
A Son & a Father Andrés Ramírez Pulido | France/Colombia
North American Premiere

On a Sunday at Eleven Alicia K. Harris | Canada
World Premiere

Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? Bec Pecaut | Canada
World Premiere

On The Way Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere

Out for Ice Cream Rachel Samson | Canada
World Premiere

The Best Ian Bawa | Canada
World Premiere

Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 5
Solemates James Rathbone, Mike Feswick | Canada
World Premiere

Quota Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands
World Premiere

Vox Humana Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | Philippines/USA/Singapore
World Premiere

The Wolf Theodore Ushev | Canada
North American Premiere

Aïda Neither Elisa Gilmour | France
World Premiere

Alazar Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia/France/Canada
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 6
The Cost of Hugging Louis Bhose | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Marion Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine | France/United Kingdom
North American Premiere

La Voix des Sirènes Gianluigi Toccafondo | France/Italy
North American Premiere

After Sunday Omolola Ajao | Canada
World Premiere

Anotc ota ickwaparin akosiin Catherine Boivin | Canada
World Premiere

Before They Joined Us Arshile Khanjian Egoyan | Canada
World Premiere

Tenderness Helen Lee | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere

Strange Cuts Programme
Gender Reveal Mo Matton | Canada
North American Premiere

The Sunset Special 2 Nicolas Gebbe | Germany
North American Premiere

The Beguiling ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby | USA
World Premiere

Don’t F*ck With Ba Sally Tran | USA
International Premiere

Stomach Bug Matty Crawford | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Never Have I Ever Joyce A. Nashawati | France
World Premiere

Screening prior to the Centrepiece selection When the Light Breaks:
O Rúnar Rúnarsson | Iceland/Sweden
North American Premiere

Short Cuts 2024 Jury
Luis De Filippis

Luis De Filippis is a Canadian Italian filmmaker. Her films include the short For Nonna Anna (2017), which received a Sundance Special Jury Prize, and her debut feature, Something You Said Last Night (2022), which received the TIFF Change Maker Award, Sebastiáne Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, and the Rotterdam Youth Jury Award. De Filippis is an alum of the TIFF Talent Lab, TIFF Writers’ Studio, and CHANEL writing fellowship.

Micah Kernan

Micah Kernan is the Development Manager for both Drama and Comedy at CBC. She coordinates the management, tracking, and distribution of projects, and supports the team by evaluating pitches and being the point of contact for creators to connect with the CBC. Kernan is the current programmer for Canada’s longest running short film showcase, Canadian Reflections. At the CBC, inclusion and representation are a priority, and Micah works to reflect all regions and the country’s multi-faceted nature while programming for Canadian Reflections.

Shane Smith

Shane Smith is a documentary programmer at TVO. From 2015–2023 he was Programming and Artistic Director at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Smith previously worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as the Director of Special Projects and Director of Public Programs. His other roles include Short Film Programmer at Sundance, Director of Programming at Channel Zero Inc., and Executive Producer In-Flight Entertainment at Spafax Canada. Smith has served on juries and spoken on panels at festivals and events globally.

This concludes the second TIFF Takeover of programming alerts. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

#TIFF24: “THE TRAGICALLY HIP – NO DRESS REHEARSAL” DOCU-SERIES TO PREMIERE AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Prime Video today released the official key art and trailer for the upcoming four-part docuseries The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, an intimate and unvarnished look at the extraordinary 40-year journey of Canada’s most beloved rock band. Directed by Mike Downie, the four-part series chronicles the triumphs, trials and deep bonds of brotherhood that defined The Tragically Hip’s rise from basement shows to arena rock legends. The docuseries will have its world premiere at TIFF before screening at film festivals nationwide. The Prime Video launch date will be shared at a later date.

“We’re thrilled to premiere the incredible story of The Tragically Hip at this year’s TIFF. It will be a powerful and memorable event,” said Mike Downie. “This project is a labour of love, with personal and unseen footage from the band’s 40-year history. We set out to understand what held the band together, what pushed them apart and how they captured the hearts and minds of so many fans both in Canada and around the world.”

“The Tragically Hip’s music continues to be the soundtrack for generations of Canadians,” said Shaun Alperin, head of content, Prime Video, Canada. “This docuseries offers fans an unprecedented window into the band’s iconic career and the deep kinship they forged with an entire nation through their poetic lyrics and electrifying performances — from director Mike Downie who was there for every moment.”

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is a love story between a band and the country they call home. With never before seen personal and archival footage, the Canadian rock’n’roll legends share the story of their unique, complicated and wildly successful musical brotherhood. Forty years of hits and misses, friendship and frustration, triumph and tragedy, the docuseries features unseen performances, unreleased music and unprecedented access to The Hip.

From their hometown of Kingston, ON, Rob Baker, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair skyrocketed to fame as The Tragically Hip with their signature blend of rock anthems and poetic lyricism. Over their storied career, the band released 14 studio albums, 9 of which hit #1 in Canada, won 17 Juno Awards, and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received a star on Canada’s Walk Of Fame. Their 2016 cross-Canada tour, undertaken after Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis, was a cultural phenomenon watched by millions.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is produced by Courage Films with support from Ontario Creates and the Government of Canada. The docuseries is directed and produced by Mike Downie and executive produced by Jake Gold.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal joins the slate of Canadian Amazon Original series and films including TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award-winner Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Luxe Listings: Toronto, LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, Pour un Soir Seulement, Nuit Blanche, L’ultime gala, Three Pines, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle, Saving Sakic, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and the upcoming series The Sticky and Elisabeth Rioux: sans filtre.

These series will join Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 NHL seasons, and the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalogue, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, and I Am: Celine Dion. Prime members in Canada enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership, for just $9.99/month or the best value of $99.99/year.

#INTERVIEW: STEPHEN YAN OF “WOK WITH YAN” ON RETROKID COLLABORATION

Stephen Yan is a national treasure. Being Canadian meant that you had a distinct memory of watching his popular CBC series WOK WITH YAN, a daytime staple which ran for over 15 years and 500+ episodes, both educating the world on the bright flare of Cantonese cuisine, while also entertaining the masses with his hilarious puns and comedic showmanship.

His fame brought him to U.S. and Asia, appearing on Late Night with Letterman and Live with Regis and Kelly even. Things have been quiet for the Celebrity Chef (before Celebrity Chefs were really a thing) and Restauranteur since the mid-’90s. Occasionally, I’d find myself scouring Facebook and Google for updates on his whereabouts. What happened to this legend?

RetroKid, founded by Steve Gaskin, are known for their creative licensed collaborations with nostalgic Canadian institutions. They did the work and somehow via a connection, located Yan, now 85-years-old and living in an earned quiet life in Burnaby. The clothier is launching a new collaboration showcasing some of Yan’s most famous catchphrases and ‘Wok Puns’, available now and we had the rare opportunity to chat with Yan in-person ahead of his WOK TALK LIVE! in-conversation at The Royal Theatre with Pay Chen this weekend.

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We had the honour of chatting with Yan and Gaskin about their unique and rare collaboration. Yan sheds some light what his retirement life looks like now in Burnaby, BC, reflecting on life then and today.

We ask Gaskin, what did Stephen Yan mean to him as a Chinese-Canadian kid growing up in Toronto.

Gaskin: He meant a lot, right? So there’s a lot of, back when I was growing up, I’m an ’80s kid, and I was a latchkey kid. So my parents immigrated, they went to work, they dropped me off at my grandparents’ house. The only representation I had as a young mixed-race Chinese boy was Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or the guy from Bloodsport. They were all unattainable.

Stephen means so much because of just the connection I had with the show. Even as a six-year-old. But you know from a personal level, my gung-gung (maternal grandfather) who took care of me, who’s no longer here, he had broken English. And the only way we were able to connect was through his show. So he loved to cook and I would sit down with him right next to his La-Z-Boy, and we’d just watch the show and laugh. And you know, it was that connection point for us.

MWW: It’s crazy how we had a communal collective experience. That’s my recollection too of summers with my ye-ye (paternal grandfather) too. Every summer, I’d just stay with him. It would be on around 2 o’clock in the afternoon or something like that.

Stephen‘s been out of the public eye for quite some time. I myself would search him on Google, finding very little info anywhere. I remember looking on Facebook, hoping to see a profile. What was the process like getting in touch with him finally?

Gaskin: So this was six and a half years of trying to basically, one, find him, see if he’s alive, see if he’s okay. And then how do we even broker this deal to actually celebrate everything that he’s accomplished, right? And doing that directly with an 85-year-old guy is extremely difficult. He doesn’t have an agent, there’s nobody in-between. But we’re just really fortunate that we were able to just somehow in six years find somebody that was connected to him. They gave us the passing grade of like, ‘Okay, yeah, you’re doing it for the right reasons, this is not just about making a cool t-shirt. This is truly celebrating the legacy.”.

MWW: What’s the essence of the collection? What was the one thing you were trying to capture?

Gaskin: We were very intentional with our designs. There’s a lot of cultural sensitivities as an Asian community that we need to be aware of. If you combine an image of Stephen Yan plus a certain ‘Wok Pun’, it doesn’t sit right. With the sensitivities that are just in our world today, we were hyper-aware of that. So we had to pair certain images with specific quotes that didn’t touch those kind of points, yet truly celebrated who he was.

So for us, the design DNA was food, but how do we celebrate that? It was humour. How do we celebrate that? And then also, the joy – the joyous feeling we all got when that intro came on and they’re like, oh, 30 minutes of my life! This is gonna be great!

MWW: I am little disappointed there is nothing branded ‘WONDER POWDER‘, a magical thickening substance Yan used often in his cooking on WOK WITH YAN – ingrained in my mind forever.

Gaskin: Well, we had a concept to do like a Wonder Powder package design, right? Do you know the ingredients of Wonder Powder? This is gonna blow your mind!

MWW: So I thought it was just corn starch. Was it tapioca starch or corn?

Gaskin: Both! He mixed both of them! But he did that because he wanted the sauce to be a little less clumpy and a little bit more shinier. So when you’re pouring-out sweet and sour, it looks good on camera.

MWW: What’s your favourite piece in the RetroKid x Stephen Yan collection?

Gaskin: My favorite piece is that Good Fortune hoodie (below, left in photo), just because of the colours. So obviously we went yellow-black because of Bruce Lee, Game of Death, right? It has that kind of Asian feel to it. Stephen Yan was the only chef that actually had a live audience. And that live audience was willing to participate in eating the food afterwards, right? And you know, at the end of every episode, he would sit down, share food, but then break-open a fortune cookie. And everyone would be like, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing?’. And he’d have to explain, what’s inside the fortune cookie, and then he would actually speak Cantonese to like explain it.

Yeah, that’s appealing to my culture, and then also the kind of Western culture. But that Good Fortune hoodie is my favourite, because it’s also inspirational. So you break open the fortune cookie, and you share that joy. But really the message is, it’s really wok’s inside that counts.

MWW: Now 85-years-old, Yan is looking well, sporting a full head of gray hair. I call this out, hearing that he requested a hotel with a swimming pool as swimming is part of his fitness routine. I am his last interview of his Toronto press tour, him powering through back-to-back apperances and chats all day long. Not an easy task for anyone, let alone someone his age.

Yan: I swim, I do all the crazy things.

MWW: What does your typical day look like?

Yan: A typical day is, I wave on camera. Yes. And then in the morning, I get up. I make myself happy. How? Open my eyes, I can see. I don’t need glasses. Oh, I can see the light. And then I can breathe, no problem. And then I go to washroom, I can pee!

MWW: Are you still actively cooking, or do you like to going out to eat more?

Yan: No, no, no, cooking is more secondary. I just go out to eat. So that’s my day, you know, then I go swimming. You know, 50 laps.

MWW: 50 laps? That’s incredible.

Yan: Yeah, it takes about an hour to do that. Then afterwards, I do Karate. And I have a second, going on third black belt.

MWW: Wow, that’s incredible. How long have you been doing Karate for?

Yan: I’ve been doing it for about 20 years.

MWW: That’s how you stay sharp!

Yan: I believe that you have to keep on moving. You have only one life. Up to you.

MWW: That’s the thing. My mom tells me that. That once you start slowing down, you’re mentally going to get slower.

Yan: That’s right. Like a door. The door is slowing down, then it’s squeaky. And then sometimes it will go rusty. And then it won’t open anymore. But if it’s going, all the doors are swinging back. There you are. That’s why they call them swingers!

MWW: So you are known for your aprons and their witty puns. How did you narrow it down to the items we see in this collection with Retrokid?

Yan: How many aprons do you think I had?

MWW: Well, you did 500 episodes, I know that!

Yan: More than that!

MWW: More than that? So one apron per episode? 500+?

Yan: Yeah, one per episode. Never repeated.

MWW: But what was your favourite one?

Yan: They’re all my favourite, otherwise I wouldn’t use them. I love it. Just like all your children, you know. You might spoil them, but you know, you should treat them the same. Otherwise, it’s hurtful.

MWW: So the you from ’80s and ’90s that we got to know – what’s different between Stephen Yan back then and Stephen Yan now?

Yan: Getting old. But you learn, you’re wiser. You get older, you’re wiser. Because you learn… how do you call it? Acceptance. You accept people the way they are. Because you have seen a lot. One rice can feed 10,000 people. We eat rice, Americans, they eat bread – all kinds of bread – white bread, brown bread, whatever, there are many ways of doing it.

The world is changing. You know, you’ve heard about Asian Fusion. See, there’s a new thing coming out, not new, but just modified, that’s all. You just have to learn all those things. It’s very important in life.

You have to accept things. All things have changed. Even the culture. In the old days, the Chinese culture has now changed. You can get upset because it’s all changed, or leave it, let it be, like The Beatles’ song.

There’s a Chinese saying, ‘You can watch people catch your fish. You’re jealous. hostile. You could also go home, buy a fishing net and do it yourself.’,

MWW: Of all your recipes, the one that stands out the most in my memory is the Bird’s Nest. Say you’re cooking for yourself or whoever it is – have your adapted any of your recipes to the times?

Yan: Sure, you’re learning all the time. The Nest is something very simple.

MWW: Simple?! That looks like so much labour!

Yan: You build a house, you have to take time right? You don’t have to use the taro root or whatever, you can use noodles! So you get the noodles, put them in and then you don’t have to cut the taro up.

MWW: That’s genius.

Okay, so for people of my generation – always in a hurry – we don’t always have time to cook. Let’s say it’s been a long day, you get home, you want to make something in five to ten minutes. What’s your go-to comfort food?

Yan: Eat a salad.

MWW: Salad? I’m shocked!

Yan: Why?

MWW: I was expecting a noodle or rice.

Yan: No, no, no. The Chinese also have cold cuts too! You can use those.

MWW: Right. True.

Yan: So, you know, respect the food. The food you cook. Cooking is love. When you’re cooking for somebody, you have to consider what that person likes to eat. Is he allergic to anything? How much can eat? Can he take the spicy food? All those things. And then everything has to be balanced. So a lot of love goes into it. For the people who love to cook, they’re better people, in my opinion!

MWW: Why is it that you never really made Dim Sum on WOK WITH YAN, even though it’s such a big part of Cantonese cuisine?

Yan: I also do Dim Sum. But I didn’t do Dim Sum on the show because there’s nothing to talk about or show. Very quickly, you can get the Har Gow done. You have to make the skin, you know, use the knife. You do it and then get it out. That’s just too quick. You need something that’s going to entertain people for an hour. So you have to talk about it. That’s why you need to stir-fry it. Because then slowly you cut them down crosswise, or according to the grain. All those things, there’s a reason. So you have to talk about it. Because you have to consider all those things. You don’t want to leave the audience half-asleep. You’re gonna wake them up, so wake them up! How? You cannot yell at them, so you tell them a joke. If they don’t laugh, you laugh!

MWW: What are your impressions of Toronto today?

Yan: I cannot take the traffic. I come here once in a while, but I don’t think I can live here. When I’m in Burnaby, I can look out my place and see the park. It’s an amazing garden, like being in Europe. And then you have a trail to walk, you know, and the people are nice.

More on the Retrokid x Stephen Yan event and collection here.

#FIRSTLOOK: TELEFILM CANADA ANNOUNCE COMMITMENT TO FUND FRENCH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE DOCUMENTARIES – AUGUST 2024

Telefilm Canada is announcing its funding commitment of $4.9 million to 21 feature-length documentaries, six titles from the French market and 15 titles from the English market, under the Theatrical Documentary Program.

Atlantic

Chasing Light
Director and Screenwriter: Latonia Hartery
Production: LJH Films Inc.
Province: Newfoundland / Labrador
Language: English

Quebec

Back Home
Director and Screenwriter: Marianne Métivier
Production: Metafilms Inc.

Distributor: Studio h264 Inc.
Province: Quebec
Languages: Tagalog, IIocano, Ilonggo and Bicolano

Cut Print Thank You Bye
Director and Screenwriter: Marie-Julie Dallaire
Production: Item 7 Inc.

Distributor: Immina Films
Province: Quebec
Languages: French and English

Esprits rebelles

Director and Screenwriter: Marlene Edoyan
Production: Fauve Film inc.

Distributor: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec
Languages: Armenian and Georgian

In Praise of Invasive Species
Director: Mila Aung-Thwin

Screenwriters: Mila Aung-Thwin and Samantha Neboschizkij
Production: EyeSteelFilm Inc.

Distributor: EyeSteelFilm Distribution Inc.
Province: Quebec
Languages: English, Spanish, Afrikaans and Swahili

La méthode scandinave
Director and Screenwriter: Anik Salas
Production: 9097-4767 Quebec Inc.

Distributor: Les Films du 3 Mars
Province: Quebec
Languages: French, English, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish

La vie extraordinaire de Robert Charlebois
Director and Screenwriter: Louis-Philippe Héneault
Production: Les Films La Tribu Inc.

Distributor: Distribution La Tribu Inc.
Province: Quebec
Language: French

Le dernier acte
Director and Screenwriter: Sophie Deraspe
Production: Corporation ACPAV Inc.

Distributor: Maison 4:3 Inc.
Province: Quebec
Language: French

The Prophet of Ecstasy
Directors: Elias Varoutsos and Karen Cho

Screenwriters: Karen Cho, Lori Braun and Charles Beaudette
Production: 9337-7190 Quebec Inc.

Distributor: Raven Banner Distribution
Province: Quebec
Language: English

Ontario

Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions
Director and Screenwriter: Michelle Mama
Production: Anti-Diva Inc.

Distributor: Motion 58 Entertainment
Province: Ontario
Language: English

Captain Newfoundland: The Geoff Stirling Story
Directors: Mike Feehan and Jamie Miller

Screenwriter: Jono Hunter
Production: 86 Media House Inc.

Distributor: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
Language: English

Feedback: Music for the Climate Emergency
Directors: Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal

Screenwriter: Jennifer Baichwal
Production: Mercury Films Inc. and Carousel Pictures Inc.

Distributor: Elevation Pictures
Province: Ontario
Language: English

From Solitary
Director and Screenwriter: Joel Walinga
Production: Soft Studio Productions Inc., Arbitrage Pictures Inc. and Isserley Films Inc.

Distributor: Game Theory Films
Province: Ontario
Language: English

Seeing Green
Director and Screenwriter: Su Rynard
Production: HitPlay Productions Inc.

Distributor: Game Theory Films
Province: Ontario
Languages: English and Spanish

The Acid Rain Movie (working title)
Director: Victoria Lean

Screenwriters: Sean Devlin and Victoria Lean
Production: Muse Entertainment (Ontario) Inc. and 2429014 Ontario Inc.

Distributor: Mongrel Media
Province: Ontario
Language: English

The End of the Internet
Director and Screenwriter: Dylan Reibling
Production: Dylan Reibling Productions Inc.
Province: Ontario
Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese

The Sandbox
Director and Screenwriter: Jade-Kenya Pinto
Production: 1000543880 Ontario Inc.

Distributor: EyeSteelFilm Distribution Inc.
Province: Ontario
Language: English

Your Tomorrow
Director and Screenwriter: Ali Weinstein
Production: OP8 Productions Inc. and Big Cedar Films Inc.

Distributor: Blue Ice Docs Inc.
Province: Ontario
Language: English

Western Region

Fairy Creek
Director and Screenwriter: Jen Muranetz
Production: Understory Films Inc.

Distributor: Cinema Politica
Province: British Columbia
Language: English

Relax, Open Your Eyes
Director and Screenwriter: David Ehrenreich
Production: Grand Scheme Productions Inc.

Distributor: Game Theory Films
Province: British Columbia
Language: English

The Island
Directors: Steve Adams and Sean Horlor

Screenwriter: Jennifer Baynham
Production: Studio BRB Productions Inc.
Province: British Columbia
Language: English

Telefilm received an increasingly high volume of applications under the Theatrical Documentary Program this year. 122 projects were assessed in both the English and French markets, representing over $27.1 million in funding requests. With changes to the program guidelines expanding eligibility, Telefilm received an increase of 31.5% in applications from the English market compared to the previous fiscal year.

More funding decisions, including projects from the second intake of the big budget stream in the English market, will be announced shortly. Statistics on all films funded in the year will be released once all funding decisions have been made.

An advisory committee of external and internal representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.

#FIRSTLOOK: MICHELLE PFEIFFER TO STAR IN “THE MADISON” ON PARAMOUNT+

MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios today announced that Oscar® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer will executive produce and star in THE MADISON (previously announced as 2024), a new original series from Academy Award® nominee Taylor Sheridan.

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions, THE MADISON is the next installment from the YELLOWSTONE universe.

The series is a heartfelt study of grief and human connection following a New York City family in the Madison River valley of central Montana.

“Michelle Pfeiffer is a remarkable talent who imbues every role with emotional depth, authenticity and grace,” said Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO and President/CEO, Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios. “She is the perfect anchor to the newest chapter of the Yellowstone universe, THE MADISON, from the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan.”

Three-time Academy Award® nominee, Golden Globe Award winner, and Emmy nominee Michelle Pfeiffer has captivated film audiences with her compelling performances for over three decades. The celebrated actress first came to prominence in the cult classic Scarface. Pfeiffer recently starred as Betty Ford in the SHOWTIME anthology series, The First Lady, and can next be seen on Oh. What. Fun! for Amazon. Additional credits for Pfeiffer include French Exit, Maleficent 2, The Wizard of Lies, Mother!, Dark Shadows, Hairspray, Stardust, White Oleander, What Lies Beneath, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Deep End of the Ocean, One Fine Day, Up Close & Personal, Dangerous Minds, Wolf, Batman Returns, The Witches of Eastwick and Ladyhawke. Pfeiffer has also been honored with a BAFTA Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, National Board of Review Best Actress Award and New York Film Critics Circle Award.

THE MADISON is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, John Linson , Art Linson, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Christina Voros, Michael Friedman, Michelle Pfeiffer and Keith Cox.

Pfeiffer is represented by CAA, Entertainment360 and Hirsch, Wallerstein, Hayum, Matlof & Fishman and WKPR.

About Paramount+

Paramount+ is a global digital subscription video streaming service from Paramount that features a mountain of premium entertainment for audiences of all ages. Internationally, the streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including SHOWTIME®, BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel™, in addition to a robust offering of premier local content. The service is currently live in Australia, Austria, Canada, the Caribbean, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latin America, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S.

ABOUT SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks is a global network of media assets that reaches over one billion people in more than 180 countries featuring some of the most iconic brands in entertainment including SHOWTIME, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Network among others – and, its Studios arm which produces 120+ series annually, including some of today’s biggest hits such as Yellowstone, Yellowjackets, Emily in Paris, 1883, 1923, George & Tammy, South Park, Tulsa King, Love & Hip Hop, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few.

ABOUT 101 STUDIOS
101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven content. With an unmatched television slate partnered with outstanding filmmakers and talent, 101 Studios productions include the award-winning series YELLOWSTONE, GEORGE & TAMMY, 1883 and 1923. We also produce some of the most critically acclaimed shows, such as LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, TULSA KING and LIONESS. Upcoming projects include LANDMAN, starring Billy Bob Thornton.

Building upon this success, 101 Studios’ Unscripted Division works with talented storytellers in bringing their vision to life. Some of these projects include Amazon Prime documentary “Kickback” which is an expose on the corruption inside the largest sport’s organization in the world: FIFA; “The Last Cowboy” a documentary on the high stakes world of professional horse reining and the upcoming HBO docuseries about the sexual abuse and cover-up at Ohio State University, co-produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures. On the scripted film side, past releases include the Sundance Audience award winner “Burden,” as well as the family comedy “The War With Grandpa”, the historical drama “The Current War: Director’s Cut,” and FINESTKIND. 101 Studios advocates for first-class collaboration and innovation. As an example we are partnered with iHeartRadio and Sports Illustrated Studios on the Ambie nominated podcast “Choosing Sides: F1”. 101 Studios also produces high-profile sports content under its own label, 101 Sports. Additionally, 101 Studios’ Brand Division increases the exposure for the properties of our partners to millions across the world.

#FIRSTLOOK: TEASER FOR “PRESENCE” FROM STEVEN SODERBERGH

Today we get a new Tease for Steven Soderbergh’s PRESENCE, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Cast includes Julia Fox and Lucy Liu!

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “UGLIES”

Based on the popular Novel of the same name, today we get a new look at UGLIES starring Joey King and Chase Stokes, coming to Netflix September 13, 2024.

Logline:
In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted.

Uglies Based on the Book by Scott Westerfeld
A special media-tie-in paperback of the first book in Scott Westerfeld’s New York Times bestselling and award-winning Uglies series will be available on September 17th, 2024, as well as a special edition audiobook, performed by Brianne Tju, one of the stars of the upcoming movie.

Releasing Globally on Netflix September 13, 2024

Details:
Director: McG
Written By: Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson
Based on the Book: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Produced By: John Davis, Jordan Davis, Robyn Meisinger, McG, Mary Viola
Executive Produced By: Joey King, Jamie King, Scott Westerfeld, John Fox, Jenny Hink

Cast: Joey King, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, Charmin Lee and Laverne Cox

#FIRSTLOOK: “UNSTOPPABLE” COMING TO PRIME VIDEO CANADA

Unstoppable is an inspiring, true story about Anthony Robles (played by Jharrel Jerome) who defied every expectation to become a national wrestling champion. It also will premiere at TIFF ’24! In select theatres December 2024.

This film marks William Goldenberg’s directorial debut. He is a decorated Academy Award winning editor for Argo with previous nominations including The Imitation Game, Zero Dark Thirty, Seabiscuit and The Insider.

The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez.

Anthony Robles himself is seen in the film and credited as ‘Anthony Robles Double’, performing the complex wrestling moves and stunts. He is also a producer on the film.

Jharrel Jerome trained for months and worked very closely with Anthony to establish the physicality and determination required for the role.

Unstoppable is produced by Artists Equity, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company.

Unstoppable employed Accessibility Coordinators from IndieVisible to ensure a safe working environment, including productivity tools for all cast and crew.

Starring Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Anthony Robles, with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez

Directed by William Goldenberg

Screenplay by Eric Champnella and Alex Harris and John Hindman

Based upon the book by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy

Produced by Ben Affleck, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Anthony Robles, Andrew Fraser, Gary Lewis,

David Crockett

Genre Biography, Drama, Sport

Rated PG-13

Anthony Robles, despite being born without a right leg, rises to become a NCAA Division 1 Champion wrestler ultimately winning a national championship against the school that rejected him, national powerhouse Iowa. (Based on the book Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion, by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy.)

#FIRSTLOOK: ZIA ANGER’S “MY FIRST FILM” COMING TO MUBI CANADA

MUBI, the global streaming service, film distributor, and production company, has released today the new official trailer and artwork for Zia Anger’s semi-autobiographical debut feature My First Film, which is a meta exploration of her own artistic and personal experiences, blending both documentary and feature film-making into a story about the transformative power of artistic self-reflection. My First Film premiered at this year’s CPH:DOX film festival and will stream exclusively on MUBI in Canada from September 6, 2024.

Synopsis
Nearly 15 years after her initial efforts, Vita (Odessa Young) recounts the tumultuous process of directing her semi-autobiographical first feature about a young woman who gets pregnant and decides to leave home. The production, featuring her friend Dina (Devon Ross), spirals into chaos due to Vita’s enthusiastic but inexperienced approach, leading to significant disruptions and a near-fatal accident. As Vita’s project unravels, the film transitions into a reflective critique of artistic truth and the construction of narrative from personal experiences.

Following the success of her 2019 multimedia performance of the same name, MY FIRST FILM serves as Zia Anger’s return to her artistic roots, revisiting her never-released film, ALWAYS ALL WAYS, ANNE MARIE, from earlier in her career. Departing from the original performance’s interactive visuals and typed-out monologues, Anger’s feature debut skillfully dramatizes this past chaotic shoot and its untold truths, positioning itself as an autofictional journey that challenges the traditional confines of memoir.

Director’s Biography
ZIA ANGER works in moving images. In 2018 she began touring a new performance that traced the last ten-years of her lost and abandoned work, titled MY FIRST FILM. The performance has since been adapted into a feature film. She has made music videos for various artists including: Mitski, Beach House, and Jenny Hval. Her work has been called “an exceptional commitment to radical transparency.”

MY FIRST FILM WILL STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON MUBI IN CANADA FROM
SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

#FOOD: MINAMI TORONTO LAUNCHES ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT JAPANESE BBQ BRUNCH

Minami Toronto is excited to announce its first ever all-you-can-eat Japanese BBQ brunch experience! For $60 per person, indulge with all-you-can-eat mouthwatering canapé and Japanese BBQ bites, with a variety of grilled options, ABURI oshi and sushi, and delectable desserts. A unique experience that combines the best of Japanese BBQ and Minami favourites, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! The Minami Japanese BBQ Brunch will take place this Sunday, August 11 from 11:30AM to 3:00PM and Sunday, August 25 from 11:30AM to 3:00PM at Minami Toronto (225 King St. W).

Each ticket includes entry, as well as fifteen canape and BBQ bites. The bites menu is as follows: salmon, ebi and albacore oshi, Minami rolls, beef, chicken and shrimp skewers, oysters, ABURI watermelon skewers, rice-stuffed squid bites, truffle pork gyoza, chicken nanban, miso carrot cake, tofu chocolate cake, coconut panna cotta with matcha sauce, coconut sorbet and mango passionfruit sorbet.

Drinks for the brunch are additional, with happy hour specials offered (highballs at $6, Asahi beer at $8, wine at $10 and select signature cocktails at $12) as well as 50% off dead stock wines.

Tickets for both dates of Minami’s Japanese BBQ brunch can be purchased HERE.