#TIFF23: DAY THREE SIGHTINGS – NICOLAS CAGE, VIGGO MORTENSEN, DEVERY JACOBS, HALEY BENNETT, NOAH CENTINEO, FINN WOLFHARD AND MORE

TIFF '23 Day Three was one for the books. Make no mistake, while there certainly are fewer stars in town than previous years, this doesn't mean we're putting-in less time and effort. With the Festival officially being in high gear, the sightings around the City were bountiful! We started the day off with a Nicolas Cage sighting right away! He looked amazing in a turquoise corduroy outfit, so kind to stop for fans while promoting Toronto-shot DREAM SCENARIO. View this post on ... Read more

#TIFF23: “MR. DRESSUP: THE MAGIC OF MAKE-BELIEVE” REVIEW

By Mr. Will Wong Robert McCallum directs MR. DRESSUP: THE MAGIC OF MAKE-BELIEVE and there will be tears shed watching this loving tribute to a national icon. If like me, you grew-up in the '80s and '90s, chances are that Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs) babysat you weekday mornings. The former understudy of Fred Rogers found his way into the hearts of children across the country with his long-running series MR. DRESSUP airing on CBC from 1967 to 1996. This portrait captures his true essence ... Read more

#TIFF23: “FITTING IN” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore Writer-Director Molly McGlynn delivers an honest, touching and hopeful film about gender, sexuality and what makes a woman a woman. High schooler Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) is planning on losing her virginity to her boyfriend Adam (D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai). During a doctor's visit to get birth control, she learns she has a rare reproductive condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. This means she doesn’t have a uterus or cervix and has a shortened ... Read more

#REVIEW: “NORTH STAR” REVIEW

By George Kozera In NORTH STAR, three sisters reunite at their family home set in the visually sumptuous Itchen Hampshire England area to attend their mother’s third marriage. Katherine (Scarlett Johansson) is a Royal Navy officer, recently promoted to a new position and is ignoring many calls from her partner Jack. Middle sister Victoria (Sienna Miller) is a Hollywood Actress, single again with a 14-year-old son. Georgina (Emily Beecham) is the youngest and is quite emotional as she ... Read more

#TIFF23: “THE PEASANTS” REVIEW

THE PEASANTS is one of the most visually astonishing movies I have seen in recent memory. Utilizing hundreds of painters and animators, each frame of this movie is an oil painting over the filmed scene. I cannot oversell how truly remarkable the finished product is and I was in complete awe as the story progressed. Real life husband and wife, DK & Hugh Welchman directed and co-wrote this movie based on the Nobel Prize-winning set of books by the same name. Set in a tiny village in ... Read more

#TIFF23: “WOMAN OF THE HOUR” REVIEW

By George Kozera To be perfectly frank, I had some trepidations and resisted seeing Anna Kendrick’s feature film directorial debut with WOMAN OF THE HOUR. When the subject matter deals with rape, a serial killer and is based on a true story, I would assume that even the most seasoned filmmakers would think twice about tackling such sensitive topics and I questioned whether Kendrick had the gravitas and skill to undertake such a project. I need not have worried. Not only has this ... Read more

#TIFF23: “DEATH OF A WHISTLEBLOWER” REVIEW

By David Baldwin Luyanda Masinda (Noxolo Dlamini) is a South African investigative journalist who just watched her friend be murdered as he sat right beside her. He had been telling her about a story he was working on involving deep government corruption and secret chemical warfare tests dating back several decades. Luyanda starts digging to learn more about what he was researching and quickly finds herself in way over her head. DEATH OF A WHISTLEBLOWER is a Political Thriller with a lot ... Read more

#TIFF23: “SWAN SONG” REVIEW

By George Kozera After a 50-year career with the National Ballet of Canada (first as a dancer then as the company’s Artistic Director), Prima Ballerina Karen Kain chose Swan Lake as her retirement project. Under the skillful eye of Director Chelsea McMullan, SWAN SONG is an intimate and fascinating Documentary that takes the viewer into the world of Ballet; an artform that gets the cinematic short shrift when compared to other entertainment-based industries. Actress Neve Campbell has ... Read more

#TIFF23: “HIS THREE DAUGHTERS” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore Acclaimed Writer-Director Azazel Jacobs delivers a moving portrait of the complexities within sibling dynamics with His Three Daughters. The story follows three sisters, the eldest Katie (Carrie Coon), middle Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) and the youngest Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) who coverage to care for their father when his health declines. Jacobs heartbreakingly captures the feeling of being in limbo while watching a loved ... Read more

#TIFF23: “SUMMER QAMP” REVIEW

By George Kozera SUMMER QAMP take the audience to Camp fYrefly in rural Alberta, where queer, non-binary, and trans teens can spend a few days hanging out and just getting to be kids together “without any of the explanations.” As a group, these young adults are boisterous, adventurous and just thrilled to be in a safe environment where they won’t be judged or bullied; but in their one-on-one interviews with the Director Jen Markowitz, they are more subdued and reflective. They talk ... Read more