TIFF is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of the Next Wave Film Festival, supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Toronto back for its 13th edition, which invites young audiences and cinephiles for a weekend of exciting new films and special events. This year, TIFF Next Wave will open the weekend with Battle of the Scores, during which four up-and-coming bands score the silent short film Moontime, directed by Julia Harris and Adlyn Gilbert, and compete for a grand prize. From April 11–14, audiences can expect an electrifying showcase of emerging talent and innovative storytelling. Programmed for youth, by youth, the Next Wave Film Festival offers free Official Selection films for anyone under 25. Tickets are available starting March 13 for TIFF Members and TIFF Under-25 Pass holders, and to the general public on March 15.
“At the heart of TIFF’s Next Wave Film Festival lies our profound commitment to nurturing emerging talents and igniting a love for cinema among the next generation,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “As an organization dedicated to fostering creativity and inclusivity, TIFF’s impact reverberates far beyond the silver screen, shaping the cultural landscape and inspiring communities worldwide. Join us in celebrating the transformative power of film at the 2024 edition of New Wave.”
This year’s Official Selection promotes nine debut and sophomore features ― from Canada, China, Sweden, Madagascar, India, Brazil, USA, and the United Kingdom ― that explore gripping and authentic stories of teenagehood and coming of age in communities across the globe. Highlights include: Luna Carmoon’s 2023 directorial debut Hoard, which follows a close bond between mother and daughter while exploring the intricate layers of human attachment and the emotional weight of possessions; Swedish director Mika Gustafson’s Paradise Is Burning, an intimate portrait of three sisters and the growing pains that come with transitioning from girlhood to womanhood; She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones, directed by Youjia Qu, follows Zhuang, a laid back high school senior whose life becomes intertwined with his classmate Meng after taking the blame for her theft of a starting pistol; Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, a thrilling depiction of 16-year-old Mira’s journey to maturity navigating love, desire, and rebellion at a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas; and director Luck Razanajaona’s first feature Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story, the story of a 20-year-old sapphire miner that returns home after an unforeseen tragedy and must grapple with questions of grief, loyalty, and revolution.
“TIFF Next Wave is all about sharing youth stories from all over the world! I hope everyone who catches a film feels that much more connected to young people everywhere,” said Serena Hao, TIFF Next Wave Committee Member.
Alongside film screenings, audiences will have the opportunity to attend special events at TIFF Lightbox, notably Loved It: Priyanka on Hustlers, during which the winner of the first-ever season of Canada’s Drag Race, joins us to dissect the 2019 film starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu; and a special screening of The Concierge, directed by Yoshimi Itazu, who’s known for his work on popular anime films Paprika (2006) and Studio Ghibli’s The Wind Rises (2013).
Ranging in age from 15 to 18, the TIFF Next Wave Committee is made up of 12 teen film enthusiasts, many of whom are young creators and filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area. With the guidance of TIFF staff, the Committee is charged with planning major teen-oriented events year-round at TIFF Lightbox, including the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, a one-of-a-kind talent incubator.
TIFF Members and TIFF Under-25 Pass Holders receive access to year-round TIFF benefits, including free access to more than 300 Cinematheque screenings. To learn more and join as a TIFF Member, visit tiff.net/join.
2024 TIFF NEXT WAVE FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP
TIFF Next Wave Film Festival Official Selection — April 11 to 14
She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones (Kai Shi De Qiang) dir. Youjia Qu –
Intro and Q&A with the filmmaker
China | 2024 | Mandarin
Disco Afrika: A Malagasy Story dir. Luck Razanajaona – Virtual Q&A with the filmmaker
Madagascar/France/Germany/Mauritius/Qatar | 2024 | Malagasy
Power Alley dir. Lillah Halla – Virtual Q&A with the filmmaker
Brazil/Uruguay/France | 2023 | Portuguese
Hoard dir. Luna Carmoon
UK | 2023 | English
Les Rayons Gamma (Gamma Rays) dir. Henry Bernadet
Canada | 2023 | French
Paradise Is Burning (Paradiset Brinner), dir. Mika Gustafson
Denmark/Finland/Italy/Sweden | 2023 | Swedish
Girls Will Be Girls , dir. Shuchi Talati
India | 2024 | Hindi, English
A Song Sung Blue (Xiao Bai Chuan), dir. Zihan Geng
China | 2023 | Mandarin, Korean
Big Boys dir. Corey Sherman – Open-captioned screening
USA | 2023 | English
Loved It: Priyanka on Hustlers — April 11, 6:30pm
Multi-talented pop sensation, musical artist, and winner of Canada’s Drag Race Priyanka joins us to present Hustlers, one of the most dazzling and fun pop movies of all time. Priyanka will be joined by drag performer and host Allysin Chaynes to discuss the film’s cultural relevance and why it holds a place as one of her favourites.
Opening Night: Battle of the Scores — April 12, 7pm
Battle of the Scores challenges four up-and-coming bands to score a silent short film — and the audience picks the winner. See the bands perform their music LIVE in-cinema and kick off the festival weekend in style. Co-programmed by Insomniac Film Festival, this year’s competition features the bands Mifune Moods, The Sedges, Life Sized, and RoadKill, all scoring Moontime, directed by Julia Harris and Adlyn Gilbert. Visit @TIFF_NET on Instagram starting April 1 to see the films, hear the scores, and to cast a vote.
Young Creators Co-Lab — April 13, 9am
The Young Creators Co-Lab is a gathering space for young and emerging artists in Toronto to connect with industry professionals and hear about all things film. Develop your craft, meet like-minded peers, and learn how to build a career in the media arts. The Co-Lab offers a full day of connective and engaging programming for filmmakers and creatives, 9am–3pm on April 13 at TIFF Lightbox. Session topics include Thriving as an Artist presented by ArtWorksTO, featuring panelists Dwayne Holness (CEO, Corex Creative), Sid Naidu (Photographer, ScarboroughMade), Cristal Buemi (Animator/Educator, Frame by Frame), and V.T. Nayani (Writer-Director, This Place), moderated by career coach and film producer Betty Xie; Low-Budget Filmmaking: Do It Yourself – writer-directors Ethan Eng (Therapy Dogs), Minerva Navasca (Guardians, Desync) and Prajj Rajawat (AbsAbsAbs) break down their low-budget practice and take us behind the scenes of their productions; and Breakout Sessions with industry professionals discussing their experience navigating the film landscape within their current roles, from production and costume design, to editing and VFX.
The Young Creators Co-Lab is presented by the City of Toronto. The Supporting Educational Partner is Toronto Film School.
TIFF Next Wave x Family Films Presents: The Concierge — April 14, 1pm
We all know the customer is always right, but what about when your customers are anthropomorphic animals shopping for new clothes? For Akino, an anxious and eager-to-please trainee at the Hokkyoku department store, it makes no difference! With stunning art and animation, The Concierge offers a vibrant and light-hearted story for audiences of all ages.
Closing Night: Young Creators Showcase — April 14, 7:30pm
Discover the next wave of Canadian filmmakers in this series of shorts created for youth, by youth. Celebrating the work of young and emerging filmmakers, this programme focuses on themes of community, belonging, and altered realities. From animation to documentary, these films feature a dynamic mix of voices, visions, and methods of storytelling. They showcase daring new ways youth are engaging in film to create honest, intersectional stories about their experiences.
Young Creators Showcase Awards: Presented by Cineplex
New this year, the Young Creators Showcase films are eligible for awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Writing, and Best Editing, presented by Cineplex in support of the next generation of Canadian filmmakers. The winners will be selected by jury members, Matt Devuono (Executive Director, Event Cinema – Cineplex), Shasha Nakhai (TIFF 2021 Official Selection Scarborough, Compy Films), and Winnie Wang (Next Wave alumni and winner of Telefilm Canada’s 2023 Emerging Critic Award). Awards will be presented in-cinema as part of the Young Creators Showcase event.
Additional information is available at tiff.net/nextwave.
TIFF prefers Visa.
TIFF is celebrating women in cinema throughout March as part of its commitment to Share Her Journey, and spotlighting a diverse lineup of woman-identifying filmmakers, films that are both historical and contemporary in a series of TIFF Cinematheque screenings, Q&As, special events, and New Releases, and welcoming special guests Patricia Rozema, Liv McNeil, and Meredith Hama-Brown to TIFF Lightbox. TIFF’s month-long International Women’s Day celebration is generously supported by the RBC Foundation.
TIFF Cinematheque is honouring the inimitable Patricia Rozema in a special series, A Certain Slant of Light: The Films of Patricia Rozema. Her films have been lauded for their complex, sympathetically rendered characters, often portraits of artists in crisis ― particularly women, as in White Room and When Night Is Falling, both of which are presented in brand new restorations ― and those reckoning with conflicting aspects of their personalities or familial obligations, as in Mouthpiece and Into the Forest. Rozema will be in attendance for a number of screenings and Q&As throughout its run. The series is curated by Robyn Citizen, Director of Programming, Festival and TIFF Cinematheque.
Rebel Yell: Girlhood in the 1980s, pays homage to punk girls featuring films such as Lou Adler’s Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains and Marisa Silver’s Old Enough. This brief but indelible cycle of films feels particularly relevant today, as the call to radicalize girlhood, and gender in general is of great urgency and import. These films were an early call to action that, while ignored initially, are today profoundly prescient. And while frank and at times depicting deeply troubling issues, these works nevertheless, burn bright. This series is curated by guest curator Alicia Fletcher.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, TIFF will be showing Carla Gutiérrez’s debut documentary Frida in a limited screening hot off the heels of Sundance and ahead of its Amazon premiere ― an intimate portrait of one of the world’s most celebrated artists; and Tautuktavuk (What We See), a 2023 Canada’s Top Ten film from directors Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk, an evocative, drawn-from-life tale about two siblings’ attempts to heal and overcome trauma during the pandemic. Meredith Hama-Brown’s debut feature Seagrass, a Canada’s Top Ten film, about an unconventional couples’ therapy retreat that exposes the fractures in a biracial family is also playing, with the filmmaker in attendance for a post-screening Q&A on February 25.
TIFF is introducing a new marquee series, coming to TIFF Lightbox this summer, Women in Action, an international survey of some of the most culturally significant and influential action films helmed by women. Inspired by Michelle Yeoh’s 2023 Oscar triumph, this major series will feature more than 20 films, and will be accompanied by free public events. The series is curated by Anita Lee, TIFF’s Chief Programming Officer; Robyn Citizen, Director of Programming, Festival and Cinematheque; and Jessica Smith, Producer, TIFF Lightbox Programming and Projects. The full lineup and tickets will be available in May.
Please see programming listings below for a full list of films and events celebrating women filmmakers in March. TIFF Cinematheque tickets will go on sale to TIFF Members on February 14 and to the public on February 16 at tiff.net.
TIFF CINEMATHEQUE PROGRAMMING LISTINGS
A Certain Slant of Light: The Films of Patricia Rozema
As part of TIFF’s year-long focus on the Toronto New Wave and to observe her ongoing contribution to the Canadian film industry, TIFF Cinematheque is pleased to present this series on the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, Patricia Rozema. In addition, the filmmaker has selected to screen Ingmar Bergman’s Persona*, a film hugely influential to her work:
Mansfield Park | March 1, 6:30pm
Into the Forest | March 7, 6:30pm
Mouthpiece | March 10, 6:30pm
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing | March 17, 3:30pm
White Room with Patricia Rozema | March 22, 6:30pm
When Night Is Falling with Patricia Rozema | March 23, 6:30pm
Grey Gardens with Patricia Rozema | FREE | March 24, 4pm
When Night Is Falling | March 26, 6:30pm
*Persona with Patricia Rozema | March 23, 3:30pm
Rebel Yell: Girlhood in the 1980s
A series that rebels against the sanitized, suburban image of the 1980s by recasting femininity through the punk perspective:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (d. Lou Adler) | March 2, 6:30pm // March 10, 3:30pm
Old Enough (d. Marisa Silver) | March 8, 6:30pm
Foxes (d. Adrian Lyne) | March 9, 6:30pm
Out of the Blue (d. Neil LaBute) | March 16, 6:30pm
Times Square (d. Allan Moyle) | March 17, 6:30pm
Starstruck (d. Karen Maine) | March 21, 6:30pm
From the Collection
Grace of My Heart with Cameron Bailey | March 5, 6:30pm
Allison Anders’ passion project is an imagined biopic loosely based on the life of Carole King and her transformation from gigging songwriter to celebrated songstress. Ileana Douglas dazzles as the determined Edna Buxton, who is rebranded Denise Waverly by Joel, a Phil Spector–like producer, played with committed brio by John Turturro.
TIFF Cinematheque New and Restored
Household Saints (d. Nancy Savoca) | March 3, 6:30pm
Presented in a new 4K restoration, Nancy Savoca’s chronicle of a spirited Italian American family perfectly balances humour, tragedy, and pathos.
See the North presented by MUBI
See the North monthly series is FREE to the public.
Slash/Back (d. Nyla Innuksuk) | March 12, 6:30pm
The debut feature from Iqaluit-raised director Nyla Innuksuk, Slash/Back, packs a vivid and thrilling punch as a girl gang in Pangnirtung, Nunavut is left to fight off a supernatural apocalypse.
TIFF Wavelengths Presents
Un rĂŞve plus long que la nuit (d. Niki de Saint Phalle) | March 13, 6:30pm
Pre-recorded Q&A with Arielle de Saint Phalle (Niki’s niece)
Canadian premiere of new 4K restoration! With her debut solo feature, Niki de Saint Phalle — one of the most legendary women artists from the 20th century — performs an auspicious exorcism in the form of a fairy tale touching on the absurd, comical, and disturbing aspects of growing up. In it, the young Princess Camélia (portrayed by the director’s daughter, Laura Duke Condominas) is transformed into a maiden who must traverse a phantasmagoric canvas.
TIFF Next Wave Presents
Ghost World (d. Terry Zwigoff) | March 20, 6:30pm
Presented in 35mm! It’s no surprise that Ghost World has been cemented as a cult classic for teen outcasts everywhere. Cynical best friends, starring Thora Birch as Enid and Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca, are proud social misfits, navigating post-graduation life whilst denouncing all things mainstream. Imbued with the trademark cynicism of the early 2000s and filled to the brim with vocal fry, a perfect pairing to watch alongside Rebel Yell: Girlhood in the 1980s series!
TIFF Family Films
Brave (d. Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews) | March 24, 1:30pm
It was the first Pixar movie with a female protagonist and reflects the changing meaning of the term “Disney princess.” Merida, Brave’s wild-haired heroine, is skillful and self-reliant; she’s also the first princess not to have a love interest. Instead, the relationship at the centre of the movie is one that’s likely much more relatable to its young viewers: the complex blend of loving affection and straining expectation that exists between a teen girl and her mother.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING: SPECIAL EVENTS
The Making of Priscilla with Liv McNeil | March 1, 6pm
TIFF Next Wave presents a special look behind-the-scenes with Liv McNeil’s documentary The Making of Priscilla. Follow the film student as she shadows Sofia Coppola on the 30-day shoot of Priscilla. The film features exclusive interviews with Coppola, Priscilla Presley, and Cailee Spaeny, and includes the games and rituals that make the filmmaker’s sets unlike any other directors. Following the screening, director Liv McNeil will join TIFF for a conversation about her journey breaking into the industry and discovering her voice as an emerging artist, featuring clips from her past work.
Silver Screenings – Free to Seniors 65+:
Mansfield Park | March 15, 11am
Discover the charm of Jane Austen in this fresh take on her beloved novel, directed by Patricia Rozema. Following the screening, experts from the Town of York Historical Society will dive into Toronto’s history and lead participants in letter writing activities with quill pens and wax stamp seals.
Since 2017, TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign has supported women and non-binary creators in cultivating their skills and networks, developing their projects from ideation to completion, and helping their work find its audience.
Monkeypaw Productions, in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) and the Universal Filmmakers Project, today announced that entry submissions have opened for NO DRAMA, a new initiative aimed at cultivating breakout filmmakers. Up to six writer-directors will be chosen to create short films with the goal of developing them into full-length projects with Monkeypaw and Universal Pictures.
From the mind of Jordan Peele, NO DRAMA asks filmmakers, “What’s your biggest fear? What monsters lurk in the deepest corners of your inner thoughts?” This reimagined installment of the Universal Filmmaker Project invites filmmakers to produce a project that explores horror across cultures, time, environments and society.
“A good monster story comes from a perspective that’s very personal and very vulnerable. It’s a story that is so deeply personal that you think no one else can relate to it,” said Jordan Peele. “That’s exactly the purpose of NO DRAMA – to challenge filmmakers to turn their deepest fears into fun, thrilling stories that need to be told.”
“Jordan and his team at Monkeypaw are visionary filmmakers who are committed to using their platform to identify and uplift emerging talent across the industry. We are proud to have TIFF join us in supporting Monkeypaw’s No Drama initiative and can’t wait to see the results from its first group of exciting filmmakers,” said Universal Pictures President Peter Cramer.
NO DRAMA is a global initiative that will have digital and physical touchpoints with the Monkeypaw, Universal and TIFF Industry teams. Selected filmmakers will each receive a $50,000 grant to produce their short, exposure to the major studio production process, access to creative and production executives to develop their professional networks, and the opportunity to screen their NO DRAMA projects at TIFF in 2025.
“We’re proud to launch this groundbreaking initiative, NO DRAMA, with our longstanding partner Universal,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “Having one of the best storytellers like Jordan Peele and his talented team at Monkeypaw on board, is another step in transforming cinema. By supporting emerging filmmakers in the early phases of their careers, TIFF is dedicated to fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. We’re looking forward to unveiling these short films during our 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025.”
“With Jordan and Monkeypaw as our partners, NO DRAMA and the Universal Filmmakers Project are poised to deliver the access breakthrough filmmaking talent need to thrive in this industry,” said Janine Jones-Clark, Universal’s EVP of Inclusion, Talent & Content. “We’re grateful to have the prestige and commitment from our friends and colleagues at TIFF, who are dedicated to our shared mission of cultivating innovative talent and narratives that drive career momentum.”
The submission window for NO DRAMA is now open and will close on Thursday, February 29th, 2024 at 11:59 EST. Interested filmmakers are encouraged to visit NO DRAMA Filmmaker Project to apply and Universal’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion for additional information on the initiative.
This February, TIFF Cinematheque is set to captivate audiences with a dynamic lineup featuring legendary directors, as the return of popular series such as From The Collection, Midnight Madness Presents, MDFF Selects, See the North, New and Restored, TIFF Next Wave Presents, and Oscar-nominated international films, promising an exhilarating cinematic experience.
Among the highlights is a special partnership between Wavelengths Presents, LUX Scotland, and Mercer, Union Toronto, to welcome to TIFF Lightbox Turner Prize–winning artist Charlie Prodger, whose celebrated trilogy of films (Stoneymollan Trail, BRIDGIT, SaF05) will be presented together for the first time in North America.
Adding to the excitement, TIFF Cinematheque pays tribute to the iconic Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov, an original master of cinema, marking his centenary, and his extraordinary contributions to film also being recognized as an official 100th anniversary celebration in UNESCO’s calendar. The mini-retrospective titled 100 Years of Parajanov will showcase his final masterpiece, Ashik Kerib. This film serves as a poignant love letter to Azeri culture, exemplifying Parajanov’s unparalleled artistic legacy that continues to resonate with audiences today.
A spotlight on the great American writer, thinker, and civil rights activist James Baldwin in Remembering James Baldwin, programmed as part of Black History Month, showcases four recently restored documentaries, three of which are shorts. Award-winning writer, executive producer, and host Amanda Parris joins TIFF for the launch of For the Culture with Amanda Parris, a CBC Gem documentary series. Access to the screening and a pre-screening conversation with Amanda for emerging creators will be provided by Visa through the Visa Sharing the Screen Program.
TIFF’s celebration of Lunar New Year, generously supported by the RBC Foundation, kicks off on February 11 with a special screening of Lulu Wang’s acclaimed film The Farewell. Prior to the screening, audiences are invited to explore an arts fair in the TIFF Lightbox atrium, a free drop-in event presented in partnership with Asian Arts and Culture Trust.
In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, TIFF Cinematheque is presenting the works of Yash Chopra and Douglas Sirk, two filmmakers operating in vastly different industries and time periods, bridging the audiences through their heroine-led melodramas in alluring yet subversive ways in Desirous Discords: Romantic Melodramas of Yash Chopra & Douglas Sirk. Foregrounding in their work the finest of aesthetic pleasures, both Chopra and Sirk surround their self-sacrificing characters with bourgeois excess, florid stimuli, and a spectral, lurking animacy.
With awards season in full swing, Lila Avilés’ Tótem (TIFF ’23), Mexico’s entry for this year’s Best International Feature Oscar, screens on January 25 as part of MDFF Selects, followed by a limited theatrical run starting February 2; the latest installment in See the North presented by MUBI ― TIFF’s free monthly series of Canadian cinematic treasures ― is Nisha Pahuja’s documentary To Kill a Tiger on February 13, shortlisted for the 2024 Oscars, and a 2022 Canada’s Top Ten film; for the 19th consecutive year, ShortsTV and Magnolia Pictures present the Oscar-Nominated Short Films opening February 16; and Pawo Choyning Dorji’s The Monk and the Gun (TIFF ’23), Bhutan’s entry for the Best International Feature Oscar, begins its theatrical run on February 23.
Other New Releases coming to TIFF Lightbox include the highly anticipated release of Lijo Jose Pellissery’s period action drama Malaikottai Vaaliban, featuring veteran superstar Mohanlal, opening on January 24, joining TIFF’s recently announced lineup of New Releases: Captain Miller, Origin, Ferrari, The Teachers’ Lounge, Four Daughters, The Settlers, How To Have Sex, The Peasants, and Perfect Days.
Secret Movie Club and International Cinema Cafe also return this month. TIFF Cinematheque and Public Programming tickets are available now for TIFF Members and to the public on January 19. For tickets to New Releases, check tiff.net.
TIFF’s 23rd edition of Canada’s Top Ten, presented by new partner MUBI, will kick off on Thursday, January 25, 2024 with Canada’s Top Ten Industry Forum, bringing the most prominent discussions to the TIFF Lightbox stage, including an in-depth discussion on accessibility in the industry, a follow-up to last year’s discussion on Bill C-11 in which industry members will hear directly from the broadcasters, and a panel with key industry leaders in the streaming space.
In conjunction with the Industry Forum event on January 25, TIFF is unveiling a groundbreaking new Membership level tailored specifically for industry professionals — marking the first of its kind among Canadian film festivals. This innovative Industry Membership comes with a host of benefits, including complimentary access to the Canada’s Top Ten Industry Forum, an enhanced experience of year-round industry programming, and exclusive access to elevated networking events. Additionally, Members will enjoy discounts on Festival accreditation and submission fees, along with exclusive rates on cinema rentals and other perks.
The recently announced 2023 Canada’s Top Ten list, championing 10 feature films and 10 short films, reflect a richness of voices and perspectives from some of Canada’s finest established and emerging filmmakers.
Filmmakers confirmed to attend Canada’s Top Ten showcase (January 25–28) include: Atom Egoyan, Matt Johnson, Fawzia Mirza, Zack Russell, Jasmin Mozaffari, Nicole Bazuin, Julien G. Marcotte, Raquel Sancinetti, Edith Jorisch, Zoé Pelchat and Eric K. Boulianne. The final selections were determined by TIFF’s Canadian Programmers and the Senior Programming team, taking into consideration the recommendations of consultant programmers from film festivals across the country. To see the full programme, visit tiff.net.
Tickets to the Industry Forum are on sale now. One single ticket gives attendees access to all three sessions and an invitation to the Opening Night Cocktail reception taking place on January 25. Industry Membership holders will have the ability to access the forum for free as the inaugural benefit of their Membership. Additional tickets have also been released for Canada’s Top Ten showcase.
Canada’s Top Ten Industry Forum – January 25, 2024
Dialogues: How to Work with Streamers in Canada
Time: 1:30pm–2:30pm
Canada has emerged as one of the leading global consumers of subscription video content. Whether you’re looking to launch your film in the digital space, or on the hunt for a development partner, join us for an exclusive session on navigating the streaming landscape with key industry leaders. From producing to pitching, discover the trade secrets of collaboration and distribution straight from the industry’s power players.
Guests confirmed to date:
Moderator: Kelly Townsend, Editor, Playback
Panelist: Stefania Scarfo, Head of Content & Strategy, Paramount+ Canada
Panelist: Soledad Vega, Senior Marketing Manager, MUBI
Perspectives: Shaping the Future of Accessibility on Screen
Time: 3:15pm–4:15pm
From advocating policy change to influencing production through accessibility and authentic disability representation, the Disability Screen Office (DSO) has been a driving force in breaking down barriers and transforming the Canadian film landscape. Gain insight from both the DSO and creators as they share their experiences navigating the challenges and triumphs of working in the film industry.
Share insights, raise questions, and actively participate in shaping a more accessible, inclusive, and diverse film industry.
Guests confirmed to date:
Moderator: Angelo Muredda, Film Critic and Programmer
Panelist: Winnie Luk, Executive Director, Disability Screen Office
Panelist: Cheryl Meyer, Writer
Perspectives: The Future of Canadian Content Part 2: Broadcasters and TV Execs Discuss Next Steps for Modernizing the Broadcasting Act
Time: 5pm–6pm
What does it take to build a thriving, competitive domestic market in the digital era? Traditional Canadian broadcasters and producers discuss the impact of the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11) and what steps they think the CRTC needs to take next. Industry guests at last year’s Forum advocated for a policy that would protect Canadian creators by prioritizing employment of Canadians and IP ownership. This year, broadcasters and production companies weigh in on their priorities for what comes next. Speakers to be confirmed.
Social media:
Twitter: @TIFF_NET & @TIFF_Industry
Instagram, TikTok & Letterboxd: @tiff_net
Facebook.com/TIFF
TIFF is proud to reveal the 23rd edition of Canada’s Top Ten, presented by new partner MUBI — an exciting selection curated by TIFF’s programmers in collaboration with their counterparts from across Canada. From January 25 to 28, 2024 film enthusiasts can immerse themselves in this year’s outstanding lineup at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The 2023 feature film roster showcases cinematic gems hailing from British Columbia, Alberta, Nunavut, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec. Noteworthy this year is that seven of the films are debut features from filmmakers in the early stages of their promising careers. The shorts lineup, equally compelling, showcases the works of seven Quebecois filmmakers. TIFF Members have early access to tickets starting December 20, 2023 at 10am, and public tickets go on sale on December 22, 2023 at 10am — don’t miss your chance to be part of this cinematic celebration.
“As we announce TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten for 2023, we applaud the visionary filmmakers who have enriched the Canadian cinematic landscape with their creativity and the power of their stories. These films not only showcase the depth of our homegrown talent, but also underscore the cultural richness of our nation and the many stories we have to tell,” stated Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “Each year, we are proud to celebrate and showcase the best of Canadian cinema, and more importantly, provide a platform and opportunity for audiences in the city and across the country to experience these films together.”
Following their theatrical runs, several of Canada’s Top Ten films and filmmakers will travel across Canada with TIFF’s popular Film Circuit programme. Film Circuit provides access to 100+ Circuit locations in rural, remote, and underserved communities that otherwise would not have an opportunity to see these films, extending their theatrical life beyond their initial release.
In Meredith Hama-Brown’s (TIFF Filmmaker Lab participant – 2000) shattering Seagrass and TIFF Rising Star’s Cody Lightning’s hilarious Hey, Viktor!; in Ariane Louis-Seize’s charming Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person and TIFF Studio alum Fawzia Mirza’s rapturous The Queen of My Dreams; in Henri Pardo’s beautiful Kanaval and Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk’s spare, bracing Tautuktavuk (What We See); and in Zack Russell’s urgent documentary Someone Lives Here, these first-time filmmakers share the discovery of new visions, new voices, new passions. With their third features, Solo and BlackBerry, Sophie Dupuis and Matt Johnson both demonstrate a masterful sense of environment and character shaped by their previous work. In addition, Johnson’s BlackBerry has been selected as the Sloan Science on Film Showcase, spotlighting two compelling scientific feature films annually, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Rounding out the list is Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils. The veteran filmmaker draws on his own history, integrating elements of the operas he’s directed over the decades.
Two of the directors making their feature debuts have seen their short films honoured in previous Top Tens: Louis-Seize’s Les petites vagues in 2018, and Mirza’s The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night in 2021. Writer-director Jasmin Mozzaffari (TIFF Writer’s Studio participant – 2020), whose own first feature Firecrackers was a Top Ten honouree in 2018, is also switching sections: her short film, Motherland, is one of this year’s Top Ten shorts alongside Alisi Telengut’s Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal, Zoé Pelchat’s (TIFF Filmmaker Lab participant – 2021) Gaby’s Hills, Ryan McKenna’s I Used to Live There, Julien G. Marcotte and Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush’s Katshinau, Raquel Sancinetti’s Madeleine, Eric K. Boulianne’s Making Babies, Edith Jorisch’s Mothers and Monsters, Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto’s Sawo Matang and Nicole Bazuin’s Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie.
Representing a diverse range of new voices in fiction and documentary, the annual showcase of Canadian films celebrates some of our most storied and award-winning filmmakers offering audiences a variety of perspectives, insights, and experiences from coast to coast to coast.
Canada’s Top Ten Official Selections of 2023
Feature Films
BlackBerry | dir. Matt Johnson | Ontario
Hey, Viktor! | dir. Cody Lightning | Alberta
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person | dir. Ariane Louis-Seize | Quebec
Kanaval | dir. Henri Pardo | Quebec
The Queen of My Dreams | dir. Fawzia Mirza | Nova Scotia/Ontario
Seagrass | dir. Meredith Hama-Brown | British Columbia
Seven Veils | dir. Atom Egoyan | Ontario
Solo | dir. Sophie Dupuis | Quebec
Someone Lives Here | dir. Zack Russell | Ontario
Tautuktavuk (What We See) | dir. Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk | Nunavut
Short Films
Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal | dir. Alisi Telengut | Quebec
Gaby’s Hills | dir. Zoé Pelchat | Quebec
I Used to Live There | dir. Ryan McKenna | Quebec
Katshinau | dir. Julien G. Marcotte, Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush | Quebec
Madeleine | dir. Raquel Sancinetti | Quebec
Making Babies | dir. Eric K. Boulianne | Quebec
Motherland | dir. Jasmin Mozaffari | Ontario
Mothers and Monsters | dir. Edith Jorisch | Quebec
Sawo Matang | dir. Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Ontario
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie | dir. Nicole Bazuin | Ontario
Canada’s Top Ten champions 10 feature films and 10 short films that reflect a richness of voices and perspectives from some of Canada’s finest established and emerging filmmakers. The final selections for Canada’s Top Ten were determined by TIFF’s Canadian Programmers and the Senior Programming team, taking into consideration the recommendations of consultant programmers from film festivals across the country.
Committee Members – 2023 Canada’s Top Ten: Feature Films & Shorts
Feature Film Committee
Pahull Bains, Safia Abdigir (Reelworld Film Festival)
Vincent Georgie (Windsor International Film Festival)
Lisa Haller (Atlantic International Film Festival)
Brenda Lieberman (Calgary International Film Festival)
Émilie Poirier (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma)
Alex Rogalski (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)
Curtis Woloschuk (Vancouver International Film Festival)
Short Film Committee
Mélissa Bouchard (REGARD: Le Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay)
Lisa Haller, Sandi Rankaduwa, Seán Maheux Galway (Atlantic International Film Festival)
Adam Keresztes (Calgary International Film Festival)
Patrick O’Hearn, Michael Scherzinger, Brandon Patry, Christa Corbiere (Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival)
Émilie Poirier (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma)
Casey Wei (Vancouver International Film Festival)
Miriam Zaidi (Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival)
Today, TIFF is proud to unveil a full programming slate of the most anticipated New Releases, rare retrospectives, and holiday classics coming to the TIFF Bell Lightbox this December.
From the Collection returns with Member-exclusive 35mm screenings of The Piano and Dust in the Wind with TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. Reviving a beloved TIFF tradition, Magnificent 70mm presents a slate of rare 70mm prints this holiday season including favourites like Boogie Nights, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and this summer’s box office spectacular Oppenheimer from Christopher Nolan. TIFF is one of the few theatres in Toronto where audiences can watch classics on 70mm and celebrate the way these films were meant to be seen. This series is generously supported by Jennifer Tory.
TIFF Cinematheque will also celebrate German filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch with a new retrospective, The Lubitsch Touch, featuring rare 35mm prints. An exceptional example of a filmmaker whose career began in the silent era and who transitioned with apparent ease into the talkies, Lubitsch is best known for sophisticated films with a dry wit and modern sense of humour, a quality that later became known as the “Lubitsch touch”.
Just in time for the holidays are celebratory and participatory singalong events from Sing-a-Long-a, featuring special screenings of The Sound of Music and The Greatest Showman. On December 16 from 6–8pm in Varda, there will also be a special musical performance to bring in the holidays. Raoul Bhaneja and Tyler Yarema, veterans of the Toronto swing and blues scenes, will perform a special duo show at Varda, showcasing both artists on vocals, accompanied by Yarema’s deft piano stylings.
As part of December’s festive programming are a Q&A with filmmaker Whit Stillman for the screening of his cult classic and ultimate winter-break film Metropolitan; Coopers’ Christmas with Canadian filmmaker Warren Sonoda in attendance; and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
In addition, TIFF Bell Lightbox will be showing New Releases fresh off their run at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, including Kore-eda Hirokazu’s Monster (Cannes 2023 Winner, Queer Palm and Best Screenplay), and Ava DuVernay’s Origin (Venice 2023 Nominee, Golden Lion Best Film). And, see the highly anticipated exclusive release of Bradley Cooper’s Maestro at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and Zack Synder’s exclusive limited run of the epic sci-fantasy Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire in 70mm. TIFF Bell Lightbox is one of four theatres screening the film in the world.
Tickets for all titles are on sale now at tiff.net.
TIFF CINEMATHEQUE
From the Collection | tiff.net/fromthecollection
These screenings are exclusively available to TIFF Members. To become a Member, visit tiff.net/membership.
The Piano (d. Jane Campion) with Cameron Bailey | December 5, 6:30pm
Holly Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Ada, a nonspeaking Scotswoman who is sold into marriage to a settler (Sam Neill) in rugged 19th-century New Zealand.
Dust in the Wind (d. Hou Hsiao-hsien) with Cameron Bailey | January 2, 6:30pm
Wan (Wang Chien-wen), a studious teenager from a small mining town, moves to Taipei with his girlfriend Huen (Hsin Shu-Fen) where they make new friends, obtain tedious employment, and pledge to get married upon Wan’s return from compulsory military service ― but as both discover, life’s seeming certainties are always less than certain.
Magnificent 70mm | tiff.net/70mm
Boogie Nights (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) | December 1, 6:15pm // December 7 & 10, 6:30pm
The setting is the porn industry of the late ’70s, just before video and cocaine would effectively destroy the industry for its stars — but Boogie Nights’ real subject is what happened when the revolutionary politics of the 1960s and ’70s morphed into pure hedonism mixed with greed and absurdly conspicuous consumption.
2001: A Space Odyssey (d. Stanley Kubrick) | December 2, 6:30pm // December 8, 6:30pm // December 15, 1pm
Racing a cosmic mystery from the dawn of mankind to the farthest reaches of time and space, 2001 chronicles an intergalactic mission to find the origin of a mysterious black monolith discovered by American astronauts on the moon.
Print courtesy of TIFF’s Film Reference Library
Oppenheimer (d. Christopher Nolan) | December 13, 6:30pm // December 21 & 23, 1pm
Nolan’s account of the life and legacy of the “father of the atomic bomb” is a story he tells in two ways: through J. Robert Oppenheimer’s wartime recruitment to the Manhattan Project, and the later security hearings over Communist ties that risked ruining his career.
Nope (d. Jordan Peele) | December 29, 1pm // December 31, 3pm // January 3, 6:30pm
Writer-director Jordan Peele follows his genre-bending thrillers Get Out and Us with this western-horror adventure about a strange phenomenon terrorizing a California movie ranch from the skies above. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Michael Wincott.
West Side Story (d. Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise) | December 22, 6:30pm // December 24, 8:30pm // December 30, 5:30pm
The 10-time Academy Award–winning take on Romeo and Juliet — only in this version, the ill-fated romance blooms during a turf war between rival street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, in 1960s New York City.
Lawrence of Arabia (d. David Lean) | December 26, 6:30pm // December 30, 11:30am // January 4, 12:30pm
David Lean’s account of T.E. Lawrence’s efforts to unify nomadic desert tribes against the Ottoman Turks during World War I is equal parts war film and existential romance, as the arid expanses of the desert draw the British scholar and adventurer into their beckoning, soul-stirring emptiness.
Magnificent 70mm is supported by Jennifer Tory.
The Lubitsch Touch | tiff.net/lubitsch
Ninotchka | December 2, 3pm & December 10, 3pm
Soviet special envoy Ninotchka Yakushova (Greta Garbo), a self-serious administrator, is dispatched to France to check on three wayward comrades who’ve fallen prey to the temptations of Western capitalism.
To Be or Not to Be | December 3, 3pm
A satirical depiction of the Nazis set against romantic misadventure and a self-reflexive interrogation of the role of the dramatic arts in dark times.
The Love Parade | December 3, 6:30pm
The unwed Queen of Sylvania (Jeanette MacDonald) and a philandering Count (Maurice Chevalier) find their way to one another in this musical love story that subverts traditional gender roles.
Heaven Can Wait | December 9, 3pm
A charming, deceptively light comedy-fantasy, Heaven Can Wait begins in the anteroom of Hell, where recently deceased playboy Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) calmly awaits what he believes will be a sure condemnation to perdition for his earthly sins.
Rosita | December 16, 4pm
A street performer (Mary Pickford) attracts the lustful eye of the lecherous king, but her heart is reserved for the man who saved her from the royal guards.
Cluny Brown | December 17, 3pm
Adapted from the popular novel by Margery Sharp, the romantic comedy depicts the misadventure of the eponymous character (Jennifer Jones) as she questions and attempts to find her place as a woman in British society.
The Shop Around the Corner | December 20, 6:30pm & December 24, 3pm
In a Budapest notions store during the Depression, longtime clerk Alfred Kralik (James Stewart), sniffily conscious of aapecking order and seniority, takes an instant dislike to newly hired shopgirl Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan). The two exchange barbs and brickbats while each nurses a secret passion for a pen pal they have never met.
Trouble in Paradise with Alicia Fletcher | December 23, 5pm
Starring Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins as Gaston Monescu and Lily Vautier, a charming gentleman con artist and his pickpocket lover, the film follows the pair on a heist that evolves into a love triangle when they target Madame Colet (Kay Francis), the elegant and wealthy head of the Colet & Co. perfume empire.
Design for Living | December 27, 6:30pm
The striking and confident Gilda (Miriam Hopkins) works as a commercial artist for a successful advertising agency. Upon meeting roommates and close friends Tom (Fredric March) and George (Gary Cooper) on a train to Paris, Gilda ignites a fierce love triangle between all three.
TIFF Cinematheque Special Screenings | tiff.net/special
Metropolitan with Whit Stillman | December 14, 6:30pm
After leaving a debutante’s ball in his rented tux, self-serious Princeton student Tom Townsend (Edward Clements) is inadvertently brought into the cloistered world of a clan of young socialites living off of Old Money on the Upper East Side.
Distant Voices, Still Lives (d. Terence Davies) | December 17, 6:30pm
Commemorating the life and work of the unparalleled British filmmaker Terence Davies, who sadly passed away earlier this year, this partly autobiographical tale evokes his upbringing in Liverpool after the war in a working-class home dominated by the violence of his father, fearsomely played by then-newcomer Pete Postlethwaite.
Eyes Wide Shut (d. Stanley Kubrick) | December 31, 6:30pm
Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play Bill and Alice Hartford, a wealthy couple whose seemingly stable relationship is suddenly upended by Alice’s confession of a prior erotic obsession, which sends the shocked Bill out of their NYC apartment and into a nocturnal world of sexual fantasy and intrigue.
Midnight Madness | tiff.net/midnightmadness
The Empty Man with David Prior | December 16, 6:30pm
Introduction by Midnight Madness Presents Programmers Peter Kuplowsky and Liane Cunje, followed by a Q&A with writer-director David Prior, and moderated by film critic Adam Nayman.
A retired cop (James Badge Dale) investigates the sudden disappearance of a group of teens and their connection to the urban legend of “the empty man”, an enigmatic entity who over three days is said to malignantly encroach upon the psyche of anyone who dares summon him.
TIFF Wavelengths Presents | tiff.net/wavelengths
Site and Simulation curated by Aria Dean | December 13, 6:30pm
Featuring artists Diego Marcon, Rachel Rose, Aria Dean, Harun Farocki, Nancy Holt, and Robert Smithson, this programme exhibits moving-image works that explore the entanglement of sites and their simulations. Specifically, these films draw out the virtual dimensions of real sites, and the real dimensions of the virtual, often in order to pinpoint political and historical fissures in reality as we understand it.
Site and Simulation curated by Aria Dean is presented in partnership with The Vega Foundation, and coincides with Aria Dean: Abattoir, U.S.A.!, an art exhibition on view at The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery until January 7, 2024.
TIFF Next Wave Presents | tiff.net/nwp
We Are Little Zombies (d. Makoto Nagahisa) | December 6, 6:30pm
A visually-explosive, hyper-fun feature debut follows four teenage orphans who form a pop-punk band and slowly learn to process the emotions of their parents’ recent deaths.
MDFF Selects | tiff.net/mdff
Still Film | December 28, 6:30pm
Introduction by MDFF Co-Founder Kaz Radwanski with a virtual Q&A with director James Kienitz Wilkins following the screening.
Brooklyn-based artist-filmmaker James N. Kienitz Wilkins transforms four decades of 35mm presskit photos from Hollywood blockbusters into an off-beat court case of cinephilia. All characters are voiced by Kienitz Wilkins as they argue and debate movie culture and its hold on memory. Kienitz Wilkins’ previous feature The Plagiarists screened as part of TIFF Cinematheque in 2020, and his shorts have been screened in Wavelengths.
See the North | tiff.net/seethenorth
Coopers’ Christmas with Warren Sonoda | December 12, 6:30pm
Secrets are exposed, inappropriate crushes are revealed, and misery turns out to be twice as excruciating when it’s captured by the merciless lens of a cheap VHS camcorder found under the tree.
TIFF Family Films | tiff.net/family
The Nightmare Before Christmas (d. Tim Burton) | December 10, 1pm
The beloved Pumpkin King of HalloweenTown stumbles upon a doorway to Christmas Town. Inspired after witnessing the amazing wonders of the latter holiday, he decides to take over Christmas.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
Silver Screenings Presents: Rosita with George A. Walker | December 8, 11am
Each month, this free series brings seniors together to connect with fellow film lovers and participate in a variety of events, including peer-led film discussions, interactive workshops, and classes. This screening is free for seniors 65+. Please note: this is a silent film with a recorded score.
Following this screening of Lubitisch’s Rosita, starring Mary Pickford, local artist George A. Walker will join the audience for a talk. Walker is best known for his wood engravings and wordless novels, including Pickford, “The Queen of the Silent Film Era.” Capacity for this talk is limited and pre-registration is required. RSVP here to register.
Silver Screenings is supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the New Horizons for Seniors Program.
Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music | December 14, 7pm // December 17, 2:30pm
The smash-hit musical show returns to TIFF Bell Lightbox for the first time since 2015. Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical in glorious, full-screen Technicolor, complete with subtitles so that the whole audience can sing along. Award-winning comedian Martha Chaves will guide the audience through the show, including a warm-up and the famous fancy-dress competition.
Canadian Premiere of Sing-a-Long-a The Greatest Showman | December 16, 2:30pm
This screening of the high-energy 2017 musical will be the first time in Canada the film is experienced in this Sing-a-long-a format. Cheer on Hugh Jackman and moon after Zac Efron as you experience The Greatest Showman in the greatest way possible ― with lyrics on the screen so you can join in as loud as you want. Award-winning comedian Martha Chaves will be your host and teach you a unique set of dance moves. Costumes are strongly encouraged and full audience participation is essential.
International Cinema Cafe | December 17, 10:30am
Reel Talk is now International Cinema Cafe and continues to provide a snapshot of the best cinema from around the world, with a focus on films submitted for Best International Picture at the Academy Awards and hidden gems that may not see wide release.
Secret Movie Club | December 19, 7pm
Part of the fun is the surprise: titles are not announced ahead of time, and all screenings are previews of films not yet released in theatres. Each event offers a fun post-film discussion with a member of the film team — such as a director, screenwriter, producer, or actor — a critic, or a subject expert.
NEW RELEASES
*Recently announced
*Opens December 1 | Exclusive | Atmos
Maestro | Netflix Studios
*Opens December 1
Monster | Photon Films
Playing December 7
Raging Grace | Vortex Media
An undocumented Filipina immigrant lands a job as a care-worker for a terminal old man, securing a better life for her and her daughter. But a dark discovery threatens to destroy everything she’s strived for and holds dear, in Paris Zarcilla’s latest film.
✅ SXSW Film Festival 2023 – Winner, SXSW Grand Jury Award and Thunderbird Rising Award
*Opens December 8
Eileen | Elevation Pictures
*Opens December 15 | Canadian Premiere | Exclusive 70mm limited run
Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire | Netflix Studios
*Opens December 22
Society of the Snow | Netflix Studios
Opens January 19
Origin | Elevation Pictures
Ava DuVernay directs an inspired adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s life, as she digs into the nuance of discrimination while writing what would become her New York Times bestselling book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
✅ TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, Gala Presentations
✅ Venice Film Festival 2023 – Nominee, Golden Lion Best Film
COMING IN JANUARY
To kick off 2024, TIFF Cinematheque is presenting Alone in the Arena: Genre-Defining Sports Films, the late TIFF programmer Ravi Srinivasan’s last curated series, which features nine iconic sports films that influenced and transformed the genre including classics like White Men Can’t Jump and The Wrestler. Srinivasan’s love of film was equally matched by his love of sports, and this series is an homage to both Srinivasan and his take on the often underappreciated genre of sports films. Additionally, Canada’s Top Ten List for 2023 will be unveiled on December 7, and it will be followed by a four-day industry event (January 25-28), featuring an opening night celebration, and screenings of this year’s selections.
TIFF’s January programming slate will be announced on December 15, 2023.
TIFF is thrilled to reintroduce its national film outreach programme, Film Circuit, now one full year into its relaunch with an exciting slate of Festival favourites coming to venues across the country in 2024. Continuing its rich tradition of bringing the best of Canadian and international films and artists to communities across the nation, Film Circuit has expanded its outreach to 100+ locations since relaunching in 2022, after a two-year hiatus. The programme offers transformative film experiences in rural, remote, and underserved communities with the generous support of Major Supporter Telefilm Canada, and Supporters Ontario Creates and Ontario Arts Council.
“We are delighted to join our expanding community of film enthusiasts across the nation in commemorating cinema and presenting our curated programme with the generous backing of Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, and the Ontario Arts Council,” stated Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “I’d also extend my gratitude to our distributors and our steadfast Film Circuit collaborators.”
Now in its 33rd year, Film Circuit engages domestic grassroots networks and community partners — comprising independent cinemas, art galleries, museums, libraries, performing arts theatres, community centres, film clubs, and more — to expand and enrich the breadth of film offerings available to their audience. With a rotating slate of films featuring crowd-pleasers and arthouse hits, Film Circuit offers a unique forum for film-lovers across Canada to gather in person and discover new voices and perspectives.
Film Circuit not only extends the theatrical life of films beyond their initial release, but also champions independent films operating outside the traditional distribution model by working with emerging and local filmmakers to facilitate access for Circuit locations who otherwise would not have an opportunity to see the films. TIFF People’s Choice award-winning films such as Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe and Solo; The Queen of My Dreams; and Rojek, Canada’s submission for Best International Feature Film, are a few of the Canadian films that will be featured on screens coast-to coast-to-coast. Film Circuit groups will also have a chance to catch some of the most talked about international films and hidden gems, including Anatomy of a Fall, Past Lives, Monster, A Difficult Year, and The Persian Version.
“Film Circuit is a shining example of meeting audiences where they are,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO, Telefilm Canada. “Telefilm Canada is proud to partner with TIFF to showcase some of Canada’s most notable new releases to over 100 locations across our vast country, reaching new communities like Fogo Island, Yellowknife, Qualicum Beach and Invermere. This program highlights the invaluable collaboration of working with local cinemas, distributors and industry partners.”
New Film Circuit location highlights:
Film Circuit is also reintroducing its guest touring programme this year, inviting filmmakers and industry guests to travel across the country to introduce their films and participate in Q&A sessions with Film Circuit audiences. Last season, Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack toured her award-winning and Canada’s Top Ten film I Like Movies in a six-city stop in Ontario, where it played on 25 screens. Past guests include Deepa Mehta, Michael McGowan, Gordon Pinsent, Ruba Nadda, Don McKellar, Sturla Gunnarsson, Maxime Giroux, and Jennifer Baichwal, to name a few.
FILM CIRCUIT PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
A Difficult Year | Sphère Films
The latest from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (C’est la vie!, TIFF ’17) is a puckish comedy about finding a reason for being — even when the world seems to be falling apart. Featuring winning performances from Pio Marmaï, Jonathan Cohen, Noémie Merlant, and Mathieu Amalric, A Difficult Year is social satire that goes down easy.
TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, Special Presentations
Anatomy of a Fall | Elevation Pictures
Winner of this year’s Palme d’Or and starring German actor Sandra Hüller, Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall is a riveting portrait of a complex woman put on trial for the murder of her spouse. Also starring Samuel Theis, Swann Arlaud, and Milo Machado Graner.
TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, Special Presentations
Cannes Film Festival 2023 – Winner of 3 awards, including Palme d’Or and Queer Palme
Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe | Amazon Studios
This heartfelt documentary from director Robert McCallum, celebrates the life and work of Ernie Coombs, the iconic Canadian children’s television personality who encouraged generations of kids to be their best selves. Featuring Judith Lawrence, Chris Coombs, Cathie LeFort, Nina Keogh, Susan Marcus, Jim Parker, Stu Gilchrist, Bruce McCulloch, Eric McCormack, and more.
TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, TIFF Docs programme
BlackBerry | Elevation Pictures
The latest from Canadian writer-director Matt Johnson tells the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world’s first smartphone.
Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun | Independent
This sports documentary, directed by Nuxalk filmmaker Banchi Hanuse, is an intimate and thrilling portrait of a young Siksika woman and the deep bonds between her father and family in the golden plains of Blackfoot Territory as she prepares for one of the most dangerous horse races in the world… bareback.
“Ontario Creates is proud to be a long-time supporter of Film Circuit, sharing TIFF’s goals to bring thought-provoking, innovative, and entertaining content to communities across Canada. The film and television industry makes a significant impact on Ontario’s economy every year, contributing $3.15B in 2022. You can experience first-hand the wealth of Ontario’s on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent through this year’s Film Circuit selections. Film Circuit is TIFF’s year-round film outreach program, bringing the best of Canadian and international films and artists to communities all across Canada. Congratulations to TIFF for another stellar edition of Canada’s largest film club!” ―Karen Thorne-Stone, President and CEO, Ontario Creates
“The Ontario Arts Council is delighted to support the Toronto International Film Festival’s Film Circuit. This important outreach program offers Ontarians across the province a chance to see films from Canadian and international artists that may not otherwise reach their local cinemas. It also offers a valuable opportunity for Ontario filmmakers to make personal and professional connections through their work.” ―Rita Davies, Chair of the Board of Directors, Ontario Arts Council
TIFF is delighted to unveil an extensive lineup of programming for the month of November, bringing an exhilarating close to the vibrant autumn season of events. Alongside captivating retrospectives from TIFF Cinematheque, TIFF’s Public Programming team presents a diverse range of engaging activities. As part of the new From the Collection series – the first monthly TIFF series exclusive for our Members – TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey will host a screening of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors: Blue.
Acclaimed German auteur Christian Petzold will be celebrated in a 16-film retrospective on the heels of his latest award-winning hit Afire, which screened at the TIFF Bell Lightbox this past summer. This retrospective is curated by TIFF Cinematheque Senior Curator Andréa Picard and is one of the largest ever assembled on the director’s work, featuring a number of imported archival prints.
TIFF Cinematheque is also celebrating the centenary of Ousmane Sembène, the Senegalese auteur whose body of work is relatively small with nine features, but whose legacy extends beyond as a world-class satirist, rebel, and revolutionary artist. His work will be celebrated throughout the month of November with screenings of Ceddo, Emitaï, and Xala (TIFF’ 23 Classics Selection), all brand new 4K restorations courtesy of Janus Films.
Public Programming presents the latest Loved It event featuring bestselling author R. F. Kuang (Babel, Yellowface) on The Personal History of David Copperfield; a TIFF Primetime advance screening of the new Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (episodes 101-103) with writers and co-showrunners Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski, and the return of International Cinema Cafe. Also returning this year is Sing-a-long-a, featuring special holiday screenings coming this December.
Tickets for all titles below are on sale now.
TIFF CINEMATHEQUE
From the Collection | tiff.net/fromthecollection
These screenings are exclusively available to TIFF Members. To become a Member, visit tiff.net/membership.
Three Colors: Blue, with Cameron Bailey | November 7, 6:30pm
Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors trilogy is patterned after the colours of the French flag and offers idiosyncratic explorations of the corresponding themes of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
TIFF Wavelengths Presents | tiff.net/wavelengths
Colectivo los Ingrávidos: Ancestralidad y trance | November 8, 6:30pm
Introduction and Q&A with film curator, archivist, and researcher Almudena Escobar LĂłpez following the screening
Colectivo los Ingrávidos (Mixtec) is a Mexican film collective that approaches cinema as a ritualistic process capable of connecting moments across space and time. Foregrounding the structural qualities of images as a political gesture, this program proposes a cinematic trance of history, myth, and embodiment that bridges the ancestral to the avant-garde. What cinema is possible after 500 years of colonisation and excess? Ancestralidad y trance features a collection of short films including After America, Archivo de Indias, Pintura de Castas, Mordängeln, Chinampas/The Floating Gardens, Itzcóatl, Sensemayá, Quetzalcóatl, and Tierra en Trance.
Boosie Fade Film Club | tiff.net//boosiefade
Style Wars (d. Tony Silver) | November 9, 8:30pm
Introduction by Boosie Fade co-founders Jordan Sowunmi and James Rathbone
An immersive depiction of hip hop’s earliest years in New York City. Rap music had not yet become hip hop’s most well known form of expression, so the documentary largely focuses on graffiti, which at the time had exploded all over New York City’s walls and, most of all, its subway cars.
Staying Alive: The Films of Christian Petzold | tiff.net/petzold
The Goethe-Institut is an arts partner of TIFF.
Transit | November 9, 6:30pm
Adapted from Anna Seghers’ WWII-set novel, the film transposes the plot to an indistinct moment that resembles an uncanny present-day, resulting in a haunted puzzle-play and ingenious companion piece to his postwar melodrama, Phoenix.
Afire | November 10, 6:30pm
A smouldering summer tale exploring love, leisure, and labour with hints of Chekhov and Rohmer.
Yella | November 11, 3pm
Featuring an extended introduction by programmer and writer Jutta BrendemĂĽhl
Recently divorced from her broke and abusive husband, Yella is eager to leave the industrial town of Wittenberg in former East Germany for a fresh start in the West.
The State I Am In | November 11, 6:30pm
The first break-out hit of the Berlin School, this tense drama follows two ex-terrorists and their pouty teenaged daughter, Jeanne (Hummer, who is equally excellent in Petzold’s Ghosts) as they plan an escape to Brazil.
Phoenix | November 16, 7pm
Featuring an extended introduction by film critic Adam Nayman
A searing, expressionistic post-WWII melodrama starring the formidable Nina Hoss as a headstrong concentration camp survivor, Phoenix is one of Petzold’s most successful and acclaimed films.
Something to Remind Me | November 17, 6:30pm
An edgy, Hitchcockian psychological thriller with carefully calibrated suspense, this film upends its classical romantic pursuit story with a reality far darker than its illusory surface.
Ghosts | November 18, 6:30pm
A braided tale of loneliness, grief, and yearning set in contemporary Berlin, Ghosts depicts a meeting of lost souls with unnerving ambiguity.
Pilots preceded by The Warm Money | November 19, 6:30pm
In Petzold’s rarely-screened feature debut, two travelling cosmetic saleswomen join forces to combat all the gross men who harass and exploit them. Paired with Petzold’s first collaboration with his mentor and teacher Harun Farocki.
Barbara | November 21, 6:30pm
Removed from a prestigious medical post in East Berlin and reassigned to an underfunded rural hospital near the Baltic sea — her punishment for requesting an exit visa from the GDR — Barbara (Nina Hoss) resentfully isolates herself from her new colleague, chief physician Andre (Ronald Zehrfeld), who she suspects is keeping tabs on her at the behest of the local Stasi officer Schütz (Rainer Bock).
The Sex Thief | November 23, 6:30pm
A stylish, Marnie-riffing tale of two sisters bound by their ancestral family home in Cologne.
Undine | November 24, 6:30pm
Petzold reunites with Transit co-stars Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski in this realist update of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s 1811 story about a water nymph.
Cuba Libre | November 25, 3pm
A dark and moody neo-noir starring Richy MĂĽller as Tom, a perpetually down-on-his luck drifter who tries to win back his ex-lover Tina (a fierce Catherine Flemming), whom he abandoned and betrayed.
Jerichow | November 25, 6:30pm
A reworking of The Postman Always Rings Twice, Petzold’s first film to receive Canadian distribution plays with the conventions of a love triangle to fashion a suspenseful psychological thriller that is pristinely shot, intricately detailed, and finely acted.
Dreileben | November 26, 1pm
A TV mini-series comprised of a trio of interlocking films with 10-minute intermissions (rather than a standard trilogy or omnibus), Dreileben is an invigorating experiment in narrative construction by three of Germany’s leading filmmakers: Christian Petzold, Dominik Graf, and Christoph Hochhäusler.
Wolfsburg | November 28, 6:30pm
A sleek and chilling psychodrama in which tension anxiously builds until the very end, Wolfsburg explores the tangled aftermath of a hit-and-run accident in the eponymous city where the Nazis established the Volkswagen industrial complex.
Ousmane Sembène at 100 | tiff.net/sembene
Black Girl preceded by Borom Sarret | November 15, 6:30pm
Ousmane Sembène’s stirring first feature is preceded by the groundbreaking short film that marked his directorial debut.
EmitaĂŻ | November 18, 4pm
With unflinching realism, Sembène explores the strains that colonialism places upon cultural traditions and, in the process, discovers a people’s hidden reserves of rebellion and dignity. Presented in a new 4K restoration.
Ceddo | November 19, 1pm
In pre-colonial Senegal, members of the Ceddo (or “outsiders”) kidnap Princess Dior Yacine (Tabata Ndiaye) after her father (Makhourédia Guèye), the king, pledges loyalty to an ascendant Islamic faction that plans to convert the entire clan to its faith. Presented in a new 4K restoration.
Mandabi | November 19, 3:45pm
After jobless Ibrahima Dieng receives a money order for 25,000 francs from a nephew who works in Paris, news of his windfall quickly spreads among his neighbours, who flock to him for loans as new troubles rain down on his head.
Xala | November 26, 6:30pm
A pompous businessman finds himself struggling with impotence after taking a much younger third wife, in Sembène’s landmark satire of patriarchy and class in post-independence Senegal. Presented in a new 4K restoration.
TIFF Cinematheque Special Screenings | tiff.net/special
Se7en (d. David Fincher) | November 5, 9:30pm
When a mysterious killer begins perpetrating a string of gruesome, fiendishly inventive murders based on the seven deadly sins, world-weary cop William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) gets assigned to the case while also being saddled with a new partner, hot-headed young detective David Mills (Brad Pitt).
Twenty-eight years after Se7en, director David Fincher reunites with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker for his newest film, The Killer, playing exclusively at TIFF Bell Lightbox starting October 27.
Carnival of Souls (d. Herk Harvey) | November 12, 8:30pm
Director Herk Harvey’s only narrative feature, Carnival of Souls, is now widely beloved as a cult classic, having been later reappraised as essential viewing in independent genre filmmaking.
Detour (d. Edgar G. Ulmer) | November 22, 6:30pm
Hapless pianist Al Roberts (Tom Neal), while hitching to LA to join his singer girlfriend, is forced into a fatal deception when one of his rides expires; afraid that he’ll take the rap, Roberts takes over the dead man’s car and identity.
Modelled after Edgar G. Ulmer’s Depression-era classic Detour, Christian Petzold’s Cuba Libre also screens this November as part of Staying Alive: The Films of Christian Petzold.
The 39 Steps (d. Alfred Hitchcock) | November 29, 8:15pm
Based on the novel by John Buchan, Hitchcock creates a classic spy thriller for the ages.
Influenced by Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, Christian Petzold’s graduation film Pilots also screens this November as part of Staying Alive: The Films of Christian Petzold.
See the North | tiff.net/seethenorth
Archangel with Guy Maddin | November 14, 6:30pm
A traumatized Canadian soldier arrives in Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution, only to find himself enmeshed in the lives of his local hosts, in Guy Maddin’s black-and-white 16mm fever dream. Presented in a new 4K restoration.
TIFF Family Films | tiff.net/family
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (d. Steven Spielberg) | November 5, 1pm
The tale of a gentle extra-terrestrial feels as heartfelt as ever more than 40 years later. Screening in 35mm!
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING
Silver Screenings: Faces Places | November 3, 11am
This event is in honour of Sylvia Lustgarten (1926–2023) who co-founded the Ageless International Film Festival at the age of 91.
Silver Screenings and the Ageless Film Festival will host a free screening of Faces Places for an intergenerational audience. In this charming, award-winning documentary, director Agnès Varda and photographer/muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.
International Cinema Cafe | November 5 & 26
Reel Talk is now International Cinema Cafe and continues to provide a snapshot of the best cinema from around the world, with a focus on films submitted for Best International Picture at the Academy Awards and hidden gems that may not see wide release.
Supporter Appreciation Weekend | November 11 & 12
In recognition of National Philanthropy Day (Nov. 15), TIFF will be hosting a weekend filled with special programming, activities, and perks exclusive to Members within the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Stay tuned for more information to come.
TIFF Primetime: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off | November 15, 7pm
Following the Canadian premiere of episodes 101-103 of the highly anticipated new Netflix series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, writers and co-showrunners Bryan Lee O’Malley and BenDavid Grabinski join us for an onstage conversation about their animated adaptation of O’Malley’s iconic Toronto-set graphic novel series. Scott, Ramona Flowers, all seven of her evil exes, and the rest of the original cast from Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World reunite for a familiar but brand new adventure in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Loved It: R. F. Kuang on The Personal History of David Copperfield | November 18, 7pm
R. F. Kuang, bestselling author of this year’s literary sensation Yellowface, joins us in person to present a screening of Armando Iannucci’s ingenious The Personal History of David Copperfield, adapted from Charles Dickens’ iconic Bildungsroman David Copperfield and starring Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, and Tilda Swinton. Following the screening, Kuang will discuss the film’s influence on her own bestselling novel Babel.
Audiences will be able to purchase pre-signed copies of Kuang’s novels Babel and Yellowface as add-ons when purchasing tickets for this event. Following the in-cinema event, Kuang will also personally sign copies of her books.
This event is presented in partnership with Programming Partner HarperCollins Canada.
TIFF Next Wave: Open Screen | November 29, 6pm
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 feedback and perspective on their work after it plays on the big screen.
Open Screen is co-presented by Future of Film Showcase and POV. This event is generously supported by the RBC Foundation, in support of RBC Emerging Artists.
NEW RELEASES
Opening October 27 | One week only
The Delinquents | Mongrel Media
Argentinian writer-director Rodrigo Moreno reinvents the heist movie from the inside out with this playful, inventive story about work-life balance.
✅ Oscars 2024 – Argentina’s Oscars submission for Best International Feature Film
✅ TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, Centrepiece programme
Playing November 5 | Special Screening
Rojek | Maison 4:3
Filmmakers speak with some of the most senior members of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in captivity in Syria. The backdrop is a country trying to stay vigilant as it struggles to recover from years of war. Confronted with the fundamentalist beliefs of the jihadists, the film attempts to trace the rise and the fall of the IS through their personal stories.
✅ Oscars 2024 – Canada’s Oscars submission for Best International Feature Film
✅ Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival – Winner, Directors Guild Special Jury Prize (Zayne Akyol)
Playing November 7 | Special Screening
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes | IFC Films
The Urashima Tunnel can grant any wish – for a price. High school boy Kaoru, plagued by a troubled past, teams up with Anzu, a girl who struggles to place obligations before her dreams, to investigate the Tunnel. But the cost of their hearts’ desires may be too high to pay. This is an unforgettable summer story of nostalgia, young love, and bending time itself.
✅ Annecy Festival 2023 – Winner, Paul Grimault Prize
Playing November 23 | Special Screening
Orlando, My Political Biography | filmswelike
Theorist, critic, and curator Paul B. Preciado takes Virginia Woolf’s classic novel as a starting point for a bold, joyous reflection on the nature of contemporary trans life and a celebration of queerness.
✅ TIFF 2023 – Official Selection, Wavelengths programme
✅ Berlin International Film Festival – Four Awards, including the Encounters Award – Special Jury Prize
COMING IN DECEMBER
To cap off 2023, TIFF is thrilled to welcome audiences throughout the month of December and throughout the holiday season. TIFF Cinematheque will feature a Magnificent 70mm series, showcasing crowd favourites like 2001: A Space Odyssey and this year’s blockbuster smash Oppenheimer in stunning 70mm film. Additionally, a Toronto-exclusive New Release title will be announced.
Public Programming will present Sing-a-long-a, a joyous and participatory celebration of musical favourites, including The Sound of Music and, for the first time in this sing-a-long-a format in Canada, The Greatest Showman. Tickets for this series are on sale as of October 18.
The full December Programming release will be unveiled November 15, 2023.
By Mr. Will Wong
After making a huge splash at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Cord Jefferson‘s AMERICAN FICTION is riding a high since winning the coveted People’s Choice Award, a very good indicator that it is Oscars-bound.
The Satire, based on Percival Everett‘s novel ERASURE is set to hit theatres over the Holidays and today we got a first look as its Trailer launched officially. It centers on Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who is a respected figure in the literary world. Tired of black stereotypes, he writes a novel under a pseudonym that features every Black clichĂ© possible, which goes on to garner him tons of interest (more than anything he’s ever written) and hence, a huge dilemma to deal with.
We were so fortunate to sit-in on a Press Junket with Jefferson, whose feature directorial debut is an epic one.
He’s asked by Rotten Tomatoes about landing on the perfect Trailer.
Jefferson: “I’ll let the Trailer speak for itself. It has gone through a rigorous process, and we’ve been working on it for months now. I’m thrilled to share it with everybody. I really love it. It has gone through different iterations and finally we’ve landed on one we’re all thrilled about.”.
Jefferson is asked about his connection with the Film’s source material and why he chose to adapt it for the big screen.
Jefferson: “I first heard about the Novel when I was reading a review in December 2020 for INTERIOR CHINATOWN (by Charles Yu), a Satire similar to Percival Everett‘s ERASURE. Within 50 pages of reading it, I’m already reading Monk in Jeffrey’s voice. I knew I wanted to direct it. There were just so many overlaps with my personal life and things that I’ve been thinking about for decades. It felt like someone had written me a gift. When I stepped away from it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and when I was done reading, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was electrified. A piece of Art has never resonated so deeply with me.”.
He tells us about the process of getting star Jeffrey Wright to sign-on in the leading role.
Jefferson: “Once the Script was done, I told everyone that I wanted Jeffrey, and everyone agreed. I sent it right away to him. Thankfully, he met with me and talked a few hours. We met a couple weeks later and talked for a few more hours and he signed on. There’s a reason I’ll forever be indebted, but the main one is that this is the guy who was in Basquiat and Angels in America. When I first saw him, I was blown away. I’ve followed his career throughout. Batman, 007, this guy in Wes Anderson’s go-to. These are the biggest movies in world. For me to come to him, having never written or directed anything, I was terrified he was gonna say no. I think it’s a real testament to him as Artist and Human Being, willing to put faith in me. A lot of Actors of his caliber don’t want to risk it on first-time Director. He lept aboard and things got more easy. We got more funding and more Actors wanted to come aboard to work with him.”.
We then learn about their alignment in vision for the film adaptation.
Jefferson: “The first thing he said is that ‘I don’t want to feel this Movie is scolding or condemning anybody’. That’s the exact thing I said, and I didn’t want it to feel like a lecture about the right way or wrong way to be black. We were both on the same page. No ‘pull up your pants’ or finger-wagging. All we wanted to do is make a movie that addressed these issues with levity and ton of humour, yet with an emotional center. And for people to be smiling and laughing with their friends and family. As soon as he said that, I knew this was the guy.”.
Jefferson tells us about casting the perfect love interest and Supporting Cast for Monk.
Jefferson: “I’ve been following Maxine Shaw (Erika Alexander) since LIVING SINGLE. I recognize good work. When it came time to talk about Jeffrey’s love interest, we got a lot of pitches from agencies for people in their 20s and 30s, and I understand that’s what they do in Hollywood. I wanted someone to be closer to Jeffrey in age. I felt this woman is formidable and Monk in this role is a pugnacious, strongheaded, stubbon person, so you need a good foil for that energy. Erika comes in and brings a joy and strength to the character. As soon as I saw her, I knew this was the exact right choice. She shines every time she’s on screen. Jeffrey plays Monk who is a standoffish guy who’s isolated himself. He’s a crotchety College Professor, so surrounding him with an Ensemble that brings levity and natural charm to the part was great. You see this way they balance Monk. They bring the smile and illicit laughter which others in his life don’t.”.
We learn about how Jefferson finds the right balance between Drama and Comedy in this Satire.
Jefferson: “Even in the lowest of times, you have to find joy and pleasure. I didn’t ever make anything with an audience in mind as that’s when you second guess yourself. I focussed on a strategic balance. I wanted the Movie to be Satire. ERASURE is a wonderful satirical novel and I knew I wanted that to be large part of the story. I wanted to ensure the Movie didn’t become farcicial. I had to ensure it didn’t collapse under that weight and become Slapstick. The family – the relationships Monk has with his mother and siblings help balance each other out so it’s never too sweet or bitter. It balances in a way the story doesn’t collapse under the weight of Drama or Comedy. Striking a balance was important. I wanted it to feel authentic to life.”.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release AMERICAN FICTION in select theatres December 15, 2023 and expands December 22, 2023.
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