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 López 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 Brendemühl
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 Müller 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.
Emitaï | 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 cliché 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.
Varda, TIFF’s new café-bar and lounge, officially opens Friday, October 6 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Designed as a welcoming and inspiring space to gather, TIFF is inviting people from all over the GTA to join the opening-day celebrations from 5pm to 7pm; sample Varda’s snack menu, prepared by Toronto-Chef Trevor Lui; and toast the French director Agnès Varda, who inspired the space and concept.
“In re-imagining this third floor space, we looked to the visionary Agnès Varda for inspiration ― her spirit of creativity and exploration informed not just the look and feel of the space, but the atmosphere and energy that a space like this could provide,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “Just as Varda’s films captured the essence of life and humanity, our café aspires to create a space where people can come together, share stories, and forge meaningful connections.”
A destination for delicious drinks, a place to stop by and meet with friends, and a hotspot to take in the bright lights of King Street, Varda is open Wednesday to Friday, 9am–10pm and Saturday to Sunday, 11am–10pm, with special cinq à sept offerings throughout October in homage to Varda’s beloved classic film, Cléo de 5 à 7. During opening weekend, audiences can catch special screenings of this film, as well as Jane B. par Agnès V. and a performance by pianist Jennifer Lo.
Varda’s seasonal snack menu, designed by Chef Lui, features small bites from guacamame dip (a blend of pulsed edamame and avocado dip) with wonton chips to Chinese charcuterie. For drinks, an assortment of the late director’s favourite teas from Genuine Tea and coffee from local roaster De Mello will be on offer. The spirits menu features signature cocktails like the French 75 and the Rosalie Royale, named after Varda’s daughter Rosalie, which is punctuated by crème-de-cassis, sparkling wine, Angostura bitters, and floral bitter. In the mornings, a rotation of decadent and buttery French pastries from De Mello.
Varda is one part of a full-scale transformation of TIFF’s third-floor renovation. Designed by Toronto-based creative studio DesignAgency, the sprawling corridor and its adjacent spaces are highlighted by new seating areas throughout, creating the star of the transformed third floor. An elegant marble and cork bar, topped by a polished brass gantry, draws guests into the lounge and sets a glamorous mood. Intimate seating, acoustic wall panelling, and layers of plush textures ensure a quietly luxurious experience.
Varda Opening-Weekend Programme at TIFF Bell Lightbox
October 6, 5–7pm: Complimentary celebration ― open to all, featuring a performance by pianist Jennifer Lo.
October 7, 4pm: Cléo de 5 à 7, Varda’s second and arguably her most well-known feature is the only work by a woman filmmaker recognized as part of the nouvelle vague canon. Following Cléo (Corinne Marchand), a coquettish cabaret singer, as she wanders the streets of Paris while awaiting the possibly dire results of a medical test, Varda traces the inner growth of her female flâneuse from constructed feminine ideal to more fully realized person over the course of an eventful afternoon. Ticketed event. Free to Members.
October 8, 3:45pm: Jane B. par Agnès V.,a portrait of the iconic actress, singer, model Jane Birkin as “an imaginary biopic,” is a barrelling succession of fantastical scenarios and roles that sprang from the minds and musings of both the director and her subject. A playful exploration of the magical inner lives of both women, which makes bedfellows of fact and fantasy as it ruminates on the nature of performance with a candour of spirit (if not situation) that transfixes and enchants. Ticketed event. Free to Members.
October also marks the introduction of Member Tuesdays at TIFF Bell Lightbox, which offers exclusive access to Varda for Members from 5–10pm complementing a full slate of programming curated with Members in mind. This includes 5 à 7 drink special year-round, the return of Secret Movie Club, Member-exclusive events, additional free Cinematheque screenings, and more to be announced.
One of the joys of the Film Festival is getting to drive a car from the Acura family. For TIFF ’23, we had the honour of being paired with the gorgeous 2023 Acura TLX TYPE S in a gorgeous Performance Red Pearl. We literally paint the town red! I was floored by its looks right away, with a flashy trunk spoiler and exposed dual-rectangle exhaust finishers. There also is a diamond pentagon grille which makes it stand out.
In what was a more low-key Festival this year with TIFF working around the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. we found we were still working the usual long hours and there was still plenty of talent in and around town to capture. In fact, we were out and about every single day of the Festival, whether it be doing press ahead of the Festival at CP24 or eTalk‘s TIFF Studio, right up to the announcement of the People’s Choice Winner on closing day. Even with limitations, we made the best of it all and couldn’t have done it without the Acura TLX Type S!
Because we had a downtown presence, a sleek, compact ride was necessary – weaving through narrow alleyways and underground parking lots. The 2023 Acura TLX Type S is as much style as it is performance, packed with gorgeous details. It is powered by a 3.0-litre, 24-valve, Direct Injection, turbocharged V6 engine with 355 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. of torque. Its Fuel Economy tallies in at a combined city/highway 11 litres/100 km which actually took us a long way per tank of gas.
The Driver gets a 16-way power adjustable seat and front passenger’s seat include 4-way power lumbar support, seats in Ebony Leather with Ultrasuede. Drives, especially at night were ambient with Acura‘s IconicDrive™ Selectable LED Ambient Lighting allowing you to light-up up to ten different areas. Simply stunning.
Gonna miss the 2023 @AcuraCanada TLX. A perfect, sleek and compact companion to navigate #TIFF23. pic.twitter.com/Hx9urnmvOI
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 19, 2023
Safety is a priority with Acura and this ride contains all the features to protect you including lane assist system, lane departure warning system, plus blind spot and forward collision warning systems as well. You also get ABS Brakes, Stability Control, Front-impact Airbags, Side-impact Airbags, Overheard Airbags, Knee Airbags, Pretensioners and Anti-Whiplash. As car theft is very much at the top of all our minds, the TLX is equipped with a way to anticipate and detecting unwanted vehicle intrusion. It is armed with an ignition disable device that prevents the engine from starting if the correct original key isn’t being used. We love that also within seconds, the car locks on its own after we walk away from it. Above this, it is hyper-sensitive and aware of your surroundings, especially when backing out of a spot – with the help of its rearview camera – giving you very prevalent audio warnings to keep you out of trouble.
While it takes a bit of getting used to in navigating the Acura TLX‘s touchpad which enables you to navigate the car’s setup, including audio entertainment. Bluetooth connectivity is simple to set-up and it is enabled for SiriusXM satellite radio, with a 10.2″ touchscreen display, plus an abundance of USB charging ports and a wireless charger.
The audio system is next-level, coming with an ELS Studio® 3D Premium Audio System, complete with a 17-speaker surround system, including 4 ultra-slim Highline™ overhead speakers. This is an audiophile’s dream.
Take a walk with us down memory lane as we painted the town red with the 2023 Acura TLX Type S.
The 2023 Acura TLX Type S starts at $64,226.00 CAN. More here.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
By David Baldwin
South Korea, circa the 1970s. The shellfish game is not what it used to be in the seaside town of Guncheon. Choon-ja (Kim Hye-soo), Jin-sook (Yum Jung-ah) and their band of haenyeo (female free divers) are running out of options and turn to smuggling a plethora of goods in order to make ends meet. Two years after a turbulent episode, Choon-ja has a run-in with Sergeant Kwon (Zo In-sung), the nation’s smuggling king. He initially plans to kill her but relents when she makes him an offer to keep his operation running smoothly.
Would you guess that SMUGGLERS is a whole lot of fun from that description? Co-Writer/Director Ryoo Seung-wan has crafted a Crime Thriller that somehow balances tonal swings of light-hearted humour and brutal violence. That may not sound like it should work, yet it manages to entertain and delight for much of its 129-minute running time. The ’70s aesthetic lends itself to a wonderful colour palette, filled with brilliantly vivid costumes, sets and gorgeous underwater photography. The funky Score by Chang Kiha is pretty great too as is the chaotic fight choreography employed in two specific scenes.
SMUGGLERS is not without its problems though. The pacing is a little muddled in some areas, with a lengthy prologue introducing most of the players chief amongst them. Some scenes could have easily been tightened instead of having so much time to breathe. And while it makes sense given the genres Ryoo is juggling, the number of double, triple and quadruple crosses gets to be more than just slightly absurd and convoluted.
That said, the acting more than makes up for these issues. The duo of Kim and Yum is terrific, deftly carrying the film and its many tonal pivots. SMUGGLERS only works because of the strength of their performances and their command of the screen. Supporting work from Zo, Park Jeong-min, Go Min-si and especially Kim Jong-soo, who plays a slimy customs chief, are excellent; each one getting a number of moments to shine. It is a great ensemble overall, all in service of helping make SMUGGLERS more wildly entertaining than I ever imagined.
SMUGGLERS screens at TIFF ’23:
Wednesday, September 13 at 9:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
Thursday, September 14 at 3:00 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Saturday, September 16 at 2:45 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Sunday, September 17 at 8:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
By Mr. Will Wong
Premiering as part of TIFF‘s Primetime Programme dedicated to Television, Channel 4‘s ALICE & JACK stars Andrea Riseborough and Domhnall Gleeson as two lovers who meet online and despite not having much in common initially, the sparks fly.
Alice however, is cold and adamant that Jack should never call her again, though they both cannot stop thinking about one another. This goes off and on for several years and amidst the gaps, Jack is forced to move on with his life and this poses problems with mysterious Alice suddenly resurfacing again in his life. Why is she so afraid to let him in?
Victor Levin writes and Juho Kuosmanen directs, with some phenomenal work by our two leads, particularly Riseborough who keeps us hanging with her outbursts of anger, which are balanced by sudden acts of kindness that keep us guessing what her deal is.
The limitations of the television format push the pacing along too rapidly and things unfold and get resolved some times a little too conveniently despite the Series never backing away from exploring the complex messiness of love. In fact, we are seeing a recurring theme among some of the biggest titles at TIFF ’23 – an exploration of dynamics between men and women and also the psychological impacts of trauma. Our attention was kept throughout the 83-minute runtime.
ALICE & JACK screens at TIFF ’23:
Saturday, September 16
Royal Alexandra Theatre
5:00 PM
Sunday, September 17
TIFF Bell Lightbox
9:15 AM
By David Baldwin
Not that long ago, Sylvester Stallone was one of the biggest Hollywood movie stars on the planet. He was action movie royalty and the man who breathed life into Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, two of the most iconic characters in film history. Director Thom Zimny explores these elements in his documentary SLY, where he sets out to explore Stallone’s career from the beginning until now.
Zimny’s portrait of the legendary Action Star is enjoyable for the most part. He charts Stallone’s tumultuous home life with his abusive father, his struggles to get Rocky made with him as the lead, the immediate critical and financial evisceration he received after, and how he ended up carving out his own path as an Actor/Writer/Director; all the while speaking to Stallone in the present as movers pack up his memorabilia for a big move. Stallone is a refreshingly honest interview subject which makes the Film much less fluffy than it could have been.
And while I question why Quentin Tarantino is a talking head here, it was fun hearing Talia Shire, Frank Stallone Jr., John Herzfeld and Arnold Schwarzenegger all talk about their histories with Stallone.
Zimny’s Documentary is not without its faults. For one, Sly spends a long amount of time leading up to Rocky and the aftermath. Then it whips through the rest of the ’80s and practically sprints through the remaining years with very little time for reflection. I get the reason for the early focus and appreciated the self-deprecating comments about Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, but if this is supposed to be about his full career, then why not spread the love a bit better? And no, Barney Ross from The Expendables is nowhere near as iconic or comparable to Rocky or Rambo despite what the Film may suggest.
More egregious is how Zimny discusses Stallone’s son Sage who passed away in 2012. He is shown a handful of times and mentioned in passing, yet not treated with the same amount of emphasis as Stallone’s father. I am sure Zimny has his reasons for not including Sage more; it just comes at the cost of brushing away a pretty pivotal moment in Stallone’s saga. Much like everything else in the second half of Sly, there should have been way more time for reflection.
SLY screens at TIFF ’23:
Saturday, September 16 at 6:30 PM at Princess of Wales Theatre
Saturday, September 16 at 8:00 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
Sunday, September 17 at 7:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
By David Baldwin
An earthquake has ripped through Seoul leaving mass devastation in its wake. Millions are dead and buildings and roads have been reduced to rubble. The only thing left standing is the Hwang Gung apartment complex, where the residents continue to wait for a rescue that is not coming anytime soon. With groups of survivors desperately seeking food and shelter daily, the residents join together to decide on the next course of action and how they will survive the harsh winter ahead.
The title of this film may be CONCRETE UTOPIA, but it resembles more of a dystopic nightmare. Co-Writer/Director Um Tae-hwa’s Social Thriller (based off a Webtoon) is an unsettling and shocking experience that becomes gradually more disturbing as it progresses. It is incredibly bleak and brutal yet feels restrained – I certainly thought it was going to devolve into something much more repulsive than it does. The Film reminded me a lot of George A. Romero’s legendary Dawn of the Dead as well as the video game/TV series The Last of Us in its look, feel and themes. Um does not rip off either source wholesale, rather he uses them as more of a blueprint for the hellscape Seoul has become. The CGI and horrific set design work are both quite stellar as well.
While there is one specific reveal I wish Um used closer to the finale as opposed to early on, my only other gripe with CONCRETE UTOPIA is the sheer amount of characters and exposition they have to deliver. He wisely only returns to life seconds prior to the earthquake twice and confidently leaves some questions and plot threads unresolved. But Um gets bogged down in some of the specifics and relies a bit too heavily on montages. Worse, he does not do nearly enough to differentiate the characters beyond the leads played by Park Seo-jun, Park Bo-young and an absolutely deplorable Lee Byung-hun. They each do a great job in their roles and terrifically handle the moral quandaries that are endlessly thrown at them. A tighter line of sight from Um could have made their work even stronger.
CONCRETE UTOPIA screens at TIFF’23:
Sunday, September 10 at 5:00 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
Monday, September 11 at 10:50 PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Friday, September 15 at 9:00 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Saturday, September 16 at 8:30 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox
The Toronto International Film Festival® ― which concluded last evening with the Closing Night screening of Thom Zimny’s Sly at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall ― has announced its award recipients for the 48th edition of the Festival.
“We’re grateful to all the audience members, artists, industry professionals, and supporters who graced Toronto’s cinemas, red carpets, meeting spaces, and streets,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF CEO. “As we recognize award winners today, we thank everyone who contributed to this glorious, collective gift.”
“From the most revered veterans to the freshest new voices, this year’s Festival played host to the diverse range of filmmakers Toronto is known for,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “And Toronto’s filmgoers turned up in huge numbers to be a part of the celebration. We’re grateful to our film jurors for their invaluable contributions, for championing emerging talent, and for enriching the film community with their expertise and passion.”
SHORT CUTS AWARDS
Short Cuts Awards are for Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. Each winning film will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The winners of the three awards are:
Short Cuts Award for Best Film: Electra, dir. Daria Kashcheeva
Jury’s statement: “Singular and accomplished, this sickly sweet nightmare of a film packs a mighty final punch. Visceral and infinitely textured, it leads us down a contorted rabbit hole with thematic and visual prowess. With great pleasure, the jury presents the Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film to Electra, directed by Daria Kashcheeva. Electra resonates with under-the-skin discomfort long after the film is over.”
Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Motherland, dir. Jasmin Mozaffari
Jury’s statement: “Displaying great mastery of craft, this incredibly ambitious film excels in its direction, performances, sound, and picture, with every frame exhibiting love and intention. The jury is pleased to present the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film to Motherland directed by Jasmin Mozaffari. The film left us with one word collectively: wow.”
Share Her Journey Award: Shé (Snake), dir. Renee Zhan
Jury’s statement: “For this film’s incredibly original and surreal creativity, which is matched with beautiful acting, the jury is thrilled to give the Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Renee Zhan for Shé (Snake). It’s not common to be bewitched by grotesque creatures in a film, but here they captured the hearts of the audience thanks to their humour and charm.”
Honourable Mention: Gaby’s Hills, dir. Zoé Pelchat
Jury’s statement: “Featuring an ensemble cast with incredible organic chemistry, Gaby’s Hills delivered a moving portrayal of a girl in puberty returning home to find her womanhood reflected back to her in the community. Carefully crafted with layered themes, the jury is delighted to present an honourable mention for the Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award to Gaby’s Hills, directed by Zoé Pelchat.”
The 2023 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards are Aisha Jamal, Araya Mengesha, and Shasha Nakhai.
NETPAC AWARD
The 2023 NETPAC jury members include: Sung Moon, Haolun Shu, and Lalita Krishna.
TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2023 NETPAC Jury has selected Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s A Match as this year’s NETPAC winner.
The 2023 NETPAC jury released the following statement: “First, the jury would like to express how impressed they were by the strong films in this category, which covered a range of social issues using diverse artistic styles. The jury gives an honourable mention to Mimang, where director Kim Taeyang created a lyrical tale through visuals of a changing city that perfectly captured the longing of its protagonists. The NETPAC award was instituted to promote Asian cinema and to bring international attention to independent and non-mainstream films focusing on the discovery of new talent. The jury commends the courage of this year’s winner, a first time feature director, for taking a risk and delivering a story that is enlightening and entertaining. The director worked with a cast of non-actors that not only resulted in a stellar performance, but achieved a level of authenticity needed to drive home the social message. An immersive portrayal of life in an Indian village, highlighting its oppressive patriarchal customs, the NETPAC award this year goes to A Match by Jayant Digambar Somalkar.”
FIPRESCI PRIZE
The 2023 FIPRESCI jury members include: Cem Altinsaray, Elijah Baron, Jindřiška Bláhová, Diego Faraone,
and Jenni Zylka.
The jury is delighted to announce Seagrass, dir. Meredith Hama-Brown, as this year’s FIPRESCI winner.
The 2023 FIPRESCI jury released the following statement: “A married couple in crisis seems willing to give what is usually the last resource to save its bond: couples therapy, while they’re having a vacation at the Pacific coast together with their two daughters. Their contact with other couples is an inevitable temptation and a fire test. Meanwhile, their daughters confront the world, their fears, puberty — and the ghosts of unresolved conflicts of their parents. This intimate, endearing, and wonderfully framed first feature film by young Canadian actor and director Meredith Hama-Brown skillfully deals with subjects like masculinity, family taboos, motherhood, and structural anti-Asian racism. Hama-Brown carefully stages her convincing actors, especially the young ones, and even gives life to a tender relationship between a little girl and a ball.
We are happy to honour the film Seagrass with the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) at TIFF 2023.”
AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE
This year, Canada Goose will again present the Amplify Voices Awards to under-represented filmmakers in Canada. Feature films in Official Selection by Canadian BIPOC filmmakers are eligible for the Best Feature and Best First Feature Award. The Amplify Voices Award will also celebrate a Canadian BIPOC trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape. The three winners will receive a cash prize of $10,000 each, made possible by Canada Goose.
The three Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose winners are:
Amplify Voices Award – Best BIPOC Canadian Feature: Kanaval, dir. Henri Pardo
Jury’s statement: “There has never been a Canadian film that captures both magical realism and post-colonial trauma in such a beautiful, poetic, and convincing way. Seamless in the way the story has been weaved together, this film refuses to follow a linear storyline, understanding intimately how the past and future always exist in the present, and lifting centuries-old legacies into the cinema. Centered around the powerful and awe-inducing performance of newcomer Rayan Dieudonné, this film is an honest ode to the immigrant experience. The jury celebrates Kanaval and the singular cinematic talent of Henri Pardo.”
Amplify Voices Award for Best BIPOC Canadian First Feature Award: Tautuktavuk (What We See), dirs. Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk
Jury’s statement: “Through powerful self-representation, this story honours rituals that have been and rituals that are made anew, reflecting a rare purity in its filmmaking approach. The makers of this film powerfully capture truth in its most unadorned form, turning the camera inward to both look at and listen to themselves and their community, placing trust in and honouring the authenticity of their voices. The jury celebrates the co-directors of Tautuktavuk, Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk, for their work in powerfully navigating difficult and necessary conversations from a place of unapologetic ownership and unwavering communal care.”
The 2023 jurors for the Amplify Voices Awards presented by Canada Goose are V.T. Nayani, Nisha Pahuja, and Ricardo Acosta.
The Amplify Voices Award also celebrates a Canadian BIPOC Trailblazer, recognizing a producer who has made significant contributions to the Canadian film landscape.
The 2023 Amplify Voices Trailblazer Award was presented to Damon D’Oliveira, producer.
Damon is a veteran producer responsible for bringing to screen some of Canada’s most critically and commercially successful films and television (Brother, Rude, The Grizzlies, The Book of Negroes, and Wildhood). An early champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion both in front and behind the camera, Damon’s career has focused on producing content that centered underrepresented, racialized, and 2SLGBTQ+ voices. His latest film, Brother, directed by Clement Virgo, had its World Premiere at TIFF 2022 to strong critical acclaim and has been invited to a number of additional festivals including the Busan Film Festival, Sao Paulo Film Festival, and in Competition at the BFI London, Gothenburg, and Tromsø Film Festivals.
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD
The 2023 Best Canadian Feature jury members include: V.T. Nayani, Susan Maggi, and Ricardo Acosta. TIFF is delighted to announce that the 2023 Jury has selected Solo, dir. Sophie Dupuis as this year’s Best Canadian Feature Film.
Jury’s statement: “Sophie Dupuis’s Solo is a specifically intimate and deeply affecting film, full of palpable care and honesty. Whatever your entry point to this film, there is a place for you as part of a larger story and conversation, which is more critical than ever. This coming-of-age narrative is ultimately a film about family, both blood and chosen, and the complications and beauties of both. And it is a story of love, in all of its iterations, of how it can both fail us and set us free.”
BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD HONORABLE MENTION: Kanaval, dir. Henri Pardo
Jury’s statement: “There has never been a Canadian film that captures both magical realism and post-colonial trauma through the singular lens of a young child, in such a beautiful, poetic, and convincing way. The jury is pleased to award an Honorable Mention to Henri Pardo’s Kanaval.”
CHANGEMAKER AWARD
The Changemaker Award is presented to a Festival film that explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment. The award embraces the power in young people seeing their communities represented on screen and celebrates the next generation of storytellers and changemakers in cinema. The winning film comes with a $10,000 CAD prize, and is selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world.
The 2023 jurors for the Changemaker Award are members of TIFF’s Next Wave Committee: Maggie Kane, Linc Guo, Serena Hao, Roni Harel Haber, Ray Wu, Naiya Forrester, Maya Al-Arami, Sara Rana, Daniel Leplae, Tara Sidhu, Tafadzwa Mangwiro, and Elizabeth Albrecht.
The 2023 Changemaker Award is presented to We Grown Now, dir. Minhal Baig.
Minhal Baig offered this statement: “Thank you so much to the Next Wave Committee in recognizing We Grown Now for the Changemaker Award. When I first began interviewing former Cabrini-Green residents years ago, I was deeply moved and surprised by the experiences they shared with me. They spoke both of the challenges and joys of life in a public housing project. It was essential in making the film that we embrace that reality and present the high rises through the lens of children who called it home. Though the high rises have long since been demolished, Cabrini-Green remains an indelible part of the history of Chicago and public housing in America, and I hope the film sparks meaningful cultural conversation. I am beyond honoured that the Next Wave Committee has recognized the film and the importance of its social issues.”
TIFF’s Next Wave Committee provided this statement: “We Grown Now offers a compelling depiction of family and friendship within the backdrop of Chicago’s public housing project, Cabrini-Green. Frequently shadowed by the stereotypes of drugs, violence, and crime, this film strives to break the mold. Minhal dedicated a significant amount of time to connect with former residents of the now-demolished homes to learn their stories. The result is a profound and significant story of boyhood innocence and hope, and the struggle two young friends face as they grapple with the possibility of saying goodbye to each other. We were able to connect with this film because we saw friends and family in it, the struggles they face everyday, and the parts of their lives we may never personally know. We believe in the self-discovery and power that comes from seeing your community represented in film. We know how dedicated Minhal is to tell stories that matter and that mean something to those they are about, and we hope that this award will aid her in her journey forward.”
PLATFORM AWARD
The Platform Award is an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury. This year’s jury members are: Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, and Anthony Shim.
The 2023 Platform Award is awarded to: Dear Jassi, dir. Tarsem Singh Dhandwar.
The Platform Jury released this statement: “Dear Jassi was a unanimous choice for this year’s Platform Award for its honest and poignant portrayal of a subject matter that still affects large portions of individuals forced to live under the inhumanity of bitter caste systems throughout the globe. The film has the perfect blend of craft, purpose, and faith in its audience, creating a world that is both richly cinematic and steadfastly realistic. The young leads, Yugam Sood and Pavia Sidhu, are by turns breathtaking and, in performances that pull no punches, heartbreaking. Altogether an emphatic work by director Tarsem Singh Dhandwar and his many wonderful collaborators; a film that would be worthy of accolades in any section and which we enthusiastically welcome into the pantheon of winners in this Platform section.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
For the 47th year, the People’s Choice Awards distinguish the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All films in TIFF’s Official Selection were eligible.
The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is Dicks: The Musical dir. Larry Charles.
The first runner-up is Kill dir. Nikhil Nagesh Bhat.
The second runner-up is Hell of a Summer dirs. Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk.
The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe dir. Robert McCallum.
The first runner-up is Summer Qamp dir. Jen Markowitz.
The second runner-up is Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa dir. Lucy Walker.
The TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Award winner is: American Fiction dir. Cord Jefferson.
The first runner-up is The Holdovers dir. Alexander Payne.
The second runner-up is The Boy and the Heron dir. Hayao Miyazaki.
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