#TIFF21: ADDITIONAL TITLES ANNOUNCED IN DOCS, MIDNIGHT MADNESS, WAVELENGTHS AND CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA PROGRAMMES

More titles have been announced for TIFF ’21 in the TIFF Docs, Midnight Madness, Wavelengths and Contemporary World Cinema Programmes. Among those premiering at the Festival this September in Toronto are Cannes Palme d’Or winner TITANE in the Midnight Madness Programme, getting the Opening Film slot.

Also surfacing at TIFF is Sundance hit JOCKEY starring Clifton Collins Jr. The Film competed in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, and also win Collins the US Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Actor and got picked-up by Sony Pictures Classics shortly after. TRUE THINGS starring The Affair‘s Ruth Wilson also will be presented in the Contemporary World Cinema Programme alongside Jockey, among others.

The Festival runs September 9–18, 2021 and will be a combination of in-person and virtual events and screenings.

Titles announced today include:

TIFF DOCS
Presented by A&E IndieFilms

TIFF Docs Opening Film 
Attica Stanley Nelson | USA
World Premiere

Beba Rebeca Huntt | USA/Mexico
World Premiere

Becoming Cousteau Liz Garbus | USA
International Premiere

Burning Eva Orner | Australia
World Premiere

Comala Gian Cassini | Mexico
World Premiere

The Devil’s Drivers Mohammed Abugeth, Daniel Carsenty | Qatar/France/Lebanon/Germany
World Premiere

Flee Jonas Poher Rasmussen | Denmark/France/Sweden/Norway
Canadian Premiere

Hold Your Fire Stefan Forbes | USA
World Premiere

Listening to Kenny G Penny Lane | USA
World Premiere

Oscar Peterson: Black + White Barry Avrich | Canada
World Premiere

The Rescue E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere

Three Minutes – A Lengthening Bianca Stigter | Netherlands/United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace Heather Hatch | Canada
World Premiere

WAVELENGTHS FEATURES

Futura Pietro Marcello, Francesco Munzi, Alice Rohrwacher | Italy
North American Premiere

The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne) Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher | Switzerland 
North American Premiere

Wavelengths Opening Film 
Neptune Frost Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman | Rwanda/USA
North American Premiere

A Night of Knowing Nothing Payal Kapadia | India/France
International Premiere

Ste. Anne Rhayne Vermette | Canada
North American Premiere

The Tsugua Diaries (Diários de Otsoga) Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes | Portugal 
North American Premiere

WAVELENGTHS SHORTS

The Capacity for Adequate Anger Vika Kirchenbauer | Germany 
World Premiere

Dear Chantal (Querida Chantal) Nicolás Pereda | Mexico/Spain
International Premiere

earthearthearth Daïchi Saïto | Canada
North American Premiere

Inner Outer Space Laida Lertxundi | Spain
North American Premiere

Polycephaly in D Michael Robinson | USA 
World Premiere

“The red filter is withdrawn.” (“Le-deu-pil-teo-ga Cheol-hoe-doeb-ni-da.”) Minjung Kim | South Korea
North American Premiere

Train Again Peter Tscherkassky | Austria
North American Premiere

MIDNIGHT MADNESS 

After Blue (Dirty Paradise) Bertrand Mandico | France
North American Premiere

DASHCAM Rob Savage | United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere

Saloum Jean Luc Herbulot | Senegal
World Premiere Midnight Madness Opening Film 
Titane Julia Ducournau | France
North American Premiere

You Are Not My Mother Kate Dolan | Ireland
World Premiere

Zalava Arsalan Amiri | Iran
North American Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Presented by Visa
(New additions to previously announced programme)

Ahed’s Knee (Ha’berech) Nadav Lapid | Israel/France/Germany
North American Premiere

The Box (La Caja) Lorenzo Vigas | USA/Mexico
North American Premiere (previously announced in Contemporary World Cinema) 

France Bruno Dumont | France/Germany/Italy/Belgium 
North American Premiere

Where Is Anne Frank? Ari Folman | Belgium/France/Netherlands/Luxembourg/Israel
North American Premiere

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA 
Presented by Sun Life
(New additions to previously announced programme)

7 Prisoners (7 Prisioneiros) Alexandre Moratto | Brazil
North American Premiere

Compartment No. 6 Juho Kuosmanen | Finland/Germany/Estonia/Russia
North American Premiere

The Gravedigger’s Wife Khadar Ayderus Ahmed | France/Somalia/Germany/Finland
North American Premiere

Jockey Clint Bentley | USA
International Premiere

Small Body Laura Samani | Italy/France/Slovenia
North American Premiere

True Things Harry Wootliff | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

More details here.

(Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics)

#TIFF21: “THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE”, “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”, “ONE SECOND”, “SILENT NIGHT” AND MORE ADDED TO TIFF ’21 LINEUP

Additional titles have been announced for the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival today and some high-profile selections like DEAR EVAN HANSEN and THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE will be debuting here in Toronto this September! The former has been selected as the Festival’s Opening Night selection and makes its way to the screen after critical adoration on Broadway, with star Ben Platt reprising his award-winning role. The Film will be premiering at Roy Thomson Hall on September 9, 2021 with additional screenings at Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place, and digitally on the digital TIFF Bell Lightbox platform.

Iconic Director Zhang Yimou will be presenting his latest, One Second at the Festival with the Film closing out the Festival. The Cultural Revolution-set Drama previously was censored in its homeland China.

This brings the announced titles to 11 Galas and 21 Special Presentations thus far, with more titles to come. The Festival runs September 9-18, 2021.

GALA PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced 

*Belfast Kenneth Branagh | United Kingdom 
World Premiere
 
Clifford the Big Red Dog Walt Becker | USA/United Kingdom/Canada
World Premiere
 

*Opening Night Film*
Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky | USA
World Premiere

 The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Will Sharpe | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

*Jagged Alison Klayman | USA 
World Premiere

*Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

*The Mad Women’s Ball (Le Bal des folles) Mélanie Laurent | France
World Premiere

*Night Raiders Danis Goulet | Canada/New Zealand
North American Premiere

*Closing Night Film*
One Second Zhang Yimou | China
North American Premiere

The Survivor Barry Levinson | USA/Canada/Hungary
World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2021
*previously announced 

Ali & Ava Clio Barnard | United Kingdom 
North American Premiere

All My Puny Sorrows Michael McGowan | Canada
World Premiere

*Benediction Terence Davies | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Bergman Island Mia Hansen-Løve | France
International Premiere

*Charlotte Eric Warin, Tahir Rana | Canada/France/Belgium
World Premiere

*Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner | USA
World Premiere

Drive My Car Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan 
North American Premiere

Encounter Michael Pearce | United Kingdom/USA 
International Premiere

The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter | USA 
World Premiere

*The Guilty Antoine Fuqua | USA
World Premiere

I’m Your Man Maria Schrader | Germany 
North American Premiere

Inexorable Fabrice du Welz | Belgium/France 
International Premiere

*Lakewood Phillip Noyce | Canada 
World Premiere

The Middle Man Bent Hamer | Norway/Canada/Germany/Denmark
World Premiere

Official Competition (Competencia Oficial) Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat | Spain/Argentina
North American Premiere

Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) Jacques Audiard | France
North American Premiere

*Petite Maman Céline Sciamma | France 
Canadian Premiere

*The Starling Theodore Melfi | USA
World Premiere

The Story of My Wife Ildikó Enyedi | Hungary/Germany/Italy/France 
North American Premiere

Three Floors (Tre Piani) Nanni Moretti | Italy/France
North American Premiere

Violet Justine Bateman | USA 
International Premiere

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere

UPDATE (7/28/21): Additional titles at TIFF ’21 have been announced today in Contemporary World Cinema, Special Presentations and Galas! Among those surfacing at the Festival are ONE NIGHT, premiering as a Gala, starring Keira Knightley, Annabelle Wallis and Matthew Goode. A TIFF Rewind retrospective also will be a component of the Festival in partnership with Crave and Bell.

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
Presented by Sunlife

Are You Lonesome Tonight? Wen Shipei | China
North American Premiere

The Box (La Caja)Lorenzo Vigas | USA/Mexico
North American Premiere

Costa Brava, Lebanon (Costa Brava)Mounia Akl | Lebanon/Norway/Sweden/France/Spain/Denmark/Qatar
North American Premiere

The Daughter (La Hija) Manuel Martín Cuenca | Spain
World Premiere

The Hill Where the Lionesses Roar (Luaneshat e kodrës)Luàna Bajrami | Kosovo/France
North American Premiere

Întregalde Radu Muntean | Romania
North American Premiere

Kicking Blood Blaine Thurier | Canada
World Premiere

La Soga 2 Manny Perez | USA
World Premiere

Maria Chapdelaine Sébastien Pilote | Canada
World Premiere

Medusa Anita Rocha da Silveira | Brazil
North American Premiere

Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović | Croatia/Brazil/USA/Slovenia
North American Premiere

Nobody Has to Know Bouli Lanners | France/Belgium/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Odd-Job Men (Sis dies corrents) Neus Ballús | Spain
North American Premiere

The Other Tom (El otro Tom)Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo | Mexico/USA
North American Premiere

OUT OF SYNC (Tres) Juanjo Giménez | Spain
North American Premiere

Terrorizers Ho Wi Ding | Taiwan
World Premiere

Unclenching The Fists Kira Kovalenko | Russia
North American Premiere

Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas) Edwin | Indonesia/Singapore/Germany
North American Premiere

The Wheel Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere 

Whether the Weather is Fine (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon) Carlo Francisco Manatad | Philippines/France/Singapore/Indonesia/Germany/Qatar
North American Premiere

DISCOVERY
Presented by Dyson

Aloners Hong Sung-eun  | South Korea
International Premiere

Anatolian Leopard (Anadolu Leoparı) Emre Kayış | Germany/Denmark/Turkey/Poland
World Premiere

As In Heaven (Du som er i himlen) Tea Lindeburg | Denmark
World Premiere

A Banquet Ruth Paxton | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Dug Dug Ritwik Pareek | India
World Premiere

Farha Darin J. Sallam | Jordan/Sweden/Saudi Arabia
World Premiere

The Game Ana Lazarevic | Serbia/USA
World Premiere

Learn To Swim Thyrone Tommy | Canada
World Premiere

Lo Invisible Javier Andrade | France/Ecuador
World Premiere

Paka (River of Blood)Nithin Lukose | India
World Premiere

Quickening Haya Waseem | Canada
World Premiere

Scarborough Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson | Canada
World Premiere

Snakehead Evan Jackson Leong | USA
International Premiere

To Kill The Beast Agustina San Martín | Argentina/Brazil/Chile
World Premiere

Tug of War (Vuta N’Kuvute)Amil Shivji | Tanzania/South/Africa/Germany/Qatar
World Premiere

Wildhood Bretten Hannam | Canada
World Premiere

GALA PRESENTATIONS

The Good House Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky | USA
World Premiere

Silent Night Camille Griffin | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere
(*Previously announced as a Special Presentation)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Presented by Visa

The Falls (Pu Bu) Chung Mong-Hong | Taiwan
North American Premiere

The Humans Stephen Karam | USA
World Premiere

Inu-Oh Masaaki Yuasa | Japan/China
North American Premiere

Lingui, The Sacred Bonds (Lingui) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad/France/Germany/Belgium
North American Premiere

Mothering Sunday Eva Husson | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

The Power of the Dog Jane Campion | Australia/New Zealand
Canadian Premiere

Sundown Michel Franco | Mexico 
North American Premiere 

Wolf Nathalie Biancheri | United Kingdom/Ireland/Poland
World Premiere

TIFF Rewind presented by Bell

Confirmed films and guests in this program include:

Antoine Fuqua on Training Day
Director Antoine Fuqua revisits his acclaimed police thriller about a rookie cop who spends 24 hours in Los Angeles gang territory with a corrupt senior narcotics officer, which marks the 20th anniversary of its North American premiere at the Festival in 2001. The film earned Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Actor after two previous nominations (and an earlier Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor).

Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara on Best in Show
Director and co-writer Christopher Guest and stars Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy revisit the making of their cult classic about the competitive world of dog shows, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2000.

Patricia Cardoso and America Ferrera on HBO’s Real Women Have Curves
Director Patricia Cardoso and star America Ferrera discuss their breakout hit about a young Mexican American woman coming of age in Los Angeles, which was helmed by a Latina creative team and had its international premiere at the Festival in 2002.

Viggo Mortensen on Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen revisits his second collaboration with David Cronenberg, a crime thriller set in the nebulous, cut-throat underworld of Russian organized crime in London, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2007 and won the People’s Choice Award.

More details to come. Visit here for more.

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

#TIFF21: FIRST WAVE OF FILMS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Best news all year! We’re so excited to hear confirmed today a return to the in-person component at this Fall’s Toronto International Film Festival. Along with that, the first wave of Films to screen at the Festival September 9-18, 2021 have been announced!

Denis Villeneuve‘s DUNE will headline the Festival with a special screening at the historic Cinesphere IMAX Theatre. Other high-profile films to debut at the Festival include: Le Bal des Folles, Belfast (Kenneth Branagh), Benediction (Terence Davies), Charlotte (Eric Warin, Tahir Rana), Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over (Dave Wooley), The Guilty (Antoine Fuqua), Jagged (Alanis Morissette Documentary by Alison Klayman), Lakewood (Philip Noyce), Last Night in Soho (Edgar Wright), Night Raiders (Danis Goulet), Petite Maman (Céline Sciamma), and The Starling (Theodore Melfi) are part of TIFF‘s Official Selection.

What does this mean? With Quarantine rules having relaxed in Ontario, we could be seeing the likes of Melissa McCarthy, Timothy Olyphant, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Anya Taylor-Joy, Catriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Alanis Morissette, Riley Keough, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Irvine and several more in-town this September!

In total there will be 100 films premiering at TIFF ’21 plus public digital experiences presented by Bell, with film screenings on digital TIFF Bell Lightbox available across Canada. In Conversation With… talks and interactive Q&A sessions with actors and creators will be hosted on TIFF Bell Digital Talks, available worldwide.

The 2021 TIFF Tribute Awards once again will be returning this year, and will be broadcast nationally by CTV and streamed internationally by Variety.

Digital ticket package sales start June 30, 2021 for TIFF’s Contributors Circle Members and all ticket dates are available at tiff.net/tickets. Ticket sales are serviced online and by phone only.

(Photo credit: Warner Bros. Canada)

#TIFF: TIFF PRESENTS “QUEER BECOMING” PROGRAMME AS PART OF PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATIONS

TIFF celebrates Pride month with a selection of Films and Conversations as part of their QUEER BECOMING Programme.

Overview: Queer Becoming challenges the commonly used “coming out” trope, and instead highlights a spectrum of powerful “coming into” stories that explore queer identity, queer community, or queer family. Through various tales of self-discovery — some whimsical, others heart-wrenching — these intersectional films demonstrate queer self-actualization at every stage of life, from childhood to late adulthood.

FILMS TO SCREEN (digital TIFF Bell Lightbox)

Cowboys dir. Anna Kerrigan (Vortex Media) A father (Steve Zahn) and his adoring young trans son (Sasha Knight) take to the Montana wilderness to get away from the boy’s transphobic mother. Rental includes a special introduction from Sasha Knight. The True Adventures of Wolfboy dir. Martin Krejčí (Vertical Entertainment) A young boy who feels like an outcast runs away from home to find his estranged mother, meeting a colourful cast of characters along the way. The Heiresses dir. Marcelo Martinessi (Luxbox) After her partner of 30 years is jailed, a woman rediscovers herself and her identity, in Paraguayan director Marcelo Martinessi’s debut feature. Tongues Untied dir. Marlon T. Riggs (Frameline) Through poetry readings, music, dance and personal testimony, Marlon T. Riggs’ lyrical documentary examines the homophobia and racism Black gay men face. No Ordinary Man dirs. Chase Joynt & Aisling Chin-Yee (levelFilm) 🍁 The legacy of Billy Tipton, a 20th-century American jazz musician and trans icon, is brought to life by a diverse group of contemporary trans artists. Rafiki dir. Wanuri Kahiu (Film Movement) The latest from Wanuri Kahiu charts a precarious love story between two young Kenyan women in a society where homosexuality is banned. A Fantastic Woman dir. Sebastián Lelio (Mongrel Media) Sebastián Lelio’s 2017 drama follows a young trans woman struggling with both her own grief and societal prejudice after the death of her older lover. Spa Night dir. Andrew Ahn (Strand Releasing) A closeted Korean American teenager, desperate to support his struggling family, finds work at a Korean spa — where he experiences both fear and a strange thrill as he discovers his own sexuality. Pariah dir. Dee Rees (Entertainment One) Dee Rees’s 2011 narrative feature debut, about a teen claiming her identity as a lesbian, remains a revelation nearly a decade since it first screened at TIFF. This selection of films was programmed by TIFF’s LGBTQ+ Staff Advisory Committee.

Digital Talks + Events

Free on TIFF’s social accounts and Zoom

June 2 at 7pm ET Ahead of the Curve Q&A Free on TIFF’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube With a fistful of credit cards, a lucky run at the horse track, and chutzpah for days, Frances “Franco” Stevens launched the bestselling lesbian lifestyle magazine Curve. The team behind the documentary Ahead of the Curve — including Stevens, co-directors Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow, and subjects Kim Katrin and Andrea Pino-Silva — join us to discuss the intricacies of making a documentary about your spouse, the lived experiences of queer women and non-binary people in America, and the love that brought them all together. June 24 at 7pm ET Deep Focus: Poetic Becoming with Syrus Marcus Ware Live on Zoom TIFF Community Impact hosts artist, activist, and scholar Syrus Marcus Ware for a free interactive workshop inspired by the themes of TIFF’s Queer Becoming programme and Marlon T. Riggs’ documentary Tongues Untied (1989). Join us to explore poetry as a vehicle for self-expression, community building, and activism. Registration will open June 9. Space is limited, with priority for registrants who self-identify as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC. Please note that films and event dates are subject to change.

More here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

#TIFF: TIFF NEXT WAVE 2021

TIFF NEXT WAVE 2021 kicks-off later this week, running Friday, February 12-15, 2021. Celebrating youth-oriented films and programming, the Festival adapts to a virtual format this year, allowing for safe, pyjama-comfort enjoyment right from home!

In addition to an In Conversation With… Finn Wolfhard, there also will be an Opening Night Party. The Young Creators Co-Lab which allows young Filmmakers a chance to connect with professional Filmmakers for tips. There also will be several new films to screen including TIFF ’20 breakout hit BEANS by Tracey Deer. Did you know also that Emma Seligman, who directed acclaimed TIFF ’20 selection SHIVA BABY is TIFF Next Wave alumni? You can see that Film’s star Rachel Sennot in Next Wave selection, TAHARA.

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Our Justin Waldman (@DubsReviews) got to preview some of the most-anticipated titles of the Festival and here are some of his thoughts.

DEATH OF NINTENDO

Death of Nintendo has a lot right going for it, including ’90s nostalgia. The Movie focuses on a group of teenage boys living in Manila, taking place before the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, with a heavy dose of Nintendo throwback, as this group comes into their own identity.

The Film focuses on Paolo (Noel Comia Jr), Kachi (John Vincent Servilla), and Gilligan (Jiggerfelip Sementilla) who are all friends trying to come into their own. At once, they are escaping their own individual issues whether they be problems at home, heartbreak, or not being satisfied with what they have. Everyone is trying to overcome their own personal issues/demons. Their greatest escape is playing Nintendo and being able to escape into their own world, something we might know a thing or two about right now.

Death of Nintendo has some excellent performances from its trio of leads. The universally relatable story by Valerie Castillo Martinez and direction from Raya Martin help these stories excel. The future looks bright for everyone featured here. Death of Nintendo does fall into some coming of age tropes, but the high points are definitely worth the journey.

DEATH OF NINTENDO premieres at TIFF Next Wave Friday, February 12, 2021.

COCOON

Leonie Krippendroff’s Berlin-set Feature Cocoon takes place in the summer of ’18 with themes of exploration, discovery, and change. The Film boasts some fantastic performances from its Cast. This is a beautiful story of self-discovery.

Nora (Lena Urzendowsky) follows her sister Jule (Lena Klenke) around, along with her friend Aylin (Elina Vildanova). Nora endures a horrific accident in school. Retreating to the bathroom in complete embarrassment, she meets Romy (Jella Hasse) and discovers that she feels for Romy, realizing she isn’t interested in boys and vying for their attention, like Jule and Aylin.

Cocoon is metaphoric of the awakening Nora goes through, but also applies to the breakout performances in this Film. There is something so genuine and captivating about Urzendowsky and Hasse’s work that transcends the screen.

COCOON premieres at TIFF Next Wave Saturday, February 13, 2021.

TAHARA

There are a lot of uncomfortable things that occur in this directorial Feature debut from Olivia Peace and first Screenplay by Jess Zeidman. However, Tahara handles some serious subject matter with a bit of levity and comedy, making it a bit tragic, comedic, yet undeniably brilliant.

Tahara takes place in Rochester, NY at a funeral service/Hebrew school. It revolves around a few friends, love interests and classmates as they mourn the passing of their fellow classmate. The Film focuses on Hannah (Rachel Sennott) and Carrie (Madeline Grey DeFreece) as they explore their sexual abilities with each other, so Hannah can make a move on Tristan (Daniel Taveras). Carrie and Hannah realize there might be more to their friendship than initially thought, and things become awkward between them.

Both Sennott and DeFreece deliver fantastic performances with a great, emotion-filled comedic punch. Their chemistry also breaks the tension of the backdrop of the story, losing a classmate at such a young age. Zeidman’s Script delivers, with Peace’s direction focused. This is a must-see!

TAHARA premieres at TIFF Next Wave Friday, February 12, 2021.

Just announced, Rachel Sennott will appear on TIFF‘s Instagram Live 7:30 PM ET February 12, 2021, discussing her career and her Comedy. More details here.

More on TIFF NEXT WAVE including tickets, here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

#FIRSTLOOK: SHAWN MENDES DOCUMENTARY “IN WONDER”

Shawn Mendes fans will be delighted about this! A new Documentary about Pickering’s finest is set to arrive on Netflix next month!

Synopsis:

GRAMMY nominated, multi-platinum singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes and longtime manager Andrew Gertler partner with Netflix to release “IN WONDER” globally on November 23. The debut feature length documentary, a TIFF special event selection, from acclaimed music video director Grant Singer (The Weeknd, Lorde, Sam Smith), is a portrait of Mendes‘ life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey. Executive produced by Andrew Gertler, Shawn Mendes, & Ben Winston; produced by Saul Germaine, p.g.a and James Haygood. This announcement comes on the heels of the release of “Wonder,” the title track off Mendes’ forthcoming album.

See the Trailer:

IN WONDER arrives on Netflix November 23, 2020.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

#TIFF20: AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Female Filmmakers were front and center at TIFF ’20 as the Festival closes-out and this year’s Award winners are announced.

Here are the complete list of winners from this year’s Festival:

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD – NOMADLAND dir. Chloé Zhao. The first runner up is One Night in Miami… dir. Regina King.  The second runner up is  Beans dir. Tracey Deer.

TIFF 2020 People’s Choice Documentary Award winner is Inconvenient Indian dir. Michelle Latimer

TIFF 2020 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award winner is Shadow in the Cloud dir.  Roseanne Liang. 

Shawn Mendes Foundation 2020 Changemaker Award is awarded to Black Bodies, a short film by Kelly Fyffe-Marshall. 

CANADA GOOSE AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS

Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film: Inconvenient Indian, dir. Michelle Latimer

Special Mention: Fauna, dir. Nicolás Pereda (Canadian Film)

Amplify Voices Award: The Disciple, dir. Chaitanya Tamhane

Amplify Voices Award: Night of the Kings, dir. Philippe Lacôte

Special Mention: Downstream to Kinshasa, dir. Dieudo Hamadi

IMDbPro SHORT CUTS AWARDS in partnership with SHARE HER JOURNEY

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Film: Dustin, dir. Naïla Guiguet

IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Benjamin, Benny, Ben, dir. Paul Shkordoff

IMDbPro Short Cuts Share Her Journey Award: Sing Me a Lullaby, dir. Tiffany Hsiung

Honourable mention: O Black Hole!, dir. Renee Zhan

(Photo credit: Searchlight Pictures)

#PRODUCTWATCH: 2020 ACURA ILX TECH A-SPEC | TIFF ’20 HIGHLIGHTS

I knew I’d be in for a treat being paired with the 2020 Acura ILX Tech A-Spec for the Toronto International Film Festival this year. And it never disappoints. The sleek and sporty ride in a stunning Apex Blue Pearl is pure power and style, but spacious enough and loaded with features to nail the marks in practicality.

The ILX Tech A-Spec is powered by a 2.4-litre, 16-valve, DOHC, i-VTEC^® 4-cylinder engine and 201 horsepower @ 6800 rpm. Premium Unleaded fuel is recommended.

There are several things which make the ILX sophisticated and elegant. Firstly, its red Ultrasuede™/leather-trimmed seating surfaces is an aesthetic we can get behind. Its leather-wrapped steering wheel add that touch of style that elevate the driving experience. Driver and Front Passenger have heated seating, a luxury as the temperatures drop these coming months. The former has 10-way adjustable seating and the latter gets 4-way adjustment. All this under a power moonroof which we enjoyed particularly this year in our Drive-In experiences at the Festival! Pure ambience.

Safety features are abundant in this offering from Acura, including 3-point seat belts with Automatic Tensioning System (front), Anti-lock Braking System* (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS^®), Blind Spot Information System, Cross-Traffic Monitoring System, Lane Departure/Keeping Assist Warning (LDW) system, Front side airbags and Side Curtain Airbags are reasons to drive assured knowing the ILX has your back always.

We can’t stress enough the importance of having Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA^®) with Traction Control especially when we drive into rural conditions and on the roads in the winter. It’s a game-changer and life-saver. A multi-angle rear-view camera makes parking and backing-out simple and this plus auto headlights mean we have one less thing to worry about so we can focus on our driving.

Did we mention the car is Proximity Entry? We loathe fumbling for keys and it always is a joy knowing we don’t have to stress about this!

We love a car with several charging options and under the Driver’s Armrest are a few options to stay connected always. It also comes equipped with the Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™ and 8″ display, plus a Multi-Information Colour Display for our audio entertainment. The audio system itself is an ELS Studio^® Premium Audio System with AM/FM/CD/SiriusXM™, 10 speakers and hard disk drive (HDD) media storage. It also has a CD player. We love it! Syncing via Bluetooth with our phone was a breeze. Where we did have connectivity issues was connection on the AM dial and songs would stop playing via Bluetooth occasionally via our phone. We’d notice long blank audio gaps occasionally but this is a small issue.

While we wish Acura would follow the lead of its sister company Honda and introduce an ECON mode as well, we can’t complain about the ILX‘s Fuel Economy especially with fuel prices dipping of late. It tallies-in at 9.9/7.0/8.6 L/100 km for city/highway/combined.

Some of our highlights at TIFF ’20, which we couldn’t have done with this beauty! While this Festival was very different from others, we are grateful still to have gotten to experience it and we’re grateful for the ILX being there for us.

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Nomadland at RBC Lakeside Drive-In. Made possible with the 2020 #AcuraILX. Fashion by @HM Canada. Official face mask available at @tiff_net Gift Shop.🙏 #TIFF20

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 11, 2020 at 6:13pm PDT

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#TIFF20: Wonder what it’s like to see a #TIFF Film in the new Drive-In format? Here’s how it works! So happy we got to do it in the gorgeous 2020 @AcuraCanada ILX! Link on Bio for more! #AcuraILX

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2020 at 5:26am PDT

In addition to this, the ILX Tech A-Spec got us to our interviews safe and efficient, which we appreciate more than ever especially during a Pandemic when we worry about the safety other means of transportation.

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The Masked Blogger. The Team is ready to fire! Be sure to check our rolling page, updated daily for reviews and highlights! Reviews for #ShivaBaby, #TheWayISeeIt, #Ammonite and #Nomadland will all be up later tonight. #TIFF20 (Still/Video credit: @globalnewsto)

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 11, 2020 at 7:02am PDT

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#TIFF20: Loved chatting with @gilldeacon on @cbcradiocanada's Here and Now!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 20, 2020 at 1:10pm PDT

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Thanks Jane Stevenson of @torontosunonline for chatting with me about #TIFF20! We are gearing-up for our coverage with lots of reviews and highlights, plus our annual Prize Pack giveaway this week! Link on Bio for article.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 6, 2020 at 7:47am PDT

And did we mention we’re a Dad again? Our beanie was born during TIFF ’20 (how fitting!) and we had to rush to be by her side to welcome her into this world. We will be bringing her home end of October. So stoked!

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Welcome to the world, Beanie! So proud to be your dad. Gender reveal coming later this week! Don’t forget to follow their adventures on Instagram: @beaniewong. Thank you to the Lucibello family for all their hard work and loving care.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2020 at 4:28pm PDT

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beanie’s gender reveal! 🎈🎉 Thanks for joining us! And don’t forget to follow their adventures on Instagram: @beaniewong.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2020 at 2:17pm PDT

As always, everything happens at once in our world, and we were thrilled to be only one of a few outlets granted access to North America’s most historic horse race, the Queen’s Plate – now in its 161st edition at Woodbine Racetrack.

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That’s a wrap on the #QueensPlate! Congrats to one-eyed wonder MIGHTY HEART, Lawrence P. Cordes, @daifuku_22 and @jcarrollracing! What a race! Thank you @daviddunkleyhat, official Millner of the Queen’s Plate, for the elegant mask.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2020 at 3:27pm PDT

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While things were a bit different this year, the heart of the #QueensPlate was still there. What a story it’s been for one-eyed colt #MightyHeart who took the historic race, leading all the way! And also his jockey #DaisiukeFukumoto who only won his first stake not too along ago this year and now this, North America’s most historic race! My Pictorial is now available on mrwillwong.com.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 13, 2020 at 10:06am PDT

It wouldn’t be TIFF without one of our lucky Readers winning our annual TIFF Survival Pack! Congrats, Calvin!

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#TIFF20: Congrats to Calvin, our TIFF ’20 Survival Prize Pack winner. So nice to finally properly meet him after saying “hi” once in passing at TIFF years ago! Thanks Calvin for welcoming me into your beautiful home! As the lucky winner, he won: 1 Ninja Kitchen Air Fryer, 3.8L (value $189 CAN) 4 Chatime Canada Gift Drink Vouchers with official Chatime Reusable Straws (value $60 CAN) $25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card (value $25 CAN) 1 H&M Canada VIP Discount Card, good for 25% off 1 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Canada Blu-ray™ Set including: Bad Boys For Life, Little Women, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Bloodshot! (value $125) NTD Apparel Inc. official licensed BACK TO THE FUTURE and JAWS Face Coverings (value $25) 2 2 oz. bottles of HAPPY Hand Sanitizer (value $15) We will continue to have exciting giveaway opportunities for all our Readers throughout the year. Stay tuned. We hope you are enjoying our #TIFF coverage!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 16, 2020 at 7:09pm PDT

…and TIFF wouldn’t be complete without at least one Selfie!

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#TIFF20: The Breakouts of the Festival! •Toronto’s #EmmaSeligman, Director/Writer/Producer of #ShivaBaby • #VanessaKirby for #PiecesofaWoman • #ReginaKing directing her Feature debut #OneNightinMiami • #SaoirseRonan in #Ammonite • #ImogenPoots in #TheFather • #RosamundPike in #ICareALot • #ShiaLaBeouf in #PiecesofaWoman • #MarkWahlberg in #GoodJoeBell • #ChloeZhao directing and writing #Nomadland. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 17, 2020 at 11:17am PDT

Always make time for family. Happy anniversary, Mom x Dad!

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Happy anniversary Mom x Dad!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 18, 2020 at 11:12am PDT

And that’s a wrap! Thank you, Acura Canada for your support!

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#TIFF20: And that’s a wrap on our #TIFF coverage! So proud of the Team @davemabaldwin, Amanda Gilmore and @kubakuba1955 for their contributions. Access was an issue this year for us but we still delivered our best. One of our biggest joys was how fun the Drive-In experience turned-out to be. We couldn’t have done it in style without the 2020 @Acura #ILX Tech A-Spec! Thank you @HM Canada also for the Fall 2020 Collection threads, official Festival face mask available at @tiff_net gift shop! We can’t wait for the world to discover some of our faves of the Fest: #TheFather, #Nomadland #PiecesofaWoman and #ShivaBaby! Please visit link on Bio for more. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #LoveAcceptedEverywhere

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 19, 2020 at 6:37am PDT

Check here for out TIFF ’20 coverage.

Thrilled to have you join our adventures!

Learn more about the 2020 Acura ILX Tech A-Spec here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#TIFF20: “BRUISED”

By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong

DISCLAIMER: Bruised is screening as a work-in-progress at TIFF ’20

Halle Berry makes her directorial debut with Bruised. It follows disgraced MMA fighter Jackie “Justice” (Halle Berry) who has been struggling to get by after losing an important match years ago. Since then, she’s been living with her Manager-Bboyfriend Desi (Adan Canto). One night, Desi tricks Jackie into an underground fight and her passion for the sport reignites. That same night, her six-year-old son whom she abandoned years ago, is left at her doorstep. This sends Jackie on a redemption path both to prove herself both in the ring, and as a mother to Manny.

Bruised follows the classic Athlete/Fighter redemption archetype, told through a new lens. While this has been explored before with a central female character, typically see these stories with men in the lead. Berry is well aware that a woman can pack a punch too. Early, she throws us right into the ring in Jackie’s enraged world. Her short-temper is shown in the opening scene where she attacks a teenager because he films her while she’s changing. Jackie’s brute force is shown also to us immediately. In the underground match, we see just how violent and ruthless she can be when faced with a worthy competitor.

At the center of everything is Berry’s performance. She does an excellent job channeling Jackie’s pent-up rage, but also showing her weaknesses. It’s clear in the First Act that Jackie is ready to fire after her previous match. Also, there is tenderness to her when she is paired with Manny. Those quiet moments between mother and son allow Berry to show her range. It’s also an honest depiction of the female personality, that a duality of tough and gentle can co-exist.

Berry has surrounded herself with strong talent. Toronto’s own, and TIFF ’19 Rising Star Shamier Anderson is great as Jackie’s newly-minted Manager with an agenda. Canto turns-in a strong performance as Jackie’s supportive, yet abusive Manager-Boyfriend. However, the most memorable performance from the Supporting Cast comes from TIFF ’20 Rising Star Sheila Atim. She commands the screen as Jackie’s ‘zen’ Trainer.

Berry sets her Film amidst the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey, taking us into Jackie‘s heart and soul. She shoots the training and fight scenes with passion and intensity. The Film’s blockbuster fight scenes are its brightest moments. While the story veers often to other competing plot lines surrounding her family and love, which ultimately fail to come to full fruition and get resolved, we wanted more training and fights and that always should have been the central focus.  A bit more judicious editing and a shorter run time would benefit this work-in-progress.

Bruised screens at TIFF ’20:

Sat, Sep 12 6:00pm
Online at Bell Digital Cinema

Sat, Sep 12 7:45pm
Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView

Fri, Sep 18 9:00pm
Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView

#TIFF20: “THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS”

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

In the woods of the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, there are truffles buried in the Earth. The culinary delight is beloved by many, but few know how they reach our tables. The Truffle Hunters profiles a group of individuals who deal in the Truffle trade, from buying and selling, to the men and their dogs who find them.

The Truffle Hunters is a delight from start to finish. In a year that has literally been a dystopic nightmare for so many, it is genuinely refreshing to watch a wholesome, feel good movie primarily about men who look for truffles with their dogs. I was smiling and laughing throughout the Film, especially during the ridiculous sequences of back alley truffle dealing (yes, it is a thing and yes, it looks just as wild as you imagine it does). Somehow, these moments are not even the most outrageous and unbelievable scenes in the Movie. My experience with truffles is limited, but seeing them discussed at length here was both educational and enlightening. Directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw could have approached the Film and its topic as being inconsequential and silly, but they give these individuals a voice to share their passion of choice. And even though I am a cat person, it was absolutely wonderful watching these older men interacting with their dogs.

Speaking of dogs, there are two scenes that are shot from their point of view – and I am literally shrieking with joy just thinking about them. The camera is mounted on the dog’s head and we feel their joy as they get to run through the forest foraging for truffles. It is an intriguing Cinematography choice from Dweck and Kershaw that could have gone horribly wrong, but ends up working marvelously. When was the last time you can remember watching a film scene where a dog’s snout bounces in and out of the frame? Or when you last saw a camera shaking-off whatever was on it? I cannot recall a dog’s POV being utilized like this before, but it really complements the Film and literally makes the act of digging for truffles feel even more authentically-realized here. Now I just hope all dog-related productions learn from this Film and add in more POV footage from their angle.

THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS screens at TIFF ’20 as follows:

Fri, Sep 18
Online at Bell Digital Cinema
6:00pm