The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns with full-speed and energy. From September 8 to 18, our city will once again bask in the star-studded light. There are many films slated to be seen over the stretch of the Festival days. Several heavy-weights titles are already buzzing but we also love discovering hidden gems!
Save the date! Individual tickets to the screenings will go on sale to the public starting September 5th! Also, don’t miss out on Festival Street activations, events, talks and other planned happenings during TIFF!
Here are a few films that have already caught our attention and we’re pretty certain there are a few nuggets in the mix!
Brother: Directed by Clement Virgo (Canada)
Clement Virgo’s staggering adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel, the story of two Jamaican Canadian brothers whose dreams are dashed by violent reality in 1990s Scarborough, is sure to be received as one of the most powerful films of the year.
Bones of Crows: Directed by Marie Clements (Canada)
Black Ice: Directed by Hùbert Davis, (Canada)
This incisive, urgent documentary examines the history of anti-Black racism in hockey, from the segregated leagues of the 19th century to professional leagues today, where Black athletes continue to struggle against bigotry.
The Woman King: Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (USA)
Featuring a thrilling performance from Oscar winner Viola Davis, this epic tale brings to life the true story of the Agojie, the all-female military regiment charged with protecting the embattled African Kingdom of Dahomey.
Empire Land: Directed by Sam Mendes (UK, USA)
Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward star in this poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, directed by Sam Mendes and captured by cinematographer Roger Deakins.
A Man of Reason: Directed by Jung Woo-sung (South Korea)
Nope: Directed by Jordan Peele (USA)
Writer-director Jordan Peele follows his genre-bending thrillers Get Out and Us with his most ambitious project yet — a large-format western-horror adventure about a group of people (Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Brandon Perea, Michael Wincott) caught up in inexplicable events an hour’s drive from Hollywood.
Dalíland: Directed by Mary Herron (UK, USA)
Boasting dazzling performances from Ben Kingsley and Barbara Sukowa, the latest from Ontario-born director Mary Harron (American Psycho) pulls back the curtain on the larger-than-life union of Spanish painter Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala.
The Menu: Directed by Mark Mylod (USA)
The culture of haute cuisine gets thoroughly roasted in this sharp satire from director Mark Mylod (Succession), starring Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) and Ralph Fiennes, about a destination-dining experience with unexpected surprises.
Chevalier: Directed by Stephen Williams (USA)
Featuring a dynamic performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves), this opulent historical drama, inspired by the true story of composer Joseph Bologne, brims with intrigue, romance, and sumptuous music — turning the spotlight on a brilliant Black artist whose legacy has been woefully obscured.
The Good Nurse: Directed by Tobias Lindholm (USA)
One of TIFF’s favourite celebrities, Jessica Chastain plays a hospital nurse faced with the growing suspicion that her co-worker and friend (Eddie Redmayne) is quietly killing off patients, in this true-crime thriller from Tobias Lindholm.
The Hotel: Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai (Chinese Hong Kong)
Auteur Wang Xiaoshuai returns to the Festival with a unique pandemic story of individuals trapped in a claustrophobic environment, facing not only the challenges imposed by the lockdown, curfew, and quarantine, but also the cruel tests of fate and human nature.
Baby Ruby: Directed by Bess Wohl (USA)
The tightly scripted world of a vlogger and influencer (Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire) unravels after she becomes a mother, in noted playwright Bess Wohl’s feature debut.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On: Directed by Madison Thomas (Canada)
The life, music, and activism of legendary Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are explored in this documentary that is as captivating as its subject, who smashed through barriers to become an inspiration to fans and fellow musicians alike.
Riceboy Sleeps: Directed by Anthony Shim (Canada)
A South Korean mother and son struggle with their new life in 1990s Canada and the growing rift between them, in Anthony Shim’s assured second feature.
Something You Said Last Night: Directed by Luis De Filippis (Canada)
An aspiring twentysomething writer hesitantly accompanies her equally reluctant younger sister on vacation with their deliriously happy parents, in Luis De Filippis’ resonant, cliché-free debut feature.
Ever Deadly: Directed by Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan (Canada)
This feature documentary weaves concert footage with stunning sequences filmed on location in Nunavut, seamlessly bridging landscapes, stories and songs with pain, anger and triumph—all through the expressions of one of the most innovative musical performers of our time – avant-garde Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq.
The Colour of Ink: by Brian D. Johnson, (Canada)
Working with ingredients foraged in the wild—weeds, berries, bark, flowers, rocks, rust—Toronto inkmaker Jason Logan makes ink from just about anything. Jason sends custom-made inks to an eclectic range of artists around the world, from a New Yorker cartoonist to a Japanese calligrapher. As the inks take on a life of their own, his playful alchemy paints a story of colour that reconnects us to the earth and returns us to a childlike sense of wonder.
I Like Movies: Directed by Chandler Levack (Canada)
The feature debut from Toronto’s Chandler Levack is a funny, touching, and empathetic look at a film- and self-obsessed teenaged curmudgeon pursuing his dreams and testing personal connections in early-2000s suburban Ontario.
