The Toronto International Film Festival 2024 runs from September 5 to 15. It’s one of the world’s most exciting Festivals drawing film lovers, filmmakers, and celebrities from all corners of the earth. It’s known for premiering highly anticipated films that often go on to receive critical acclaim and major awards, including the Oscars. Many filmmakers, producers, and studios choose TIFF as the first place to showcase their films to a large audience, creating significant buzz.
The festival also attracts significant media attention. With many celebrities present, it’s hard not to have a day go by without hearing about the who’s who in entertainment news.
For cinephiles, there are many great titles to choose from. Some will find their way to a wider release in the coming months. Some will land on streaming services. Some films will just be screening here at TIFF but will move onto international platforms. So, what are we hoping to check out?
Here are 10 films we have on our radar that are by Canadian Filmmakers:
Young Werther: directed by José Lourenço | Special Presentations
Inspired by the popular 1770s novella The Sorrows of Young Werther, this modernization stars Douglas Booth and Alison Pill in a fast-paced and bright romantic comedy, set in Toronto.
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal: directed by Mike Downie | Primetime
Director Mike Downie assembles The Tragically Hip for an emotional look at the origin, impact, and legacy of the band that defined Canada, to the world and to itself.
The Knowing: directed by Courtney Montour and Tanya Malaga | Primetime
Acclaimed journalist Tanya Talaga brings her evocative storytelling from the page to the screen with her search for a long-lost matriarch named Annie, solving an 80-year-old family mystery. Stars include Darrell Boissoneau, Sheila Bowen
Takin’ Care of Business: directed by Tyler Measom | Gala Presentations
In this brisk, fun ride, Canadian rock legend Randy Bachman tells the stories of how he rose to the top of the charts with The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, married a Mormon, and launched an obsessive quest when his beloved Gretsch guitar disappeared.
Paul Anka:His Way: directed by John Maggio | Special Presentations
One of the world’s most prolific and successful singer-songwriters participates in a candid and celebratory look at his life and career in this documentary.
The Mother and the Bear: directed by Johnny Ma | Centrepiece
When her grown daughter Sumi has a bad fall in Winnipeg, anxious widow Sara (Kim Ho-Jung) travels from Korea to be with her — and discovers she doesn’t really know Sumi at all. Stars Leere Park, Kim Ho-jung, Jonathan Kim, Won-Jae Lee, and Amara Pedroso Saque.
The Shrouds: directed by David Cronenberg | Gala Presentations
Still grieving the loss of his wife, a technological entrepreneur (Vincent Cassel) finds what’s left of his world collapsing into a nightmare of sex, paranoia, and grief in David Cronenberg’s most personal film. Stars Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Cronenberg himself.
Bonjour Tristesse: directed by Durga Chew-Bose | Discovery
Durga Chew-Bose’s adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s unforgettable coming-of-age novel of the same name is a sun-soaked heralding of a singular artist. Stars Lily McInerny, Naïlia Harzoune, Aliocha Schneider, and Chloë Sevigny.
Village Keeper: directed by Karen Chapman | Discovery
After a massive loss, an overwhelmed Toronto mother discovers a very unusual way to process her grief. Stars include Olunike Adeliyi, Maxine Simpson, and Zahra Bentham.
Sweet Angel Baby: directed by Melanie Oates | Centrepiece
Eliza is an unassuming and beloved member of a small fishing community in Newfoundland who sees all of her relationships put in jeopardy after her secret social media persona is exposed. Stars Michaela Kurimsky
Universal Language: directed by Matthew Rankin | Centrepiece
Matthew Rankin’s second feature is a lovingly detailed, charmingly impossible story of a Canada where Persian and French are the two official languages, and loneliness is the common currency. Stars Pirouz Nemati and Rankin himself.
Do I Know You From Somewhere?: directed by Arianna Martinez | Discovery
A committed couple finds their life slipping away, not because they’ve done anything in particular, but because their history is unwriting itself—sort of. Stars Caroline Bell, Ian Ottis Goff, Mallory Amirault,
Sharp Corner: directed by Jason Buxton | Special Presentations
After a car crashes into his front yard, a family man develops an unhealthy obsession with being ready for the next accident. And the next. Stars Ben Foster and Cobie Smulder.
Your Tomorrow: directed by Ali Weinstein | TIFF Docs
Ali Weinstein’s documentary captures the final year of Toronto’s celebrated Ontario Place. The beloved provincial park is sectioned off for redevelopment, but visitors keep showing up to walk its trails, enjoy the lake, or just check on the tomatoes they’re cultivating by the shore.
Shepherds: directed by Sophie Deraspe | Special Presentations
In this adaptation, a Montréal copywriter sets out to reinvent himself as a sheep herder in the French Alps despite knowing literally nothing about the centuries-old craft.Stars Félix-Antoine Duval and Solène Rigot.
