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| Rhymes for Young Ghouls. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Film Centre. |
Other exciting prospects in the Canadian line-up are new films from Bruce McDonald, Xavier Dolan, Robert Lepage, Ingrid Veninger, Wiebke Von Carolsfeld and Louise Archambault, whose Gabrielle is the latest feature from powerhouse producers Kim McCraw and Luc Déry (Incendies, Monsieur Lazhar, Inch’Allah). I’m also looking forward to Cinemanovels, the new film by Terry Miles, whose last TIFF film A Night for Dying Tigers was the first film I saw at TIFF when I covered it as a blogger. (It never found the audience it deserved, so hopefully this film will.) Also coming to TIFF after success at Cannes and the Quebec box-office is Sarah Prefers to Run, which will join Rhymes in the Discovery programme. The third Canadian film in Discovery is All the Wrong Reasons, which marks one of the more sentimental selections at the festival as it stars the late Glee star Cory Monteith
The Canadian announcement also included the line-up of short
films for the Short Cuts Canada programme. SCC marks the only programme at TIFF
to feature 100% Canadian content. It’s also the main haven for shorts at the
festival, aside from Wavelengths, as other programmes might include the odd
double-bill with a short, but that’s rare. TIFF-goers will have an additional
chance to see the shorts, which are rather difficult to get tickets to during
the festival, as the short films will be available on YouTube 24-hours after
their festival screening and be online until September 19th. The
added availability of the shorts is a great decision and one that will afford
extra exposure for Canadian filmmakers. Among the films and talents to see
online and/or at the festival are An
Extraordinary Person by Xavier Dolan collaborator Monia Chokri, Candy by Cassandra Cronenberg, the hypnotic
psychological thriller We Wanted More
by Stephen Park, and a quartet of stereoscopic 3D animated films from the NFB (
The Canadian films announced today are:
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Enemy
Denis Villeneuve, Canada/Spain,World Premiere
Based on The D ouble by Nobel Laureate José Saramago, this film
explores the troubled psyche of a man who is torn between his mistress and his
wife. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a brilliant performance as both Adam and Anthony—a
man and his double—engaged in a lethal and erotic battle.
The F Word
Michael Dowse, Canada/Ireland, World Premiere
When Wallace meets Chantry, it could be love at first
sight... except she lives with her long-term boyfriend. And so Wallace, acting
with both best intentions—and maybe a little denial—discovers he dirtiest word
in romance: friends. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Adam Driver and TIFF
Rising Star Megan Park.
Gabrielle
Louise Archambault, Canada, North American Premiere
Gabrielle is a young woman with Williams syndrome who has a
contagious joie de vivre and an exceptional musical gift. Since she met her
boyfriend Martin at the recreation centre where they are choir members, they
have been inseparable. However, because they are different, their loved ones
are fearful of their relationship. As the choir prepares for an important music
festival, Gabrielle does everything she can to gain her independence
The Husband
Bruce McDonald, Canada, World Premiere
Henry is married, has a son, and a decent job in
advertising. Trouble is his wife is in jail for sleeping with a 14-year-old
boy. Struggling to keep it together and prepare for her release, an encounter
with the boy—his rival—sends Henry on a path of self-destruction. Starring Maxwell
McCabe-Lokos, August Diehl, Sarah Allen, Jodi Balfour andStephen McHattie
Tom At The Farm (Tom à la ferme)
Xavier Dolan, Canada/France, North American Premiere
Tom, a young advertising copywriter, travels to the country
for a funeral. There, he's shocked to find out no one knows who he is, or his
relationship to the deceased, whose brother soon sets the rules of a twisted
game. In order to protect the family's name and grieving mother, Tom now has to
play the peacekeeper in a household whose obscure past bodes even greater
darkness for his trip to the farm.
Watermark
Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky, Canada, World
Premiere
Watermark is a feature documentary film that brings together
diverse stories from around the globe about our relationship with water: how we are drawn to it, what we learn from it,
how we use it, and the consequences of
that use. Shot in stunning 5K ultra high-definition video and full of soaring
aerial perspectives.
DISCOVERY
All the Wrong Reasons
Gia Milani, Canada, World Premiere
Loss of one’s identity drives this ensemble film from first-time
feature writer/director Gia Milani. Cory Monteith stars as an ambitious department store manager whose wife (Karine Vanasse)
copes with a loss as co-worker (Kevin Zegers) battles back from a traumatic injury and cashier (Emily Hampshire) takes advantage of it all.
Rhymes for Young Ghouls
Jeff Barnaby, Canada, World Premiere
Kids on the Red Crow reservation are doomed. If you can't
pay your "truancy tax", that's you up at the residential school, beat
up and abused. At 15, Aila is the weed princess of Red Crow. After being thrown
into the school’s dungeon, she decides to fight back.
Sarah Prefers To Run (Sarah préfère la course)
Chloé Robichaud, Canada, Toronto Premiere
Sarah is a gifted runner. Her life changes when she’s
offered admission to Quebec’s best university athletics program in Montreal — far
from her home. Sarah doesn’t have her mother’s financial support for the move,
but she leaves anyway with her friend Antoine. Though barely out of their
teens, they get married because they want the best scholarships and loans.
Sarah doesn’t want to hurt anyone with the
choices she makes, it’s just that she loves running more than anything else.
CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
A Journey (Une Jeune Fille)
Catherine Martin, Canada, World Premiere
Chantal is a secretive young girl who lives with her sick
mother and unemployed father. When her mother dies, she leaves the family home
for the Gaspé Peninsula. Bringing with her a photo of a beach where her mother longed to return,
Chantal tries to find the place—but her efforts are in vain. After wandering
around for days, she runs out of money and finds refuge with Serge, a taciturn
farmer, on his small farm in the back
country. Serge hires Chantal, and gradually they take to each other, forming a
strong bond.
The Animal Project
Ingrid Veninger, Canada, World Premiere
A story about a father, a son, and six characters dressed in
furry suits. An unorthodox acting teacher (Aaron Poole) attempts to push a
group of eager young performers out of their comfort zones, while struggling
with his own ability to live an authentic and fulfilling life with his teenage
son.
Cinemanovels
Terry Miles, Canada, World Premiere
As a young woman (Lauren Lee Smith) prepares a memorial film
retrospective for her late estranged father, his work begins to influence her
life in strange and significant ways. Also starring Jennifer Beals and Ben
Cotton.
Le Démantèlement
Sébastien
Pilote, Canada, North American Premiere
Gaby owns a lamb farm. He has two daughters that he raised
like princesses. One day, the oldest asks him for some financial support so she doesn’t end up losing her house. Gaby decides to dismantle the farm.
The Dick Knost Show
Bruce Sweeney, Canada, World Premiere
The Dick Knost Showis a character-based satire on sports-talk
culture. Dick Knost is a star sports talk host. He's prickly, acerbic and chronically impulsive. After dismissing the
danger of concussions in hockey, he suffers a series of concussions himself,
and faces the danger of losing his job, his friends and his
identity.
Empire of Dirt
Peter Stebbings, Canada, World Premiere
Like many Native families, Lena Mahikan grew up in the cycle
of abuse. Her father, a residential school survivor, was an alcoholic until he
killed himself when Lena was 10. Her mother, only 14 years her senior, turned
to the slots. By the time Lena was 15, she was pregnant and, before giving
birth, was kicked to the curb by her mom. The cycle continues and Lena is now
watching helplessly as her own daughter, Peeka, spirals out of control, landing
herself in the hospital following a drug overdose. As a final attempt
at survival, Lena decides to return home and face her own mother and a past
she’s desperate to escape.
Siddharth
Richie Mehta, Canada North, American Premiere
After sending away his 12-year-old son Siddharth for work,
Mahendra (a chain-wallah who fixes broken zippers on the streets) is relieved
—his financial burdens will be alleviated. But when Siddharth fails to return
home, Mahendra learns he may have been taken by child traffickers. With little resources and
no connections, he travels across India in pursuit, with the hope that whatever
force took his child away will return
him unharmed.
Stay
Wiebke von Carolsfeld, Canada/Ireland, World Premiere
Stay is about people at a crossroads, struggling to find a
home. Abbey finds herself in love with Dermot, a disgraced professor who retreated to the rugged expanse of Connemara.
Their happy existence is upended when Abbey finds out that she is pregnant and
Dermot refuses to consider fatherhood.
VANGUARD
Asphalt Watches
Seth Scriver and Shayne Ehman, Canada, World Premiere
Asphalt Watches is a true story. It is a feature-length
animation based on a real-life hitchhiking trip taken by the two directors,
Shayne Ehman and Seth Scriver in the year 2000. The film details the hilarious
and amazing journey of Bucktooth Cloud and Skeleton Hat as they travel eastward
across Canada.
Gerontophilia
Bruce LaBruce, CanadaNorth American Premiere
The always provocative Bruce LaBruce is back with a new
romantic comedy (of sorts). 18-year-old Lake has a sweet activist girlfriend,
but one day discovers he has an unusual attraction for the elderly. Fate
conspires to land him a summer job at a nursing home where he develops a tender relationship with Mr.
Peabody. Discovering that the patients are being over-medicated to make them
easier to manage, Lake decides to wean him off his medication and help him
escape, resulting in a humorous and heartfelt road trip that strengthens their
bond.
MASTERS
Triptych (Triptyque)
Robert Lepage and Pedro Pires, Canada, World Premiere
Triptych is a contemporary urban saga that tells the story
of Michelle, a schizophrenic bookseller; Marie, a singer and actress; and Thomas, a German neurologist. These three
lives become the primary locus of personal identity and emotion, with their
many manifestations, variations, and implications, through each character’s
inner development and burning desire for self-expression.
SHORT CUTS CANADA
A Grand Canal
Johnny Ma, 19’, World Premiere
A Greek tragedy told in a Chinese pop song. Tragic events of
a boat captain trying to collect a debt to save his fleet of boats, as
remembered by his 10-year-old son.
A Time is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Leslie Supnet, 3’, Toronto Premiere
An animated squirrel ponders the essence of time.
An Extraordinary
Person (Une Personne extraordinaire)
Monia Chokri, 30’, North American Premiere
A 30-year-old scholar, intelligent and beautiful yet
socially crippled, is forced to attend a bachelorette party where her quest for
authenticity leads to an unavoidable confrontation with old acquaintances.
Anatomy of Assistance
Cory Bowles, 13’, World Premiere
15-year-old Talia is defiant, refuses the system and thinks
she’s got it all figured out. When she challenges the assistance envelope given
to her by her school, she’s suddenly thrust into a daisy chain of errors that
lead her to face a larger system: growing up.
Beasts in the Real World
Sol Friedman, 8’, World Premiere
An experimental mixed-media short that explores the tenuous
connections between a naturalist, a rare land mammal, and a pair of sushi chefs
Candy
Cassandra Cronenberg, 8’, World Premiere
Cassandra Cronenberg’s experimental short is a
convention-busting portrait of human transactions —love, sex, money, art —that
takes place over one beautiful, intoxicating night. As Candy wanders through it
all, the audience is immersed in a visual poem in which an ocean of light is
found in the dark.
The Chaperone 3D
Fraser Munden and Neil Rathbone, 11’, World Premiere
The Chaperone tells the true story of a lone teacher who
fought off an entire motorcycle gang while chaperoning a middle school dance in 1970s Montreal. This film recreates the
scene using hand-drawn animation, miniature sets, puppets, live action Kung Fu
and explosions all done in stereoscopic 3D.
Cochemare
Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis, 12’, North American
Premiere
Blending animation, live action, and stereoscopic 3D,
Cochemare is an immersive, tactile, and sensory experience. As the viewer
journeys from the mystical Forest of Storms to the orbiting International Space
Station, the film forces the audience to confront notions of voyeurism, femininity,
and the separation of body and mind.
CRIME: Joe Loya -The Beirut Bandit
Alix Lambert and Sam Chou, 2’, World Premiere
In his 20s, Loya achieved notoriety as the smooth-talking
Beirut Bandit, who robbed dozens of Southern California banks. When the police
caught up with him in 1989, they discovered a Mexican-American from East Los
Angeles who had once been a promising student. Imprisoned for seven years, he
grew more violent until two years of solitary confinement prompted a remarkable
self- transformation.
Daybreak (Éclat du jour)
Ian Lagarde, 11’, World Premiere
In a wealthy Montreal suburb, Xavier and his friends are
dealingwith pre-teen boredom. They hang out at the park, ride their bikes, and
mess with each other; it's yet another suburban summer afternoon. But beneath
the smiles lies a growing tension, a certain violence which leads the group to
a collective release of unexpected intensity; a ritualistic initiation into
adolescence.
Der Untermensch
Kays Mejri, 9’, World Premiere
Der Untermensch depicts the treatment of homosexuals in
concentration camps during the Second World War, through aesthetic contemporary movement. The dancer portrays the
work, growth and rebirth of those incarcerated souls by embodying a gay Aryan
during the Nazi reign.
Drop
Chris Goldade, 12’, World Premiere
A World War II paratrooper lands in enemy territory —and
right onto a modern-day suburban driveway —where he is confronted by an
unemployed freeloader who’s still living in his parent’s house. This dark
comedy with an original premise and deadpan performances makes the perils of
war uncomfortably funny.
The End of Pinky
Claire Blanchet, 8’, World Premiere
The End of Pinky revolves around three fallen angels seeking
companionship and humanity in the shadows of the red-light district, in a
mythic, magically realized Montreal. The film’s hand-drawn pencil and pastel
animation, rendered in stereoscopic 3D, conjures a seedy world whose sepia-toned
palette evokes cheap whiskey and nicotine stains.
Firecrackers
Jasmin Mozaffari, 15’, World Premiere
Lou and Chantal are two shit-disturbers from a town whose
only remaining attraction is truck-stop prostitution. Their dreams of escaping
are shattered when Lou's savings are stolen by her mom's alcoholic boyfriend.
With nowhere left to go and nothing left to lose, Lou heads into the night, with a bottle
of whiskey in hand and no regrets.
Foreclosure
Wayne Robinson, 13’, World Premiere
Sigmund is a docile and obedient worker who is given an opportunity
of a lifetime when his manager, Mr. Wolfman, assigns him the task of completing
a dossier on their company's profit margin. Upon sitting down to start working
however, Sigmund is confronted with his
worst nightmare: naked people.
Gloria Victoria
Theodore Ushev, 7’, North American Premiere
Gloria Victoria, the third film in a trilogy on the
relationship between art and power, unfolds on the still-smouldering rubble of
a furious 20thcentury. From the Russian front to the Chinese Revolution, from
Dresden to Guernica, giant black birds circle above mass graves while vampires
and reapers move forward to the sounds of an exalting bolero from
Shostakovich’s
Leningrad Symphony.
Impromptu
Bruce Alcock, 10’, World Premiere
When Chuck’s wife spontaneously invites her co-workers home
for dinner, the last-minute gathering seems to have all the makings of a
disaster—but it leads instead to a quiet epiphany about embracing the chaos of
life’s rich pageantry. Impromptu reminds the audience of the redemptive power
of food, wine, music and love, as seen through the eyes of a modern man.
In Guns We Trust
Nicolas Lévesque, 12’, North American Premiere
In Kennesaw, a small American town in the state of Georgia,
a good citizen is an armed citizen. By law, since 1982, each head of household
must own at least one working firearm with ammunition.
Jimbo
Ryan Flowers, 25’, World Premiere
Stricken, but not struck down, by a slew of mental
illnesses, Jimmy Leung's drive to become an action movie star becomes something
of a reality as he and director Ryan Flowers train to become healthy and stable,
and make a movie together.
Lay Over
Jordan Hayes,13’, World Premiere
A girl meets a boy on an eight-hour layover.
Method
Gregory Smith, 8’, World Premiere
Officer Daniel O'Shea must go to extraordinary lengths to
get a confession.
Noah
Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg, 17’, World Premiere
In a story that plays out entirely on a teenager's computer
screen, Noah follows its eponymous protagonist as his relationship takes a rapid turn for the worse.
Nous Avions
Stéphane Moukarzel, 18’, World Premiere
Montreal, 1999. Like every Sunday, a modest Pakistani
immigrant family picnics in a deadend next to the airport, closely watching
planes land. On this special day where the Legendary Concord is expected —a
rare treat in town—17-year-old Akram, the eldest son of three kids, who is in
his teenage crisis, creates a family commotion when he
decides to take off to live his own life.
Numbers & Friends
Alexander Carson, 7’, World Premiere
In his search for happiness in North America, a European man
discovers the pleasures of fantasy baseball. Using his new appreciation for
sports as a metaphor to re-imagine his life choices, he begins to find new
meaning in the world around him.
Out
Jeremy Lalonde, 9’, World Premiere
A young man comes out to his family. But is he coming out of
the closet, or out of the coffin?
Paradise Falls
Fantavious Fritz, 17’, World Premiere
Two adventurous youths explore a haunted mansion and fall in
love with its ghost, deep in the heart of suburban hell.
Paradiso
Devan Scott, 13’, World Premiere
After being sent to heaven as the result of the biblical
Armageddon, Cain Tibbons meets Saint Peter, whom he must persuade to help him
rescue his brother from hell. However, Cain's story might not be all it seems.
Pilgrims
Marie Clements, 8’, World Premiere
Robbe, a German tourist, is partaking on a life-long dream
of visiting the west coast of Canada. His fantasy of the great Indian culture
is one thing, but to be a part of it requires Robbe to undergo a dangerous
riteof passage:a journey of self-evaluation.
Portrait as a Random Act of Violence
Randall Okita, 4’, Toronto Premiere
Portrait as a Random Act of Violence is a piece that
incorporates performance and sculpture to examine themes of harm, protest, and
destructive and restorative transformations.
Relax, I’m From the Future
Luke Higginson, 5’, World Premiere
Percy Sullivan's suicide attempt gets interrupted by a man
claiming to be from the future.
Remember Me (Mémorable
moi)
Jean-Francois
Asselin, 15’, Canadian Premiere
Mathieu seeks any (and every) way to attract attention to
himself.
Roland
Trevor Cornish, 11’, World Premiere
Roland, an employee at Crafty’s Art and Supply, must deal with
an irrational man who needs to use the washroom and is confused by the store’s strict employee-only washroom
policy. A full bladder and some company red tape has Roland’s day take a dire
turn.
Sam’s Formalwear
Yael Staav, 15’, World Premiere
Sam Parish, once the high-school prom king, is now the
former king of formalwear and ex-husband to his then-prom queen. On the eve of
his daughter's prom, Sam grasps at an opportunity to feel like the king once
more, oblivious to the consequences.
Seasick
Eva Cvijanovic, 3’, World Premiere
Seasick is a meditative exploration of one's love of the sea
to the soundtrack of traditional Croatian music.
The Sparkling River
Felix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, 18’, World Premiere
A group of Chinese travellers have appeared on an alpaca
farm, seemingly by accident. Ayoung woman who is among them tries to connect
with the farm's proprietor. The Sparkling Riveruses 3D-stereoscopy to lure the
viewer into a contemplative and dreamlike state. The film explores enduring
themes of memory, migration and place.
Subconscious Password
Chris Landreth, 11’, Canadian Premiere
Subconscious Password uses a common social gaffe—forgetting
somebody’s name—as the starting point for a mind bending romp through the
unconscious. Inspired by the classic American
TV game show Password, the film features a wealth of animated celebrity guests
who try to prompt Charles to remember the name.
We Wanted More
Stephen Dunn, 15’, World Premiere
A psychological thriller about a singer who loses her voice
on the precipice of her first world tour, We Wanted Moreis a hypnotic fever dream
about the sacrifices a young artist makes for her career.
Yellowhead
Kevan Funk, 19’, World Premiere
A middle-aged worksite safety inspector defiantly maintains
a tireless occupational routine, traversing across Canada's lonely northern landscape
from one expansive industrial operation to the next. As the cracks in his
crumbling personal life become more and more apparent, he slips deeper into
willful ignorance and denial, providing a striking parallel to the altered
physical landscape and exploitative industry that surrounds him.
Young Wonder
James Wilkes, 6’, World Premiere
Armed with only the sword of Evil’s Bane, automatic weapons
and a bazooka, 8-year-old Sebastian and his 11-year-old brother Chris battle
their way through a legion of pop culture menaces en route to getting snacks.
Young Wondercombines kinetic and visually stunning storytelling with sincere
observations on the nature of boys and play.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 5-15,
2013.
