The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival does appear to be a return to normal in terms of staging and presentation.
For those in Canada outside Toronto hoping to see films online, "We will only have a small sampling of films available in Canada for at-home viewing online. The festival is happening in-person, in theaters, and that's where we want to see everyone," according to TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey.
Here is a list of full-length Canadian films, including co-productions. All descriptions of films supplied by TIFF.
Contemporary World Cinema
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman | Saules Aveugles, Femme Endormie (Pierre Földes) In this animated adaptation of several stories by Haruki Murakami, a lost cat, a giant talking frog, and a tsunami help a bank employee, his frustrated wife, and an anxious accountant find meaning in their lives — and possibly save Tokyo from catastrophe.
Bones of Crows (Marie Clements) An epic account of the life of Cree matriarch Aline Spears that spans generations, the film is a powerful indictment of the abuse of Indigenous peoples as well as a stirring story of resilience and resistance.
Coyote (Katherine Jerkovic) Director Katherine Jerkovic’s follow-up to Roads in February is a sensitive and compelling rumination on the tricky nature of family, in which a widower’s estranged daughter suddenly reappears with a grandson he didn’t know about.
Falcon Lake (Charlotte Le Bon) Canadian actor Charlotte Le Bon's directorial debut, based on Bastien Vivès' graphic novel, is part summertime coming-of-age story and part eerie gothic.
Fixation (Mercedes Bryce Morgan) In Mercedes Bryce Morgan's stylish feature debut, Maddie Hasson (Malignant) plays a young woman committed to an unorthodox institution by a pair of enigmatic doctors (Genesis Rodriguez and Stephen McHattie).
Nightalk (Donald Shebib) In the latest feature from legendary Canadian director Donald Shebib (Goin' Down the Road), the personal and professional collide when a police officer (Ashley Bryant) goes undercover on a phone-sex app in hopes of identifying a suspect in a murder investigation.
North of Normal (Carly Stone) Toronto director Carly Stone explores the struggle to balance filial devotion with a longing for a more conventional life in her adaptation of Cea Sunrise Person's 2014 memoir, which details the author's counterculture youth in the wilds of 1970s Western Canada.
So Much Tenderness (Lina Rodríguez) A Colombian environmental lawyer flees to Canada after the death of her husband, but her attempt at a new life is challenged when she discovers that the past is not so easily left behind.
The World Premiere of Anishinaabe director @darlenenaponse’s STELLAR focuses on the dreamy romantic connection between She and He amid a natural catastrophe outside of their peaceful Northern Ontario Bar. #TIFF22 https://t.co/wtEJgJoW6r pic.twitter.com/NbZYpXI8Zz
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 17, 2022
Stellar | Ananghoonska (Darlene Naponse) Anishinaabe director Darlene Naponse's singular film focuses on the dreamy romantic connection of She (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) and He (Braeden Clarke) amid a natural catastrophe happening outside of their peaceful Northern Ontario bar.
The End of Sex (Sean Garrity) Sean Garrity's latest comedy follows a married couple (Emily Hampshire, Jonas Chernick) making increasingly wild attempts to recapture the magic of their now-routine marriage.
The Maiden (Graham Foy) Shifting elegantly from realism to something closer to a dream, Alberta writer-director Graham Foy's atmospheric feature debut is a study in adolescent camaraderie, alienation, grief, and wonder.
The Origin of Evil | L'Origine du Mal (Sébastien Marnier) A financially precarious woman tries to reconnect with the now-wealthy father who abandoned her and his new family, in Sébastien Marnier's suspenseful and melodramatic dark parable.
The Swearing Jar (Lindsay MacKay) Director Lindsay MacKay's smartly observed follow-up to Wet Bum explores issues of love, forgiveness, and self-recrimination as a newly married woman discovers that love can happen regardless of circumstance, invariably complicating what should be straightforward.
The World Premiere of Chandler Levack’s (@clevack) debut, I LIKE MOVIES, follows a self-obsessed teenager pursuing his dreams and testing relationships in suburban Ontario, with @neetsaiah, Romina D’Ugo, and @MeKristaBridges #TIFF22 https://t.co/aE33euL2bK pic.twitter.com/i0QzWAtGlz
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 4, 2022
Discovery
I Like Movies (Chandler Levack) The feature debut from the Toronto filmmaker 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.
Pussy (Joseph Amenta) This matter-of-fact drama follows three queer Toronto kids whose friendship is tested over one pivotal summer by divided loyalties, differing social situations, and anger issues.
Rosie (Gail Maurice) The feature-film debut of Métis writer-director-actor Gail Maurice brings us to the fringes of 1980s Montréal as seen through the eyes of a sweet and suddenly orphaned Indigenous girl.
The fringes of 1980s Montreal is seen through the eyes of a sweet and suddenly orphaned Indigenous girl in the World Premiere of Métis writer-director-actor Gail Maurice’s (@pisim) ROSIE. Starring Mélanie Bray, Keris Hope Hill, and @constantbcoco. #TIFF22 https://t.co/holZQQnXBf pic.twitter.com/ne8jdRQRep
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 4, 2022
Something You Said Last Night (Luis De Filippis) 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.
The Young Arsonists (Sheila Pye) Set in 1980s rural Canada, director and visual artist Sheila Pye's haunting feature debut follows a group of teenage girls — each suffering some form of family trauma — whose relationships with one another are both strengthened and tested over the course of a summer.
This Place (V.T. Nayani) Canadian director V.T. Nayani's feature debut, starring Devery Jacobs and Priya Guns, is a queer love story about two young women — one Iranian and Kanienʼkehá꞉ka, the other Tamil — living in Toronto and dealing with difficult family legacies.
Until Branches Bend (Sophie Jarvis) In writer-director Sophie Jarvis' compelling debut, set in the seemingly peaceful Okanagan, a distraught cannery worker discovers an invasive insect that could threaten the livelihood of her entire town.
When Morning Comes (Kelly Fyffe-Marshall) In the emotionally resonant feature debut from Kelly Fyffe-Marshall (winner of TIFF's inaugural Shawn Mendes Changemaker Award in 2020), a young Jamaican boy grapples with his widowed mother's decision to relocate to Canada.
Canadian film review: Black Bodies
Gala Presentations
Alice, Darling (Mary Nighy) Anna Kendrick captures the anxious psychology of a woman in an abusive relationship as her friends try to reconnect with her while on a cottage getaway.
Black Ice (Hubert Davis) 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.
Platform
Riceboy Sleeps (Anthony Shim) 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.
Viking (Stéphane Lafleur) The latest from Stéphane Lafleur (Tu dors Nicole) balances absurdist humour with poignant reflection on the human condition as it follows the subjects of behavioural research — and the astronauts they mirror — in advance of the first manned mission to Mars.
Excited to announce the world premiere of High School (based on our memoir) will be #TIFF22 Started the pitch process with @cleaduvall in 2019. Can't believe it's finally coming out. So surreal. It stars newcomers Railey + Seazynn Gilliland as T&S. #TIFF22 https://t.co/lpaATNp8ad pic.twitter.com/RhLWIJOx3K
— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) August 10, 2022
Primetime
High School (Clea DuVall, Laura Kittrell) Based on the bestselling memoir of the same name by Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara, Clea DuVall’s adaptation is a tender exploration of adolescent self-discovery.
Lido TV (Lido Pimienta) Created and hosted by music superstar Lido Pimienta, LIDO TV is a fantastically funny and insightful variety show that dexterously explores themes of colonialism, beauty, and feminism.
Special Presentations
Brother (Clement Virgo) 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.
Canadian filmmaker Ashley McKenzie’s (@hivisfilm) QUEENS OF THE QING DYNASTY is an affair of the heart, highlighting a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that changes everything. The North American Premiere stars Sarah Walker and Ziyin Zheng. #TIFF22 https://t.co/1B3g51TEyN pic.twitter.com/p2qkhyI3z4
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 4, 2022
TIFF Docs
752 Is Not A Number (Babak Payami) Veteran director Babak Payami chronicles Canadian dentist Hamed Esmaeilion's quest for justice in the aftermath of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, shot down in 2020 by the Iranian military.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On (Madison Thomas) 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.
Ever Deadly (Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan) A thrilling glimpse into the life and sounds of Polaris Music Prize and Juno Award–winning artist Tanya Tagaq, who co-directs the documentary with filmmaker Chelsea McMullan.
The Colour of Ink (Brian D. Johnson) A Toronto-based artist and ink-maker traces the history of ink and its impact on the world, in Brian D. Johnson’s lush and visually striking film shot by celebrated cinematographer Nicholas de Pencier.
To Kill A Tiger (Nisha Pahuja) The latest from Canadian documentary filmmaker Nisha Pahuja (The World Before Her) is a harrowing, courageous, and universally resonant look at an Indian family's arduous quest for justice after a teenage girl is brutally assaulted.
Wavelengths
Concrete Valley (Antoine Bourges) This sensitive and Bressonian sophomore feature from Antoine Bourges (Fail to Appear) is a complex portrait of care set in an immigrant community in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park.
Queens of the Qing Dynasty (Ashley McKenzie) Canadian filmmaker Ashley McKenzie's much-anticipated sophomore effort is an enthralling affair of the heart about one of those once-in-a-lifetime encounters that can change everything.
2021 TIFF wrapup
2021 TIFF Rising Stars
2021 TIFF Canadian film preview
Co-productions
Canada-U.S.: Alice, Darling, High School, The Maiden
Canada-Switzerland: Something You Said Last Night
Canada-Colombia: Lido TV
France, Luxembourg, Canada, Netherlands: Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman
France-Canada: The Origin of Evil
Canada, United States of America, Germany: Fixation
Canadian director Mary Harron is directing the closing night film Dalíland with Ben Kingsley and Barbara Sukowa. This is not a a Canadian film.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On will have a theatrical release in the fall. The film will air in Canada via Bell Media and APTN and in November on American Masters on PBS.
Canadian film review: All My Puny Sorrows
Sarah Polley has a new book of personal essays
Women Talking from Sarah Polley — where she adapted the Miriam Toews novel — is apparently an American film. A bit of a shock. Frances McDormand, Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, and Jessie Buckley star in the film about a cloistered world where women struggle with an epidemic of abuse.
This is the second straight year where TIFF has had a film based from a Miriam Toews novel. Michael McGowan adapted the novel All My Puny Sorrows that played at TIFF 2021.
When TIFF concentrated on Canadian films for the opening night film
Canadian film review: The Twentieth Century
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
TIFF did not award the Best Canadian First Feature Film in 2020 or 2021. The Twentieth Century from Matthew Rankin is the last film to win that award all the way back in 2019.
The 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival — TIFF 2022 — runs September 8-18.
photo credit: TIFF; The Twentieth Century
Twitter captures: @TIFF_NET; @TIFF_NET; @TIFF_NET; @teganandsara; @TIFF_NET
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