That’s officially a wrap on #TIFF24. 🎬
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 15, 2024
We’re so grateful to all the audience members, artists, industry professionals, and supporters who joined us in Toronto this September. See you next year for #TIFF50. 👋https://t.co/tLm20zhtbY
We had this idea to give some love to the attention that Canadian film gets during the Toronto International Film Festival. We wish this love for Canadian film happened during the Canadian Screen Awards. Last year, we manifested this to the concept of TIFF leftovers.
Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud is sort of a companion piece to Q and its arts coverage. The show spent a tiny amount of time on how to categorize Canadian films at TIFF. This would be #102 on a list of 99 problems yet we have to take what we can get.
Teri Hart weighed in on giving recognition to Canadian films:
"The section was called Perspectives Canada. I don't think that's a great name. I think they should change the name, but I think they should bring back a section for Canadian movies. This idea that talking about a Canadian movie is somehow disparaging drives me nuts. This idea that we got this idea from filmmakers that they were being ghettoized — we got that idea from some filmmakers, and that was a long time ago."
The problem lies in the difference between Canadian films featuring Canadian stories versus co-productions have little to no Canadian input. The CBC News film people rarely notice Canadian film. This article note Canadian films such as Young Werther, Rumours, and 40 Acres. Unfortunately, too much attention is placed on co-productions with well-known non Canadian actors such as Jude Law and Chloë Sevigny. They even waste space on a documentary about the current GOP presidential nominee.
I'm not actually quoted in this. Also, I'd argue that this is Matt Johnson playing the character Matt Johnson from Matt and Mara. We love Canadian films and filmmakers. Watch Measures for a Funeral, Shook, Universal Language, Lazaro at Night, Bonjour Tristesse at @TIFF_NET. https://t.co/MFjGXt91Fz
— Kazik Radwanski (@redvineski) September 9, 2024
We saw a Canadian Press story that had this headline: "Matt Johnson and Kazik Radwanski want Canadian filmmakers to take more risks." Great headline yet one problem: Kazik Radwanski isn't quoted in the story.
Johnson and Radwanski are 2 Canadian filmmakers that do take risks. Both filmmakers won the Toronto Film Critics Award: Radwanski for Anne at 13,000 ft. (2020) and Johnson for BlackBerry (2023). We would like to see Canadian filmmakers take risks AND get rewards for doing so.
“I just think Canadian films are treated with kid gloves and I think the critics are too nice to them in Canada,” says Johnson.
“I think that the festival's too nice to them. I think they program too many Canadian films and the ones that get programmed often are just middling. Very medium. How to fix that? I don't know. I'm not going to be the guy that says, 'Let's play less Canadian films at TIFF.' Really, what I want is for Canadian filmmakers to just be more daring and do more crazy stuff.”
Johnson and Deragh Campbell star in Matt and Mara, Radwanski's new film. The Canadian film made its debut at TIFF and started a run at the IFC Center in New York City. That is encouraging for a potential U.S. run, hopefully outside New York City and maybe Los Angeles.
This is wonderful. @choirchoirchoir singing the Hip on the streets of Toronto. #TIFF24pic.twitter.com/HjcmysELVt
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 6, 2024
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a fan of The Tragically Hip. We remember that Trudeau was at the final concert in Kingston in 2016. The prime minister went to TIFF24 for the new documentary The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner mocked Trudeau on social media this summer for the tears he shed when Gord Downie died.
Would rather a politician who is inclusive than derisive. That should be an easy call.
The new voices of Canadian film: These six brilliant directors poised to be breakout stars at @TIFF_NET and beyond:https://t.co/sLAT8Fajv2
— Toronto Star Culture (@TorontoStarLife) September 6, 2024
Amar Wala (Shook), R.T. Thorne (40 Acres), Ryan Cooper and Eva Thomas (Aberdeen), Arianna Martinez (Do I Know You From Somewhere?), and Kaniehtiio Horn (Seeds) were the 6 in a Toronto Star profile. We love the attention but make 2 films or 3 films and then we can talk. The Canadian media could write more about Canadian filmmakers.
We love making room for new Canadian filmmakers, hence the Discovery award. We also want to make things easier for those filmmakers to make second and third films.
IATSE Local 634, IATSE Local 411, and ACTRA, have issued a joint letter to TIFF to denounce the feature film 40 Acres, which was shot in our jurisdiction and under our respective collective agreements through the late summer and fall of 2023. Is it profoundly disappointing to… pic.twitter.com/vcoSGraRGX
— ACTRA Toronto (@ACTRAToronto) September 10, 2024
The 40 Acres film is supposed to be quite good. Let's have the film make some $ and then pay off the significant debts. Maybe a little interest.
YOUNG WERTHER: The rare Toronto film to embrace big, juicy colour, if not geographical sense (even CHLOE knew its limits). While there is one (maybe two) casting errors, Alison Pill deserves the key to the city. And, why not, let's give Iris Apatow citizenship, too. #TIFF24
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) September 10, 2024
Toronto is a vibrant city for shooting films. Canadian films, not just American films shot in Canada.
Take This Waltz (Canadian) and Scott Pilgrim Saves the World (not Canadian) are great examples. I thought Chloe used Toronto well. Makes me want to see Young Werther just for this.
2024 TIFF preview
2024 TIFF Canadian film preview
Universal Language is Canada's entry into the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
We will have a full wrapup of the awards and everything else from the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Good night!!
photo credit: Young Werther
Twitter captures: @TIFF_NET; @redvineski; @JustinTrudeau; @TorontoStarLife; @ACTRAToronto; @HertzBarry
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