Better late than never definitely applies to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announcement of Canada's Top Ten. Based on previous patterns, the announcement would have already happened. We finally got an update that the announcement has been pushed back to 2025.
The January 8 full programming details would seemingly include the actual lists. The films will run later than usual — February 9 — at the TIFF Lightbox in Toronto.
A good journalist with access to the festival would ask "why the delay?" yet we are grateful that there will be lists. TIFF already flaked out in 2024 for not doing the Rising Stars feature. Regular readers know the festival stopped giving away the prize for rising filmmakers — now known as the Best Canadian Discovery Award — from 2020-2023. The award was previously presented from 1997-2019 as Best Canadian First Feature Film.
One of December joys is @TIFF_NET top 10 list of #Canadianfilms of the year. I know they didn't do #RisingStars in 2024. Hopefully, the list is coming at some point.
— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) December 9, 2024
We didn't panic. Not at all. Our anxieties are only climbing these days.
TIFF has done these lists since 2001. The lists included feature and short films through 2006 when TIFF put in Top 10 lists for feature and short films (20 in all). We've seen these films from that first list in 2001: Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Zacharias Kunuk); Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett); Last Wedding (Bruce Sweeney); Parsley Days (Andrea Dorfman); and Soft Shell Man | Un crabe dans la tête (André Turpin).
The Top 10 list has been a guide for Canadian films, some of which we see at Windsor and some to track over the course of the upcoming year. We try to see as many as we realistically can.
We even speculated on the films we think might make the list: Matt and Mara; Universal Language | Une Langue Universelle; some combination of Rumours (Guy Maddin), The Shrouds (David Cronenberg) and Shepherds | Bergers, winner of the Best Canadian Feature Film.
Last year, 8 of the 10 feature films had played at TIFF. BlackBerry and Someone Lives Here were the exceptions.
Shook was a quiet, very pleasant film. Sugarcane makes a great argument for the list. We weren't thrilled with You Are Not Alone | Vous n'êtes pas seuls but the film came in second for the Best Canadian Discovery Award.
Sentimental film titles that played at TIFF that we have seen: Seeds; Paying For It; 40 Acres; and Can I Get a Witness?
A few TIFF titles that we haven't seen: Measures for a Funeral; Sweet Angel Baby; Young Werther; Really Happy Someday; Your Tomorrow; and Village Keeper.
Sentimental favourites from Windsor that could qualify for the TIFF list: The Players; Tell Me Why These Things Are So Beautiful | Dis-moi pourquoi ces choses sont si belles; Sugarcane; Lucy Grizzli Sophie; Tea Creek; and Singing Back the Buffalo.
The primary reason we don't do our own Top 10 list are the Canadian films we don't know about, including Quebecois titles that fall short of the Venn diagram that is TIFF and WIFF. The TIFF list is well-researched. This doesn't mean we agree with the whole list (Solo in 2023) but the list is a good starting point to discuss the year in Canadian film.
TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2023
TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2022
We will catch you up on where we are on recent lists when the announcement finally comes around. Provided we know on January 8, that will be 9 days before we find out if Universal Language | Une Langue Universelle; makes the Academy Awards Top 5 cut, provided the Canadian film makes the shortlist.
The Toronto Film Critics Association announces their 3 feature finalists and 3 documentary contenders tomorrow. We will have that story on Monday. The Oscars announces the Best International Feature Film shortlist on Tuesday.
Dear Santa; All I want for Christmas is the release of the 2025 #CFL schedule so I can plan my 🏈 life
— DaleSheehan (@dale_l_sheehan) December 10, 2024
Twitter had more people concerned about when the CFL schedule will arrive — even if the games won't start for 6 more months — than people wondering why the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) hasn't released its picks for Top 10 Canadian films for the year. I love the CFL but I would rather get the TIFF lists.
Canadian film notebook: Upcoming TIFF Top 10 and TFCA finalists
2024 WIFF Canadian films in review
2024 TIFF Canadian film preview
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
You will have extra time to speculate on your own top Canadian films list. Feel free to submit nominees in the comments section.
photo credits: TIFF; Matt and Mara
Twitter captures: @canadian_xing; @dale_l_sheehan
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