(August 23, 2024 – Toronto, ON) We took our first look at some of the Canadian films screening this year at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. Yesterday, in a special press conference, festival execs unveiled the full line-up of Canadian films, which amount to 59 productions, a new record and 9 more than last year.
TIFF’s Chief Programming Officer Anita Lee commented on the fact that several films delve into darker places, including some we wrote about on August 5. “I think it reflects the world around us,” she said. “What’s really interesting is that this dystopian theme is represented through comedy, musical and horror.” Specifically, these films are R.T. Thorne’s post-apocalyptic thriller 40 Acres, Ann Marie Fleming’s population-control drama Can I Get A Witness? and political satire-meets-zombie outbreak comedy Rumours co-directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, which we will be adding to our database in the next few days.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey added his thoughts, saying at one point, that there’s “…a system here that is publicly funded to some degree, to the extent that Canadian filmmakers have a kind of independence that really allows them to tell the story they truly want to tell. When you watch Canadian films, you’re seeing what’s genuinely on the minds and in the hearts of the artists here as opposed to what they think is simply going to sell.”
In addition to those films framed by the pressures of the real world, he touched on those films that focus on the pressures young people are dealing with. He mentioned Sophie Deraspe’s new feature Bergers, or Shepherds in English, which we previously covered. It tells the story of a young Montreal advertising copywriter who leaves his job and his country to become a shepherd in France (pictured below) after having a medical wake-up call. It reminded me of the basic plot behind the film One Week. 
Other youth-focused films include Halima Elkhatabi’s documentary Living Together, about young Montrealers looking to share living quarters, which offers a look at millennials and gen Z against the backdrop of the housing crisis. Or Sook-Yin Lee’s Paying For It, which was adapted from her ex-boyfriend’s graphic novel about his experiences with sex workers after the end of their relationship. Starring in the film is Andrea Werhun, who pointed out the impact of Toronto’s never-ending push to renew itself and the impact this has on the city’s younger generation. “Artists are pushed out, indie places are continuously priced out,” she said. “We don’t have places to make art anymore. This film is a historical record of a Toronto that is at real threat of being lost.”
The potential threat to Toronto’s waterfront is another take on the city that seems destined to remain unfinished. Ali Weinstein’s documentary Your Tomorrow follows the fight to save the Toronto waterfront venue Ontario Place amid redevelopment plans, Weinstein says the film deals with the more universal themes of gentrification.
The 59 Canadian films include documentaries, shorts and features and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the always greatly anticipated next feature from David Cronenberg., The Shrouds.
Earlier this month, TIFF announced the return of the Best Canadian Discovery Award, after being on hiatus since 2019. This award celebrates works of emerging filmmakers “who contribute to enriching the Canadian film landscape.” All first or second feature films in Official Selection by Canadian filmmakers are eligible for this award. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000.
Once again this year our intrepid film correspondent Thom Ernst will be our eyes and ears at TIFF and we are hoping Maurie Alioff will be able to make the trip from Montreal to cover Québec films at TIFF 2024 for Northerstars.ca. We will be adding more of these films screening at TIFF in the coming weeks. TIFF 2024 runs from September 5 to 15.
Ralph Lucas is a former broadcast executive and award-winning director in high-end corporate video production. The founder and publisher of Northernstars.ca, online since 1998, he began writing about film and reviewing movies while in radio in Montreal in the mid-1970s.
