Thu, Sep 7, 2023, 3:30 PM – Sun, Sep 17, 2023
TIFF 2023 is coming for you and the films are eclectic as usual. Promising big stars, buzzy indies, cool series, new filmmakers to discover, and my personal favorite, in the form of the sinister Midnight Madness section, TIFF has all the films you’ll be hearing about come awards season. Here are a handful of things on our radar this year. Look for coverage from us and our main man Steve Kopian at Unseen Films.
RIDDLE OF FIRE- (Midnight Madness Closing Night feature)
The movie follows three mischievous children as they embark on an odyssey when their mother asks them to run an errand.
EPISODIC CONTENT
BAD BOY -World Premiere – Primetime Programme
From Ron Leshem (Executive producer of HBO’s Euphoria, Creator of the original Israeli Euphoria series off which the US series is based) and Hagar Ben-Asher (Bosch, City on a Hill)
Created alongside Daniel Chen, Roee Florentin, Moshe Malka, Amit Cohen (No Man’s Land, False Flag), Daniel Amsel (Euphoria, Valley of Tears).
Starring Bat Hen Sabag, Amjad Shawa, Guy Menaster, Havtamo Parada, Neta Plotnik, Liraz Chamami, Ishay Lalush, Daniel Hen, Ben Sultan
BAD BOY is a gripping true story about a young boy imprisoned in a chaotic and colorful juvenile detention facility. While in jail, DEAN bonds with ZORO, a mysterious fellow inmate who grows to be his closest friend and lifeline despite the fact that Zoro is serving time for cold-blooded murder. In order to survive the harsh reality behind bars, Dean learns to harness his unique creativity and humor – all while battling his own inner demons. Twenty years later, these traits still define Dean as a star comedian, while his time in jail is a secret that constantly threatens to resurface and tear his life apart.
Episode Count: 8×40
LIMBO (North American Premiere*)
Section: Centrepiece
North American Premiere
Australia/104 min/English
Directed by: Ivan Sen
Starring: Simon Baker, Rob Collins, Natasha Wanganeen, Nicholas Hope
*LIMBO World Premired at Berlinale Film Festival 2023
Synopsis:
Travis, a jaded detective, arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case from the victim’s fractured family, the surviving witnesses, and the reclusive brother of the chief suspect. A poignant, intimate journey into the complexities of loss and the impact of the justice system on Aboriginal families in Australia.
Screening times:
September 12 5:45 pm Public screening Scotiabank 3
September 13 3:45 pm Public screening Scotiabank 9
BACKSPOT – World Premiere – Discovery
Directed by: D.W. Waterson
Written by: Joanne Sarazen, Story by: D.W. Waterson
Produced by: Alona Metzer, D.W. Waterson, Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, Martin Katz
Executive Produced by: Elliot Page, Matt Jordan Smith, J.C. Davidson, Katisha Shaw
Starring: Devery Jacobs (“Reservation Dogs”), Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”), Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s Tale), Kudakwashe Rutendo, Thomas Antony Olajide, Wendy Crewson
Synopsis:
A driven cheerleader (Devery Jacobs) struggles to handle the pressure when she and her girlfriend are both selected for an elite cheer squad, in D.W. Waterson’s feature directorial debut.
RT: 93 Minutes
Public Screenings
Friday, September 8 at 8:30PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Monday, September 11 at 3:00PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Friday, September 15 at 9:45PM at Scotiabank Theatre
THE CRITIC – World Premiere – Special Presentations
Directed By: Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie)
Written by: Patrick Marber (Notes on a Scandal)
Starring: Ian McKellen (The Good Liar), Gemma Arterton (Summerland), Mark Strong (1917), Romola Garai (Suffragette), Ben Barnes (Westworld) and Alfred Enoch (Foundation)
Gemma Arterton and Sir Ian McKellen star as adversaries forced to take desperate measures to save their careers, in this scintillating tale of ambition and deceit in the theatre world.
RT: 95 minutes
Public Screenings
Monday, September 11 at 12:00PM at the Princess of Wales
Wednesday, September 13 at 4:00PM at Scotiabank 2
Saturday, September 16 at 3:00PM at Scotiabank 2
IRENA’S VOW (Quiver Distribution) – World Premiere – Centerpiece Program
Directed by: Louise Archambault (Atomic Saké, Familia)
Written by: Dan Gordon (Passenger 57, Wyatt Earp)
Starring: Sophie Nélisse (“Yellowjackets,” 47 Meters Down: Uncaged), Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible 2, “Batwoman”), Andrzej Seweryn, and Maciek Nawrocki
Produced by: Nicholas Tabarrok, p.g.a, Beata Pisula, Tim Ringuette, Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman
Through the eyes of a strong-willed woman comes the remarkable true story of Irena Gut Opdyke and the triumphs of the human spirit over devastating tragedy. 19-year-old Irena Gut is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a highly respected Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help twelve Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of: the basement of the German commandant’s house. Over the next two years, Irena uses her wit, humor, and courage to hide her friends until the end of the German occupation, concealing them in the midst of countless Nazi parties, a blackmail scheme, and even the birth of a child. Her story is one of the most inspiring of our time.
RT: 121 Minutes
Public Screenings
Sunday, September 10 at 3:15PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 1
Monday, September 11 at 3:35PM at Scotiabank 11
KNOX GOES AWAY – World Premiere – Special Presentations
Directed by: Michael Keaton
Written By: Gregory Poirier (Rosewood)
Starring: Michael Keaton (Birdman), James Marsden (“Jury Duty”), Al Pacino (The Godfather), and Marcia Gay Harden (Mystic RIver)
Michael Keaton directs and plays Knox, a hitman losing his memory, putting him in a race against time to help his estranged son (James Marsden) cover up a messy crime.
RT: 114 minutes
Public Screenings
Sunday, September 10 at 9:45 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre
Monday, September 11 at 5:30 PM at Roy Thomson Hall
SUMMER QAMP– WORLD PREMIERE – 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
Directed by Jen Markowitz
Mins 80 | Language English | Year 2023 | Country Canada
SUMMER QAMP is a moving, compelling and joyful documentary following a group of LGBTQ+ youth at an idyllic lakeside camp in Alberta, Canada – CAMP fYrefly. The campers enjoy the traditional summer camp experience in a safe, affirming environment where they deepen their connections with their own community and themselves.
Screenings:
World Premiere – Saturday, September 9 at 12:15 PM at Scotiabank 13
Sunday, September 10 at 4:30 PM at Scotiabank 12
For more information on TIFF 2023 click here!
The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival takes place Thursday, September 7—17, 2023.
Slamdance 2023 Premiere of
After jail-time, 12-step programs and five marriages, Annie begins her acting career in her mid-fifties with the help of a young director she met at a Burger King. In this show within a show, Annie tackles both her gigs as an actor and the role of herself in her own life story.
A farcical meta delight, Slamdance 2023 episodic WHO’S ANNIE skewers the absurdity of Hollywood, but that’s only the beginning. Annie Pisapia plays herself and doesn’t. Yup. You read that correctly. This “series within a series” is wildly entertaining and wholly bizarre. 
Writer-director Sophia Peer plays “herself,” a television director with awkward and quirky energy. Peer bears a striking resemblance to Rhea Pearlman. It’s a head-scratching role, and I could not look away. Sofia Dobrushin plays the “series” version of Peers. Wide-eyed and perfectly cast, Dobrushin appears both afraid and at home in coordinated chaos. I adored her. Annie Pisapia owns the screen, as her comic timing is something to behold. Her rough exterior feels part false flag, part true identity. She is so convincing it is genuinely tough to discern between Annie’s real life and the script. That is the entire point of the series, and Peer has succeeded with flying colors. Adding in Peer’s manic confidence and Dobrushin’s “yes, and” attitude, these three women exquisitely complement one another.
Because the show jumps in style, so does the cinematography. It is eye candy that never gets boring. It is pure silliness, and I’m dying for more. It’s Comedy Central meets Mad TV. There is a lot of meat on the bone for series development. Everyone has enough (or a lot) of backstory to expand upon and plenty of weirdness to start. 
As a self-professed Gleek, the series contains so much information I didn’t know. Safety issues, money, and around-the-clock nonstop work, from the mouths of friends, crew members, and entertainment reporters, The Price of Glee pulls the curtain back on all the behind-the-scenes drama and addresses the all too familiar internet rumor that the show may be cursed. Episode one concludes with Cory Monteith’s death and ends on a cliffhanger. Episode two picks right back up where we left off, focusing mainly on the aftermath of Monteith’s passing. Delving into Mark Salling’s child pornography conviction and subsequent suicide, this episode melds into the third with Naya Rivera‘s father speaking about her tragic death.
Transitions between conversations feature video clips and cast photos. My main gripe with episodes two and three is the repetition of said images. A show that spanned six seasons deserved fresh photos. It was a glaring amateur mistake. Is THE PRICE OF GLEE a touch like an E! True Hollywood Story? Very much so, but as a fan, I was endlessly intrigued, hoping for any new information. While the cast has come forward to say they were not involved, hearing crew members that genuinely cared for them and with (mostly) kind words, their insight is vital to understanding the immense pressure this phenomenon created.
One of the most immersive cinematic nature series ever made, Nat Geo’s Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory is a wow. I was in relentless awe of the up close and personal footage of the arctic life, be it takes, seals, penguins, and much more. 
The improvements to the CG are hella cool. I think She-Hulk looks better than Hulk! Sorry, Mr. Ruffalo. I still love you, and I hope we see more of you in the remaining episodes. 
Breaking the fourth wall is another device that sets this series apart. Written and created for television by Jessica Gao and directed by Kat Coiro (who both executive produce), the structure of the pilot is straightforward; a flashback to a few weeks ago when Jennifer became a hulk. The final scene takes us full circle, and it’s everything you’d want in a Marvel series starring a badass lawyer with acerbic wit who just so happens to have gamma rays in her bloodstream. No big deal. 
If you pay attention to the credits, and you always should in any Marvel film or series, you’ll notice how many women are part of the crew in every aspect of She-Hulk. And, we have to talk about the credits scene without spoilers. Jessica Walters is a Captain America fangirl, and damnit, it’s hilarious. Could this rival Jessica Jones as my favorite female comic book development? Yeah, I think there’s a solid argument to be made.
► Watch Marvel on Disney+: 
Catching A Killer- Episode 2:
Inventions That Changed History
Ready to dominate at the next Trivia Night? “Inventions that Changed History” is a light, silly romp that is likely to help your team win a free round. With a mix of historical exposition on familiar inventions– Mr. Potato Head and waterbeds make silly and fascinating segments– it is the perfect palette cleansing alternative to more serious documentaries (or the news). 
Filled with surprising celebrity cameos from fan favorites like Guillermo from “What we do in the Shadows,” Meredith from “The Office,” and Amanda Seals from “Insecure” candidly riffing on a nostalgic parade of core memories for Gen X/ Millennials, the show is a good time all around. In particular, I was locked in learning the origins of the Easy-Bake Oven while simultaneously trying to remember if and how severely I burned myself– not enough to stop it from being one of my favorite toys. Oh, the 90s! 
Episode 2 Inventions:
On the heels of The Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna, watching individuals fall under the spell of another human being is fascinating. The overlooked red flags are easy for me to spot as I watch from my couch at home. We’ve watched some crazy stories over the years, but nothing like Netflix’s documentary series, BAD VEGAN. Sarma Melngailis gets into hot water when a conman steals not only her heart but her employees’ money. But, is it that cut and dry? Witnessing this twisted plot unfold, I have serious reservations about the genuine involvement of Sarma in her own undoing. Desperate for funds, her entanglement and secretive marriage to Anthony Strangis leads to massive fraud, lies, and some of the strangest behavior from a smart and successful woman I’ve ever heard of.
The doc has unprecedented footage, some of which looks like it came from Strangis’ cell phone. Sarma’s moments of pushback while on the run show a clear head through her tears and anger. I’m not sure I believe her version. Through sit-down interviews with her former staff, restaurant associates, lawyer, and even her father, I don’t think they know what the real truth is, either. Along with phone calls between Sarma and Anthony, the series spans the rise and fall of this sophisticated businesswoman. The promises and threats she endured are, quite literally, unbelievable. When do we ask Sarma to take responsibility for her part in this apparent lunacy? The book deals and tv appearance feel inevitable if we’ve learned anything from Anna Sorokin (who is being deported back to Germany as of this week). Part of me wants Sarma to rise from the ashes, and yet there is this nagging feeling that she doesn’t deserve it. The series covers a lot, but I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one that has reservations *no pun intended* when it comes to Sarma Melngailis.
Episodes 1 -3
***Golden Nymph Jury Special Prize Winner – 2021 Monte-Carlo TV Festival***
Streaming Exclusively on Topic Beginning February 17th
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