A sex-work comedy, a Tragically Hip documentary and a wartime family drama are among the Canadian titles premiering at the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival.
After Hollywood strikes dampened last year含羞草研究社檚 event, the festival returns Thursday with 59 homegrown films from established and emerging directors.
The Canadian Press caught up with five directors bound for the movie marathon taking place Sept. 5 to 15.
SOOK-YIN LEE, director, 含羞草研究社淧aying For It含羞草研究社�
Lee says she 含羞草研究社渞eally loved含羞草研究社� her ex-boyfriend Chester Brown含羞草研究社檚 2011 comic strip memoir 含羞草研究社淧aying For It,含羞草研究社� about his experiences with Toronto sex workers after their real-life breakup. So much so that she adapted it for the big screen, resulting in a dramatized look at how they navigated their complicated relationship in turn-of-the-millennium Toronto.
On turning her breakup into a film: 含羞草研究社淲e loved each other and the idea of breaking up was inconceivable. So, as I began to look for love and connection through dating 含羞草研究社� the culturally approved way of doing that 含羞草研究社� he was going to explore the world of paying for sex. The key to turning it into a movie was to focus on the relationship between Chester and I, as well as our separate pursuits to find love and connection.含羞草研究社�
On recreating Y2K-era Toronto: 含羞草研究社淵ou don含羞草研究社檛 know what you含羞草研究社檝e got till it含羞草研究社檚 gone. All of the cities are changing. They含羞草研究社檙e gentrifying. I knew that I wanted to have a grungier, rawer feel of Toronto. I didn含羞草研究社檛 want to show a touristy Toronto that was all dazzled up. I also didn含羞草研究社檛 have very much money. So, I was like, 含羞草研究社榃e含羞草研究社檙e going to shoot it in the house where the real events occurred.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Release dates: Premieres at TIFF on Thursday; hits theatres in early 2025.
ARSHILE EGOYAN, director, 含羞草研究社淏efore They Joined Us含羞草研究社�
For his second short film, Atom Egoyan含羞草研究社檚 son chose to share his mother Arsin茅e Khanjian含羞草研究社檚 journey of immigrating to Canada from war-torn Lebanon in the 1970s. The 30-year-old only learned the specifics of the 含羞草研究社淓xotica含羞草研究社� actress含羞草研究社� story a few years ago. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 this insane sequence of events she experienced that I couldn含羞草研究社檛 believe she never talked about before,含羞草研究社� he says.
On what made his mom含羞草研究社檚 story so compelling: 含羞草研究社淪he went to live with her aunts, who believed that at the end of that calendar year, Armageddon would come upon them. So, having escaped the horrors of the Lebanese civil war, she entered this psychological space where the world is going to end. It just gets worse. With immigrant stories, we like to think people find new lives and everything works out well, but this is an example where it goes the other way.含羞草研究社�
On whether his dad gave him any notes: 含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 a fantastic father. He含羞草研究社檚 an incredible mentor to me. But I think when it comes time for me to be in my creative space, he knows to remove himself. Unless there含羞草研究社檚 something I want to ask him, he really gives me room to be on my own journey. That being said, he含羞草研究社檚 really excited when he sees the work I do, and sharing the film with him and my mother was really special for all three of us.含羞草研究社�
Release dates: Premieres at TIFF on Sept. 11.
MIKE DOWNIE, director, 含羞草研究社淭he Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal含羞草研究社�
Several decades of documentary filmmaking and a side gig directing the Hip含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淧oets含羞草研究社� music video ably equip Downie for this four-hour dive into one of Canada含羞草研究社檚 most beloved bands. He also happens to have unrivalled access to the band as the brother of late frontman Gord Downie.
On telling the Hip含羞草研究社檚 story: 含羞草研究社淎s a brother, I wanted to cement his legacy in the minds of Canadians and music fans all over the world. And when I say my brother, I mean the band. For me, my entry is through my brother. (When) I experienced the band all those years, Gord was always the portal.含羞草研究社�
On the target audience: 含羞草研究社淲e were thinking of people on the other side of the world that were thinking, 含羞草研究社業 don含羞草研究社檛 know much about Canada, and I don含羞草研究社檛 know anything about this band. What, if I start right here?含羞草研究社� We wanted people like that to be drawn into the story.含羞草研究社�
Release dates: Premieres at TIFF on Thursday, begins streaming on Prime Video on Sept. 20.
ALI WEINSTEIN, director, 含羞草研究社淵our Tomorrow含羞草研究社�
After she 含羞草研究社渞ediscovered含羞草研究社� Ontario Place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Weinstein says she became obsessed with researching its history and architecture. In 2021, when Premier Doug Ford含羞草研究社檚 government announced plans to redevelop the Toronto waterfront area as a massive spa and indoor waterpark, she began work on a documentary.
On the communities she captured: 含羞草研究社淚 was seeing people on the beach and bird watchers who knew each other had formed this community down at Ontario Place. I thought, what is so special about this place as it is right now, as a public park, that is attracting so many people? My aim was to document this very unique moment in the life cycle of Ontario Place, after its heyday. That含羞草研究社檚 what kept me going over nearly 100 days of shooting.含羞草研究社�
On why it含羞草研究社檚 a universal tale: 含羞草研究社淲hile it含羞草研究社檚 a very local story in its particulars, I think the themes will resonate across the world. I含羞草研究社檓 hopeful that audiences see (the film) because it含羞草研究社檚 such a timely topic. I was excited to get it out quickly while the conversation is still going on about what should happen there.含羞草研究社�
Release dates: Premieres at TIFF on Sept. 12; hits theatres in late 2024.
ARIANNA MARTINEZ, director, 含羞草研究社淒o I Know You From Somewhere?含羞草研究社�
A couple含羞草研究社檚 happy relationship is upended when the small pieces of their universe unexpectedly shift, altering their romantic history and everything around them. The Fredericton-based filmmaker describes the screenplay, co-written with her husband Gordon Mihan, as a story set in 含羞草研究社渢he alternative reality of a missed connection.含羞草研究社�
On drawing from their lives: 含羞草研究社淎t one point in our relationship it was a question of, do we want to make movies or do we want to have a family? (The film is) playing with the idea of something we含羞草研究社檝e all asked ourselves: What would my life look like if I含羞草研究社檇 made a different choice?含羞草研究社�
On cinematic inspirations: 含羞草研究社淲e love Korean cinema 含羞草研究社� (writer-directors) Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho 含羞草研究社� just how much fun those films are. They含羞草研究社檙e not selective with how they play with genre and can pack so many different genres into one story. We tried our hand at that with our storytelling to give the audience a little taste of everything.含羞草研究社�
On filming in New Brunswick: 含羞草研究社淢ost of our cast and crew was made up of New Brunswickers. People that we含羞草研究社檝e been making short films with for a decade, we finally make this big project together. It feels like a labour of love from the whole community.含羞草研究社�
Release dates: Premieres at TIFF on Friday, screens at Atlantic International Film Festival on Sept. 14.
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含羞草研究社� Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Alex Nino Gheciu and David Friend, The Canadian Press
