Karen Kain and Nickelback lead the documentary front in the first programming release for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF unveiled the first wave of Galas and Special Presentations titles for the September festival. Among them are Swan Song, directed by Chelsea McMullan, and Hate to Love: Nickelback, directed by Leigh Brooks. Swan Song follows acclaimed ballet dancer Karen Kain as she passes the torch at the National Ballet of Canada by leading the next generation of ballerinas on a tour of Swan Lake. McMullan previously directed the Tanya Tagaq doc Ever Deadly, which screened at last year’s Festival. Meanwhile, doc fans can get ready to cheer and jeer at Roy Thomson Hall as Hate to Love: Nickelback is set for the red carpet treatment in the Galas. The doc profiles the Canadian band whose success leaves some music lovers banging their heads while others headbang away.
Also on the documentary front is a new title from Oscar winner Alex Gibney. In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon will have its world premiere in the Special Presentations programme. Meanwhile, Cannes’ hybrid drama Four Daughters by Kaouther Ben Hania will have its North American premiere at the festival. TIFF previously announced the dramatic adaptation of Next Goal Wins, based on the documentary of the same name.
Canadian dramas announced for TIFF so far include Sophie Dupuis’ drag scene drama Solo starring Théodore Pellerin, Chloé Robichaud’s Days of Happiness starring Sophie Desmarais, and Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils starring Amanda Seyfried. As TIFF watchers anticipate some major shakeups to the usual glitz and glamour as a result of Hollywood’s refusal to meet the requests of actors and writers, it’s generally expected that documentaries, Canadian films, and titles produced outside the USA won’t be affected by the elements of the SAG-AFTRA strike that prevent actors from promoting their works. Additional titles will be announced leading up to the festival.
The films announced today are:
GALA PRESENTATIONS 2023
*Previously announced
Concrete Utopia Um Tae-Hwa | South Korea
North American Premiere
Sales Title – North America Rights Available
Dumb Money Craig Gillespie | USA
World Premiere
Fair Play Chloe Domont | USA
International Premiere
Flora and Son John Carney | Ireland/USA
Canadian Premiere
Hate to Love: Nickelback Leigh Brooks | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Lee Ellen Kuras | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
*Next Goal Wins Taika Waititi | USA
World Premiere
NYAD Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA
International Premiere
Punjab ’95 Honey Trehan | India
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Solo Sophie Dupuis | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
The End We Start From Mahalia Belo | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
The Movie Emperor Ning Hao | China
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
The New Boy Warwick Thornton | Australia
North American Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
The Royal Hotel Kitty Green | Australia/United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2023
*Previously announced
A Difficult Year Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | France
International Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
A Normal Family Hur Jin-ho | South Korea
World Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
American Fiction Cord Jefferson | USA
World Premiere
Anatomy of a Fall Justine Triet | France
Canadian Premiere
Close to You Dominic Savage | Canada/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
Days of Happiness Chloé Robichaud | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
El Rapto Daniela Goggi | Argentina
North American Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
Ezra Tony Goldwyn | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Fingernails Christos Nikou | USA
International Premiere
Four Daughters Kaouther Ben Hania | France/Tunisia/Germany/Saudi Arabia
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Some Rights Available
His Three Daughters Azazel Jacobs | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Hit Man Richard Linklater | USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Alex Gibney | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Kidnapped Marco Bellocchio | Italy/France/Germany
North American Premiere
Knox Goes Away Michael Keaton | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
La Chimera Alice Rohrwacher | Italy/France/Switzerland
North American Premiere
Last Summer Catherine Breillat | France
North American Premiere
*Les Indésirables Ladj Ly | France
World Premiere
Sales Title – North America Rights Available
Memory Michel Franco | USA/Mexico
North American Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Monster Kore-eda Hirokazu | Japan
North American Premiere
Mother Couch Niclas Larsson | USA
World Premiere
North Star Kristin Scott Thomas | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
One Life James Hawes | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Pain Hustlers David Yates | USA
World Premiere
Poolman Chris Pine | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Some Rights Available
Reptile Grant Singer | USA
World Premiere
Rustin George C. Wolfe | USA
International Premiere
*Seven Veils Atom Egoyan | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
Shoshana Michael Winterbottom | United Kingdom/Italy
World Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
Sing Sing Greg Kwedar | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
Smugglers Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Swan Song Chelsea McMullan | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – Some Rights Available
The Beast Bertrand Bonello | France/Canada
North American Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
The Burial Maggie Betts | USA
World Premiere
The Convert Lee Tamahori | Australia/New Zealand
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
The Critic Anand Tucker | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Some Rights Available
The Dead Don’t Hurt Viggo Mortensen | Mexico/Canada/Denmark
World Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
The Holdovers Alexander Payne | USA
International Premiere
The Peasants DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman | Poland/Serbia/Lithuania
World Premiere
Sales Title – Some Rights Available
The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer | United Kingdom/Poland/USA
Canadian Premiere
Together 99 Lukas Moodysson | Sweden/Denmark
World Premiere
Unicorns Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd | United Kingdom/USA/Sweden
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Uproar Paul Middleditch, Hamish Bennett | New Zealand
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Wicked Little Letters Thea Sharrock | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – International Rights Available
Wildcat Ethan Hawke | USA
International Premiere
Sales Title – North American Rights Available
Woman of the Hour Anna Kendrick | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – US Rights Available
