Five more Canadian documentaries will premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). TIFF announced the full Canadian line-up for the 2022 festival today during a celebration for Canadian film at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Canadian documentaries joining the TIFF 2022 line-up include the world premiere of To Kill a Tiger, directed by Nisha Pahuja and produced by Cornelia Principe and Pahuja for Notice Pictures, and David Oppenheim for the National Film Board of Canada. The film is Pahuja’s long-awaited fourth feature following her acclaimed The World Before Her. To Kill a Tiger observes the reckoning that occurs in a small Indian village when a father defends his daughter following a violent rape.
Also premiering at the festival is Brian D. Johnson’s sophomore feature The Colour of Ink. The film is produced by produced by Johnson for Sphinx Productions and Sherien Barsoum, Lea Marin, and Kate Vollum for the NFB. The Colour of Ink follows several artisans who craft their own ink from ingredients forged from the wild.
Two music docs profiling Canadian icons will debut at the festival. Ever Deadly offers a concert doc and personal exploration of Tanya Tagaq, her craft as a throat singer, and the traditions and concerns for Inuit rights that fuel her powerful voice. Tagaq makes her feature directorial debut with Ever Deadly, sharing directing credits with Chelsea McMullan with Lea Marin, Anita Lee, and Kate Vollum of the NFB as producers. Meanwhile, Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On offers a portrait of Academy Award winning singer, songwriter, artist, and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie. Directed by Madison Thomas, Carry It On draws upon revealing conversations with Sainte-Marie and several of her contemporaries including Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, Taj Mahal, and filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. Producers for the film are Eagle Vision’s Lisa Meeches and White Pine Pictures’ Stephen Paniccia.
Rounding out the Canadian line-up for documentaries is 752 Is Not a Number. The film directed by Iranian-Canadian Babak Payami examines the downing of Ukrainian passenger flight 752, which shocked the world on January 8, 2020. 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents were among the 176 passengers killed when the plane was shot down over Tehran. The film is produced by Payami and Mike Leandro.
TIFF previously announced that Hubert Davis’ Black Ice will screen as a gala at this year’s festival. The international slate of TIFF Docs will be announced on August 17.
Today’s event at TIFF Bell Lightbox included some significant news for the festival as Toronto MP Marco Mendicino announced at TIFF would receive $10 million in support from the federal government. Interim executive director of Telefilm Canada Francesca Accinelli also revealed that the public funder pledged an additional $700,000 to ensure that Canadian audiences could enjoy films as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen. The festival event also featured a special round of applause for outgoing senior Canadian programmer Steve Gravestock, who is retiring after 25 years with the festival.
Subscribe today to read more about TIFF docs Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carrie It On, To Kill a Tiger, Ever Deadly, The Colour of Ink, and Black Ice in our upcoming issue.
