A new documentary series about The Tragically Hip leads the Primetime programming at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The festival announced the slate for its episodic stream with Mike Downie’s No Dress Rehearsal tapped to screen all four episodes of its look at the Kingston band fronted by the director’s late brother, Gord. No Dress Rehearsal streams on Prime Video later this year and marks the 40th anniversary of the Hip. The doc offers a definitive portrait of the band that united Canadians through song. (Subscribe today to read more about No Dress Rehearsal in our upcoming issue.)
Also screening on the documentary front is The Knowing from directors Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga. The CBC series follows Talaga and her family as they search for family matriarch Annie Carpenter in an investigation that connects with the legacy of violence caused by residential schools. The doc is based on the book by Talaga.
TIFF also announced the Short Cuts programming for this year’s festival. Offering 48 films drawn from a reportedly record-breaking 5300 submissions, the shorts programming includes several projects on the Canadian front. Among the selections is Halima Elkhatabi’s Fantas, which makes her a double selection at the festival as her feature doc Living Together was announced for TIFF Docs earlier this week. Short docs also include Alison McAlpine’s Cannes contender perfectly a kindness and Arshia Shakiba’s Venice-bound doc Who Loves the Sun. Other Canadian selections include films by Oscar winner Torill Kove, Theodore Ushev, Amanda Strong, Connor Jessup, and Arshile Khanjian Egoyan.
The announcement cap off a busy week on the doc front for TIFF. The festival announced selections for TIFF Docs and Wavelengths this week ahead of the festival beginning Sept. 5.
Today’s TIFF selections are as follows:
Primetime (in alphabetical order)
Disclaimer Alfonso Cuarón | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
Faithless Tomas Alfredson, Sara Johnsen | Sweden
World Premiere
Families Like Ours Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech
Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany
North American Premiere
Son of the Century Joe Wright | Italy/France
(TBC)
The Knowing Courtney Montour, Tanya Talaga | Canada
World Premiere
The Listeners Janicza Bravo, Jordan Tannahill | United Kingdom
World Premiere
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal Mike Downie | Canada
World Premiere
Thou Shalt Not Steal Dylan River | Australia
World Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 1
Deck 5B Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden
World Premiere
Silent Panorama Nicolas Piret | Belgium
North American Premiere
Fantas Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere
Amarela André Hayato Saito | Brazil
North American Premiere
Maybe Elephants Torill Kove | Norway/Canada
North American Premiere
Sauna Day Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash | Estonia
North American Premiere
welima’q shalan joudry | Canada
World Premiere
Julian and the Wind Connor Jessup | Canada
World Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 2
Percebes Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves | Portugal/France
North American Premiere
Fuck Me Anette Sidor | Sweden/Norway
World Premiere
One Day This Kid Alexander Farah | Canada
World Premiere
Every Other Weekend Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose | Canada
World Premiere
Mercenaire Pier-Philippe Chevigny | Canada
World Premiere
perfectly a strangeness Alison McAlpine | Canada
North American Premiere
The Yellow Maika Monroe, Simone Faoro | USA
World Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 3
Serve the Country Fabián Velasco, Miloš Mitrović | Canada
World Premiere
Who Loves the Sun Arshia Shakiba | Canada
North American Premiere
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia
North American Premiere
Inkwo for When the Starving Return Amanda Strong | Canada
World Premiere
Masterpiece Mommy Dorothy Sing Zhang | United Kingdom/China
World Premiere
Loser Baby Dakota Johnson | USA
World Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 4
A Son & a Father Andrés Ramírez Pulido | France/Colombia
North American Premiere
On a Sunday at Eleven Alicia K. Harris | Canada
World Premiere
Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? Bec Pecaut | Canada
World Premiere
On The Way Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere
Out for Ice Cream Rachel Samson | Canada
World Premiere
The Best Ian Bawa | Canada
World Premiere
Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin | USA
World Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 5
Solemates James Rathbone, Mike Feswick | Canada
World Premiere
Quota Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands
World Premiere
Vox Humana Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | Philippines/USA/Singapore
World Premiere
The Wolf Theodore Ushev | Canada
North American Premiere
Aïda Neither Elisa Gilmour | France
World Premiere
Alazar Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia/France/Canada
North American Premiere
Short Cuts Programme 6
The Cost of Hugging Louis Bhose | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Marion Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine | France/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
La Voix des Sirènes Gianluigi Toccafondo | France/Italy
North American Premiere
After Sunday Omolola Ajao | Canada
World Premiere
Anotc ota ickwaparin akosiin Catherine Boivin | Canada
World Premiere
Before They Joined Us Arshile Khanjian Egoyan | Canada
World Premiere
Tenderness Helen Lee | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere
Strange Cuts Programme
Gender Reveal Mo Matton | Canada
North American Premiere
The Sunset Special 2 Nicolas Gebbe | Germany
North American Premiere
The Beguiling ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby | USA
World Premiere
Don’t F*ck With Ba Sally Tran | USA
International Premiere
Stomach Bug Matty Crawford | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Never Have I Ever Joyce A. Nashawati | France
World Premiere
Screening prior to the Centrepiece selection When the Light Breaks:
O Rúnar Rúnarsson | Iceland/Sweden
North American Premiere
