Dystopian themes and real-world issues take centre stage in Canadian films screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The post-apocalyptic thriller film 40 Acres RT Thorne’s Population Control Drama Can I Get A Witness ? Ann Marie Fleming and the Black Political Comedy Rumors by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson are among the 59 Canadian films premiering at TIFF.
The dystopian themes of this year’s programming speak to the pandemic years and the environmental challenges facing society today, said Anita Lee, TIFF’s director of programming, as filmmakers and actors gathered at a pre-festival event showcasing local films.
Canadian filmmakers are seeking to reflect “the world we live in right now,” added festival executive director Cameron Bailey.
Taking Care of BusinessTyler Measom’s film about the life and career of Canadian rock icon Randy Bachman, will also have its world premiere at TIFF, Bailey announced at the event.
The festival returns this year with the stars that were sorely missed last year due to the strikes in Hollywood.
Actors Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett and Will Ferrell, as well as Pharrell Williams, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, are among the stars expected to grace the red carpet at this year’s festival.
Among the hottest titles are Adams’s fierce, dark comedy Nightbitchthe Mormon horror movie Heretic by Hugh Grant and Francis Ford Coppola’s project, Megalopolisself-financed at $120 million, with Adam Driver.
Other Canadian films include the North American premiere of the metaphysical horror film The Shrouds by David Cronenberg, as well as the world premieres of Hello Sadness by Durga Chew-Bose, Paying For It by Sook-Yin Lee and The Mother and the Bear by Johnny Ma.
NutcrackersDavid Gordon Green’s new comedy-drama starring Ben Stiller, will open the festival, while The DebRebel Wilson’s first film, will close it.
The Toronto International Film Festival will take place from September 5 to 15.