The Toronto International Film Festival is 50 years old and has 292 films and stories from around the world.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is back for its 50th year, bringing 292 films to the city and proving once again that it is a global link between films and the rest of the world.
Robyn Citizen, TIFF’s Director of Programming, said that the festival is still important because stories help people make sense of the world around them. She said, “The best films let us escape into other worlds, but they also make us question what we think we know about our own.”
Daniel Craig is back in the newest Knives Out movie, along with Scarlett Johansson, Russell Crowe, Jodie Foster, Dwayne Johnson, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, and Ryan Reynolds.
Citizen said that TIFF’s themes came about naturally, showing filmmakers’ concerns with authoritarianism, the environment, and human survival. Palestine 36, which takes place in the 1930s during the British Mandate, and The Voice of Hind Rajab, which is making its North American premiere, are two of the most anticipated films. The latter recreates the desperate call of a six-year-old Palestinian girl trapped under fire in Gaza.
The festival also changed its mind about not showing Barry Avrich’s documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, which is about one man’s attempt to save his family from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. TIFF confirmed it as an official selection after talking about safety and programming issues.
The 11-day celebration started on Thursday with the documentary John Candy: I Like Me, which was directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds. It was a tribute to the late Canadian comedian. The last movie will be Anne Émond’s Canadian romantic comedy Peak Everything, which mixes themes of climate change with unexpected humour.
As TIFF turns 50, Citizen wants people to leave feeling that films can still inspire them. “I want them to feel like the films they see at TIFF are really pushing the limits of what films can do.”
It will be from September 4 to 14.