With over 20 films this year, the festival’s 2SLGBTQI+ lineup features familiar faces, local documentaries and a global queer perspective…
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns September 4 to 14. As always the event promises to bring some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities and rising stars to the streets of Toronto.
Over 20 queer films will either make their world or North American premiere at the festival. The movies represent local Canadian stories and those that give viewers a glimpse into queer life globally. From a film set in Poland starring singer Charli xcx to a lesbian romance with dialogue in a Métis language to the return of detective Benoit Blanc and a genre-bending Indigenous thriller, there are plenty of feature length films and shorts for queer audiences to enjoy.
Here are 11 films and one limited series to consider adding to your TIFF watch list this year. For the full slate of 2SLGBTQI+ programming, visit the TIFF website.
Between Dreams and Hope
Country: Iran | Language: Persian | Director: Farnoosh Samadi | Starring: Fereshteh Hosseini, Sadaf Asgari
As trans man Azad (Fereshteh Hosseini) prepares to medically transition, he learns his father must grant permission in order for the procedure to move forward. The revelation forces Azad and his partner, Nora (Sadaf Asgari), to travel to a remote Iranian village to face his estranged dad. Upon arrival, it becomes clear the pair are not welcome. When Azad goes missing, Nora embarks on a mission to find her partner.
Blood Lines
Country: Canada | Language: English, Michif | Director: Gail Maurice | Starring: Dana Soloman, Derica Lafrance
Beatrice (Dana Soloman) is taken by Chani (Derica Lafrance) who arrives in her Métis community to find her biological family. As Beatrice falls for the stranger, a plot to reunite her and her mother is hatched by “The Grannies,” a group of older women in the community. This film is celebration of lesbian romance and Métis culture with dialogue in the Michif language, which has about 1,130 speakers worldwide.
Degrassi: Whatever It Takes
Country: Canada | Language: English | Director: Lisa Rideout
It launched the careers of Drake, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Nina Dobrev and more. Now, Lisa Rideout’s tribute to the “pop culture institution” Degrassi is getting its world premiere. The retrospect documentary features interviews with creators, cast members, writers and super fans of the popular teen series. It examines how it pushed boundaries with storylines tackling tough social issues and its realistic portrayal of adolescence. No matter what Degrassi franchise viewers grew up with, this nostalgic film will resonate with fans of all generations.
Dinner With Friends
Country: Canada | Language: English | Director: Sasha Leigh Henry | Starring: Tattiawna Jones, Alex Spencer
Maintaining adult friendships can be difficult, but eight longtime friends try their best by coming together for the occasional dinner party. At each dinner, the group explores realistic and mundane topics that usually lead to surprises, drama or hurt feelings. The film stars Tattiawna Jones who we profiled in the July/August issue.
Erupcja
Country: United States of America, Poland | Language: Polish, English | Director: Pete Ohs | Starring: Charli xcx, Lena Góra
While vacationing in Poland, Bethany (Charli xcx) breaks away from a romantic itinerary planned by her boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden). She ends up reuniting with her old friend, Nel (Lena Góra), and rekindles a unique chemistry over the course of a few days.
Julian
Country: Belgium, Netherlands | Language: English, French, Dutch | Director: Cato Kusters | Starring: Nina Meurisse, Laurence Roothooft
A true story about a fateful encounter between Fleur (Nina Meurisse) and Julian (Laurence Roothooft) and how their love impacted the world. At a dinner party in 2017, the couple discover their friends are unaware that only 22 countries recognized same sex marriage. To raise awareness, the pair go on a journey saying “I do” in every country that allows them to. They celebrate the progressive countries while subtly calling out those who do not believe in marriage equality.
Modern Whore
Country: Canada | Language: English | Director: Nicole Bazuin
Challenging the toxic misconceptions about sex work and sex workers, viewers go on a journey through Andrea Werhun’s experiences as an escort and exotic dancer. The documentary highlights the profession, showcasing the lessons to be learned and challenges to be faced.
Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts)
Country: Canada, Belgium | Languages: English, Mi’kmaw, French | Director: Bretten Hannam | Starring: Blake Alec Miranda, Forrest Goodluck
This genre-bending otherworldly drama follows two brothers who avenge the spirits that have haunted them since childhood. After drifting apart due to the horrors of their shared past, Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda) returns to their community after being visited by a malicious spirit. To rid themselves of the spirit, Mise’l and Antle (Forrest Goodluck) journey through Sk+te’kmujue’katik, a forest where time collapses on itself. On their travels they are met by ancestors, younger versions of themselves and future iterations of their loved ones.
The Little Sister
Country: France, Germany | Language: French, Arabic | Director: Hafsia Herzi | Starring: Nadia Melliti, Ji-Min Park
A good student and a devout Muslim, Fatima (Nadia Melliti) struggles with reconciling the different parts of her life. When Fatima learns she isn’t interested in boys, she is reluctant to discuss her sexuality with anyone because of her faith and desire not to disrupt her family. Fatima ends up living a secret life in Paris, but when she falls hopelessly in love with Ji-Na (Ji-Min Park), she no longer wants to live her half-life anymore.
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo
Country: Chile, France | Language: Spanish | Director: Diego Céspedes | Starring: Tamara Cortés, Paula Dinamarca
Set in 1982 in a remote Chilean mining town, 11-year-old Lidia (Tamara Cortés) is raised by a loving queer community. Lidia faces ignorance and fear from the miners and aggression from other young locals. When the local men exercise control over the bodily agency of the group of trans women, things come to a heated and at times absurd point from which there will be no return to normal.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Country: United States of America | Language: English | Director: Rian Johnson | Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington
Benoit Blanc is back in the third instalment of the Knives Out franchise. Set in a small town, Blanc faces his “most dangerous case yet,” as he must solve a murder that presents itself as an impossible crime.
Wayward
Country: Canada | Language: English | Director: Mae Martin | Starring: Mae Martin, Toni Collette
This limited series invites viewers to visit Tall Pines. After an escape attempt from an academy for “troubled teens,” two students join forces with a new local police officer, unearthing the town’s dark and deeply rooted secrets.
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