Canadian Content & Rising Stars at TIFF 2018

The Grizzlies

Canadian filmmakers will have a significant presence at the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival with 23 features and 24 shorts competing for Canada Goose ® Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, and IWC Short Cuts Awards for Best Canadian Short Film and Best Short Film. Five of the features being screened are directorial debuts and will be in contention for the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film.

Sharkwater Extinction

“We’re especially proud to present such a diverse group of films,” stated TIFF Senior Programmer Steve Gravestock, Senior Programmer in a press release.  “Ranging from science fiction to fantasy, myth to documentary, and romance to a dystopic vision of our neighbours to the south, this year’s Canadian films come from every region in the country, stretching from east to west and north to south.”  World Premieres include The Grizzlies by Miranda de Pencier which recounts high school teacher Russ Shepherd establishing a lacrosse team in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, the final documentary by late conservationist Rob Stewart called Sharkwater Extinction, sci-fi fantasy drama Clara by Akash Sherman, period draft-dodger drama The Great Darken Days by Maxime Giroux, and documentary The Stone Speakers by Igor Drljača. The short films being showcased consist of contributions from Amanda Strong, Caroline Monnet, Guy Maddin, Sofia Bohdanowicz, Celia Perrin Sidarous, and Lina Rodriguez.

Accidence

Workshops and mentorship programs are a big part of the festival itinerary with Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson, Michaela Kurimsky, and Jess Salgueiro participating in the 2018 TIFF Canadian Rising Stars Programme.  “Hungry, new talent is the lifeblood of this industry,” remarked TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey.  “This year’s group are some of the most captivating, charismatic, and promising young Canadian talents Rising Stars has ever seen, so it’s no surprise they’re featured in some of the Festival’s most highly anticipated films. They are the ones to watch.”  Festival attendees will be able to see Salgueiro in Mouthpiece, Johnson in The Hate U Give and Kurimsky in Firecrackers while Jacobs previously starred in Rhymes for Young Ghouls which screened at 2013 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Clockwise, from top left: Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson, Jess Salgueiro, and Michaela Kurimsky

For more information visit the official website for TIFF.  The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.