And That’s a Wrap for TIFF 2022

Decision to Leave

When I broke my foot at the beginning of the year, I figured that there was plenty of time for it to heal properly for the 47^th Toronto International Film Festival which proved to be true but then I twisted my other ankle while going down the theatre steps bringing my coverage to an early closure!  Fortunately, I had already accomplished my goals, in particular getting to interview South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook about Decision to Leave and attending a press conference for The Fabelmans which is probably the closest I will ever get to the legendary Steven Spielberg, and the loveable, rambling and funny Judd Hirsch.

The Fabelmans press conference held immediatley after the P&I screening.

There were problems with the ticket system which I avoided by sticking to the press screenings but is an ongoing issue that has to address because if people cannot get to see movies what is the point of attending? I do miss having at least a PDF of the screening schedule rather than relying on an unreadable Excel file or checking on the TIFF website.  I had some fears that I might get turned away because of capacity issues but was able to make it just in time for The Woman King and Women Talking.  Thankfully an advance press screening took place so I was able to see Broker and Decision to Leave as the official ones were scheduled on the same day and almost at the exact same time; glad that I got to watch both as they were my two favourites.

Women Talking

It felt strange to feel strange about attending in person but there is nothing quite like interacting with people face to face.  A pleasant surprise was to find myself seated beside and talking to editor Iain Kitching who was in town for the world premiere of The Swimmers and was taking the time to see other movies.  Another nice chat occurred while standing in line for Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On with a tour group from the Smithsonian Institute which was appropriate considering the organization infamously miscredited the lyrics to ‘Universal Soldier’.   And then there was wide ranging conversation that occurred in the front row of the screening for Women Talking when Layered Butter editor-in-chief Marc Winegust noticed my Princess Mononoke wallpaper on my smartphone and showed me a copy of his Studio Ghibli issue.

Black Ice

Without a doubt the major coup was the world premiere of The Fabelmans and the first-time appearance of its director Steven Spielberg; audience members and critics responded accordingly as the semi-autobiographical family drama won the prestigious and Oscar Best Picture bellwether People’s Choice Award. During the awards ceremony Spielberg stated, “The warm reception from everyone in Toronto made my first visit to TIFF so intimate and personal for me and my entire ‘Fabelman’ family.”  The first runner-up was sexual abuse allegorical tale Women Talking which strikes me more as an award magnet rather than box office darling while the second runner-up was the crowd-pleasing Agatha Christie-inspired sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery directed by Rian Johnson.  Other notables were the boundary pushing biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story that took the top spot at Midnight Madness and on the documentary side Black Ice which explores racial hatred in hockey.

Riceboy Sleeps

The Platform Prize was lauded to Riceboy Sleeps by Anthony Shim with the jury members describing the immigration drama as a “deeply moving story and precisely-observed characters as they navigate racism, dislocation, family, and love. It balances social realism with pure poetry. Plus, it’s very funny.” Shorts film are the training ground for upcoming cinematic talent and the ones singled out by IMDbPro Short Cut Awards were Snow in September by Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir and Simo by Aziz Zoromba.   The NETPAC Award was handed out to Sweet As by Jub Clerc and the FIPRESCI Prize to A Gaza Weekend by Basil Khalil.   A trio of Amplify Voices Awards were given to To Kill a Tiger by Nisha, Pahujia, Leonor Will Never Die by Martika Ramirez Escobar and While We Watched by Vinay Shukla with a special mention given to Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On by Madison Thomas.  The Changemaker Award was presented to Something You Said Last Night by Louis De Filippis.

Leonor Will Never Die

And that’s a wrap until the 48^th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The 47th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 8-18, 2022, and for more information visit tiff.net.    

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