That’s a Wrap for TIFF 2024

Every year there is a question as to how the Toronto International Film Festival is going to work out and then another edition is over.  At one point I was wondering if I was going to be able to attend because of family health reasons but in the end, I was able to do so.  Of particular interest was celebrated cinematographers Rachel Morrison and Rodrigo Pietro both having the world premieres of their feature directorial debuts with The Fire Inside and Pedro Páramo.  The Wild Robot and Flow were on my watch list as well because I had previously talked to filmmaker Chris Sanders and members of his DreamWorks Animation production team about adapting the lost in the wilderness tale and the latter had won a trio of awards at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival without the aid of dialogue and had a solitary black cat as a protagonist.  Documentaries are always something to make time for and I was curious to see how Morgan Neville’s unconventional approach for Piece by Piece that takes advantage of the LEGO animation craze to explore the life and career of singer and producer Pharrell Williams would actually playout.  The same curiosity was extended to Joshua Oppenheimer who was making a transition from documentaries to narrative fiction by doing an end of the world musical with Tilda Swinton appropriately called The End.

Check out all of our TIFF coverageOnce the festival started a couple things of note occurred. I was expecting and had planned to take an Uber to the GO Train station because of late start of the subway on Sunday; however, what I had not planned for was on Saturday having to get a ride to subway station because of a pedestrian getting seriously hurt by a motorcycle Friday night, therefore derailing the bus schedule.  Upon arriving downtown, I encountered animal rights protestors outside of the Scotiabank Theatre with one of them infiltrating the end of the press and industry screening for Piece by Piece.  Having some time to kill I attended a Q&A session with Alfonso Cuarón who remarked that he has no interest in altering his previous films for releases as they are a product of the time.  At The Wild Robot party, I got an opportunity to cross paths with childhood idol Mark Hamill and he graciously listened to a story I told him about seeing the original Star Wars for the first time.  Subsequently, I made arrangements for a one-on-one interview with the soft spoken and resourceful Gints Zilbalodis to discuss Latvia’s Oscar submission Flow. It was enjoyable and intriguing to meet an up-and-coming cinematic talent with the ability to make the audience actually care if a group of animated animals are able to survive a massive flood.

What I did I think of the movies that I saw?  I have a soft spot for animation and wish that TIFF would increase the offerings; my favourites were Flow and The Wild Robot with each being strong Academy Award contenders for Best Animated Feature.  The pleasant surprise was A Missing Part with its beautiful cinematography, believable plot twists and wonderful dynamic between long separated and now reunited father and daughter.  As for the biggest disappoint it has to be Riff Raff which has a cast that includes Ed Harris and Bill Murray that in itself should elevate the proceedings but this was not the case as the story is a tonal mess.  Whereas Marianne Jean-Baptiste is being celebrated for her obnoxious character in Hard Truths, the true star is the ensemble cast of I’m Still Here during the 1970s section as it truly feels like a moment in history is unfolding before your eyes.

As for what has officially declared to be notable, Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF stated in a press release, “As we conclude this year’s Festival and present these 10 awards today, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated juries, our TIFF programmers, and all of the filmmakers who have shared their work with us.  Most importantly, I want to thank our audience, who are truly the best in the world. Their passion and enthusiasm bring this festival to life every year, and we couldn’t do it without them. To The Life of Chuck, The Substance, and The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, this year’s winners of the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, I can’t wait to see the future awards and accolades that await your incredible films.”

Other notable award winners were Short Cuts Award for Best International Film: Deck 5B, Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film: Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?,  FIPRESCI Award: Mother Mother, NETPAC Award: The Last of the Sea Women, Best Canadian Discovery Award: Universal Language, Best Canadian Feature Film Award: Shepherds, and Platform Award: They Will Be Dust.  The Platform Jury issued a statement, “They Will Be Dust was the unanimous choice for this year’s Platform Award amongst a very strong selection.  Director Carlos Marques-Marcet has assembled a superb cast, with heartbreaking performances from Alfredo Castro and Ángela Molina. From the very first shot of the film, the jury knew it was in masterful hands. The film’s ability to mix moments of extreme pathos with humour was unique and completely convincing. This emotionally loaded story was told with great formal daring, a breathtaking sense of visual panache, and a deep sense of humanity.”

And that’s a wrap for the 49th Toronto International Film Festival with the half century mark just around the corner.

The 49th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5-15, 2024, 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.

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