Category Archives:
Film Festivals

The fourth edition of the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival takes over TIFF Bell Lightbox this weekend. Youth aged 14 to 18 can experience the world of cinema through film and by taking part in emerging talent competition and industry-led initiatives.

This year, the lineup includes films from Poland, France, Germany, Taiwan, Netherlands, Canada, USA, and several other countries. TIFF Next Wave Film Festival is led by the TIFF Next Wave Film committee, a voluntary advisory team of 12 young film fans, whose purpose is t bring quality programming and film-related events to young people across Toronto.

I am a fan of TIFF Next Wave because, although it is aimed at a younger audience, the films are still high calibre, which means any one of us film fans would enjoy watching them. I am also a fan of bringing the joy of cinema to people of all age groups, especially in the teen years, a time of much discovery.

Speaking of discovery, I have taken a look at the festival’s lineup and found My Top Three Films. One I had discovered at a previous festival, and the other two are new discoveries, which I think you will enjoy as well.

52 Tuesdays
Director: Sophie Hyde, Australia 2014, 14A
A 16 yr old high-school student deals with her mother’s female-to-male gender transition while struggling with her own identity.

I came across 52 Tuesdays at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival last year. As sensitive as the topic at hand may be, the film depicts it with such a natural feel. We feel the tension between the young woman and her mother (soon to become her 2nd father) build up. The idea of her mother transition into a male body is something that the teen accepts and negates at the same time. It also how her mother chooses to deal with her transition that makes the teen confused about their relationship, and about her own identity.

This may not be an easy film to watch, for some, but it is so vital in our current times. The tension between parents and teens is real, compounded with other themes at hand, 52 Tuesdays is a moving story of a teenage girl who is trying to find herself, while at the same time, trying to be supportive for her mother during a difficult time in her life. The use of non-actors, filmed over the course of 52 weeks, and the script being revealed each week, gives the film a real-life feel. This also helps in making the film more outstanding. It is one that stays with you for many reasons; reasons worth discussing post screening.

Boy 7
Director: Lourens Blok, Netherlands 2014 
Dutch with English subtitles, 14A
After awaking on a subway train with no memory of who he is, a young man in dystopian police state uses the contents of his backpack to piece together his past as a rogue government agent and computer hacker.

The synopsis and its similarity to the Bourne films of the past few years, made Boy 7 stand out from the list. A young man gets caught hacking into a government site while trying to impress a cute girl… no big surprise. To his surprise, however, he is sent to a training institute where young, intelligent men and women are trained to become government agents. Once there, Boy 7 (as he is called) realizes not everything is as it seems. This is not an institute where you will earn your freedom, and thus, he begins to plan a way to escape.

Some of the elements in the film may be predictable at times, especially if you have seen the Bourne films aforementioned. Nonetheless, the story is well executed with some interesting twists and turns. I like how the younger actors portray their individual characters. The use of science and technology as a positive and negative makes for an entertaining story as well. And honestly, who doesn’t like the ‘smart’ guys and gals getting their time on-screen? In Boy 7, you get this and an entertaining plot too. Definitely a film that engaged my attention from beginning to end.

No Cameras Allowed
Director: James Marcus Haney, USA 2014, PGThe debut documentary from twenty-something James Marcus Hainey, and traces the director’s own rise from college dropout to ambitious concert photographer he walks his way into photo pits at major music festivals.

A documentary in the list is bound to get my attention. A documentary that comes to Toronto from other festivals with some ‘hype’ will also raise my curiosity. This film also comes to us with a bit of a controversy around it, which I will not get into here. The film shows us Hainey being able to ‘sneak into’ some major music festivals, including Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, and many others. He then gets invited to go on-tour with Mumford & Sons.

We see how Hainey is able to use his camera to gain access to the festivals, and get some very candid photos while there. That he has talent, there is no doubt. What is evident is Hainey’s passion for music and photography. He risks college, a girlfriend, and the unknown of living on the road, in order to tour with one of his favourite bands. It is certainly a cool look into these various music festivals. It is also a close look at these from the keen eye of 25 yr old Hainey, someone who made it into the ‘pit’ and made a career out of it.

These 3 films screen at TIFF Next Wave tomorrow, Sunday, February 15th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. For screening times, box office information, and details about the festival itself, please go to tiff.net/festivals/nextwave15.

The Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF), created by the Fabienne Colas Foundation and presented by Global Toronto returns for its 3rd edition beginning tonight, February 10, and running until Sunday, February 15.

As TBFF is about discovery and celebrating the diversity within the black community, this year the festival is bringing us some of the most outstanding black films. Keeping this in mind, I have picked my Top 5 films to see at this year’s festival.

Opening Night, Tuesday, February 10
Manos Sucias
Isabel Bader Theatre, 7:30PM

Synopsis: Towing a submerged torpedo in the wake of their battered fishing boat, ‘Jacobo,’ a desperate fisherman and Delio, a naive kid, embark on a journey trafficking millions of dollars of cocaine up the Pacific coast of Colombia. While Jacobo is a seasoned trafficker, young Delio is unprepared for the grim reality. Shot entirely on location, in areas that bear the indelible scars of drug trafficking and guerrilla warfare.

My thoughts: Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, and having Spike Lee as executive producer, is helping this film float ahead in the festival circuit. It has received a set of mix reviews. But I say, judge for yourself. The film highlights a snippet of life for this young Afro-Colombian youths, which we rarely get to see on the big screen, especially on this side of the coast.

Wednesday, February 11th
Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People 
Carlton Cinema, 5:00PM

Synopsis: Black photographers and the emergence of a people is a documentary about how African American communities have used the camera as a tool for social change from the invention of photography to the present. This epic tale poetically moves between the present and the past, through contemporary photographers and artists whose images and stories seek to reconcile legacies of pride and shame while giving voice to images long suppressed, forgotten, and hidden from sight.

My thoughts: I saw this documentary last year at Inside Out Film Festival, and it is certainly outstanding. The span of time it covers is extensive, and although it could be a daunting, long film, this is not the case here. It is a very interesting look at the historical context of photography within the African American community, as well as, a great spotlight on some of its photographers. Definitely recommend it.

Thursday, February 12th
Des Etoiles / Under The Starry Sky
Alliance Française, 7:00PM

Synopsis: Between Turin, Dakar, and New York, Sophie, Abdoulaye and Thierno’s three destinies cross paths and echo one another, delineating a constellation of exile. Sophie, 24 years old, leaves Dakar to join her husband, Abdoulaye, in Turin. Meanwhile, Abdoulaye has already left for New York through a smuggler’s network. 19-year-old Thierno is traveling in Africa for the first time. Recounting these three characters’ destinies, the film takes us on a journey through the diversity of the cities the characters travel to, confronting us with the realities, hopes, and dreams of contemporary emigration.

My thoughts: This film sounds interesting in the nature of its story, or three stories, rather. I am also curious about how the various locations will play out in the narrative.

Saturday, February 14th
La Belle Vie / The Good Life
Carlton Cinema, 7:00PM

Synopsis: A story about Rachelle Salnave, a Haitian American filmmaker, and her journey to discover her Haitian roots by examining the complexities of the Haitian society as it pertains to the overall political and economic dichotomy in Haiti. Using her own personal family stories interconnected with capturing the voices of Haitians and experts overall, the film chronologically uncovers the rational behind its social class system but also how it has affected the Haitian American migration experience as well.

My thoughts: Documentaries most often take us to places we are unable to visit, for a myriad of reasons. When they include a personal story and analysis within a community / country, I find they can be enlightening, moving, and thought-provoking. I am hoping this is the case with this one, too.

Sunday, February 15th
Terrible Love
Carlton Cinema, 3:00PM

Synopsis: A bittersweet autopsy of mental illness and lost love, Terrible Love tells the story of Rufus, a wounded veteran returning home from Iraq with post-traumatic stress disorder, and his devoted wife Amy. They promised never to leave each other, but that promise is put to the ultimate test when Rufus’ PTSD becomes violent.

My thoughts: Stories of mental health and its impact on everyday life, not just for the individual, are not only relevant but much needed. Regardless of culture, age, or socioeconomic background, mental illness affects many, and if a film adds to the dialogue and can help de-stigmatize it, I am all for it.

TBFF also offers concerts, panel discussions, exhibits, workshops, and opportunities to meet filmmakers and artists from Canada and around the world.

The films and events listed here are but a few for you to choose from. For a full list of films, parties, ticketing info, and more, visit torontoblackfilm.com.