It is that time again… The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns with a full slate of programming from September 7–17, 2023. The festival will feature 10 days of films and other fun events, including Festival Street. You can find out more about some of the updates here.
As I have done in the past, I am sharing some of my personal picks of films to see at this year’s TIFF. This first installment highlights two Canadian documentaries and three fiction films from various parts of the world. I highly recommend all of them.
Tautuktavuk (What We See)
Directors Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk
An evocative, drawn-from-life tale about two siblings’ attempts to heal and overcome trauma during the pandemic.
Boil Alert
Directors James Burns, Stevie Salas
This urgent documentary about activist Layla Staats shows the faces and personal stories behind the struggle of First Nations reserves to receive a basic human right: drinkable water.
A Ravaging Wind (El Viento Que Arrasa)
Director Paula Hernández
This quietly powerful film depicts the complex relationships of two fathers and their children in the Argentinian countryside.
Toll (Pedágio)
Director Carolina Markowicz
This is a film about a Brazilian mother who falls in with a gang of thieves in an attempt to keep her family afloat.
Not A Word (Kein Wort)
Director Hanna Slak
On a barren island, a mother and son must confront years of silence and misunderstandings.
To hear and learn more about these films, take a peek below.
For current TIFF listings, schedule and tickets, please visit tiff.net.
