Toronto is a special city, and the environment is perfect for the arts; free and alive. Emory Cohen – American actor.

Come September, Toronto International Film Festival, now into its 49th edition, and among world’s five top most feted festivals, is all set to wow cinephiles from across the globe as they descend at the famed TIFF Lightbox cultural center nestled at the North West corner of King Street and John Street of the ubiquitous Entertainment District, in downtown Ontario, Toronto.

Having carved a nice of its own as the must attend film festival itineraries for those who wear cinema on their sleeves, this time though, the middle suffix that added weight and muscle to the Toronto International Film Festival aka better known by its acronym TIFF – is conspicuous by its pregnant absence. Yes, I am referring to BELL.

Earlier, the film festival would go by TIFF BELL Lightbox. But now, however, the iconic BELL is missing and won’t toll TIFF’s arrival anymore. For those to whom BELL doesn’t ring a bell. It is Canada’s largest telecommunications company, providing mobile phone, TV, high speed and wireless Internet, and residential home phone services, which prided itself with lending high profile branding and wherewithal to buttress the TIFF’s chequered sojourn.

Bell Canada, a lead sponsor since 1995, severed its long-standing 28 years matrimony with Toronto International Film Festival, thereby, leaving TIFF much weighed down by this major severance and its capacity to organise the film festival in a grand manner.

Bell, a subsidiary of BCE Inc., as per estimates to pump in $5 million (over Rs 30 crore plus) annually to making TIFF happen, being the largest single sponsor among TIFF’S other corporate partners and sponsors, such as RBC, Visa and Bvlgari.

Despite the challenging circumstances that TIFF finds itself in, with corporations revising their sponsorship priorities, and hard hit by two massively stripped down pandemic-era festivals, this year’s TIFF, on from, September 5 – 15, 2024, while it is said, will not have the full range of high-wattage celebrities that TIFF draws for its premiers and red carpet dos, will however, won’t be a muted and modest affair.

AsTIFF has not let any of these minor hiccups come in its way promising a rendezvous that every cinephile would be duly proud of to participate and soak in the cinemas of world that light up the screens during the 11-day gala of the prestigious festival.

TIFF, a not-for-profit cultural organisation, with “a mission to transform the way people see the world through film,”and “dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds,” as goes its stated objective, indeed hopes it’s a la cartecarefully curated choices would satiate the cinema aficionado, pandering to every possible cineastes picky palate.

With CEO Cameron Bailey and Chief Programming Officer Anita Lee at helm as the driving force to give TIFF the necessary chutzpah with the crème la crème of cinemas, from across the world, TIFF’s Gala and Special Presentations’ line up of strong 63 films promise a cineastes sumptuous savoury smorgasbord.

The Gala and Special Presentations programmes, says TIFF,are recognised for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across all genres and styles, from all corners of the world.

With films coming from 25 countries, including 29 sales titles, TIFF avers audiences can look forward to a cinematic feast that highlights the talent and versatility of the world’s most gifted directors, actors, musicians, animators, and creative artists.

Making the announcement to build momentum to the D-day still almost a month away, TIFF states that, in addition to films from marquee directors like Jacques Audiard, Edward Berger, Gia Coppola, Mike Leigh, Morgan Neville, Walter Salles, Athina Rachel Tsangari, and Jia Zhang-Ke among others, this year’s films are also bringing many of the world’s most beloved stars to TIFF red carpet, such as Amy Adams, Riz Ahmed, Cate Blanchett, Andrea Bocelli, Will Ferrell, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Vikander, Pharrell Williams, and Robbie Williams amongst very many big ticket names over the 11 days of its calendar run.

Elucidating on, and sharing insights into the Special Presentations segment that hosts world premiers and the world’s leading filmmakers, TIFF’s Senior International Programmer, Special PresentationsJane Schoettle says that film buffs could look forward to a range of diverse themes to engage them.

From themes of “healing” be it “moving forward after a trauma” or “even growing through change” as witnessed in the debut feature Sketch, by Seth Worley, about a nine-year old girl recovering from the passing away her mother, to that of “how love lives, breathes and evolves our time” citing the example of All of You, by William Bridges.

Providing an allegorical/metaphoricalcontext to the films in the section, she describes it as a “large luxury boxes of chocolates that you get over the holidays. With an assortment of varieties to pick from wherein one would always find something special to savour upon and cherish few of them as your favourite ones and treasuring those treats of great filmmaking.

Well without much ado lets run you through the handful of Galafilms of those that await you at TIFF. Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believedocumentary on the Italian tenor by Cosima Spender, the biographical musical drama Better Manby Michael Gracey, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonightby Embeth Davidtz, which explores the end of the tenuous truce between white landowners and Black farm workers in the lead-up to the 1980 election in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Edenthe survival thriller by Ron Howard which follows a group of people fuelled by a profound desire for change, who, in order to turn their back to society leave everything behind and set their futures on the harsh landscape of the Galapagos.

The other titles include Elton John: Never Too Lateby director-duo RJ Cutler& David Furnish, the South Korean film Harbinby Woo Min-ho about Korean independence activists who launch a daring attack in Harbin against the Japanese to gain their country’s independence, Meet the Barbariansby Julie Delpy, Nutcrackersby David Gordon Green, endearing comedy-drama draws inspiration from actual events wherein four siblings find a loving shelter in an unexpected turn of circumstances.

Oh, Canadaby Paul Schrader which was featured at Cannes Film Festival before, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Bandby Thom Zimny, Superboys of Malegaonby India’s Reema Kagti which traces the journey of an aspiring filmmaker as he bands together his group of friends to make a film for his town, Malegaon.

The Debby Rebel Wilson musical comedy about two teenage girls attending a debutante ball in a small country town.The Friendby director-duo Scott McGehee&David Siegel a story of love, friendship, grief and healing, about a writer who adopts a Great Dane that belonged to a late friend and mentor.The Penguin Lessonsby Peter Cattaneofollows an Englishman’s personal and political awakening after he adopts a penguin during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history, The Returnby Uberto Pasolini, The Shroudsby David Cronenberg which was also featured at Cannes Film Festival, The Wild Robotthe animation flick by Chris Sanders, Unstoppableby William Goldenberg, Will & Harperby Josh Greenbaum an intimate documentary on friendship, transition, and America, as two friends of 30 years go on a cross-country road trip to explore a new chapter in their relationship.

The Special Presentations 2024 tableau consists of 40 Acresby RT Thorne a historical drama revolving around Hailey Freeman and her family the last descendants of African American farmers who settled in 1875 in rural Canada after the first Civil War and their struggles to make their fight against those intent on taking their home. All of Youby William Bridges, All We Imagine as Lightby India’s Payal Kapadia which won the Cannes Grand Prix and was also featured at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, The Cannes Palm d’Or winner Anoraby Sean Baker, the fascinating Bird Andrea Arnold which was featured at Cannes Film Festival and revolves around Bailey who looks for attention and adventure elsewhere in the absence of her father Bug’s attention.

Bring Them Downby Christopher Andrews which brings into sharp focus the paternalism, heritage, and the generational trauma cycle through the cultural prism of Ireland as an Irish shepherding family is thrust into battle on several fronts: internal strife, hostility within the family, rivalry with another farmer.Can I Get A Witness?By Ann Marie Fleming a sci-fi flick., Carnival is Overby Fernando Coimbra a gangster thriller fare, Caught by the Tides by Jia Zhang-Ke which was featured at Cannes Film Festival, about a Chinese woman who lives for herself in silence, celebrating the prosperous Belle Epoque with songs and dance.

Conclave by Edward Berger wherein tasked with leading one of world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, Cardinal Lawrence finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of The Church.Emilia Péreza musical crime thriller by Jacques Audiard which was also featured at Cannes Film Festival, Hard Truths Mike Leigh, Harvest by Athina Rachel Tsangari featured at the Venice Film Festival, which follows a villager’s reaction to three newcomers, who become scapegoats in a time of economic turmoil.

Heretic by Scott Beck& Bryan Woods, I’m Still Hereby Walter Salles featured at the Venice Film Festival and revolves around a mother who is forced into activism when her husband is captured by a military regime in Brazil, 1964.I, the Executionerby Ryoo Seung-wan a crime thriller centred around a serial killer, K-Popsby Anderson Paak follows a washed-up musician who jumps at the chance to capitalize on his long-lost son’s stardom for his own renaissance, but learns that fatherhood is much more than stardom.

Millers in Marriage by Edward Burns, about two sisters snared in a discordant and toxic marriage, Misericordia by Alain Guiraudie featured at Cannes Film Festival a thriller drama, Nightbitchthriller by Marielle Heller about a stay at home mom whose domesticity takes a surreal turn, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni’s Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard joint winner of Best Director, Piece by Piece animation feature by Morgan Neville, Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe a Nazi drama, Relayby David Mackenzie,Rez Ballby Sydney Freeland, Riff Raffby Dito Montiel, Rumoursby Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson.

Sharp Cornerby Jason Buxton, Shepherds by Sophie Deraspe, Sketch by Seth Worley, The Assessment by Fleur Fortune about how a successful couple faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing, The Cutby Sean Ellis, The Enda musical about the last human family by Joshua Oppenheimer, The Fire Inside by Rachel Morrison, the gut wrenching real life saga The Girl with the Needle by Magnus von Horn featured at Cannes Film Festival, The Last Showgirl by Gia Coppola,The Life of Chuck by Mike Flanagan, The Orderby Justin Kurzel, The Piano Lesson by Malcolm Washington, We Live in Time by John Crowley, Went Up the Hillby Samuel Van Grinsven, Without Blood by Angelina Jolie and last but not the least Young Werther/ The Sorrows of Young Wertherby José Avelino Gilles &Corbett Lourenço, a contemporary adaptation of 1774 epistolary novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe on tragic romance.

India @ TIFF

Superboys of Malegaon by Assam born Reema Kagti (nee Kakati)among Gala presentations section
All We Imagine As Light Cannes Grand Prix winner by Mumbai born Payal Kapadia featuring under Special Presentations segment
Boongby debutante director Manipur born Lakshmipriya Devi, which features in the Discovery Section

by

S VISWANATH is a veteran film critic who officiates as JURY at several National & International Film Festivals. He deputises as CHIEF CINEMA CURATOR/PROGRAMMER & CREATIVE ADVISOR for Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). He also curates & advises on the selection of shorts & documentaries for Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF). Mr Viswanath is the author of “RANDOM REFLECTIONS: A Kaleidoscopic Musings on Kannada Cinema”.