Programming-wise, we expected a bit more of a copy-and-paste approach from Venice to Toronto this year. Instead, documentary programmer Thom Powers largely prioritized world premieres and Canuck female filmmakers, passing over several filmmakers whose latest works are headed to the Lido. TIFF won’t be seeing alluring docu titles by Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw, Victor Kossakovsky, Julia Loktev, Luke Lorentzen, Dylan Southern & Will Lovelace, and Wim Wenders. What we do have is a trio of North American premieres of Alex Gibney, Sophie Fiennes and Barbara Kopple being complimented by the likes of Ashley Duong (Ba’s Book), Carol Nguyen (Still Night, Burning House) and Sophie Deraspe (The Final Act) with the welcomed return of Rebeca Huntt who slayed the market with Beba back in 2021 who arrives with Rapinoe – about the star punk attitude U.S. women’s soccer player. Here are the selections:
North American Premiere
Musk | Alex Gibney
The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias | Sophie Fiennes
Union Town | Barbara Kopple
World Premiere
Ba’s Book | Ashley Duong
Black Sunflowers | James Marcus Haney
Bleeding Hearts | Andrew Morgan
Cheyenne | Taimi Arvidson
Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been | Barry Avrich
Edward Said: Between Worlds | Maiken Baird
Gail | Michael Maxxis
Like Magic | Melissa Saavedra Gil
Low Lies The Land | Emanuele Gerosa
Rapinoe | Rebeca Huntt
Re/Pair | Lacey Schwartz Delgado
Rescue | Sine Plambech
Still Night, Burning House | Carol Nguyen
Tehran, Under the Skin | Afsaneh Salari
The Final Act | Sophie Deraspe
The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs | Èlia Gasull Balada, Matteo Norzi
The Ultra Runner | Mila Aung-Thwin
Turtle Island Rap | Alexandra Lazarowich