Docs at TIFF 2024
By Staff Editors
(August 8, 2024 – Toronto, ON) Daniel Morin, Ali Weinstein and Eva Thomas may not be the most familiar names when it comes to Canadian filmmaking, but you should pay attention because they are bringing their films to the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) next month.
Pictured above is a promotional still from the feature doc, So Surreal: Behind the Masks. It delves into the captivating story of Indigenous masks and their profound impact on Surrealist art. Part caper, part road trip, part spiritual journey, award-winning Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (Reel Injun, Red Fever) traces the journey of Indigenous masks from Turtle Island (North America) to European Surrealist collections, influencing the work of iconic artists like Max Ernst, André Breton, and Joan Miró. From New York City’s high-end art fairs to Yup’ik territory (Alaska), and from the lands of the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw on BC’s Northwest Coast to the streets of Paris, Neil uncovers the dramatic efforts to return a stolen ceremonial mask to the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw people, shedding light on the complex world of repatriation. It is Produced by Daniel Morin and Executive Produced by Catherine Bainbridge, Ernest Webb.
There are few iconic structures left in Toronto other than the needde-like CN Tower or the beautiful City Hall, thanks to a city hellbent on remaking itself seemingly every year. Yes there is Casa Loma and Massey Hall and, pictured above, the dome at Ontario Place. The Documentary Your Tomorrow is a compelling observational documentary that provides an intimate portrait of Toronto’s modernist waterfront park, Ontario Place, as it faces a controversial redevelopment. Filmed over 100 days in this beloved yet contested public space on Toronto’s waterfront, the film captures the final year of Ontario Place before it transforms into a private spa and waterpark. The feature documentary presents a diverse cast of characters who frequent and care for the park, inviting viewers to ponder the future of urban spaces and what a diverse society needs to thrive. Audiences will witness a poignant exploration of a cherished urban park at a pivotal moment in its history. It is written and directed by Ali Weinstein.
Not a documentarian, Eva Thomas is a Canadian First Nations (Walpole Island First Nation) and multi-talented writer, producer, and director in narrative filmmaking. Last year she had a short at TIFF called Redlights and this year she will have two world premieres at TIFF. Aberdeen sees Eva as co-director and co-writer on her first feature, in collaboration with Ryan Cooper. Thomas also serves as Executive Producer on this film. Aberdeen is a raw, authentic drama about an Indigenous climate-change refugee adjusting to big-city life and facing inter-generational trauma. Starring a stellar cast of Gail Maurice, Billy Merasty, Jennifer Podemski, Liam Stewart-Kanigan, and Ryan Black. Also having its world premiere this year at TIFF is Seeds. Eva Thomas serves as Executive Producer, while Kaniehtiio Horn writes, directs, and stars in this film.
Other Canadian documentaries include the World Premieres of Living Together from Halima Elkhatabi and Men of War, a Canada/IUSA copro from directors Jen Gatien, Billy Corben. The Freedom of Fierro from director Santiago Esteinou is a Mexico/Canada/Greece coproduction and it too will have its World Premiere at TIFF 2024. The festival runs from September 5 to 15. The full festival schedule will be released next Tuesday, August 13. Click here for more information.
IMAGES: Supplied
