‘Twas the Night Before TIFF
by Thom Ernst – Film Correspondent
(September 7, 2022 – Toronto, ON) Tomorrow is Day One of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival affectionately and succinctly known as TIFF.
TIFF is big news every year—even when locked down by a pandemic—but this year the news is even bigger as 2022 is a return to the in-person festival. More people, more screenings, more stars, and more buzz. (And less streamed, although there is that option too).
Those who have never experienced a film festival might find it hard to understand that there’s magic in lining up for a movie or having to find a seat in a packed theatre. TIFF veterans know all too well that there’s nothing like celebrating cinema with other movie lovers.
But if you’re reading this, you likely don’t need Northernstars.ca to sell you on the virtues of TIFF. What you want is coverage. We got that. While the eyes of international cinema are focussed on Toronto, NorthernStars.ca focus is on what it knows best, Canadian cinema.
CRITICAL DRINKING
Tonight marks the return of another tradition; the Toronto Film Critic’s Association’s (TFCA) Critically Drinking party. Critics drinking. Seems unlikely but it’s true. Critical Drinking is not a TIFF event but rather a TFCA hosted event initiated by Toronto Star writer, Peter Howell when he was President of the TFCA. The TFCA took it upon themselves to welcome visiting critics from across the globe in the best way possible, and that’s to host a party before everyone gets immersed in the business of talking movies. Or perhaps the Critical Drinking party works well as a warm-up to 10 days of talking movies.
The party is always a blast and has quickly become a must-attend event during the festival—or rather, the night before the festival.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The Handmaid’s Tale is already a familiar title as a book, then as a 1990 movie starring the late Natasha Richardson, and as a recent television series. Well, The Handmaid’s Tale the series is in year five, and TIFF is presenting the first two episodes of that season. Screening is at 5pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
The buzz has been great for the Buffy Sainte-Marie documentary, Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On. It screens tomorrow at 8:30pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Thom Ernst is a Toronto based film critic and writer and an active member of the (TFCA) Toronto Film Critics’ Association. His work has appeared in various publications including Playback Magazine, The Toronto Star, and The National Post. He is known to CBC Radio listeners for his lively contributions to Fresh Air, Metro Morning, and CBC Syndication as well as appearing on-air for CTV News Channel and The Agenda with Steve Paikin. He was host, interviewer and producer of televisions’ longest running movie program Saturday Night at the Movies. Currently he can be heard interviewing Canadian filmmakers on the Kingston Canadian Film Festival podcast, Rewind, Fast-Forward.
