Homegrown fare from CFC residents and alumni account for 24 of the 31 Canadian features playing at this year’s festival

Toronto, September 6, 2022 – The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) proudly announces an array of CFC alumni and residents participating in the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which runs from September 8 to 18, 2022 in downtown Toronto. CFC resident and alumni projects are some of the most hotly anticipated dramatic features, feature documentaries and shorts to premiere at TIFF ‘22, showcasing the breadth and dynamism of Canadian talent at this year’s festival.

“It’s a banner year for CFC talent at TIFF,” shared maxine bailey, executive director, CFC. “Our residents and alumni are upping the Canadian content at this year’s festival with their bold voices and captivating stories. These incredible creators are changing the creative landscape here in Canada and well beyond our borders. Go check them out at TIFF!”

CFC residents and alumni are involved in 24 of the 31 Canadian features as part of this year’s lineup, and an additional four shorts. The full lineup of projects involving CFC talent (names in bold) is listed below:

GALA PRESENTATIONS

• Alice, Darling: Actors Conservatory alumnus Charlie Carrick stars alongside Anna Kendrick, who captures the anxious psychology of a woman in an abusive relationship as her friends try to reconnect with her while on a cottage getaway. Produced by alumnae Katie Bird Nolan, Christina Piovesan and Lindsay Tapscott, with editing by Gareth C. Scales.

• Black Ice: This documentary examines the history of anti-Black racism in hockey, from the segregated leagues of the 19th century to professional leagues today, where Black athletes continue to struggle against bigotry. Original score by Slaight Family Music Lab alumnus Simon Poole.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

• Brother: Clement Virgo’s adaptation of David Chariandy’s novel tells the story of two Trinidadian Canadian brothers whose dreams are dashed by violent reality in 1990s Scarborough. From writer-director-producer Clement Virgo, produced by Damon D’Oliveira and Aeschylus Poulos, with editing by Kye Meechan. Brother features performances by Actors Conservatory alumnus Lovell Adams-Gray and current 2022 Actors Conservatory resident Alsseny Camara, and an original score from Slaight Family Music Lab alumnus Todor Kobakov. 

• Chevalier: From director Stephen Williams, Chevalier is based on the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, the illegitimate son of an enslaved African and a white French aristocrat, who rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette.

• Women Talking: Based on the novel by Miriam Toews, Women Talking follows the story of a group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men. From writer-director Sarah Polley, the film features Actors Conservatory alumna Michelle McLeod, who stars alongside Frances McDormand, Rooney Mara and Claire Foy, with editing by alum Roslyn Kalloo.

DISCOVERY

• I Like Movies: Writer-director Chandler Levack’s first feature is a dramatic comedy about Lawrence, a young cinephile wracked with anxiety about his future. After landing a job at a video store, he takes his frustrations out on friends and family before having a painful realization. Produced by Lindsay Blair Goeldner and edited by Simone Smith. Supported through the CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator.

• Soft: In this debut feature writer-director Joseph Amenta, three adolescent friends become enraptured in the queer nightlife scene over summer break before a missing persons pulls them back into the reality they have chosen to leave behind. Produced by Alexandra Roberts and Danny Sedore, with Alyson Richards serving as executive producer, Soft stars Actors Conservatory alumni Trevor Hayes and Nicki Whitely, and features an original score by Slaight Music Residency alum Casey MQ. This project was developed while Amenta was a resident in the Norman Jewison Film Program Directors’ Lab, and was supported through the CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator.

• ROSIE: The feature film debut of Métis writer-director-actor Gail Maurice brings us to the fringes of 1980s Montreal as seen through the eyes of a sweet and suddenly orphaned Indigenous girl, edited by Shaun Rykiss.

• Something You Said Last Night: This debut feature from writer-director Luis De Filippis, produced by CFC alumni Jessica Adams, Charlie Hidalgo and Comedy Exchange participant Harry Cherniak, tells the story of an aspiring twentysomething writer who hesitantly accompanies her equally reluctant younger sister on vacation with their deliriously happy parents. This film was supported through the CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator.

• This Place: V.T. Nayani’s feature debut, starring Actors Conservatory alumna Devery Jacobs, is a queer love story about two young women — one Iranian and Kanienʼkehá꞉ka, the other Tamil — living in Toronto and dealing with difficult family legacies. Co-written and executive produced by Nayani and Jacobs, the film features music by Slaight Music Residency alumni Kalaisan Kalaichelvan and Alexandra Petkovski (FJØRA), and editing by Maureen Grant. This Place was supported through the CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator.

• Until Branches Bend: In the seemingly peaceful Okanagan, a distraught cannery worker discovers an invasive insect that could threaten the livelihood of her entire town. The film stars Actors Conservatory alumna Grace Glowicki, and features story editing by alumna Kathleen Hepburn and Open Immersion participant Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.

• The Young Arsonists: Set in 1980s rural Canada, writer-director Sheila Pye’s haunting feature debut follows a group of teenage girls — each suffering some form of family trauma — whose relationships with one another are both strengthened and tested over the course of a summer. Produced by Aeschylus Poulos. This project was supported through the CFC/Netflix Marketplace Accelerator.

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

• Bones of Crows: Unfolding over 100 years, Bones of Crows is told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. Produced by Trish Dolman, with Kyle Irving serving as co-executive producer.

• The End of Sex: This comedy follows a married couple who make increasingly wild attempts to recapture the magic of their now-routine marriage while their daughters are off at a winter break sleepaway camp. Featuring Actors Conservatory alumna Kimberly-Sue Murray, with Bill Marks serving as executive producer and Sally Karam as producer.

• Fixation: A young woman undergoes a psychiatric evaluation before her sentencing in an unusual murder trial. But as the tests become more personal and frightening, she begins to question the true motives of her doctors. Featuring Actors Conservatory alumna Gita Miller, with an original score by Michelle Osis. 

• North of Normal: Based on the memoir by Cea Sunrise Person, Sarah Gadon stars in this drama about a young woman who is raised in the wilderness and returns home to the city to live with her mother. Directed by Carly Stone and produced by Kyle Mann.

• So Much Tenderness: A Colombian environmental lawyer flees to Canada after the death of her husband, but her attempt at a new life is challenged when she discovers that the past is not so easily left behind. Starring 2022 Actors Conservatory resident Augusto Bitter.

• Stellar: Produced by Paula Devonshire, the film stars Open Immersion participant Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers alongside Braeden Clarke as star-crossed lovers who share a cosmic encounter at a bar in northern Ontario.

• The Swearing Jar: Tells two love stories at once, exploring the challenge of marriage, parenting, loss and moving on. Produced by Tony Wosk, written by Kate Hewitt, with casting by Nicole Hilliard-Forde.

TIFF DOCS

• Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On: The life, music, and activism of legendary Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are explored in this documentary, executive produced by Peter Raymont and Kyle Irving. 

• Ever Deadly: Ever Deadly is a thrilling glimpse into the life and sounds of Polaris Music Prize– and Juno Award–winning artist Tanya Tagaq, executive produced by Anita Lee and produced by Lea Marin.

• The Colour of Ink: This doc tells the story of artisanal ink forager Jason Logan, a visionary Toronto inkmaker who works with ingredients foraged in the wild to make ink. Produced by Lea Marin, and executive produced by Anita Lee, with cinematography by Nicholas De Pencier.

• To Kill a Tiger (Tuer un tigre): From writer-director Nisha Pahuja, this cinematic documentary follows Ranjit, a farmer in Jharkhand, India, as he takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. Produced by David Oppenheim, executive produced by Anita Lee.

WAVELENGTHS

• Concrete Valley: In a story co-written by Teyama Alkamli, a former physician from Syria struggles to adjust to his life in Canada after settling in an immigrant community in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park with his wife and son.

SHORT CUTS

• Diaspora: A woman begins to wonder whether the disappearance of the Black families who have long occupied her suburban neighbourhood may be caused by something more sinister than gentrification. Starring Actors Conservatory alumnae Diana Bentley and Cara Ricketts, produced by Lindsay Blair Goeldner with Shant Joshi and Ricketts serving as executive producers.

• N’xaxaitkw: Current 2022 Actors Conservatory resident Riley Davis stars alongside Kiawentiio (from Tracey Deer’s Beans) in this energetic youth drama about an Indigenous teen facing both peer pressure and deeper secrets in small town BC.

• Quiet Minds Silent Streets: This thoughtful, eye-opening documentary by writer-director-producer Karen Chapman asks whether a community plagued by gun violence can find a way forward via an unexpected solution: mindfulness and meditation.

• Scaring Women At Night: Adapted from a short story by Ace Clamber, this short from former CFC staff member Karimah Zakia Issa tells the story of two strangers on a late walk home who must contend not only with familiar fears but also with realizations that force complex truths out of the dark and into the light. Produced by Lindsay Blair Goeldner.

Additionally, a number of CFC alumni have been selected to participate in the 2022 TIFF Talent Development programmes. Zarrar Kahn, Araya Mengesha and D.W. Waterson are among the 20 participants of the 2022 TIFF Filmmaker Lab; Jessica Landry, Abdul Malik and Shant Joshi have been selected to participate in the 2022 TIFF Series Accelerator; and Alona Metzer (producer) and Teyama Alkamli (writer) are 2022 Talent Accelerator participants. 

CFC warmly congratulates all of the residents and alumni participating in this year’s festival. CFC will celebrate their achievements in person with the return of its annual September BBQ, reimagined as CFC HOMECOMING. Presented by Netflix, this new yearly fundraising event takes place on Sunday, September 11, 2022 on CFC’s campus, and celebrates CFC residents, alumni and Canada’s screen-based industry. A tradition started by CFC founder and internationally acclaimed filmmaker Norman Jewison in 1988, the invite-only event is the charitable organization’s main fundraising event in 2022 to assist in achieving critical fundraising targets to help fund CFC’s renowned training programs in film, TV and digital/immersive media.

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About the CFC

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable cultural organization that drives the future of Canadian storytelling. Our intensive, hands-on programs in film, television, and entertainment technologies empower, shape and advance opportunities for Canadian creators and entrepreneurs working in screen-based industries. Learn more at cfccreates.com.

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Media Relations

Cory Angeletti-Szasz
Director, Marketing & Communications, CFC
647.273.2795
cangeletti@cfccreates.com 

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