News:2016:8:9

TIFF announces more titles for 2016

Aug 09, 2016 by Ian Evans

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival announced more films today that will be shown in its Midnight Madness, Short Cuts, TIFF Cinematheque, TIFF Docs and Vanguard programmes.

Here’s a look at the films announced today. The descriptions are provided by the Festival.

Midnight Madness

The Autopsy of Jane Doe – André Øvredal, USA — World Premiere — Tommy Tilden and his son Austin run a family-owned morgue and when the Sheriff brings in their next case — a ‘Jane Doe’ — it seems like an open-and-shut case. But as the autopsy proceeds, Tommy and Austin are left reeling as each layer of their inspection brings frightening new revelations and an unnatural force takes hold of the crematorium. Starring Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox.
The Belko Experiment – Greg McLean, USA — World Premiere — On what appears to be a normal day at Belko Industries, Belko employees are horrified when they find out that they’ve become guinea pigs in a company-wide experiment which will lead them to either kill their fellow employees or be murdered themselves. The experiment is masterminded by a mysterious voice which is controlling the loud speaker and instructing the employees to slaughter each other by any means necessary.
Blair Witch – Adam Wingard, USA — World Premiere — A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offer to act as guides through the dark and winding woods; but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.
Dog Eat Dog – Paul Schrader, USA — North American Premiere — Dog Eat Dog is a gritty contemporary crime thriller about a trio of ex-cons, deep in the underbelly of Cleveland, who are hired for a kidnapping. When the botched abduction goes awry and gets completely out of control, the cons find themselves on the run, vowing to stay out of prison at all costs. Starring Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe.
Free Fire – (Midnight Madness Opening Night Film) – Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom — World Premiere — Justine has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon and Ord who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart stopping game of survival ensues. Starring Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Michael Smiley, Sharlto Copley, and Armie Hammer.
The Girl With All the Gifts – Colm McCarthy, United Kingdom — North American Premiere — A heart-stopping original Sci-fi thriller, about hope, humanity and a young girl who wants to save the world. Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Mike Carey. Starring Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, and Sennia Nanua.
Headshot – Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto, Indonesia — World Premiere — The indomitable Iko Uwais (The Raid) stars in this fast and furious actioner as an amnesiac whose mysterious past as a killing machine comes to the fore when he takes on the henchmen of a vengeful drug lord.
Rats – Morgan Spurlock, USA — World Premiere — Inspired by Robert Sullivan’s New York Times bestselling book, Rats is a horror documentary that plunges into the darkest depths to expose human kind’s most insidious parasite. Thriving in every corner of the globe, rats are harbingers of disease, death, and psychological trauma. In this film, exterminators, farmers, scientists, and even chefs bring us face-to-face with this complicated creature.
Raw (Grave) – Julia Ducournau, France/Belgium — International Premiere — Everyone in Justine’s family is a vet. And a vegetarian. At 16, she’s a brilliant and promising student. When she starts at veterinary school, she enters a decadent, merciless and dangerously seductive world. During the first week of hazing rituals, desperate to fit in whatever the cost, she strays from her family principles when she eats raw meat for the first time. Justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences of her actions as her true self begins to emerge…
Sadako vs. Kayako – (Midnight Madness Closing Night Film) – Koji Shiraishi, Japan — International Premiere — After viewing a legendary cursed videotape, Natsumi discovers she has only two days before she will be killed by the demonic entity known as Sadako. The only solution: pitting the demon Sadako against Kayako, an accursed spirit possessing a haunted house where everyone who enters disappears.

Short Cuts

All Rivers Run to the Sea (Toate fluviile curg în mare) – Alexandru Badea, Romania — North American Premiere — Stung by the absurd administration process regarding the practicalities of his mother’s passing, Radu is having a hard time dealing with her death; although the rest of his family has plenty of opinions to offer. A beautiful and evocative examination of what it means to say goodbye.
And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye (Y Todo el Cielo Cupo en el Ojo de la Vaca Muerta) – Francisca Alegría, Chile/USA — World Premiere — In a small village in Chile, 85-year-old Emeteria is visited by the ghost of her patrón, Teodoro. She believes he has come to take her to the afterlife, but he has more devastating news.
Andy Goes In – Josh Polon, USA — World Premiere — He’s a $10 per hour farmhand with Tyson and McDonald’s in his crosshairs. And his name isn’t Andy.
Anna – Or Sinai, Israel — North American Premiere — It’s a hot summer’s day, and for the first time in years sewing workshop worker Anna unexpectedly finds herself alone, without her son. She sets out for a free night, roaming the streets of her small desert town, on the lookout for a man who can touch her, even just for one brief moment.
Bargain (Moam-gab) – Lee Chung-hyun, South Korea — International Premiere — In a hotel room on an ordinary afternoon, a young woman in a school uniform has an illicit rendezvous with a man who has arrived with certain expectations. Yet viewers would be wise to be wary of their own assumptions, given how they’ll be confounded by every twist and turn in Lee Chung-hyun’s cunning one-shot wonder.
Battalion to My Beat – Eimi Imanishi, Algeria/USA/Western Sahara — International Premiere — Naively envisioning herself a Jeanne D’Arc of the desert, Mariam runs away from the Western Saharan refugee camps in Algeria, hoping to liberate her homeland from occupation.
Because the World Never Stops – Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson, Sweden — World Premiere — Shot live in the studio during the evening broadcast on Swedish public television, this film shows the news like you’ve never seen it before. Using offbeat footage and camera angles, Because the World Never Stops plays with the theatrical aspect of broadcast news and questions the feeling of authenticity it so heavily relies upon.
BLACK HEAD COW (Engiteng’ Narok Lukunya) – Elizabeth Nichols, Tanzania — World Premiere — In a Maasai village in rural Tanzania, Naserian, a young primary school girl, is suddenly confronted by an arranged marriage. Written and produced by students of Orkeeswa Village, who are among the first generation to go to school in their community, the film explores their dilemma between culture and education.
A Brief History of Princess X – Gabriel Abrantes, France/Portugal/United Kingdom — North American Premiere — A supercharged history of Brancusi’s infamous “Princess X”, a futuristic bronze phallus that is actually a bust portrait of Napoleon’s equally infamous great grand niece, Marie Bonaparte.
Cul-De-Sac – Damon Russell, USA — World Premiere — Parents living at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac discover a listening device inside their son’s teddy bear.
Dadyaa – Pooja Gurung and Bibhusan Basnet, Nepal/France — North American Premiere — An elderly couple lives in a small, empty Nepalese village. When everyone else is gone, what is left but memories?
Decorado – Alberto Vázquez, Spain/France — North American Premiere — The world is a wonderful stage, but its characters are disgraceful.
Fluffy (Flafi) – Lee Filipovski, Serbia/Canada — World Premiere — A family of three are packing to emigrate to Canada from Belgrade. When Fluffy, a gigantic prize teddy bear turns up at the door, the parents must decide whether or not they have room for their daughter’s new friend.
Green (Verde) – Alonso Ruizpalacios, Mexico — World Premiere — Ariel, a taciturn security guard who transports other people’s millions every day alongside his talkative fellow guards, has just found out that he is about to become a father for the first time. One day, as he decides what to do about imminent fatherhood, a miraculous flaw in the system creates an opportunity to steal the fortune that he is guarding, without getting caught.
Half A Man (Po covika) – Kristina Kumric, Croatia — World Premiere — A war is raging nearby. It’s a huge day for 10-year-old Mia and 12-year-old Lorena: their father is getting released from the camp where he has spent the last three months as a prisoner of war. The family will finally be back together, but will they be able to find happiness again?
The Hedonists – Jia Zhang-ke, China — North American Premiere — An engaging combination of comedy and drama about several unemployed Shanxi coal miners looking for work.
Imago – Raymund Ribay Gutierrez, Philippines — North American Premiere — On a humid night in the bustling slums of Metropolitan Manila, Inday, a 54-year-old single parent of a special child, goes to her unusual work.
Import – Ena Sendijarevic, Netherlands — North American Premiere — A young Bosnian refugee family ends up in a small village in the Netherlands after securing a residence permit in 1994. Absurd situations arise as they try to make this new world their home.
In the Hills – Hamid Ahmadi, United Kingdom — North American Premiere — Shahram is a young immigrant who lives in the idyllic countryside of the Cotswolds in England. To integrate into the new society, he chooses a rather radical approach.
Inner Workings – Leo Matsuda, USA — Canadian Premiere — The story of the internal struggle between a man’s pragmatic, logical side and his free-spirited, adventurous half, this short was created by a small team at Walt Disney Animation Studios in a unique, fast-paced style that blends CG and traditional hand-drawn animation. The result explores the importance of finding balance in daily life.
The Last Leatherman of the Vale of Cashmere – Greg Loser, USA — International Premiere — In a tucked away corner of a Brooklyn park, men meet men in the Vale of Cashmere. An aging leatherman takes a profane trip down memory lane as he visits this cruising destination of his youth. Now, amidst the thickets where secrecy once reigned, he contemplates a new world.
Mr. Sugar Daddy – Dawid Ullgren, Sweden — North American Premiere — Mr. Sugar Daddy depicts the story of an older man, Hans, looking for a fresh start. Hans falls for young Andrej and is thrown into a game that does not allow any winner.
A New Home – Žiga Virc, Slovenia — World Premiere — What is the biggest danger Europe faces: the crisis on its borders, or its own paranoia and fear?
Next – Elena Brodach, Russia — North American Premiere — Another night, another naked body in her bed. She feels no love, just passion. A sharp lancet in her hands and a hidden box with her secrets. Only she knows how it all will end and who will be her next victim.
Night Dancing – Barney Cokeliss, United Kingdom — World Premiere — A short film about love, obsession, and delusion, with a strong contemporary dance element.
On the Origin of Fear – Bayu Prihantoro Filemon, Indonesia — North American Premiere — One soldier and one prisoner. Two soldiers and one film director. They talk to each other very intimately about pain, loyalty, betrayal, drama, and terror.
Paraya – Sheetal Magan and Martín Morgenfeld, South Africa/France — North American Premiere — A city bustles with the urge for survival. A young woman adrift between worlds: one rooted in her past and one promising her future. Something is absent, missing, irretrievable.
The Pine Tree Villa (Eine Villa mit Pinien) – Jan Koester, Germany — North American Premiere — Lion and Bird break into an uninhabited villa to discover the reason why it is not aging. They immediately feel the power that keeps the villa alive.
Red Apples – George Sikharulidze, Armenia/Georgia/USA — World Premiere — A young Armenian bride’s relationship with her husband is put to the test the first day of their marriage when her mother-in-law interferes.
Romantik – Mateusz Rakowicz, France/Poland — International Premiere — Stanislav takes his beloved Zosia on a mysterious and romantic journey. He wants to propose to her in the city of love. Stanislav doesn’t expect that it will be the most horrible night of his life, and his well planned trip will go much further than he anticipated.
Samedi Cinema – Mamadou Dia, Senegal/USA — North American Premiere — Two children write letters to get enough money to go to the cinema. Saturday is their last chance to see the ending of the movie. The local city theater is closing down.
Sandy Beach – Thanos Papastergiou, Greece — World Premiere — Late summer. Southern Crete. A woman takes her father for their usual Sunday swim. A break in their routine plunges them both into uncharted waters.
Second to None – Vincent Gallagher, Ireland — International Premiere — In this a stop-motion black comedy about ambition where second best is never enough. Frederick Butterfield has always been runner-up to his twin brother. When Herman, older by a mere minute, becomes the world’s oldest man, Frederick finally sees an opportunity to be first place.
Semiliberi – Matteo Gentiloni, Italy — North American Premiere — Alessandra is a loner, she doesn’t relate to anybody. One day she realizes the ingenious plan designed by female cellmates is the opportunity to escape from her loneliness.
Sevince (When you love) – Süheyla Schwenk, Germany — World Premiere — Peri is a Turkish woman who lives with her husband and her daughter in Germany. Her life is bound between doing the household shopping, taking care of her child, and managing the home. Her husband is not aware of her emotions. One day he gives her a surprise, being very sure it will make her as happy as he is. Instead, it turns Peri’s world upside down.
Standby – Charlotte Regan, United Kingdom — World Premiere — A comedy about friendship and routines entirely set in a police patrol car. We see the day-to-day lives of two new partners Gary, and Jenny, and the comedic characters they encounter whilst on patrol.
SUBMARINE – Mounia Akl, Lebanon — North American Premiere — Under the imminent threat of Lebanon’s garbage crisis, Hala, a wild child inside a grown woman, is the only one to refuse evacuation, clinging to whatever remains of home.
Summer Camp Island – Julia Pott, USA — World Premiere — Oscar and his best friend Hedgehog just got dropped off at summer camp. Once all the parents leave the island, all of the strangeness lurking beneath the surface starts to come out. Aliens exist, horses become unicorns, and there are monsters under the bed.
Transition (Tranzicija) – Milica Tomovic, Serbia — North American Premiere — Jana says goodbye to her band members, friends, ex-girlfriend, and her family. They all share a feeling of regret saying goodbye to her, but also joy for her bright future in Michigan, where she’s going on post-graduate studies. Only her sister knows the secret, that Jana is not going away to study, Jana is going away to have her sex change. These are her two days to say goodbye to her old life.
Trespass – Mirrah Foulkes, Australia — International Premiere — A woman walking her dog alone in the bush has a strange encounter.
The White Helmets – Orlando von Einsiedel, United Kingdom — Canadian Premiere — Set in Aleppo, Syria and Turkey in early 2016. As the violence intensifies, three volunteer rescue workers put everything on the line to save civilians affected by the war, all the while wracked with worry about the safety of their own loved ones. Moving and inspiring, this documentary is both a snapshot of the harrowing realities of life for ordinary Syrians who remain in the country, and a humbling portrait of the power of the human spirit.

TIFF Cinematheque

Daughters of the Dust – Julie Dash, USA — A landmark in the history of American independent cinema, Julie Dash’s masterpiece was the first American feature directed by an African American woman to receive a general theatrical release. Set on the Sea Islands off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina among the Gullah communities — descendants of slaves who have maintained many of their traditions. A large extended family, mostly of women, is divided on their expected move north as part of the Great Migration and the loss of tradition it represents.
General Report on Certain Matters of Interest for a Public Screening (Informe general sobre algunas cuestiones de interés para una proyección pública) – Pere Portabella, Spain — A classic from one of the most important figures in the history of Spanish cinema, Pere Portabella’s monumental essay film constitutes the synthesis of the director’s openly political clandestine films and his surroundings. Shot in the months after the death of General Franco, it is a “documentary” film shot with the techniques of a fiction film.
Irma Vep – Olivier Assayas, France — When a director in decline decides to remake Louis Feuillade’s silent serial Les Vampires, he casts a Hong Kong action heroine who does not speak any French. On the chaotic set, she finds petty intrigues, clashing egos and a wardrobe mistress with a crush on her.
Lumière! – Thierry Frémaux for this edition, France — Lumière! reintroduces some of cinema’s foundational moments, through gorgeous restored prints of the work of the Lumière Brothers. Featuring a selection of 98 restored films, this unique look at the birth of cinema includes insightful commentary from Thierry Frémaux.
One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (L’une chante, l’autre pas) – Agnès Varda, France — Agnès Varda’s 1977 masterwork is simultaneously a musical, a protest film, a portrait of a generation and, most importantly, a tender and insightful exploration of female friendship. Based on Varda’s own experiences in feminist politics at the time, One Sings, the Other Doesn’t follows the lives of two women, with the Women’s Liberation Movement in 1970s France as the backdrop.
One-Eyed Jacks – Marlon Brando, USA — Beautifully restored thanks to the efforts of Universal Studios in collaboration with The Film Foundation, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg — Marlon Brando’s only film as director is a brilliant and idiosyncratic revenge western about a betrayed bandit hunting down the partner who left him in the lurch. Starring Marlon Brandon and Karl Malden.
Pan’s Labyrinth – Guillermo del Toro, Mexico/Spain/USA — Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Academy Award winning Pan’s Labyrinth remains a triumph of cinematic wonder. Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil. Starring Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Doug Jones, and Maribel Verdú.
Something Wild – Jonathan Demme, USA — A straitlaced businessman meets a quirky, free spirited woman at a downtown New York greasy spoon. Her offer of a ride back to his office results in a lunchtime motel rendezvous. This is just the beginning of a capricious interstate road trip that brings the two face to face with their hidden selves. 30th anniversary screening.
The Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri) – Gillo Pontecorvo, Algeria/Italy — Gillo Pontecorvo’s gritty, stirring, and unabashedly anti-colonialist account of the urban war between battle-hardened French paratroopers and Algerian resistance fighters became an instant flashpoint for controversy and was banned in France until 1971.
The Horse Thief – Tian Zhuangzhuang, China — One of the greatest achievements of Fifth Generation Chinese cinema, Tian Zhuangzhuang’s ravishingly beautiful epic set in the vastness of rural Tibet was famously praised by Martin Scorsese as the best film he saw in the 1990s.

TIFF Docs

The 6th Beatle – Tony Guma and John Rose, USA/United Kingdom/Germany — World Premiere — This fresh take on music history argues for recognition in The Beatles’ legacy of the early promoter Sam Leach. Leach was a working-class Liverpudlian who championed the group, but was eventually replaced as manager by the wealthy, posh-accented Brian Epstein. Interviewing Leach, the band’s original drummer Pete Best and other Liverpool musicians, the film gives a touching portrait of a rock ‘n’ roll true believer.
ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail – Steve James, USA — World Premiere — Accused of fraud, Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York City becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, forcing its owners — the Chinese immigrant Sung family — into an underdog battle to defend their reputation and their community’s financial way of life.
Amanda Knox – Brian McGinn and Rod Blackhurst, USA/Denmark — World Premiere — Twice convicted and twice acquitted by Italian courts of the brutal killing of her British roommate Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox became the subject of global speculation over the decade-long case. Featuring unprecedented access to key people involved and never-before-seen archival material, the film explores the case from the inside out. Amanda Knox is a human story that moves past the headlines to examine the often fraught relationship between true crime tragedy, justice and entertainment.
An Insignificant Man – Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla, India — World Premiere — Arvind Kejriwal is an activist protesting against India’s government corruption when he decided to form a political party and take on the government directly. His main challenger was The Congress, one of the country’s oldest political parties. With unprecedented access, this film follows Kejriwal as he tries to overcome his own shortcomings to convince the people of New Delhi that he is the honest politician they need.
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography – Errol Morris, USA — International Premiere — Elsa Dorfman is a master practitioner of a rare photographic format, the large size Polaroid 20×24 camera. For three decades in her studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she took thousands of portraits, including those of accomplished friends like poet Allen Ginsberg and singer Jonathan Richman. Now in her late 70s, she opens her archives and her memories for this documentary by her longtime friend Errol Morris.
Beauties of the Night – María José Cuevas, Mexico — Canadian Premiere — Eight years in the making, Beauties of the Night is a captivating group portrait of iconic Mexican showgirls, still thriving with grace and style in their ostensible golden years. Their stories speak volumes about what it means to be a no-longer-young woman in a career grounded in physical beauty and erotic appeal.
Bezness as Usual – Alex Pitstra, Netherlands — North American Premiere — During the rise of mass tourism in the 1970s, young Tunisian men from poor families made it their business — or “bezness” — to romance women visiting from Europe. Among the children born from these relationships was filmmaker Alex Pitstra, who was raised by his mother in Holland and scarcely knew his father in Tunisia. In Bezness as Usual, Pitstra attempts to reconnect with his father and navigate the differences in their cultural attitudes and economic opportunities.
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary – John Scheinfeld, USA — International Premiere — Revolutionary artist and innovator, John Coltrane expanded the frontiers of his craft by introducing elements from musical traditions the world over. Chasing Trane reveals the critical events, passions, experiences, and challenges that shaped the life of John Coltrane and his revolutionary sounds. It is a story of demons and darkness, of persistence and redemption. Above all else, it is the incredible spiritual journey of a man who found himself and, in the process, created an extraordinary body of work that transcends all barriers of geography, race, religion and age.
The Cinema Travellers – Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya, India — North American Premiere — Once every year, travelling cinemas bring the wonder of the movies to faraway villages in India. Seven decades on, as their lorries and cinema projectors crumble and film reels become scarce, their audiences are lured by slick digital technology. Filmed over five years, The Cinema Travellers accompanies a shrewd exhibitor, a benevolent showman and a maverick projector mechanic who bear a beautiful burden — to keep the last travelling cinemas of the world running.
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City – Matt Tyrnauer, USA — World Premiere — Jane Jacobs, whose classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities changed the way we look at and live in cities, would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. This film explores our urban past and the future of cities through the lens of Jacobs, one of the 20th century’s great public intellectuals, and a pioneering community organizer, whose campaigns against New York’s master builder, Robert Moses, are the stuff of legend.
Forever Pure – Maya Zinshtein, Israel/United Kingdom/Ireland/Norway — International Premiere — Beitar Jerusalem Football Club is the most controversial sports team in Israel. Loyal fans, known as La Familia, take pride in Beitar being the only team in the Israeli Premier League that has never fielded an Arab player. In 2012, team owner Arcadi Gaydamak, a Russian-born billionaire signs two Muslim players from Chechnya. Their presence turns La Familia into opponents of their own team and initiates an ideological contest with wide ripples.
Gaza Surf Club – Philip Gnadt and Mickey Yamine, Germany — World Premiere — Trapped in “the world’s largest open-air prison” and ruled by war, a new generation is drawn to the beaches. Sick of occupation and political gridlock, they find their own personal freedom in the waves of the Mediterranean — they are the surfers of Gaza.
Gimme Danger – Jim Jarmusch, USA — North American Premiere — Emerging from Ann Arbor, Michigan amidst a countercultural revolution, The Stooges’ powerful and aggressive style of rock ‘n’ roll blew a crater in the musical landscape of the late 1960s. Assaulting audiences with a blend of rock, blues, R&B, and free jazz, the band planted the seeds for what would be called punk and alternative rock in the decades that followed. Jim Jarmusch’s new film chronicles the story of The Stooges, one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time.
Girl Unbound – Erin Heidenreich, Pakistan/Canada/Hong Kong/South Korea — World Premiere — Maria Toorpakai Wazir has spent her young life defying expectations. At age 25, she is an internationally competitive squash player. But in her family’s region of Waziristan, Pakistan, the Taliban forbid women from playing sports. This film follows Maria over several months as she represents Pakistan on the national team and carves her own identity, despite threats to her family.
I Am Not Your Negro – Raoul Peck, USA/France/Belgium/Switzerland — World Premiere — With unprecedented access to James Baldwin’s original work, Raoul Peck completes the cinematic version of the book Baldwin never finished — a radical narration about race in America today that tracks the lives and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers.
I Called Him Morgan – Kasper Collin, Sweden/USA — Canadian Premiere — On a snowy night in February 1972, celebrated jazz musician Lee Morgan was shot dead by his wife Helen during a gig at a club in New York City. The murder sent shockwaves through the jazz community, and the memory of the event still haunts those who knew the Morgans. Filmmaker Kasper Collin examines the two unique personalities and the music that brought them together.
India in a Day – Richie Mehta, India/United Kingdom — International Premiere — India in a Day is India’s largest crowd-sourced documentary: the story of a single day, October 10, 2015. The film is a unique document, capturing a remarkable range of characters and personal reflections on what it means to be alive in India today, submitted by individuals from across the country.
In Exile – Tin Win Naing, Germany/Myanmar — World Premiere — Having filmed politically sensitive events such as the Saffron Revolution, Tin Win Naing fled his home country of Myanmar in 2009. Forced to leave his wife and children behind, he crossed illegally into Thailand, where he encountered the world of Burmese migrants toiling as plantation workers. Theirs is a world of exploitation and danger, but also of solidarity and resilience. This beautiful work of deeply compassionate first-person filmmaking is a testament to their struggle for justice.
Into the Inferno – Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer, United Kingdom/Austria — International Premiere — Werner Herzog and volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer take a global journey for a meditation on volcanoes and their meaning, with stops in Indonesia, Ethiopia, Iceland and North Korea. Into the Inferno artfully blends reportage, history, and philosophy into a riveting cinematic experience.
The Ivory Game – Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani, Austria/USA — International Premiere — The Ivory Game follows undercover intelligence operatives in Africa, Asia and Europe who are taking down the ivory cartels, as activists and rangers fight for the survival of the African elephant. As suspenseful as any thriller, the film follows a network of organized crime and corruption. The courage of these elephant advocates makes for a pulse-racing adventure with real-life urgency.
Karl Marx City – Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker, USA/Germany — World Premiere — During the Cold War, filmmaker Petra Epperlein grew up in the German Democratic Republic — a.k.a. East Germany. Twenty-five years after its collapse, she returns to find the truth about her father’s rumoured connections to the notorious Stasi secret service. Epperlein and Tucker tap into declassified Stasi footage to explore a world that has eerie corollaries to expanding government surveillance today.
Mali Blues – Lutz Gregor, Germany — North American Premiere — With her radiant voice and magnetic presence, Fatoumata Diawara is a rising star in world music. In Mali Blues, we follow her as she returns to her country to give her first home concert. Along the way, we meet other great Mali musicians: the Griot Bassekou Kouyaté, rapper Master Soumy, and Tuareg guitarist Ahmed Ag Kaedi, who fled the northern desert under threats by fundamentalists. The film is a powerful testament to their artistry and resilience.
Politics, Instructions Manual (Política, manual de instrucciones) – Fernando León de Aranoa, Spain — International Premiere — Against a backdrop of social cutbacks, unemployment and street protests, the Spanish government invites those unhappy with the system to organize their own party and run for election. A group of activists and university professors accept the challenge. Politics, Instructions Manual is the story of how Podemos was built. The documentary constitutes a practical manual about how to elaborate and communicate a political project in only one year.
Rodnye (Close Relations) – Vitaly Mansky, Latvia/Germany/Estonia/Ukraine — North American Premiere — Russian citizen and Soviet-born Ukrainian native Vitaly Mansky criss-crosses Ukraine to explore the experiences of his own large family after the Maidan revolution. They live scattered all across the country: in Lviv, Odessa, the separatist area in Donbass, and Sevastopol in Crimea. With his elegantly composed camerawork, Mansky gains a privileged view on a time of sweeping change.
The Turning Point – USA — World Premiere — From Academy Award–winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award–winning actor, environmental activist, and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, The Turning Point presents an engaging account of how society can prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems, and native communities across the globe. DiCaprio interviews individuals from every facet of society in both developing and developed nations who provide unique, impassioned, and pragmatic views on what must be done today to transition our economic and political systems into environmentally friendly institutions.
The War Show – Andreas Dalsgaard and Obaidah Zytoon, Denmark/Finland/Syria — North American Premiere — Obaidah Zytoon and her friends journey through Syria to take part in the country’s revolution. It is an experience that will change their lives forever as they witness Syria’s spiral descent into civil war. In a highly personal road movie, we see a patchwork of epic, but real, human stories.
Water and Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, the Colours of Life – Fariborz Kamkari, Italy — International Premiere — A veritable journey through Italian cinema spanning Neorealism and “commedia all’italiana”, to the Manhattan of Woody Allen. This film celebrates the great Italian cinematographer Carlo di Palma who marked the history of world cinema forever.
h2. Vanguard

The Bad Batch – Ana Lily Amirpour, USA — North American Premiere — A savage dystopian cannibal fairy tale set in a Texas wasteland where society’s rejects are just trying to make ends meat. Starring Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Giovanni Ribisi, Yolonda Ross, Jayda Fink, Cory Roberts, Louie Lopez, Keanu Reeves, and Jim Carrey.
Blind Sun – Joyce A. Nashawati, France/Greece — North American Premiere — Greece, sometime in the near future. A seaside resort is struck by a heavy heat wave, water is rare and violence is mounting. Ashraf, a solitary immigrant, is looking after a villa while its owners are away. On a dusty road crushed by the sun, he is stopped by a police officer for an identity check.
Buster’s Mal Heart – Sarah Adina Smith, USA — World Premiere — A mountain man on the run from authorities survives the winter by breaking into people’s empty vacation homes. He has recurring dreams of being lost at sea — only to find that he is, in fact, the man lost at sea. He is one man in two bodies. This is the story of how he split in two.
Colossal – Nacho Vigalondo, Canada — World Premiere — Gloria is an ordinary woman who, after losing her job and being kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend, is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown. When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world. Starring Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens, Austin Stowell, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Godspeed – Chung Mong-Hong, Taiwan — World Premiere — Critically acclaimed director Chung Mong-Hong’s latest endeavour centres on a young man whose plan to reform himself takes a tumble when he, along with a seemingly carefree, innocent cab driver, is kidnapped over the heroin he is delivering. Starring Hong Kong veteran Michael Hui.
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House – Osgood Perkins, Canada/USA — World Premiere — I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a modern and minimalist ghost story, set in an 1800s farmhouse in rural Massachusetts. Lily, a hospice nurse, retells the story of how she moved into the house to care for an ailing horror writer in the last few months of her life…and never left.
Interchange – Dain Iskandar Said, Malaysia/Indonesia — North American Premiere — A hard-nosed cop and a forensics photographer confront their darkest selves as a macabre murder investigation leads them to the realm of superstitions, shamans and the supernatural.
Message from the King – Fabrice Du Welz, United Kingdom/France/Belgium — World Premiere — After suddenly losing all contact with his younger sister, Jacob King arrives in Los Angeles determined to track her down. Piecing together her last known movements, King finds unsettling evidence of a life gone off the rails as he relentlessly pursues the truth about what happened to his sister. Stars Chadwick Boseman.
My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea – Dash Shaw, USA — World Premiere — High school can be brutal. Renowned comic book writer/artist Dash Shaw examines how the social structure within a high school changes when calamity strikes. Starring John Cameron Mitchell, Reggie Watts, Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham, Maya Rudolph, Susan Sarandon, and Alex Karpovsky.
Prevenge – Alice Lowe, United Kingdom — North American Premiere — Written and directed by British comedian and actress Alice Lowe during her own pregnancy, Prevenge is a darkly comic drama about a pregnant woman out for revenge.
The Untamed (La región salvaje) – Amat Escalante, Mexico/Denmark/France/Germany/Norway/Switzerland — North American Premiere — Young mother Alejandra is a working housewife, raising two boys with husband Angel in a small city. Her brother Fabian works as a nurse in a local hospital. Their provincial lives are upset with the arrival of the mysterious Veronica. Sex and love can be fragile in certain regions where strong family values, hypocrisy, homophobia and male chauvinism exist. Veronica convinces them that in the nearby woods, inside an isolated cabin, dwells something not of this world that could be the answer to all of their problems.
WITHOUT NAME – Lorcan Finnegan, Ireland — World Premiere — Land surveyor Eric, alienated from urban existence and those who love him, travels to a remote and unnamed Irish woodland to assess its suitability for a dubious development project. Intangible elements are at play in this ethereal environment. The place seems to be imbued by an intelligence of sorts. A silhouette flits between trees. The place fascinates the fragmenting Eric as much as it disturbs him. Following in the psychonautic footsteps of the mysterious Devoy, Eric attempts to communicate with his surroundings, but he becomes a prisoner of a place without a name.

The Festival runs from September 8th to the 18th, 2016. Stick with DigitalHit.com for your TIFF 2016 coverage.