46th edition of the festival
2021 Toronto International Film Festival Opening film Dear Evan Hansen by Stephen Chbosky Closing film One Second by Zhang Yimou Location Toronto , Ontario , CanadaFounded 1976 Festival date September 9–18, 2021 Website tiff.net/tiff 2022
The 2021 Toronto International Film Festival , the 46th event in the Toronto International Film Festival series, was held from September 9 to 18, 2021.[1] Due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic in Canada , the festival was staged as a "hybrid" of in-person and digital screenings.[2] Most films were screened both in-person and on the digital platform, although a few titles were withheld by their distributors from the digital platform and instead were screened exclusively in-person.
Artistic director Cameron Bailey indicated that while the 2021 festival would not fully return to the size of program that it offered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival , it would be significantly bigger than the reduced lineup that was offered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival .[1] Overall, the festival featured over 100 films, including a special retrospective program devoted to the work of Canadian documentary filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin .[3]
Venues [ ]
In-person screenings were held at the festival's traditional venues, including the TIFF Bell Lightbox , the Princess of Wales Theatre and Roy Thomson Hall , the latter two of which hosted the world premiere of Stephen Chbosky 's film adaptation of Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen , the festival's Opening Night Gala Presentation.[3] Denis Villeneuve 's film Dune received an IMAX world premiere screening at the Cinesphere .[3]
As in 2020, digital screenings took place on the Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox platform.
In addition to Toronto, the festival also staged a number of satellite screenings in other Canadian cities for the first time.[3]
Awards [ ]
TIFF Tribute Awards [ ]
The festival presented the TIFF Tribute Awards, which were introduced in 2019 to honour actors and filmmakers for distinguished achievements over the course of their careers.[4] The ceremony took place on September 18; as in 2020, it was broadcast by CTV .[4]
The first two honorees announced were Alanis Obomsawin as the recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media and Denis Villeneuve as the winner of the Ebert Director Award.[4] Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch were subsequently announced as the recipient of the Actor Awards.[5] [6] Dionne Warwick received the special tribute award,[7] filmmaker Danis Goulet was named the recipient of the Emerging Talent Award,[7] and cinematographer Ari Wegner received the Variety Artisan Award.[8]
Regular awards [ ]
The festival's main awards were announced on September 18, some live during the Tribute Awards broadcast and others on social media following the ceremony's conclusion.[9] A few high-profile titles in the festival program, namely Dune , Last Night in Soho and Spencer , were not eligible for the People's Choice Award, as their distributors had not permitted them to be screened online on the digital platform.[10]
Award
Film
Director
People's Choice Award
Belfast
Kenneth Branagh
People's Choice Award, First Runner Up
Scarborough
Shasha Nakhai , Rich Williamson
People's Choice Award, Second Runner Up
The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion
People's Choice Award: Documentaries
The Rescue
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi , Jimmy Chin
Documentary, First Runner Up
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner
Documentary, Second Runner Up
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen
People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness
Titane
Julia Ducournau
Midnight Madness, First Runner Up
You Are Not My Mother
Kate Dolan
Midnight Madness, Second Runner Up
Dashcam
Rob Savage
Platform Prize
Yuni
Kamila Andini
Platform Prize, Honorable Mention
Good Madam (Mlungu Wam)
Jenna Cato Bass
Best Canadian Feature Film
Ste. Anne
Rhayne Vermette
Best Canadian Feature Film, Honorable Mention
Scarborough
Shasha Nakhai , Rich Williamson
Best Canadian Short Film
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice
Zacharias Kunuk
Best Canadian Short Film, Honorable Mention
Nuisance Bear
Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden
Best International Short Film
Displaced (Pa Vend)
Samir Karahoda
Best International Short Film, Honorable Mention
Rakan Mayasi
FIPRESCI Award
Anatolian Leopard (Anadolu Leoparı)
Emre Kayış
NETPAC Award
Costa Brava, Lebanon
Mounia Aki
Amplify Voices
The Gravedigger's Wife
Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
A Night of Knowing Nothing
Payal Kapadia
Changemaker Award
Scarborough
Shasha Nakhai , Rich Williamson
Share Her Journey
Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Share Her Journey, Honorable Mention
(Milý tati)
Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Official selection [ ]
The first 13 films selected for the festival were announced in June 2021. The gala and special presentation programs were announced on July 20,[11] [12] while Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery titles were announced on July 28,[13] TIFF Docs, Midnight Madness and Wavelengths were announced on August 4,[14] Shortcuts and Platform were announced on August 11,[15] and Primetime was announced on August 13.[16]
Walt Becker 's Clifford the Big Red Dog was initially selected to be one of the Gala Presentations, but was withdrawn from the festival, after US distributor Paramount Pictures pulled it from its release schedule due to the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19.[17]
The festival also announced a special event screening of an unspecified new film by Steven Soderbergh .[18] Details of the film were not announced in advance, except that it was not expected to be his known upcoming film KIMI .[18] Soderbergh ultimately premiered a reedited version of his 1991 film Kafka titled Mr. Kneff .[19]
Gala presentations [ ]
Special presentations [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Ahed's Knee
Ha'berech
Nadav Lapid
Israel, France, Germany
Ali & Ava
Clio Barnard
United Kingdom
All My Puny Sorrows
Michael McGowan
Canada
The Box
La Caja
Lorenzo Vigas
Mexico
Benediction
Terence Davies
United Kingdom, United States
Charlotte
Eric Warin, Tahir Rana
Canada, France, Belgium
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner
United States
Drive My Car
Doraibu mai kā
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Japan
Encounter
Michael Pearce
United Kingdom, United States
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Michael Showalter
United States
The Falls
瀑布
Chung Mong-hong
Taiwan
France
Bruno Dumont
France, Italy, Germany, Belgium
The Guilty
Antoine Fuqua
United States
The Humans
Stephen Karam
United States
I'm Your Man
Ich bin dein Mensch
Maria Schrader
Germany
Inexorable
Fabrice Du Welz
Belgium, France
Inu-Oh
Masaaki Yuasa
Japan, China
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds
Lingui, les liens sacrés
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
France, Chad, Germany, Belgium
The Middle Man
Bent Hamer
Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway
Mothering Sunday
Eva Husson
United Kingdom
Official Competition
Competencia oficial
Gastón Duprat & Mariano Cohn
Spain
Petite Maman
Céline Sciamma
France
The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion
United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Canada, New Zealand
The Starling
Theodore Melfi
United States
The Story of My Wife
A feleségem története
Ildikó Enyedi
Hungary, Germany, France, Italy
Sundown
Michel Franco
Mexico, France, Sweden
Three Floors
Tre piani
Nanni Moretti
Italy, France
Violet
Justine Bateman
United States
Where Is Anne Frank
Ari Folman
Belgium, Luxembourg, Israel, Netherlands, France
Wolf
Nathalie Biancheri
Ireland, Poland
Special Events [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Dune
Denis Villeneuve
United States
A Hero
Ghahreman
Asghar Farhadi
Iran
Memoria
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Thailand, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, China
Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11
Bjørn Johnson and David Belton
United Kingdom, United States
Mr. Kneff
Steven Soderbergh
United States
NBA Films For Fans ("Shorty", "Inheritance", "Born Identities", "Draft Day", "The Shot")
Romeo Candido, Shawn Gerrard, Kat Jayme, Thyrone Tommy , S.M. Turrell
Canada
Spencer
Pablo Larraín
United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Chile
Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine
Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli
Canada
Contemporary World Cinema [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
7 Prisoners
7 Prisioneiros
Alexandre Moratto
Brazil
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
熱帶往事
Wen Shipei
China
Compartment No. 6
Hytti nro 6
Juho Kuosmanen
Finland, Estonia, Germany, Russia
Costa Brava, Lebanon
Mounia Aki
Lebanon, France, Qatar, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, United States
The Daughter
La hija
Manuel Martín Cuenca
Spain
The Gravedigger's Wife
Khadar Ayderus Ahmed
France, Somalia, Germany
The Hill Where Lionesses Roar
La colline où rugissent les lionnes
Luàna Bajrami
France, Kosovo
Întregalde
Radu Muntean
Romania
Jockey
Clint Bentley
United States
Kicking Blood
Blaine Thurier
Canada
La Soga 2
Manny Pérez
United States
Maria Chapdelaine
Sébastien Pilote
Canada
Medusa
Anita Rocha da Silveira
Brazil
Murina
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
United States, Brazil, Croatia, Slovenia
Nobody Has to Know
Bouli Lanners
France, Belgium, United Kingdom
The Odd-Job Men
Sis dies corrents
Neus Ballús
Spain
The Other Tom
El otro Tom
Rodrigo Plá , Laura Santullo
Mexico, United States
Out of Sync
Tres
Juanjo Giménez
Spain, Lithuania, France
Small Body
Piccolo Corpo
Laura Samani
Italy, France, Slovenia
Terrorizers
青春弒戀
Ho Wi Ding
Taiwan
True Things
Harry Wootliff
United Kingdom
Unclenching the Fists
Разжимая кулаки
Kira Kovalenko
Russia
Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash
Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas
Edwin
Indonesia
The Wheel
Steve Pink
United States
Whether the Weather Is Fine
Kun Maupay Man it Panahon
Carlo Francisco Manatad
Philippines
Celebrating Alanis [ ]
TIFF Docs [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Attica
Stanley Nelson Jr.
United States
Burning
Eva Orner
Australia
Beba
Rebecca Huntt
United States, Mexico
Becoming Cousteau
Liz Garbus
United States
Comala
Gian Cassini
Mexico
The Devil's Drivers
Mohammed Abugeth, Daniel Carsenty
Qatar, France, Lebanon, Germany
Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen
United States, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark
Hold Your Fire
Stefan Forbes
United States
Julia
Julie Cohen and Betsy West
United States
Listening to Kenny G
Penny Lane
United States
Oscar Peterson: Black and White
Barry Avrich
Canada
The Rescue
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi , Jimmy Chin
United States, United Kingdom
Three Minutes: A Lengthening
Bianca Stigter
Netherlands, United Kingdom
Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace
Heather Hatch
Canada
Discovery [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Aloners
Hon-ja-sa-neun Sa-ram-deul
Hong Sung-eun
South Korea
Anatolian Leopard
Anadolu Leoparı
Emre Kayış
Turkey, Germany, Poland, Denmark
As in Heaven
Du som er i himlen
Tea Lindeburg
Denmark
A Banquet
Ruth Paxton
United Kingdom
Dug Dug
Ritwik Pareek
India
Farha
Darin J. Sallam
Jordan, Sweden, Saudi Arabia
The Game
Ana Lazarevic
Serbia, United States
Learn to Swim
Thyrone Tommy
Canada
Lo Invisible
Javier Andrade
Ecuador, France
Quickening
Haya Waseem
Canada
PAKA (River of Blood)
Paka
Nithin Lukose
India
Scarborough
Shasha Nakhai , Rich Williamson
Canada
Snakehead
Evan Jackson Leong
United States
To Kill the Beast
Matar a la Bestia
Agustina San Martín
Argentina, Brazil, Chile
Tug of War
Vuta N'Kuvute
Amil Shivji
Tanzania, South Africa, Germany, Qatar
Wildhood
Bretten Hannam
Canada
Midnight Madness [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
After Blue (Dirty Paradise)
After Blue (Paradis Sale)
Bertrand Mandico
France
Dashcam
Rob Savage
United Kingdom, United States
Saloum
Jean Luc Herbulot
Senegal
Titane
Julia Ducournau
France
You Are Not My Mother
Kate Dolan
Ireland
Zalava
Arsalan Amiri
Iran
Wavelengths [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
The Capacity for Adequate Anger
Vika Kirchenbauer
Germany
Dear Chantal
Querida Chantal
Nicolás Pereda
Mexico, Spain
earthearthearth
Daïchi Saïto
Canada
Futura
Pietro Marcello , Francesco Munzi , Alice Rohrwacher
Italy
The Girl and the Spider
Das Mädchen und die Spinne
Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
Switzerland
Inner Outer Space
Laida Lertxundi
Spain
Neptune Frost
Saul Williams , Anisia Uzeyman
United States, Rwanda
A Night of Knowing Nothing
Payal Kapadia
India, France
Polycephaly in D
Michael Robinson
United States
the red filter is withdrawn
Le-deu-pil-teo-ga Cheol-hoe-doeb-ni-da
Minjung Kim
South Korea
Ste. Anne
Rhayne Vermette
Canada
Train Again
Peter Tscherkassky
Austria
The Tsugua Diaries
Diários de Otsoga
Maureen Fazendeiro, Miguel Gomes
Portugal
Platform [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Arthur Rambo
Laurent Cantet
France
Drunken Birds
Les oiseaux ivres
Ivan Grbovic
Canada
Earwig
Lucile Hadžihalilović
United Kingdom, France, Belgium
Good Madam
Mlungu Wam
Jenna Cato Bass
South Africa
Huda's Salon
Hany Abu-Assad
Palestine, Egypt, Netherlands, Qatar
Montana Story
Scott McGehee , David Siegel
United States
Silent Land
Cicha Ziemia
Aga Woszczyńska
Poland, Italy, Czech Republic
Yuni
Kamila Andini
Indonesia, Singapore, France, Australia
Primetime [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Colin in Black & White
Ava DuVernay , Colin Kaepernick
United States
Hellbound
Yeon Sang-ho
South Korea
The Panthers
Tom Hern , Halaifonua Finau
New Zealand
Sort Of
Bilal Baig , Fab Filippo
Canada
Short Cuts [ ]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice
Zacharias Kunuk
Canada
Anxious Body
Yoriko Mizushiri
France, Japan
Ramata-Toulaye Sy
France, Senegal
Beity
Isabelle Mecattaf
Lebanon, United States
Bhai
Hamza Bangash
Canada
Boobs
Lolos
Marie Valade
Canada
Charlotte
Zach Dorn
United States
Defund
Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Araya Mengesha
Canada
Displaced
Pa Vend
Samir Karahoda
Kosovo
Dust Bath
Seth A. Smith
Canada
Fanmi
Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers , Carmine Pierre-Dufour
Canada
A Few Miles South
Ben Pearce
United Kingdom
The Future Isn't What It Used to Be
Adeyemi Michael
United Kingdom
Hanging On
Alfie Barker
United Kingdom
I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse
Ayçe Kartal
France
I Would Never
Kiran Deol
United States
The Infantas
Las Infantas
Andrea Herrera Catalá
Spain
Little Bird
Tim Myles
Canada
Milý tati
Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Czech Republic, Slovakia
Masquerade
Egúngún
Olive Nwosu
United Kingdom, Nigeria
Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics
Terril Calder
Canada
Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit Into His Suit
Al motociclista no le cabe la felicidad en el traje
Gabriel Herrera
Mexico
Nuisance Bear
Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden
Canada
Ousmane
Jorge Camarotti
Canada
Saturday Night
Rosana Matecki
Canada
Shark
Nash Edgerton
Australia
Soft Animals
Renee Zhan
United Kingdom
Some Still Search
Algunos Siguen Buscando
Nesaru Tchaas
United States
Srikandi
Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto
Canada, Indonesia
Successful Thawing of Mr. Moro
Lyckad upptining av herr Moro
Jerry Carlsson
Sweden
Sycorax
Lois Patiño, Matías Piñeiro
Portugal, Spain
The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night
Fawzia Mirza
Canada
Together
Albert Shin
Canada, South Korea
Rakan Mayasi
Palestine, Lebanon, France, Belgium
Twelve Hours
Paul Shkordoff
Canada
White Devil
Benjamin Dickinsom, Mariama Diallo
United States
You and Me, Before and After
Madeleine Gottlieb
Australia
Zero
Nula
Lee Filipovski
Canada, Serbia
TIFF Rewind [ ]
A new program which saw classic films that screened at TIFF in past years made available for streaming on Crave , paired with talks by actors or filmmakers involved in the production.[20]
Film
Speaker(s)
Best in Show
Christopher Guest , Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara
Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen
Precious
Lee Daniels , Gabourey Sidibe
Real Women Have Curves
Patricia Cardoso , America Ferrera
Training Day
Antoine Fuqua
TIFF Cinemathèque [ ]
Coast-to-Coast Screenings [ ]
Special screenings of selected Gala or Special Presentations films in other communities across Canada.[21]
Industry Selects [ ]
As in 2020 the Industry Selects program screened films for industry professionals, acting as a film market due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic having impacted the ability of filmmakers and critics to travel to international film festivals, but was not made available for the general public.[22]
English title
Original title
Director(s)
Production country
107 Mothers
Cenzorka
Peter Kerekes
Slovakia
America Latina
Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo
Italy, France
Cadejo Blanco
Justin Lerner
Guatemala, United States, Mexico
Carmen
Valerie Buhagiar
Malta, Canada
Cool Abdoul
Jonas Backeland
Belgium
Domingo
Raúl López Echeverría
Mexico, Austria, France
The Hole in the Fence
El hoyo en la cerca
Joaquín del Paso
Mexico, Poland
The King of All the World
El Rey de Todo el Mundo
Carlos Saura
Mexico, Spain
La Civil
Teodora Ana Mihai
Belgium, Romania, Mexico
The Last Mark
Reem Morsi
Canada
My Night
Ma nuit
Antoinette Boulat
France
Night Blooms
Stephanie Joline
Canada
Nightride
Stephen Fingleton
United Kingdom
Nr. 10
Alex van Warmerdam
Netherlands, Belgium
Old Henry
Potsy Ponciroli
United States
Onoda - 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
Onoda, 10 000 nuits dans la jungle
Arthur Harari
France, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Italy
The Pink Cloud
A Nuvem Rosa
Iuli Gerbase
Brazil
Quake
Tinna Hrafnsdóttir
Iceland
Reflection
Відблиск
Valentyn Vasyanovych
Ukraine
The Score
Malachi Smyth
United Kingdom
Shankar's Fairies
Irfana Majumdar
India
A Tale of Love and Desire
Une histoire d'amour et de désir
Leyla Bouzid
France
Canada's Top Ten [ ]
The festival's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list, collecting the films named as the top Canadian films of the year by critics and film festival programmers from across Canada, was released on December 6, 2021.[23]
Feature films [ ]
Short films [ ]
References [ ]
^ a b Barry Hertz, "TIFF planning ‘substantially bigger’ 2021 film festival compared to last year’s hybrid event" . The Globe and Mail , May 3, 2021.
^ "Toronto film festival plans return to in-person, digital hybrid model for 2021" . Toronto Star , May 6, 2021.
^ a b c d Peter Howell, "TIFF cautiously rebounds from pandemic with 100-plus features planned, but no popcorn" . Toronto Star , June 23, 2021.
^ a b c Victoria Ahearn, "Alanis Obomsawin, Denis Villeneuve to get TIFF Tribute Awards at Toronto film fest" . Toronto Star , July 22, 2021.
^ Etan Vlessing, "Toronto: Jessica Chastain to Receive TIFF Tribute Actor Award" . The Hollywood Reporter , August 5, 2021.
^ Etan Vlessing, "Toronto: Benedict Cumberbatch to Receive TIFF Tribute Actor Award" . The Hollywood Reporter , August 12, 2021.
^ a b Selome Hailu, "Dionne Warwick and Danis Goulet to Receive TIFF Tribute Awards" . Variety , August 26, 2021.
^ Pat Saperstein, "‘Power of the Dog’ Cinematographer Ari Wegner to Be Honored With TIFF Variety Artisan Award" . Variety , September 2, 2021.
^ Steve Pond, "‘Belfast’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award" . TheWrap , September 18, 2021.
^ Anthony D'Alessandro, "‘Dune’, ‘Last Night In Soho’ & ‘Spencer’ Among Those Movies Not Eligible To Compete For TIFF’s Top Prize, The People’s Choice Award" . Deadline Hollywood , September 14, 2021.
^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 20, 2021). "2021 Toronto Festival Unveils 'Dear Evan Hansen' As Opening Night Premiere; Check Out First Slated Films" . Deadline . Retrieved July 20, 2021 .
^ Rubin, Rebecca (July 20, 2021). "Toronto Film Festival Lineup Adds 'Dear Evan Hansen,' 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' and 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' " . Variety . Retrieved July 20, 2021 .
^ Rebecca Rubin, "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery Lineup" . Variety , July 28, 2021.
^ Anthony D'Alessandro, "TIFF Unveils Docs, Midnight Madness & Wavelengths Lineup With Palme d’Or Winner ‘Titane’, Liz Garbus’ ‘Becoming Cousteau’ & More" . Deadline Hollywood , August 4, 2021.
^ Brian Welk, "‘Spencer,’ Princess Diana Film Starring Kristen Stewart, Added to Toronto Lineup" . TheWrap , August 11, 2021.
^ "Julia Child doc, Colin Kaepernick drama, CBC genderfluid dramedy join TIFF lineup" . Victoria Times-Colonist , August 13, 2021.
^ Erik Pedersen and Anthony D'Alessandro, "‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’ Pulled From Paramount Release Schedule Over Delta Concerns; Pic Looking For New Date" . Deadline Hollywood , July 30, 2021.
^ a b Anthony D'Allessandro, "Steven Soderbergh Surprise Movie To Premiere At TIFF" . Deadline Hollywood , September 2, 2021.
^ Hassannia, Tina (September 18, 2021). "Steven Soderbergh Reintroduces His Cult Classic 'Kafka' After Decades of Tinkering" . IndieWire . Retrieved September 18, 2021 .
^ "'Wildhood,' 'Scarborough' added to TIFF lineup" . Guelph Mercury Tribune , July 28, 2021.
^ K. J. Millar, "Prince Rupert one of six cities chosen by Toronto International Film Festival for screening" . The Interior News , September 9, 2021.
^ "Toronto Film Festival Unveils Conversations, Industry Selects, Special Event Lineups" . Shoot Online , August 24, 2021.
^ Norman Wilner, "TIFF announces Canada’s Top Ten films of 2021" . Now , December 6, 2021.
External links [ ]
Toronto International Film Festival
By year Awards Related