We are less than a month away from the beginning of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. So, as we get closer to the Opening Night festivities, TIFF is beginning to lock down its final list of films that will screen at the event. This time, we have the full list of TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema programs.
Each year, TIFF strives to include some of the year’s best docs and international cinema in its festival, and 2022 seems to be keeping that trend going strong. This year’s TIFF Docs opens with “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” from filmmaker Sacha Jenkins. The lineup also includes highly-anticipated new films “Theatre of Thought” by director Werner Herzog and “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” by Laura Poitras. The World Cinema section includes new films from folks such as Matt Smukler, Firas Khoury, Marie Clements, and many more.
“We are so proud of the TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema programmes,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “The films reflect the moment we live in and speak to who we are today, including highly anticipated films by veteran filmmakers from around the globe.”
The Toronto International Film Festival begins its 2022 edition on September 8.
The full list of TIF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema selections is below:
TIFF DOCS
*Previously announced
Presented by A&E IndieFilms
“This year’s TIFF Docs lineup has a wonderful mix of joy, creativity, and ingenuity in the face of adversity,” said TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers, now in his 17th year overseeing the section. “In recent years, we witnessed numerous films launched from this section into distribution deals and Oscar nominations. This year has a rich crop for both.”
*752 Is Not A Number Babak Payami | Canada
World Premiere
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Laura Poitras | USA
North American Premiere
*Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On Madison Thomas | Canada
World Premiere
Casa Susanna Sébastien Lifshitz | France, USA
North American Premiere
Ciné-Guerrillas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels Mila Turajlic | Serbia, France, Croatia, Montenegro
World Premiere
*The Colour of Ink Brian D. Johnson | Canada
World Premiere
Documentary Now! Alex Buono, Rhys Thomas, Micah Gardner | USA
World Premiere
*Ever Deadly Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan | Canada
World Premiere
Free Money Sam Soko, Lauren DeFilippo | Kenya, USA
World Premiere
Mariupolis 2 Mantas Kvedaravičius | Lithuania, France, Germany
North American Premiere
The Grab Gabriela Cowperthwaite | USA
World Premiere
In Her Hands Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen | USA, Afghanistan
World Premiere
TIFF Docs Opening Film
*Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues Sacha Jenkins | USA
World Premiere
Maya and the Wave Stephanie Johnes | USA
World Premiere
Miúcha, The Voice of Bossa Nova Daniel Zarvos, Liliane Mutti | Brazil, France
Canadian Premiere
My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario) Patricio Guzmán | Chile, France
North American Premiere
Patrick and the Whale Mark Fletcher | Austria
World Premiere
Pray for our Sinners Sinéad O’Shea | Ireland
World Premiere
Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot William Kentridge | South Africa, USA
World Premiere
Theatre of Thought Werner Herzog | USA
International Premiere
*To Kill a Tiger Nisha Pahuja | Canada
World Premiere
While We Watched Vinay Shukla | UK
World Premiere
DOC CONVERSATIONS @ TIFF INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
On September 13, the Industry Conference will focus on conversations covering both the craft and business of documentary filmmaking. Access to the programming will be available to all press and industry pass holders. For public audiences interested in attending, limited day packages will be made available.
VISIONARIES: Inside the Brain of Werner Herzog
Presented by SHOWTIME®
In his new film Theatre of Thought, Werner Herzog (celebrating his 80th birthday in September) explores the cutting edge of research on the brain. He’s joined by two figures who appear in the film, brain scientist Rafael Yuste and entrepreneur Jamie Davies, to discuss hopes and fears for the future of brain exploration.
VISIONARIES: What Laura Poitras Learned from Nan Goldin
Presented by SHOWTIME®
Oscar-winning director Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) discusses what she learned over three years in the making of her new film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. The film profiles the artist Nan Goldin, who has campaigned for museums to disassociate from the patronage of the Sackler family, owners of the opioid company Purdue Pharma.
DIALOGUES: Covering Afghanistan for In Her Hands
Presented by SHOWTIME®
A Share Her Journey initiative generously supported by Betty-Ann Heggie
The new documentary In Her Hands focuses on Afghanistan’s youngest woman mayor, Zarifa Ghafari, during the tumultuous period of the Taliban’s return to power. Filmmakers Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen share clips while reflecting on the challenges of filming under wartime conditions.
PERSPECTIVES Truth, Lies, and a Million Dollar Board Game
Presented by SHOWTIME®
Filmmaker Vinay Shukla joins to discuss his new film While We Watched, which profiles the journalist Ravish Kumar of NDTV India as he struggles to maintain journalistic independence under death threats. For Shukla’s previous documentary An Insignificant Man, his team created a board game that gained massive support on Kickstarter. He’ll discuss plans to follow that model by pairing a board game with his new film.
PERSPECTIVES DocuMentality: The Growth of a Movement
Presented by SHOWTIME®
DocuMentality is an expanding initiative that seeks to normalize conversations about mental health in the documentary industry and provide best-practice guidance for filmmakers. The project started with efforts in the UK and US. Now, the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) is spearheading a new wave of focus groups with support from the Canada Media Fund. On this panel, audiences will hear from DocuMentality team member Malikkah Rollins and DOC’s Sarah Spring about the past, present, and future of the movement. We’ll also hear from filmmaker Rebeca Huntt describing what she learned about maintaining mental balance in the making of her intensely personal film Beba that premiered at TIFF last year. Moderator: Inney Prakash (Maysles Documentary Center).
CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
Presented by Sun Life
“TIFF’s Contemporary World Cinema Program brings a carefully curated selection of unique stories by established filmmakers and talent with daring visions from all corners of the world,” said Diana Cadavid, International Programmer. “Through an ambitious program of more than 50 films, audiences will have the opportunity to engage with the exciting directions in which cinema can lead our understanding of a wide range of topics and human experiences.”
Aftersun Charlotte Wells | United Kingdom, USA
North American Premiere
Alam Firas Khoury | France, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar
World Premiere
Amanda Carolina Cavalli | Italy
International Premiere
Ashkal Youssef Chebbi | France, Tunisia, Qatar
North American Premiere
Autobiography Makbul Mubarak | Indonesia, France, Singapore, Poland, Philippines, Germany, Qatar
North American Premiere
Beyond the Wall (Shab, Dkheli, Divar) Vahid Jalilvand | Iran
North American Premiere
*Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman Pierre Földes | France, Luxembourg, Canada, Netherlands
International Premiere
*Bones of Crows Marie Clements | Canada
World Premiere
*Coyote (Le Coyote) Katherine Jerkovic | Canada
World Premiere
Domingo and the Mist (Domingo y la Niebla) Ariel Escalante Meza | Costa Rica, Qatar
North American Premiere
El agua Elena López Riera | Switzerland, Spain, France
North American Premiere
*The End of Sex Sean Garrity | Canada
World Premiere
EO Jerzy Skolimowski | Poland, Italy
North American Premiere
*Falcon Lake Charlotte Le Bon | Canada
North American Premiere
*Fixation Mercedes Bryce Morgan | Canada, USA, Germany
World Premiere
Godland (Vanskabte Land/Volaða Land) Hlynur Pálmason | Denmark, Iceland, France, Sweden
Canadian Premiere
The Happiest Man in the World Teona Strugar Mitevska | North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina
North American Premiere
The Hotel Wang Xiaoshuai | Hong Kong
World Premiere
La Jauría Andrés Ramírez Pulido | Colombia, France
North American Premiere
Life (Жизнь) Emir Baigazin | Kazakhstan
World Premiere
Living Oliver Hermanus | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
Love and Mathematics (Amor y matemáticas) Claudia Sainte-Luce | Mexico
World Premiere
Love Life Koji Fukada | Japan, France
North American Premiere
Luxembourg, Luxembourg Antonio Lukich | Ukraine
North American Premiere
*The Maiden Graham Foy | Canada
North American Premiere
Manticore (Mantícora) Carlos Vermut | Spain
North American Premiere
Muru Tearepa Kahi | New Zealand
International Premiere
My Sailor, My Love Klaus Hӓrӧ | Finland, Ireland
World Premiere
Nightalk Donald Shebib | Canada
World Premiere
*North of Normal Carly Stone | Canada
World Premiere
The Origin of Evil Sébastien Marnier | France, Canada
North American Premiere
Plan 75 Chie Hayakawa | Japan, France, Philippines, Qatar
North American Premiere
Return to Dust Li Ruijun | China
North American Premiere
R.M.N. Cristian Mungiu | Romania, France
North American Premiere
*So Much Tenderness Lina Rodriguez | Canada
World Premiere
Sparta Ulrich Seidl | Austria, France, Germany
World Premiere
*Stellar Darlene Naponse | Canada
World Premiere
Stonewalling Huang Ji, Ryuji Otsuka | Japan
North American Premiere
*The Swearing Jar Lindsay MacKay | Canada
World Premiere
The Umbrella Men John Barker | South Africa
International Premiere
Under the Fig Trees Erige Sehiri | Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar
North American Premiere
Valeria Is Getting Married Michal Vinik | Israel
North American Premiere
Victim (OBEŤ) Michal Blaško | Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Germany
North American Premiere
Vicenta B. Carlos Lechuga | Cuba, France, USA, Colombia, Norway
World Premiere
War Sailor (Krigsseileren) Gunnar Vikene | Norway, Germany, Malta
International Premiere
We Are Still Here Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne | Australia, New Zealand
International Premiere
Wildflower Matt Smukler | USA
World Premiere
Winter Boy (Le Lycéen) Christophe Honoré | France
World Premiere
The Worst Ones Romane Gueret, Lise Akoka | France
North American Premiere
Zwigato Nandita Das | India
World Premiere
DISCOVERY
Presented by Dyson
Bruiser Miles Warren | USA
World Premiere
