I can’t believe it’s already almost TIFF again. I’m excited, honoured, and thrilled to be able to be approved as press and cover the fest for The UnderSCENE.
I’m not quite sure how many more years of writing I’ve got in me. As you’ve noticed, my output of writing pretty much comes out during TIFF. But I miss writing, and I want to change that. After TIFF, I’ll be starting The Queue. An ongoing series (may come out monthly) where I’ll write capsule reviews for some recent releases I got to see, or films I’ve picked up.
But let’s talk about TIFF. I’ve been working and reworking my schedule since it was released, and I’m sure I’ll continue to do so up until and during the festival. That’s the norm, as we try to make decisions between what we need to see, want to see, can skip, or just wait to see how the overall response to the films is first. It’s all about adapting and the schedule you have for the festival, or how you want to tackle it. I think at these festivals, some films have guaranteed wide releases soon after the festival, and more often, I find myself skipping them at the festival so I can find something new or different. They often are little gems that, if you’re lucky, you can rewatch in a year, but if not, they randomly pop up on streaming services under a different name years later, and I would like to try to see them on the big screen. In alphabetical order, here are the films at the festival I am truly hoping to get to see on the big screen.
Dust Bunny
Dir. Bryan Fuller
I love Hannibal and Mads Mikkelsen. Who doesn’t?
I’m excited to see Bryan Fuller’s feature film directorial debut. It’s classified as a family horror film, with whimsy. In all the typical stylistic and colour choices that you’d find in a Fuller project. Outside of Mads, the remaining cast are a delight as well. With David Dastmalchian and Sigourney Weaver, it’s hard not to be enticed to see them working under Bryan Fuller’s direction.
Exit 8
Dir. Genki Kawamura
This just looks cool and eerie. Based on a liminal horror game of the same name, the trailer showcases our lead character stuck on a loop trying to exit a never-ending subway path, and is doomed to walk the path, again and again.
This film looks incredible and is the first video game adaptation to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. I have been feeling since Detention that there has been an upward swing of good video game adaptations, so I really can’t wait to check this out.
Frankenstein
Dir. Guillermo Del Toro
This might be my number 1 most anticipated currently. It’s hard to argue against it. My dad took me to see Pan’s Labyrinth when it came out. I was 13. It was a nearly sold-out screening, so we had to sit at the front of the screen. I never forgot Del Toro’s name after that screening. His way of finding and showcasing beauty inside horror. It’s a joy to watch these films; they feel like home. There’s always a bit of everything for everyone.
There’s something so inviting to his films, even in the most frightful situations. A lost article I almost wrote years ago would have been about the beauty found in his films. It’s attached to an almost child-like innocence to his creatures and their meanings. They’re never always just to scare, but can gladly and easily do so.
Honey Bunch
Dir. Madeleine Sims-Fewer & Dusty Mancinelli
I loved Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli’s previous film, Violation, and loved getting to speak with them. The film has stuck with me since I’ve seen it. I did not get the opportunity to see Violation on a big screen, or even with a crowd, so I’m ecstatic to see their second feature premiere at TIFF.
Mile End Kicks
Dir. Chandler Levack
I remember seeing Chandler’s short film We Forgot to Break Up before a screening at Inside Out, a queer film festival hosted in the TIFF Lightbox. It stuck with me, and it wasn’t until after watching I Like Movies that I realized I had seen Levack’s short film and was excited to see the same strengths in the short in her feature debut.
Since then, I’ve seen the film a few times and find it extremely moving. I’ve loved getting to see the film recommended to me by other family members. It reminded me a lot of myself and that time in my life. I really do not want to miss Levack’s newest film, which some have compared to Almost Famous, which is a movie that started me on my own film criticism journey when I first saw it when I was in high school.
Normal
Dir. Ben Wheatley
I love Ben Wheatley. He never makes the same film twice, and he’s always keeping his audience on their toes. I remember when High Rise played at the festival in 2015. I missed it during the festival, but I had friends who saw the film and raved about it afterward. Thanks to Letterboxd, I know that I then decided to watch Kill List seemingly in preparation for High Rise, and then saw Free Fire at TIFF in the fall of 2016.
While now I love and adore High Rise, my first viewing had me confused as to what to feel or expect during the duration of the film. But with three films in, I knew I would more often be in the bag for whatever he’s got in store. They all haven’t worked for me, but I’m always giddy and excited for a new Ben Whealey film. There are some I haven’t seen yet, and maybe I’ll try to get that done before seeing Normal.
Nouvelle Vague
Dir. Richard Linklater
New Linklater! I know there are two of his films at the festival, and while I do plan on seeing them both during the festival, after seeing the trailer for both films, I find myself wanting to make sure to see this film more. As a big fan of Linklater, I got to see the premiere of Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood when it premiered at SXSW, which was an incredible experience.
I’m excited to see him tackle the creation of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. On one hand, I’d argue that we don’t need a film about the making of one of the most influential films of all time. On the other hand, some modern audiences don’t watch films that were released before the year 2000, or if they’re in a foreign language, or black-and-white. So, maybe Nouvelle Vague is needed.
Roofman
Dir. Derek Cianfrance
The shadow that The Place Beyond the Pines has left since I first saw the film has only increased in appreciation, even without visiting the film again for quite a while. I’ve had an itch to revisit the film a lot recently, but with news of the film being released on 4K in the fall, I’ll have to wait a bit longer to do so. Thankfully, we do have a new Cianfrance film being released, this time starring Channing Tatum as the titular Roofman, who is on the run from the authorities.
While I haven’t seen The Light Between Oceans, or his limited series on HBO, I Know This Much Is True, I have loved everything Cianfrance has worked on that I’ve seen, including Sound of Metal, which was directed by the co-writer of The Place Beyond The Pines.
Something I’ve appreciated is the scope that these films can find themselves trying to tell, one where we can feel the length of time and how our choices lead to a different life for our kids, or the ones we leave behind. Roofman admittedly doesn’t quite look to find itself in a similar place, but it does look charming enough that I really am hoping to get to see it at the festival.
Train Dreams
Dir. Clint Bentley
A few years ago, when I was fortunate enough to cover Sundance remotely, I had the opportunity to see Jockey, which Clint Bentley also directed. It was such a moving film, and one that felt like a beautiful surprise. It’s a film I think of often, and then I did again when Sing Sing was released, as Clint Bentley co-wrote the film with Greg Kwedar. They have been working on each other’s projects and trading off directing duties, almost taking turns with one another. Their work together is constantly beautifully paced and expertly acted. I am not missing seeing Bentley’s new film on a big screen.
Now, of course, I also really want to see Sentimental Value, Hamnet, No Other Choice, The Christophers, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story, and The Smashing Machine. Most of the films do have a wider release from Neon, Focus Features, Netflix, and Neon again. Now, Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers doesn’t currently have a distributor, but I hope/expect it sells and gets picked up. These are the films that I know I won’t be able to miss when widely released, so I’d rather check out the ones I mentioned, as well as be open to new films as the festival begins and the responses to films start coming out.
Now that I’ve gone through ticket redemption, I do have a better idea of what I’ll be able to see during the festival. I’m glad that, as of now, I plan on seeing everything I wanted to see, and also a few pleasant surprises. Some of the films I want to see are scheduled for later in the festival, but I’m excited to see them during the festival as well.
The UnderSCENE 