Nonfiction films about conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and Venezuela, as well as documentaries about politician Adam Kinzinger, Irish writer Edna O’Brien and disability rights activist Patrice Jetter will screen at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, event organizers announced on Wednesday.
TIFF’s Docs program will consist of 21 films, two-thirds of them world premieres and 16 of them available for distribution. “The lineup is like holding up a mirror to what’s going on in the world today, which includes a lot of different things,” TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers told TheWrap.
The opening night film will be Eddie Huang’s “Vice Is Broke,” in which the former Vice host details the rise and fall of that media organization.
Other films include “From Ground Zero,” an anthology consisting of 22 short films made over the past year by directors who live in Gaza; Anastasiia Bortuali’s “Temporary Shelter,” about Ukrainian refugees; Hind Meddeb’s “Sudan, Remember Us,” about a lesser-known conflict in Africa; Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor’s “No Other Land,” another film about the war in the Middle East.
The section will also screen “The Last Republican,” Steve Pink’s film about former U.S. representative Kinzinger, who told his story about speaking out against Donald Trump to Pink because he was a fan of the director’s “Hot Tub Time Machine”; “Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story,” Sinéad O’Shea’s biographical documentary about the Irish writer who died at the age of 93 on July 27, learning on her deathbed that the film for which she’d done interviews had gotten into TIFF; Marah Strauch and Bryce Leavitt’s “Space Cowboy,” about aerial cinematographer Joe Jennings; and Ted Passon’s “Patrice: The Movie,” in which a commitment ceremony between two disabled people threatens their government benefits.
“Men of War,” from Jen Gatien and “Cocaine Cowboys” director Billy Corben, is about a band of American mercenaries who tried to overthrow the government of Venezuela in 2020 and botched the job so badly that Powers calls the film “‘Rambo’ meets ‘Fyre Fest.’” Its leader, Jordan Goudreau, was arrested in Florida last week and charged with conspiracy and arms smuggling.
Also in the lineup: Raoul Peck’s “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” about a South African photographer who documented apartheid in that country, which won raves when it premiered in Cannes this year.
The 21 films announced on Wednesday join a number of documentaries that have already been announced as galas or special presentations, including the high-profile music films “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” “Elton John: Never Too Late” and “Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe.”
The announcement was part of the second week of “TIFF Takeover” programming announcements. The festival’s Centrepiece program was unveiled on Tuesday, with additional announcements coming this week for the Wavelengths, Classics, Short Cuts and Primetime sections.
The Toronto International Film Festival will take place from Sept. 5-15.
The TIFF Docs lineup:
“A Sisters’ Tale,” Leila Amini | Switzerland/France/Iran
International Premiere
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“Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story,” Sinéad O’Shea | Ireland/United Kingdom
World Premiere
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“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” Raoul Peck | France
North American Premiere
“From Ground Zero,” Wissam Moussa, Nidal Damo, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Ayoub, Karim Satoum, Bashar Al Babisi, Khamis Masharawi, Nida’A Abu Hasna, Tamer Nijim, Ahmed Al Danaf, Rima Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Basil El Maqousi, Mustafa Al Nabih, Rabab Khamis, Mustafa Kulab, Alaa Damo, Hana Eleiwa, Mahdi Kreirah, Aws Al Banna, Islam Al Zeriei, Etimad Washah |
Palestine/France/Qatar/Jordan
North American Premiere
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“Living Together,” Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere
“Men of War,” Jen Gatien, Billy Corben | USA/Canada
World Premiere
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“Mistress Dispeller,” Elizabeth Lo | China/USA
North American Premiere
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“No Other Land,” Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor | Palestine/Norway
Canadian Premiere
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“Patrice: The Movie,” Ted Passon | USA
World Premiere
“Russians at War,” Anastasia Trofimova | Canada/France
North American Premiere
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“So Surreal: Behind the Masks,” Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson | Canada
World Premiere
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“Space Cowboy,” Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt | USA
World Premiere
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“Sudan, remember us,” Hind Meddeb | France/Tunisia/Qatar
North American Premiere
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“Tata,” Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc | Romania/Germany/Netherlands
World Premiere
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“Temporary Shelter,” Anastasiia Bortuali | Iceland
World Premiere
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“The Freedom of Fierro,” Santiago Esteinou | Mexico/Canada/Greece
World Premiere
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“The Last of the Sea Women,” Sue Kim | USA
World Premiere
“The Last Republican,” Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere
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“Vice Is Broke,” Eddie Huang | USA
World Premiere
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“Wishing on a Star,” Peter Kerekes | Italy/Slovakia/Czech Republic/Austria/Croatia
North American Premiere
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“Your Tomorrow,” Ali Weinstein | Canada
World Premiere
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