Last night saw the announcement of the line-up of TIFF’s annual celebration of the best in Canadian cinema. The Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival will run from January 2 to 11 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. This year features quite an interesting selection, many of which I’m only finding out for the first time. Here are my thoughts on Canada’s Top Ten Films that I already managed to see: Maps to the Stars, David Cronenberg (read my review) Even though I’m a pretty big fan of David Cronenberg, I really have to dispute the decision to include Maps to the Stars in the Canada’s Top Ten line-up. I was very disappointed in the film when I saw it a month ago and I really have to feel that the film was chosen because of Cronenberg’s name recognition. Mommy, Xavier Dolan (read my review) There was little doubt that Xavier Dolan’s highly acclaimed latest film would be chosen for the list. Sol, Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Susan Avingaq (read my review) Sol is a documentary, which uses the tragic story of Solomon Uyurasuk to raise the issue of the normalization of suicide in Nunavut. Having seen the film as part of Toronto Film Scene’s coverage of imagineNATIVE, I’m pleasantly surprised to see the film on the list. Tu dors Nicole, Stéphane Lafleur (read my review) This was a charming an enjoyable little coming of age story and I’m happy to see it on the list. Here’s a quick rundown of the rest of the Canada’s Top Ten line-up: Corbo, Mathieu Denis This is a drama about the FLQ in 1960s Quebec. Félix et Meira (Felix & Meira), Maxime Giroux A married woman in Montreal’s Jewish community finds romance with a young man mourning the death of his father.. In Her Place, Albert Shin A South Korean co-production about a wealthy couple who seeks to secretly adopt the unborn child of a troubled teenager. Monsoon, Sturla Gunnarsson A documentary about the annual rains that decent upon India. The Price We Pay, Harold Crooks A documentary about the present day reality of big business tax avoidance. Violent, Andrew Huculiak A young woman vividly recalling the memories of the people who loved her most. Here is a list of the Canada’s Top Ten Shorts:
- Bihttoš (Rebel), Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
- Bison, Kevan Funk
- La Coupe (The Cut), Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (3.14*Collectif)
- Cutaway, Kazik Radwanski (La Distributrice de films)
- Day 40, Sol Friedman
- Kajutaijuq: The Spirit That Comes, Scott Brachmayer
- Mynarski chute mortelle (Mynarski Death Plummet), Matthew Rankin (La Distributrice de films)
- Sleeping Giant, Andrew Cividino
- Still, Slater Jewell-Kemker (Canadian Film Centre)
- The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer, Randall Lloyd Okita (National Film Board of Canada)
And here is the Canada’s Top Ten Student Shorts:
- Backroads, Candy Fox (University of Regina)
- Dinner Time, Alexander Mainwaring (Langara College)
- Elpis, Akreta Saim (York University)
- Fallow, Breanna Cheek (Emily Carr School of Art and Design)
- La dernière danse sur la Main (Last Dance on the Main), Aristofanis Soulikias (Concordia University)
- Lifers, Joel Salaysay (Simon Fraser University)
- Light, Yassmina Karajah (University of British Columbia)
- Never Stop Cycling, Colin Lepper (Sheridan College)
- Running Season, Grayson Moore (Ryerson University)
- Tomonster, Pui Ka Wong (Sheridan College)
Other events during Canada’s Top Ten include on-stage conversations with Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis and Keanu Reeves, as well as the Canada’s Top Ten Cocktail Party on January 7. Tickets go on sale for TIFF Members tomorrow and for the general public on December 10.