The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permanent destination for film culture operating out of the TIFF Bell Lightbox, located in Downtown Toronto. TIFF's mission is "to transform the way people see the world through film".
Joseph Swanberg is an American independent film director, producer, writer, and actor. Known for micro-budget films which make extensive use of improvisation, Swanberg is considered a major figure in the mumblecore film movement. His films often focus on relationships, sex, technology, and the filmmaking process, and he is credited with launching the careers of Lena Dunham, Greta Gerwig, and the Duplass Brothers.
Deadgirl is a 2008 American horror film written by Trent Haaga and directed by Marcel Sarmiento and Gadi Harel. It stars Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan as teenage boys who discover a naked, female zombie, played by Jenny Spain. When one of the boys wants to keep her as a sex slave and the other objects, their friendship is tested.
A Horrible Way to Die is a 2010 American horror film directed and edited by Adam Wingard, written by co-producer Simon Barrett, and starring A. J. Bowen, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Brandon Carroll, and Lane Hughes. The story follows an escaped serial killer as he chases down his recovering alcoholic ex-girlfriend who is responsible for his incarceration. The film had its world premiere at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival Vanguard program where it was picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It also played at Fantastic Fest where it received three major awards: Best Screenplay for Simon Barrett, Best Actor for AJ Bowen and Best Actress for Amy Seimetz.
Rec 4: Apocalypse is a 2014 Spanish horror film, and the fourth and final installment of the Rec film series. The film is a direct sequel to Rec 2, taking place immediately after the events of the second film. Jaume Balagueró, the director of the first two installments, returns alongside actress Manuela Velasco, who reprises her role of the imperiled reporter Ángela Vidal. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2014 and screened at the 2014 Sitges Film Festival on 3 October, before being released in Spain on 31 October.
Uncle Kent is a 2011 American film directed by Joe Swanberg and written by Kent Osborne and Swanberg. The film stars Osborne in the titular role of Kent, and Jennifer Prediger, Josephine Decker, Kevin Bewersdof, and Swanberg. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released through video on demand, the same day on January 21, 2011.
London Fields is a 2018 mystery thriller film directed by Mathew Cullen with a screenplay by Roberta Hanley and Martin Amis, based on the 1989 novel of the same name by Amis. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton as Samson Young, a terminally ill writer who has suffered from writer's block for 20 years. The cast also includes Amber Heard, Jim Sturgess, Theo James, Jason Isaacs, Cara Delevingne, Obi Abili, and Jaimie Alexander.
Happy Christmas is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Joe Swanberg. It stars Swanberg, Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, and Lena Dunham. Like most of Swanberg's previous features, the film's dialogue was entirely improvised.
All the Light in the Sky is an American drama film, directed, photographed and edited by Joe Swanberg. It was written by Swanberg and Jane Adams, who also stars in the film, along with Sophia Takal, Kent Osborne, Lawrence Michael Levine, Larry Fessenden, and Lindsay Burdge. The film had its world premiere at the AFI on November 3, 2012. The film was released on video on demand on December 3, 2013, before being released in a limited release on December 20, 2013, by Factory25.
6 Years is a 2015 American romantic drama film written and directed by Hannah Fidell and starring Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Peter Vack, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. Filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass served as executive producers under their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. The film depicts two weeks in the relationship of college students Melanie Clark and Dan Mercer, as their 6-year romance turns violent.
Queen of Earth is a 2015 American psychological thriller film written, co-produced and directed by Alex Ross Perry. The film stars Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston and Patrick Fugit.
Digging for Fire is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Joe Swanberg and co-written by Swanberg and Jake Johnson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom and Mike Birbiglia. Johnson and DeWitt play a married couple who find a gun and a bone in the backyard of a house they are staying in.
The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's Demolition starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts was the opening night film; Mr. Right by Paco Cabezas was the closing night film.
Born to Be Blue is a 2015 internationally co-produced drama film directed, produced and written by Robert Budreau. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Carmen Ejogo. It was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is about American jazz musician Chet Baker, portrayed by Hawke.
The Reflektor Tapes is a 2015 British documentary film directed by Kahlil Joseph about the making of the album Reflektor by the Canadian band Arcade Fire. It was shown in the TIFF Docs section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
Easy is an American comedy-drama anthology series written, directed, edited and produced by Joe Swanberg. It consists of 25 half-hour episodes. The series is set in Chicago.
Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America is a documentary produced by the Rolling Stones that documents their Latin America tour in 2016. Olé premiered on 16 September 2016 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The initial trailer for the film was uploaded on the band's official YouTube channel 7 September 2016, with a United States trailer released 10 November 2016. The documentary was released on DVD and Blu-Ray 26 May 2017. Both Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America and the related Stones' concert film Havana Moon were directed by Paul Dugdale.
Long Time Running is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. The film profiles the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip during their Man Machine Poem Tour of 2016, which followed the band's announcement of lead singer Gord Downie's cancer diagnosis.
The Great Pretender is a 2018 American black comedy-drama film, directed by Nathan Silver, from a screenplay by Jack Dunphy, from a story by Dunphy and Silver. It stars Esther Garrel, Keith Poulson, Maelle Poesy and Linas Phillips.
Aaron Hillis is an American writer, film critic, director, film festival programmer, and curator.
