As we get ready to ring in the new year, we find ourselves in a list-junkies paradise. Every major outlet, YouTuber, and social media pundit is releasing their “Best of” lists. And now, one of Cinema’s most respected institutions has released a couple noteworthy additions.
Today TIFF released its annual Canada’s Top Ten list. TIFF, in fact, releases two top tens, one for features and another for shorts. And the selections, chosen by TIFF programmers in collaboration with film experts, highlight “a richness of voices, perspectives, and insights from some of Canada’s finest established filmmakers, as well as emerging directorial talent from coast to coast to coast.
TIFF’s Artistic Director and Co-Head, Cameron Bailey, had this to say:
TIFF is thrilled to present this uniquely Canadian list that represents the very best in homegrown storytelling. With representation spanning across all regions of Canada, these films expertly examine key themes facing society right now — including the power of social media, the importance of independence, mental health, the impact of colonization, domestic abuse, and loneliness.
Last week, TIFF released its The Best of the Decade: An Alternative View list (which features a whopping 19 picks). Like any great list, TIFF selected some hotly debated titles that make jumping-off points for heated debates.
TIFF’s Top Ten Canadian films of 2019 are:
Features
And the Birds Rained Down (Il pleuvait des oiseaux) – Louise Archambault | Quebec
Anne at 13,000 ft – Radwanski | Ontario
Antigone – Sophie Deraspe | Quebec | Film opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox December 6
Black Conflux – Nicole Dorsey | Newfoundland/Quebec
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open – Máijá Tailfeathers, Kathleen Hepburn | British Columbia
Matthias & Maxime –Xavier Dolan | Quebec
Murmur – Heather Young | Nova Scotia
One Day in the Life of Noah – Zacharias Kunuk | Nunavut
The Twentieth Century – Matthew Rankin | Quebec
White Lie – Calvin Thomas, Yonah Lewis | Ontario
Shorts
Acadiana – Fournier, Samuel Matteau, Yannick Nolin | Quebec
Cityscape – Michael Snow | Ontario
Delphine – Robichaud | Quebec
Docking – Trevor Anderson | Alberta
I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain – Sofia Banzhaf | Ontario
Jarvik – Mannering | Quebec
No Crying At The Dinner Table – Carol Nguyen | Ontario
The Physics of Sorrow (Physique de la tristesse) – Theodore Ushev | Quebec
Please Speak Continuously And Describe Your Experiences As They Come To You – Brandon Cronenberg | Ontario
Throat Singing in Kangirsuk (Katatjatuuk Kangirsumi) – Eva Kaukai, Manon Chamberland | Quebec
The Canada’s Top Ten shorts will be screened at TIFF Bell Lightbox in a programme format, on January 26, 2020.
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