This year’s TIFF flicks that can’t be missed

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is an internationally acclaimed film festival dedicated to showcasing champion films of various genres from all over the world. With the festival wrapping up the week of the 18th TIFF has a reputation for premiering some of the world’s best films. There will certainly be hundreds of highly anticipated and phenomenal films, prominent directors and celebrated celebrities in attendance at TIFF this year so here are a few of my must see picks for the festival.

Loving

Without a doubt, I am most eager to screen Loving. Director Jeff Nichols, shares the truthful and inspiring retelling of Richard and Mildred Loving and their courageous love story.

The couple was arrested in 1958 for committing the crime of marriage; their interracial matrimony went against laws in the state of Virginia and they were consequently incarcerated.

The film beautifully tells the story of their bravery as they battle the Supreme Court for their right to love without bounds by colour and succeeds by foregrounding the humanity of the protagonists instead of their legal strife. This powerful story of resistance to injustice and devotion to one another is both epic and simple. The intimate drama featuring performances by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga must not be missed and is an exemplification of the power of love and a reminder of how far the world has come and how much further there is left to go.

La La Land

Those who share my passion for musicals (and Ryan Gosling) are sure to revel in the anticipation for the release of La La Land. Featuring the adorable duo of triple threats Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, this romance musical follows the love story of two ambitious artists as they struggle to pursue their dreams of breaking into Hollywood. Gosling portrays a jazz pianist who dreams to open his own club and Stone is a part-time barista and full-time aspiring actress. The film is set in modern day Los Angeles, infused with a Hollywood flare that is at the heart of the film. With director Damien Chazelle hot off the successful release of his last film Whiplash, this film is sure to be a knock out at TIFF this year.

Anatomy of Violence

Director Deepa Mehta has a reputation for creating provocative films that are truly captivating. Anatomy of Violence is centered around one of India’s most heinous crimes. In 2012, a student in New Delhi was viciously attacked on a city bus, gang raped, beaten and died weeks later.

Mehta’s film takes a very unique perspective in addressing this event; the film explores the psychological and sociological backgrounds of the perpetrators of this crime and aims to understand how their social and cultural circumstances contributed to their violent attack on an innocent young woman.

The film investigates the men’s perspective not to portray them as innocent, but to demonstrate how systems of patriarchy, violence, poverty and environmental circumstances have created the conditions for this violence.  Mehta’s unique focus is an attempt to empathize with the men by exploring their backgrounds— seeing how they were created by circumstances and culture.

Sing

Of course, my TIFF wish list wouldn’t be complete without a little animation! From the creators of Despicable Me, Sing is the story of Buster, a koala bear theatre proprietor who desperately needs new talent to save his stage. He devises a plan to involve the audience and host the world’s greatest singing competition. The contestants feature a diverse group of quirky, lovable animals. The star-studded cast features Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Reese Witherspoon, Seth Macfarlane and many more. This whimsical, light hearted and adorable musical comedy is sure to win over the heart and ears for people of all ages.

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