The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its full documentary slate for the landmark 50th edition, scheduled from September 4-14.
TIFF Unveils Captivating Documentary Lineup for 50th Edition
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its full documentary slate for the landmark 50th edition, scheduled from September 4-14.
Notable Films and Filmmakers
The TIFF 50 Docs program showcases new works from renowned filmmakers, including Academy Award winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo), Ben Proudfoot (The Last Repair Shop), Laura Poitras (Citizenfour), and nominee Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro).
Opening Film and World Premieres
The program kicks off with Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana, which profiles influential Ghanaian filmmaker Chris Hesse and is executive-produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Other world premieres include:
- The Balloonists, directed by John Dower, following adventurers attempting to circumnavigate the globe in a balloon.
- A Life Illuminated, directed by Tasha Van Zandt, chronicling marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder’s journey to the ocean depths.
- Whistle, directed by Christopher Nelius, showcasing a competition of champion whistlers.
- Nuns vs. the Vatican, directed by Lorena Luciano and executive produced by Mariska Hargitay, revealing new allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church.
- Canceled: The Paula Deen Story, directed by Billy Corben, revisiting the scandal surrounding the celebrity chef.
- Modern Whore, directed by Nicole Bazuin, exploring the sex industry based on the book by Andrea Werhun.
Additional Premieres and Highlights
Other notable premieres include Vasarhelyi and Chin’s LOVE+WAR, profiling Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario, alongside works by Michèle Stephenson, Sky Hopinka, and Zahraa Ghandour.
See More ...
Complete TIFF Docs Program
Here’s the full TIFF Docs program, listed alphabetically:
A Life Illuminated | Tasha Van Zandt | USA | World Premiere
A Simple Soldier | Juan Camilo Cruz, Artem Ryzhykov | Ukraine | North American Premiere
Aki | Darlene Naponse | Canada | World Premiere
Below the Clouds | Gianfranco Rosi | Italy | International Premiere
Canceled: The Paula Deen Story | Billy Corben | USA | World Premiere
Cover-Up | Laura Poitras, Mark Obenhaus | USA | Canadian Premiere
Flana | Zahraa Ghandour | Iraq/France/Qatar | World Premiere
LOVE+WAR | Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA | World Premiere
Modern Whore | Nicole Bazuin | Canada | World Premiere
Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising | Shane Belcourt | Canada | World Premiere
Nuestra Tierra | Lucrecia Martel | Argentina/USA/Mexico/France/Denmark/Netherlands | North American Premiere
Nuns vs. The Vatican | Lorena Luciano | USA | World Premiere
Orwell: 2+2=5 | Raoul Peck | USA/France | North American Premiere
Powwow People | Sky Hopinka | USA | World Premiere
Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk | Sepideh Farsi | France/Palestine/Iran | North American Premiere
Still Single | Jamal Burger, Jukan Tateisi | Canada | World Premiere
The Balloonists | John Dower | USA/UK/Austria | World Premiere
The Eyes of Ghana | Ben Proudfoot | USA | Opening Film | World Premiere
The Tale of Silyan | Tamara Kotevska | North Macedonia | North American Premiere
There Are No Words | Min Sook Lee | Canada | World Premiere
True North | Michèle Stephenson | USA/Canada | World Premiere
While the Green Grass Grows: A Diary in Seven Parts | Peter Mettler | Canada/Switzerland | World Premiere
Whistle | Christopher Nelius | Australia | World Premiere
