Exciting few days at the TIFF

Following the repercussions of the pandemic, the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place from September 7 to 17, 2023, despite the ongoing strike among Hollywood film industry workers. Over the course of these eleven days, I watched a total of 26 films and participated in a discussion session titled 'Visionaries.' During this event, my main area of interest was the Asian region, although I also viewed two films from different continents.

Looking at the list of films I've seen and the rest of the films at the festival, it's clear that TIFF is trying to present a caravan of the most talked about and acclaimed films from other prestigious festivals around the world. From that point of view, this festival has a different importance. For example, one of their core categories is Contemporary World Cinema, although this time the category has been renamed Centerpiece. This section is their main attraction. So I have seen 9 films out of 47 films from 45 countries from this Centerpiece section. Among them, I will keep Nuri Bilge Ceylan's 'About Dry Grasses' at the top. The director presents a tripartite conflict about the nature of justice-injustice, necessity-unnecessity of ideology, and taboo about the teacher-student relationship in this film. And those who have seen Ceylan's other works know that how this director creates the mood in the films. If I have to mention the names of two more films in 'Centerpiece', I will say, 'The Reeds' directed by Cemil Ağacıkoğlu and 'The Breaking Ice' by Anthony Chen. Those who like the pure art film genre will love these two films.

Another important section of TIFF is Discovery. TIFF, the film of young filmmakers who believe that they can write their name in the history of world cinema, is placed in this category. I saw five movies from the Discovery section. Among them, I like the Iranian film "Achilles" the most. It is Farhad Delaram's debut film. A highly political and allegorical art piece. Another worthy film is Saudi Arabian filmmaker Ali Kalthami's first film ' Mandoob'. As a country in the Middle East or West Asia, Saudi Arabian films have not been seen much before. Although I have seen many movies of Iran on TV, and at film festivals. Thanks to the Iranian Cultural Center in Bangladesh, we had the opportunity to see their movies for many years. However, the distribution of Saudi Arabian films is actually less in the whole world.

In addition to Centerpiece and Discovery, I also saw films from TIFF's Gala, Platform, Special Presentations, Docs and Luminaries, Prime Time, Wave Length, and Premium categories. South Korean films were perfect examples of middle cinema. But the three best films. I have seen from the categories above, are: 'Evil Does Not Exist', 'The World is Family, and 'NYAD'.
Among those three, I had a conversation with Anand Patwardhan, the director of the documentary 'The World is Family', for the first time. I had a preconceived idea about his work, so it was convenient to talk with him. Moreover, Anand's special interest in Bangladesh also helped me to get closer to him. I had the opportunity to speak with him several times during the festival. I would say, he is one of the most notable political documentary filmmakers, not only in the subcontinent, but in the entire world.

Film Critic Bidhan Rebeiro

Apart from Anand's documentary, the other films I have seen from India have not left a mark on my mind. Although the film 'Dear Jassie' got the Platform Prize. The film's hero Yugam Sood arrived at the award ceremony, along with director Tarsem Singh Dhandwar. Sood was standing next to me, but in response to receiving the award, I saw that poor Sood was not called to the podium by Director Singh. However, I congratulated Sud during the light breakfast later. Based on a true story, the issue of 'honor killing' has come up in this film. Although the director took the award and requested that no one call the film an honor killing film. By doing this, brutality is covered. But I think there is not much harm in saying 'honor killing' to describe the type of murder from a conceptual point of view.

Apart from this film, TIFF's top prize People's Choice Award went to Cord Jefferson's film 'American Fiction'. Since I limited my list to Asian films, this US production was not seen. Based on the frustration of a black novelist, the film was loved by the audience. On the other hand, Robert McCallum's documentary 'Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe' won the People's Choice Award for Best Documentary category. Both of these awards are TIFF's main awards. Films in the competition are voted on by the audience. TIFF gives the utmost importance to its audience. So the promotional that was played before the start of every screening, there was a thank you message to the audience.

TIFF has another important category: TIFF Classics. This year TIFF Classic featured my very favorite director Ousmane Sembène's 'Xala'. Another Senegalese director Djibril Diop Mambéty's ‘Touki Bouki' was also shown at this festival. Apart from this, Jacques Rivette's “L'Amour fou”, Brigitte Berman's “Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got” and Chen Kaige's “Farewell My Concubine” are also kept in this category.

Do people come to the festival only to see the films? I have seen people come to meet people and build communication. There is no doubt that the market plays a major role in the festival. As many big distributors come to see new films shown on TIFF if they like the film they contact the producers. They discuss the release in the theaters of different countries. TIFF, however, has a separate branch for this trade in films, namely Market Screening. Trade aside, the camaraderie between film lovers at the festival is unmatched. Especially before and after the movie starts. Film lovers exchange ideas through discussion and feedback about films. There are restaurants around the different theaters of TIFF. Cinephiles spend time there and talk about movies. But TIFF's lounge for journalists has to be commended. Such an intensive work environment is rare indeed. All facilities were stocked. TIFF’s Press Lounge is a great place for aspiring journalists and writers. But sadly I have noticed that many people take media accreditation cards but do not do the work for which the festival has approved them. Some come to feel the ambiance, some to spend the idle time. Of course, some people just like to go to festivals. They have no interest in movies, no desire or ability to write. Sympathy for them.

TIFF's main building, Lightbox, has a shop on the ground floor, and I was quite drawn to the small selection of books. There are books on movies on a wide range of subjects, there is also a large collection of books based on interviews with the filmmakers. Besides, a few books on philosophy did not escape my notice. But rather than books, I have noticed more people's interest in collecting festival memorabilia. This trend, however, is global.

Without mentioning two more aspects of the TIFF, the article will remain incomplete. It was the musical concert centered on TIFF every evening for the first four days. Another was the street festival, where various small shops were arranged with various attractions and food.

Without another group of people, the festival can seem empty. They are hawkers. But they are not exactly like the hawkers of Bangladesh. Magazines like Variety, Screen, Hollywood Report, and Backstage bring out special issues focusing on the festival, and these hawkers distribute those issues to the people who come to the festival. Festivals don't feel like festivals without their calls. I collect these magazines not only for reading but also as souvenirs.

TIFF holds the distinction of being the fourth most significant film festival globally. Despite featuring the customary red carpet, celebrity presence, and the anticipation of award outcomes, TIFF stands out due to its sincerity. The festival's remarkable hospitality towards journalists, film writers, and critics from across the globe fosters genuine opportunities for cinematic communication. While it is a North American event, the substantial participation of individuals from Europe and Asia can be attributed, in part, to many journalists from these regions residing permanently in North America. Moreover, a considerable number of attendees, like myself, traverse long distances specifically to partake in TIFF. The festival's inclusive nature, welcoming people of diverse backgrounds, has transformed it into a truly vibrant and colorful celebration. I am confident that TIFF will persist on this path of inclusivity and diversity.

Author: Film Critic, Fipresci jury of 75th Cannes Film Festival