TIFF 2022: TIFF Docs, Contemporary World Cinema Lineups

As the Toronto International Film Festival inches closer, TIFF announced their TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema lineup.

In addition to the 2022 selections for TIFF Docs program presented by A&E IndieFilms, Contemporary World Cinema program presented by Sun Life, TIFF announced an additional title in the Discovery program. This lineup features titles from over 50 countries from around the world. Additionally, TIFF announced five doc sessions as part of the 2022 Industry Conference. “We are so proud of the TIFF Docs and Contemporary World Cinema programs,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “The films reflect the moment we live in and speak to who we are today, including highly anticipated films by veteran filmmakers from around the globe.”

TIFF DOCS

*Previously announced

Presented by A&E IndieFilms

“This year’s TIFF Docs lineup has a wonderful mix of joy, creativity, and ingenuity in the face of adversity,” said TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers, now in his 17th year overseeing the section. “In recent years, we witnessed numerous films launched from this section into distribution deals and Oscar nominations. This year has a rich crop for both.”

*752 Is Not A Number Babak Payami | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Laura Poitras | USA, North American Premiere
*Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On Madison Thomas | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Casa Susanna Sébastien Lifshitz | France, USA, North American Premiere
Ciné-Guerrillas: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels Mila Turajlic | Serbia, France, Croatia, Montenegro, World Premiere
*The Colour of Ink Brian D. Johnson | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Documentary Now! Alex Buono, Rhys Thomas, Micah Gardner | USA, World Premiere
*Ever Deadly Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Free Money Sam Soko, Lauren DeFilippo | Kenya, USA, World Premiere
Mariupolis 2 Mantas Kvedaravičius | Lithuania, France, Germany, North American Premiere
The Grab Gabriela Cowperthwaite | USA, World Premiere
In Her Hands Tamana Ayazi, Marcel Mettelsiefen | USA, Afghanistan, World Premiere
*Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues Sacha Jenkins | USA, World Premiere (TIFF Docs Opening Film)
Maya and the Wave Stephanie Johnes | USA, World Premiere
Miúcha, The Voice of Bossa Nova Daniel Zarvos, Liliane Mutti | Brazil, France, Canadian Premiere
My Imaginary Country (Mi País Imaginario) Patricio Guzmán | Chile, France, North American Premiere
Patrick and the Whale Mark Fletcher | Austria, World Premiere
Pray for our Sinners Sinéad O’Shea | Ireland, World Premiere
Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot William Kentridge | South Africa, USA, World Premiere
Theatre of Thought Werner Herzog | USA, International Premiere
*To Kill a Tiger Nisha Pahuja | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
While We Watched Vinay Shukla | UK, World Premiere

DOC CONVERSATIONS @ TIFF INDUSTRY CONFERENCE

On September 13, the Industry Conference will focus on conversations covering both the craft and business of documentary filmmaking. Access to the programming will be available to all press and industry pass holders. For public audiences interested in attending, limited day packages will be made available.

VISIONARIES: Inside the Brain of Werner HerzogPresented by SHOWTIME®

In his new film Theatre of Thought, Werner Herzog (celebrating his 80th birthday in September) explores the cutting edge of research on the brain. He’s joined by two figures who appear in the film, brain scientist Rafael Yuste and entrepreneur Jamie Davies, to discuss hopes and fears for the future of brain exploration.

VISIONARIES: What Laura Poitras Learned from Nan GoldinPresented by SHOWTIME®

Oscar-winning director Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) discusses what she learned over three years in the making of her new film All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. The film profiles the artist Nan Goldin, who has campaigned for museums to disassociate from the patronage of the Sackler family, owners of the opioid company Purdue Pharma.

DIALOGUES: Covering Afghanistan for In Her HandsPresented by SHOWTIME®A Share Her Journey initiative generously supported by Betty-Ann Heggie

The new documentary In Her Hands focuses on Afghanistan’s youngest woman mayor, Zarifa Ghafari, during the tumultuous period of the Taliban’s return to power. Filmmakers Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen share clips while reflecting on the challenges of filming under wartime conditions.

PERSPECTIVES Truth, Lies, and a Million Dollar Board GamePresented by SHOWTIME® Filmmaker Vinay Shukla joins to discuss his new film While We Watched, which profiles the journalist Ravish Kumar of NDTV India as he struggles to maintain journalistic independence under death threats. For Shukla’s previous documentary An Insignificant Man, his team created a board game that gained massive support on Kickstarter. He’ll discuss plans to follow that model by pairing a board game with his new film.

PERSPECTIVES DocuMentality: The Growth of a MovementPresented by SHOWTIME® DocuMentality is an expanding initiative that seeks to normalize conversations about mental health in the documentary industry and provide best-practice guidance for filmmakers. The project started with efforts in the UK and US. Now, the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) is spearheading a new wave of focus groups with support from the Canada Media Fund. On this panel, audiences will hear from DocuMentality team member Malikkah Rollins and DOC’s Sarah Spring about the past, present, and future of the movement. We’ll also hear from filmmaker Rebeca Huntt describing what she learned about maintaining mental balance in the making of her intensely personal film Beba that premiered at TIFF last year. Moderator: Inney Prakash (Maysles Documentary Center).

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

Presented by Sun Life

“TIFF’s Contemporary World Cinema Program brings a carefully curated selection of unique stories by established filmmakers and talent with daring visions from all corners of the world,” said Diana Cadavid, International Programmer. “Through an ambitious program of more than 50 films, audiences will have the opportunity to engage with the exciting directions in which cinema can lead our understanding of a wide range of topics and human experiences.”

Aftersun Charlotte Wells | United Kingdom, USA, North American Premiere
Alam Firas Khoury | France, Palestine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, World Premiere
Amanda Carolina Cavalli | Italy, International Premiere
Ashkal Youssef Chebbi | France, Tunisia, Qatar, North American Premiere
Autobiography Makbul Mubarak | Indonesia, France, Singapore, Poland, Philippines, Germany, Qatar, North American Premiere
Beyond the Wall (Shab, Dkheli, Divar) Vahid Jalilvand | Iran, North American Premiere
*Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman Pierre Földes | France, Luxembourg, Canada, Netherlands 🇨🇦, International Premiere
*Bones of Crows Marie Clements | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
*Coyote (Le Coyote) Katherine Jerkovic | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Domingo and the Mist (Domingo y la Niebla) Ariel Escalante Meza | Costa Rica, Qatar, North American Premiere
El agua Elena López Riera | Switzerland, Spain, France, North American Premiere
*The End of Sex Sean Garrity | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
EO Jerzy Skolimowski | Poland, Italy, North American Premiere
*Falcon Lake Charlotte Le Bon | Canada 🇨🇦, North American Premiere
*Fixation Mercedes Bryce Morgan | Canada, USA, Germany 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Godland (Vanskabte Land/Volaða Land) Hlynur Pálmason | Denmark, Iceland, France, Sweden, Canadian Premiere
The Happiest Man in the World Teona Strugar Mitevska | North Macedonia, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North American Premiere
The Hotel Wang Xiaoshuai | Hong Kong, World Premiere
La Jauría Andrés Ramírez Pulido | Colombia, France, North American Premiere
Life (Жизнь) Emir Baigazin | Kazakhstan, World Premiere
Living Oliver Hermanus | United Kingdom, Canadian Premiere
Love and Mathematics (Amor y matemáticas) Claudia Sainte-Luce | Mexico, World Premiere
Love Life Koji Fukada | Japan, France, North American Premiere
Luxembourg, Luxembourg Antonio Lukich | Ukraine, North American Premiere
*The Maiden Graham Foy | Canada 🇨🇦, North American Premiere
Manticore (Mantícora) Carlos Vermut | Spain, North American Premiere
Muru Tearepa Kahi | New Zealand, International Premiere
My Sailor, My Love Klaus Hӓrӧ | Finland, Ireland, World Premiere
Nightalk Donald Shebib | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
*North of Normal Carly Stone | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
The Origin of Evil Sébastien Marnier | France, Canada, North American Premiere
Plan 75 Chie Hayakawa | Japan, France, Philippines, Qatar, North American Premiere
Return to Dust Li Ruijun | China, North American Premiere
R.M.N. Cristian Mungiu | Romania, France, North American Premiere
*So Much Tenderness Lina Rodriguez | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Sparta Ulrich Seidl | Austria, France, Germany, World Premiere
*Stellar Darlene Naponse | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
Stonewalling Huang Ji, Ryuji Otsuka | Japan, North American Premiere
*The Swearing Jar Lindsay MacKay | Canada 🇨🇦, World Premiere
The Umbrella Men John Barker | South Africa, International Premiere
Under the Fig Trees Erige Sehiri | Tunisia, Switzerland, France, Qatar, North American Premiere
Valeria Is Getting Married Michal Vinik | Israel, North American Premiere
Victim (OBEŤ) Michal Blaško | Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Germany, North American Premiere
Vicenta B. Carlos Lechuga | Cuba, France, USA, Colombia, Norway, World Premiere
War Sailor (Krigsseileren) Gunnar Vikene | Norway, Germany, Malta, International Premiere
We Are Still Here Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne | Australia, New Zealand, International Premiere
Wildflower Matt Smukler | USA, World Premiere
Winter Boy (Le Lycéen) Christophe Honoré | France, World Premiere
The Worst Ones Romane Gueret, Lise Akoka | France, North American Premiere
Zwigato Nandita Das | India, World Premiere