What To Watch At TIFF: My Top 12

The onslaught of texts, emails and phone calls have begun. All with one, pressing question: what films should I watch at TIFF this year? Having attended the film festival for more than a decade, I’ve become somewhat of a resource for friends, family and movie-goers. With over 390 films from 70+ countries to choose from, deciding what films to watch can be a bit overwhelming. So, every year, I develop a list of favourites after I carefully read through all the film descriptions (yes, all). Alas, there’s no simple answer to the popular question – a plethora of caveats accompany all of my recos. That being said, here are the films that made it onto my list this year (in no particular order)…

The Grump

Wild

Winter Sleep

Foxcatcher

The Riot Club

The Imitation Game

Nightcrawler

And I couldn’t find trailers for these films, but they’re on my list too: The Tribe, Ruth & Alex, Rosewater, Mommy and The Voices.

My best advice: attend as many films as you can possibly squeeze in your schedule, watch a few movies from the Contemporary World Cinema programme (you may never get a chance to see some of these again) and be prepared for both disappointment and life-altering cinema (there are always highly-anticipated misses and underrated gems). Experience the festival with an open mind and let the talented casts take you on a new journey.

Hope to run into some of you at the screenings, wandering the streets of Toronto or at the parties!