TIFF reveals their top 10 Canadian films of 2020
Kelly Fyffe-Marshall/Sony Pictures/Array Releasing
Take a look at the top 10 Canadian films lists below.
Canada’s Top Ten Features
Beans directed by Tracey Deer | Quebec/Ontario
Tracey Deer's debut feature tells the story of the 1990 Oka Crisis—the stand-off between two Mohawk communities and federal, provincial and military authorities over the annexation of Indigenous land. The story is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old Mohawk girl named Beans.
Fauna directed by Nicolás Pereda | Ontario (Canada/Mexico co-production)
Nicolás Pereda’s ninth feature film is a comedic take on how violence in Mexico has infiltrated popular imagination. It follows estranged siblings Luisa (Luisa Pardo) and Gabino (Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez) visiting their parents in a deserted mining town in northern Mexico.
Funny Boy directed by Deepa Mehta | Ontario
Funny Boy is Deepa Mehta's adaptation of Shyam Selvadurai's award-winning novel. The film is the coming-of-age story of a young Tamil boy named Arje Chelvarantnam who is coming to terms with his sexuality in the late 1970s in Sri Lanka against the backdrop of tensions before the Sri Lankan Civil War. Funny Boy is Canada's submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film.
Inconvenient Indian directed by Michelle Latimer | Ontario
Michelle Latimer's documentary is based on Thomas King's award-winning book of the same name. The doc, narrated by King, examines the ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples in North America and discusses the dismissal of Indigenous history, culture and traditions and the current generation's fight to regain their history through cultural and traditional practices.
Judy Versus Capitalism directed by Mike Hoolboom | Ontario
Mike Hoolboom tells the story of his longtime friend, social activist and author Judy Rebick. The film recounts her impact on Canada's politics, including her work to help build the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. It also focuses on her writing and broadcasting and her advocacy on a wide range of issues and her role as a spokesperson for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics.
The Kid Detective directed by Evan Morgan | Ontario
The directorial debut from Evan Morgan tells the story of a 32-year-old man named Abe Applebaum (played by Adam Brody) clinging stubbornly to his glory days as a kid detective who solved all the town's misdemeanors. When a naïve client brings him his first real "adult" case to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend, Abe senses redemption.
Nadia, Butterfly directed by Pascal Plante | Quebec
Champion swimmer Nadia (Katerine Savard) faces the challenges of her imminent retirement after deciding to make the Tokyo Olympics her last. She is resented by her coach for quitting and by her teammates which leads her to wander around Tokyo after being ostracized.
The Nest directed by Sean Durkin | Ontario (Canada/UK co-production)
The Nest is a family drama-psychological film about an entrepreneur and his American family moving to an English country manor where their lives take a twisted turn. Rory (Jude Law) is a stockbroker who relocates his family from New York to the Surrey countryside and his American wife Allison (Carrie Coon) has her doubts about their latest scheme to profit from London's investment banking boom. The Nest includes a creepy rented mansion, and the couple's two children are convinced it's haunted.
No Ordinary Man directed by Aisling Chin-Yee, Chase Joynt | Quebec
No Ordinary Man is about the life of American Jazz musician, Billy Tipton, whose trans identity remained unknown until after his death in 1989. Tipton was falsely portrayed as an ambitious woman "passing" as a man in pursuit of a music career. The film is reimagined and performed by contemporary trans artists as they collectively paint a portrait of the foundational icon of transmasculinity.
Possessor directed by Brandon Cronenberg | Ontario
Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to take control of people and inhabit their bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.
Canada’s Top Ten Shorts
Aniksha directed by Vincent Toi | Quebec
Vincent Toi's short shares the story of a young woman who begins a job at a call centre in the wake of her arranged marriage. Her steps toward independence have repercussions that no one could have expected.
The Archivists directed by Igor Drljaca | Ontario/British Columbia
Igor Drljaca's short tells the story of three musicians who attempt to reimagine one of the songs from a degraded vinyl album they found in an abandoned home.
Benjamin, Benny, Ben directed by Paul Shkordoff | Ontario
This short centres on an anxious man travelling to a job interview who begins to unravel when he faces an unexpected occurrence.
Black Bodies directed by Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Ontario
Kelly Fyffe-Marshall's powerful, poetic short is a timely account of what it means to be Black in 2020.
êmîcêtôcêt: Many Bloodlines directed by Theola Ross | Manitoba
This short comes from two-spirit Cree filmmaker Theola Ross who shares her emotional journey to start a family with her white partner and the importance of keeping Indigenous bloodlines and cultural traditions in their family.
Foam (Écume) directed by Omar Elhamy | Quebec
Omar Elhamy's short tells the story of a car repair shop that becomes a second home to the employees. But the shop is soon to be closed to make room for a more lucrative building project.
How to Be at Home directed by Andrea Dorfman | Nova Scotia
This animated short was created by Andrea Dorfman in her home studio while in isolation through the spring and summer of 2020. It's driven by Tanya Davis's poem about the challenges of living in lockdown.
Scars directed by Alex Anna | Quebec
Alex Anna's short blends documentary and animation in telling the story of her mental health struggles, bringing light to a new story of self-harm.
Sing Me a Lullaby directed by Tiffany Hsiung | Ontario
Tiffany Hsiung's short takes us on a journey to Taipei to uncover the missing pieces of her mother's past. The doc is a personal story about healing and connection.
Stump the Guesser directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Manitoba
This collaborative short follows a man who works at the fairground as "Stump the Guesser," who can guess anything for a fee. But when his tricks stop working, he unwittingly falls in love with his long-lost sister who he thought was gone forever.
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[video_embed id='2095640']BEFORE YOU GO: Mario Lopez plays Colonel Sanders in upcoming KFC 'movie'[/video_embed]
