Back to True North: Thoughts as I Return Once Again to the Toronto International Film Festival

Greetings once again from Toronto! Depending on when you read this, I’m either en route or have settled into my Airbnb here in Canada, in preparation for the Toronto International Film Festival. The 2023 edition of TIFF kicks off tomorrow, and it’s going to be something, even with the SAG and WGA strikes still going on. Film screenings, fancy parties, movie premieres (just minus the stars), and simply being in another country. There’s nothing else quite like it. This is my third year attending, with many years in my future still to come. Coming hot on the heels of the Telluride Film Festival once again, and while the Venice Film Festival is still going on, there’s a bit of festival whiplash occurring. I wasn’t at the fest in Venice, obviously, but I was in Telluride, as you all know. Now, I’m in Toronto and about to see several more of the year’s most hotly anticipated titles.

Two years ago, my TIFF experience was very different than most. One, it was still a COVID festival, so most opted to take it in virtually. So, it was a fairly low key fest. Two, I was there with my now ex-girlfriend, so it was a bit more relaxing and closer to a vacation in some ways. That’s all in the past, and there were tons of great films I saw, including Belfast, The Power of the Dog, and Spencer, but it will always feel like a unique memory to me. Anyway, onward and upward.

Last year, I was on my own, obviously, but saw some great movies. My summary here has the goods, but the highlights included The Fabelmans, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and The Whale. There were plenty of others, but those flicks were my cream of the crop for the 2022 incarnation of the fest.

For this year, there won’t be actors, but there will be films. I’ve seen some of the bigger titles playing, like Fingernails, The Holdovers, Nyad, Rustin, and The Zone of Interest, but that still leaves a ton. Just a small sampling includes Anatomy of a Fall, The Boy and the Heron, Dumb Money, Flora and Son, Hit Man, Knox Goes Away, Lee, Next Goal Wins, Origin, Pain Hustlers, Reptile, and more. It’s going to be a busy six days for me, that’s for sure…

So, strap in for some festival coverage. I’m thrilled to be there, so hopefully you’re excited for my reviews out of TIFF. There won’t be a shortage of them, either, that’s for sure. Sit tight for everything from my time up in Toronto!

Stay tuned for all of my coverage from the Toronto International Film Festival!