TIFF 2021 adds ‘The Power of the Dog,’ world premiere of ‘The Humans’ to lineup
The 46th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 9–18, 2021
The Toronto International Film Festival announced today films from around the globe that are included in the Contemporary World Cinema programme presented by Sun Life and the Discovery programme presented by Dyson as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s 46th edition, plus recently confirmed additional Gala and Special Presentations titles. Also announced was the return of TIFF Rewind presented by Bell, which highlights memorable films from TIFF editions of the past along with conversations and Q&As with directors and cast members.
“TIFF Programmers continue discovering compelling and diverse stories from around the globe,” said Diana Sanchez, Senior Director, Film, TIFF. “With these two programmes, Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery, audiences can look forward to this stellar lineup to immerse themselves in. TIFF is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black and Indigenous filmmakers and filmmakers of colour, emerging Canadian talent, and powerful storytellers who identify as women, and we are eager for Festival-goers to experience this lineup that showcases these unique perspectives.”
Among some of the titles added today were the world premiere of Stephen Karam’s adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play The Humans, starring Richard Jenkins, Steven Yeun, Beanie Feldstein and Jayne Houdyshell. Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog will also play, making it one of the few films this season to hit Venice, Telluride, TIFF and New York festivals. The Cannes-winning The Worst Person in the World has been moved from a Special Presentation to a Gala Presentation and Nathalie Biancheri’s sophomore feature Wolf, starring George MacKay as a wolf who encounters Lily-Rose Depp’s wildcat in a radical behavioural reform institute is set as a Special Presentation.
The Government of Canada intends to open its borders for non-essential travel from American citizens and permanent residents on August 9, 2021 and citizens of any country on September 7, 2021 provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favourable, and that visitors have been fully vaccinated with Government of Canada-approved vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Janssen – Johnson & Johnson – AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD) at least 14 days prior to entering Canada. In addition to this, travellers must also: meet the pre-entry test requirements; provide a digital copy of vaccination documentation; provide COVID-19-related information electronically through the ArriveCAN app prior to arrival in Canada; provide a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine in case border agents determine they do not meet the necessary requirements; be asymptomatic upon arrival; and participate in random COVID-19 testing. Those meeting these requirements can travel to Canada without having to quarantine, including the elimination of the three-night hotel quarantine policy. This allows TIFF to welcome a portion of its traditional volume of international press, industry, and talent back to the Festival as permitted by the Canadian government.
“The news on relaxed border restrictions was crucial in TIFF’s plan to safely welcome international press and industry back to that unique TIFF experience they know and love,” said Joana Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head, TIFF. “While remaining diligent, TIFF continues working within the parameters and guidelines of the government and health officials for the health and safety of all our stakeholders. We’re ecstatic to bring a portion of the in-person experience back to the press and industry who’ve supported TIFF films throughout the years.”
The full schedule will be released on August 24. Here are the selections for Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery programs and additions to existing presentations.
CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
Presented by Sunlife
Are You Lonesome Tonight? Wen Shipei | China
North American Premiere
The Box (La Caja) Lorenzo Vigas | USA/Mexico
North American Premiere
Costa Brava, Lebanon (Costa Brava) Mounia Akl | Lebanon/Norway/Sweden/France/Spain/Denmark/Qatar
North American Premiere
The Daughter (La Hija) Manuel Martín Cuenca | Spain
World Premiere
The Hill Where the Lionesses Roar (Luaneshat e kodrës) Luàna Bajrami | Kosovo/France
North American Premiere
Întregalde Radu Muntean | Romania
North American Premiere
Kicking Blood Blaine Thurier | Canada
World Premiere
La Soga 2 Manny Perez | USA
World Premiere
Maria Chapdelaine Sébastien Pilote | Canada
World Premiere
Medusa Anita Rocha da Silveira | Brazil
North American Premiere
Murina Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović | Croatia/Brazil/USA/Slovenia
North American Premiere
Nobody Has to Know Bouli Lanners | France/Belgium/United Kingdom
World Premiere
The Odd-Job Men (Sis dies corrents) Neus Ballús | Spain
North American Premiere
The Other Tom (El otro Tom) Rodrigo Plá, Laura Santullo | Mexico/USA
North American Premiere
OUT OF SYNC (Tres) Juanjo Giménez | Spain
North American Premiere
Terrorizers Ho Wi Ding | Taiwan
World Premiere
Unclenching The Fists Kira Kovalenko | Russia
North American Premiere
Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas) Edwin | Indonesia/Singapore/Germany
North American Premiere
The Wheel Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere
Whether the Weather is Fine (Kun Maupay Man It Panahon) Carlo Francisco Manatad | Philippines/France/Singapore/Indonesia/Germany/Qatar
North American Premiere
DISCOVERY
Presented by Dyson
Aloners Hong Sung-eun | South Korea
International Premiere
Anatolian Leopard (Anadolu Leoparı) Emre Kayış | Germany/Denmark/Turkey/Poland
World Premiere
As In Heaven (Du som er i himlen) Tea Lindeburg | Denmark
World Premiere
A Banquet Ruth Paxton | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Dug Dug Ritwik Pareek | India
World Premiere
Farha Darin J. Sallam | Jordan/Sweden/Saudi Arabia
World Premiere
The Game Ana Lazarevic | Serbia/USA
World Premiere
Learn To Swim Thyrone Tommy | Canada
World Premiere
Lo Invisible Javier Andrade | France/Ecuador
World Premiere
Paka (River of Blood) Nithin Lukose | India
World Premiere
Quickening Haya Waseem | Canada
World Premiere
Scarborough Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson | Canada
World Premiere
Snakehead Evan Jackson Leong | USA
International Premiere
To Kill The Beast Agustina San Martín | Argentina/Brazil/Chile
World Premiere
Tug of War (Vuta N’Kuvute) Amil Shivji | Tanzania/South/Africa/Germany/Qatar
World Premiere
Wildhood Bretten Hannam | Canada
World Premiere
GALA PRESENTATIONS
The Good House Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky | USA
World Premiere
Silent Night Camille Griffin | United Kingdom
World Premiere
The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark
North American Premiere
(*Previously announced as a Special Presentation)
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Presented by Visa
The Falls (Pu Bu) Chung Mong-Hong | Taiwan
North American Premiere
The Humans Stephen Karam | USA
World Premiere
Inu-Oh Masaaki Yuasa | Japan/China
North American Premiere
Lingui, The Sacred Bonds (Lingui) Mahamat-Saleh Haroun | Chad/France/Germany/Belgium
North American Premiere
Mothering Sunday Eva Husson | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
The Power of the Dog Jane Campion | Australia/New Zealand
Canadian Premiere
Sundown Michel Franco | Mexico
North American Premiere
Wolf Nathalie Biancheri | United Kingdom/Ireland/Poland
World Premiere
TIFF Rewind presented by Bell
TIFF invites Festival-goers to take a walk down memory lane as part of TIFF Rewind presented by Bell, a free series of digital talks with filmmakers and cast who revisit some memorable Festival film premieres. TIFF historians and film lovers are encouraged to reminisce with special guests by tuning in to the conversations on TIFF’s social media channels during the Festival. Canadians with a Crave subscription are invited to stream the films that are part of the series on the Best of TIFF Collection on Crave.
“Audiences may remember when TIFF partnered with Crave to introduce the organization’s first digital cinema experience, Stay-at-Home Cinema, back in March of 2020,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director and Co-Head, TIFF. “Furthering the success of that watch-along format, and building a bridge between our physical venues and at-home experiences, TIFF Rewind brings nostalgia to film lovers and focuses on Festival moments I recall vividly.”
Confirmed films and guests include:
Antoine Fuqua on Training Day
Director Antoine Fuqua revisits his acclaimed police thriller about a rookie cop who spends 24 hours in Los Angeles gang territory with a corrupt senior narcotics officer, which marks the 20th anniversary of its North American premiere at the Festival in 2001. The film earned Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Actor after two previous nominations (and an earlier Oscar win for Best Supporting Actor).
Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara on Best in Show
Director and co-writer Christopher Guest and stars Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy revisit the making of their cult classic about the competitive world of dog shows, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2000.
Patricia Cardoso and America Ferrera on HBO’s Real Women Have Curves
Director Patricia Cardoso and star America Ferrera discuss their breakout hit about a young Mexican American woman coming of age in Los Angeles, which was helmed by a Latina creative team and had its international premiere at the Festival in 2002.
Viggo Mortensen on Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen revisits his second collaboration with David Cronenberg, a crime thriller set in the nebulous, cut-throat underworld of Russian organized crime in London, which made its world premiere at the Festival in 2007 and won the People’s Choice Award.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2024 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations - December 21, 2024
- 2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘Anora’ Named Best Film Among its Six Awards - December 21, 2024
- 2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Nominations - December 21, 2024
2024 North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Nominations 
2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘Anora’ Named Best Film Among its Six Awards 
2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Nominations 
2024 Black Reel Awards Nominations: ‘Nickel Boys,’ ‘The Piano Lesson’ Lead