14 films supported by CBC/Radio-Canada to premiere at TIFF 2019
Filmmakers include established and emerging creators Louise Archambault, Jeff Barnaby, Semi Chellas, Sophie Deraspe, François Girard, Kathleen Hepburn, Amy Jo Johnson, Chloé Robichaud, Albert Shin, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Myriam Verreault
Canada's public broadcaster shines a spotlight on its commitment to Canadian cinema as 14 films supported by CBC/Radio-Canada make their debut at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2019). In addition to investing in English- and French-language films that reflect a range of perspectives at the heart of the Canadian experience, CBC/Radio-Canada showcases homegrown cinema to audiences across Canada on the public broadcaster's broadcast and streaming platforms. Additionally, CBC Arts is partnering with the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC) to film and produce TIFF 2019’s “Meet the Makers /Visionaries” panel series for CBC Gem.
"As a champion of Canadian culture, CBC/Radio-Canada is committed to bringing diverse voices and perspectives to audiences in Canada and around the world through our ongoing and significant investment in homegrown film," said Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada. "We congratulate all Canadian filmmakers showcasing their stories at TIFF this year."
The following 14 TIFF 2019 film selections have received support from CBC/Radio-Canada:
AMERICAN WOMAN (Gala Presentation, Canadian Premiere), written by Semi Chellas and Susan Choi, directed by Semi Chellas, distributed by Elevation – funded by CBC Films
A political activist (Hong Chau) helps take care of a group of America’s most wanted fugitives — including a well-known, recently radicalized heiress (Sarah Gadon) — in this fictionalized reimagining of the Patty Hearst affair.
AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN (Contemporary World Cinema, World Premiere) written and directed by Louise Archambault, distributed by Mk2 | Mile End – Radio-Canada pre-license
Acclaimed director Louise Archambault's elegiac and charming new film depicts three aging hermits in the Quebec countryside whose defiant need to live independently is increasingly endangered by nature, old age, and infirmity.
ANTIGONE (Contemporary World Cinema, World Premiere) written and directed by Sophie Deraspe, distributed by Maison 4:3 – Radio-Canada pre-license
Critically acclaimed Québécois filmmaker Sophie Deraspe’s provocative and timely adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy of the same name reimagines the story of a woman’s quest for justice as a commentary on the immigrant experience in contemporary Montreal.
BLOOD QUANTUM (Opening Night, Midnight Madness, World Premiere) written and directed by Jeff Barnaby, distributed by Elevation – CBC Films pre-buy
Jeff Barnaby’s astutely titled second feature is equal parts horror and pointed cultural critique. Zombies are devouring the world, yet an isolated Mi’gmaq community is immune to the plague. Do they offer refuge to the denizens outside their reserve or not?
CLIFTON HILL (Opening Night, Special Presentation, World Premiere), written by Albert Shin and James Schultz, directed by Albert Shin, distributed by Elevation – funded by CBC Films
Tuppence Middleton stars in Albert Shin’s psychological thriller, which follows a troubled young woman returning to her hometown of Niagara Falls, where the memory of a long-ago kidnapping quickly ensnares her.
DELPHINE (Short Cuts, North American Premiere) written by Nathalie Doummar, directed by
Chloé Robichaud – CBC acquisition
In the latest by celebrated filmmaker Chloé Robichaud, two precisely rendered episodes in the adolescence of a Lebanese-Canadian girl highlight complicated matters of gender, identity, and power dynamics.
IT'S NOTHING (Short Cuts, World Premiere) written and directed by Anna Maguire – CBC acquisition
A recent graduate is urged by an impossibly perfect woman to start digging a hole in a nearby park, setting in motion a chain of events that threatens her emotional balance and carefully maintained routines.
KUESSIPAN (Discovery, World Premiere) written and directed by Myriam Verreault, distributed by Filmoption International – Radio-Canada pre-licence
Two childhood friends from the same Quebec Innu community begin to realize that they face very different futures, in Myriam Verreault’s bittersweet adaptation of Naomi Fontaine's acclaimed novel about the ties that bind people, places, and possibilities.
NO CRYING AT THE DINNER TABLE (Short Cuts, World Premiere) directed by Carol Nguyen – CBC acquisition
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her own family to craft an emotionally complex and meticulously composed portrait of intergenerational trauma, grief, and secrets in this cathartic documentary about things left unsaid.
SWEETNESS IN THE BELLY (Discovery, World Premiere) written by Camilla Gibb, directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, distributed by EOne – CBC Films pre-buy
Dakota Fanning stars in this vivid adaptation of Camilla Gibb’s bestseller, set in England and Ethiopia, about an altruistic and devout young woman with a nomadic past seeking to reconnect with the man she loves.
TAMMY'S ALWAYS DYING (Contemporary World Cinema, World Premiere) written by Joanne Sarazen, directed by Amy Jo Johnson – funded by CBC Films
Actor-turned-director Amy Jo Johnson's heart-wrenching second feature, starring Felicity Huffman and Anastasia Phillips, depicts a daughter's attempt to care for her ornery, ailing mother.
THE BODY REMEMBERS WHEN THE WORLD BROKE OPEN (Contemporary World Cinema, North American Premiere) written and directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, distributed by Level Films – funded by CBC Films
One woman’s decision to comfort a stranger she finds crying in the street leads to a revealing and powerful conversation between two Indigenous women from very different circumstances, in this poignant collaboration from Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn.
THE SONG OF NAMES (Gala Presentation, World Premiere) written by Norman Lebrecht, directed by François Girard, distributed by Elevation – CBC Films pre-buy
Tim Roth and Clive Owen star in François Girard’s (Hochelaga, Land of Souls) latest sweeping historical drama, about a man searching for his childhood best friend — a Polish violin prodigy orphaned in the Holocaust — who vanished decades before on the night of his first public performance.
THIS INK RUNS DEEP (Short Cuts, World Premiere) directed by Asia Youngman – funded by the CBC-Creative BC Digital Production Fund and CBC Arts
In this vivid and moving documentary by Asia Youngman, Indigenous artists from across Canada strive to reclaim their cultures and identities through a reawakening of tattoo practices, both traditional and contemporary.
CBC Films funds high-quality features that reflect, represent, and reframe a range of perspectives through character-driven stories that are at the centre of the Canadian experience, spanning 24 features to date led by female, LGBTQ2+, Indigenous and diverse filmmakers. With a new Canadian film added to the CBC Gem streaming library each week, CBC strives to create an unparalleled destination for Canadians to discover homegrown film. CBC Films recently confirmed three new projects selected for funding.
Radio-Canada is a leading partner in the French-Canadian film production industry. In 2017–18 and 2018–19, it pre-licensed no fewer than 47 feature film projects. In addition, Radio-Canada invests in more than 20 film events across the country, including its live broadcast of the Gala Québec Cinéma and special pre-gala programming. Radio-Canada also features one Canadian film a week on three platforms – ICI TÉLÉ, ICI ARTV and ICI TOU.TV EXTRA.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
For more information, please contact:
Tanya Koivusalo, CBC
tel. 416-205-8638
Marc Pichette, Radio-Canada
tel. 514-597-4342
