Category: Film
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Summer Qamp brings a whole lot of queer joy to the screen at #TIFF2023
Directed by Toronto-born filmmaker Jen Markowitz, this documentary aims to preserve a historical record of the camp experience for queer kids By Mariana Schuetze “Have you ever been in a space that is all queer people?,” a voice from behind the camera asks a few young campers. They’re all still sitting in their own rooms,…
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Is Creativity Dying In Hollywood? Canadians Share Their Takes
A look into originality in the film industry and the growing presence of remakes and adaptations By Azalea Young In a world becoming increasingly dominated by AI technology that can produce virtually anything from movie scripts to artwork, originality is growing rarer. In one of the latest TikTok trends, people are asking AI to create…
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Redefining the Vietnamese diaspora in Ru #TIFF2023
The anticipated film adaptation of Canadian author Kim Thuy’s novel portrays a nuanced take on the Vietnam War By John Vo To a large population of the world, the sound and sight of rushing waters have connotations of tranquillity and zen. The continuous ebbs and flow of water in lakes and rivers is a metaphor…
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Giving voice to the voiceless: An interview with the writer and director of Red, White and Blue
A mother-daughter road trip has never been so devastating. By Sarah Grishpul Nazrin Choudhury’s directorial debut, Red, White and Blue, details the life of Rachel (Brittany Snow), a young, single mother living in Arkansas with her two children, as she is forced to travel across the states to receive proper medical care for an abortion. …
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Is Taylor Swift’s new concert film transforming the theatre industry?
The film’s emerging success in unusual theatre etiquette poses the question: What’s next for movie theatres? By Isabella Iula Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour film is bringing people back to theatres through its new entertainment strategies pinpointed at audience participation. The Eras Tour celebrates the infamous singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and her musical journey through the…
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Breaking Barriers: Deaf Stories with a Loud Impact
Four short films created by Deaf filmmakers are paving the way for disabled creatives in Toronto By Atiya Malik The Unify Deaf Film Festival, presented by TIFF Bell Lightbox and Undivided Productions, has carved a remarkable path for Deaf filmmakers and Deaf stories to be embraced and celebrated. This event is the first of its…
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The future of deepfakes isn’t memes – it’s nonconsensual porn: A review of Another Body
Filmmakers Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn want to reclaim the online space for women in their new documentary on the misuse of deepfake technology. By Sarah Grishpul Imagine you received a message from a friend one day with a link to a porn site to which you discover that there are a bunch of pornographic…
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Fitriya: Muslim On and Off The Court redefines what it means to be a Muslim woman in sports
This documentary traces Fitriya Mohamed’s journey as she reshapes the Toronto sports landscape and advocates for representation of Muslim women in the world of basketball. By: Nageen Riaz Fitriya: Muslim On and Off the Court is a short documentary that delves into the incredible journey of Fitriya Mohamed, a Muslim female athlete and the driving…
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Sci-fi Meets the Lovable Loser: A review of Relax, I’m from the Future
Relax, I’m from the Future reflects the best and worst of humanity in the funniest way possible By Caleb Jackson Luke Higginson, CBC TV editor for Dragon’s Den and a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) film studies alumni, breaks into the world of directing with a bang in his debut indie feature Relax, I’m from the…
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Founders Day: A bloody political slasher film review #TADFF
Maybe politics do kill… By: Aliya Karimjee Does voting scare you? Do you fear a future with too much consistency that there will be no further development or one that includes drastic changes? That’s the case with Founders Day, a horror film where political opinions are a driving force to kill. The Bloomquist brothers released…
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Sinister shorts: Reviewing Canadian shorts at Toronto After Dark
A thrilling series of horror and humorous films by Canadian creators premiered at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival By Alisha Shaikh Canadian short films at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (Posters courtesy of TADFF and edit made by Alisha Shaikh) The Toronto After Dark Film Festival premiered nine great Canadian short films. Each…
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Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A deeper look into the terrifying woods
A mysterious unraveling by Teresa Sutherland at Toronto After Dark Film Festival By Alisha Shaikh Lovely, Dark, and Deep, a psychological horror film directed and written by Teresa Sutherland, was screened at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, an annual showcase of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and action cinema. After co-writing, Midnight Mass, a successful Netflix…
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Restore Point: a unique, original new addition to the sci-fi cyberpunk genre
The film challenges its audience with difficult ethical questions to ponder long after the credits have stopped rolling. By Azalea Young Robert Hloz isn’t new to the filmmaking game—he has already directed three projects, and his latest, Restore Point, is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that keeps you intrigued in this world and these characters until…
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Turning a Christmas classic into a slasher: An interview with the writer-producer of It’s A Wonderful Knife
After writing the script for Freaky (2020), Michael Kennedy returns to the horror genre with a new and bloody spin on It’s Wonderful Life. By: Isabella Soares Writer and producer Michael Kennedy’s latest onscreen endeavour, It’s A Wonderful Knife, brings a new twist to the 1940s holiday classic by turning it into a slasher. The…
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Family reunions can be a real killer: A review of Daniel’s Gotta Die
Sibling rivalry just got a whole lot deadlier in the premiere of Jeremy LaLonde’s dark comedy at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival By Sarah Grishpul If you thought your family was horrible — get a load of Daniel’s. Daniel’s Gotta Die is the latest dark comedy film from Canadian director Jeremy LaLonde, which had…
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How to Not Direct a Sequel: A film review of Hey Viktor!
Cree Actor Cody Lightning’s debut feature Hey Viktor! is a biting comedy about the struggles to remain relevant and the toxic effect of a massive ego By Sarah Grishpul WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the film Hey Viktor! Director, co-creator and lead actor Cody Lightning isn’t afraid to poke fun at himself in his…
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Bringing Brazil to Toronto: An interview with the writer-director and star of Toll
Carolina Marcowicz shines at TIFF once again. Now in her sixth run in the festival, the up-and-coming Brazilian director premieres her second feature film, Toll. By: Mariana Schuetze In Carolina Markowicz‘s latest feature film, Toll (‘Pedágio’), audiences take a peak into the life of a toll booth worker in Cubatão, an industrial city near São…
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The soundtrack of a story: Composing for film and television
Canadian film composer Tom Third speaks to CanCulture about the melodically magical nuances of being a composer By: Mariana Schuetze A movie’s soundtrack, whether we’re actively looking out for it or subconsciously consuming it as it wallpapers the media, has the power to take us exactly where we should be. Behind almost every musical sound…
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The end of an era: The growing obsolescence of Hollywood movie awards
As award shows rapidly decrease in both ratings and attendance, do we still need Hollywood to deem what is the best of cinema? By: Sarah Grishpul Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences distributes several prestigious awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, to a selection of elite figures Hollywood deems to…
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Looking for purpose: A review of Jean of the Joneses
Jean Jones navigates life as a first-generation Jamaican in New York as a member of a highly secretive, dysfunctional family whose most profound secret washes up on their doorway, dead By: Alexa Fairclough Jamaican-Canadian director Stella Meghie’s 2016 film Jean of the Joneses, contains a humour akin to Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl, melodrama reminiscent…
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Review: On Winston LaRose and the Mr. Jane and Finch documentary
The story of an 80-year-old Black candidate with community in his heart who ran for Toronto’s City Council By: Hadiqah Khalil Content Warning: Ant-Blackness, Police Brutality, Anti-Black Stereotypes If you search up “Jane and Finch” on Google, the results received are the typical stereotypes against the “Jane and Finch” community—essentially written by someone guided by…
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Behind the scenes with FilmTripper on her blog and social media journey
Becca Rhodes shares how she built her TikTok visiting movie sets and sharing informative blog posts By: Julia Lawrence Is there a movie set you’ve always wanted to visit in real life, but didn’t know where to start? Becca Rhodes had the same question before beginning her journey as FilmTripper. Rhodes researches where movies and…
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DogVideoFest is the cutest film festival in Toronto
The perfect event to watch cute dog videos while supporting a good cause By: Allison Baldwin The 2022 DogVideoFest is a four-day film festival featuring a 75-minute-long reel of some of the year’s funniest, most unique and touching dog clips around the world. Held at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, located near Bloor and…
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Meet Me In The Bathroom is a chaotic, choppy ode to NYC’s indie-rock revival
James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem has the most realized story in the overstuffed archival documentary By: Rochelle Raveendran James Murphy, lead singer and creative mind behind LCD Soundsystem, was one of the several indie-rock acts that defined New York City’s scene at the turn of the millennium (Emanuele Rosso/Flickr) I cannot accept that in my…
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7 independent theatres you should visit in Toronto
Ever wondered what else is out there besides Cineplex? Indie theatres have got you covered By: Sarah Grishpul The act of going to the movies has long been a part of Toronto’s culture, mainly due to the once-vast market of film exhibitions and festivals. Lately, the Canadian theatre industry has been dominated by corporate chains…
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Your 2022 winter break watchlist
A collection of new movies and shows ready for you to binge watch this holiday season — all with a Canadian twist By: Layyan Mohamed-Birhan Winter break has finally arrived and I know many of you, including myself, are craving the chance to unwind in bed and binge-watch countless films to your heart’s desire. But…
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Editors’ picks: CanCulture’s top films of 2022
Another year has gone by. What were CanCulture’s top movie picks of the year? By: Mariana Schuetze The year is finally over. And after a long, pandemic-induced hiatus, the film industries are back in full force. From the usual superhero blockbuster to long-awaited sequels and arduous journeys through the multiverse, 2022 brought an abundance of…