TIFF 2016 – Festival Recap

This was by far the best TIFF I’ve attended since my very first festival 10 years ago. Perhaps I was lucky with my film selections, but I do a lot of research ahead of time so maybe it’s skill, ha ha. If I am taking the week off work I’d hope it’s not a waste of time or money. I missed last year, so this year I had to make up for it.

Originally planned to see 36 films, but I dropped a few along the way and ended up seeing 32. I have written mini reviews of each of the films, but everyone always wants a top 10 list. I have more like a top 22 list, so I may as well rank them all. My absolute favourites are the first 13, my enthusiasm dwindles around #24, and the only ones I really disliked were the last 4.

Nocturnal Animals
Moonlight
Manchester by the Sea
I, Daniel Blake
Toni Erdmann
La La Land
Brimstone
Lion
Bleed For This
The Journey is the Destination
Arrival
Handsome Devil
Free Fire
The Handmaiden
The Journey
Paterson
American Pastoral
The Secret Scripture
Trespass Against Us
Brain on Fire
The Bleeder
LBJ
Beyond the Flood
Daguerreotype
Ma’Rosa
Their Finest
Orphan
Things to Come
Una
Salt and Fire
Elle
I’m The Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

It’s going to be a very interesting awards season this year. With so many incredible films screening at TIFF I have to think that the best picture is among them. La La Land did win the Grolsch People’s Choice award. This was not entirely surprising given its wide appeal. I’m not exactly clear on how votes are tallied and if number of screenings is a benefit to films winning the prize. If so, there were additional screenings of La La Land and Lion so odds would be in their favour. Nocturnal Animals, Manchester By The Sea and Moonlight were my top three favourites of the festival.

Other highlights of the festival include: