I’m back in Halifax, flying in from Pearson and landing around 4pm Atlantic Time. I ran into Haligonian screenwriter Noah Pink (Tetris, Eden) at the airport, the second time in as many days — we chatted on the sidewalk outside the TIFF Lightbox on Wednesday morning.
Halina Reijn, director of Babygirl
We did the thing people attending film festivals do — What have you seen? What are you hearing is really good? I thought Eden was an entertaining historical drama with a great cast, tonally a pretty big swing for director Ron Howard — making the kind of movie you’d expect from someone like James Gray.
Director Edward Berger, Isabella Rosselini and other cast from Conclave
I got back to my flat and joined by my partner and regular cinepanion to head over to Park Lane and watch Tara Thorne’s Lakeview at the #AIFF24 — expect more coverage of the Atlantic International Film Festival in the days ahead. Yes, I’d seen Lakeview before but it was a whole other experience watching it with Tara’s friends and fans, her crew and cast present. A really fantastic time.
Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, author Rachel Yoder, and writer director Marielle Heller at the Nightbitch screening
But before I dive into another film festival, I want to share my impressions of the week at #TIFF24 — even as it continues until Sunday, I was only able to be there for seven days. I’m bummed that some of the films I hoped to see will screen late in the fest — like Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada — but I’m also thrilled by what I did see. And as I pointed out last week, I’ve come to some peace that I never see all the movies I want to see — the vagaries of scheduling, of health, and even managing the TTC all take their pound of flesh.
Dave Bautista, at TIFF for The Last Showgirl, on King Street West
This third visit to the festival was maybe the most intense simply for the sheer numbers of people, the crowds. The public screenings I was able to attend, almost all of them were at the VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales theatre — the press seats usually at the very back of the balcony and at very close quarters. (The Scotiabank multiplex on Richmond Street and The Lightbox are both purpose built as cinemas and accordingly are much more comfortable than a much older space built for theatre arts.)
The festival closes down King Street outside for the red carpet, and the superfans gather for a chance to see the stars — and there were plenty of those out on the street and at the screenings, including filmmakers and producers.
The lessons I learned last year and back in 2022 still inform my screening decisions and survival techniques.
Here’s my list of the 10 Best films I saw at #TIFF24:
10. The Life Of Chuck 9. The Apprentice 8. Eden 7. Sharp Corner 6. The Shrouds 5. Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band, 4. Relay, 3. Nightbitch, 2. Babygirl, and 1. We Live In Time.
Thanks to the programmers, staff, and volunteers at TIFF for another fantastic year. Please follow @Flaw_In_The_Iris on Instagram to see more of my photos from TIFF.
Now, on to AIFF.
