Former Vice host Eddie Huang, novelist Edna O’Brien, US politician Adam Kinzinger, disability rights activist Patrice Jetter, aerial cameraman Joe Jennings, and the haenyeo fisherwomen of South Korea are among the subjects of 21 documentary titles in the 2024 Docs program, presented by A&E IndieFilms, at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, taking place September 5–15, 2024.
The TIFF Docs program will open with Huang’s Vice is Broke, in which the former Vice contributor investigates the media company’s rise and fall.
World Premieres from directors returning to TIFF include Men of War, directed by Billy Corben (Screwball, Cocaine Cowboys) and Jen Gaiten, following someone recently arrested for arms smuggling in connection with a plot to overthrow Venezuela’s government; The Last Republican, directed by Steve Pink (The Wheel, Hot Tub Time Machine), profiling US conservative politician Kinzinger as he breaks ranks with the GOP to criticize Donald Trump; Space Cowboy, directed by Marah Strauch (Sunshine Superman) and Bryce Leavitt, which captures the stunning cinematography and complicated life of skydiver Jennings; So Surreal: Behind the Masks, directed by Neil Diamond (Reel Injun) and Joanne Robertson, which covers the effort to return cultural artifacts to the Yup’ik and Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw nations; and Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story, directed by Sinéad O’Shea (Pray for Our Sinners, TIFF ’22), which profiles the groundbreaking Irish novelist who broke taboos with her sexual candour.
Other World Premieres include Halima Elkhatabi’s Living Together, Ted Passon’s Patrice: The Movie, Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc’s Tata, Anastasiia Bortuali’s Temporary Shelter, Santiago Esteinou’s The Freedom of Fierro, Sue Kim’s The Last of the Sea Women, and Ali Weinstein’s Your Tomorrow.
These TIFF Docs titles join a number of documentaries already announced for TIFF ’24 as part of the Gala programme, including the World Premieres of Elton John: Never Too Late, Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, and the Canadian premiere of Will & Harper; as well as non-fiction works previously announced for the Platform competition, The Wolves Always Come at Night, which blends observed moments and recreated scenes, and Viktor; and for Centerpiece, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara.
2024 TIFF Docs Program (in alphabetical order):
A Sisters’ Tale
Leila Amini | Switzerland/France/Iran
International Premiere
Sales Title
Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story
Sinéad O’Shea | Ireland/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found
Raoul Peck | France
North American Premiere
From Ground Zero
Wissam Moussa, Nidal Damo, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Ayoub, Karim Satoum, Bashar Al Babisi, Khamis Masharawi, Nida’A Abu Hasna, Tamer Nijim, Ahmed Al Danaf, Rima Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Basil El Maqousi, Mustafa Al Nabih, Rabab Khamis, Mustafa Kulab, Alaa Damo, Hana Eleiwa, Mahdi Kreirah, Aws Al Banna, Islam Al Zeriei, Etimad Washah | Palestine/France/Qatar/Jordan
North American Premiere
Sales Title
Living Together
Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere
Men of War
Jen Gatien, Billy Corben | USA/Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title
Mistress Dispeller
Elizabeth Lo | China/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title
No Other Land
Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor | Palestine/Norway
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title
Patrice: The Movie
Ted Passon | USA
World Premiere
Russians at War Anastasia Trofimova | Canada/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title
So Surreal: Behind the Masks
Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title
Space Cowboy
Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title
Sudan, remember us
Hind Meddeb | France/Tunisia/Qatar
North American Premiere
Sales Title
Tata
Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc | Romania/Germany/Netherlands
World Premiere
Sales Title
Temporary Shelter
Anastasiia Bortuali | Iceland
World Premiere
Sales Title
The Freedom of Fierro
Santiago Esteinou | Mexico/Canada/Greece
World Premiere
Sales Title
The Last of the Sea Women
Sue Kim | USA
World Premiere
The Last Republican
Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title
Vice is Broke
Eddie Huang | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title
Wishing on a Star
Peter Kerekes | Italy/Slovakia/Czech Republic/Austria/Croatia
North American Premiere
Sales Title
Your Tomorrow
Ali Weinstein | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title