Showtime at TIFF: Must-see films involving TMU alumni
The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (external link, opens in new window) takes place September 7-17, 2023. Each year, we eagerly anticipate seeing the projects our talented Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) alumni (opens in new window) are involved with. Whether they’re performing front and centre onscreen or supporting the creative magic behind the scenes, we’re proud of the work our alumni are doing to bring these films to life.
Planning to attend TIFF this year? Check out these films involving TMU alumni.
Aftercare
Rodney Diverlus (external link, opens in new window) , Theatre Performance ’10, Producer
A tattoo studio becomes the site for an emotionally charged reunion between a woman and the now-grown person she used to babysit in Anubha Momin’s affecting drama.
Backspot
D.W. Waterson (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’10, Director
A driven cheerleader (Devery Jacobs) struggles to handle the pressure when she and her girlfriend are both selected for an elite cheer squad, in D.W. Waterson’s feature directorial debut.
Bria Mack Gets a Life
Femi Lawson (external link, opens in new window) , Criminology ’10, Actor
Bria Mack Gets A Life is a self-assured comedy series from Sasha Leigh Henry that shows what adulthood is like for a smart young Black woman as she reluctantly enters the workforce.
Bloom
Angelica Stirpe (external link, opens in new window) , Radio and Television Arts ’11, Producer
Driven by a bravura performance by Jodi Balfour, Kasey Lum’s stark drama about heartbreak doubles as a provocative rumination about the interconnectedness of humans and nature.
Dream Scenario
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Hanna Kindellan (external link, opens in new window) , Radio and Television Arts ’20, Executive Assistant
Jasmine McShad (external link, opens in new window) , Creative Industries ’19, Health and Safety Administrator
This satirical swipe at celebrity and groupthink from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli and co-producer Ari Aster stars Nicolas Cage as an inconspicuous academic who is thrust into the limelight after he starts inexplicably appearing in people’s dreams.
I Am Sirat
Deepa Mehta (external link, opens in new window) , Honorary Doctor of Laws ’13, Director/Writer
From Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta and first-time documentarian Sirat Taneja comes this unprecedented look at trans life in Delhi — through the eyes of Sirat, a trans woman forced to go back into the closet when living with, and caring for, her traditional mother.
Motherland
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Jasmin Mozaffari (external link, opens in new window) , Film Studies ’13, Director
Brandishing all the energy and texture that made her debut feature Firecrackers so special, Jasmin Mozaffari’s new film tells the story of a man whose personal crises are compounded by the tensions that surround him as an Iranian in America circa 1979.
Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe
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Mark Bishop (external link, opens in new window) and Matt Hornburg, Radio and Television Arts ’98, Executive Producers
This heartfelt documentary celebrates the life and work of Ernie Coombs, the iconic Canadian children’s television personality who encouraged generations of kids to be their best selves.
Orah
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Femi Lawson (external link, opens in new window) , Criminology ’10, Actor
Orah, a Nigerian immigrant taxi driver in Toronto, agrees to launder dirty money for her boss in exchange for bringing her son over from Nigeria. When the plan goes horribly wrong, Orah takes matters into her own hands to settle the score.
Seven Veils
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Atom Egoyan (opens in new window) , Writer In Residence of the new Master of Fine Arts in Scriptwriting & Story Design, TMU, Director
Kevin Krikst (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’07, Producer
Atom Egoyan and his Chloe star Amanda Seyfried reunite for this knotty psychodrama about a young theatre director forced to re-examine her own trauma while working on a remount of Salome.
Interested in more?
Watch these past award-winning films featuring TMU alumni — available online and in theatres.
Anne at 13,000 ft
Kazik Radwanski (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’09
Scarborough
Shasha Nakhai (external link, opens in new window) , Journalism ’09
Rich Williamson, Image Arts - Film Studies ’08
Catherine Hernandez (external link, opens in new window) , Theatre Performance ’99
Something You Said Last Night
Luis De Filippis (external link) , Image Arts ’12
Sleeping Giant
Andrew Cividino (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’06, Karen Harnisch (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’09, Marc Swenker (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’08, James Vandewater (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’07, Aaron Yeger (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’06, James Klopko (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’07, Erika Lobko (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’12
Sing Me A Lullaby
Tiffany Hsiung (external link, opens in new window) , Image Arts ’07
Women Talking
Kira Guloien (external link, opens in new window) , Theatre Performance ’12
Is a project you worked on premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival this year?
Email Erin MacDonald, Alumni Relations Officer, at erinmac@torontomu.ca, to have it added to this list.
This list is provided for information purposes only and was curated primarily through online research and an open call to our community. TMU makes no representations of this list’s completeness, nor is TMU liable for any error or omission in the information posted on this site.