The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is known for shining a light on films from all over the world. But there are several films at the festival that turn the lens on the city itself, as well as ones that highlight the talent of filmmakers who call the GTA home. Here are a few of them. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie You may have to take a deep breath to say Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. From director Matt Johnson come a movie based on a cult web series, Nirvanna The Band The Show. The show followed Johnson and Jay McCarrol as they tried desperately to book a gig at Queen Street venue, The Rivoli. The film catches up with the duo years later, following them to Toronto of days past via a time-travelling twist. John Candy: I Like Me John Candy: I Like Me takes a poignant look back at beloved Canadian actor John Candy more than 30 years after his untimely death in 1994. Director Colin Hanks blends archival clips with interviews with Candy’s family and friends, including Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, and Macaulay Culkin. The film, which was produced by Ryan Reynolds, takes a look back at the comedic genius and acting talent of Candy, who was born in Newmarket and raised in Toronto. You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution... In You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution..., director Nick Davis looks back at the legendary 1972 Toronto production of Godspell at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The show helped launch the careers of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood and musical director Paul Shaffer. It was also considered a precursor to the comedic sensibilities of iconic shows that would follow, such as SCTV and Saturday Night Live. Degrassi: Whatever It Takes Fans and stars, including Drake, weigh in on the history and legacy of the influential Canadian teen drama, Degrassi in Degrassi: Whatever It Takes. Directed by Lisa Rideout, the film takes a look at the ups and downs of the groundbreaking show through the eyes of those who watched it and those who made it. 100 Sunset Parkdale gets the spotlight in Canadian director Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset. Exploring the bond of two young women at a Parkdale apartment complex, the film touches on the challenges of Tibetan immigrants living in the neighbourhood. TIFF says the film promises “intrigue, desire, and deceit.” Dinner with Friends In Dinner with Friends, Toronto Director Sasha Leigh Henry follows a group of eight longtime friends who intermittently meet up for dinner parties. Coming together, old tensions arise, along with reminiscences of inside jokes and shared experiences. Other films at the festival by Toronto directors or featuring local talent include the erotic thriller Steal Away from Toronto director Clement Virgo, and the genre-bending thriller Honey Bunch, co-directed by Toronto’ Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer, both alums of the 2015 TIFF Filmmaker’s Lab. Little Lorraine stars Toronto’s Stephen Amell, alongside Sean Astin in a film about a small town in 1980s Cape Breton, N.S. that becomes home to an international drug smuggling ring. In Modern Whore, Toronto Director Nicole Bazuin takes on misconceptions about sex work and sex workers in a documentary that explores the experiences of co-writer Andrea Werhun as an escort and exotic dancer in Toronto. Click here for a full list of Canadian films at TIFF. Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...
