TIFF ’19 – Preliminary Picks
TIFF ’19 list of Gala and Special Presentations and Raquel’s top ten picks from the first slate of announced films.
Queering the Script
Queering the Script is an enlightening documentary that shines a much needed spotlight on queer representation.
Greta
Greta is a psychological thriller that had potential but instead of taking a deep dive it stays in the shallow end leaving viewers wanting more. Review sponsored by DVD Netflix.
Rojo
Argentine drama Rojo explores how government corruption enables the worst in human behavior. Moody, atmospheric and unsettling.
Armstrong
Armstrong is an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and required viewing for anyone who appreciated Damien Chazelle’s biopic First Man but craved more.
The Spy Behind Home Plate
Part baseball history part WWII history. A new documentary explores the life of Moe Berg, a catcher for MLB and a spy for the US during WWII.
The Lavender Scare
You may know about the red scare but do you know about the lavender scare? A new documentary shines a spotlight on the US government’s persecution of LGBT employees.
Starfish
A.T. White’s new film Starfish transforms the mourning process into a cosmic and post-apocalyptic drama that is as quiet and spare as it is fraught with tension and mystery.
The Fever and the Fret
The Fever and the Fret is a powerful anti-bullying tale that isn’t afraid to dive into the pain and the torment victims suffer and the feeling of helplessness as those who hold social power continue to victimize them.
Albatross Soup
Albatross Soup is a documentary layered on top of a surreal animated fantasy. It’s filled with bright, bold colors and shape-shifting scenes.
This is Not Berlin
This is Not Berlin is a deeply personal film; an exploration of artistic expression and finding your true self.
We Believe in Dinosaurs
We Believe in Dinosaurs chronicles the building of the Ark Encounter, a new venture by The Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY and the consequent battle between the creationist and pro-science communities.
Riplist
A group of friends get together to predict which celebrities will die that year. A new documentary explores how the participants play the game and how they face their own mortality.
Marilyn
Writer/director Martin Rodríguez Redondo’s debut feature film Marilyn tells the story of a young man struggling with his sexual identity in a society that refuses to understand or accept.
Scraps
When a dinner party goes wrong, a near death experience sends four individuals into an existential crisis. A low-budget dark comedy with moments of absurdity and deep reflection.
Instant Dreams
Instant Dreams is a moody and atmospheric eulogy to a lost technology: Polaroid.