Indigenous cinema will have a global impact this year in Toronto, as the festival presents a selection of nine Canadian and international features, documentaries and series for discerning audiences and buyers looking for unique titles with universal appeal.
Opening weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival
“These are the kinds of films we’ve been longing for,” said Jason Ryle, Toronto’s international programmer of global Indigenous cinema. Ryle works with Kelly Boutsalis, who programs Canadian Indigenous titles; both joined TIFF’s programming team in 2022.
"Filmmakers are now interacting with the international industry at a high level," Ryle continued. "We're still challenging the idea that indigenous film is a genre, but the diversity of tones and storytelling techniques is coming to the fore."
This is felt keenly by multihyphenate Eva Thomas, a dual citizen and member of the Walpole Island First Nation, at the Discovery-titled festival, “Aberdeen,” a turbulent tale of family stability that she co-wrote and co-directed with Ojibwe filmmaker Ryan Cooper; and the ironic, gritty rez eco-thriller “Seeds,” which she executive produced. (Farpoint Distribution is handling international sales of “Aberdeen.”)
