TIFF UNCUT

As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday this weekend, it's time to look back at this country's greatest cinematic achievements. A sizeable amount come from Toronto filmmaker David Cronenberg, who having made 21 features between 1969 and 2014, has received top honours at Cannes, the Berlin Film Festival, and TIFF. In 1999, Cronenberg was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002, and received Cannes' Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. In 2014, after a worldwide exhibit of his film's artifacts titled David Cronenberg: Evolution was held at TIFF, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contribution as "Canada's most celebrated internationally acclaimed filmmaker." He also has the uncanny ability to make car crashes sexy and heads literally explode (the moment in SCANNERS, which inspired Morgan Spurlock to become a filmmaker). In fact, Canadian film would be nothing without his signature Cronenbergian "body horror." To honour a living legend, still making movies at age 74, we've unearthed a 2014 onstage talk between David and his two key collaborators, producer Jeremy Thomas and makeup and special effects designer Stephan Dupuis. You can listen to the full TIFF Uncut podcast below and if you're feeling festive, watch a free screening of Cronenberg's 1983 film VIDEODROME, part of a free Canada on Screen marathon of movies screening July 1 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

What was Hollywood even like before Laverne Cox? The ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK star has made historic in-roads for the trans population, forever changing the conversation of representation in film and television after becoming the first openly transgendered actor and activist to win an Emmy Award and appear on the cover of Time magazine. In 2014, Laverne Cox came to TIFF for an in-depth "In Conversation With" during Toronto's World Pride Week celebrations, presented by TIFF and the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival. TIFF Un/cut lets you listen to the full discussion below, moderated by Wilson Cruz, Director of Entertainment Industry Partnerships at GLAAD (also known as the actor who played Ricky Vasquez on MY SO-CALLED LIFE).

On this episode of TIFF Un/cut, TIFF Kids short filmmakers Eduardo Bertaina (THE LOUDEST SILENCE), Arvid Klapper (BAKA), and Meloni Poole (TRIGGA) talk to host Chandler Levack about making films for - and starring - children. They discuss the idea that films for kids don't need to be bouncy or animated (3:50), discuss collaborating with young actors (8:28), good strategies for getting strong performances from children (15:14), establishing a "parent/child" relationship between actors on set (20:20), tackling serious subjects in films aimed at children (22:50), the moment in childhood that makes you want to become a filmmaker (28:13), and the incredible intelligence of children as film viewers (33:35).

In [his essay]( http://www.tiff.net/the-review/straub-huillet-wind-trees/index.html) for the TIFF Cinematheque retrospective [*Not Reconciled: The Films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet*](http://www.tiff.net/#series=Not-Reconciled:-The-Films-of-Jean-Marie-Straub-and-Danièle-Huillet), James Quandt writes that "Even the pair's non-operatic films feel musically composed and delivered." It's an observation which Stanford University's Erik Ulman echoed in a recent talk he gave at the UC Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. "One of the things that attracted me to Straub and Huillet's work is that they are extraordinarily musical filmmakers," says the composer and music lecturer, noting how the duo's deep knowledge of music carries over into the way they compose both their soundtracks and their images. Ulman's short talk, generously provided to us by our friends at BAM/PFA, is a fascinating introduction to both Straub-Huillet's essential early films [*Not Reconciled, Machorka-Muff* and *The Bridegroom, the Comedienne and the Pimp*](http://www.tiff.net/events/machorka-muff-followed-by-not-reconciled-and-the-bridegroom-the-comedienne-and-the-pimp/) (screening this Saturday, March 4) and to the team's cinema in general. *Thanks to Erik Ulman and Kathy Geritz, Film Curator at BAM/PFA*.

Documentary audiences are growing everyday. With the rise of new exhibition platforms and an increased presence in the theatrical landscape, docs are a powerful medium to reach a wide audience. The activists, the anarchists, the voices of the disenfranchised - these documentarians use the burgeoning cinematic medium as a call to action and to ignite social change. This session was designed for an industry professional audience. Guest Hugh Gibson Guest Alethea Arnaquq-Baril Guest Jamie Kastner Guest Tiffany Hsiung Moderator Sarafina DiFelice

Documentary duo Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier of Mercury Films have collaborated on some of the most commercially successful and visually stunning documentaries in Canadian history, including Watermark and Manufactured Landscapes (selected by TIFF as one of 150 Definitive Works in the Canada on Screen programme). This conversation will explore their expansive body of work, including the upcoming films Man Machine Poem, documenting The Tragically Hip's historic final tour, and Anthropocene, the third collaboration with renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky. This session was designed for an industry professional audience. Guest Jennifer Baichwal Jennifer Baichwal was born in Montreal and raised in Victoria, British Columbia. Her documentaries The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia (02) and Manufactured Landscapes (06) premiered at the Festival. Her other films include Act of God (09), Payback (12), and Watermark (13). Guest Nicholas de Pencier Nicholas de Pencier is a documentary filmmaker, producer, and director of photography. His cinematography work includes Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (98), The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia (02), The Hockey Nomad (03), and Al Purdy Was Here (15), and he also produced the award-winning Manufactured Landscapes (06), Act of God (09), and Watermark (13). Black Code (16) is his directorial debut. Moderator Sean Farnel Sean Farnel is an independent writer, producer, and marketing consultant. He has established himself as a leading curator of documentary media over a 15-year career at the Toronto International Film Festival and Hot Docs, and has collaborated with directors and producers while developing and executing market launch plans.

Canada's impressive legacy of comedic talent led to the creation of enduring classics like SCTV, Kids in the Hall and Trailer Park Boys. Now, a new crop of talented voices have emerged on the Canadian television scene, reinvigorating the reputation of Canada's comedic resonance at home and abroad. These cutting edge creators are here to discuss the serious business of being funny. This session was designed for an industry professional audience. Guest Jared Keeso Jared Keeso is an award-winning Canadian film and television actor. He had his television breakout role with Smallville (01–11), and also appeared in CBC's Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story (10), for which he won a Gemini Award for Best Actor, and Bravo's 19-2 (11–15). He has starred in the features Smokin' Aces (07), Life as We Know It (10), A Beginner's Guide to Endings (10), Elysium (13), and Godzilla (14). He also wrote, produced, and starred in the web series sensation Letterkenny Problems (13) on Funny or Die, and recently received a development deal to draft the show's third season, which was reformatted as Letterkenny (16) for CraveTV and The Comedy Network. Guest Carolyn Taylor Carolyn Taylor is a Toronto-based writer and actor. She has written multiple seasons of This Hour Has 22 Minutes (93– ), for which she earned a Canadian Comedy Award, a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award, and a Gemini nomination. Taylor has also written sketches and political commentary for CBC's The Hour (05–14) and YTV's That's So Weird (09–12). Her television acting credits include The Gavin Crawford Show (00–03), Sue Thomas F.B.Eye (02–05), Wild Card (03–05), and Queer as Folk (00–05), and she has also appeared in the features 19 Months (02) and Portrait of a Serial Monogamist (16). Taylor is the showrunner for the Baroness von Sketch Show (16), and she has written and acted in five original revues at The Second City. Guest Matt Johnson Matt Johnson was born in Toronto and studied film at York University. His debut feature,The Dirties(13), won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance. His other projects include Operation Avalanche (16) and nirvanna the band the show(16). Guest Jay McCarrol JAY MCCARROL is an accomplished Canadian musician, composer and actor. After co-creating and starring in the hit web series, Nirvana the Band the Show, he has composed music for over 50 film/theater/online projects. He served as the musical director at Second City in Toronto for several years and has written music for countless commercials including national spots for Bell Canada, Tylenol, Budweiser, and Coca-Cola. Brave Shores, a band started with Jay and Stefanie McCarrol, currently have national airplay on radio and television (Much Music). He is currently a co-creator, writer and actor on Nirvanna the Band the Show. Moderator Geoff Macnaughton Geoff Macnaughton was born in Toronto, Ontario. He has a Master's degree in Cinema and Media Studies from York University. He is the Senior Manager of TIFF's Industry team and co-host of the TIFF podcast Well, Nobody's Perfect.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has made waves with recent changes to the access of Certified Independent Production Funds. These efforts have provided Canadian productions with more flexibility to secure funding and increase quality CanCon — affecting all corners of the industry, including actors, writers, producers, distributors, and broadcasters. We will unpack the terms of the new regulations and look at their impact on the future of independent film and television production in Canada. This session was designed for an industry professional audience. Guest John Bain Guest Dave Forget Guest Ferne Downey Guest Marcia Douglas

Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves is one of the most ambitious – and deliriously-titled – films to come out of Canada in a long, long time. Co-written and directed by the two young Montreal filmmakers Simon Lavoie and Mathieu Denis, the film posits what could have happened after the 2012 Quebec student protests, otherwise known as the "Maple Spring." It also won the "Best Canadian Feature" award at TIFF '16 and is now screening as part of Canada's Top Ten Film Festival. During TIFF '16, Lavoie and Denis spoke to TIFF CEO Piers Handling about their cinematic influences, inciting revolution, and creating a new era of Canadian film. http://www.tiff.net/canadas-top-ten/

In a wide-ranging conversation conducted at TIFF '16, experimental filmmakers Kazik Radwanksi and Matias Pineiro talk about their work, their process, and how they've developed their voices over the years. With discussion of working with actors and non-actors alike, the importance of doing work that is not in film in order to stay in touch with life, allowing chance to play a role, and many more insights, it's an invaluable look at the process of two of the most interesting filmmakers working today.