Thirteen CBC/Radio-Canada's titles have been selected TIFF 2023

CBC/Radio-Canada highlights its ongoing commitment to Canadian creators and filmmakers with the following 13 titles selected to premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2023), including two Gala Presentations and one Special Presentation. “Every fall, TIFF brings Toronto to life with the excitement of the festival. We’re proud to play a role in putting world-class Canadian talent right at the heart of the event. Canadians can rely on their public broadcaster to support homegrown original storytelling for film and television — and to bring this storytelling to both Canadian and international audiences,” said Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada.

"Backspot" (Discovery - TIFF Next Wave Selects, World Premiere) Directed by D.W. Waterson and written by Joanne Sarazen, distributed by LevelFILM – produced in association with CBC Films. 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.

"Black Life: Untold Stories" (Primetime, World Premiere) Executive Producer and Showrunner by Leslie Norville. TIFF episode selections directed by Will Prosper (“Northern Beats”) and Duane Crichton (“Justice Denied”) – CBC original docuseries, premiering October 18 on CBC Gem and October 25 on CBC TV. This new eight-part CBC documentary series uses contemporary interviews and archival footage to chronicle Canada’s long history of anti-Black racism, including episodes on police brutality and the rise of hip-hop music.

"Days Of Happiness" ("Les Jours Heureux") (Special Presentations, World Premiere) Written and directed by Chloé Robichaud, distributed by Maison 4:3 – Radio-Canada pre-licence. A young orchestra conductor faces a crossroads in her life and career in this ambitious drama that reunites writer-director Chloé Robichaud with actor Sophie Desmarais.

"Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person" ("Vampire Humaniste Cherche Suicidaire Consentant") (Centrepiece, North American Premiere) Directed by Ariane Louis-Seize and written by Ariane Louis-Seize and Christine Doyon; distributed by h264 – Radio-Canada pre-licence. Ariane Louis-Seize’s deadpan horror comedy finds droll humour in the plight of a young Montreal bloodsucker who can only feed on people for whom she feels sympathy.

"I Am Sirat" (TIFF Docs, World Premiere) Directed by Deepa Mehta and Sirat Taneja – CBC original documentary, set to broadcast in 2024. Caught between duty and self-determination, Sirat Taneja is a transgender woman who must act as her mother’s son when at home in New Delhi, but can be the woman she really is with her friends and at work with the Government of India.

"Kanaval" (Centrepiece, World Premiere) Written and directed by Henri Pardo, distributed by Maison 4:3 – Radio-Canada pre-licence. Kanaval is the story of one young boy’s journey from a small port town on the coast of Haiti in 1975, during the town’s celebrations of carnival, before a traumatic event forces him and his mother to flee to Quebec.

"Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe" (TIFF Docs, World Premiere) Directed by Rob McCallum and written by McCallum and Jordan Christopher Morris – Amazon Prime/CBC original documentary. 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.

"The Nature of Love" ("Simple Comme Sylvain") (Centrepiece, North American Premiere) Written and directed by Monia Chokri, distributed by Immina Films – Radio-Canada pre-licence. Biting, funny, and socially astute, this romantic comedy from Quebecois actor, writer, and director Monia Chokri ("A Brother’s Love") tackles class difference and infidelity.

"The Queen Of My Dreams" (Discovery, World Premiere) Written and directed by Fawzia Mirza – produced in association with CBC Films. Fawzia Mirza’s stylish feature debut mashes up the textures of Indian cinema and a Canadian coming-of-age picture, tracing key moments in the lives of a mother and daughter born three decades apart.

"Solo" (Gala Presentation, World Premiere) Written and directed by Sophie Dupuis, distributed by Axia Films – Radio-Canada pre-licence. Set in Montreal’s vivacious drag scene, this tender character study from writer-director Sophie Dupuis ("Underground") focuses on a talented young performer whose past and present merge in unexpected ways.

"Swan Song" (Gala Presentation, World Premiere) Directed by Chelsea McMullan and written by McMullan and Sean O'Neill, distributed by Blue Ice Docs – film version of four-part CBC original docuseries, which premieres November 22 on CBC Gem and CBC TV. Chelsea McMullan takes us inside the National Ballet of Canada’s 2022 production of Swan Lake, directed and staged by the legendary Karen Kain.

"Telling Our Story" (Primetime, World Premiere) Directed by Kim O'Bomsawin and written by Geneviève Albert, Alexandre Bacon, Mathieu Fournier, Guillaume Lonergan, Angie-Pepper O'Bomsawin and Kim O'Bomsawin – CBC/Radio-Canada original docuseries, premiering September 17 on CBC Gem; French version "Laissez-Nous Raconter" available now on ICI TOU.TV. The English-language debut of Telling Our Story, a visually stunning four-part documentary series highlighting 11 different First Nations in Quebec, illuminates the rich Indigenous cultures and stories that exist within the province.

"The Skates" ("Les Patins") (Short Cuts, World Premiere) Directed by Halima Ouardiri - acquired by Canadian Reflections. An adolescent girl’s figure skating lesson becomes the latest battleground in the marital warfare between her parents in Halima Ouardiri’s piercing family drama.