tiff movies 2021

10 award wInning movies to see at TIFF 2021

Every year TIFF 2021 showcases some of the great films that have played around the world, coming to Toronto and reminding of the "Festival of Festival" moniker that long adorned this event. With a virtual Sundance and Cannes moving to early July there's even more opportunity to showcase some of these films than ever before.

Here are some of the award winning movies coming to TIFF 2021.

Titane

It's no surprise that Julia Ducournau's violent, seductive body-horror film is coming to the city of Cronenberg, part of the Midight Madness slate where in 2016 her film Raw caused some patrons to faint. This Palme D'or winning film from Cannes is a violent, surreal, yet surprisingly touching portrayal of a sociopath.

Flee

Jonas Poher Rasmussen's exceptional film caused a flury of praise when it screened at Sundance, and went on to win the Grand Jury prize for documentary. A highly charged personal tale told in a unique, animated style, it's absolutely one of the best films of 2021.

A Hero

Asghar Farhadi, a former Palme winner himself, was co-winner this year of the Grand Prix, essentially the silver medal prize from the Cannes jury. This tale of calligrapher who is temporarily released from debtors prison in another in a long like of social critiques from this famed filmmaker.

Compartment No. 6

Juho Kuosmanen's shared with Farhadi the Grand Prix, and this tale of a couple meeting on a train captivated audiences, evoking the likes of Linklater but in many ways delving even deeper into darker, more somber connections made between these two strangers.

Jockey

Celebrated character actor Clifton Collins Jr. won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Actor at Sundance for his role in Clint Bentley's hardscrable tale of a racer past his prime. A fine slice of American indie angst, it's a film as beautiful to look at as to emotionally experience.

Ahed's Knee

Israeli diretor Nadav Lapid shared the jury prize, the bronze medal equivalent, for his fierce film about the provocations of creating art and the restrictions that the state places on stories that get told. Bold, brash, and brazen, it's a film that's sure to rock many peoples perceptions about this complicated land and its people.

Memoria

Another jury prize win went to to yet another former Palme winner, with Apichatpong Weerasethakul's latest captivating audiences with another laconic, languid look at silence and introspection.

This time Tilda Swinton takes us on one of this trademark journeys, and the film is all the better for it thanks to her unique charisma and ability to play stillness with as much impact as others who specialize in action.

Drive My Car

Toronto audiences that were beguiled by Burning, another film borrowing a narrative from novelist Murikami, are going to swoon for this screenplay award-winning epic from Cannes. Ryusuke Hamaguchi takes audiences on a remarkable journey, mixing broad theatricality and moments of quiet stillness in masterful ways.

The Worst Person In The World

Renate Reinsve took the top acting prize for her memorable role in Joachim Trier's sardonic take on a young woman's early adulthood, where she's both immensely flaky and deeply fascinating, navigating her own unsettled passions as we sit back in wonder as she somehow manages to make it all work.

Unclenching the Fists

Receiving the top prize in Cannes' Un Certain Regard Prize sidebar, Kira Kovalenko's unflinching tale of a woman attempting to survive a string of horrors does not make for easy viewing, but the attempt to escape the past proves immensely freeing in this fine, well-realized drama.


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