Tiff Long Take

With another Toronto International Film Festival in the books, Rob and Geoff sit down with the founder of 'The Black List', Franklin Leonard, to talk about the films, performances, trends, and stories that had the industry talking at this year's TIFF. Franklin talks about the most buzzed about films of the slate, how the various studios and distributors faired, and which festival film he thinks has the potential to be a sleeper hit following its release. He also discusses the changes he's seen in the types of films getting funded, how the role of film festivals is evolving, and his favourite memory from his many years coming to TIFF.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with one of the film’s most exciting young actors, Steven Yeun. Steven is probably best known for his role as Glenn Rhee on 'The Walking Dead', but since leaving the show has leaned more towards independent and international cinema with roles in Bong Joon-ho’s 'Okja', Boots Riley’s 'Sorry To Bother You', and, most recently, Lee Chang Dong’s 'Burning'. The Korean thriller premiered at Cannes to rave reviews and is the first film to feature Yeun in a starring role. Yeun talks about the films and filmmakers that influenced him growing up, why he was initially hesitant to make a film in Korea, and what makes Lee Chang Dong so special. He also talks about how he prepares for his roles, the under-representation of Asian Americans in Hollywood films, and why thinks he wouldn’t have been offered a role as substantial as ‘Burning’ in the United States.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff speak with Daniel Sawka, director of the timely social drama Icebox. The film, which premieres at TIFF 2018, tells the story of a 12 year old Honduran boy, interned at a US immigration detention centre, and has gained added resonance in the wake the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy. The group also welcome Karine Jean-Pierre, advisor and national spokesperson for ‘MoveOn’. The progressive policy advocacy group recently helped to organize #FamiliesBelongTogether, a day of coordinated protest against family separation and family detention.   The four discuss the making of Icebox, how film can be used to increase awareness of a social issues, and why Sawka chose to highlight this issue through a narrative film, rather than a documentary.   They also talk about the casting of the film’s remarkable young lead, Anthony Gonzalez, how issues of immigration of migration in the United States have become exacerbated under Trump’s policies, and the influ

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff welcome TIFF’s Director and CEO, Pier’s Handling. This will be Handling’s final festival in charge of TIFF, having assumed his current position in 1994. He originally joined the festival in 1982.   Handling looks back on the films that made him a cinephile, his first exposure to the Toronto International Film Festival, and biggest challenges facing film festivals now vs. 40 years ago.   He also discusses how TIFF’s philosophy has evolved since it was founded in 1976, the long road to opening the TIFF Bell Lightbox in 2010, and what audiences are looking for from a film festival in 2018.

In 2018 alone, three documentaries: Won’t You Be My Neighbor, RBG, and Three Identical Strangers have exceeded $10 million at the domestic box office, a remarkable trend considering only 25 other documentaries has reached this milestone in the past 35 years. To find out what is leading to this sudden increase in the genre’s popularity, Rob and Geoff are joined by TIFF programmer, and host of the documentary themed podcast ‘Pure Nonfiction’, Thom Powers.   Powers discusses how “documentary” went from a dirty word to a financially viable genre,  how Netflix helped expand the artform, and the technological innovations that have changed the genre for the better. He then goes through some of the more anticipated documentary titles coming to TIFF next month including: Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9, Werner Herzog’s Meeting Gorbachev, Alexis Bloom’s Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm, E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Free Solo, and Errol Morris’ American Dharma.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Geoff sits down with independent filmmaker Desiree Akhavan. Following her acclaimed 2014 debut, Appropriate Behavior, Akhavan’s latest is an adaptation of Emily. M Danforth’s novel The Miseducation of Cameron Post. The film, which stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane, won the Grand Jury Prize for US Drama at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Akhavan is also an actress, appearing in projects like Girl’s and Creep 2.   Akhavan talks about how she approached the adaptation process, why having a hit film at Sundance didn’t make the financing of her future projects any easier, and how she adapted her original vision of The Miseducation of Cameron Post script to make it work with a smaller budget.   She also talks about why Chloë Grace Moretz’s interest in joining the cast surprised her, why, despite glowing reviews and festival awards, it took so long to sell the film, and why she finds making TV more difficult than making movies.

Last week, Disney and Fox shareholders approved a deal that would see Disney acquire 21st Century Fox for a whopping $71.3 billion. The deal  - which includes properties like Fox Searchlight, X-Men, Avatar, The Simpsons, and many more - gives Disney an unprecedented market share in the film and television industry. To find out how this acquisition will impact audience members, as well as the industry at large, Rob and Geoff speak with Kayleigh Donaldson, staff writer and editor for Pajiba. Donaldson explains why the deal will likely lead to fewer theatrical films, the uncertain fate of Fox Searchlight, and how other Hollywood studios might react to this merger. She also talks about how the deal has disrupted the streaming landscape, possible crossover opportunities, and why the merger could be a threat to independent cinemas.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff speak with Nadira Azermai, founder of the script analysis company, ScriptBook. Founded in 2015, ScriptBook claims they will be able to save film studios a fortune using artificial intelligence to more accurately identify which scripts will lead to financially successful films. Azermai discusses how ScriptBook functions, the product’s track record of accurately (and sometimes inaccurately) predicting which films will hit or flop, and the most glaring blind spots that studios and producers fail to recognize when analyzing scripts. She also talks about whether applying a scientific method to a creative artform will lead to more homogenized films, how the #MeToo movement has influenced ScriptBook, and whether computers will eventually replace writers altogether.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff are joined by TIFF’s Director of Programming, Kerri Craddock, to discuss some of the most exciting and anticipated titles on this year’s Toronto International Film Festival slate. Craddock gives her thoughts on some of the Gala and Special Presentation titles that TIFF just announced, including Elizabeth Chomko’s directorial debut, 'What They Had'; Paul Dano’s family drama, 'Wildlife'; Bradley Cooper’s musical drama, 'A Star is Born'; Claire Denis’ sci-fi adventure, 'High Life'; Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic, 'First Man'; Steve McQueen’s heist film, 'Widows'; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or winner, 'Shoplifters'; Asghar Farhadi’s psychological thriller, 'Everybody Knows'; and Jacques Audiard’s western, 'The Sisters Brothers'.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with filmmaker Boots Riley. Although he is perhaps better known as an activist and the front man for the popular political hip-hop group The Coup, Riley has recently focused his talents on filmmaking, writing, and directing the critically adored 'Sorry to Bother You', starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, and Armie Hammer. Riley talks about the six-year battle to get Sorry to Bother You made, why he wanted the screenplay to read more like a novel than a film script, and how a previous job working at a call centre helped to inspire the film’s plot. He also discusses how he reconciles his socialist beliefs with working in the inherently capitalist film business, how he assembled such a phenomenal cast for his debut film, and his talent for directing grounded performances within absurdist plot-lines.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with award winning independent film director and writer, Debra Granik. Granik, whose films include Down to the Bone and Winter’s Bone, is recognized as one of film’s great talent spotters, casting actors Jennifer Lawrence and Vera Farmiga in their star-making roles. Her latest film, Leave No Trace, starring Ben Foster and rising star Thomasin McKenzie, is playing now at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Granik discusses what she looks for most in her leading actors, how she’s able to spot talent in relatively unproven actors, and how she prepares her cast for such physically and emotionally demanding roles. She also talks about about why she chooses to set her films in less conventional locations like the Ozarks or the Oregon wilderness, the challenges of making films about the disenfranchised, and where in America she hopes her next film will take her.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with one of the industry’s most versatile and compelling actors, Ben Foster. Whether he’s playing a Texas bank robber in 'Hell or High Water', Lance Armstrong in 'The Program', or William S. Burroughs in 'Kill Your Darlings', Foster’s legendary range has earned him a wide variety of eclectic roles over the last decade. He most recently collaborated with filmmaker Debra Granik on 'Leave No Trace', which opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox on July 6. In this episode, Foster discusses how he prepares for physically and emotionally demanding roles, the challenges of leaving a character behind, and what advice he wishes he’d been given when he was starting out in the business. He also talks about what he values most in directors, how he’s avoided being typecast, and the secret to playing historical figures well.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Geoff sits down with Vanessa Matsui, the creator and star of the web series 'Ghost BFF'. A dark comedy about depression, 'Ghost BFF' is yet another example of creators using the web series medium as an alternative to network or cable television. The show, which was recently greenlit for a second season, is distributed by WhoHaHa, a creative studio co-founded by Elizabeth Banks that celebrates and elevates women in comedy.   Matsui talks about how she came up with the concept for 'Ghost BFF', the advantages and disadvantages of the DIY model, and why she hopes her show will follow in the footsteps of other web series–turned–cable shows like 'High Maintenance', 'Insecure', and 'Broad City'.   She also discusses the economics of making a web series, how difficult it is to sell a show about mental health, and her creative collaboration with Elizabeth Banks and WhoHaHa.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya whose latest film, ‘Marlina: The Murderer in Four Acts’, was released earlier this year to great acclaim. The movie, which follows a Sumba woman taking revenge against the the men who have wronged her, is the director’s Indonesian spin on the Spaghetti Western genre. Surya discusses why Indonesia, the fourth largest country in the world, has such a small national cinema, her earliest inspirations as a filmmaker, and why her apathy towards the Western genre actually worked in her favour when making her latest film. She also discusses the film’s imaginative score, how getting international financing has changed her approach to filmmaking, and how growing up in an especially patriarchal society has impacted her career.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with Pixar animation artist, Domee Shi. Shi made history this month, when her animated short film ‘Bao’ became the first Pixar short to be directed by a woman. The film, which is based loosely her experiences as a child of Chinese immigrants in Toronto, is currently being shown prior to screenings of ‘Incredibles 2’. Shi talks about how she went from Sheridan College’s animation program to landing one of the most coveted jobs in the business, the creative culture at Pixar, and why pitching her short film was strangely similar to ‘American Idol’. She also discusses where the inspiration for ‘Bao’ came from, hiring her mother as a cultural consultant, the relevance of short films in 2018, and where she hopes her career will take her next.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with documentary filmmaker Sarah Burns, best known for her acclaimed film The Central Park Five, which she co-directed with her father, legendary documentarian Ken Burns, and her husband, David McMahon. Her second film, a documentary about Jackie Robinson, was released on PBS in 2016. Burns talks about what she learned growing up in a house full of filmmakers, why she initially resisted her parent’s career path, and how her connection to the Central Park jogger case came long before she began filmmaking. She also talks about the benefits and challenges of collaborating with your family, what the story of the Central Park Five represents in “Trump’s America,” and what her hopes are for Ava DuVernay’s upcoming dramatization of the story.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob chats with producer and YouTube personality Adi Shankar. Last month, Shankar (whose films include Dredd and The Grey) launched The Apu Screenwriting Contest, an online competition to which writers are encouraged to submit a spec script for The Simpsons that subverts, pivots, or writes off the character of Apu. A mainstay in The Simpsons’ universe, Apu has long been a controversial figure for what many see as a stereotypical and hurtful portrayal of Indian Americans. Shankar has promised that the winning script will be made, either as an official Simpsons episode or as a self-financed episode in Bootleg Universe, Shankar’s YouTube series. Shankar talks about the massive cultural influence of The Simpsons, why he finds the character of Apu so damaging, and his frustration with the show’s reluctance to acknowledge or address the problem. He also discusses where the inspiration for his spec-writing contest came from, his track record of circumventing traditional Hollywood practice

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with acclaimed writer and director Ramin Bahrani. Bahrani, who is best known for his independent dramas 'Man Push Cart', 'Chop Shop' and '99 Homes', has recently released the new film through HBO; an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian classic ‘Fahrenheit 451’, starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. The novel was previously made into a film by François Truffaut in 1966. Bahrani talks about why he wanted to engage with Bradbury in 2018, how he was able to update a 65 year old story for the digital age, and why the genre of science fiction lends itself so well to political commentary. He also talks about his fear of technology, his fascination with directors Werner Herzog and Mike Leigh, and why, despite his love of cinema, he elected to take this project straight to television.

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob and Geoff sit down with the founder of MoviePass, Stacy Spikes. MoviePass has been making waves in the industry for the last few months after unveiling a plan that allows its users to see one movie a day in theatres for $9.95 a month. While many cinephiles are applauding the company for championing the in-cinema experience, other industry insiders are wondering if the MoviePass vision is too good to be true. Spikes discusses how MoviePass’ business plan has evolved since he founded the company in 2011, why it has more in common with Google than with Netflix, and why so many large theatre chains were initially hesitant to partner with MoviePass. He also talks about what the company means for independent film and addresses the perception that MoviePass’ current business model is unsustainable.  

This week on TIFF Long Take, Rob sits down with actor and filmmaker Mark Duplass. Along with his brother, Jay, the Duplass brothers have become two of the most influential figures in independent film, writing and directing films like 'The Puffy Chair', 'Cyrus', and 'Jeff, Who Lives at Home', as well producing films like 'Safety Not Guaranteed', 'The Skeleton Twins', and the recent Netflix documentary series 'Wild, Wild Country'. Their recently published memoir, 'Like Brothers', is in stores this week. Duplass talks about the challenges of being inextricably linked to a creative partner, how to create a financial model that prioritizes artistry, and why he’d rather be prolific than be a perfectionist. He also discusses why he and his brother aren’t interested in making “bigger” movies, the importance of “failing cheaply,” and his track record of giving young filmmakers a platform.