That's right, The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is back this year, bigger and better than ever. Having been affected by COVID-19 for two years, it's now back in full force, and it's going to be jam-packed with plenty of new and exciting projects. One of the largest film festivals in the world, TIFF will host movies and events that will include some of the biggest names in the industry, and is imperative for celebrating global cinema.
From September 8th to September 18th, fans will have the opportunity to experience some of the most creative and diverse new cinematic masterpieces in the industry. While TIFF will premiere big new movies, from potential blockbusters like The Woman King to giant mainstream films like The Fabelmans from Steven Spielberg, the festival also makes sure to support a wide array of smaller, quirky movies, international or otherwise, that showcase some incredible talent. With a large range of genres at TIFF, there's something for everyone. While multiple genres overlap and certain films are representative of several styles, here we'll break down every comedy movie or series (and the one single animated film) that will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Animation Movies at TIFF 2022
Comedy Movies at TIFF 2022
- A Gaza Weekend
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- I Like Movies
- LIDO TV
- Love and Mathematics
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Stories Not to Be Told
- The End of Sex
- The Kingdom: Exodus
- The Umbrella Men
- Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
A Gaza Weekend
Film 4
Alcove Entertainment
The topical dark comedy A Gaza Weekend, directed by Basil Khalil, follows a new epidemic of a deadly virus as it spreads throughout Israel. As the country becomes cut off from the rest of the world and chaos breaks loose, people begin to realize that the Gaza Strip is the only uninfected place, which of course makes the perfect escape route (and perfect sociopolitical commentary), and they are willing to do anything they can to get out.
When Waleed, a Palestinian shoe salesman from Gaza, accepts a small job smuggling rich Israeli Jews into Gaza for easy cash, what was supposed to be an easy job becomes a hugely disastrous mission as word spreads and everyone turns to him for a means of escape. Palestinian actor Adam Bakri stars as Waleed, and has already picked up a Best Actor award from the Malmö Arab Film Festival, amongst others. The movie also features well-known English actor and comedian Stephen Mangan, who is well-renowned for his roles in I'm Alan Partridge, Episodes, Green Wing, The Split, and much more. Fans of clever political comedies just cannot wait to follow Waleed on his wild journey.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson has directed the upcoming American mystery film (and sequel to 2019's Knives Out), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The brilliant Daniel Craig will be appearing once again as Benoit Blanc, taking on a brand-new case. The follow-up to the first huge murder-mystery hit has Blanc on a journey to Greece in order to unravel the secrets of a new mystery, with a brand-new cast of suspicious suspects. With plenty of onion layers to peel back with another shocking case, the audience is invited to join in on finding some remarkable discoveries. Making its world premiere at TIFF, viewers better be ready for some serious detective work.
I Like Movies
Set in Toronto itself, the upcoming Canadian dramatic comedy I Like Movies will be making an appearance at TIFF this year. Directed by Chandler Levack, I Like Movies follows major movie fanatic Lawrence, who is working hard at a video store at the turn of the century and trying his best to save money for a tuition fee to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In a dramatic coming-of-age story, Lawrence is filled with anxious thoughts about his future at the school and unintentionally takes his frustration out on his best friend, single mom, and even his manager.
As a touching, heartfelt, and cleverly comedic story, I Like Movies was picked for TIFF and will make its premiere in the Discovery section. Levack won the Best Canadian Short Film award five years ago for her film We Forgot to Break Up (after years of excellent music videos), and cinephiles are excited to finally get a glimpse at Levack's feature filmmaking skills. Levak told Deadline that she was "utterly overjoyed to have my first feature film premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival," fully aware of how special it is to do so. For fans of heartwarming coming-of-age dramedies and film lovers themselves, I Like Movies seems to be a perfect pick.
LIDO TV
Columbian Canadian musician Lido Pimienta created a funny but also incredibly important variety show that gives a deep perspective on themes of colonialism, society's beauty standards, and new waves of feminism. The intention of LIDO TV is deeply connected with basic human compassion with a satirical self-help twist, as the show genuinely wants to help people understand and cope with life and spread a positive message in an incredibly complicated and stressful world that throws obstacles and challenges at us from every angle.
Full of comedy sketches, interviews, documentary segments, and brilliant animations, we are presented with a meaningful, insightful, totally inspirational, and really cinematic piece of television with thought-provoking and important messages at the heart of it. Lido Pimienta brings an energetic, hilarious, but sensitive atmosphere to the show and fans can't wait to see what she has in store and will be happy to know that a short teaser trailer has been released to keep viewers excited just ahead of the premiere at TIFF.
Love and Mathematics
Spanish director Claudia Saint-Luce is known for her gentle combination of comedy and drama in very humanistic films like The Amazing Catfish, so her new movie, Love and Mathematics, is sure to please, especially with its fascinating original plot. The story revolves around a former boy-band star and one of his fans, both of whom have grown into middle age. Saint-Luce will weave together their stories the same way she weaves together comedy and drama -- with love for her characters, nuanced emotional moments, and a great deal of crowd-pleasing comedy and warmth.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Luxembourg, Luxembourg looks exactly like the kind of small but important and relevant film that festivals like TIFF are all about. The German/Ukrainian movie is based off the experiences of its director, Antonio Lukich -- two Ukrainian brothers grapple with the fact of their father's looming death and must decide if they're going to embark on a cross-continental road trip to visit him despite the myriad small difficulties and responsibilities going on in their own lives.
Regardless of the heavy themes in the film, Lukich has a very light touch and a comedy director's eye, able to frame and edit a scene with droll, deadpan humor perfectly. The brothers in the film are played by the two members of the rap group Kurgan and Agregat, adding the kind of authenticity that non-actors can give films. Luxembourg, Luxembourg looks to be a wonderful addition to great Ukrainian cinema.
Stories Not to Be Told
One of the funniest Spanish directors today, Cesc Gay (The People Upstairs, Nico and Dani, A Gun in Each Hand, V.O.S.) delivers five funny and adventurous tales in the anthology film Stories Not to Be Told. Featuring a massive ensemble cast and beautiful Barcelona backdrops, the five vignettes about relationships and failures promises to up the ante on Gay's frequently uncomfortable and even painful cringe comedy.
The End of Sex
Canadian filmmaker Sean Garrity has become a master of the sex comedy, thanks to films like I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight, My Awkward Sexual Adventure, and After the Ball. He's now back with The End of Sex, an appropriately titled film for his career. The great Emily Hampshire stars alongside Jonas Chernick as Emma and Josh, a married couple who are approach middle-age and suffering through sexual, emotional, and romantic stagnancy.
The couple decides to send their kids away off to camp in order to forget about parenthood and have a sexy respite from responsibility, in which they embark on a series of sexual adventures to try and find out if they're still passionate about each other. The End of Sex promises to be a fun time for adults.
The Kingdom: Exodus
Lars von Trier has come back almost three decades later with the third and final installment of his acclaimed Danish miniseries The Kingdom with The Kingdom: Exodus. Back in the neurosurgical world of haunted hospitals in Copenhagen, we follow the splurge of unexplainable occurrences, including the supernatural, where the 'I'll believe it when I see it' phrase starts becoming a reality. Just like Twin Peaks, one of Trier's major influences here, The Kingdom: Exodus will deftly combine weird comedy and eccentricities with disturbing imagery and tension.
In this new series, a sleepwalker, Karen, is on the hunt for some unresolved questions that could possibly save the hospital. Although, when she goes on her nighttime adventures, we realize that the gate to the Kingdom is once again open. Fans have been given a short teaser that is definitely haunting and will surely satisfy everyone who fell in love with the bizarre cult classic from the '90s, so it is very clear that we're in for one hell of a ride with the supernatural again.
The Umbrella Men
In what looks to be a brightly vibrant, deliriously fun mix of comedy and crime, The Umbrella Men (not to be confused with the JFK conspiracy film of the same name) is a South African film directed by John Barker. Set in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, the feel-good movie takes place during the colorful days of the Minstrel Carnival; a man has inherited his father's struggling nightclub, filled with kind artists who are about to be kicked to the curb. The musicians and the son unite to rob a bank during the musical, lively festivities in this endlessly fun movie about family rivalry, friendship, and hard economic truths.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
American singer, musician, and actor, Alfred Matthew will be better recognized as 'Weird Al' Yanokovic, and is known for creating paradox songs that bring light and humor to pop culture, as well as performing his original songs, where he plays his trademark accordion. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story explores his life, including his rise to fame with well known hits like 'Eat It', his celebrity love life and famous lifestyle. Yankovic grew up where playing the accordion was considered a sin, so he iconically made a lifestyle out of it and followed his dreams. As a five-time Grammy Award-winning musician, this movie projects all the weird and wonderful occurrences throughout his eccentric life. With a performance from Daniel Radcliffe as Yankovic, fans are sure to enjoy this comedic and silly journey.
Wendell & Wild
Everyone loves a bit of stop-motion animation, and TIFF is bringing us one of the most exciting titles in a long time, the dark fantasy comedy horror Wendell & Wild, directed by Henry Selick, a mastermind behind the animation of Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline. The script by Selick, alongside the brilliant Jordan Peele is based on Selick and Clay McLeod Champman's unpublished book of the same name, so we can't wait to see what they have turned it into.
The story follows demon brothers who are on a mission to escape the underworld. Although, don't be fooled, they can't possibly pull off this mission without the help of Kat, a 13-year-old girl who considers herself a bit of a rebel and causes havoc in her 'fancy girls school.' Jordan Peele has had an extremely successful year with the release of his recent horror movie Nope, and while he might be part of the production of Wendell & Wild, he is also featured as one of the voices, along with Keegan-Michael Key (reuniting him with Peele from Key & Peele), Angela Bassett, and Lyric Ross. The movie is making its premiere at TIFF and Netflix is set to release it in October.