My Days of Mercy

Directed by Tali Shalom-Ezer
USA | 103 minutes | 2016 | STC | colour | English | World Premiere
World premiere: September 8
Additional screenings: September 11, September 15, September 16, September 17

The daughter (Ellen Page) of a man on death row falls in love with a woman (Kate Mara) on the opposing side of her family's political cause.

Oscar nominee and powerhouse Canadian Ellen Page stars in a love story for our times. Made with passion, commitment, and an expert eye for the shadings in relationships, My Days of Mercy is a revelation.

Sisters Lucy (Page, also seen at this year's Festival in The Cured) and Martha Morrow (Amy Seimetz, also appearing at this year's Festival in Lean On Pete) are regular attendees at state executions across the Midwest, where they demonstrate in favour of abolishing the death penalty. At one such event, Lucy spots Mercy (Kate Mara, also at the Festival in Chappaquiddick), daughter of a police officer whose partner was killed by a man about to receive a lethal injection. Mercy is there to celebrate justice served.

Lucy and Mercy could be bitter enemies, yet they share an undeniable connection. Their relationship grows from hostility to curiosity to intense, physical passion. But eventually Lucy must confess her reasons for getting involved in the cause: her own father (Elias Koteas) was convicted of murder and now waits on death row. Can Lucy and Mercy overcome their intense differences, or will these differences consume them?

My Days of Mercy brings remarkable empathy and respect to all sides of a debate as divisive as the death penalty. By staying attentive to the details of her characters and what they want, director Tali Shalom-Ezer bridges intractable differences. She shows us that if anything can bring us together, it's love.

Source: www.tiff.net

The Cured

Directed by David Freyne
Ireland, United Kingdom, France | 95 minutes | 2017 | STC | colour | English | World Premiere
World premiere: September 9
Additional screenings: September 10, September 13, September 16

Ellen Page stars in this gloriously terrifying yet thought-provoking horror thriller about the fraught process of reintegrating formerly infected flesh-eaters into society in the aftermath of a zombie plague.

If the past 50 years of zombie movies have taught us anything, it's that there are fates worse than death. But how are we to feel when the dead come back to us as — seemingly — the same old neighbours, colleagues, and loved ones we once knew? Starring Academy Award nominee Ellen Page (also at this year's Festival in My Days of Mercy) and Sam Keeley, David Freyne's accomplished first feature presents an unfathomable dilemma: what happens after a zombie plague has been contained and cured, and those once infected attempt to reintegrate into society?

Senan (Keeley) has been through hell. When the plague swept across Ireland he was among the thousands afflicted and rendered into rabid ghouls. Senan did horrible things he cannot forget — and neither can the public, nor the authorities charged with policing those released from captivity. Senan's sister-in-law Abbie (Page), however, is willing to give him a second chance. She lets him live with her and her young son, believing that Senan's actions while infected were beyond his control. But as an angry anti-cured movement burgeons in tandem with an increasingly radicalized pro-cured movement, Abbie is forced to question just how far her trust should be pushed.

Like any great zombie flick, The Cured works on several levels: it's a gloriously terrifying horror-thriller packed with enough jump scares to satisfy genre fans, yet it also displays an intellect and heart that provoke empathy even as it takes aim at the ways in which humans beings fail each other.

Source: www.tiff.net

"We feel truly honoured to be recognised and supported by the Television Academy. Gaycation would not be possible without the amazing team at Viceland who work tirelessly to ensure this show represents the integrity, perseverance, and vibrancy of the LGBTQ+ community. We most importantly want to thank LGBTQ+ people around the world for their strength and bravery in sharing their stories, who at times risked their lives to speak their truth. This show would not exist without your courage and love. We hope the show helps educate and shift perspectives on the discrimination people face around the world, how people persevere and love in the face of that, and how we can all work at opening our hearts and minds to others’ experiences globally. Thank you for all your support."

"Thank you @televisionacad for recognising #gaycation with an Emmy nomination. Thank you to @viceland for the support. Love and gratitude to all the extraordinary, generous and courageous individuals who share their stories with us. Much much much love #lgbtq+ @ianjamesdaniel."

In Flatliners, five medical students, obsessed by the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring and dangerous experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience – giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife. But as their experiments become increasingly dangerous, they are each haunted by the sins of their pasts, brought on by the paranormal consequences of trespassing to the other side.

The project all started when Scout's grandma, her Nonnie, was diagnosed with breast cancer. We were looking for a way to keep our minds busy during a really hard time.

When Nonnie's hair started to fall out, Scout got very concerned and I wanted to put both of our minds at ease. I needed to teach her and remind myself that women are fighters! We chose famous & fierce women to teach her about the strength that women have.

We had put together a list of people to shoot and I taught Scout a little bit about each person. We then chose the photo we wanted to replicate together. We worked on the project for a little under a year - throughout the diagnosis, treatment, and mastectomy surgery.

Nonnie was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2016 and she had 6 rounds of intense chemo from June to September that year. After she had finally regained some strength, there was another bump in the road… a double mastectomy.

Scout was learning first hand just how amazing and strong women can be. So we just kept shooting. We planned that at the end of it all, we'd make a picture book for both Scout and Nonnie. We made sure to pick a few of Nonnie's favorites as well, like Ellen. And Scout has a list of her Disney heroes we're shooting as well!

The entire project was such a godsend for Scout and myself. And showing my mom the end result- priceless. Every single minute I spent planning, styling, shooting, and editing was 100% worth it.

This project has probably taught me just as much or more than it taught my daughter. I truly want Scout to be able to look back at this and know that women are just as strong as any man. And to be quite honest, my fingers are crossed that by the time she's old enough to understand the strength she's portraying- women won't be seen as delicate and dainty anymore, anyway. And I hope that when Scout looks back on this, she is proud of who she is and who she will become.

Although Scout has emulated so many amazing people, I fiercely encourage her to become exactly the person she wants to be. No matter what, I think she's amazing.

Oh and Nonnie? She is cancer free! So of course.. she had to get in on the photos, too! She is such an inspiration and we are so lucky to have her in our lives! You're our hero!

Source: boredpanda.com