Jess Blackwell –
The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF50) was packed with more enticing titles than I could see, including 36 Canadian features and 20 Canadian short films.
The festival also featured a decent representation of female filmmakers. Approximately 44 percent of the Canadian features included in the festival were directed by women or non-binary artists, while another article reports that 37 percent of the 209 feature films were directed by female filmmakers.
From the short film blocks, a few films by women and gender-diverse filmmakers stood out. In the nostalgic and ethereal, ripe, directed by Solara Thanh Bình Đặng, a young Vietnamese woman debates whether to enter into an arranged marriage. In Chelsea McMullan’s Healer, a film rich in mood and unique choreography, a daughter navigates alternative healing methods with her ailing mother. Finally, Agnès Patron’s emotionally deep animated film To the Woods employs immersive sound design, moving music, and dynamic visuals in a stunning portrayal of sibling bonds. This film won the Short Cuts Award for Best Animated Short Film at the festival’s closing awards ceremony.
Regarding features, Toronto-based filmmaker Sophy Romvari won the Best Canadian Discovery Award for Blue Heron’s depiction of a Hungarian-Canadian family adapting to life on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset — a tale of intrigue, desire, and deceit set in a west Toronto community of Tibetan immigrants — received an honourable mention in the Best Canadian Discovery category, while Min Sook Lee’s There Are No Words received an honourable mention in the Best Canadian Feature Film category. The latter documents the fallout and grief left by Lee’s mother’s death by suicide.
Yet, the premiere of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, a documentary directed by Ally Pankiw and produced in part by Dan Levy, reminded me of how much gender equity progress is still needed in the entertainment industry. This film portrays the rise and impact of Sarah McLachlan’s acclaimed all-women music festival, a cultural phenomenon proving that female artists are more than tokens and that commercial radio stations can play two women in a row without tanking their ratings.
In highlighting the music industry’s history of sexism, it also provides opportunity for viewers to reflect on the prominence of gender-based discrimination in the arts more generally. A 2024 report from the University of Alberta noted that, on average, 7 percent of key industry positions and 82 percent of the “network elite” (those in the most central positions), continue to be held by men. At the current rate, it will take almost 200 years to reach gender parity in the Canadian film and TV industry, while the UK could achieve parity in 61 years and Germany in just 17 years.
Pankiw acknowledged this lack of equity in the media-based arts in her opening remarks, saying that one goal in making her film was to demystify directing and make it more accessible. She wanted to dispel the myth of the auteur and male genius, and demonstrate that filmmaking is a team-based endeavour that can be equitable, safe and fun for all.
In a subsequent panel, Pankiw said she helps address gender inequity by having paid mentees on her sets. She has also been working with organizations such as Women in Film (WIF) to launch Bread Crumbs, “a collective of women filmmakers committed to advancing the careers of emerging women and non-binary directors in TV and film through mentorship.”
As a female filmmaker, I can attest that mentorship, while difficult to find, is invaluable. This year, I was selected to participate in WIFT+ Connect, a mentorship program run by Women in Film & TV (WIFT+) Toronto. This program connected me with a more experienced filmmaker — Jen Pogue, creator of County Blooms — while providing group mentorship and peer-learning activities.
Another important organization empowering female and non-binary artists is the Firecracker Department, which offers workshops, parties, podcasts, and other opportunities. At TIFF50, it hosted the Firecracker Brunch. According to Veronica Martin, part of the organization’s leadership team, the event is held “to celebrate and inspire women and non-binary people in the industry, and provide platforms for them to learn, collaborate, and succeed.” Martin hopes that filmmakers will band together to help each other bring their projects to life and “find ways to build their own success.” She encourages filmmakers to be fearless in creating projects and connecting with potential collaborators.
In an interview, Ally Pankiw echoed this sentiment, encouraging women and LGBTQ+ filmmakers who may be struggling to find mentorship opportunities to pull their resources together and make their own work. “Just try making films,” she said. Her own first short film was made on a shoestring budget of $850.
Asked how the public can support female and gender-diverse creators, Veronica Martin recommended attending as many screenings, performances, and Firecracker events as possible, while promoting creatives “on socials, in rooms where you have a voice, and everywhere else possible.”
