Toronto Adds New Docs; Introduces One Day “Doc Conference”

Stolen
Violeta Ayala and Dan Fallshaw, Australia International Premiere
Filmmakers Ayala and Fallshaw set out to learn more about the Saharawi refugees who have been living in Algerian camps for more than 30 years. While focusing on a family reunion, the filmmakers uncovered allegations of modern slavery that set them on a journey they could never have imagined. The moral quandaries within the film have stirred significant controversy since its debut at the Sydney Film Festival.

The Sunshine Boy
Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Iceland World Premiere
This is a moving, compassionate portrayal of a mother’s desperate quest to understand autism, the perplexing condition that controls her son. By taking a journey through different countries and cultures, the film deals with autism in a deeply comprehensive way and considers it on a global scope.

Waking Sleeping Beauty
Don Hahn, USA World Premiere
This isn’t a fairy tale, but rather the true story of how the Disney animation team went from stagnation in the mid-1980s to a startling rebirth with a staggering output of hits – Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and more – over a ten year period. Director Don Hahn, who was a key contributor on many of these works, brings an insider’s perspective to the film.

Events

Doc Conference
Sunday, September 13, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Location: University of Toronto’s Victoria College (93 Charles Street West, behind the Isabel Bader Theatre), Room # 323.

Among the highlights of the Doc Conference:

Keynote Address: Liesl Copland
Working with the Global Finance & Distribution group at the William Morris Endeavor agency, Copland has a unique view on emerging players and partnerships. In this presentation, she will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of new distribution models, with a focus on documentary. Prior to working for WME, Copland held positions as the head of Red Envelope Entertainment (the original content division at Netflix) and a film sales consultant at Cinetic Media.

Peter Broderick’s Declaration of Independence
As a distribution strategist who has consulted with hundreds of filmmakers around the world, Broderick has helped pioneer cutting-edge distribution models. In this session, he will lay out new hybrid distribution guidelines that independents should consider before negotiating distribution deals. These guidelines will enable filmmakers to maximize revenues and audience by splitting rights and selling directly. Broderick will illustrate with case studies of films that have succeeded by putting these principles into action.

New Report on Documentary Ethics
Patricia Aufderheide will host a panel unveiling a new report on Documentary Ethics, conducted by the Center for Social Media. Aufderheide previously co-authored a ground-breaking study on the practices of Fair Use in documentary film. Now her team brings the same rigor to examining the ethical challenges of documentary, in the hopes of fostering greater attention to these issues.

Financing In Tough Times
This stellar panel spans many different ways of getting money, including Dan Cogan of Impact Partners on private philanthropy; Lois Vossen of ITVS on grants; and director Franny Armstrong of The Age of Stupid on how her team raised $1.3 million dollars largely from web donations.

Doc Roundtables
Monday, September 14 through to Wednesday, September 16; Twice Daily sessions from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Location: Match Club (5th Elementt Restaurant, 1055 Bay Street)

Now in its fourth year, TIFF’s Doc Roundtables create a rare chance for filmmakers to meet with industry leaders for an informal networking session. This year, industry participants include representatives from Sony Pictures Classics, HBO, Films Transit, Submarine Entertainment, SnagFilms, Zeitgeist Films, IFC Films, Emerging Pictures, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Lorber Media, and more.