Werner Herzog, Morgan Spurlock and Sarah Palin Lead Toronto’s Doc Program
The Toronto International Film Festival announced a slew of new titles this morning, including 25 documentaries that includes work from Werner Herzog, Morgan Spurlock, Jessica Yu, Nick Broomfield, Wim Wenders, Jafar Panahi, Frederick Wiseman, Jonathan Demme, Alex Gibney, Mark Cousins and Gary Hustwit.
For a complete list of all films announced for Toronto so far, including films in all these programs, click here.
“I’m thrilled at the large number of veteran filmmakers who have brought us new works this year,” said Thom Powers, TIFF’s lead programmer for documentaries, in a statement. “The line-up contains a wide range of memorable characters – crusaders, convicts, artists, athletes, nude dancers, comic book fans, dog lovers and more. Not to mention the epic 15-hour Story of Film. These documentaries will have audiences discussing and debating for months to come.”
Herzog explores a triple homicide case in Texas in “Into the Abyss”; Morgan Spurlock follows fans to San Diego’s Comic-Con in “Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope”; Jessica Yu delivers a wake-up call about the world’s water supply in “Last Call at the Oasis”; and Nick Broomfield visits Wasilla, Alaska in his search for the “real” Sarah Palin in “Sarah Palin You Betcha!”
Other high-profile documentaries screening at this year’s edition include: “The Last Gladiators,” Alex Gibney‟s exploration of the rough-and-tumble world of hockey; “I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad and the Beautiful,” Jonathan Demme’s tale of an extraordinary woman as she returns home after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; “Urbanized,” Gary Hustwit’s global discussion about how the design of our cities affects our lives; “Pina,” Wim Wenders’ tribute to the inventive dance world of Pina Bausch; “The Story of Film: An Odyssey,” Mark Cousins’ epic 15-hour documentary that tells the story of innovation in the movies; and “This is not a Film,” a day-in-the-life portrait of filmmaker Jafar Panahi, under house arrest in Iran.
Also announced this morning were the festival’s Midnight Madness, Vanguard, City to City and TIFF Kids programs. For information on all those programs click here. For a complete list of all films announced for Toronto so far, including all 25 documentaries, click here.
The 36th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 8 to 18, 2011.
