A closer look at 5 Canadian titles ahead of TIFF 2023

From age-old terrors to high school queer angst, Canadian films and series showcased at this year's TIFF offer a wide array of options even without the usual draw of A-listers.

TORONTO — From age-old terrors to high school queer angst, Canadian films and series showcased at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival offer a wide array of options even without the usual draw of A-listers.

Although the Hollywood actors’ strike has cast a shadow over the fest, it hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of both seasoned and emerging Canadian filmmakers as they promote their latest projects.

The Canadian Press spoke with five directors who are set to participate in the festival taking place from Sept. 7 to 17.

“In Flames” — Pakistani-Canadian director Zarrar Kahn’s Urdu-language film follows the death of a family patriarch whose loss upends the lives of a mother and daughter now haunted by ghosts. To overcome the malicious influences that loom over them, they must draw upon each other for strength and resilience.

Kahn, based in Canada but originally from Karachi, shaped his feature debut as an extension of his 2018 24-minute short “Dia.”

“My family moved back to Pakistan when I was a teenager, and I think the thing that really changed for me was seeing how much the lives of the women around me shifted while my life remained fairly unchanged,” says Kahn.

“That was the seed of the story I wanted to tell, all these incredible women around me working in Pakistan and achieving incredible things.”

“Fitting In” — Montreal-born director Molly McGlynn’s semi-autobiographical movie tells the story of a 16-year-old girl’s exploration of sex and pleasure, which is upended when she is diagnosed with a congenital condition that affects her reproductive organs.