The 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, considered to be one of the most prestigious events within the movie industry, will take place from September 8 to 18 this year. Originally founded in 1976 by Bill Marshall, Dusty Cohl, and Henk Van del Kolk, its inaugural event had a lineup featuring 127 films and an attendance of 35,000 people. Since then, it has been growing by leaps and bounds throughout the years. So much so that, by 2016, its lineup already comprised 397 films from over 83 countries, with an estimated audience of 480,000 attendees.

Over the course of TIFF 2022’s 11-day, some of the most innovative productions and awards season contenders are expected to premiere, with films such as Viola Davis’ The Woman King and Alice, Darling, among many others. These titles are divided into 14 sections, such as Contemporary World Cinema, Discovery, Masters and Midnight Madness, to name a few. Documentaries stand out among the genres that will be featured, particularly in recent years, as in 2019, and for the very first time in the festival’s history, the event kicked off with a documentary screening of Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band. Some of the most outstanding documentaries presented at TIFF include, to mention just a few, The Five Obstructions, the Danish documentary by Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth, as well as The Rescue, by Oscar-winning filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. This article provides an overview of every documentary to be presented at TIFF 2022.

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Black Ice

     First Take Entertainment

Black Ice is a Canadian documentary directed by Hubert Davis and produced by Vinay Virmani that is scheduled to premiere at TIFF 2022. This production explores the history of anti-Black racism within hockey, from the 19th Century segregated leagues to how Black athletes experience this today, as they still face intolerance. It is based on Darril and George Fosty’s 2004 book Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925. According to the documentary’s producer, it will make audiences reconsider many aspects of a sport that is often glorified, yet hides so many things that shouldn’t be happening. Renowned athlete LeBron James, Drake, and Maverick Carter were involved in the project as executive producers.

Free Money

     Insignia Films

The documentary film by Sam Soko and Lauren DeFilippo, Free Money, details the largest experiment ever conducted on universal basic income. Every adult in a Kenyan village is sorted into one of three groups and is given, according to his or her group, a certain amount of money by an American organization. Villagers are allowed to spend their money however they wish, with no restrictions, so long as they are frank when answering the survey checks. The film depicts the consequences of the experiment, both intended and unintended, which could completely reshape how we share the world’s wealth.

Good Night Oppy

Director and producer Ryan White, best known for the 2017 documentary web series The Keepers, headlines this new American production entitled Good Night Oppy. This upcoming documentary film focuses on the exploration rover Opportunity, dubbed Oppy, and its 15-year journey across Mars. This rover was only expected to live for 90 solar days on Mars, but its voyage extended well beyond that, forging an even deeper connection with its team of creators, scientists, and the project’s engineers.

LIDO TV

     CBC

Colombian-Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter Lido Pimienta created and now hosts LIDO TV, a unique variety show that explores diverse topics, ranging from colonialism to feminism, passing through beauty and many others, aiming to entertain and empower viewers to cope with a world that sometimes seems to be falling apart. The show features comedy sketches, interviews, documentaries, animations, and even puppets, with guests such as Nelly Furtado, co-founder of the NorBlack NorWhite textile project, Mriga Kapadiya, and music bands Shad and Kittie, to name just a few.

Sidney

     AppleTV+

Sidney is a documentary that showcases the career and legacy of the late Sidney Poitier, an actor and activist who forever changed the meaning of being Black in America. Poitier was one of the last major stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, and the first African-American actor, as well as the first Bahamian, to win an Academy Award for Best Actor (as outlined by PEOPLE). Directed by Reginald Hudlin, the documentary features testimonials from industry superstars such as Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, and Spike Lee.

The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile

     Sony Pictures Classics

Kathlyn Horan helmed and produced The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile, a documentary to be screened at TIFF 2022 under the Special Presentations section. This emotional feature covers the eagerly awaited comeback of American country music singer and songwriter Tanya Tucker to the studio to work on a brand-new album after 17 years, collaborating with singer Brandi Carlile.