By Reginald Ponder | I’ve been a film critic for quite a while, and attending film festivals is fun—and hectic. Understanding that we can’t all be there, I become the eyes, ears and energy for my community.
Fresh back from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I can tell you that film festivals are a moviegoer’s playground. With nearly 300 films and events over 11 days, plus red carpets, press conferences, industry seminars and, yes, parties, there’s something for everyone.
The “Movies Are All the Same” Myth
I’ve heard people ask, “Why do all the movies feel the same?” The reality is, they aren’t. We simply don’t always support the films that are different, making it harder for unique stories to reach the big screen. Come on, y’all know demand influences supply!
At TIFF, I challenged myself to watch more non-English-language films. Congo Boy, directed by Rafiki Fariala, follows a young refugee caring for his four siblings while balancing his education with dreams of becoming a rapper. Although his circumstances may be different from ours, the desire to succeed and create a better life is universal.
Set in Lagos and inspired by Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, Clarissa, starring Sophie Okonedo and David Oyelowo, explores love, friendship, status and the choices that shape our lives.
Films such as Zjili: A Story of Sisterhood and the Burdens of Excess and The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives offered yet another perspective on women, survival, family and society.
The lesson? Add one or two films to your viewing menu that might shake up your taste buds. The world of film is as vast as the world itself.
Where’s the Black Love?
I’m always searching for Black love on screen—romantic, familial or friendly.
Misty Green, written and directed by Chris Rock, examines Hollywood through a talented actress fighting for a second act. Rosalind Eleazar is magnetic and infuriating as Misty, making you root for her and pity her at the same time. It’s funny in moments but serious about family, fame and fortune.
In Prima Facie, Cynthia Erivo portrays an accomplished barrister who has defended men accused of sexual assault. After she is assaulted by a colleague, she must rely on the same legal system she once navigated successfully as a defense attorney. The film raises powerful questions about how sexual-assault victims are treated within the justice system.
Overall, the African films saved the day when it came to depicting Black-on-Black love. That’s not to say Misty Green and Prima Facie aren’t worthy of your attention. I’m just saying that, like you, I want to see our love on the big screen—and I notice when it’s absent.
Where Are All the Black People?
While we haven’t “arrived,” we are definitely in the room.
Black actors played significant roles in many of the movies I viewed, including films that weren’t necessarily considered “Black films.” Halle Bailey has a supporting role in Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut, while Chase Infiniti leads The Julia Set, written and directed by Niki Byrne, with Chloe Bailey among the supporting cast.
Black folks are working, and it’s refreshing to see us in stories representing Black life both within and outside our community.
Living the Festival
I arrived in Toronto on a Thursday, dropped my bags and rushed to two movies. I was running ever since.
The first weekend was electric, with a major portion of King Street filled with moviegoers traveling between venues, food trucks and festival activities.
I covered the red carpet for The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, where the cast revealed little except that the fourth wife causes a chain reaction that changes the household forever. And the African garb was to die for!
At Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, I shared a powerful moment with cast member Giancarlo Esposito and spoke with John Cho about the film’s meaning. At Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, director Barry Avrich discussed Love’s extraordinary musical talent and why her story needed to be told. Producer Taraji P. Henson was also there.
Five days.
100,000 steps.
Five hours of sleep per night.
Twelve movies totaling 26 hours.
Six hours of press events.
And countless minutes trying to get tickets.
What an experience!
I don’t expect everyone to tackle a festival the way I did. Pick a few movies. Try something outside your comfort zone. Discover a filmmaker you’ve never heard of or a story from a country you’ve never visited.
And if there’s a film festival you’ve been thinking about attending, stop hesitating and go.
Because if you can flow, then you should flow.
So now you know.