Canadian films Solo, Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe and The Queen of My Dreams are among the titles that will travel coast-to-coast across Canada as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) expanded national film outreach programme.

TIFF announced Tuesday (Nov. 15) that it has expanded Film Circuit’s outreach to more than 100 locations since relaunching in 2022 after a two-year hiatus, and has added several new locations, including Invermere, B.C., Qualicum Beach, B.C., Yellowknife, and Fogo Island, N.L., according to a news release.

Film Circuit, which is now in its 33rd year, is also reintroducing its guest touring programme, which invites filmmakers and industry guests to travel across the country to introduce their films and participate in Q&A sessions, said the release.

The programme engages domestic community partners such as independent cinemas, art galleries, museums, and libraries, in an effort to expand the offering of films available to audiences in rural, remote, and underserved communities.

The Canadian films in Film Circuit’s latest slate include the Robert McCallum’s documentary Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe. The film, which won the People’s Choice Documentary Award at the 48th edition of TIFF, is produced by Toronto’s marblemedia, in association with CBC, Hawkeye Pictures and Pyre Productions.

Also included are: director Sophie Dupuis’ Solo (Bravo Charlie), which picked up Best Canadian Feature Film at TIFF this year; Fawzia Mirza’s The Queen of My Dreams (Shut Up & Colour Pictures, Baby Daal Productions); and Zaynê Akyol’s documentary Rojek (Metafilms), which is Canada’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry (Zapruder, Rhombus Media) and Indigenous filmmaker Banchi Hanuse’s doc Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun round out the Canadian selections.

Meanwhile, writer-director Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano’s A Difficult Year and Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall are among the international selections.

Film Circuit is supported by Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates and the Ontario Arts Council.

Photo of Solo courtesy of TIFF