Three feature films that move discussions beyond the scoreboard to issues such as women’s rights and safe sport will be screened at this year's edition of the Canadian Sport Film Festival in Toronto next week, festival organizers say.
“For 16 years, the Canadian Sport Film Festival has been screening films that reveal the powerful social issues that pervade sport,” festival founder Russell Field said.
“The 2024 films celebrate the ways in which sport can create safe, inclusive spaces for high performance athletes and newcomers embracing the benefits of community alike.”
The festival runs Nov. 7 to 9 at TIFF Lightbox on King Street West and also online from Nov. 7 to 17, the festival said in a release.
Right to Fight kicks off opening night Thursday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. by showcasing how a group of U.S. women boxers in the late-1970s overcame sexism, racism and homophobia.
A panel discussion will follow that will feature Lenay Browning, who challenged an Ontario ban on women’s boxing in the 1980s.
The festival continues Nov. 8 with Kelly – Someone Else’s Dream, a film about freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru. At age 13, Sildaru was the youngest ever Winter X-Games gold medalist. But behind the scenes she faced a dark secret: her father had allegedly mental and physical abused her as a child.
Shireen Ahmed of CBC Sports will join others in a post-screening panel discussion to discuss safe sport, coaching and parents’ role in sport.
The festival wraps on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. with Philippe, a Lake and a Dream, which follows the crazy ambition of swimming 32 kilometres across Lac Saint-Jean, Que.
Philippe, a sedentary father, challenges his teenage daughter to train with him and what follows is a "transformative journey of training, commitment, and resilience," the festival says.
Phillipe screens with U.S. documentary Ultimate Citizens, which profiles Jamshid Khajavi, a school counsellor in Seattle who uses the outdoors, play and the sport of ultimate frisbee to help children — many of them newcomers — find healing and belonging.
There will be a Q&A after that screening hosted by Olympic broadcaster Scott Russell.
The festival program also contains a number of selected short films including two about surfing: To Play (Nov. 9) and The Granny Grommets (Nov. 7).
All access festival passes are available online for $45. Single tickets are also available ($20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors) along with digital tickets. More details can be found at this link.
