Creative Process Behind Animated Feature Films - Toronto International Film Festival
Release Date: 12/25/2025
Female Desire & Sundance Success: Chloé Robichaud on Her Sexy New Film 'Two Women'
She's All Over the Place
The Hilarious and Sexy New Film Will Be Coming to Theaters April 24! Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, is an irrepressible comedy about two mothers who refuse to settle for stagnant lives and instead pursue the joy they need to feel alive and fulfilled. When neighbors Violette (Laurence Leboeuf) and Florence (Karine Gonthier-Hyndman) bond over the ennui of parenthood, they realize that the solution to reviving their joie de vivre may be in listening to their libidos. As the two start finding sex in unexpected places, they examine the larger unfulfilled...
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Cate Shortland (Somersault) on Female Filmmaking, Vulnerability & Finding Your Voice
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On this episode of She’s All Over the Place, host Katie Chonacas sits down with acclaimed filmmaker Cate Shortland, director and pioneering voice for women behind the camera, to discuss her landmark debut feature Somersault. Originally nominated for Un Certain Regard and the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Somersault follows teenage Heidi, who escapes home after a traumatic encounter and attempts to rebuild her identity in a frozen ski town. Through isolation, longing, and fragile connection, the film explores adolescence, intimacy, and the human need for belonging. We go far...
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MEDUZA: The Ukrainian Actor Who Became a Real Sniper | Roc Morin
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Filmmaker Roc Morin on following soldier and actor Pavlo Aldoshyn during the war in Ukraine What happens when an actor who once played a sniper in a movie becomes a real sniper in war? In this episode of She’s All Over the Place, host Katie Chonacas speaks with director Roc Morin about the documentary MEDUZA, a powerful film following Ukrainian actor Pavlo Aldoshyn from the first days of the 2022 invasion through two years on the front lines. Before the war, Pavlo was known for the film White Raven and as a contestant on Ukraine’s version of The Voice. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he was...
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The Story Behind Diane Keaton’s Documentary Heaven (New HD Restoration) | Producer Arnie Holland
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Diane Keaton’s first feature as a director wasn’t a romantic comedy — it was an existential documentary about the afterlife. On this episode of She’s All Over the Place, host Katie Chonacas sits down with producer Arnie Holland to discuss the 2026 HD remaster and re-release of Heaven, Diane Keaton’s unconventional documentary exploring what people truly believe happens after death. Originally released to critical curiosity and now restored for modern audiences, Heaven blends interviews, film clips, and music to examine religion, Hollywood mythology, and humanity’s fascination with...
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Curtis Institute of Music Sexual Abuse Exposed | Dear Lara Documentary & Survivor Testimony
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Content Warning: This episode discusses sexual abuse and institutional failure. Listener discretion advised. Why can’t parents find this when they search the Curtis Institute of Music? In this episode, we examine Dear Lara, the powerful new social justice documentary from world-renowned violinist and filmmaker Lara St. John, which premiered nationally at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). The film documents St. John’s public account of sexual assault she endured at age 14 while a student at the Curtis Institute of Music—first reported by The Philadelphia...
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Blake Winston Rice | Toronto Film Festival Premiere Director of DISC
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Blake Winston Rice joins She’s All Over the Place to discuss the world premiere of his latest short film DISC at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival. Blake is an award-winning writer-director whose breakout short Tea premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, with Patty Jenkins serving as Executive Producer. Since Cannes, Tea has screened at 13 Oscar-qualifying festivals, earned multiple awards, and is now a Vimeo Staff Pick streaming on Kanopy. In this conversation, Blake breaks down: The making of DISC, starring Jim Cummings (Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow) and...
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Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League at TIFF | Amadou Gallo Fall
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A deep dive into the Basketball Africa League’s impact on sports, culture, talent development, and media, featuring insights from BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi. In 2019, a longtime dream for many became a reality when the National Basketball Association (NBA) committed to launching the Basketball Africa League (BAL). With 12 teams from the continent representing nations including Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and Rwanda, the league would showcase the diversity of culture, talent, and love for basketball across Africa while providing a pathway for youth to play...
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Artist Journal: Psychological Isolation & the Loss of Belonging
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The Long Way Home: When Soviet Rock Met the West
She's All Over the Place
In this episode of She's All Over the Place, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit and chat with the producer, Steven Lawrence, to explore The Long Way Home: Remastered and Expanded (2026) Michael Apted’s long-lost documentary about Soviet underground rock legend Boris Grebenshchikov and his extraordinary 1988 journey from Leningrad to the West during the early days of Glasnost. Filmed at a moment of rare optimism inside the USSR, the documentary follows Grebenshchikov as he records an album with Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), alongside Annie Lennox, Chrissie Hynde, Ray Cooper, and Crosby,...
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Filmmakers “Steal Away” | Clement Virgo & Tamara Faith Berger | TIFF
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Join me on She’s All Over The Place as I sit down with director Clement Virgo and writer Tamara Faith Berger to explore the making of the psychological thriller “Steal Away”, which premiered at TIFF. We dive into the film’s lush, intense world of teen drama, desire, and power, adapted from the non-fiction book Steal Away Home. Hear insights into the creative process, casting decisions with Angourie Rice and Mallori Johnson, and how the film illuminates untold histories of female power and systemic cruelty. If you’re a filmmaker, actor, or creative, this episode gives a...
info_outlineI had the grand opportunity to cover the 50th Aniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival. With animation being one of my favourite topics in the world, I am grateful that I was able to join this epic conversation and now share it with you. :)
DIALOGUES: Creative Visions in Animated Feature Films is a specific TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) event/panel where acclaimed directors like Domee Shi (Pixar's Elio), Mamoru Hosoda (Belle, Summer Wars), and Momoko Seto (Dandelion's Odyssey) discuss balancing artistic vision with studio realities, creative authorship, and the future of bold animation, showcasing diverse global perspectives. This dialogue offers insights into the challenges and triumphs of making visionary animated features, featuring both indie and major studio voices.
From intimate, auteur-driven projects to collaborations with major studios, discover how directors Domee Shi (Elio), Momoko Seto (Dandelion’s Odyssey), Mamoru Hosoda (Scarlet), and Kid Koala (Space Cadet) balance artistic integrity with industry realities, and what it takes to make animated films that captivate audiences and spark global imaginations. Join us for a candid conversation about creative authorship, industry pressures, and the evolving space for bold, visionary animation.
Domee Shi began as a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios in 2011 and was soon hired as a story artist on the Academy Award–winning Inside Out. She went on to work on The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4. In 2015, she was greenlit to write and direct Bao, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. She made her feature directorial debut with 2022’s Oscar-nominated Turning Red and most recently co-directed Elio, released June 2025. Born in Chongqing, China, and raised in Toronto, Shi now lives in Oakland, California.
Momoko Seto was born in Tokyo and lives in Paris. She studied at Le Fresnoy - National Studio of Contemporary Arts. Her short film series Planet includes Planet Z (11) and Planet Sigma (15). The winner of the FIPRESCI Award at Cannes Critics’ Week, Dandelion’s Odyssey (25) is her feature film debut.
Mamoru Hosoda was born in Toyama, Japan. He has worked on numerous animated series and directed the features One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (05), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (06), Summer Wars (09), Wolf Children (12), The Boy and the Beast (15) which played at the Festival, Mirai (18), and Belle (21). Scarlet (25) is his latest film.
Kid Koala (Eric San) is a Montreal-based DJ, composer, and graphic novelist. He directed Space Cadet, his first animated feature based on his graphic novel, which premiered at the Berlinale and will have its North American Premiere at TIFF 50. Known for genre-defying albums and live shows, he has also scored acclaimed films, series, and video games.
Moderator
Theresa Scandiffio is the Associate Dean of Animation and Game Design at Sheridan College. Prior to joining Sheridan, Scandiffio led archival and curatorial projects at museums, festivals, and universities in Toronto, Chicago, and Orlando. From 2010–2020, Scandiffio was a member of the programming team that launched the Toronto International Film Festival’s year-round home, TIFF Lightbox, where she led the Learning, Heritage, and Community Outreach divisions. Scandiffio served as an Ontario delegate for the 2015 Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference and was a 2017 Civic Action DiverseCity Fellow. She received her PhD in Cinema and Media studies from the University of Chicago.
- Domee Shi: Elio (Pixar)
- Momoko Seto: Dandelion's Odyssey (Indie/Artistic)
- Mamoru Hosoda: Scarlet (Japan's Studio Chizu)
- Kid Koala: Space Cadet (Independent)
- Creative Authorship vs. Industry: How directors maintain their unique style within large production environments.
- Industry Pressures: Navigating financial and commercial demands in animation.
- Evolving Landscape: The growing space for unique, visionary animation.
- Global Perspectives: Highlighting both auteur-driven projects and major studio collaborations.
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