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Three-day event from November 7 to 9 showcases three feature films at TIFF Lightbox

TORONTO – October 21, 2024 – The Canadian Sport Film Festival (CSFF) is proud to unveil its lineup for the 2024 edition of the event presenting three feature films on important topics that move discussions beyond the scoreboard such as women’s rights and safe sport. The Canadian film “Philippe, a lake and a dream,” along with “Right to Fight,” and “Kelly – Someone Else’s Dream,” highlight the festival’s feature and short films which run from November 7 to 9 at TIFF Lightbox and also online from November 7 to 17.

“For 16 years, the Canadian Sport Film Festival has been screening films that reveal the powerful social issues that pervade sport,” says CSFF founder, Russell Field. “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.”

“Right to Fight,” directed by Georgina Cammalleri, kicks off Opening Night on Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. by showcasing how a group of U.S. women boxers in the late-1970s overcame sexism, racism, and homophobia in their battle for the right to fight. The film showcases the contributions of Marian “Lady Tyger” Trimiar, Cathy “Cat” Davis, and “Pretty” Pat Pineda to the sport’s history has long been hidden and underrated.

A panel discussion will follow the screening which will feature Cammalleri, Pineda, Lanay Browning, who challenged an Ontario ban on women’s boxing in the early 1980s, and former Olympian Bruce Kidd, who chaired a committee in 1982-83 which recommended legalizing women’s boxing. The panel will discuss fighting barriers on women’s rights, activism, and the sport of boxing.

The festival continues Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m. with the screening of “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 caused mental and physical abuse during her childhood. Directed by Helen Lõhmus and Leana Jalukse, Sildaru’s story reveals the pressure young athletes face and the courage and resilience it takes to put their well-being.

Erin Willson, president of the Canadian Athlete Association, will join Lõhmus and Shireen Ahmed of CBC Sports for a panel discussion following the screening to discuss safe sport, coaching, and parents’ role in sport.

This year’s CSFF wraps on Saturday, November 9 at 7 p.m. with the screening of “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. Directed by Stéphanie Gagné, Philippe’s dream is a reminder that family, friends, and community are more important than ever reaching the finish line.

Philippe 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. Khajavi, along with director Francine Strickwerda, will participate in a Q&A with Stéphanie Gagné of “Philippe,” after that screening hosted by Olympic broadcasting great Scott Russell.

Along with “Ultimate Citizens,” the 2024 CSFF program contains a number of selected short films including two about surfing. “To Play” (Nov. 9) is a Canadian short film about a Nova Scotian surf coach bringing a 58-year-old man living with dementia on a surf lesson; while “The Granny Grommets” (Nov. 7) profiles a group of women who use surfing to build community and demonstrate that age is not a barrier to physical activity.

All access festival passes for the 2024 Canadian Sport Film Festival are available for purchase online for $45. Single tickets for individual films are also available online ($20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors) along with digital tickets. More details can be found at: www.sportfilmfestival.ca/2024-tickets

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About the Canadian Sport Film Festival

The CSFF aims to provoke dialogue on the power of sport to inspire social change, by sharing powerful personal and political stories about sport from around the world. It aspires to educate, engage and entertain audiences and communities throughout Canada.

Russell Field conceptualized and founded the festival in 2008 out of his passion for both sport and film – a passion reflected in his work as assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, where he teaches the course “Sport, Film, and Society.”

The Canadian Sport Film Festival is organized by committed volunteers and engages Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Follow CSFF on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for details on the latest events and screenings.