TORONTO, January 26, 2012 – The ninth annual Canadian Art Reel Artists Film Festival (RAFF) returns with another selection of bold documentaries, this year with a focus on revolutionary artists. Go behind the scenes of internationally renowned exhibitions, and into the studios of some of the world’s most interesting visual artists. The festival runs from February 22–26, 2012, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
The weekend kicks off with the much-anticipated Canadian premiere screening of Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present. Director Matthew Akers’ feature-length documentary takes us inside the world of Marina Abramović, one of the most compelling artists of our time. The film is an intimate portrait of the radical performance artist as she prepares for a career-defining retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Testing her mental and physical limits with shocking, evocative and sometimes dangerous performances, Abramović has been challenging the way people think about art for nearly 40 years. Following the screening, the artist and filmmakers will engage in a live discussion.
We are delighted to present this year’s selection of RAFF films to our dedicated audience. “Over the past year, we have sought out the very best documentaries on visual art and artists,” says Canadian Art Foundation Executive Director and Canadian Art magazine Publisher Ann Webb. “The festival continues to grow, with 20 films profiling Canadian and international artists who work in all media.”
Advance screeners of festival films are available to the media upon request. Interviews are available with several directors, artists and with Ann Webb, Executive Director of the Canadian Art Foundation.
Festival Programming
In its ninth year, RAFF continues to offer Toronto audiences rich and diverse programming. In addition to the Opening Night Screening and Celebration, the 2012 festival includes 20 films (among them, a world premiere, four North American premieres, two Canadian premieres and three Toronto premieres); a new series of shorts; film introductions by members of Toronto’s art community; a Free Filmmakers Panel; and a free month-long video installation in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium.
For full program details, please visit: canadianart.ca/raff/schedule or
Download Program Brochure (PDF)
Artists and Activism:
Drawing on themes of resistance, this year’s festival spotlights the works of convention-breaking artists. Oliviero Toscani: The Rage of Images tackles the work of the “anti-advertising” pioneer best known worldwide for designing controversial ad campaigns for Italian fashion label Benetton; Portrait of Resistance: The Art and Activism of Carole Condé & Karl Beveridge, features the extraordinary staged photography and community-engaged practice of the Toronto-based artist-activists; HOW ARE YOU follows the 15-year-long artistic and domestic partnership of often-controversial Scandinavian installation-art duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset.
German Contingent
Acclaimed artist and filmmaker Rebecca Horn’s self-directed documentary, Moon Mirror Journey, reflects on some of her most important work over the last 25 years; Gerhard Richter Painting offers a rare look inside the internationally renowned artist’s studio; while three North American premieres profile influential German post-war photographers. Candida Höfer reflects on the artist’s decades-long career producing large-scale photographs of empty interiors, social spaces and public institutions; Thomas Struth examines the artist’s extraordinarily detailed large-format photographs exploring industry and globalization; Thomas Ruff shows a range of the artist’s multi-faceted body of work, including his new “ma.r.s.” series, involving manipulated images of the planet Mars taken by a satellite camera.
NEW: Curated Shorts Series
A collection of short films—all of which originated online—are grouped together and introduced as part of RAFF’s first-ever curated shorts series. Highlights include festival premieres of “Shary Boyle: Heartburn Porcelain,” which explores the deeply personal practice of the Toronto-based artist, whose fantastical porcelain figurines challenge ideas of gender and politics; and “Christine Sun Kim, A Selby Film,” Todd Selby’s atmospheric and intimate portrait of the deaf, experimental sound artist. A second series of shorts transports audiences to London’s South Bank, with four Tate Modern–commissioned shorts journeying behind-the-scenes with profiles of artists and their featured exhibitions.
Free Events
The Reel Artists Film Festival and Point of View magazine co-present a Free Filmmakers Panel on Friday, February 24, that will explore the controversial issues surrounding the documentary depiction of artists’ work through their personal lives. The festival, in association with TIFF, will also present free daily screenings of artist and filmmaker Jem Cohen’s Occupy Wall St. Newsreels in the TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium from February 22 to March 23.
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OPENING NIGHT SCREENING & CELEBRATION
When: Wednesday, February 22, 2012, 6:00 PM Pre-screening cocktail dinner reception 8:00 PM Screening of Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present 10:00 PM Post-screening celebration
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto
Who: Artist Marina Abramović, director Matthew Akers, producers Jeff Dupre and Maro Chermayeff will be present. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Canadian Art Foundation Executive Director Ann Webb, the artist and filmmakers.
Tickets & Availability: Tickets are $195 in advance only, and include admission. Available at canadianart.ca/raff/tickets or by phone at 416-368-8854 ext. 101, 9am–5pm, Monday through Friday. Please note that on Sunday, February 26 at 5:30pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox there will be an encore screening of Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present. Marina Abramović is represented by Sean Kelly Gallery, New York.
RAFF FESTIVAL WEEKEND OF SCREENINGS
When: Thursday, February 23, 2012 to Sunday, February 26, 2012
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto
Tickets & Availbility: Single tickets are $12 general admission; $8 for students/seniors with valid ID Festival passes are $85 and are good for all screenings except for Opening Night.
Order festival passes and single tickets online at canadianart.ca/raff/tickets, by phone at 416 599-TIFF (8433) and 1-888-599-8433 (toll free) or in person at TIFF Bell Lightbox Box Office, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto. 10am–10m daily.
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PROGRAM
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REEL ARTISTS FILM FESTIVAL
Established in 2004, the Reel Artists Film Festival (RAFF) is North America’s only film festival dedicated to documentaries on visual art and artists. A bold and tightly curated selection of illuminating documentaries on Canadian and international visual artists, RAFF seeks to demystify visual art by allowing audiences to consider the key personalities and thinking behind contemporary art. RAFF appeals to a wide cross-section of audiences, including artists, documentary film fans, students, educators, and the art-interested public. canadianart.ca/raff
About the Canadian Art Foundation
Since its establishment in 1991, the Canadian Art Foundation has grown to deliver numerous educational programs in addition to the publication of Canadian Art magazine. This diversity now makes the Canadian Art Foundation the ultimate portal for the exposure of visual arts in Canada. All our efforts are dedicated to providing a destination for artists and art enthusiasts to connect and be inspired by art, in turn creating greater local, national and global visibility for the extraordinary artistic talent in Canada. canadianart.ca/foundation
The Canadian Art Foundation extends its sincere thanks to our festival sponsors and supporters: 
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Media Contact
Amy Burstyn-Fritz
(416) 532 9035
