Director Tracey Deer to get emerging talent award at Toronto film festival

TORONTO – Director Tracey Deer will receive an emerging talent award at next month’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The creator of the APTN TV series “Mohawk Girls” will be among the honourees at the TIFF Tribute Awards, which will be virtual this year due to COVID-19.

The emerging talent award celebrates a woman — selected by TIFF and MGM — who is making groundbreaking strides in the industry. It was previously called the Mary Pickford Award.

Deer will premiere her film “Beans” at the festival, which will run Sept. 10 to 19 with a mix of in-person and online experiences.

Her debut feature is about a young Mohawk girl during the Oka Crisis in 1990.

The TIFF Tribute Awards will air Sept. 15 on CTV and be streamed globally by Variety magazine.

Previously announced honourees include actors Kate Winslet and Anthony Hopkins, director Chloe Zhao, and filmmaker Mira Nair.

TIFF also announced a free, “In Conversation With…” virtual event with Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry on Sept. 11.

Berry will discuss her career and directorial debut, “Bruised,” which will screen at the festival.

Meanwhile, TIFF says its four Rising Stars this year are Sheila Atim, Rainbow Dickerson, Tanya Maniktala, and Madeleine Sims-Fewer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 24, 2020.