The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its 2017 documentary lineup, which features the world premieres of a handful of films we’ve been following that spotlight black cultural icons figures, including Sophie Fiennes’ Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami (photo above) a film that captures the legendary performer on and off stage, which will open TIFF Docs.

Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me — *Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me*

In addition, there’s Sam Pollard’s Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me on the complex career of the multi-talented Rat Pack performer; Kate Novack’s The Gospel According to André on the trend-setting fashion writer André Leon Talley; and Sara Driver’s BOOM FOR REAL: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, on the formative years of the acclaimed artist.

*BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat*

There’s also Hawa Essuman’s Silas, which portrays Liberian activist Silas Siakor; The Final Year, in which cameras follow key foreign policy makers in Barack Obama’s administration.

Finally, the TIFF Docs closing film is Emmanuel Gras’ Makala, which won the Grand Jury prize at Cannes’ Critics Week and portrays the heroic struggles of a subsistence laborer in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Resistance is a key theme in this year’s documentaries,” said TIFF Docs Programmer Thom Powers. “We pay witness to rebels challenging the status quo in art, politics, sexuality, religion, fashion, sports and entertainment. They speak powerfully to our times as audiences seek inspirations for battling powerful and corrupt systems.”

For the full TIFF Docs 2017 lineup, visit Tiff.net.

Sammy Davis

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week