What to know
- Rendezvous with Madness returns to Toronto from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1 for its 34th edition.
- This year’s theme, “Complexities of Care,” explores who provides care, who receives it and how factors including race, gender, class and disability shape those experiences.
- The schedule includes 12 film programs, panels and workshops at the CAMH Arrell Family Auditorium, Small World Centre and Workman Arts OFFSITE.
- Film tickets use a tiered pricing model, ranging from $13.67 to $29.53 for many screenings.
- The Community Conversations exhibition runs from Oct. 24 through Nov. 8, extending beyond the official festival dates.
- Workman Arts says festival programs include access supports such as active listeners and self-care resources for attendees who need them
Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, presented by Workman Arts, returns for its 34th edition from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1. featuring 12 films, a visual arts exhibition, workshops, panels and performances at the CAMH Auditorium and Small World Centre.
“We are an arts and film festival that focuses on subjects of mental health and addiction and features the work of artists that also have lived experience in that way,” Julian Diego, artistic director at Workman Arts, and the lead for the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, tells Now.
“Our theme this year is the complexities of care,” says Diego. “It’s just talking about how people perceive you, and the type of care that they think you should receive. We’re just trying to explore how does care operate in our society today.”
Submission opened internationally in May with a jury narrowing down the selection.
“We feature a lot of Canadian films, as well as films from around the world,” says Diego. The schedule is here.
Tickets are general admission and are offered in three prices: community supporter ($29.53 inc. fees and taxes), regular ($15 all-in), and arts worker ($13.67 all-in).
“Many people are experiencing hard times right now,” it states on the website. “We encourage you to choose the ticket price best suited for your needs. Please consider paying full price if you are able as it helps the sustainability of reduced rates for those who may be unable to otherwise access our programming.”
Diego says proceeds “goes to support Workman Arts, which is an arts agency that promotes a greater understanding of mental health and addiction, and for us to reduce stigma around that, and also feature really beautiful work by really talented artists.”
Workman Arts was founded in 1987 by former psychiatric nurse Lisa Brown. It began as a theatre group of eight artists at the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, now Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2014, for her contributions to the arts and mental health advocacy.
Today, Workman Arts brings together more than 500 artists and produces initiatives such as the Rendezvous with Madness Festival and the Being Scene juried art exhibition. In 2019, the organization was shortlisted for the Premier’s Arts Award.
