One of this year’s most anticipated documentary screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, will make its TV and streaming debut this Wednesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem as part of The Passionate Eye.
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery unveils the untold story of the legendary music festival that defied industry norms. Created by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late 1990s, the all-women lineup directly challenged the systemic barriers that prevented women artists from sharing concert bills and receiving back-to-back radio airplay.
The film draws from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists – reuniting and featuring interviews from original Lilith Fair artists that include Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mya, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, and Emmylou Harris.
In addition, the documentary will also feature interviews from a new generation of artists who have carried the torch, including Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo.
The documentary celebrates the festival’s transformative legacy and massive impact, but also takes a deeper look, confronting the backlash it faced and examining what Lilith Fair means for a new generation.
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery is directed by Ally Pankiw (I Used to Be Funny) and produced by Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) and Christina Piovesan (The Whistleblower). The film will also be released on Hulu in the U.S. on September 21.
Other titles from this year’s TIFF hitting streaming include Swiped (beginning September 19 on Disney+) and the series Rise of the Raven (also on CBC Gem beginning September 19). Films that premiered last year at TIFF, available for streaming this month, include Friendship (now on Paramount+) and All of You (beginning September 26 on Apple TV+).
