August 13, 2019
The following is a combination of press releases from the Toronto International Film Festival:
The 44th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15, 2019.
TIFF Co-Heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente today announced the second set of selections in the Gala and Special Presentations programmes screening this September at the 44th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
“We’re thrilled to announce this second wave of Galas and Special Presentations, which I believe are some of the most compelling in the lineup,” said Bailey, Artistic Director and Co-Head of TIFF. “Audiences will be delighted by the artistry present in this year’s splashiest sections.”
“Our TIFF programmers have given us a lot to look forward to this year,” said Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head of TIFF. “These final films add even more emotional resonance and gravitas to this year’s already stellar lineup.”
These films round out the Gala and Special Presentations programmes for a total of 20 and 55 films, respectively.
GALAS
The Aeronauts
Directed by Tom Harper | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
The Burnt Orange Heresy
Directed by Giuseppe Capotondi | USA/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
American Son
Directed by Kenny Leon | USA
World Premiere
Deerskin (Le Daim)
Directed by Quentin Dupieux | France
International Premiere
Dirt Music
Directed by Gregor Jordan | United Kingdom/Australia
World Premiere
The Elder One (Moothon)
Directed by Geetu Mohandas | India
World Premiere
Guns Akimbo
Directed by Jason Lei Howden | Germany/New Zealand
World Premiere
Human Capital
Directed by Marc Meyers | USA
World Premiere
Jungleland
Directed by Max Winkler | USA
World Premiere
Lucy in the Sky
Directed by Noah Hawley | USA
World Premiere
Lyrebird
Directed by Dan Friedkin | USA
International Premiere
Mosul
Directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan | USA
North American Premiere
Seberg
Directed by Benedict Andrews | USA/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sibyl
Directed by Justine Triet | France/Belgium
North American Premiere
SYNCHRONIC
Directed by Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson | USA
World Premiere
The Truth (La vérité)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda | France/Japan
North American Premiere
Wasp Network
Directed by Olivier Assayas | France, Brazil, Spain, Belgium
North American Premiere
Waves
Directed by Trey Edward Shults | USA
International Premiere
Albert Shin’s Clifton Hill was previously announced as part of the Special Presentations programme.
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/galas and tiff.net/specialpresentations.
MASTERS
The Toronto International Film Festival® has revealed the 11 films that will comprise the 2019 Masters programme, with Brad Deane assuming the role of Lead Programmer. Deane continues in his role as Director of TIFF Cinematheque and as a member of the Festival’s Platform Selection Committee.
Featuring films set in Asia, Europe, North America, and Central America, the Masters lineup has titles that run the gamut, from dramatic true stories to dark comedies, from a black-and-white narrative to a documentary film, with a healthy dose of introspection and socio-political commentary throughout. The slate will bring two World Premieres to Toronto.
“One of the most exciting things about leading the vision for this programme so far has been the opportunity to explore what defines a Master and the role that these directors play in pushing the future of cinema forward,” said Deane. “I made it a priority to bring filmmakers into the fold that haven’t previously screened in this programme so their films can play alongside some of the more established names. By looking at the films in the programme, it’s apparent that mastering the form is only the jumping-off point for unique and powerful storytelling, and I am looking forward to the discussions that will emerge among Toronto audiences about what makes a master.”
In Devil Between the Legs, Arturo Ripstein directs a script written by his wife, Paz Alicia Garciadiego, about a warring old couple and their maid, who eventually takes matters into her own hands. Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson will come back to the Festival with About Endlessness, a series of vignettes documenting our lack of awareness.
American-Canadian Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin will premiere her latest documentary, Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger, about the long struggle of Indigenous activists to ensure equitable access to government-funded services for First Nations children. British legend Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You presents a bittersweet tale of the gig economy in modern-day England.
Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor is a biographical drama about Tommaso Buscetta, a mafia informant whose testimony led to the largest prosecution of the Sicilian Mafia in Italian history. To the Ends of the Earth, the latest from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, tells the story of an introverted travel-show host on assignment in Uzbekistan.
There are five first-timers in Masters this year. A Hidden Life, a portrait of Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious Austrian who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II, will mark American director Terrence Malick’s first time attending the Festival in this category. Angela Schanelec’s I Was at Home, But… chronicles the aftermath of a 13-year-old student’s disappearance and his mysterious reappearance. Zombi Child, from France’s Bertrand Bonello, spans 55 years, jumping between 1962 Haiti and present-day Paris and dealing with the repercussions of colonialism. In The Whistlers, from Romanian New Wave director Corneliu Porumboiu, a corrupt cop travels to the Spanish island of La Gomera, home to a secret whistling language. And Elia Suleiman stars in his latest film, It Must Be Heaven, a dark comedy centred on a man who leaves Palestine only to find that his problems follow him everywhere he goes.
Films screening as part of the Masters programme include:
A Hidden Life
Directed by Terrence Malick | USA/Germany
Canadian Premiere
About Endlessness
Directed by Roy Andersson | Sweden/Germany/Norway
North American Premiere
Devil Between the Legs (El Diablo entre las Piernas)
Directed by Arturo Ripstein | Mexico/Spain
World Premiere
I Was at Home, But… (Ich war zuhause, aber…)
Directed by Angela Schanelec | Germany/Serbia
North American Premiere
It Must Be Heaven
Directed by Elia Suleiman | France/Qatar/Germany/Canada/Palestine/Turkey
North American Premiere
Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger
Directed by Alanis Obomsawin | Canada
World Premiere
Sorry We Missed You
Directed by Ken Loach | United Kingdom/France/Belgium
North American Premiere
To the Ends of the Earth (Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari)
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Japan/Uzbekistan/Qatar
North American Premiere
The Traitor
Directed by Marco Bellocchio | Italy
North American Premiere
The Whistlers
Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu | Romania/France/Germany
North American Premiere
Zombi Child
Directed by Bertrand Bonello | France
North American Premiere
Alanis Obomsawin’s Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger was previously announced.
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/masters
CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA
The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival® unveiled today the lineup for its 2019 Contemporary World Cinema (CWC) programme. The rich slate of titles from 48 countries features a wide range of thought-provoking stories that delve into cultural issues and social struggles in poetic and captivating ways. Introducing 21 works directed and co-directed by women, this year’s edition of CWC focuses on fractured families, self-exploration, female-driven narratives, and the consequences of social and political crises.
“Contemporary World Cinema is a place where different cultures meet,” said Kiva Reardon, International Programmer and new Lead Programmer for the section. “The vision for the programme is to help expand the cinematic canon and push the definition of what has previously been deemed as fundamental. This is a selection of essential, urgent cinema. It has been a pleasure to work with my fellow programmers in this new role to offer bold stories and invigorating films that ask our audiences to reflect on their position in the world.”
“Contemporary World Cinema is the heartbeat of the Festival,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head. “This is where audiences feel the pulse of what’s happening now all around the world in screen storytelling. It takes a strong curatorial vision to shape that vast variety of films. I’m glad we have Kiva Reardon on the job as CWC Lead Programmer.”
With contributions from Cameron Bailey, Brad Deane, Giovanna Fulvi, Steve Gravestock, Dorota Lech, Michael Lerman, Michèle Maheux, Diana Sanchez, and Ravi Srinivasan, Reardon has decided to emphasize the importance of showing the current state of the world through the lens of international, deeply talented filmmakers who help guide us through the reality of our social and political environments.
The African continent is represented in the lineup by eight films beaming with creativity. Opening the programme is Atiq Rahimi’s third feature, Our Lady of the Nile, which follows a group of Rwandan girls in a Catholic boarding school. The bewitching work, which boasts hypnotic cinematography, foreshadows the country’s 1994 genocide. The programme also serves as a platform for acclaimed regional projects such as Jenna Bass’ South African road movie Flatland, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Knuckle City, Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche’s Terminal Sud, and Amjad Abu Alala’s mystical You Will Die at Twenty.
Winner of the Grand Prix in Cannes, Mati Diop’s exploration of migration, Atlantics, leads a bold wave of films exploring pressing global issues: Guatemalan director Jayro Bustamante presents an examination of his country’s political wounds with La Llorona, in which civil war victims haunt their torturer’s life; Laos’ first and only female director to ever present a film at TIFF, Mattie Do, couples family loss and time-travelling in The Long Walk; and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu offers a daring allegory on toxic masculinity in a remote Indian village. Other award-winning films included in the slate are Synonyms, the Golden Bear–winning film from Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, and the recipients of the 2019 Cannes Jury Prize: French director Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables and the Brazilan film Bacurau, co-directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles.
This year’s CWC slate is also rich in contributions from internationally renowned actors — both in front of and behind the camera — with Mexican actor Gael García Bernal’s second film as director, Chicuarotes; Austrian performer Karl Markovics’s third feature, Nobadi; Dutch actor-turned-director Halina Reijn’s Instinct; and an extraordinary performance from Iranian icon Golshifteh Farahani in Manele Labidi’s Arab Blues. Produced by US powerhouse Jada Pinkett Smith, Minhal Baig’s Hala is a coming-of-age story about an American Muslim teenager trying to balance her relationship with her strict parents and her own desires. The film is inspired by Baig’s own life and brings to the screen a fresh look at the teen experience.
Other highlights in the programme study the complexity of family dynamics, such as Taiwanese Chung Mong-Hong’s lyrical A Sun, which focuses on a fractured father–son relationship. Balloon, directed by Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden, tells the conflicting struggles of a family dealing with China’s one-child policy. And Yaron Zilberman returns to TIFF with the World Premiere of Incitement, the first-ever fiction film to depict the cataclysmic assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Spotlighting the struggles and triumphs of women in societies around the world are: Maryam Touzani’s domestic epic Adam; Hikari’s 37 Seconds, which follows a young manga artist who uses her craft as a tool of self-discovery; and Sharipa Urazbayeva’s Mariam, the story of a strong Kazakhstani mother and her drive to help her family survive. Films centring on working-class women include internationally acclaimed Bengali director Rubaiyat Hossain’s Made in Bangladesh, which follows a factory worker fighting for dignity in the world of fast fashion; The County, from Cannes prize–winning Icelandic director Grímur Hákonarson; and Edward Burns’ intriguing family portrait Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies.
Films screening as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme include:
37 Seconds
Directed by Hikari | Japan/USA
Canadian Premiere
Adam
Directed by Maryam Touzani | Morocco/France/Belgium
North American Premiere
Arab Blues (Un Divan à Tunis)
Directed by Manele Labidi | France
North American Premiere
Atlantics
Directed by Mati Diop | France/Senegal/Belgium
North American Premiere
Atlantis
Directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych | Ukraine
North American Premiere
Bacurau Kleber
Directed by Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles | Brazil
North American Premiere
Balloon (Qi Qiu)
Directed by Pema Tseden | China
North American Premiere
The Barefoot Emperor
Directed by Jessica Woodworth, Peter Brosens | Belgium/Netherlands/Croatia/Bulgaria
World Premiere
Beanpole (Dylda)
Directed by Kantemir Balagov | Russia
North American Premiere
Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies
Directed by Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere
Blow the Man Down
Directed by Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole | USA
International Premiere
Bombay Rose
Directed by Gitanjali Rao | India/United Kingdom/Qatar
North American Premiere
Chicuarotes
Directed by Gael García Bernal | Mexico
North American Premiere
The Climb
Directed by Michael Angelo Covino | USA
Canadian Premiere
Corpus Christi (Boze Cialo)
Directed by Jan Komasa | Poland/France
North American Premiere
The County (Héraðið)
Directed by Grímur Hákonarson | Iceland/Denmark/Germany/France
International Premiere
Dogs Don’t Wear Pants (Koirat eivät käytä housuja)
Directed by J-P Valkeapää | Finland/Latvia
North American Premiere
The Father (Bashtata)
Directed by Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva | Bulgaria/Greece/Italy
North American Premiere
Flatland
Directed by Jenna Bass | South Africa/Luxembourg/Germany
North American Premiere
A Girl Missing (Yokogao)
Directed by Koji Fukada | Japan/France
North American Premiere
Hala
Directed by Minhal Baig | USA
Canadian Premiere
Henry Glassie: Field Work
Directed by Pat Collins | Ireland
World Premiere
Incitement
Directed by Yaron Zilberman | Israel
World Premiere
Instinct
Directed by Halina Reijn | Netherlands
North American Premiere
The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (A Vida Invisível de Eurídice Gusmão)
Directed by Karim Aïnouz | Brazil/Germany
North American Premiere
Jallikattu Lijo
Directed by Jose Pellissery | India
World Premiere
Knuckle City
Directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka | South Africa
International Premiere
La Llorona
Directed by Jayro Bustamante | Guatemala/France
North American Premiere
Les Misérables
Directed by Ladj Ly | France
North American Premiere
The Long Walk (Bor Mi Vanh Chark)
Directed by Mattie Do | Laos/Spain/Singapore
North American Premiere
Made in Bangladesh
Directed by Rubaiyat Hossain | France/Bangladesh/Denmark/Portugal
World Premiere
Mariam
Directed by Sharipa Urazbayeva | Kazakhstan
North American Premiere
Maria’s Paradise (Marian paratiisi)
Directed by Zaida Bergroth | Finland/Estonia
World Premiere
Nobadi
Directed by Karl Markovics | Austria
World Premiere
*Contemporary World Cinema Opening Film*
Our Lady of the Nile (Notre-Dame du Nil)
Directed by Atiq Rahimi | France/Belgium/Rwanda
World Premiere
The Perfect Candidate
Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour | Saudi Arabia/Germany
North American Premiere
Red Fields (Mami)
Directed by Keren Yedaya | Israel/Luxembourg/Germany
International Premiere
Resin (Harpiks)
Directed by Daniel Joseph Borgman | Denmark
World Premiere
So Long, My Son (Di Jiu Tian Chang)
Directed by Wang Xiaoshuai | China
North American Premiere
Spider (Araña)
Directed by Andrés Wood | Chile
International Premiere
A Sun (Yang Guang Pu Zhao)
Directed by Chung Mong-Hong | Taiwan
World Premiere
Synonyms (Synonymes)
Directed by Nadav Lapid | France/Israel/Germany
North American Premiere
Terminal Sud (South Terminal)
Directed by Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche | France
North American Premiere
Three Summers (Três Verões)
Directed by Sandra Kogut | Brazil/France
World Premiere
Verdict Raymund
Directed by Ribay Gutierrez | Philippines/France
Canadian Premiere
A White, White Day (Hvítur, Hvítur Dagur)
Directed by Hlynur Pálmason | Iceland/Denmark/Sweden
North American Premiere
The Wild Goose Lake (Nan Fang Che Zhan De Ju Hui)
Directed by Diao Yinan | China/France
North American Premiere
You Will Die at Twenty
Directed by Amjad Abu Alala | Sudan/France/Egypt/Germany/Norway/Qatar
North American Premiere
Previously announced Canadian features screening at the Festival as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme include: And the Birds Rained Down, Antigone, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, Castle in the Ground, The Last Porno Show, Tammy’s Always Dying, and White Lie.
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/cwc
WAVELENGTHS
The Toronto International Film Festival’s Wavelengths programme revealed today the lineup for its 19th edition, consisting of international shorts and features by established and emerging talents. With a total of 37 titles, this year’s selection is a testament to political fortitude and artistic experimentation, seen across a captivating mix of genres and perspectives.
The selection comprises four programmes of experimental short films, two curated pairings, and 10 features, each contributing to a dynamic survey of some of today’s most exciting moving-image work. Wavelengths is curated and overseen by Andréa Picard, with contributions from members of TIFF’s international programming team — namely Brad Deane, Giovanna Fulvi, Dorota Lech, and Kiva Reardon — and programming associate Jesse Cumming.
“As we approach the 20th anniversary of Wavelengths, one can discern an important shift in formal language and experimentation, and an even wider range of artistic expression, which reflects — in some cases seriously, and others surprisingly playfully — a refusal to be contained, confined, or even labelled,” said Picard. “As the world runs further amok, it is comforting and inspiring to see filmmakers and artists continue to make work that is personal, committed, generous, aesthetically alert, and rigorous. The films in this year’s programme perfectly exemplify the essential role art plays in resistance and resilience, but also in our capacity for imagination.”
Wavelengths is pleased to host a number of alumni to present some of their most provocative and accomplished work to date, including Catalan artist-filmmaker Albert Serra with Liberté, his award-winning tale of 18th-century decadence and desire; Portuguese auteur Pedro Costa with Vitalina Varela, a continuation of his pathos-laden tales of life in Lisbon’s margins; Sergei Loznitsa with State Funeral, in which he repurposes footage shot in 1953, in the days following the death of Joseph Stalin, into a trenchant reflection on cults of personality; and Anocha Suwichakornpong and Ben Rivers, who return to TIFF with Krabi, 2562, a collaborative work on memory, landscape, and social awareness.
Resistance and tenacity — both political and personal — are the theme of several Wavelengths selections, including two highlights from the burgeoning “Galician New Wave”: Oliver Laxe’s quietly monumental Fire Will Come, the follow-up to his Festival selection Mimosas (TIFF 2016), and Eloy Enciso’s Endless Night, set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, with its script drawn from letters and other texts of the era. A different strength is exhibited in Hassen Ferhani’s understated documentary 143 Sahara Street, which presents the world in a microcosm as seen through a portrait of octogenarian Malika, who lives and works alone in her roadside diner in the Sahara Desert.
Wavelengths 2019 also welcomes many newcomers to the programme, with a number of works that reflect on the state of contemporary geopolitics through a mix of styles that range from non-fiction to the speculative. Highlights from contemporary Brazil include The Fever by director Maya Da-Rin, an Indigenous-led tale of a father who must navigate his daughter’s imminent departure for medical school; Affonso Uchôa’s forceful yet elegant documentary experiment Seven Years in May (which screens with Gabino Rodríguez and Nicolás Pereda’s previously announced My Skin, Luminous); and the short film The Bite by artist Pedro Neves Marques, a science fiction–tinged story about a queer love triangle struggling to survive an encroaching mosquito epidemic in the rainforest.
This year’s shorts programmes feature formally impressive and surprising work by a number of leading international talents, including World Premieres by Zachary Epcar, Luke Fowler, Gastón Solnicki, Mike Gibisser, and Tomonari Nishikawa, as well as the North American Premieres of Turner Prize–winning artist Charlotte Prodger’s entry in this year’s Venice Biennale, SaF05, and Marwa Arsanios’s Who’s Afraid of Ideology? Part 2, which premiered at the Sharjah Biennial. As ever, the programme is rounded out by a number of restorations and rediscoveries, including Edward Owens’s Remembrance: A Portrait Study (1967), a touching and playful tribute to the artist’s mother, and 2minutes40seconds (1975), an experimental documentary by Korean filmmaker Han Ok-hee, founding member of the feminist film collective Kaidu Club.
Wavelengths’ complete 2019 lineup is as follows:
Wavelengths’ complete 2019 lineup is as follows:
SHORT FILM PROGRAMMES
Wavelengths 1: WLS19
Austrian Pavilion
Directed by Philipp Fleischmann | Austria
World Premiere
SaF05
Directed by Charlotte Prodger | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Slow Volumes
Directed by Mike Gibisser | USA
World Premiere
The Bite (A Mordida)
Directed by Pedro Neves Marques | Portugal/Brazil
World Premiere
Wavelengths 2: Sun Rave
2008
Directed by Blake Williams | Canada
World Premiere
Amusement Ride
Directed by Tomonari Nishikawa | Japan
World Premiere
Black Sun (Sol Negro)
Directed by Maureen Fazendeiro | Portugal/France
International Premiere
A Topography of Memory
Directed by Burak Çevik | Turkey/Canada
North American Premiere
Sun Rave (Lafhat Shams)
Directed by Roy Samaha | Lebanon
North American Premiere
(tourism studies)
Directed by Joshua Gen Solondz
USA | Canadian Premiere
Wavelengths 3: Look Around
2minutes40seconds
Directed by Han Ok-hee | South Korea
International Premiere
Hrvoji, Look at You From the Tower
Directed by Ryan Ferko | Canada/Serbia/Croatia/Slovenia
World Premiere
Circumplector
Directed by Gastón Solnicki | Argentina
World Premiere
Cézanne
Directed by Luke Fowler | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere
Second Generation
Directed by Miryam Charles | Canada
North American Premiere
Transcript (Lín Mó)
Directed by Erica Sheu | USA/Taiwan
Canadian Premiere
Who’s Afraid of Ideology? Part 2
Directed by Marwa Arsanios | Lebanon/Kurdistan/Syria
North American Premiere
Wavelengths 4: Lives of Performers
Billy
Directed by Zachary Epcar | USA
World Premiere
Remembrance: A Portrait Study
Directed by Edward Owens | USA
Festival Premiere
Vever (for Barbara)
Directed by Deborah Stratman | Guatemala/USA
Canadian Premiere
Book of Hours
Directed by Annie MacDonell | Canada
World Premiere
We Still Have to Close Our Eyes
Directed by John Torres | Philippines
North American Premiere
This Action Lies (Cest Action Gist)
Directed by James N. Kienitz Wilkins | USA/Switzerland
North American Premiere
PAIRINGS
Those That, at a Distance, Resemble Another
Directed by Jessica Sarah Rinland | United Kingdom/Argentina/Spain
North American Premiere
preceded by
Heavy Metal Detox
Directed by Josef Dabernig | Austria
World Premiere
Seven Years in May (Sete Anos em Maio)
Directed by Affonso Uchôa | Brazil/Argentina
North American Premiere
and
My Skin, Luminous (Mi Piel, Luminosa)
Directed by Gabino Rodríguez, Nicolás Pereda | Mexico/Canada
North American Premiere
FEATURES
143 Sahara Street (143 rue du désert)
Directed by Hassen Ferhani | Algeria
North American Premiere
Endless Night (Longa noite)
Directed by Eloy Enciso | Spain
North American Premiere
The Fever (A Febre)
Directed by Maya Da-Rin | Brazil/France/Germany
North American Premiere
Fire Will Come (O que arde)
Directed by Oliver Laxe | Spain/France/Luxembourg
North American Premiere
Heimat is a Space in Time (Heimat ist ein Raum aus Zeit)
Directed by Thomas Heise | Germany/Austria
North American Premiere
Krabi, 2562
Directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong, Ben Rivers | Thailand/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Liberté
Directed by Albert Serra | France/Spain/Portugal/Germany
North American Premiere
State Funeral
Directed by Sergei Loznitsa | Netherlands/Lithuania
North American Premiere
Un Film Dramatique
Directed by Éric Baudelaire | France
North American Premiere
Vitalina Varela
Directed by Pedro Costa | Portugal
North American Premiere
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/wavelengths
DISCOVERY
At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival®, the revamped Discovery programme features a robust lineup of 37 films from emerging filmmakers representing 35 countries, including 33 World Premieres and four films making international debuts.
“This year’s Discovery builds on our track record of identifying major new filmmakers early,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s Co-Head and Artistic Director. “This is where you want to look for the next decades’ masters, and it’s great to see longtime TIFF programming associate Dorota Lech shaping the section as Discovery’s Lead Programmer.”
“I’m thrilled to be curating the Discovery programme, a showcase of films that — regardless of form — expand, embolden, or even challenge notions of storytelling beyond what is established or expected,” said Lech. “TIFF has long held a space for first- and second-time directors, acting as a springboard for launching the international careers of cinematic giants such as Yorgos Lanthimos, Maren Ade, Christopher Nolan, Alfonso Cuarón, Lav Diaz, Kim Seung-woo, Barry Jenkins, Jean-Marc Vallée, Dee Rees, and Jafar Panahi. Expect the programme to push cinematic boundaries, pointing us in unexpected directions. As in previous years, it is a place to find work that could be poetic, bold, or challenging, but that is always passionate.”
Discovery continues to celebrate and reflect TIFF’s unwavering commitment to championing women’s directorial voices, with 54% of its selection directed by women. This year’s programme opens with Chiara Malta’s Simple Women, in which a director serendipitously meets Elina Löwensohn, an actor she idolized in her youth, prompting her to question her filmmaking process. Malta was inspired by her own encounter with Löwensohn in this tender, playful, and multi-layered fiction debut. Women’s journeys are also explored as central themes in Antoneta Kastrati’s ZANA, Filippo Meneghetti’s Two of Us, Hinde Boujemaa’s Noura’s Dream, Hisham Saqr’s Certified Mail, Ina Weisse’s The Audition, Jorunn Myklebust Syversen’s Disco, Kim Seung-woo’s Bring Me Home, Klaudia Reynicke’s Love Me Tender, Mahnaz Mohammadi’s Son-Mother, María Paz González’s Lina from Lima, Maria Sødahl’s Hope, Neasa Hardiman’s Sea Fever, and Tamar Shavgulidze’s Comets.
Discovery is curated and overseen by Lech, with contributions from members of TIFF’s international programming team, namely Cameron Bailey, Giovanna Fulvi, Steve Gravestock, Michael Lerman, Michèle Maheux, Kiva Reardon, Diana Sanchez, and Ravi Srinivasan.
Films screening as part of the Discovery programme include:
1982
Directed by Oualid Mouaness | United States/Lebanon/Norway/Qatar
World Premiere
AFRICA
Directed by Oren Gerner | Israel
World Premiere
The Antenna (Bina)
Directed by Orçun Behram | Turkey
World Premiere
The Audition (Das Vorspiel)
Directed by Ina Weisse | Germany/France
World Premiere
August (Agosto)
Directed by Armando Capó | Cuba/Costa Rica/France
World Premiere
Black Conflux
Directed by Nicole Dorsey | Canada
World Premiere
Bring Me Home (Na-reul cha-ja-jwo)
Directed by Kim Seung-woo | South Korea
World Premiere
A Bump Along The Way
Directed by Shelly Love | United Kingdom
International Premiere
Calm With Horses
Directed by Nick Rowland | United Kingdom/Ireland
World Premiere
Certified Mail (Bi Elm El Wossul)
Directed by Hisham Saqr | Egypt
World Premiere
Comets
Directed by Tamar Shavgulidze | Georgia
World Premiere
Disco
Directed by Jorunn Myklebust Syversen | Norway
World Premiere
Easy Land
Directed by Sanja Zivkovic | Canada
World Premiere
Entwined
Directed by Minos Nikolakakis | Greece
World Premiere
The Giant
Directed by David Raboy | USA
World Premiere
The Good Intentions (Las Buenas Intenciones)
Directed by Ana García Blaya | Argentina
World Premiere
Hearts and Bones
Directed by Ben Lawrence | Australia
International Premiere
Hope (Håp)
Directed by Maria Sødahl | Norway/Sweden
World Premiere
Kuessipan
Directed by Myriam Verreault | Canada
World Premiere
Lina from Lima
Directed by María Paz González | Chile/Argentina/Peru
World Premiere
The Lost Okoroshi
Directed by Abba Makama | Nigeria
World Premiere
Love Me Tender
Directed by Klaudia Reynicke | Switzerland
International Premiere
Murmur
Directed by Heather Young | Canada
World Premiere
My Life as a Comedian (En komikers uppväxt)
Directed by Rojda Sekersöz | Sweden/Belgium
World Premiere
Noura’s Dream
Directed by Hinde Boujemaa | Tunisia/Belgium/France
World Premiere
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
Directed by Ali LeRoi | USA
World Premiere
Pompei
Directed by Anna Falguères, John Shank | Belgium/Canada/France
World Premiere
Raf
Directed by Harry Cepka | Canada/USA
World Premiere
The Rest of Us
Directed by Aisling Chin-Yee | Canada
World Premiere
Sea Fever
Directed by Neasa Hardiman | Ireland/Sweden/Belgium/United Kingdom
World Premiere
*Discovery Opening Film*
Directed by Simple Women
Chiara Malta | Italy/Romania
World Premiere
Sole
Directed by Carlo Sironi | Italy/Poland
International Premiere
Son-Mother (Pesar-Madar)
Directed by Mahnaz Mohammadi | Iran/Czech Republic
World Premiere
Stories From The Chestnut Woods (Zgodbe iz kostanjevih gozdov)
Directed by Gregor Božič | Slovenia/Italy
World Premiere
Sweetness in the Belly
Directed by Zeresenay Berhane Mehari | Ireland/Canada
World Premiere
Two of Us (Deux)
Directed by Filippo Meneghetti | France/Luxembourg/Belgium
World Premiere
ZANA
Directed by Antoneta Kastrati | Albania/Kosovo
World Premiere
Previously announced Discovery films include Nicole Dorsey’s Black Conflux, Sanja Zivkovic’s Easy Land, Myriam Verreault’s Kuessipan, Heather Young’s Murmur, Harry Cepka’s Raf, and Aisling Chin-Yee’s The Rest of Us.
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/discovery
TIFF DOCS
The Toronto International Film Festival® documentary programme reveals its lineup of 25 non-fiction works, including 18 World Premieres with representation from 18 countries. The films cover many high-profile figures, both famous and infamous — including Truman Capote, Merce Cunningham, Ron Howard, Bikram Choudhury, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and Imelda Marcos — and a broad range of themes, including artistic achievement, the power of journalism, immigration, global politics, and resistance against corrupt leaders. Three films use sports as a framework to look at environmentalism, capitalism, and racism. “This year’s programme captures characters you’ll never forget: lovers, fighters, dancers, athletes, despots, rebels, hustlers, and heroes,” said Thom Powers, serving his 14th year as TIFF Docs programmer this Festival. “We’ll be talking about these films for a long time to come.”
The section will open with the World Premiere of The Cave from Oscar-nominated director Feras Fayyad, about an underground hospital led by a female doctor in war-torn Syria. Other World Premieres from renowned directors include Alan Berliner’s Letter to the Editor, a personal reflection on photojournalism; Barbara Kopple’s Desert One, chronicling a perilous mission to rescue hostages in Iran; Thomas Balmès’ Sing Me A Song, following a young monk in Bhutan who forms a long-distance relationship via his smartphone; And We Go Green, about racers in the Formula E competition for electric cars, directed by Fisher Stevens and Malcolm Venville and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio; and Eva Orner’s Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, about the controversial yoga teacher who had multiple lawsuits filed against him for sexual misconduct.
First-time documentarians present films on prominent figures: Bryce Dallas Howard’s Dads explores fatherhood with leading comedians and her own father, Ron Howard; Alla Kovgan’s Cunningham, shot in 3D, captures the artistry of dancer Merce Cunningham; and Ebs Burnough, who previously served in the Obama administration, makes his debut with The Capote Tapes, a biography of American writer Truman Capote.
The everyday lives of refugees and migrants are brought to centre stage in Eva Mulvad’s Love Child, following a couple at risk of execution for their love affair; Ready for War, directed by Andrew Renzi and executive produced by Drake, Future, and David Ayer, which tells the story of immigrants who served in the US military only to be deported; Hind Meddeb’s Paris Stalingrad which follows migrants from Africa and Afghanistan living on the streets in the city of lights; and My English Cousin, Karim Sayad’s portrait of the director’s real-life Algerian cousin who discovers the challenges of returning home. Russian politics and the rise of capitalism are examined in Gabe Polsky’s Red Penguins, recounting a comic tale of American hustlers bringing NHL-style hockey to Moscow, and Alex Gibney’s Citizen K, profiling the oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who turned against Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Rounding out the section are stories from around the globe, including Garin Hovannisian’s I Am Not Alone, about a peaceful resistance movement in Armenia; and Mark Cousins’ Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema, a recently completed 14-hour exploration of female directors around the world. The first four hours of Women Make Film, which was executive produced by Tilda Swinton, were previewed at last year’s Festival. Alexander Nanau’s Collective follows crusading Romanian journalists who uncover a scandal; Daniel Gordon’s The Australian Dream, executive produced by Ben Simmons, tells the story of football legend Adam Goodes, who battled racism in the AFL; and Lina Al Abed’s Ibrahim: A Fate to Define centres on the mysterious disappearance of a Palestinian secret agent. Also featured are Patricio Guzmán’s The Cordillera of Dreams, completing the director’s trilogy about the Chilean landscape, and Lauren Greenfield’s The Kingmaker, a profile of Imelda Marcos.
Last year’s TIFF Docs lineup showcased Free Solo, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The 2018 Festival also presented a strong market for distribution deals for titles such as The Biggest Little Farm, The Elephant Queen, and Maiden.
Films screening as part of the TIFF Docs programme include:
And We Go Green
Directed by Fisher Stevens, Malcolm Venville | USA
World Premiere
The Australian Dream
Directed by Daniel Gordon | Australia/United Kingdom
International Premiere
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator
Directed by Eva Orner | USA
World Premiere
The Capote Tapes
Directed by Ebs Burnough | United Kingdom
World Premiere
TIFF Docs Opening Film*
The Cave
Directed by Feras Fayyad | Syria/Denmark/Germany/USA/Qatar
World Premiere
Citizen K
Directed by Alex Gibney | USA/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Collective (Colectiv)
Directed by Alexander Nanau | Romania/Luxembourg
North American Premiere
Coppers
Directed by Alan Zweig | Canada
World Premiere
The Cordillera of Dreams (La Cordillera de los Sueños)
Directed by Patricio Guzmán | France/Chile
North American Premiere
Cunningham
Directed by Alla Kovgan | Germany/France/USA
World Premiere
Dads
Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard | USA
World Premiere
Desert One
Directed by Barbara Kopple | USA
World Premiere
I Am Not Alone
Directed by Garin Hovannisian | Armenia/USA
World Premiere
Ibrahim: A Fate to Define
Directed by Lina Al Abed | Lebanon/Palestine/Denmark/Qatar/Slovenia
North American Premiere
The Kingmaker
Directed by Lauren Greenfield | USA/Denmark
Canadian Premiere
Letter to the Editor
Directed by Alan Berliner | USA
World Premiere
Love Child
Directed by Eva Mulvad | Denmark
World Premiere
My English Cousin
Directed by Karim Sayad | Switzerland/Qatar
World Premiere
Paris Stalingrad
Directed by Hind Meddeb | France
International Premiere
Ready for War
Directed by Andrew Renzi | USA
World Premiere
Red Penguins
Directed by Gabe Polsky | USA/Russia
World Premiere
Sing Me A Song
Directed by Thomas Balmès | France/Germany/Switzerland
World Premiere
There’s Something in the Water
Directed by Ellen Page, Ian Daniel | Canada
World Premiere
This Is Not a Movie
Directed by Yung Chang | Canada/Germany
World Premiere
Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema
Directed by Mark Cousins | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Previously announced TIFF Docs films include Alan Zweig’s Coppers, Ellen Page and Ian Daniel’s There’s Something in the Water, and Yung Chang’s This Is Not a Movie.
For film synopses, cast lists, images, and more information, see tiff.net/docs.
Festival tickets go on sale September 2 at 10am (TIFF Member pre-sale August 31, 10am–4pm). Buy tickets online at tiff.net, by phone at 416.599.2033 or 1.888.258.8433, or in person at a box office. See box office locations and hours at tiff.net/tickets.
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About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.