TIFF today unveiled the 10 World Premiere features that comprise the Platform programme for 2023, along with the 2023 Platform jury members: Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, joined by Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki, and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives. The 10 films in the 2023 programme are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury.
“I am delighted to announce that we have an international dream jury with acclaimed filmmakers Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, and Anthony Shim as jury members for the Platform programme at TIFF,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Together, they represent the bold and independent spirit of the Platform Prize.”
Platform is TIFF’s competitive programme that champions bold directorial visions. The films selected for this year’s programme hail from 12 countries across three continents, all of which will be making their World Premiere at TIFF.
“We are thrilled to present this year’s extraordinary films in the Platform programme, and especially delighted to present Kristoffer Borgli’s latest film Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, as Platform’s opening film. This surrealist satire-comedy has sharp, timely observations about social media culture — especially ‘going viral’ — and its impact on the way that we interact with others in our day-to-day life. Cage delivers some of his finest work,” said Robyn Citizen, Director, Programming & Platform Lead. “This year’s diverse selection is distinguished by bold character studies and classic stories told through dynamic narrative and genre approaches. Audiences will witness the emergence of thematic threads like social exile and reconnection, woven in unexpectedly thrilling ways by an array of captivating local and international voices.”
Notable previous Platform selections include 2022 winner Riceboy Sleeps from Canadian director Anthony Shim, Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (2021), Kamila Andini’s Yuni (2021), Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal (2019), Alice Winocour’s Proxima (2019), Kazik Radwanski’s Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2019), Sarah Gavron’s Rocks (2019), Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin (2017), Pablo Larraín’s Jackie (2016), Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016), William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth (2016), and Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise (2015).
2023 Platform Programme
Dear Jassi Tarsem Singh Dhandwar | India
World Premiere
Platform Programme – Opening Night Film
Dream Scenario Kristoffer Borgli | USA
World Premiere
Great Absence Kei Chika-ura | Japan
World Premiere
I Told You So (Te l’avevo detto) Ginevra Elkann | Italy
World Premiere
The King Tide Christian Sparkes | Canada
World Premiere
Not A Word (Kein Wort) Hanna Slak | Germany/Slovenia/France
World Premiere
The Rye Horn (O Corno) Jaione Camborda | Spain/Belgium/Portugal
World Premiere
Sisterhood (HLM Pussy) Nora El Hourch | France
World Premiere
Shame on Dry Land (Syndabocken) Axel Petersén | Sweden
World Premiere
Spirit of Ecstasy (La Vénus d’argent) Héléna Klotz | France
World Premiere
Platform Jury Biographies
Barry Jenkins
Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins has directed three highly acclaimed features that screened at TIFF — Medicine for Melancholy, Moonlight, and If Beale Street Could Talk — as well as his award-winning television series The Underground Railroad. Most recently, Jenkins produced Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun and Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. His upcoming directorial work includes the 2024 theatrical release of The Lion King.
Nadine Labaki
Nadine Labaki is a writer, director, and actor. Caramel, her 2007 debut film, opened at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and was Lebanon’s official submission to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Her next film, Where Do We Go Now?, premiered at Un Certain Regard in 2011 and won the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Labaki wrote, directed, and starred in both. Most recently, she directed Campernaum, which won the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Anthony Shim
Anthony Shim began his career as an actor, theatre director, and producer. In 2019, Shim wrote, directed, and produced his first feature film, Daughter. His second film, Riceboy Sleeps, had its World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Platform Prize.
TIFF is thrilled to announce that Studio Ghibli’s long-awaited fantastical epic feature film, The Boy and the Heron, from Academy Award–winning visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, will be the Opening Night Gala Presentation for the 48th Toronto International Film Festival® on Thursday, September 7, at Roy Thomson Hall. The original story was written and directed by the Japanese filmmaker and produced by Oscar®-winning Studio Ghibli, which Miyazaki co-founded.
While several of Studio Ghibli’s films have screened at TIFF, including The Red Turtle (2016), The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2014), The Wind Rises (2013), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), Spirited Away (2002), and Princess Mononoke (1999), this is the first time a Japanese film or an animated film has opened the Festival.
“We are honoured to open the 48th Toronto International Film Festival with the work of one of cinema’s greatest artists,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love and rises to a staggering work of imagination. I look forward to our audience discovering its mysteries for themselves, but I can promise a singular, transformative experience.”
This announcement comes on the heels of TIFF’s recent showcase and audience favourite, POP Japan, celebrating the convergence of the cult, pulp, and popular in Japanese film and art, in which Miyazaki’s seminal films and most lauded classics, My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, were also featured.
The Boy and the Heron opened to record-breaking success in Japan. The hand-drawn, animated feature — director Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — features a musical score from Miyazaki’s long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. In an extraordinary break with tradition, Studio Ghibli released the film in Japan without any promotion, marketing materials, or film description, allowing audiences to discover the film for themselves. This screening will be the International Premiere and the first opportunity for audiences outside of Japan to experience the film for themselves. GKIDS is distributing The Boy and the Heron in North America, where it will be released in theatres later in the year.
The Toronto International Film Festival® is delighted to announce the 2023 selection for the TIFF Docs programme presented by A&E IndieFilms, featuring 22 titles from 12 countries around the world. The 2023 TIFF Docs lineup brings premieres that showcase a wide variety of documentary filmmaking: personal, political, observational, essayistic, historical, biographical, and indescribable. Audiences will encounter unforgettable figures such as mountain climber Lhakpa Sherpa, Japan’s reality TV star Nasubi, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, Indigenous activist Layla Staats, historian Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, and Canadian icon Mr. Dressup.
“We believe documentaries have a unique power to illuminate untold stories, challenge perspectives, and inspire meaningful change,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “We are committed to celebrating the artistry and impact of documentary filmmaking, and it’s an absolute privilege to provide a platform for these remarkable storytellers. As someone with a background in documentary production myself, I know firsthand the dedication and passion that goes into crafting these narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide. We invite all documentary filmmakers to join us at TIFF as we continue to champion their vital contributions to the world of cinema.”
“This year’s slate of TIFF Docs titles is guaranteed to start conversations,” said TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers. “Audiences can expect big emotions that run the gamut over extraordinary accomplishments, quests for justice, and poignant personal journeys. Many of these attention-getting titles will be coming to the Festival looking for buyers.”
TIFF Docs programme presented by A&E IndieFilms will open with the World Premiere of Copa 71 from Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine, which serves to restore the lost legacy of a 1971 international women’s soccer tournament that had record setting crowds in Mexico City but was largely erased from sports history. World Premieres from global veteran doc makers include Raoul Peck’s Silver Dollar Road, which chronicles how a Black family fights over several decades to save their North Carolina property from land grabbing developers; Anand Patwardhan’s The World is Family, which traces his parents’ personal history and their links to the leaders of India’s independence movement; Karim Amer’s Defiant, which gains extraordinary access to Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba and his colleagues as they wage a war against disinformation; Lucy Walker’s Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, which profiles a single mother working as a dishwasher at a Connecticut Whole Foods who has another life as record-breaking mountain climber; and Roger Ross Williams’ Stamped From the Beginning, based on the best-selling book by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, which examines the history of anti-Black racism in the U.S.
World Premieres from mid-career auteurs and rising stars include Clair Titley’s The Contestant, which tells the jaw-dropping story of a Japanese reality TV show participant, Nasubi, who spent months naked in solitary confinement, trying to win sweepstake prizes for his survival; Robert McCallum’s Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, about the beloved Canadian entertainer and television star who won the hearts of children across the country; Caroline Suh and Cara Mones’ Sorry/Not Sorry, which focuses on women who accused Louis C.K. of sexual harassment and the consequences to their careers; Chris Wilcha’s Flipside, a new doc from the award-winning director of the This American Life TV series about his comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store and confront a mid-life crisis; Boil Alert from Stevie Salas and James Burns, a Canadian doc following activist Layla Staats’ dual journey to explore Indigenous people’s relationship to water and her own identity as a Mohawk woman; Homecoming by Suvi West and Anssi Kömi, in which the Indigenous Sámi people fight to get back their stolen ancestral heritage; Jen Markowitz’s Summer Qamp, chronicling a dynamic session of a LGBTQIA2S+ summer camp nestled around the Canadian Rockies; and Kasia Smutniak’s Walls, a personal journey that plays like a thriller in which Smutniak documents the refugee flow in the “red zone” of the Belarusian-Polish border while evading arrest.
International and North American Premieres from legendary filmmakers include Frederick Wiseman’s Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros, in which the 93-year-old director embeds inside a French restaurant that’s held three Michelin stars for more than 50 years, and Errol Morris’ The Pigeon Tunnel, a masterful portrait of the spy novelist David Cornwell ― a.k.a. John Le Carré ― for what was the author’s final interview.
Rounding out TIFF Docs 2023 with North American Premieres are Lina Soualem’s Bye Bye Tiberias, in which the director profiles her mother ― Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass (Succession) ― exploring her choice to leave her native village 30 years ago in pursuit of her dream of acting; Andrés Peyrot’s God is a Woman, which follows the Kuna Indigenous community in Panama as they seek to gain access to a French documentary made about them 40 years ago; Maciek Hamela’s In the Rearview, an exceptionally intimate film following a Polish vehicle as it traverses the roads of Ukraine to help its passengers flee amidst the Russian invasion; Asmae El Moudir’s The Mother of All Lies, winner of two awards at Cannes in which ― on a handmade set recreating her Casablanca neighbourhood ― a young Moroccan filmmaker enlists family and friends to help solve key mysteries of her childhood; Margreth Olin’s Songs of Earth, which follows the filmmaker’s octogenarian father on walks through Norway’s landscapes of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls for an immersion into nature with stunning cinematography; and Pierre-Henri Gibert’s Viva Varda!, which profiles the pioneering filmmaker Agnès Varda with fresh perspectives that complement her autobiographical work.
These TIFF Docs titles join a number of documentaries already announced for TIFF 2023 as part of the Gala and Special Presentations programmes, including Leigh Brooks’ Hate to Love: Nickelback, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, Alex Gibney’s In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, and Chelsea McMullan’s Swan Song.
2023 TIFF Docs programme:
Boil Alert Stevie Salas, James Burns | Canada/USA
World Premiere
Bye Bye Tiberias Lina Soualem | France/Belgium/Qatar/Palestine
North American Premiere
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TIFF DOCS OPENING NIGHT FILM
Copa 71 Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine | United Kingdom
World Premiere
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Defiant Karim Amer | Ukraine/United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere
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Flipside Chris Wilcha | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title
God is a Woman Andrés Peyrot | France/Switzerland/Panama
North American Premiere
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Homecoming Suvi West, Anssi Kömi | Finland/Norway
World Premiere
In the Rearview Maciek Hamela | Poland/France/Ukraine
North American Premiere
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Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros Frederick Wiseman | France/USA
North American Premiere
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Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa Lucy Walker | USA
World Premiere
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Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe Robert McCallum | Canada
World Premiere
Silver Dollar Road Raoul Peck | USA
World Premiere
Songs of Earth Margreth Olin | Norway
North American Premiere
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Sorry/Not Sorry Caroline Suh, Cara Mones | USA
World Premiere
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Stamped From the Beginning Roger Ross Williams | USA
World Premiere
Summer Qamp Jen Markowitz | Canada
World Premiere
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The Contestant Clair Titley | United Kingdom
World Premiere
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The Mother of All Lies Asmae El Moudir | Morocco/Egypt/Saudi Arabia/Qatar
North American Premiere
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The Pigeon Tunnel Errol Morris | United Kingdom/USA/Hungary
International Premiere
The World is Family Anand Patwardhan | India
World Premiere
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Viva Varda! Pierre-Henri Gibert | France
North American Premiere
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Walls Kasia Smutniak | Italy
World Premiere
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The Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 7–17, 2023.
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SWAN SONG, a feature documentary that immerses viewers inside The National Ballet of Canada as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain on the eve of her retirement, will make its world premiere at TIFF. Executive producer Neve Campbell is expected to attend the Festival in support of the film, which will screen as part of the Special Presentations program. SWAN SONG is directed by Chelsea McMullan (Ever Deadly, My Prairie Home), who wrote the film with producer Sean O’Neill (Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas, LIDO TV). Distributed in Canada by Blue Ice Docs, with international sales handled by Dogwoof, the feature documentary will be released theatrically in Canada on September 22, 2023. The project was developed with CBC and it will air as a four-part limited series on CBC Gem and CBC TV, premiering November 22, 2023.
“This project is deeply personal to me given my longtime admiration for Karen Kain and The National Ballet of Canada, starting with my time as a student at Canada’s National Ballet School,” said Neve Campbell, who joined the project as it entered production and this year celebrates the twentieth anniversary of The Company, the Robert Altman-directed ballet film she conceived of, produced and starred in. “Ballet was my first love, and SWAN SONG beautifully captures the incredible devotion, artistry and sacrifices that dancers make in their pursuit of creating something beautiful and meaningful. I’m so proud of our team and I can’t wait to celebrate the film.”
With full access granted to the filmmakers, the verité-driven SWAN SONG closely follows Kain and a group of young dancers drawn from across The National Ballet of Canada’s ranks, weaving Swan Lake’s dramatic creation process with intimate scenes from the subjects’ personal lives as they push toward one of the most significant nights in their company’s history. The film’s intimate, character-driven approach chronicles creative conflicts, devastating injuries and personal sacrifices amongst its subjects who, in various ways, confront ideals of race, class and body standards as they navigate a tradition that has historically valued uniformity and compliance.
“I’m so pleased that Swan Song will premiere at TIFF, and that the wonderful Neve Campbell is a part of the film’s team. Agreeing to open up the creative process of a brand new production of Swan Lake to a crew of filmmakers was a vulnerable act, to say the least,” says Kain, who stepped into the role of Director for the first time in her nearly 50-year career as a dancer and Artistic Director with her production of Swan Lake. “However, the film’s extraordinary crew made the process far more intuitive than I expected and by the end, it felt as if we were all in it together. I look forward to celebrating the film and everyone involved this fall, most especially the extraordinary artists and staff at The National Ballet of Canada who brought Swan Lake to life.”
“Making Swan Song has been an epic, three-year journey and I’m thrilled to finally be sharing the film with audiences, at TIFF and beyond,” says McMullan. “Collaborating with such a talented, dedicated team to realize a project so ambitious has changed me as a filmmaker, and Neve’s sensitivity and deep understanding of the life of a ballet dancer has enriched our process immeasurably. I want to thank our subjects and The National Ballet of Canada for trusting us with their awe-inspiring work and moving stories.”
SWAN SONG is a Visitor Media production in association with Mercury Films Inc. and Quiet Ghost. It is presented by Blue Ice Docs and Dogwoof. O’Neill produces along with Christina Carvalho. McMullan, O’Neill, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Anna Godas and Oli Harbottle are executive producers alongside Campbell. SWAN SONG was produced in association with CBC, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates, and the Rogers Cable Network Fund. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual, & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary; and Grazyna Krupa is Executive in Charge of Programming, Unscripted Content.
(Photo credit: Tiziano Lugli)
A new round of Special Presentations and Galas have been unveiled for TIFF ’23! Anna Kendrick comes to the Festival with her directorial debut WOMAN OF THE HOUR, and Kate Winslet stars in War Photographer Lee Miller Biopic LEE, plus Director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) is back with DUMB MONEY which recounts the rise of GameStop! This and much more below.
GALA PRESENTATIONS 2023 *Previously announced Concrete Utopia Um Tae-Hwa | South Korea North American Premiere Sales Title – North America Rights Available Dumb Money Craig Gillespie | USA World Premiere Fair Play Chloe Domont | USA International Premiere Flora and Son John Carney | Ireland/USA Canadian Premiere Hate to Love: Nickelback Leigh Brooks | Canada World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Lee Ellen Kuras | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available *Next Goal Wins Taika Waititi | USA World Premiere NYAD Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA International Premiere Punjab ’95 Honey Trehan | India World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Solo Sophie Dupuis | Canada World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available The End We Start From Mahalia Belo | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available The Movie Emperor Ning Hao | China World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available The New Boy Warwick Thornton | Australia North American Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available The Royal Hotel Kitty Green | Australia/United Kingdom Canadian Premiere SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2023 *Previously announced A Difficult Year Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | France International Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available A Normal Family Hur Jin-ho | South Korea World Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available American Fiction Cord Jefferson | USA World Premiere Anatomy of a Fall Justine Triet | France Canadian Premiere Close to You Dominic Savage | Canada/United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available Days of Happiness Chloé Robichaud | Canada World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available El Rapto Daniela Goggi | Argentina North American Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available Ezra Tony Goldwyn | USA World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Fingernails Christos Nikou | USA International Premiere Four Daughters Kaouther Ben Hania | France/Tunisia/Germany/Saudi Arabia North American Premiere Sales Title – Some Rights Available His Three Daughters Azazel Jacobs | USA World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Hit Man Richard Linklater | USA North American Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Alex Gibney | USA World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Kidnapped Marco Bellocchio | Italy/France/Germany North American Premiere Knox Goes Away Michael Keaton | USA World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available La Chimera Alice Rohrwacher | Italy/France/Switzerland North American Premiere Last Summer Catherine Breillat | France North American Premiere *Les Indésirables Ladj Ly | France World Premiere Sales Title – North America Rights Available Memory Michel Franco | USA/Mexico North American Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Monster Kore-eda Hirokazu | Japan North American Premiere Mother Couch Niclas Larsson | USA World Premiere North Star Kristin Scott Thomas | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available One Life James Hawes | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Pain Hustlers David Yates | USA World Premiere Poolman Chris Pine | USA World Premiere Sales Title – Some Rights Available Reptile Grant Singer | USA World Premiere Rustin George C. Wolfe | USA International Premiere *Seven Veils Atom Egoyan | Canada World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available Shoshana Michael Winterbottom | United Kingdom/Italy World Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available Sing Sing Greg Kwedar | USA World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available Smugglers Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea North American Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Swan Song Chelsea McMullan | Canada World Premiere Sales Title – Some Rights Available The Beast Bertrand Bonello | France/Canada North American Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available The Burial Maggie Betts | USA World Premiere The Convert Lee Tamahori | Australia/New Zealand World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available The Critic Anand Tucker | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – Some Rights Available The Dead Don’t Hurt Viggo Mortensen | Mexico/Canada/Denmark World Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available The Holdovers Alexander Payne | USA International Premiere The Peasants DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman | Poland/Serbia/Lithuania World Premiere Sales Title – Some Rights Available The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer | United Kingdom/Poland/USA Canadian Premiere Together 99 Lukas Moodysson | Sweden/Denmark World Premiere Unicorns Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd | United Kingdom/USA/Sweden World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Uproar Paul Middleditch, Hamish Bennett | New Zealand World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Wicked Little Letters Thea Sharrock | United Kingdom World Premiere Sales Title – International Rights Available Wildcat Ethan Hawke | USA International Premiere Sales Title – North American Rights Available Woman of the Hour Anna Kendrick | USA World Premiere Sales Title – US Rights Available |
TIFF is delighted to announce that legendary filmmaker Atom Egoyan returns to the Festival with the World Premiere of his latest work Seven Veils. The film stars Amanda Seyfried with Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien, and Vinessa Antoine. Also featured are Ambur Braid as Salome and Michael Kupfer-Radecky as John the Baptist, who both starred in the Canadian Opera Company’s most recent production of Salome, also directed by Egoyan, from which the film was inspired.
“We are honoured to premiere Atom Egoyan’s extraordinary film at this year’s Festival,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “Egoyan’s cinematic works are unmatched, and we’re excited to bring Seven Veils to our TIFF audiences and to the city of Toronto, his home.”
Seven Veils is Egoyan’s 18th film to premiere at TIFF. Prior to the TIFF Special Presentation World Premiere screening on Sunday, September 10, an Avant-première of the film will be presented in partnership with the Canadian Opera Company on Friday, September 8, at 7pm at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
With Seven Veils, the Academy Award®–nominated Egoyan reunites with Seyfried (Chloe), who plays Jeanine, an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to colour the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Egoyan first directed Salome for the Canadian Opera Company in 1996 and returned earlier this year to revive the production on stage.
“Amanda is a phenomenal actress, and here she brilliantly plays a woman dealing with complex and explosive relationships in her past, present, and future,” said Egoyan. “To have the world premiere of this film at TIFF and to be partnering with the Canadian Opera Company really brings my two great passions together in such a beautiful way.”
“Atom’s production of Salome electrified the stage when it debuted in 1996 and has evolved with each remounting,” said producer Niv Fichman, Rhombus Media. “The opera explores themes that resonate through Atom’s body of work, and Seven Veils is an exciting and provocative next step in this ongoing evolution.”
Seven Veils is an Elevation Pictures and XYZ Films presentation, produced by Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, in association with IPR.VC, Cinetic Media, Crave, and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ Films is handling world sales. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF 2023 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on August 18. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released in August.
After its premiere at TIFF ’22, Luis De Filippis’ debut feature SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT has patiently waited in the wings for its moment. In late June, it was announced that Actress/Model Julia Fox would come aboard as Executive Producer of the Film which centers on 20-something aspiring trans Writer Ren (Carmen Madonia) and her younger sister Siena (Paige Evans), reluctantly joining their parents on a family vacation. The Drama already has swept awards on the Festival Circuit, including the Shawn Mendes Change Maker Award at TIFF.
Toronto is so incredibly lucky to have Fox in-town appearing two nights at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Friday night was a screening of the Film, moderated by Fox with De Filippis and the Film’s Principal Cast. Saturday night is an extended one-hour conversation following the Film with Fox and De Filippis.
So thrilled to catch-up with Fox after meeting her in L.A. during Awards Season for her breakout role UNCUT GEMS. The New Yorker attended a dinner with Cast, Crew and influencers at new Financial District Hotspot DAPHNE. She wore an eye-catching ensemble, sporting her daring signature style and was so sweet to stop for a couple Snaps. Adore her, and am waiting for her next power play, but this is huge that she came to town to support this important Film from Elevation Pictures. It is playing right now exclusively at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Some Snaps. What an Ensemble! Check-out the Bible Bag made from actual re-purposed bibles, by Aylah Gallardo!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Elevation Pictures/The Image Direct)
TIFF announced today that Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, a soccer comedy directed and co-written by the New Zealand filmmaker, will make its World Premiere at the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (September 7–17).
“We’re thrilled to welcome Taika back to the Festival and share his audacious take on the most popular sport in the world,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “Next Goal Wins is perfect for TIFF fans of the beautiful game looking for their football fill until the 2026 World Cup arrives.”
The TIFF Ebert Director Award recipient was last at the Festival in 2019 with the World Premiere of Jojo Rabbit. The film went on to win the TIFF People’s Choice Award and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Next Goal Wins stars Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Uli Latukefu, Semu Filipo, Lehi Falepapalangi, with Will Arnett and Elisabeth Moss. The heartfelt sports comedy is based on the 2014 documentary of the same name and follows the American Samoa soccer team, infamous for their brutal 31-0 FIFA loss in 2001. With the World Cup Qualifiers approaching, the team hires down-on-his-luck, maverick coach Thomas Rongen (Fassbender) hoping he will turn the world’s worst soccer team around. Next Goal Wins is a Searchlight Pictures film.
More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF 2023 go on-sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on August 18. For more details visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released in August.
TIFF is pleased to announce that long-standing major sponsor Visa is returning with exclusive member benefits and experiences for the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (September 7–17). Starting June 21 at 10am, eligible Visa cardholders will have the opportunity to access pre-sale tickets from a selection of Curated Ticket Packages. The packages are themed by genre and offer film lovers access to World Premieres, Midnight Madness screenings, and star-studded In Conversation With… events, in addition to the most talked-about films at this year’s Festival. Eligible Visa cardholders will have from June 21 to June 28th to take advantage of the early pre-sale window. Details on TIFF 2023 films and schedules will be announced in August. Learn more at tiff.net/about-tiff-23.
“We would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to Visa for their unwavering commitment throughout our 26-year sponsorship,” said Elisabeth Burks, Vice-President Partnerships, TIFF. “Visa has been an instrumental and valued sponsor with an enthusiastic cardholder base of film lovers. In return, we’re excited to offer eligible Visa cardholders early access to pre-selected ticket packages that will enrich their Festival experience.”
Since 1997, Visa has played an integral role in transforming TIFF into one of the most prestigious and anticipated film festivals in the world. Visa’s consistent support has enabled TIFF to showcase diverse and compelling films, promote emerging talent, and provide an unparalleled platform for filmmakers to share their stories with a global audience. As part of Visa’s TIFF sponsorship, cardholders benefit from exclusive ticket pre-sales as well as access to the Visa Infinite Priority Line and Lounges at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales, and the Visa Infinite Terrace at Roy Thomson Hall. Visa is also building on the success of Sharing The Screen, a programme that launched at last year’s Festival that provides community partners with enhanced access to films, creator talks, and events.
“TIFF is where film, culture, and community converge. We aim to uplift equity-deserving communities and our cardholders by creating opportunities for them to access and experience the arts,” said Heather Nobes, Head of Marketing, Visa Canada. “We are proud to support TIFF and enhance the Festival experience through our programming and events.”
TIFF 2023: CURATED TICKET PACKAGES
BUZZ LIST | $1,715
See five of the most talked-about films at the Festival from the most in-demand seats (5 tickets)
OPENING NIGHT GALA PRESENTATION | $132
Ring in the 48th Festival from one of the best seats at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre (1 ticket)
CLOSING NIGHT GALA PRESENTATION | $110
Save the best for last: a seat at Roy Thomson Hall for our Closing Night Gala (1 ticket)
MIDNIGHT MADNESS PREMIERE PASS | $320
Your ticket to all 10 Midnight Madness premieres at the historic Royal Alexandra Theatre (10 tickets)
Add on: Get your Midnight Madness Starter Pack (tote bag, T-shirt, beachball, patch) during check-out
IN CONVERSATION WITH… ALL ACCESS PASS | $180
Join all four in-depth talks with some of the biggest names in film and beyond (4 tickets)
WORLD PREMIERE PACKAGE | $160
Four World Premieres. One world-famous venue. See Gala Presentations before anyone else at Roy Thomson Hall, September 12–15 (4 tickets)
TIFF DOCS PACKAGE | $120
TIFF Docs programmer Thom Powers handpicks five films from this year’s lineup, just for you (5 tickets)
TIFF Shop: All above packages (excluding Midnight Madness) will give audiences the option to purchase a TIFF23 Starter Pack (poster, tote bag, hat, and programme book) during checkout. Midnight Madness purchasers can purchase the Midnight Madness Starter Pack (patch, beachball, tote bag, and T-shirt) and the starter pack.
Packages can be purchased online from TIFF Festival Account Manager, by phone 10am–7pm ET daily at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.258.8433, or in person 4pm–10pm ET Monday, 2pm–10 pm ET Tuesday, 10am–10pm Wednesday through Sunday at the Steve & Rashmi Gupta Box Office at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
TIFF prefers Visa.
The Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 7–17, 2023.
tiff.net for more.
Right in time for Pride month, TIFF hosted an In-Conversation with Oscar-nominated Actor Elliot Page, formerly Ellen Page. Timed with the release of his Memoir PAGEBOY, the transgender star had a chat with Director Chase Joynt, also a transgender man, about Page’s remarkable career, struggles and gender transition.
Page has been on a whirlwind promoting the New York Times Bestseller, which delves into his journey to happiness and self-acceptance, stopping earlier in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, heading next to Manchester. In each stop, Page has chatted with notable figures in the LGBT2SQ+ community, carefully curating his narrative for each intimate audience.
We spotted Page arriving for the sold-out In-Conversation, appearing regretful he didn’t have time to stop to say “hi’ to fans.
See some Snaps and Footage:
PAGEBOY is now in stores via HarperCollins Publishers. Here for more.
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
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