#TIFF24: TIFF NAME BEST CANADIAN FEATURE JURY AND CANADIAN FILM AWARDS

TIFF is pleased to announce its renowned 2024 award categories, distinguished jury members, and prizes to celebrate and honour the outstanding works in this year’s Festival lineup. Back this year after a five-year hiatus and with a new name and criteria, the Best Canadian Discovery Award salutes the best of emerging Canadian filmmakers in Official Selection. The juries, featuring distinguished film critics and filmmakers, include three jurors for the two Canadian feature film awards; five members for FIPRESCI, the International Federation of Film Critics; three jurors for NETPAC, the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema; and three jurors each for Platform and Short Cuts (both previously announced). All awards will be announced on September 15 at TIFF Lightbox.

“TIFF’s annual Festival awards for films in Official Selection are integral to recognizing the excellence and artistry within our industry,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Every year, we gather to celebrate the wide spectrum of cinematic talent with the collaboration and endorsement of our distinguished global juries and peers, and we look forward to continuing this tradition again in just a few weeks.”

Awards descriptions including eligibility can be found here: tiff.net/awards

BEST CANADIAN DISCOVERY AWARD
Back this year after being on hiatus since 2019, and with a new name and new criteria, the Best Canadian Discovery Award celebrates works of emerging filmmakers who contribute to enriching the Canadian film landscape. All first or second feature films in Official Selection by Canadian filmmakers are eligible for this award. The winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000.

BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARD PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE
Canada Goose has always played a supporting role in the magic of filmmaking. TIFF continues to celebrate the unique craft and storytelling within Canadian cinema with the Best Canadian Feature Film Award. All Canadian feature films in Official Selection — excluding first or second features — will be considered for the award. The winning filmmaker will receive a $10,000 cash prize. The 2024 Best Canadian Feature Film Award is presented by Canada Goose.

The 2024 Jury for the Best Canadian Feature Film and for the Best Canadian Discovery Award:

Estrella Araiza is the General Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival and Cineteca FICG. Her work has focused on Mexican and Latin American cinema. Her career includes experience as the director of Industry and Market at the FICG, a sales agent, an academic, and a cinema distributor. She has served on juries for international film festivals and has collaborated with international film markets.

Chelsea McMullan is a director and producer based in Toronto. Their work in documentary, experimental narrative, and hybrid films often explore the work of leading international artists through the cinematic frame. McMullan directed Swan Song (CBC/Dogwoof), a vérité-driven feature documentary that premiered at TIFF ’23 and four-part limited series that follows the National Ballet of Canada as the company mounts a new production of Swan Lake. Their other films include Ever Deadly, Crystal Pite: Angels’ Atlas, and My Prairie Home.

Randall Okita is a Japanese Canadian artist and filmmaker known for innovative storytelling and rich visual language. His work, which spans film, VR, and sculpture, has earned more than 20 international awards, including two Canadian Screen Awards, a Webby, and a Japan Prize.

FIPRESCI JURY
The FIPRESCI Prize is presented by an international jury selected by the International Federation of Film Critics. Founded in 1925, the Federation is an organization of professional film critics and film journalists for the promotion and development of film culture and the safeguarding of professional interests. The Federation awards the prize at international film festivals and film festivals of particular importance to promote film art and to encourage new and young cinema. The FIPRESCI Jury will award the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. Last year’s winner was Meredith Hama-Brown’s Seagrass.

Li Cheuk-to is Curator at Large of Hong Kong Film and Media for M+ Museum, and is also the current Board Chairman of Hong Kong Film Critics Society after serving as its founding President from 1995 to 1999. He has been the Artistic Director of Hong Kong International Film Festival Society from 2004 to 2018.

Pierre-Simon Gutman is deputy editor of the movie review L’Avant Scene Cinema. After studying literature at La Sorbonne, he wrote his PHD thesis on the American filmmaker Michael Cimino. He has written for 3 Couleurs, Les Fiches du Cinéma, and Eclipse(s). He teaches cinema at l’ESRA in Paris and Brussels, after having previously taught at the universities Paris VII and Nancy 2. He has also directed several short features and was for many years a programmer for the Critics’ Week of the Cannes Film Festival, on both the short and feature-film committees. He currently sits on the administration board of the Critics’ Week. He also was a member of the official jury for the Camera d’Or at the 2021 edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Azadeh Jafari is a film critic, writer, and translator based in Tehran. She contributes regularly to different film magazines in Iran. Her English writing on world cinema has appeared in Cinema Scope, Film Comment, Reverse Shot, LOLA, and on the TIFF website. She has translated Berenice Reynaud’s book A City of Sadness on Hou Hsiao-hsien’s masterpiece into Persian and has also contributed to the book Luminous Void – Twenty Years of Experimental Film Society.

Saffron Maeve is a Toronto-based critic and film programmer. Her writing has appeared in Film Comment, The Globe & Mail, MUBI Notebook, Cinema Scope, Toronto Star, and Screen Slate. She is an active member of the Toronto Film Critics Association and GALECA, the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

Wilfred Okiche is a Rotten Tomatoes–certified culture critic and film programmer. He has attended critic programs and reported from film and theatre festivals in Locarno, Rotterdam, Stockholm, and Sundance. Wilfred has worked on the programming team for Film Africa in London and Encounters in South Africa. He has mentored fast rising film critics at Talents Durban and served on the selection committee of Berlinale Talents. His writing has appeared in Variety, IndieWire, The Continent, and Senses of Cinema among other publications. He is a member of FIPRESCI and has participated in juries at the Berlinale, Palm Springs, and Carthage film festivals. He is in graduate school studying film and media at the University of Southern California.

NETPAC JURY
Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films specifically from the Asian and Pacific regions. The jury consists of three international community members selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best Asian film by a first or second-time feature director. In 2023, the NETPAC Award went to Jayant Digambar Somalkar’s A Match.

Hannah Fisher has spent many years working in the international industry as a festival director, a festival artistic director, and, most recently, as an international consultant and programmer. She has particularly loved working in events abroad as with festivals such as Dubai (UAE), Kolkata, Kerala Ladakh (India), Bangkok, (Thailand), Krakow (Poland), San Diego, Heartland Festival (USA), and Montreal, and as Director of the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Dr. Vilsoni Hereniko, this year’s jury chairperson, had his first narrative feature film, The Land Has Eyes, premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 and was Fiji’s submission to the Academy Awards in 2005. It also won Best Dramatic Feature at the Toronto ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in 2004. His animated short film won the Berlin Independent Film Festival in 2022 as well as the Los Angeles International Film Festival the same year. He is also the current President of NETPAC/USA and a professor at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Hawaiʻi.

Kerri Sakamoto is an award-winning Japanese Canadian author whose books have been translated into numerous languages and published internationally. She has worked with acclaimed filmmakers as a screenwriter and story editor.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS PRESENTED BY ROGERS
A longstanding TIFF tradition, the People’s Choice Awards are marking their 47th year. The People’s Choice Award is an Oscars bellwether with a rich history; past winners include Chariots of Fire, The Princess Bride, Slumdog Millionaire, and the 2023 debut feature from Cord Jefferson, American Fiction. All feature films and Primetime series in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible. The winners of the People’s Choice Awards will be announced on Sunday, September 15, 2024. The three audience-voted awards are the People’s Choice Award, the People’s Choice Documentary Award, and the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. The 2023 winners were American Fiction, Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, and Dicks: The Musical. The 2024 People’s Choice Awards are presented by Rogers.

The 2024 Jury for TIFF’s competitive programme, Platform, was announced earlier this year and includes Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho, and Jane Schoenbrun.

As previously announced, the Short Cuts Awards 2024 Jurors are Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith.

#TIFF24: IN CONVERSATION WITH… AND PANELS ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is pleased to present a snapshot of this year’s public and Industry programming that extends beyond the cinema screens, and reflects a wider view of the global entertainment industry’s impact. This includes elevated speaker engagements like the popular In Conversation With… series, TIFF Industry Conference panels, and events designed to inspire and spark future collaborations. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

TIFF’s In Conversation With… (ICW) series is pleased to welcome Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldaña, Steven Soderbergh, and Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook, five original iconoclasts that will captivate audiences though intimate, moderated discussions about their work and creative processes.

“TIFF 2024’s stellar lineup of speakers for our iconic In Conversation With… series reflects our vision that film and creative culture have the power to open minds, spark new ideas, and impact the world around us,” said Anita Lee, TIFF’s Chief Programming Officer. “We are thrilled to connect our public audiences with a dynamic roster of global trailblazers through these in-depth conversations.”

Visionaries, a favourite part of TIFF’s Industry Conference, features inspirational onstage conversations with individuals who are forging creative and business pathways in the industry. This year’s illustrious list of Visionaries are: Alfonso Cuarón, Pete Docter, Franklin Leonard, Steven Moffat, and Malala Yousafzai. The Media Partner for the programme is The Hollywood Reporter. The full Industry programming lineup will be announced later this week.

“TIFF is the world’s largest public film festival because we have cultivated audiences across all demos by ensuring a scope of programming that delivers a rich array of public and Industry initiatives,” continued Lee. “As we approach the 50th edition of the Festival next year and our very first official content market in 2026, we look forward to future collaborations with our Industry partners, creators, and visionaries, ensuring that TIFF continues to grow as a voice for new ideas, collaboration, and cultural exchange for all.”

New this year, TIFF and Rolex are pleased to present a new in-person event titled Play the Part, a spirited conversation with two participants of the Rolex mentoring programme, Mentor Jia Zhang-Ke (Caught by the Tides, A Touch of Sin, Still Life) and Protégé Rafael Manuel (Filipiñana, 102 Narra). Directors Jia and Manuel will provide insights into their approach to documenting social and political change in their respective countries, and the highly collaborative process of making films.

After a successful inaugural event that welcomed Spike Lee, Clement Virgo, Tonya Lee Williams, and other notable guests, TIFF’s second annual Black Excellence Brunch, presented by RBC and Brand USA, and hosted at Soluna, with media partner ESSENCE, returns this year to celebrate Black leaders of the Canadian and international film industries. This year’s theme, The Rise of the Multi-hyphenate, will explore the rise of actors becoming writer-director-producers to own the narratives being created and shared.

Festival Street is once again preparing to take over King Street West, between University Avenue and Peter Street, from September 5 to 8. There will be fun, free activities for all ages, including the TIFF Art Market in partnership with Toronto Film School, where Toronto’s local film festivals and arts organizations will have booths sharing art exhibits, programming information, and more. Also, new this year, TIFF has partnered with the Toronto Downtown West BIA for a fun Festival Scavenger Hunt with prizes to be won. The full list of Festival Street activities will be shared later this month.

ICW… Speaker Bios
About Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett is one of the most revered actors of our time. With two Academy Awards and four BAFTAs to her name, her genre-spanning performances across theatre, independent cinema, and major blockbusters have enthralled audiences and cemented her place as an astonishing talent. Blanchett joins us to discuss her expansive and illustrious career, as well as her role in two projects in Official Selection at this year’s Festival: Alfonso Cuarón’s series Disclaimer and Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, and Guy Maddin’s latest feature Rumours.

About Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña brings a commanding presence to every role. She first appeared in Center Stage (2000) and as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Her role as Nyota Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) and its sequels elevated her career. Saldaña’s starring role as Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009) solidified her status as a leading actress. Her portrayal of Gamora in Marvel’s Avengers universe further propelled her to superstardom. Recently, she led The Absence of Eden (2024) and currently stars in Lioness for Paramount+. At this year’s Festival, she will be attending the Canadian Premiere of Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, showcasing her remarkable range in an utterly gripping lead performance. In this intimate conversation, Saldaña reflects on her career journey and this exciting new role, for which she, along with her co-stars, received the Cannes Best Actress Award.

About Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh is a cinema polymath whose prolific career defies easy categorization, yet is unified by his passion for exploring bold storytelling and technical innovation. From the indie verité of sex, lies, and videotape (1989), which was awarded the Palme d’Or at that year’s Cannes Film Festival, and the slinky neo-noir aesthetic of Out of Sight (1998) to the blockbuster sheen of the Ocean’s trilogy (2001, 2004, 2007), Soderbergh’s filmography offers a kaleidoscope of styles and genres. His dual triumphs at the 2000 Academy Awards — a Best Director win for Traffic and nomination for Erin Brockovich — is testament to his gift for balancing critical acclaim with popular success, as evidenced further by Contagion (2011), Magic Mike (2012), and Behind the Candelabra (2013). Beyond the director’s chair, Soderbergh’s contributions as producer, editor, and cinematographer have solidified his status as a singular force in contemporary filmmaking. Join us as we explore the multi-faceted career of this visionary and discuss his most recent feature, TIFF Centrepiece selection Presence, starring Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan, which once again offers a unique point of view on the art of storytelling.

About Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook
Korean superstars Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook join us for a highly anticipated conversation about their respective careers in the Korean film and television industry and their espionage thriller Harbin, which will have its World Premiere at this year’s Festival as a Gala presentation.

Hyun Bin is known for his remarkable onscreen presence in such award-winning drama series as My Lovely Sam Soon (2005), Secret Garden (2010), for which he won the Grand Award at the Baeksang Art Awards, and the megahit Crash Landing on You (2019–2020). He has also starred in numerous feature films, including the 2010 Festival Selection Late Autumn, and has become one of the most sought-after actors in Korea and beyond.

Following his debut in the popular series School (1999–2001), Lee Dong-wook became a household name for Korean and international audiences through his lead roles in such series as My Girl (2005–2006), Scent of a Woman (2011), and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017) that showcased his range and versatility as a dramatic and romantic lead. He won the Top Excellence Award in Acting at the SBS Drama Awards for his role in Scent of a Woman and most recently appeared in the smash hit A Shop for Killers (2024).

Visionaries: Speaker Bios
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican filmmaker. His accolades include four Academy Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Cuarón made his feature film debut with the romantic comedy Sólo con tu pareja (1991), and directed the film adaptations A Little Princess (1995) and Great Expectations (1998). His breakthrough came with the coming-of-age film Y tu mamá también (2001), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He gained greater prominence for directing the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), the dystopian drama Children of Men (2006), the science fiction drama Gravity (2013), and the semi-autobiographical drama Roma (2018). The latter two won him Academy Awards for Best Director. He also won Best Film Editing for Gravity and Best Cinematography for Roma.

Pete Docter
Pete Docter’s interest in animation began at the age of eight when he created his first flipbook. He studied character animation at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where he produced a variety of short films, one of which won a Student Academy Award. Those films have since been shown at animation festivals worldwide and are featured in the Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 2. Upon joining Pixar, he animated and directed several commercials, and has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, including for the Best Animated Feature–winners Up, Inside Out, and Soul, and nominee Monsters, Inc., and Best Original Screenplay for Up, Inside Out, and WALL-E. In 2010, Up was also nominated for a Best Picture Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Franklin Leonard
Franklin Leonard is the founder and CEO of the Black List, the company that celebrates and supports great screenwriting and the writers who do it via film production, its annual survey of best unproduced screenplays, online marketplace, and screenwriter labs. More than 400 scripts from the annual Black List survey have been produced as feature films, earning 250 Academy Award nominations and 50 wins, including four Best Pictures (Spotlight, Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech, Argo) and nearly half of the last fifteen years’ screenwriting Oscars. Leonard has worked in feature film development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Will Smith, Sydney Pollack, Anthony Minghella, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, was an advisor for the 2022 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s exhibition “In America,” and is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat OBE is a Scottish television writer, television producer, and screenwriter best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television series Doctor Who (2010–2017), and for co-creating and co-writing the BBC crime drama television series Sherlock (2010–2017). In the 2015 Birthday Honours, Moffat was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama.

Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is an education activist and became the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17. She is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, the second Pakistani, and the only Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize. Yousafzai is a human rights advocate for the education of women and children in the Swat Valley, Pakistan, where the Pakistani Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school, and for the equal right to education for girls all over the world. Her advocacy has grown into an international movement, and according to former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, she has become Pakistan’s “most prominent citizen.”

Play the Part: Speaker Bios
About Jia Zhang-Ke
Considered one of today’s most daring Chinese filmmakers, Jia Zhang-Ke is a leading figure in the post-1990 Sixth Generation of Chinese directors. A Rolex Testimonee, his early films, known as the Shanxi trilogy, captured moments of transition in Chinese society. Jia’s Still Life won the Golden Lion at the 2006 Venice Film Festival, and he was named Best Director at the 2007 Asian Film Awards. Among his award-winning films are A Touch of Sin (2013), Mountains May Depart (2015), and Ash is Purest White (2018). Caught by the Tides premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. In 2017, Jia founded the Pingyao International Film Festival.

About Rafael Manuel
Filipino filmmaker Rafael Manuel, who is based in Amsterdam, London, and Manila, has grounded his creations in the study of philosophy. Manuel won the Silver Bear Jury Prize at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival for his short film Filipiñana (2020). He is an alumnus of La Cinef’s Résidence programme, Berlinale Talents, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, BFI Network, Oxbelly Lab, and Talents Tokyo. He is currently working on his first two feature films: Filipiñana (financed by Film4 in the United Kingdom) and Patrimonio (supported by the Hubert Bals Fund). Manuel is the co-founder of Idle Eye Productions.

#TIFF24: FULL PROGRAMMING LINEUP FOR 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Today, TIFF is sharing its full programming lineup and schedule for the upcoming Festival on tiff.net/films, and announcing 20 additional titles in Official Selection. In total, there are 278 films on the slate for this year’s Festival. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

Films (in alphabetical order)

GALAS

Megalopolis Francis Ford Coppola | USA
North American Premiere

William Tell Nick Hamm | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Babygirl Halina Reijn | USA
North American Premiere

Dahomey Mati Diop | Benin/France/Senegal
North American Premiere

Hold Your Breath Karrie Crouse, Will Joines | USA
World Premiere

On Swift Horses Daniel Minahan | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Paul Anka: His Way John Maggio | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Queer Luca Guadagnino | Italy/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

SATURDAY NIGHT Jason Reitman | USA
Canadian Premiere

Shell Max Minghella | USA
World Premiere

The Brutalist Brady Corbet | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sales Title

The Luckiest Man in America Samir Oliveros | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Room Next Door Pedro Almodóvar | Spain
North American Premiere

The Salt Path Marianne Elliott | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

Vermiglio Maura Delpero | Italy/France/Belgium
North American Premiere
Sales Title

CENTREPIECE

Bliss (Hemda) Shemi Zarhin | Israel
International Premiere
Sales Title

DISCOVERY

Village Keeper Karen Chapman | Canada
World Premiere

You Are Not Alone Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien | Canada
World Premiere
Special Anniversary Screenings

Double Happiness Mina Shum | Canada

Whiplash Damien Chazelle | USA

Among the newly announced Special Presentations titles is Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door. Audiences can also look forward to a Marquee celebration of Almodóvar’s artistic vision and career impact when TIFF presents a major retrospective of the Spanish auteur’s work at TIFF Lightbox this November.

In addition to the Official Selection titles, TIFF presents the 30th anniversary screening of Mina Shum’s Double Happiness and 10th anniversary screening of Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash.

Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join.

This marks the last official programme announcement leading up to TIFF 2024. Festival single tickets will go on sale to the public on August 26. Visit tiff.net/films?schedule to view the full schedule and tiff.net/films to see the full list of films.

#TIFF24: SHORT CUTS AND PRIMETIME PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is pleased to announce its Short Cuts, supported by the Ontario Arts Council, and Primetime programmes for the 2024 season. Celebrating the very best of short and serialized content, audiences will be immersed in new worlds, experience lives unlike their own, and gain fresh perspectives through powerful storytelling and diverse narratives. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

This year’s Primetime lineup features eight new series from around the world, and of those, five are World Premieres: Tomas Alfredson’s Faithless, Janicza Bravo’s The Listeners, Mike Downie’s The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing, and Dylan River’s Thou Shalt Not Steal. The other three series are: Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, and Joe Wright’s M. Son of the Century.

Watch Primetime Lead Programmer Geoff McNaughton’s video on this year’s selection:

This year’s Short Cuts includes 48 short films from 23 countries, selected from a record-breaking 5,300 submissions, and features a variety of live-action narrative, animated, and documentary films, presented across seven screenings. This year’s short films include directorial debuts from Dakota Johnson and Maika Monroe, plus World Premieres of new films by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, Connor Jessup, Joyce A. Nashawati, Amanda Strong, and more.

New this year for Short Cuts is Strange Cuts, a programme of six bold genre films in the spirit of Midnight Madness that range from satirical horror, to mind-bending animation, to innovative thrillers. The programme includes World Premiere shorts by Matty Crawford, ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, and Joyce A. Nashawati.

Watch Short Cuts Lead Programmer Jason Anderson chat about this year’s selections:

The 2024 Jurors for the Short Cuts Awards for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film are Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith. TIFF is an Academy Award–qualifying Festival, and films that win a TIFF Short Cuts Award are eligible to submit for 97th Academy Awards consideration.

Primetime (in alphabetical order)
Disclaimer Alfonso Cuarón | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Faithless Tomas Alfredson, Sara Johnsen | Sweden
World Premiere

Families Like Ours Thomas Vinterberg | Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany
North American Premiere

M. Son of the Century Joe Wright | Italy/France
North American Premiere

The Knowing Courtney Montour, Tanya Talaga | Canada
World Premiere

The Listeners Janicza Bravo, Jordan Tannahill | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal Mike Downie | Canada
World Premiere

Thou Shalt Not Steal Dylan River | Australia
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 1
Deck 5B Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden
World Premiere

Silent Panorama Nicolas Piret | Belgium
North American Premiere

Fantas Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere

Amarela André Hayato Saito | Brazil
North American Premiere

Maybe Elephants Torill Kove | Norway/Canada
North American Premiere

Sauna Day Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash | Estonia
North American Premiere

welima’q shalan joudry | Canada
World Premiere

Julian and the Wind Connor Jessup | Canada
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 2
Percebes Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves | Portugal/France
North American Premiere

Fuck Me Anette Sidor | Sweden/Norway
World Premiere

One Day This Kid Alexander Farah | Canada
World Premiere

Every Other Weekend Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose | Canada
World Premiere

Mercenaire Pier-Philippe Chevigny | Canada
World Premiere

perfectly a strangeness Alison McAlpine | Canada
North American Premiere

The Yellow Maika Monroe, Simone Faoro | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 3
Serve the Country Fabián Velasco, Miloš Mitrović | Canada
World Premiere

Who Loves the Sun Arshia Shakiba | Canada
North American Premiere

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent Nebojša Slijepčević | Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia
North American Premiere

Inkwo for When the Starving Return Amanda Strong | Canada
World Premiere

Masterpiece Mommy Dorothy Sing Zhang | United Kingdom/China
World Premiere

Loser Baby Dakota Johnson | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 4
A Son & a Father Andrés Ramírez Pulido | France/Colombia
North American Premiere

On a Sunday at Eleven Alicia K. Harris | Canada
World Premiere

Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? Bec Pecaut | Canada
World Premiere

On The Way Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere

Out for Ice Cream Rachel Samson | Canada
World Premiere

The Best Ian Bawa | Canada
World Premiere

Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin | USA
World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 5
Solemates James Rathbone, Mike Feswick | Canada
World Premiere

Quota Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands
World Premiere

Vox Humana Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | Philippines/USA/Singapore
World Premiere

The Wolf Theodore Ushev | Canada
North American Premiere

Aïda Neither Elisa Gilmour | France
World Premiere

Alazar Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia/France/Canada
North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 6
The Cost of Hugging Louis Bhose | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Marion Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine | France/United Kingdom
North American Premiere

La Voix des Sirènes Gianluigi Toccafondo | France/Italy
North American Premiere

After Sunday Omolola Ajao | Canada
World Premiere

Anotc ota ickwaparin akosiin Catherine Boivin | Canada
World Premiere

Before They Joined Us Arshile Khanjian Egoyan | Canada
World Premiere

Tenderness Helen Lee | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere

Strange Cuts Programme
Gender Reveal Mo Matton | Canada
North American Premiere

The Sunset Special 2 Nicolas Gebbe | Germany
North American Premiere

The Beguiling ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby | USA
World Premiere

Don’t F*ck With Ba Sally Tran | USA
International Premiere

Stomach Bug Matty Crawford | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Never Have I Ever Joyce A. Nashawati | France
World Premiere

Screening prior to the Centrepiece selection When the Light Breaks:
O Rúnar Rúnarsson | Iceland/Sweden
North American Premiere

Short Cuts 2024 Jury
Luis De Filippis

Luis De Filippis is a Canadian Italian filmmaker. Her films include the short For Nonna Anna (2017), which received a Sundance Special Jury Prize, and her debut feature, Something You Said Last Night (2022), which received the TIFF Change Maker Award, Sebastiáne Award at the San Sebastián Film Festival, and the Rotterdam Youth Jury Award. De Filippis is an alum of the TIFF Talent Lab, TIFF Writers’ Studio, and CHANEL writing fellowship.

Micah Kernan

Micah Kernan is the Development Manager for both Drama and Comedy at CBC. She coordinates the management, tracking, and distribution of projects, and supports the team by evaluating pitches and being the point of contact for creators to connect with the CBC. Kernan is the current programmer for Canada’s longest running short film showcase, Canadian Reflections. At the CBC, inclusion and representation are a priority, and Micah works to reflect all regions and the country’s multi-faceted nature while programming for Canadian Reflections.

Shane Smith

Shane Smith is a documentary programmer at TVO. From 2015–2023 he was Programming and Artistic Director at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Smith previously worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as the Director of Special Projects and Director of Public Programs. His other roles include Short Film Programmer at Sundance, Director of Programming at Channel Zero Inc., and Executive Producer In-Flight Entertainment at Spafax Canada. Smith has served on juries and spoken on panels at festivals and events globally.

This concludes the second TIFF Takeover of programming alerts. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.

#TIFF24: “THE TRAGICALLY HIP – NO DRESS REHEARSAL” DOCU-SERIES TO PREMIERE AT 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Prime Video today released the official key art and trailer for the upcoming four-part docuseries The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, an intimate and unvarnished look at the extraordinary 40-year journey of Canada’s most beloved rock band. Directed by Mike Downie, the four-part series chronicles the triumphs, trials and deep bonds of brotherhood that defined The Tragically Hip’s rise from basement shows to arena rock legends. The docuseries will have its world premiere at TIFF before screening at film festivals nationwide. The Prime Video launch date will be shared at a later date.

“We’re thrilled to premiere the incredible story of The Tragically Hip at this year’s TIFF. It will be a powerful and memorable event,” said Mike Downie. “This project is a labour of love, with personal and unseen footage from the band’s 40-year history. We set out to understand what held the band together, what pushed them apart and how they captured the hearts and minds of so many fans both in Canada and around the world.”

“The Tragically Hip’s music continues to be the soundtrack for generations of Canadians,” said Shaun Alperin, head of content, Prime Video, Canada. “This docuseries offers fans an unprecedented window into the band’s iconic career and the deep kinship they forged with an entire nation through their poetic lyrics and electrifying performances — from director Mike Downie who was there for every moment.”

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is a love story between a band and the country they call home. With never before seen personal and archival footage, the Canadian rock’n’roll legends share the story of their unique, complicated and wildly successful musical brotherhood. Forty years of hits and misses, friendship and frustration, triumph and tragedy, the docuseries features unseen performances, unreleased music and unprecedented access to The Hip.

From their hometown of Kingston, ON, Rob Baker, Gord Downie, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair skyrocketed to fame as The Tragically Hip with their signature blend of rock anthems and poetic lyricism. Over their storied career, the band released 14 studio albums, 9 of which hit #1 in Canada, won 17 Juno Awards, and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received a star on Canada’s Walk Of Fame. Their 2016 cross-Canada tour, undertaken after Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis, was a cultural phenomenon watched by millions.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is produced by Courage Films with support from Ontario Creates and the Government of Canada. The docuseries is directed and produced by Mike Downie and executive produced by Jake Gold.

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal joins the slate of Canadian Amazon Original series and films including TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Documentary Award and Canadian Screen Award-winner Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Luxe Listings: Toronto, LOL: Qui rira le dernier?, Pour un Soir Seulement, Nuit Blanche, L’ultime gala, Three Pines, Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle, Saving Sakic, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, The Kids in the Hall, The Lake, LOL: Last One Laughing Canada, The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith and the upcoming series The Sticky and Elisabeth Rioux: sans filtre.

These series will join Prime Monday Night Hockey, which will stream all national regular season Monday night NHL games in English for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 NHL seasons, and the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalogue, including award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, and I Am: Celine Dion. Prime members in Canada enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership, for just $9.99/month or the best value of $99.99/year.

#FIRSTLOOK: “UNSTOPPABLE” COMING TO PRIME VIDEO CANADA

Unstoppable is an inspiring, true story about Anthony Robles (played by Jharrel Jerome) who defied every expectation to become a national wrestling champion. It also will premiere at TIFF ’24! In select theatres December 2024.

This film marks William Goldenberg’s directorial debut. He is a decorated Academy Award winning editor for Argo with previous nominations including The Imitation Game, Zero Dark Thirty, Seabiscuit and The Insider.

The film features an all-star ensemble cast including Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez.

Anthony Robles himself is seen in the film and credited as ‘Anthony Robles Double’, performing the complex wrestling moves and stunts. He is also a producer on the film.

Jharrel Jerome trained for months and worked very closely with Anthony to establish the physicality and determination required for the role.

Unstoppable is produced by Artists Equity, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company.

Unstoppable employed Accessibility Coordinators from IndieVisible to ensure a safe working environment, including productivity tools for all cast and crew.

Starring Jharrel Jerome, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, Anthony Robles, with Don Cheadle and Jennifer Lopez

Directed by William Goldenberg

Screenplay by Eric Champnella and Alex Harris and John Hindman

Based upon the book by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy

Produced by Ben Affleck, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Anthony Robles, Andrew Fraser, Gary Lewis,

David Crockett

Genre Biography, Drama, Sport

Rated PG-13

Anthony Robles, despite being born without a right leg, rises to become a NCAA Division 1 Champion wrestler ultimately winning a national championship against the school that rejected him, national powerhouse Iowa. (Based on the book Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion, by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy.)

#TIFF24: WAVELENGTHS PROGRAMME AND TIFF CLASSICS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENT

TIFF is delighted to announce the 2024 selection for the Wavelengths programme, and the TIFF Classics programme, presented by MUBI, and supported by Ontario Creates and the Canada Council for the Arts. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

WAVELENGTHS
Highlighting visionary work from the worlds of international cinema and contemporary art, the Wavelengths programme includes a dynamic selection of 11 features, 3 shorts programmes, and a special in-cinema looped presentation. Intergenerational and regionally diverse, with emerging talents screening alongside legendary peers, the films in this year’s selection range from a two-minute animation to a gripping 14-hour documentary, offering a mix of dazzling formal work, subversive narratives, and boldly political perspectives.

The 2024 Wavelengths programme is curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions by Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, and June Kim.

Watch this video of Wavelengths Lead Programmer Andréa Picard to learn more:

Feature film highlights include a number by esteemed Wavelengths alumni, among them the North American Premieres of Grand Tour by Miguel Gomes, The Damned by Roberto Minervini, and Pepe by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias.
Jessica Sarah Rinland also returns to the programme with Collective Monologue, alongside the North American Premiere of the queer, controversial Viêt and Nam, by first-time Wavelengths filmmaker Trương Minh Quý. The 14-hour, compulsively watchable exergue – on documenta 14 from Greek filmmaker Dimitris Athiridi will be presented over three screenings.

Short film highlights include the World Premieres of Archipelago of Earthen Bones — To Bunya by Malena Szlam, and A Black Screen Too by Sobey Prize–nominated Rhayne Vermette, as well as the North American Premiere of Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s The Diary of a Sky. A pairing of work by legendary filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and John Smith includes the former’s final film Scénarios, completed just before Godard’s death, and the World Premiere of Smith’s wry, moving Being John Smith.

Presented as a rare and unmissable special presentation, the programme is rounded out by celebrated Egyptian artist Wael Shawky’s Drama 1882. A mesmerizing highlight of this year’s Venice Biennale, the film (re)stages an anti-colonial uprising as a libretto across eight chapters and 45 hypnotic minutes. Drama 1882 will be presented looped in-cinema on Saturday, September 7, and admission will be free.

CLASSICS
TIFF Classics reunites audiences with iconic films from visionary filmmakers such as Srinivas Krishna, Raj Kapoor, and Atom Egoyan. Two newly restored international discoveries include Shahid Sohrab Saless’ Time of Maturity, and Lino Brocka’s Bona. In celebration of the centenary of auteur Raj Kapoor, known as The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema, TIFF Classics presents the World Premiere 4K restoration of one of his most acclaimed films, Awāra, which he directs and stars in.

Continuing TIFF’s year-long spotlight on Toronto New Wave filmmakers, Classics is screening the 4K restoration of Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter; and Srinivas Krishna’s Masala, a restoration that was made possible through Canadian Cinema – Reignited, a Telefilm Canada initiative, in partnership with TIFF. Lastly, Classics is honoured to present the World Premiere of the new 4K restoration of legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman’s documentary Essene.

The 2024 Classics programme is programmed by Robyn Citizen, TIFF’s Director of Programming, and Andréa Picard.

Wavelengths Features 2024 (in alphabetical order):
Collective Monologue [Monólogo colectivo] Jessica Sarah Rinland | Argentina/United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sales Title

exergue – on documenta 14 Dimitris Athiridis | Greece
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Grand Tour Miguel Gomes | Portugal/Italy/France/Germany/Japan/China
North American Premiere

Lázaro at Night [Lázaro de noche] Nicolás Pereda | Canada/Mexico
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Pepe Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias | Dominican Republic/Germany/France/Namibia
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Perfumed with Mint [Moattar binanaa] Muhammed Hamdy | Egypt/France/Tunisia/Qatar
North American Premiere
Sales Title

The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich | USA
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

The Damned Roberto Minervini | Italy/USA/Belgium
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Viêt and Nam Trương Minh Quý | Philippines/Singapore/France/Netherlands/Italy/Germany/Vietnam
North American Premiere

Youth (Hard Times) [Qing Chun (Ku)] Wang Bing | France/Luxembourg/Netherlands
North American Premiere
Luminaries

Youth (Homecoming) [Qing Chun (Gui)] Wang Bing | France/Luxembourg/Netherlands
North American Premiere
Luminaries

Wavelengths Special Presentation 2024:
Drama 1882 Wael Shawky | Egypt
Festival Premiere

Wavelengths Shorts 2024:
WAVELENGTHS 1: EYE & EAR CONTROL

Revolving Rounds Johann Lurf, Christina Jauernik | Austria
North American Premiere

The Diary of a Sky Lawrence Abu Hamdan | Lebanon
North American Premiere
Sales Title

October Noon [Octubre al mediodía] Francisco Rodríguez Teare | Chile/France
World Premiere
Sales Title

A Black Screen Too Rhayne Vermette | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

Archipelago of Earthen Bones — To Bunya Malena Szlam | Canada/Australia/Chile
World Premiere

WAVELENGTHS 2: RIDE THE WAVE

Someplace in Your Mouth Beatrice Gibson, Nick Gordon | Italy
International Premiere
Sales Title

Notes of a Crocodile Daphne Xu | Cambodia/China/Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

Adrift Potentials [Potenciais à deriva] Leonardo Pirondi | Brazil/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Go Between Chris Kennedy | Canada/Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Sojourn [暫棲] Tiffany Sia | USA
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

WAVELENGTHS 3: EXPOSÉ(S) – JEAN-LUC GODARD/JOHN SMITH

Scénarios Jean-Luc Godard | France/Japan
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Exposé du film annonce du film “Scénario” Jean-Luc Godard | France/Japan
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Being John Smith John Smith | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

Classics Programme 2024 (in alphabetical order):
Awāra Raj Kapoor | India

Bona Lino Brocka | Philippines

Essene Frederick Wiseman | USA

Masala Srinivas Krishna | Canada

The Sweet Hereafter Atom Egoyan | Canada

Time of Maturity [Reifezeit] Sohrab Shahid Saless | Germany

#TIFF24: DOCS PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is delighted to announce the 2024 selection for its Docs programme presented by A&E IndieFilms, featuring 21 titles from 24 countries around the world. This year’s lineup covers a wide range of experiences: comical, infuriating, revelatory, audacious, and profound, with an underlying theme of pushing back against corrupt systems. Audiences will encounter unforgettable figures such as former Vice host Eddie Huang, novelist Edna O’Brien, US politician Adam Kinzinger, disability rights activist Patrice Jetter, aerial cameraman Joe Jennings, and the haenyeo fisherwomen of South Korea. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5–15, 2024.

New this year, we have asked a few TIFF Programmers to share their insights into this year’s films. Watch Docs Lead Programmer Thom Powers’ summary here:

The TIFF Docs programme features candid and unscripted stories, and the best in non-fiction cinema from around the world. The programme will open with Huang’s Vice is Broke, in which the former Vice contributor investigates the media company’s rise and fall. Several directors return to TIFF with attention-grabbing World Premieres, including Men of War, directed by Billy Corben (Screwball, Cocaine Cowboys) and Jen Gaiten, following someone recently arrested for arms smuggling in connection with a plot to overthrow Venezuela’s government; The Last Republican, directed by Steve Pink (The Wheel, Hot Tub Time Machine), profiling US conservative politician Kinzinger as he breaks ranks with the GOP to criticize Donald Trump; Space Cowboy, directed by Marah Strauch (Sunshine Superman) and Bryce Leavitt, which captures the stunning cinematography and complicated life of skydiver Jennings; So Surreal: Behind the Masks, directed by Neil Diamond (Reel Injun) and Joanne Robertson, which covers the effort to return cultural artifacts to the Yup’ik and Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw nations; and Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story, directed by Sinéad O’Shea (Pray for Our Sinners, TIFF ’22), which profiles the groundbreaking Irish novelist who broke taboos with her sexual candour.

Other World Premieres include Halima Elkhatabi’s Living Together, Ted Passon’s Patrice: The Movie, Lina Vdovîi and Radu Ciorniciuc’s Tata, Anastasiia Bortuali’s Temporary Shelter, Santiago Esteinou’s The Freedom of Fierro, Sue Kim’s The Last of the Sea Women, and Ali Weinstein’s Your Tomorrow.

These TIFF Docs titles join a number of documentaries already announced for TIFF ’24 as part of the Gala programme, including the World Premieres of Elton John: Never Too Late, Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, and the Canadian premiere of Will & Harper; as well as non-fiction works previously announced for the Platform competition, The Wolves Always Come at Night, which blends observed moments and recreated scenes, and Viktor; and for Centerpiece, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara.

2024 TIFF Docs Programme (in alphabetical order):

A Sisters’ Tale Leila Amini | Switzerland/France/Iran
International Premiere
Sales Title

Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story Sinéad O’Shea | Ireland/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Raoul Peck | France
North American Premiere

From Ground Zero Wissam Moussa, Nidal Damo, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Ayoub, Karim Satoum, Bashar Al Babisi, Khamis Masharawi, Nida’A Abu Hasna, Tamer Nijim, Ahmed Al Danaf, Rima Mahmoud, Muhammad Al Sharif, Basil El Maqousi, Mustafa Al Nabih, Rabab Khamis, Mustafa Kulab, Alaa Damo, Hana Eleiwa, Mahdi Kreirah, Aws Al Banna, Islam Al Zeriei, Etimad Washah | Palestine/France/Qatar/Jordan
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Living Together Halima Elkhatabi | Canada
World Premiere

Men of War Jen Gatien, Billy Corben | USA/Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

Mistress Dispeller Elizabeth Lo | China/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

No Other Land Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor | Palestine/Norway
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

Patrice: The Movie Ted Passon | USA
World Premiere
Russians at War Anastasia Trofimova | Canada/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title

So Surreal: Behind the Masks Neil Diamond, Joanne Robertson | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

Space Cowboy Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Sudan, remember us Hind Meddeb | France/Tunisia/Qatar
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Tata Lina Vdovîi, Radu Ciorniciuc | Romania/Germany/Netherlands
World Premiere
Sales Title

Temporary Shelter Anastasiia Bortuali | Iceland
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Freedom of Fierro Santiago Esteinou | Mexico/Canada/Greece
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Last of the Sea Women Sue Kim | USA
World Premiere

The Last Republican Steve Pink | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Vice is Broke Eddie Huang | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

Wishing on a Star Peter Kerekes | Italy/Slovakia/Czech Republic/Austria/Croatia
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Your Tomorrow Ali Weinstein | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

This is the sixth TIFF Takeover announcement and will be followed by Wavelengths and Classics tomorrow, and Primetime and Short Cuts on Friday. More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13.

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE LAST OF THE SEAWOMEN” TO PREMIERE AT TIFF ’24

In “The Last of the Sea Women,” an extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors wages a spirited battle against vast oceanic threats. Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor—without oxygen —to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, with most haenyeo now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, their traditions and way of life are in imminent danger. But these fierce, funny, hardworking women refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral lifestyle through social media. Peering into what drives haenyeo young and old, this moving documentary zeroes in on their tight-knit friendships, savvy independence, and infectious sense of empowerment, unfolding into an uplifting tale of women taking on world powers to protect their beloved ocean and inspiring a new generation.

“The Last of the Sea Women” is directed and produced by Sue Kim. The film is produced by Malala Yousafzai through her production company Extracurricular along with Erika Kennair. Nicole Stott, Emily Osborne, Harry Go and Marissa Torres Ericson serve as executive producers through A24.

“The Last of the Sea Women” will premiere as an official selection of the TIFF Docs Programme ahead of its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, October 11, 2024.

Director: Sue Kim

Producers: Sue Kim, Malala Yousafzai, Erika Kennair

Exec. Producers: Nicole Stott, Emily Osborne, Harry Go, Marissa Torres Ericson

#TIFF: 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CENTREPIECE PROGRAMME

TIFF is proud to unveil its 2024 Centrepiece programme lineup presented by Marriott Bonvoy,® featuring 43 titles from filmmakers representing 41 countries. The selection includes 18 World Premiere titles from Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and USA. Centrepiece honours and celebrates global cinematic achievements, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a dynamic array of contemporary films. The programme is a reflection of TIFF’s commitment to providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries. The 49th edition of TIFF is proud to unveil its 2024 Centrepiece programme lineup presented by Marriott Bonvoy,® featuring 43 titles from filmmakers representing 41 countries. The selection includes 18 World Premiere titles from Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and USA. Centrepiece honours and celebrates global cinematic achievements, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a dynamic array of contemporary films. The programme is a reflection of TIFF’s commitment to providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries. The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 5-15, 2024.

The 2024 Centrepiece selection has been programmed by Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, June Kim, Dorota Lech, Jason Ryle, and Norm Wilner. Discover more about the films from the programmers themselves here:

Notable World Premieres include Front Row, from one of the filmmakers selected as a Luminary — TIFF’s spotlight on new work from the world’s most influential art-house directors — Algerian director Merzak Allouache, marking his 19th feature film, a family-friendly comedy about feuding matriarchs battling over the best beachfront spot. Seven Days, the latest from Iranian filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi and writer Mohammad Rasoulof (also in the Centrepiece programme with his film The Seed of the Sacred Fig), centres on an Iranian human rights activist named Maryam who has spent the last six years in prison and has been granted a rare seven-day medical leave. Pimpinero: Blood and Oil, a gripping thriller set in the early 2010s from acclaimed Colombian filmmaker Andrés Baiz (Griselda, Narcos), starring Colombian music icon Juanes, Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Speitzer, and Laura Osma, takes place in the treacherous desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, where gasoline smugglers or pimpineros risk their lives transporting illegal fuel. Under the Volcano, a tense and timely second feature from Polish filmmaker Damian Kocur following Bread and Salt, which garnered a Special Jury Prize at Venice ’22, tells the story of a Ukrainian family on vacation in the Canary Islands who become refugees overnight when Russia’s ongoing occupation of Ukraine turns into a full-scale invasion. Another timely film covering pressing social issues is Antoinette Jadaone’s Sunshine, from the Philippines, starring up-and-coming Maris Racal (her third collaboration with the filmmaker), who plays a young gymnast who discovers she’s pregnant on the week of the national team tryouts. The latest from Belgian director Guillaume Senez (Keeper, TIFF ’15), A Missing Part is a thoughtful and moving drama about a father’s search for his daughter, with an exceptional lead performance by Romain Duris. From Canada, Measures for a Funeral, from acclaimed filmmaker and Short Cuts alumni Sofia Bohdanowicz and her frequent collaborator, actor Deragh Campbell, tells a singular story about a forgotten Canadian violinist. Also, Canadian pop duo Tegan and Sara are at the centre of the gripping documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, which charts the global rise of the trailblazing twins, their advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, and their simultaneously liberating and fraught relationship with social media, from American documentary filmmaker and writer Erin Lee Carr (At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, Britney vs Spears), who directed and produced the film.

Other Centrepiece standout World Premieres include Jane Austen Wrecked My Life from France. In an utterly charming debut, writer-director Laura Piani draws from Austen’s works while crafting a wholly contemporary romantic comedy — featuring a Frederick Wiseman cameo — that stands on its own merits. Kiwi-Australian filmmaker Marcelle Lunam, who has directed multiple music videos and short films, as well as the feature documentary Habana Shakes, presents Addition, a warm-hearted and illuminating adaptation of the bestselling novel by Toni Jordan, starring Teresa Palmer (A Discovery of Witches), who plays a mathematician struggling to balance her compulsive counting habit (and imaginary friendship with Nikola Tesla) with a new romance. The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, a debut from Nigeria’s Agbajowo Collective, is a thriller with flecks of magical realism, telling a story about the government’s forced evictions of informal settlements. Inspired by the directors’ lived experiences, the film stars Temi Ami-Williams (Eyimofe – This Is My Desire) and celebrity activist-actor Adebowale Adedayo (a.k.a. Mr Macaroni, also at the Festival with Discovery selection Freedom Way). From China, renowned scriptwriter Huo Xin presents Bound in Heaven, a poignant tale of love and resilience starring Ni Ni, Zhou You, and Liao Fan. This deeply touching film tackles domestic violence and terminal illness with assured direction and outstanding performances.

2024 CENTREPIECE PROGRAMME (in alphabetical order)

Addition Marcelle Lunam | Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title

A Missing Part Guillaume Senez | Belgium/France
World Premiere
Sales Title

An Unfinished Film Lou Ye | Singapore/Germany
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Anywhere Anytime Milad Tangshir | Italy
International Premiere
Sales Title

April Dea Kulumbegashvili | Italy/France/Georgia
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Beloved Tropic Ana Endara | Panama/Colombia
World Premiere
Sales Title

Bound in Heaven Huo Xin | China
World Premiere
Sales Title

By the Stream Hong Sangsoo | South Korea
North American Premiere

Cloud Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Japan
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Crocodile Tears Tumpal Tampubolon | Indonesia/France/Singapore/Germany
World Premiere
Sales Title

Don’t Cry, Butterfly Dương Diệu Linh | Vietnam/Singapore/Philippines/Indonesia
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Edge of Night Türker Süer | Germany
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara Erin Lee Carr | USA
World Premiere

Flow Gints Zilbalodis | Latvia/France/Belgium
Canadian Premiere

Front Row Merzak Allouache | Algeria/Saudi Arabia/France
World Premiere
Sales Title

Happyend Neo Sora | Japan/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Happy Holidays Scandar Copti | Palestine/Germany/France/Italy/Qatar
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life Laura Piani | France
World Premiere
Sales Title

Julie Keeps Quiet Leonardo van Dijl | Belgium/Sweden
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Ka Whawhai Tonu – Struggle Without End Michael Jonathan | New Zealand
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Kill the Jockey Luis Ortega | Argentina/Mexico/Spain/Denmark/USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Little Jaffna Lawrence Valin | France
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Los Tortuga Belén Funes | Spain/Chile
World Premiere
Sales Title

Matt and Mara Kazik Radwanski | Canada
North American Premiere

Measures for a Funeral Sofia Bohdanowicz | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

My Sunshine Hiroshi Okuyama | Japan/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil Andrés Baiz | Colombia
World Premiere

Presence Steven Soderbergh | USA
International Premiere

Santosh Sandhya Suri | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title

Seven Days Ali Samadi Ahadi | Germany
World Premiere
Sales Title

Souleymane’s Story Boris Lojkine | France
International Premiere
Sales Title

Sunshine Antoinette Jadaone | Philippines
World Premiere
Sales Title

Sweet Angel Baby Melanie Oates | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos Agbajowo Collective: James Tayler, Ogungbamila Temitope, Okechukwu Samuel, Mathew Cerf, Tina Edukpo, Bisola Akinmuyiwa, A.S. Elijah | Nigeria/Germany/South Africa/USA
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Mother and the Bear Johnny Ma | Canada/Chile
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Mountain Rachel House | New Zealand
North American Premiere
Sales Title

The Seed of the Sacred Fig Mohammad Rasoulof | Iran/France/Germany
Canadian Premiere

The Swedish Torpedo Frida Kempff | Sweden
World Premiere
Sales Title

The Village Next to Paradise Mo Harawe | France/Austria/Germany/Somalia
North American Premiere
Sales Title

To a Land Unknown Mahdi Fleifel | United Kingdom/France/Germany/Netherlands/Greece/Qatar /Saudi Arabia/Palestine
North American Premiere
Sales Title

Under the Volcano Damian Kocur | Poland
World Premiere
Sales Title

Universal Language Matthew Rankin | Canada
North American Premiere

When the Light Breaks Rúnar Rúnarsson | Iceland/Netherlands/Croatia/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title

TIFF Takeover #2: This week’s programming alerts
Wednesday, August 7, at 10am ET: Docs
Thursday, August 8, at 10am ET: Wavelengths & Classics
Friday, August 9, at 10am ET: Short Cuts & Primetime

More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13.