More Galas and Special Presentations, Tribute Gala, Television and Industry Conference at TIFF 2019

The second round of Galas and Special Presentations has been announced for the 44th Toronto International Film Festival raising the respective numbers to a total of 20 and 55 films.  Of particular note are hot air balloon adventure The Aeronauts by Tom Harper, astronaut love triangle Lucy in the Sky by Noah Hawley, the English and French language debut of Hirokazu Kore-eda with The Truth, sibling drama The Elder One by Geetu Mohandas and literary adaptation Dirt Music by Gregor Jordan.  “Our TIFF programmers have given us a lot to look forward to this year,” remarked Joana Vicente, Executive Director and Co-Head of TIFF in a press release.   “These final films add even more emotional resonance and gravitas to this year’s already stellar lineup.”

The Elder One

Along with Meryl Streep and Taika Waititi, the inaugural TIFF Tribute Gala will feature Joaquin Phoenix, Roger Deakins, and Participant Media receiving awards for their contribution towards excellence in cinema.  “For nearly half a century, the name Roger Deakins has exemplified both breathtaking cinematic beauty and fearless cinematic risk-taking,” stated Steven Gaydos, EVP of Content at Variety. “This year, with both The Goldfinch and 1917 on the horizon, Deakins continues to dazzle and inspire as he pushes the boundaries of his craft and helps make masterpieces with equally fearless auteurs.”

Of the 48 countries being represented as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme, 21 of the films have been directed or co-directed by women and highlight their worldwide struggles and triumphs such as the domestic epic ­Adam by Maryam Touzani, self-discovery 37 Seconds by Hikari, and working class-documentary Made in Bangladesh by Rubaiyat Hossain.   Others included the fractured father-son relationship explored by Chung Mong-Hong in A Sun, China’s one child policy gets addressed in Balloon by Pema Tseden, and coming of age Hala by Minhal Baig.

Made in Bangladesh

For those in search of experimental works in the form of short films, contemporary paintings and features then the Wavelengths programme will be of interest.  Key contributors include Pedro Costa, Oliver Laxe, Marwa Arsanios, Éric Baudelaire, Anocha Suwichakornpong and Ben Rivers, James N. Kienitz Wilkins, Jessica Sarah Rinland, and Burak Çevik.  “As the world runs further amok, it is comforting and inspiring to see filmmakers and artists continue to make work that is personal, committed, generous, aesthetically alert, and rigorous,” remarked Wavelengths programmer Andrea Picard.  “The films in this year’s programme perfectly exemplify the essential role art plays in resistance and resilience, but also in our capacity for imagination.”

Fire Will Come

Celebrating the ongoing global television renaissance is the Primetime programme that brings the small screen to the big screen with episodes from Mrs. Fletcher, Limetown, Briarpatch, Black Bitch, Savages, and The Sleepers examining political issues, sexual awakening and corporate corruption.  “Episodic television continues to push the cinematic envelope in terms of how stories are presented and consumed by audiences,” stated Geoff Macnaughton, Lead Programmer of Primetime and Director of Industry. “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to spotlight some of the finest global storytellers working in the industry today.

The Sleepers

As TIFF International Rising Stars Chino Darín, Geraldine Viswanathan, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Josefine Frida get mentored, veterans such as Imagine Entertainment co-founders Brian Grazer and Ron Howard discuss their Oscar-winning collaborations as well as the evolution of the movie business during the Industry Conference.  Among the 150 guest speakers will be Edward Burns, Yung Chang, Valerie Creighton, Robert Fisk, Barbara Kopple, Aron Phillips, Mariette Rissenbeek, Liz Rodrigues, Deborah Sathe, PM Satheesh, Anna Serner, Alex Schmider, Lulu Wang, Theodore Ushev, Charlotte Uzu and Phil Yu with topics ranging from gender equality, intellectual property, and sustainable practices in film and television.

Brian Glazer and Ron Howard

The 44th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15, 2019 and for more information visit tiff.net.

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.