While it’s always the A-list titles and awards season movies that get the most attention at film festivals, for my money, the interesting stuff is always in with the smaller scale movies or the foreign gems waiting to be discovered. They may not all be great, but it’s here where you first take a look at the rising names and talented filmmakers that will be making waves in the years to come.
All this is to say that the Toronto International Film Festival has bolstered their lineup with a huge number of new movies. Certainly, there are some that are going to start major chatter, including the World Premieres of “Hotel Rwanda” director Terry George‘s “The Promise” starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and “Brain On Fire” starring Chloe Grace Moretz. But there’s lots of interesting other selections too, including “(Re)Assignment,” the latest from Walter Hill; “150 Milligrams” with the always intriguing Sidse Babett Knudsen; and “Wakefield” with Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8th to 18th. Check out all the new additions below.
GALAS
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, Joseph Cedar, USA/Israel, International Premiere
Norman lives a lonely life in the shadow of power and money. Determined to make an impression, he uses any angle to make a connection. He finally bets on the right horse, buying a pair of expensive shoes for Micha Eshel. When Micha becomes Israel’s Prime Minister, Norman finds himself in the center of a geopolitical drama beyond anything he could have imagined and the fallout could destroy the reputation he spent his life building. Starring Richard Gere, Steve Buscemi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Michael Sheen.
The Promise, Terry George, USA/Spain, World Premiere
Michael, a humble Armenian apothecary, leaves his village to study medicine in cosmopolitan Constantinople. Chris, an American photojournalist who has come to the country to partly cover the geopolitics, is in a relationship with the talented Ana, a Paris-educated, Armenian artist. When Michael meets Ana, their shared heritage sparks an attraction that explodes into a romantic rivalry between the two men. After the Turks join the war on the German side, the Ottoman Empire turns violently against its own ethnic minorities. Despite their conflicts, everyone must find a way to survive — even as monumental events envelope their lives. Starring Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, and Christian Bale.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
(Re)Assignment, Walter Hill, Canada
A revenge tale about an ace assassin who is double-crossed by gangsters and a rogue plastic surgeon operating on the fringes of society. The story becomes a trail of self-discovery and redemption against a criminal mastermind opponent. Starring Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver, and Tony Shalhoub.
150 Milligrams (La Fille de Brest), Emmanuelle Bercot, France, World Premiere
Based on the real life story of Irène Frachon, a pulmonologist who discovered a direct link between the drug ‘Mediator’ — that had been marketed for over 30 years — and a number of suspicious deaths in France. Starring Sidse Babett Knudsen and Benoît Magimel.
The Bleeder, Philippe Falardeau, USA, North American Premiere
The true story of Chuck Wepner, the man who inspired the billion-dollar film series Rocky — a liquor salesman from New Jersey who went 15 rounds with the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. In his 10 years in the ring, Wepner endured two knockouts, eight broken noses, and 313 stitches. But his toughest fights were outside the ring: an epic life of drugs, booze, wild women, incredible highs, and extraordinary lows. Starring Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, and Elisabeth Moss.
Brain on Fire, Gerard Barrett, Ireland/Canada World Premiere
Brain on Fire follows Susannah Cahalan, a rising journalist at the New York Post who mysteriously starts having seizures and hearing voices. As weeks go by and Susannah rapidly descends into insanity, she moves inexplicably from violence to catatonia. Following a series of outbursts, misdiagnoses, and a prolonged hospital stay, a lucky, last-minute intervention by one doctor finally gives her a diagnosis and hope to rebuild her life. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Thomas Mann, Richard Armitage, Tyler Perry, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
Burn Your Maps, Jordan Roberts, USA/Mongolia, World Premiere
After his family suffers an unimaginable tragedy, an eight-year-old boy becomes convinced that he is actually a Mongolian goat herder. With the help of an aspiring filmmaker, he tries to convince his reluctant parents to take the long journey back to the village in Mongolia where he says he belongs. Burn Your Maps is a poignant story about family, loss, and faith. Starring Vera Farmiga, Jacob Tremblay, Virginia Madsen, Marton Csokas, and Suraj Sharma.
Christine, Antonio Campos, USA, Canadian Premiere
Always the smartest person in the room at her news station, Christine feels destined for bigger things and relentlessly pursues a promotion to a higher profile market. Plagued by self-doubt and a tumultuous home life, Christine’s diminishing hope begins to rise when an on-air co-worker initiates a friendship, which ultimately becomes yet another unrequited love. Disillusioned as her world continues to close in on her, Christine takes a dark and surprising turn. Starring Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall, and Tracy Letts.
The Duelist, Alexey Mizgirev, Russia, World Premiere
Returning to Saint Petersburg after a long exile, the dashing Yakovlev, a retired army officer, makes a comfortable living by winning other people’s duels. Unbeatable, he leaves a trail of dead bodies behind him as he swirls through polite society, frequently called upon to wield a pistol as a surrogate in dawn duels. When Yakovlev meets the young, beautiful Princess Martha, the two fall in love. What transpires uncovers a series of answers about his dark past. Starring Petr Fedorov, Vladimir Mashkov, Martin Wuttke, Yuri Kolokolnikov, and Franziska Petri.
The Exception, David Leveaux, United Kingdom, World Premiere
May, 1940. The last German Kaiser has been living in exile in the Dutch countryside for 25 years. When the Nazis invade Holland, they send a young German officer to stop the old man from defecting to England. But the British have already installed a spy in his household. And then Himmler announces he is coming to dinner. The threads of history conspire with the recklessness of the heart to dumbfound them. Starring Lily James, Christopher Plummer, Jai Courtney, Janet McTeer, Ben Daniels, and Eddie Marsan.
I, Daniel Blake, Ken Loach, United Kingdom/France/Belgium, North American Premiere
British master Ken Loach brings this timely drama about an aged, ailing handyman’s battle to survive after being denied his government health allowance. Starring Dave Johns and Hayley Squires.
In Dubious Battle, James Franco, USA, North American Premiere
In the California apple country, 900 migratory workers rise up against the landowners after getting paid a fraction of the wages they were promised. The group takes on a life of its own — stronger than its individual members and more frightening. Led by the doomed Jim Nolan, the strike is founded on his tragic idealism — on the “courage never to submit or yield.” Based on the novel by John Steinbeck. Starring James Franco, Vincent D’Onofrio, Selena Gomez, Ed Harris, Sam Shepard, Robert Duvall, and Bryan Cranston.
The Long Excuse (Nagai Iiwake), Miwa Nishikawa, Japan, World Premiere
A recently widowed writer whose wife died in a bus crash impulsively offers to care for the children of a working man who lost his wife in the same accident, in this gently humorous drama from Japanese writer-director Miwa Nishikawa. Starring Masahiro Motoki, Sousuke Ikematsu, and Eri Fukatsu.
Rage, Sang-il Lee, Japan, World Premiere
A grisly unsolved murder links three seemingly unrelated stories in three different Japanese cities, in this arresting ensemble thriller from director Sang-il Lee. Starring Ken Watanabe and Aoi Miyazaki.
Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey, Terrence Malick, Germany, North American Premiere
An exploration into our planetary past and a search for humanity’s place in the future. The universe unfolds before the audience’s eyes, melding innovative effects with awe-inspiring footage in this experience for the senses, mind, and soul. Working with scientific advisors and VFX artists, Terrence Malick shows an array of never-witnessed natural phenomena — macroscopic and microscopic — immersing audiences into a poetic journey full of open questions. Narrated by Cate Blanchett.
Wakefield, Robin Swicord, USA, International Premiere
Howard Wakefield’s nervous breakdown leads him to hide from his life, and his family, in his garage attic. While his prolonged absence allows him to ponder the deeper questions around his life, he comes to realize that it may not be simple to cross the driveway and go home again. Starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner.
Films screening as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme include:
A Decent Woman (Los Decentes), Lukas Valenta Rinner, Austria/South Korea/Argentina, North American Premiere
A housemaid, working in an exclusive gated community in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina embarks on a journey of sexual and mental liberation in a nudist colony.
After Love (L’économie du couple), Joachim Lafosse, France/Belgium, North American Premiere
After 15 years together, Marie and Boris decide to get a divorce. Marie bought the house in which they live with their two daughters, while Boris completely renovated it. When Boris cannot afford to find another place to live, they must continue to share it, and soon find that neither is willing to give up.
The Animal’s Wife (La Mujer del Animal), Víctor Gaviria, Colombia, International Premiere
Amparo lands in a marginal neighborhood in Medellín, Colombia where her cousin Libardo forces her to live under his roof with his family. When she becomes his wife, Amparo cannot escape bearing his child. Will she, through love and temperance, survive and save her daughter?
Apprentice, Boo Junfeng, Singapore/Germany/France/Hong Kong/Qatar, North American Premiere
This slow-burning drama set in a Singaporean prison explores the charged issue of the death penalty from the point of view of an aspiring executioner who becomes morbidly fascinated with his new trade.
Aquarius, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil/France, North American Premiere
Clara a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, is the last resident of Aquarius, an apartment building in a rapidly changing seaside neighbourhood in Recife, Brazil, whose other apartments have been bought by a company with plans for redevelopment. Pressures to move surround Clara from all sides, but she has pledged to leave only upon death. From Brazil’s great chronicler of its present moment, Kleber Mendonça Filho (Neighboring Sounds). Starring Sônia Braga.
Ayiti Mon Amour, Guetty Felin, Haiti/USA, International Premiere
A grieving teenager discovers he has a superpower, an old fisherman thinks the cure for his ailing wife can be found in the sea, and a muse struggles to exit the story her author is penning, in this magical neorealist fable set in Haiti five years after a devastating earthquake.
Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces (Al Ma’ wal Khodra wal Wajh al Hassan), Yousry Nasrallah, Egypt, North American Premiere A family of caterers in a small Egyptian village prepare for a big wedding feast while balancing sibling rivalry, romantic entanglements, and culinary ambitions in this charming comedy.
Clair Obscur (Tereddüt), Yeşim Ustaoğlu, Turkey/Germany/Poland/France, World Premiere
Elmas and Chenaz are two Turkish women from very different walks of life; one seems oppressed by sexist traditions and one seems liberated by modern mores, but they may have more in common than it would seem.
Death in Sarajevo (Smrt u Sarajevu), Danis Tanović, Bosnia and Herzegovina/France, North American Premiere
An aging hotel becomes an ideological powder keg during centennial commemorations for the outbreak of the First World War.
Ember (Kor), Zeki Demirkubuz, Turkey/Germany International Premiere
In this slow-burning psychological drama, an Istanbul seamstress struggling with the debts left behind by her vanished husband rekindles an old friendship that escalates into an affair.
The Fixer (Fixeur), Adrian Sitaru, Romania/France World Premiere
Radu is a simple trainee journalist, but an international scandal involving an underage prostitute seems to be the chance to prove his value. He is ready to overcome each obstacle and deliver a good story. However, the task turns out to be trickier than expected and the more he approaches his goal, the closer he gets to some moral limits.
Handsome Devil, John Butler, Ireland, World Premiere
Ned and Conor are forced to share a bedroom at their boarding school. The loner and the star athlete at this rugby-mad school form an unlikely friendship until it’s tested by the authorities.
Heaven Will Wait (Le ciel attendra), Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, France, North American Premiere
Heaven Will Wait examines how French teenagers from all socio-cultural backgrounds can be brainwashed to the point of attempting to leave for Syria, and the challenges that face those who try to turn them around before it’s too late.
In Between (Bar Bahr), Maysaloun Hamoud, Israel/France World Premiere
In Between is a portrait of three Arab Israeli women, living and loving in Tel Aviv. It captures their complex daily duality, caught between hometown tradition and big city abandon, and the challenges they must face for a lifestyle that seems obvious to many.
Indivisible (Indivisibili), Edoardo de Angelis, Italy
International Premiere Daisy and Viola are conjoined twin sisters blessed with beautiful voices. Their father keeps them isolated from the rest of the world and exploits their performances at religious ceremonies to make money. Their lives turn upside-down when Viola falls in love and they discover they can be separated.
Marie Curie, The Courage of Knowledge, Marie Noëlle, Germany/France/Poland, World Premiere
In 1905, Marie and Pierre Curie received the Nobel Prize for their discovery of radioactivity. After a tragic accident, Pierre dies suddenly and leaves Marie alone with two young daughters. Facing her duties as a mother and a scientist, she continues her work on the “Curie- therapy” against cancer. But science is primarily a man’s world and Marie’s audacity is not well received. Following a passionate and scandalous love affair, her second Nobel Prize seems in danger.
Mister Universo, Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, Austria/Italy North American Premiere
Young lion tamer Tairo lives a modest and happy life until he loses his lucky charm. Intent on gaining his fortune back, he embarks on a journey across Italy looking for Arthur Robin, a former Mr. Universe, who gave it to him a long time ago.
Past Life, Avi Nesher, Israel, World Premiere
Based on a true story, Past Life tracks the daring late 1970s odyssey of two sisters — an introverted aspiring classical musician and a rambunctious scandal sheet journalist — as they try to unravel a shocking wartime mystery that has cast a dark shadow on their entire lives.
The Patriarch (Mahana), Lee Tamahori, New Zealand, North American Premiere
On the east coast of New Zealand in the 1960s, two Māori sheep-shearing families — the Mahanas and the Poatas — are sworn enemies and commercial rivals. Fourteen-year-old Simeon Mahana, the youngest son, seeks allies against his traditionalist grandfather. As Simeon unravels the truth behind the longstanding family vendetta, he risks not just his own future prospects but the cohesion of the entire tight-knit society.
Pyromaniac (Pyromanen), Erik Skjoldbjærg, Norway, International Premiere
A pyromaniac ignites his first fire in a peaceful village. In the weeks to come it is followed by a series of fires, spreading fear in the small community. An inferno lurks under the surface as a local policeman uncovers the unthinkable truth — the pyromaniac is one of the local firemen, and the son of the fire brigade’s chief. The film is an intimate portrait of the pyromaniac and the fireman, as they dual for control of the young boy’s mind.
The Rehearsal, Alison Maclean, New Zealand, North American Premiere
Stanley, a naïve first year drama student, seeks to impress his charismatic tutor, Hannah. When Stanley falls upon a sex scandal involving the family of his young girlfriend as material for their end-of-year show, he finds himself in morally tricky territory.
The Road to Mandalay, Midi Z, Taiwan/Myanmar/France/Germany, North American Premiere
The people-traffickers have a well-established route. From Burma into Thailand across the Mekong River, passing bribed police checkpoints; illegal migrants are on their own. Lianqing is one of five illegal immigrants who travels this route, and when Guo, a fellow migrant is kind to her, their fates become entwined.
Santa & Andres (Santa y Andrés), Carlos Lechuga, Cuba/Colombia/France, World Premiere
It is 1983 in a rural mountain region of Oriente, in eastern Cuba. Andres, a noncompliant gay writer in his 50s, has been blacklisted by the government for having “ideological problems.” When a big event happens, Santa, a local girl is appointed to watch over him. Santa and Andres are opposites, but what they cannot imagine is that they have more in common than they expected.
Soul on a String, Zhang Yang, China International Premiere
Zhang Yang adapts two novels by Tibetan writer Tashi Dawa for this stunning mystical epic about a killer on the run who is entrusted with a sacred mission.
Tamara and the Ladybug (Tamara y la Catarina), Lucía Carreras, Mexico/Spain World Premiere
Tamara and the Ladybug traces the journey of two women who have become faded in their loneliness and invisibility. They will have to become closer than they expected, finding in each other a space where rather than being outcasts they feel needed. Despite their misfortunes and circumstance, their shared encounter will help to lighten each other’s burden.
Tramps, Adam Leon, USA, World Premiere
Ellie and Danny are an unlikely pair of would-be criminals thrown together over two summer days. Their misadventures through the streets, outer boroughs, and idyllic suburbs of New York City include a heist, a stolen briefcase, mistaken identity — and the prospect of an unforeseen romance. Starring Callum Turner and Grace Van Patten.
Vaya, Akin Omotoso, South Africa, World Premiere
Based on true stories, Vaya is set in the underbelly of Johannesburg and Soweto. The film weaves three separate plots that intersect in a gripping and moving story about coming to the city and struggling to survive. Nhlanhla, a rural man is promised a job by his big city cousin, Nkulu is coming to recall his father’s body, and Zanele is bringing her aunt’s child to live with her mother for the first time. One event will change their lives forever.
We Are Never Alone (Nikdy nejsme sami), Petr Vaclav, Czech Republic/France, North American Premiere
The unhappy lives of a shop clerk, a bouncer, a stripper, and a prison guard intersect in Petr Vaclav’s eulogy to human companionship set in an isolated central European town.
The Wedding Ring (Zin’naariyâ!), Rahmatou Keïta, Niger/Burkina Faso/France, World Premiere
Recently returned to her home in the Sultanate of Damagaram in Niger after completing her degree abroad, a young woman suffering from the pain of a lost love finds renewal while awaiting the mystical promise of a new moon.
White Sun (Seto Surya), Deepak Rauniyar, Nepal/USA/Qatar/Netherlands, North American Premiere
Young Pooja lives with her mother in a village in Nepal. Though saddened by the death of her grandfather, she is secretly thrilled at the prospect of meeting the man she hopes may be her father — Chandra, a former Maoist guerrilla who is returning home after a decade- long civil conflict.
The Women’s Balcony (Ismach Hatani), Emil Ben Shimon, Israel World Premiere
In a small neighborhood in Jerusalem, a group of women struggle to reunite their community and preserve their traditions in the face of a charismatic rabbi who enters their lives.
Zaćma: Blindness, Ryszard Bugajski, Poland, World Premiere
Zaćma: Blindness is an obscure episode in the life of Julia Brystiger, a Stalinist criminal, and colonel of the Office of Public Security in Poland. She was nicknamed Bloody Luna because she tortured prisoners with extreme cruelty during interrogations. At the beginning of the 1960s she met with the Primate of Poland, Stefan Wyszyński, and rejected the communist ideology while asking for her crimes to be forgiven.
Zoology (Zoologiya), Ivan I. Tverdovsky, Russia/France/Germany, North American Premiere
A lonely middle-aged zoo worker redefines her life after discovering she has grown a tail, in a film that is part social satire, and part tender love story.
Films screening as part of the Masters programme include:
After the Storm, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan, North American Premiere
During a long restless night as they wait out a typhoon, a divorced man struggles to regain his estranged family’s trust, in the latest film from celebrated Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Afterimage (Powidoki), Andrzej Wajda, Poland, World Premiere
Nonagenarian director Andrzej Wajda returns with a passionate biopic about the Polish avant-garde artist Władysław Strzemiński, who battled Stalinist orthodoxy and his own physical impairments to advance his progressive ideas about art. Starring Boguslaw Linda.
The Bait (Tope), Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India, World Premiere
Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s latest work is woven from three stories about a nomadic girl who is a street circus performer, a cranky postman who decides to live in a tree, and a royal descendant thriving on his long lost glories, in this exploration of how people are used as bait.
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez (Les Beaux Jours d’Aranjuez), Wim Wenders, France/Germany, North American Premiere
Wim Wenders adapts long-time collaborator Peter Handke’s play for this engrossing two-handed (and 3D) conversation piece, in which the dialogue between a man and a woman elicits a reverie on love, freedom, and beauty.
Certain Women, Kelly Reichardt, USA, Canadian Premiere
The lives of three women intersect in small town America. Laura is a lawyer summoned to reason with her client during a hostage situation. Gina is building her family a home where she is eager to claim a bit of history. And Jamie suddenly longs for more than her simple life when Beth passes through town. Starring Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, James LeGros, Jared Harris, Lily Gladstone, and Rene Auberjonois.
Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare), Gianfranco Rosi, Italy/France, Canadian Premiere
Twelve-year-old Samuele lives on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. But Lampedusa is not an idyllic island setting. It is the first port of call for hundreds of thousands of African and Middle Eastern refugees hoping to make a new life in Europe. Glimpse into the daily lives of the island’s inhabitants as Samuele explores the land and attempts to master the sea.
Graduation (Bacalaureat), Cristian Mungiu, Romania, Canadian Premiere
On the day before her final exams, Eliza is assaulted in an attack that could jeopardize her entire future. Now her father, Romeo, has to make a decision. There are ways of solving the situation, but none of them using the principles he, as a father, has taught his daughter.
Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France/Chad, North American Premiere
When former Chadian dictator Hissein Habré was arrested in Senegal in 2013, it marked the end of a long fight for the survivors of his regime. Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, accompanied by the Chairman of the Association of the Victims of the Hissein Habré Regime, meets the survivors of the tragedy who still bear the horrific scars on their bodies and in their souls. Through their courage and determination, the victims accomplish an unprecedented feat in the history of Africa — bringing a head of state to trial.
J: Beyond Flamenco (JOTA), Carlos Saura, Spain, World Premiere
Experience the joy and strength of the Spanish dance and music called la Jota. As with flamenco, tango, and fados, Jota has evolved from traditional folkdance to new artistic dimensions. With his own personal style, director Carlos Saura continues to distill the magic and explore the boundaries of art in its purest state.
Julieta, Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, North American Premiere
Spanish maestro Pedro Almodóvar adapts three stories from Canadian Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro for this time-tripping tale about the relationship and eventual rupture between a Madrid teacher and her beloved daughter. As the mother struggles to survive uncertainty, the film explores fate, guilt complexes, and the unfathomable mysteries that lead us to abandon the people we love, erasing them from our lives as if they had never meant anything, as if they had never existed.
Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi), Goran Paskaljević, India/Serbia, World Premiere
After a long exile, Rahul returns to his village in the Himalayas. It causes commotion amongst the villagers, who have never forgiven him for his sins in the past. He must face the isolated world full of old prejudices, gender inequalities, and caste-based injustices.
Ma’ Rosa, Brillante Mendoza, Philippines, North American Premiere
To make ends meet for her family, Ma’ Rosa sells drugs as a side business from the small convenience store she owns with her husband in a poor Manila neighborhood. When the couple is arrested, Ma’ Rosa and her four children are ready to do anything
to secure their freedom from the corrupt police. Starring Jaclyn Jose, winner of the Best Actress Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The Net (Geumul), Kim Ki-duk, South Korea, North American Premiere
In the new film from provocative Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk, a poor North Korean fisherman finds himself an accidental defector, and is groomed to be a spy by an ambitious South Korean military officer.
Never Ever (À jamais), Benoît Jacquot, France/Portugal, North American Premiere
A prolific filmmaker and a much younger woman meet, fall instantly in love, and hastily marry. Months later, he dies in a motorcycle accident and his wife is left alone in a big secluded house by the sea to experience the manifestations of grief and mourning.
Starring Mathieu Amalric, Julia Roy, Jeanne Balibar, and Victoria Guerra.
Once Again (Pinneyum), Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India, International Premiere
In his first feature film in eight years, director Adoor Gopalakrishnan explores love and relationships as an extended family gets drawn into the vortex of a crime, not realizing how it will change their lives forever.
Personal Shopper, Olivier Assayas, France, North American Premiere
Kristen Stewart reunites with director Olivier Assayas for this artful ghost story about a young woman trying to reconnect with the spirit of her departed brother.
A Quiet Passion, Terence Davies, United Kingdom/Belgium, North American Premiere
Cynthia Nixon stars as the legendary poet Emily Dickinson in this luminous biopic.
Safari, Ulrich Seidl, Austria, North American Premiere
Documentary filmmaker Ulrich Seidl explores the world of trophy hunting in the wild expanses of Africa, where bushbucks, impalas, zebras, gnus and other creatures graze by the thousands. German and Austrian tourists drive through the bush and lie in wait, to stalk their prey. A vacation movie about killing and human nature.
Sieranevada, Cristi Puiu, Romania, North American Premiere
Somewhere in Bucharest, a 40-year-old doctor attends his father’s wake, which turns into a full-on family brawl. Forced to face his fears and his past, and obliged to reconsider his place in the family, the man is left with no choice but to tell his version of the truth.
Sweet Dreams (Fai bei sogni), Marco Bellocchio, Italy, North American Premiere
Italian master Marco Bellocchio adapts the popular biographical novel by Massimo Gramellini, about an accomplished journalist haunted by the memory of his mother who died mysteriously during his childhood.
The Unknown Girl (La Fille inconnue), Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Belgium/France, North American Premiere
Jenny, a young GP, feels responsible for not having answered the door of her practice to a young girl who is found dead shortly afterwards. From the moment she learns from the police that they have no way of identifying her, Jenny has only one goal: to discover the name of the young girl so that she will not be buried anonymously — so that she will not disappear as if she had never lived.
Yourself and Yours (Dangsinjasingwa dangsinui geot), Hong Sang-soo, South Korea, World Premiere
Painter Youngsoo and his girlfriend Minjung navigate the twists and turns of a modern romance with arguing, hearsay, mistaken identity, and infidelity in Hong Sang-soo’s latest work.
Films screening as part of the City to City programme include:
76, Izu Ojukwu, Nigeria, World Premiere
In a story inspired by true events, six years after the civil war in Nigeria, a heavily pregnant woman’s life crumbles when the news of her husband’s involvement in a botched military coup hits the headlines. Starring Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic, Chidi Mokeme, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Larry Williams, Adonija Owiriwa, Daniel K. Daniel, Memry Savanhu, Pat Nebo, Debo Oguns, and Adams Shuaibu.
93 Days, Steve Gukas, Nigeria, World Premiere
A riveting real-life thriller about courageous health-care workers in Lagos battling the Ebola outbreak of 2014. Starring TIFF Rising Star Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, Danny Glover, Bimbo Akintola, Tim Reid, Alastair Mackenzie, and Keppy Ekpenyong.
The Arbitration, Niyi Akinmolayan, Nigeria, International Premiere
An arbitration must deal with the messy corporate entanglements of a workplace affair that led to a possible rape in the fast-paced world of the Nigerian technology space. Starring TIFF Rising Stars OC Ukeje and Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, Adesua Etomi, Iretiola Doyle, and Sola Fosudo.
Green White Green, Abba Makama, Nigeria, World Premiere
A coming of age story about three young boys, from Nigeria’s major ethnic groups, on an adventure to make a short film inspired by the history of Nigeria. They embark on a roller coaster ride that will eventually lead them towards their individual paths to self-discovery.
Just Not Married, Uduak-Obong Patrick, Nigeria, International Premiere
In this caper comedy thriller, a bright but broke undergrad striving to escape the slums gets in over his head when his modest criminal enterprise goes a bit too far when he and his friends resort to stealing cars under the guise of being married.
Okafor’s Law, Omoni Oboli, Nigeria, World Premiere
Chuks is a firm believer in Okafor’s Law which states that once a man has had a woman, he forever has access to her. Challenged by his friends to prove the validity of the law in 21 days, past girlfriends Ify, Kemi and Ejiro are brought back into his life.
Oko Ashewo (Taxi Driver), Daniel Emeke Oriahi, Nigeria, North American Premiere
Adigun, a struggling village mechanic, accepts an invitation from Taiwo, his late father’s best friend, to take over his father’s now vacant position as a taxi driver alongside him. Adigun, now tackling life in the heart of Lagos, is completely oblivious of the wheels that his mere arrival has inextricably set in motion.
City to City Opening Night Film.
The Wedding Party, Kemi Adetiba, Nigeria, World Premiere
Everyone knows that there ain’t no party like a Nigerian wedding party… Especially when you throw in an insecure virgin bride, a reformed playboy groom, two overbearing mothers who can’t stand each other, one philandering husband, a high strung wedding planner, the invasion of unruly village gate-crashers, a thief on the loose, a best man with a flash-drive full of secrets, a sexy ex with vengeance on her mind, two loyal bridesmaids ready to go to war, and a brother seeking his father’s approval. It is a hilarious melting pot of potential