Dorota Lech to unveil TIFF2019 Discovery Programme with new voices from world

#TIFF2019DiscoveryProgramme, #54PercentSlectionDirectedByWomen

Toronto, Aug 10 (Canadian-Media): A lineup of 37 films from emerging filmmakers representing 35 countries, including 33 World Premieres and four films making international entrances, would be featured in this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Discovery programme, TIFF reports said. 

“This year’s Discovery builds on our track record of identifying major new filmmakers early,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s Co-Head and Artistic Director. “This is where you want to look for the next decades’ masters, and it’s great to see longtime TIFF programming associate Dorota Lech shaping the section as Discovery’s Lead Programmer.”

“I’m thrilled to be curating the Discovery programme, a showcase of films that — regardless of form — expand, embolden, or even challenge notions of storytelling beyond what is established or expected,” said Lech. “TIFF has long held a space for first- and second-time directors, acting as a springboard for launching the international careers of cinematic giants such as Yorgos Lanthimos, Maren Ade, Christopher Nolan, Alfonso Cuarón, Lav Diaz, Kim Seung-woo, Barry Jenkins, Jean-Marc Vallée, Dee Rees, and Jafar Panahi. Expect the programme to push cinematic boundaries, pointing us in unexpected directions. As in previous years, it is a place to find work that could be poetic, bold, or challenging, but that is always passionate.”

Dorota Lech. Image credit: Twitter handle

Reflection of TIFF’s unwavering commitment to championing women’s directorial voices, with 54 percent of its selection directed by women, is continuously being celebrated by Discovery.

This year’s programme opens with Chiara Malta’s Simple Women.

Women’s journeys are also explored as central themes in Antoneta Kastrati’s ZANA, Filippo Meneghetti’s Two of Us, Hinde Boujemaa’s Noura’s Dream, Hisham Saqr’s Certified Mail, Ina Weisse’s The Audition, Jorunn Myklebust Syversen’s Disco, Kim Seung-woo’s Bring Me Home, Klaudia Reynicke’s Love Me Tender, Mahnaz Mohammadi’s Son-Mother, María Paz González’s Lina from Lima, Maria Sødahl’s Hope, Neasa Hardiman’s Sea Fever, and Tamar Shavgulidze’s Comets.

Discovery is curated and overseen by Lech, with contributions from members of TIFF’s international programming team, namely Cameron Bailey, Giovanna Fulvi, Steve Gravestock, Michael Lerman, Michèle Maheux, Kiva Reardon, Diana Sanchez, and Ravi Srinivasan.

The 44th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 5–15, 2019.

Films screening as part of the Discovery programme include:
​1982 Oualid Mouaness | United States/Lebanon/Norway/Qatar World Premiere
AFRICA Oren Gerner | Israel World Premiere
The Antenna (Bina) Orçun Behram | Turkey World Premiere
The Audition (Das Vorspiel) Ina Weisse | Germany/France World Premiere
August (Agosto) Armando Capó | Cuba/Costa Rica/France World Premiere
Black Conflux Nicole Dorsey | Canada World Premiere
Bring Me Home (Na-reul cha-ja-jwo) Kim Seung-woo | South Korea World Premiere
A Bump Along The Way Shelly Love | United Kingdom International Premiere Calm With Horses Nick Rowland | United Kingdom/Ireland World Premiere
Certified Mail (Bi Elm El Wossul) Hisham Saqr | Egypt World Premiere
Comets Tamar Shavgulidze | Georgia World Premiere
​Disco Jorunn Myklebust Syversen | Norway World Premiere
Easy Land Sanja Zivkovic | Canada World Premiere
Entwined Minos Nikolakakis | Greece World Premiere
The Giant David Raboy | USA World Premiere The Good Intentions (Las Buenas Intenciones) Ana García Blaya | Argentina World Premiere
Hearts and Bones Ben Lawrence | Australia International Premiere Hope (Håp) Maria Sødahl | Norway/Sweden World Premiere Kuessipan Myriam Verreault | Canada World Premiere
Lina from Lima María Paz González | Chile/Argentina/Peru World Premiere
The Lost Okoroshi Abba Makama | Nigeria World Premiere
Love Me Tender Klaudia Reynicke | Switzerland International Premiere
Murmur Heather Young | Canada World Premiere
My Life as a Comedian (En komikers uppväxt) Rojda Sekersöz | Sweden/Belgium World Premiere
Noura’s Dream Hinde Boujemaa | Tunisia/Belgium/France World Premiere
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson Ali LeRoi | USA World Premiere
Pompei Anna Falguères, John Shank | Belgium/Canada/France World Premiere
Raf Harry Cepka | Canada/USA World Premiere
The Rest of Us Aisling Chin-Yee | Canada World Premiere
Sea Fever Neasa Hardiman | Ireland/Sweden/Belgium/United Kingdom World Premiere
*Discovery Opening Film* Simple Women Chiara Malta | Italy/Romania World Premiere
Sole Carlo Sironi | Italy/Poland International Premiere
Son-Mother (Pesar-Madar) Mahnaz Mohammadi | Iran/Czech Republic World Premiere
​Stories From The Chestnut Woods (Zgodbe iz kostanjevih gozdov) Gregor Božič | Slovenia/Italy World Premiere
Sweetness in the Belly Zeresenay Berhane Mehari | Ireland/Canada World Premiere
Two of Us (Deux) Filippo Meneghetti | France/Luxembourg/Belgium World Premiere
ZANA Antoneta Kastrati | Albania/Kosovo World Premiere 

Previously announced Discovery films include Nicole Dorsey’s Black Conflux, Sanja Zivkovic’s Easy Land, Myriam Verreault’s Kuessipan, Heather Young’s Murmur, Harry Cepka’s Raf, and Aisling Chin-Yee’s The Rest of Us

                                                              (Reporting by Asha Bajaj)