Ellen Page, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Barbara Kopple are just a few of the directors who will be screening films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF 2019 has unveiled the lineups for four more sections: Discovery, TIFF Docs, Midnight Madness, and TIFF Cinematheque.
Discovery, a 37-film program celebrating emerging filmmakers, is 54 percent women-directed, according to a press release. The section will open with Chiara Malta’s fiction debut, “Simple Women.” Inspired by Malta’s own experiences, it sees “a director serendipitously meet[ing] Elina Löwensohn, an actor she idolized in her youth, prompting her to question her filmmaking process.”
Among Discovery’s other offerings are María Paz González’s “Lina from Lima,” a musical comedy about a domestic helper visiting her son, and “The Rest of Us,” Aisling Chin-Yee’s dramedy about the unlikely friendship between a woman and her ex’s wife.
Nine of the 25 TIFF Docs are helmed by women, or 36 percent. They include Ellen Page and Ian Daniel’s examination of environmental racism, “There’s Something in the Water,” and Bryce Dallas Howard’s study of modern fatherhood, “Dads.” Barbara Kopple’s latest will also screen. “Desert One” is the true story of a secret mission to free those taken hostage during the 1979 Iranian revolution.
Rose Glass’ “Saint Maud” is the sole woman-directed film in Midnight Madness’ 10-title lineup. The horror film centers on a devout nurse who becomes fixated on saving her dying patient’s soul.
The five-film TIFF Cinematheque program, which spotlights classic works, also boasts just one woman-helmed pic: Euzhan Palcy’s “A Dry White Season.” The first Hollywood studio film to be directed by a black woman, the 1989 thriller traces the changing moral and political consciousness in Apartheid-era Johannesburg.
TIFF 2019 runs September 5-15. The fest previously announced its Platform, Gala, and Special Presentations schedules.
All of the women directed or co-directed Discovery, TIFF Docs, Midnight Madness, and TIFF Cinematheque titles are below.
Discovery
The Audition (Das Vorspiel) Ina Weisse | Germany/France
World Premiere
Black Conflux Nicole Dorsey | Canada
World Premiere
A Bump Along The Way Shelly Love | United Kingdom
International Premiere
Comets Tamar Shavgulidze | Georgia
World Premiere
Disco Jorunn Myklebust Syversen | Norway
World Premiere
Easy Land Sanja Zivkovic | Canada
World Premiere
The Good Intentions (Las Buenas Intenciones) Ana García Blaya | Argentina
World 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
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
Pompei Anna Falguères, John Shank | Belgium/Canada/France
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
Son-Mother (Pesar-Madar) Mahnaz Mohammadi | Iran/Czech Republic
World Premiere
ZANA Antoneta Kastrati | Albania/Kosovo
World Premiere
TIFF Docs
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator Eva Orner | USA
World Premiere
Cunningham Alla Kovgan | Germany/France/USA
World Premiere
Dads Bryce Dallas Howard | USA
World Premiere
Desert One Barbara Kopple | USA
World Premiere
Ibrahim: A Fate to Define Lina Al Abed | Lebanon/Palestine/Denmark/Qatar/Slovenia
North American Premiere
The Kingmaker Lauren Greenfield | USA/Denmark
Canadian Premiere
Love Child Eva Mulvad | Denmark
World Premiere
Paris Stalingrad Hind Meddeb | France
International Premiere
There’s Something in the Water Ellen Page, Ian Daniel | Canada
World Premiere
Midnight Madness
Saint Maud Rose Glass | United Kingdom
World Premiere
TIFF Cinematheque
A Dry White Season Euzhan Palcy | USA (1989)
