Festivals

TIFF: Women & Non-Binary Folks Directed Majority of Discovery, Midnight Madness, & Wavelength Titles

Sophie Kargman's "Susie Searches" will screen in the Discovery program: TIFF

TIFF announcements continue to flood in, and the filmmaker gender stats are getting better and better. The festival has confirmed the 2022 slates for its Discovery, Midnight Madness, and Wavelengths sections, and, overall, women, femme, non-binary, and/or genderfluid directors helmed a whopping 59 percent (24) of the 41 feature-length films.

The Discovery program, which showcases directors to watch from around the world, boasts 23 films, 17 of which are from women, femme, genderfluid, and/or nonbinary directors, or 74 percent(!). Selected titles include Sophie Kargman’s adaptation of her own short story, “Susie Searches,” which sees a college student investigating a disappearance in the hopes of making her podcast more popular, with unfortunate results. Also screening are Aitch Alberto’s queer coming-of-age story “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” and Kelly Fyffe-Marshall’s “When Morning Comes,” following a young Jamaican boy as he and his single mother prepare to move to Canada.

Only three films directed by women are among Midnight Madness’ 10-title lineup. On the bright side, one of them, Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” has been set as the genre section’s Closing Night Film. The winner of the special World Cinema Dramatic – Innovative Spirit jury award at Sundance this year, the surreal tale places a retired action movie screenwriter into one of her own unfinished scripts.

Women directed four of the eight films screening in the Wavelengths section, a celebration of daring perspectives in arthouse cinema. Among the titles are Moyra Davey’s “Horse Opera” and Ashley McKenzie’s “Queens of the Qing Dynasty.” The former sees the filmmaker and her friends building a community of artists and thinkers via confessionals, tributes, homages, and citations. Meanwhile, the latter revolves around a once-in-a-lifetime connection between two people.

TIFF 2022 will take place September 8-18. Sally El Hosaini’s “The Swimmers” is the Opening Night Gala Presentation and Frances O’Connor’s “Emily” will kick off the Platform section.

All of the Discovery, Midnight Madness, and Wavelengths features from women, femme, genderfluid, and/or nonbinary directors are below. Lists adapted from Deadline. You can check out the full lineups on TIFF’s website.


DISCOVERY

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Aitch Alberto | USA
World Premiere

Baby Ruby Bess Wohl | USA
World Premiere

Daughter of Rage (La Hija de todas las Rabias) Laura Baumeister | Nicaragua
World Premiere

I Like Movies Chandler Levack | Canada
World Premiere

Pussy Joseph Amenta | Canada
World Premiere

ROSIE Gail Maurice | Canada
World Premiere

Runner Marian Mathias | USA, France, Germany
World Premiere

SHIMONI Angela Wanjiku Wamai | Kenya
World Premiere

Snow and the Bear Selcen Ergun | Turkey, Germany, Serbia
World Premiere

Something You Said Last Night Luis De Filippis | Canada, Switzerland
World Premiere

Susie Searches Sophie Kargman | USA
World Premiere

Sweet As Jub Clerc | Australia
International Premiere

This Place V.T. Nayani | Canada
World Premiere

Unruly (Ustyrlig) Malou Reymann | Denmark
World Premiere

Until Branches Bend Sophie Jarvis | Canada
World Premiere

When Morning Comes Kelly Fyffe-Marshall | Canada
World Premiere

The Young Arsonists Sheila Pye | Canada
World Premiere

MIDNIGHT MADNESS

*Midnight Madness Closing Night Film*
Leonor Will Never Die Martika Ramirez Escobar | Philippines
Canadian Premiere

The People’s Joker Vera Drew | USA
World Premiere

V/H/S 99 Maggie Levin, Vanessa & Joseph Winter, Flying Lotus, Johannes Roberts,  Tyler MacIntyre | USA
World Premiere

WAVELENGTHS

De Humani Corporis Fabrica Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor | France, Switzerland
North American Premiere

Dry Ground Burning (Mato Seco em Chamas) Joana Pimenta, Adirley Queirós | Portugal, Brazil
North American Premiere

Horse Opera Moyra Davey | USA
Festival Premiere

Queens of the Qing Dynasty Ashley McKenzie | Canada
North American Premiere


Liliana Cavani to Receive Venice Film Fest’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

Liliana Cavani is set to receive a major honor at the 80th edition of Venice Film Festival. The Italian filmmaker will be awarded a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement, per Deadline. Counting...

Eva Longoria’s “Flamin’ Hot” Wins SXSW Audience Award

Eva Longoria’s narrative feature debut set SXSW ablaze. The fest has announced its Audience Award winners, and “Flamin’ Hot” took home the honor in the Headliners slate. The...

Athena Film Festival Unveils Winners and Finalists for the Athena List

The Athena Film Festival (AFF)  has announced the winners and finalists for the 2023 Athena List, the fest’s selection of the best unproduced screenplays highlighting female...

Posts Search

Publishing Dates
Start date
- select start date -
End date
- select end date -
Category
News
Films
Interviews
Features
Trailers
Festivals
Television
RESET