We now know the identity of the Platform programme — what we still consider the premium section destination at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival. We have a competition of ten films plus a jury of three comprised of Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki and Anthony Shim. Among the titles we’ve been tracking we find the likes of Tarsem Singh, Nora El Hourch, Héléna Klotz and Kristoffer Borgli‘s sophomore film (an A24 comedy) serves as the section’s opener. Starring Julianne Nicholson and Nicolas Cage, Dream Scenario quickly moved into production after Borgli launched Sick of Myself in Cannes 2022. Tarsem Singh moved into production on an off-the-radar project in his native homeland with Dear Jassi. Héléna Klotz’s sophomore film features Pomme, Denis Ménochet, Niels Schneider, Anna Mouillais and Fianso. A Berlinale’s Panorama alumni, Klotz’s La Vénus d’argent could be described as a rags to riches story with some caveats. Nora El Hourch’s dirctorial debut features a young cast and Bérénice Bejo — sees teens Amina, Djeneba and Zineb post a video on social media challenging the person who attacked one of them: a kingpin on a local housing estate. It’s working with the forgettable international title of Sisterhood – but we much prefer HLM Pussy. Here are the lucky 10 films competing for 20K — all films selected are world premieres.
Dear Jassi – Tarsem Singh Dhandwar | India Dream Scenario – Kristoffer Borgli | USA – OPENING FILM Great Absence – Kei Chika-ura | Japan I Told You So (Te l’avevo detto) – Ginevra Elkann | Italy The King Tide – Christian Sparkes | Canada Not A Word(Kein Wort) – Hanna Slak | Germany/Slovenia/France The Rye Horn (O Corno) – Jaione Camborda | Spain/Belgium/Portugal Sisterhood (HLM Pussy) Nora El Hourch | France Shame on Dry Land (Syndabocken) Axel Petersén | Sweden Spirit of Ecstasy (La Vénus d’argent) Héléna Klotz | France
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).
