The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the 10 world premiere features that comprise its Platform program for 2023, along with the 2023 Platform jury members: Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, joined by Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki, and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives. The 10 films in the 2023 program are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the program, selected by an in-person international jury.
Platform is TIFF’s competitive program that champions bold directorial visions. The films selected for this year’s program hail from 12 countries across three continents, all of which will be making their world premiere at TIFF.
“We are thrilled to present this year’s extraordinary films in the Platform program, and especially delighted to present Kristoffer Borgli’s latest film Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, as Platform’s opening film. This surrealist satire-comedy has sharp, timely observations about social media culture–especially ‘going viral’–and its impact on the way that we interact with others in our day-to-day life. Cage delivers some of his finest work,” said Robyn Citizen, director, programming & Platform lead. “This year’s diverse selection is distinguished by bold character studies and classic stories told through dynamic narrative and genre approaches. Audiences will witness the emergence of thematic threads like social exile and reconnection, woven in unexpectedly thrilling ways by an array of captivating local and international voices.”
Notable previous Platform selections include 2022 winner Riceboy Sleeps from Canadian director Anthony Shim, Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (2021), Kamila Andini’s Yuni (2021), Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal (2019), Alice Winocour’s Proxima (2019), Kazik Radwanski’s Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2019), Sarah Gavron’s Rocks (2019), Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin (2017), Pablo Larraín’s Jackie (2016), Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016), William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth (2016), and Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise (2015).
2023 Platform Program
Dear Jassi Tarsem Singh Dhandwar | India
World Premiere
Platform Program – Opening Night Film
Dream Scenario Kristoffer Borgli | USA
World Premiere
Great Absence Kei Chika-ura | Japan
World Premiere
I Told You So (Te l’avevo detto) Ginevra Elkann | Italy
World Premiere
The King Tide Christian Sparkes | Canada
World Premiere
Not A Word (Kein Wort) Hanna Slak | Germany/Slovenia/France
World Premiere
The Rye Horn (O Corno) Jaione Camborda | Spain/Belgium/Portugal
World Premiere
Sisterhood (HLM Pussy) Nora El Hourch | France
World Premiere
Shame on Dry Land (Syndabocken) Axel Petersén | Sweden
World Premiere
Spirit of Ecstasy (La Vénus d’argent) Héléna Klotz | France
World Premiere
Platform Jury Biographies
Barry Jenkins
Academy Award–winning filmmaker Jenkins has directed three highly acclaimed features that screened at TIFF–Medicine for Melancholy, Moonlight, and If Beale Street Could Talk–as well as his award-winning television series The Underground Railroad. Most recently, Jenkins produced Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun and Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. His upcoming directorial work includes the 2024 theatrical release of The Lion King.
Nadine Labaki
Labaki is a writer, director, and actor. Caramel, her 2007 debut film, opened at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and was Lebanon’s official submission to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Her next film, Where Do We Go Now?, premiered at Un Certain Regard in 2011 and won the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Labaki wrote, directed, and starred in both. Most recently, she directed Campernaum, which won the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
Anthony Shim
Shim began his career as an actor, theatre director, and producer. In 2019, Shim wrote, directed, and produced his first feature film, Daughter. His second film, Riceboy Sleeps, had its World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Platform Prize.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More