TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS PLATFORM LINEUP FOR 2019

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled the 10 features that comprise the Platform competition for 2019, a year rich in perspectives, genres, and exceptional performances by newcomers as well as established actors. Ranging from first-time feature directors to veterans at turning points in their careers, this year’s Platform filmmakers offer a panoramic view of the diverse range of talent and distinct directorial voices that are emerging around the globe.

Of the 10 features in this year’s Platform selection, 40% are directed by women. The films hail from a wide range of regions, including Europe, Latin America, East Asia, and the US. Kazik Radwanski’s Anne at 13,000 ft is the standout Canadian title in the programme’s 2019 lineup, grounded in a career-best performance by Deragh Campbell (TIFF 2015 Rising Star).

“With a dynamic, international slate that assembles some of brightest cinematic voices of today and tomorrow, this year’s lineup distills the essence of the Festival,” said Cameron Bailey, Platform Co-Curator and TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head. “These films tackle some of the most urgent concerns of our day using original, exciting cinematic language.”

“Competitions should celebrate the range of what great cinema is and what it can accomplish. Platform is alive to those possibilities,” said Platform Co-Curator Andréa Picard. “Whether they are debuts or mid-career works, these films push the boundaries of narrative filmmaking in surprising and rigorous ways, some using documentary or experimental techniques in their approaches. Audiences will recognize similar themes emerge like a global collective subconscious, but what is truly exciting is the varied means of cinematic expression on display.”

Highlights include the World Premieres of Wet Season by Singapore-based director and producer Anthony Chen, the anticipated follow-up to his breakout debut Ilo Ilo (TIFF 2013); Julie Delpy’s My Zoe, a genre-bending tale of a mother’s navigation of grief that stars Delpy alongside Richard Armitage and Daniel Brühl; and Alice Winocour’s Proxima , an incisive drama following an astronaut and mother as she faces an impossible decision, featuring remarkable performances by Eva Green, Lars Eidinger, Matt Dillon, and Sandra Hüller.