Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2024 Primetime and Short Cuts Selections

Toronto International Film Festival

Canada

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has officially announced its Primetime and Short Cuts programs for the 2024 season, promising an exceptional lineup of serialized and short-form content from around the world. The 49th edition of TIFF, which will take place from September 5–15, 2024, continues to be a beacon for filmmakers, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with groundbreaking narratives and innovative storytelling.

Primetime: A Showcase of Serial Excellence

This year's Primetime section is particularly noteworthy, featuring eight new series from acclaimed directors, with five of them making their world premieres at TIFF. Among the highly anticipated series are Tomas Alfredson’s "Faithless" (Sweden), Alfonso Cuarón’s "Disclaimer" (UK), and Thomas Vinterberg’s "Families Like Ours" (Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany). Canadian filmmaker Mike Downie will present "The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal," a world premiere that dives into the legacy of the iconic Canadian band. Other world premieres include "The Knowing" by Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga (Canada) and "Thou Shalt Not Steal" by Dylan River (Australia).

Geoff McNaughton, Lead Programmer for Primetime, emphasized the importance of showcasing such diverse talent, stating, "This year's Primetime selection is a testament to the evolving landscape of serialized storytelling, where filmmakers push boundaries and explore new formats."

Short Cuts: A Global Slate of Short Films

TIFF's Short Cuts program presents a robust selection of 48 films from 23 countries, curated from over 5,300 submissions. This year’s program includes a mix of narrative, documentary, live-action, and animated films, showcasing the breadth and diversity of contemporary short-form cinema. Notable entries include directorial debuts by Dakota Johnson and Maika Monroe, alongside world premieres by Pier-Philippe Chevigny, Connor Jessup, and Joyce A. Nashawati.

A new addition to the Short Cuts lineup is the "Strange Cuts" program, featuring six genre films that align with the spirit of TIFF’s Midnight Madness. This bold selection includes satirical horror, mind-bending animation, and innovative thrillers, with world premieres from filmmakers such as Matty Crawford and ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby.

Awards and Industry Impact

The Short Cuts program is an Academy Award–qualifying competition, with two prestigious awards at stake: Best International Film and Best Canadian Film. This year’s jury includes Canadian-Italian filmmaker Luis De Filippis, CBC’s Development Manager Micah Kernan, and documentary programmer Shane Smith. Films that win a Short Cuts Award are eligible for submission to the 97th Academy Awards, further enhancing TIFF’s reputation as a critical launching pad for filmmakers.

As TIFF 2024 approaches, excitement builds for what promises to be a festival rich in innovation, diversity, and cinematic excellence. The full festival schedule will be released on August 13, with tickets available to TIFF Members starting August 16.

Primetime (in alphabetical order):

1. "Disclaimer" / Alfonso Cuarón / United Kingdom / Canadian Premiere
2. "Faithless" / Tomas Alfredson, Sara Johnsen / Sweden / World Premiere
3. "Families Like Ours" / Thomas Vinterberg / Denmark/France/Sweden/Czech Republic/Belgium/Norway/Germany / North American Premiere
4. "M. Son of the Century" / Joe Wright / Italy/France / North American Premiere
5. "The Knowing" / Courtney Montour, Tanya Talaga / Canada / World Premiere
6. "The Listeners" / Janicza Bravo, Jordan Tannahill / United Kingdom / World Premiere
7. "The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal" / Mike Downie / Canada / World Premiere
8. "Thou Shalt Not Steal" / Dylan River / Australia / World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 1:

1. "Deck 5B" / Malin Ingrid Johansson / Sweden / World Premiere
2. "Silent Panorama" / Nicolas Piret / Belgium / North American Premiere
3. "Fantas" / Halima Elkhatabi / Canada / World Premiere
4. "Amarela" / André Hayato Saito / Brazil / North American Premiere
5. "Maybe Elephants" / Torill Kove / Norway/Canada / North American Premiere
6. "Sauna Day" / Anna Hints, Tushar Prakash / Estonia / North American Premiere
7. "welima’q" / shalan joudry / Canada / World Premiere
8. "Julian and the Wind" / Connor Jessup / Canada / World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 2:

1. "Percebes" / Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves / Portugal/France / North American Premiere
2. "Fuck Me" / Anette Sidor / Sweden/Norway / World Premiere
3. "One Day This Kid" / Alexander Farah / Canada / World Premiere
4. "Every Other Weekend" / Mick Robertson, Margaret Rose / Canada / World Premiere
5. "Mercenaire" / Pier-Philippe Chevigny / Canada / World Premiere
6. "perfectly a strangeness" / Alison McAlpine / Canada / North American Premiere
7. "The Yellow" / Maika Monroe, Simone Faoro / USA / World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 3:

1. "Serve the Country" / Fabián Velasco, Miloš Mitrović / Canada / World Premiere
2. "Who Loves the Sun" / Arshia Shakiba / Canada / North American Premiere
3. "The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent" / Nebojša Slijepčević / Croatia/France/Bulgaria/Slovenia / North American Premiere
4. "Inkwo for When the Starving Return" / Amanda Strong / Canada / World Premiere
5. "Masterpiece Mommy" / Dorothy Sing Zhang / United Kingdom/China / World Premiere
6. "Loser Baby" / Dakota Johnson / USA / World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 4:

1. "A Son & a Father" / Andrés Ramírez Pulido / France/Colombia / North American Premiere
2. "On a Sunday at Eleven" / Alicia K. Harris / Canada / World Premiere
3. "Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?" / Bec Pecaut / Canada / World Premiere
4. "On The Way" / Samir Karahoda / Kosovo / North American Premiere
5. "Out for Ice Cream" / Rachel Samson / Canada / World Premiere
6. "The Best" / Ian Bawa / Canada / World Premiere
7. "Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time" / James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin / USA / World Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 5:

1. "Solemates" / James Rathbone, Mike Feswick / Canada / World Premiere
2. "Quota" / Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw / Netherlands / World Premiere
3. "Vox Humana" / Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan / Philippines/USA/Singapore / World Premiere
4. "The Wolf" / Theodore Ushev / Canada / North American Premiere
5. "Aïda Neither" / Elisa Gilmour / France / World Premiere
6. "Alazar Beza" / Hailu Lemma / Ethiopia/France/Canada / North American Premiere

Short Cuts Programme 6:

1. "The Cost of Hugging" / Louis Bhose / United Kingdom / North American Premiere
2. "Marion" / Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine / France/United Kingdom / North American Premiere
3. "La Voix des Sirènes" / Gianluigi Toccafondo / France/Italy / North American Premiere
4. "After Sunday" / Omolola Ajao / Canada / World Premiere
5. "Anotc ota ickwaparin akosiin" / Catherine Boivin / Canada / World Premiere
6. "Before They Joined Us" / Arshile Khanjian Egoyan / Canada / World Premiere
7. "Tenderness" / Helen Lee / Canada/South Korea / World Premiere

Strange Cuts:

1. "Gender Reveal" / Mo Matton / Canada / North American Premiere
2. "The Sunset Special 2" / Nicolas Gebbe / Germany / North American Premiere
3. "The Beguiling" / ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby / USA / World Premiere
4. "Don't F*ck With Ba" / Sally Tran / USA / International Premiere
5. "Stomach Bug" / Matty Crawford / United Kingdom / World Premiere
6. "Never Have I Ever" / Joyce A. Nashawati / France / World Premiere

Screening Prior to the Centrepiece Selection "When the Light Breaks":

1. "O" / Rúnar Rúnarsson / Iceland/Sweden / North American Premiere