The Toronto International Film Festival® unveiled its lineup of 12 films for this year’s Platform programme, following on the success of last year’s Platform, which included celebrated films such as William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth, Pablo Larrain’s Jackie and Barry Jenkins’s Academy Award Best Picture winner, Moonlight. This year’s lineup hails from eight countries on five continents. The films will compete for the Platform Prize, to be awarded by a jury comprising award-winning filmmakers Chen Kaige, Malgorzata Szumowska and Wim Wenders.
Now in its third year, TIFF’s Platform programme showcases original voices in contemporary cinema. In the past two years, Platform has presented the world premieres of Ben Wheatley’s High-Rise, Eva Husson’s Bang Gang and Martin Zandvliet’s Land of Mine, which was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
“The films unveiled today embody our bold vision for the programme, and our ongoing commitment to showcase artistic and inventive directors that fearlessly push boundaries,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The twelve titles exemplify bravery, dynamism and a unique voice in storytelling that we look for when curating the Platform programme.”
“Platform is the place to look for the distinct stamp of today’s most interesting directors as they establish their reputations,” said Cameron Bailey, TIFF’s Artistic Director. “It’s important that the Platform jury also reflects original thinking in cinema. We’re thrilled to bring together Wim Wenders, Chen Kaige and Malgorzata Szumowska, each one responsible for bringing visionary films into the world.”
The programme will open with the world premiere of The Death of Stalin, from award winning director-writer Armando Iannucci. The historical epic follows the final days leading up to the Soviet dictator’s death. Sweet Country, a period western from acclaimed Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton will close the Platform section.
Platform titles are eligible for the Toronto Platform Prize ($25,000 CAD) made possible by Air France. Juried by Kaige, Szumowska and Wenders, the prize winner is announced at the TIFF Awards Ceremony on September 17, 2017.
Films screening as part of the Platform programme include:
Beast Michael Pearce, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Brad’s Status Mike White, USA
World Premiere
Custody Xavier Legrand, France
North American Premiere
Dark River Clio Barnard, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Platform Opening Film
The Death of Stalin Armando Iannucci, France/United Kingdom/Belgium
World Premiere
Euphoria Lisa Langseth, Sweden/Germany
World Premiere
If You Saw His Heart Joan Chemla, France
World Premiere
Mademoiselle Paradis Barbara Albert, Austria/Germany
World Premiere
Razzia Nabil Ayouch, France
World Premiere
The Seen and Unseen Kamila Andini, Indonesia
World Premiere
Platform Closing Film .
Sweet Country Warwick Thornton, Australia
North American Premiere
What Will People Say (Hva vil folk si) Iram Haq, Norway/Germany/Sweden
World Premiere
