2009 Toronto International Film Festival
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 34th annual
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
(TIFF) was held in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada between September 10 and September 19, 2009. The opening night gala presented the
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...
biography ''
Creation Creation may refer to: Religion *''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing *Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it *Creationism, the belief that ...
''. ''
The Young Victoria ''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Produce ...
'', based on the early years of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
, closed the festival on September 19.


About the 2009 Festival

TIFF is a non-profit organization whose goal is to change the way people look at the world through film. The festival is Canada's largest film festival, receiving 4,209 submissions in 2008. Of this total, 312 films were screened coming from 64 different countries. TIFF creates an annual economic impact of $135 million CAD. Aided by over 2,000 volunteers, 100 full-time staff members and 500 seasonal or part-time staff are responsible for organizing the festival. Two screenings of each of the invited films are presented to the public and at least one screening is provided for press and industry. The 2009 festival contained 19 different Programmes, or categories of films. After the ten days of film, the Awards reception was held at Intercontinental Hotel on Front Street in Toronto. Perhaps the most prestigious of the awards was bestowed to
Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
's '' Precious'': based on the novel ''Push'' by Sapphire. This award was the 2009 Cadillac People's Choice Award and is based solely on votes by Festival audiences. This award carries a $15,000 cash prize and also comes with a custom made award from
Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed ...
. It is widely considered to be the most prestigious because it has had the greatest impact on audiences and inspires film distributors to sign the winning film for larger international releases. Last year's winner ''
Slumdog Millionaire ''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Pa ...
'' directed by
Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including '' Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel '' T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', ''28 Days Later'', '' S ...
, went on to reap huge international spotlight which culminated at the 2009
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
where it won Best Picture. Lee Daniel's ''Precious'' was also a big Oscar contender as it was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director, however it lost to ''
The Hurt Locker ''The Hurt Locker'' is a 2008 American war thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. It stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce. The film follow ...
'' and its helmer Katheryn Bigelow. The First runner-up was
Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include '' B ...
's '' Mao's Last Dancer'' and the second runner-up was
Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director, producer and screenwriter. His films combine fantasy, realism and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. Debuting as a di ...
's '' Micmacs''. The City of Toronto and Astral Media's The Movie Network Award for Best Canadian Feature Film went to ''
Cairo Time ''Cairo Time'' is a 2009 film by Canadian director Ruba Nadda. It is a romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love interest that catches two people completely off-guard. The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto Internatio ...
'' directed by
Ruba Nadda Ruba Nadda (born 6 December 1972) is a Canadian film director. She made several award-winning short films, including ''Lost Woman Story'', ''Interstate Love Story'', ''So Far Gone'' and ''Damascus Nights'' before writing and directing features '' ...
. Sponsored by Astral Media's the Movie Network and the City of Toronto, this award came with a cash prize of $30,000. Future endeavors by the TIFF will be aided by the ongoing construction of TIFF
Bell Lightbox TIFF Bell Lightbox is a cultural centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the first five floors of the Bell Lightbox and Festival Tower on the north west corner of King Street and John Street. TIFF Bell Lightbox features five cinemas, two ...
, a facility with an estimated annual economic impact of over $200 million. Complete with 5 cinemas, learning studios, galleries and a rooftop lounge, this will become the hub of TIFF in 2010 when construction is scheduled to be completed.


Controversy over Tel Aviv spotlight

More than 1,500 people, including prominent filmmakers, academics, and writers signed a letter of protest directed at the Toronto International Film Festival regarding its decision to spotlight
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
and the work of 10 Israeli filmmakers. The protest leaders emphasized that it is not a call for a boycott. The original protest letter in part reads:
:"As members of the Canadian and international film, culture and media arts communities, we are deeply disturbed by IFF'sdecision to host a celebratory spotlight on Tel Aviv. We protest that TIFF, whether intentionally or not, has become complicit in the Israeli propaganda machine. We do not protest the individual Israeli filmmakers included in City to City, nor do we in any way suggest that Israeli films should be unwelcome at TIFF. However, especially in the wake of this year's brutal assault on Gaza, we object to the use of such an important international festival in staging a propaganda campaign on behalf of what South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former US President Jimmy Carter, and UN General Assembly President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann have all characterized as an apartheid regime."
The signatories and supporters include
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...
,
David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
,
Naomi Klein Naomi A. Klein (born May 8, 1970) is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker known for her political analyses, support of ecofeminism, organized labour, left-wing politics and criticism of corporate globalization, fascism, ecofascism ...
,
Alice Walker Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awa ...
,
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
, Wallace Shawn,
Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the '' Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films inclu ...
,
John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...
,
Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argenti ...
and the American Jewish group
Jewish Voice for Peace Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP; קול יהודי לשלום ''Kol Yehudi la-Shalom'') is a left-wing Jewish activist organization in the United States that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. Founding, staff ...
.
John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...
's letter of protest highlighted an interview "Israeli Consul General Amir Gissin gave to ''
Canadian Jewish News The Canadian Jewish News is a non-profit, national, English-language digital-first media organization that serves Canada‘s Jewish community. A national edition of the newspaper was published for 60 years in Toronto. A weekly Montreal edition i ...
'' in which he described the TIFF spotlight as a culmination of his year-long
Brand Israel Brand Israel is a public relations campaign run by the Israeli government to improve Israel's image abroad. By showing Israel's "prettier face", downplaying religion, and avoiding discussing the state's conflict with the Palestinian people, it hop ...
campaign, which included ads on buses, radio and television." Greyson claims that "This isn't the right year to celebrate Brand Israel, or to demonstrate an ostrich-like indifference to the realities (cinematic and otherwise) of the region, or to pointedly ignore the international economic boycott campaign against Israel." The protest letter was met with condemnation by some, such as
Simcha Jacobovici Simcha Jacobovici (; born April 4, 1953) is an Israeli-Canadian journalist and documentary film maker. Biography Simcha Jacobovici's parents were Holocaust survivors from Iași, Romania. He was born April 4, 1953, in Petah Tikva, Israel. In 19 ...
, "a Toronto filmmaker who recently moved with his family to Israel, noted in a statement that the Palestinian government in Gaza had recently called a U.N. proposal to teach the Holocaust in Palestinian schools a war crime." Jacobovici asked "Why does rotest supporter John Greysonwant to align himself with Holocaust deniers?" Others accused those who signed the protest letter as engaging in a boycott of Israel films. Rabbi
Marvin Hier Marvin (Moshe Chaim) Hier (born 1939 in New York City) is the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, its Museum of Tolerance and of Moriah, the center's film division. Early life Hier was born in 1939 in New York City. His Jewish par ...
, the founder of the
Simon Wiesenthal Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating anti-Semitism, tolerance educat ...
, has stated that "it is clear that the script he protestersare reading from might as well have been written by
Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni- Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qas ...
." Patrick Goldstein, writing in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', wrote against the protest and made an analogy to actions by musician
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
: :"At the height of apartheid in South Africa, Paul Simon made "Graceland", an album of glorious music with South African musicians. He was criticized at the time for breaking a worldwide cultural boycott, but Simon believed that exposing the musicians' gifts to the world far outweighed any tacit endorsement his use of South African musicians would have provided for the country's repressive regime. History long ago proved him right. The same openness should apply to a film festival." In response to the protest, a number of Hollywood stars circulated a counter-protest letter on September 15, 2009. This letter, which appeared simultaneously in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' and the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
'', included signatories
Jerry Seinfeld Jerome Allen Seinfeld ( ; born April 29, 1954) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom '' Seinfeld'', which he created and wrote with La ...
,
Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...
,
Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
,
Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' ...
,
Lisa Kudrow Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress, producer, and screenwriter. She rose to fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004), which has since been named one of the greatest television cha ...
,
Lenny Kravitz Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. His style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop and folk. Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male R ...
,
Patricia Heaton Patricia Helen Heaton (born March 4, 1958) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work on sitcoms, having played Debra Barone on ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005) as well as Frances "Frankie" Heck on '' The Middl ...
,
Jacob Richler Jacob Richler is a Canadian newspaper and magazine journalist, and the son of novelist Mordecai Richler and Florence Isabel (Wood). He was the inspiration for his father's '' Jacob Two-Two'' trilogy of children's books. He was born in England and r ...
, Noah Richler,
George F. Walker George F. Walker (born August 23, 1947) is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally. Early years Wal ...
and
Moses Znaimer Moses Znaimer (; born 1942) is a Tajik-born Canadian media executive of jewish descent. He is the co-founder and former head of Citytv, the first independent television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the current head of ZoomerMedia ...
. The letter said:
Anyone who has actually seen recent Israeli cinema, movies that are political and personal, comic and tragic, often critical, knows they are in no way a propaganda arm for any government policy. Blacklisting them only stifles the exchange of cultural knowledge that artists should be the first to defend and protect.
Jane Fonda, in a posting on ''Huffington Post'', says that she now regrets some of the language used in the original protest letter and how it "was perhaps too easily misunderstood. It certainly has been wildly distorted. Contrary to the lies that have been circulated, the protest letter was not demonizing Israeli films and filmmakers." She continued writing "the greatest 're-branding' of Israel would be to celebrate that country's long standing, courageous and robust peace movement by helping to end the blockade of Gaza through negotiations with all parties to the conflict, and by stopping the expansion of West Bank settlements. That's the way to show Israel's commitment to peace, not a PR campaign. There will be no two-state solution unless this happens."


Awards


Programmes


Special presentations

* '' Baaria'' by
Giuseppe Tornatore Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the directors who brought critical acclaim back to Italian cinema.Katz, Ephraim, "Italy," ''The Film Encyclopedia'' (New York: HarperR ...
* '' Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'' by
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...
* '' The Boys are Back'' by Scott Hicks * '' Bright Star'' by
Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...
* ''
Broken Embraces ''Broken Embraces'' ( es, Los abrazos rotos, links=no) is a 2009 Spanish romantic thriller film written, produced, and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Led by an ensemble cast consisting of many Almodóvar regulars, it stars Lluís Homar as a blind ...
'' by
Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narra ...
* ''
Cairo Time ''Cairo Time'' is a 2009 film by Canadian director Ruba Nadda. It is a romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love interest that catches two people completely off-guard. The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto Internatio ...
'' by
Ruba Nadda Ruba Nadda (born 6 December 1972) is a Canadian film director. She made several award-winning short films, including ''Lost Woman Story'', ''Interstate Love Story'', ''So Far Gone'' and ''Damascus Nights'' before writing and directing features '' ...
* '' Capitalism: A Love Story'' by
Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...
* '' City of Life and Death'' by
Lu Chuan Lu Chuan (born 8 February 1971) is a Chinese filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. He is the son of novelist Lu Tianming (). Education Educated at the in Nanjing, Lu spent two years serving in the Army as a secretary to a general. After his time ...
* '' Cracks'' by Jordan Scott * ''
Defendor ''Defendor'' is a 2009 Canadian-American vigilante comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Stebbings in his directorial debut. It stars Woody Harrelson as Arthur Poppington, a regular man who adopts a superhero persona named Defendor, wi ...
'' by
Peter Stebbings Peter Stebbings is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter best known for portraying Kevin Sharp in the drama series '' Madison'', Paul Deeds in the series '' Traders'', and for writing and directing '' Defendor''. He portrayed ...
* ''
An Education ''An Education'' is a 2009 coming-of-age drama film based on a memoir of the same name by British journalist Lynn Barber. The film was directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Nick Hornby. It stars Carey Mulligan as Jenny, a bright school ...
'' by
Lone Scherfig Lone Scherfig (; born 2 May 1959) is a Danish film director and screenwriter who has been involved with the Dogme 95 film movement and who has been widely critically acclaimed for several of her movies, including the Oscar-nominated film '' An ...
* '' The Front Line'' by
Renato De Maria Renato De Maria (born 1958) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than ten films since 1991. Selected filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Maria, Renato 1958 births Living people Italian ...
* '' Glorious 39'' by Stephen Poliakoff * ''
Good Hair ''Good Hair'' is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Jeff Stilson and produced by Chris Rock Productions and HBO Films, starring and narrated by comedian Chris Rock. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2009, ''Good ...
'' by Jeff Stilson * ''
The Good Heart ''The Good Heart'' is an Icelandic independent film written and directed by Dagur Kári, starring Brian Cox and Paul Dano. It debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Plot Short-tempered bartender Jacques ( Brian Cox) has a he ...
'' by Dagur Kari * '' Hadewijch'' by
Bruno Dumont Bruno Dumont (; born 14 March 1958) is a French film director and screenwriter. To date, he has directed ten feature films, all of which border somewhere between realistic drama and the avant-garde. His films have won several awards at the Canne ...
* '' Harry Brown'' by Daniel Barber * '' The Hole'' by
Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably '' Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies with ...
* '' Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel'' by Brigitte Berman * ''
I Killed My Mother ''I Killed My Mother'' (french: J'ai tué ma mère) is a 2009 Canadian drama film written, directed, produced by and starring Xavier Dolan, in his directorial debut. Loosely autobiographical, it follows the complicated relationship between a yo ...
'' by
Xavier Dolan Xavier Dolan-Tadros (; born 20 March 1989) is a Canadian filmmaker, actor and costume designer. He began his career as a child actor in commercials before directing several arthouse feature films. He first received international acclaim in 2 ...
* ''
The Informant! ''The Informant!'' is a 2009 American biographical-crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns, the film stars Matt Damon as the titular informant named Mark Whitacre, as well as Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie ...
'' by
Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direct ...
* ''
The Invention of Lying ''The Invention of Lying'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy film written and directed by comedian Ricky Gervais and writer Matthew Robinson in their directorial debuts. The film stars Gervais as the first human with the ability to lie in a worl ...
'' by
Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and ''An Idiot Abroad'' ...
and Matthew Robinson * ''
The Joneses ''The Joneses'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Derrick Borte, in his directorial debut. It stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film ...
'' by
Derrick Borte Derrick Stacey Borte (born December 7, 1967) is a German-born American filmmaker known for the dark comedy ''The Joneses'' (2010), which he wrote, directed, and produced. The film was his directorial debut. Biography Early life Borte was born on ...
* ''
Kamui A ''kamuy'' ( ain, カムィ; ja, カムイ, kamui) is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy. The Ainu people have many myths about the ''kamuy'', passed ...
'' by Yoichi Sai * ''
L'affaire Farewell ''Farewell'' (french: L'affaire Farewell; literally ''The Farewell Affair'') is a 2009 French espionage thriller film directed by Christian Carion, starring Guillaume Canet and Emir Kusturica. The film is loosely based on the actions of the high- ...
'' by Christian Carion * ''
Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. Though it was first published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting ''Leaves of Grass'', revising it multiple times until his death. T ...
'' by
Tim Blake Nelson Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in '' O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' (2000), Gideon in '' Minority Report'' (2002), Dr. Pend ...
* '' Les derniers jours du monde'' by
Arnaud Larrieu Arnaud Larrieu (born 31 March 1966) is a French film director and screenwriter. His film '' To Paint or Make Love'' was entered into the 2005 Cannes Film Festival The 58th Cannes Film Festival started on 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Twenty ...
and Jean-Marie Larrieu * '' Life During Wartime'' by
Todd Solondz Todd Solondz (; born October 15, 1959) is an American filmmaker and playwright known for his style of dark, socially conscious satire. Solondz's work has received critical acclaim for its commentary on the "dark underbelly of middle class Americ ...
* ''
London River ''London River'' is a 2009 British-French drama film, written and produced by Franco-Algerian film director Rachid Bouchareb. Starring Brenda Blethyn and Sotigui Kouyaté, it centres on the journey of two people searching for their children aft ...
'' by
Rachid Bouchareb Rachid Bouchareb (born 1 September 1953) is a French film director and producer. His films are based on the complex history of France and its relationship with its former colony, Algeria. His films also examine racial discrimination and conflic ...
* '' Mao's Last Dancer'' by
Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include '' B ...
* ''
Moloch Tropical ''Moloch Tropical '' is a 2009 film about a political revolution in Haiti. Plot Amidst the protection of a fortified palace perched on the top of a mountain, a democratically elected president and his closest collaborators are getting ready fo ...
'' by
Raoul Peck Raoul Peck (born 9 September 1953 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a Haitian filmmaker, of both documentary and feature films. He is known for using historical, political, and personal characters to tackle and recount societal issues and historical ...
* ''
Mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ...
'' by
Bong Joon-ho Bong Joon-ho (, ; Hanja: 奉俊昊; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean film director, producer and screenwriter. The recipient of four Academy Awards, his filmography is characterised by emphasis on social themes, genre-mixing, black h ...
* '' My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done'' by
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with u ...
* '' Mr. Nobody'' by Jaco Van Dormael * '' Ondine'' by
Neil Jordan Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. His first book, '' Night in Tunisia'', won a Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1979. He won an Academ ...
* '' Partir'' by
Catherine Corsini Catherine Corsini (born 18 May 1956) is a French film director, screenwriter and actress. Her film '' Replay'' was entered into the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Her 2012 film '' Three Worlds'' competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 C ...
* ''
Perrier's Bounty ''Perrier's Bounty'' is a 2009 Irish black comedy crime film set in modern-day Dublin. Described as an "urban western" by its director Ian Fitzgibbon, it stars Brendan Gleeson as the villainous title character, as well as Cillian Murphy and Ji ...
'' by Ian Fitzgibbon * ''
A Prophet ''A Prophet'' (french: Un prophète) is a 2009 French prison crime film directed by Jacques Audiard with a screenplay by Audiard, with Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafri, and Nicolas Peufaillit, from a story by Dafri. The film stars Tahar Rahi ...
'' by Jacques Audiard * ''
The Road ''The Road'' is a 2006 post-apocalyptic novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. The book details the grueling journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm that ha ...
'' by
John Hillcoat John Hillcoat (born 1960) is an Australian-Canadian film director, screenwriter, and music video director. Early life Hillcoat was born in Queensland, Australia, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a child, his paintings were featur ...
* ''
Road, Movie ''Road, Movie'' ( hi, रोड, मूवी) is a 2009 Indian road movie directed by Dev Benegal, and starring Abhay Deol, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Satish Kaushik. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and opened the s ...
'' by
Dev Benegal Dev Benegal is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter, most known for his debut film '' English, August'' (1994), which won the Best Feature Film in English at the 42nd National Film Awards. Early life and education Dev was born in New Delhi t ...
* ''
Scheherazade Tell Me a Story ''Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story'' ( ar, إحكي يا شهرزاد, translit. ''Ehki ya shahrazade'') is a 2009 Egyptian film. The film Was Showing on 60 cinemas on Egypt at last of June 2009 Synopsis In modern Cairo, Hebba hosts an eve ...
'' by
Yousry Nasrallah Yousry Nasrallah ( ar, يسرى نصر الله  ) (born 26 July 1952) is an Egyptian film director. Biography Nasrallah was born to a Coptic Christian family in Cairo. He graduated in economics and political science at Cairo University. ...
* ''
The Secret in Their Eyes ''The Secret in Their Eyes'' ( es, link=no, El secreto de sus ojos) is a 2009 Argentinian crime drama film directed, co-written, produced and edited by Juan José Campanella, based on the novel ''La pregunta de sus ojos'' (''The Question in The ...
'' by
Juan José Campanella Juan José Campanella (born 19 July 1959) is an Argentine television and film director, writer and producer. He achieved worldwide attention with the release of ''The Secret in Their Eyes'' (2009), for which he was awarded the Academy Award for B ...
* '' A Serious Man'' by Joel Coen and
Ethan Coen Joel Daniel Coen (born November 29, 1954) and Ethan Jesse Coen (born September 21, 1957),State of Minnesota. ''Minnesota Birth Index, 1935–2002''. Minnesota Department of Health. collectively known as the Coen brothers (), are American film ...
* ''
A Single Man ''A Single Man'' is a 2009 American period romantic drama film based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood. The directorial debut of fashion designer Tom Ford, the film stars Colin Firth, who was nominated for the Academy ...
'' by
Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and direct ...
* '' Solitary Man'' by
Brian Koppelman Brian William Koppelman (born April 27, 1966) is an American showrunner. Koppelman is the co-writer of ''Ocean's Thirteen'' and ''Rounders'', the producer for films including '' The Illusionist'' and '' The Lucky Ones'', the director for films inc ...
and David Levien * '' Soul Kitchen'' by
Fatih Akın Fatih Akin (Turkish: Fatih Akın, born 25 August 1973) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer of Turkish descent. He has won numerous awards for his films, including the Golden Bear (award), Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival ...
* '' The Traveller'' by Ahmed Maher * ''
Triage In medicine, triage () is a practice invoked when acute care cannot be provided for lack of resources. The process rations care towards those who are most in need of immediate care, and who benefit most from it. More generally it refers to prio ...
'' by
Danis Tanovic Danis may refer to: * ''Danis'' (butterfly), a genus of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae * Danis Goulet (born 1977), Canadian Cree-Métis film director and screenwriter * Yann Danis (born 1981), Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender * Gy ...
* ''
The Trotsky ''The Trotsky'' is a 2009 Canadian comedy film directed and written by Jacob Tierney and starring Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Colm Feore, Saul Rubinek, and Michael Murphy. Plot High School student Leon Bronstein believes that he is the re ...
'' by
Jacob Tierney Jacob Daniel Tierney (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for playing Eric in ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1990–1992) and as the co-writer, director, and executive producer of ...
* '' Up in the Air'' by
Jason Reitman Jason R. Reitman (; born October 19, 1977) is a Canadian-American actor and filmmaker, best known for directing the films '' Thank You for Smoking'' (2005), '' Juno'' (2007), '' Up in the Air'' (2009), '' Young Adult'' (2011), and '' Ghostbuste ...
* '' Valhalla Rising'' by
Nicolas Winding Refn Nicolas Winding Refn (; born 29 September 1970), also known as Jang, is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for his collaborations with Mads Mikkelsen, Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling. He gained great success early in h ...
* '' Vengeance'' by
Johnnie To Johnnie To Kei-fung (born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter and film producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in ...
* '' The Vintner's Luck'' by
Niki Caro Nikola Jean Caro (born 20 September 1966) is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter. Her 2002 film '' Whale Rider'' was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals. She directed the 2020 live action vers ...
* ''
The Waiting City ''The Waiting City'' is a 2009 Australian film directed by Claire McCarthy. The film stars Joel Edgerton as Ben Simmons, Radha Mitchell as Fiona Simmons, Samrat Chakrabati as Krishna, and Isabel Lucas as Scarlett. The film's score was composed ...
'' by
Claire McCarthy Claire McCarthy is an Australian screenwriter, director, producer, and visual artist. Early life Claire was born in Sydney, the daughter of Christine, an author and concert pianist, and John McCarthy QC. She graduated with honours from the ...
* ''
Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
'' by He Ping * ''
Whip It! ''Whip It'' is a 2009 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Drew Barrymore in her directorial debut and written by Shauna Cross, based on her 2007 novel '' Derby Girl''. The film is co-produced by Barrymore and Barry Mendel. It stars Ellio ...
'' by
Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...
* '' Women Without Men'' by
Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat ( fa, شیرین نشاط; born March 26, 1957 in Qazvin) is an Iranian visual artist who lives in New York City, known primarily for her work in film, video and photography. Her artwork centers on the contrasts between Islam and th ...
* '' Youth in Revolt'' by
Miguel Arteta Miguel Arteta (born 1965) is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film ''Chuck & Buck'' (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films '' The Good Girl'' (2002 ...


City to City

* '' Bena'' by Niv Klainer * ''
Big Dig The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T Project), commonly known as the Big Dig, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery of Interstate 93 (I-93), the chief highway through the heart of the city, into the 1.5-mile (2.4&n ...
'' by
Efraim Kishon Ephraim (; he, ''ʾEp̄rayīm'', in pausa: ''ʾEp̄rāyīm'') was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath. Asenath was an Ancient Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daugh ...
* ''
Big Eyes ''Big Eyes'' is a 2014 American biographical drama film directed by Tim Burton, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. It is about the relationship between American artist Margaret Keane ...
'' by Uri Zohar * '' The Bubble'' by Eytan Fox * '' A History of Israeli Cinema - Part 1'' by
Raphael Nadjari Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
* '' A History of Israeli Cinema - Part 2'' by
Raphael Nadjari Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
* ''
Jaffa Jaffa, in Hebrew Yafo ( he, יָפוֹ, ) and in Arabic Yafa ( ar, يَافَا) and also called Japho or Joppa, the southern and oldest part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, is an ancient port city in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the b ...
'' by Keren Yedaya * '' Kirot'' by Danny Lerner * ''
Life According to Agfa ''Life According to Agfa'' ( he, החיים על פי אגפא) is a 1993 Israeli psychological-social drama film written and directed by Assi Dayan and produced by Rafi Bukai and Yoram Kislev. Starring Gila Almagor, Shmil Ben Ari, Irit Frank, S ...
'' by
Assi Dayan Assaf "Assi" Dayan ( he, אסף "אסי" דיין; 23 November 1945 – 1 May 2014) was an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. Life Dayan was the youngest son of Israeli general and defense minister Moshe Dayan and peace a ...
* '' Phobidilia'' by Yoav Paz and Doron Paz


Contemporary World Cinema

* '' Beyond the Circle'' by Golam Rabbany * ''
Blessed Blessed may refer to: * The state of having received a blessing * Blessed, a title assigned by the Roman Catholic Church to someone who has been beatified Film and television * ''Blessed'' (2004 film), a 2004 motion picture about a supernatural ...
'' by
Ana Kokkinos Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter of Greek descent. She is known for her breakthrough feature film, '' Head On'' (1998), and has also directed television shows such as ''The Secret Life of Us'' and '' ...
* ''
Cole Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...
'' by
Carl Bessai Carl Bessai (born 1966 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. Bessai studied at OCAD University and at York University in Toronto graduating with a Master of Fine Arts Degree. He got his start directing documentary fi ...
* '' Down for Life'' by Alan Jacobs * '' Excited'' by
Bruce Sweeney Bruce Sweeney (born in Sarnia, Ontario) is a Canadian film director. He has spent his career based primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia. Career Sweeney's debut film, '' Live Bait'', won the award for Best Canadian Feature Film at the 1995 Toro ...
* '' Eyes Wide Open'' by
Haim Tabakman The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Ha ...
* '' Giulia Doesn’t Date at Night'' by Giuseppe Piccioni * '' A Gun to the Head'' by
Blaine Thurier Blaine Thurier (born 1967) is a Canadian musician and film producer. He plays synthesizer with the Canadian indie pop supergroup The New Pornographers. His videos for The New Pornographers have been critically well received. Thurier has written ...
* '' Heiran'' by Shalizeh Arefpour * '' High Life'' by Gary Yates * ''
The House of Branching Love ''The House of Branching Love'' ( fi, Haarautuvan rakkauden talo) is a 2009 Finnish comedy-drama film directed by Mika Kaurismäki. It is based on the novel ''Haarautuvan rakkauden talo'' by Petri Karra. The film is about a married couple going ...
'' by Mika Kaurismäki * ''
Huacho Huacho () is a city in Peru, capital of the Huaura Province and capital of the Lima Region. Also is the most populated city of the Lima Region and Norte Chico. It is located 223 feet (68 metres) above sea level and 148 km north of the city ...
'' by Alejandro Fernández Alemendras * '' Jean Charles'' by
Henrique Goldman Henrique () may refer to: *Henry, Count of Portugal (1066–1112) * Henry I, King of Portugal (1512–1580) *Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), a royal prince and important figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire * Infante Henry, 4th Duk ...
* ''
Like You Know It All ''Like You Know It All'' (; lit. "You Think You Know It All But You Don't") is a 2009 South Korean comedy-drama film written and directed by Hong Sang-soo. Plot Arthouse filmmaker Goo can't seem to direct a hit, but at least the critics love hi ...
'' by Hong Sangsoo * ''
Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...
'' by Jessica Hausner * '' Men on the Bridge'' by Asli Özge * ''
My Year Without Sex ''My Year Without Sex'' is an Australian drama film written and directed by Sarah Watt, opening the 2009 Adelaide Film Festival and given wider release in May 2009. Set in Altona (suburban Melbourne), it is about a 30-something couple, Ross and ...
'' by Sarah Watt * ''
Passenger Side ''Passenger Side'' is a 2009 drama film written and directed by Matt Bissonnette and produced by Corey Marr.John Griffin, "Great music and dialogue as a contact sport; passenger side Ex-N.D.G.er Matt Bissonnette directs a winning road movie". ''Mo ...
'' by Matt Bissonnette * '' Police, Adjective'' by
Corneliu Porumboiu Corneliu Porumboiu (; born 14 September 1975) is a Romanian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Life and education Corneliu Porumboiu was born in Vaslui, Vaslui County, Romania. He is the son of a former Romanian language teacher ...
* '' Rabia'' by
Sebastián Cordero Sebastián Cordero Espinosa (; born 23 May 1972) is an Ecuadorian film director, screenwriter and editor, often recognized for his work in '' Ratas, Ratones, Rateros'' (1999), ''Crónicas'' (2004), and '' Europa Report'' (2013). His films have ...
* ''
Sawasdee Bangkok ''Sawasdee Bangkok'' ( th, สวัสดีบางกอก, เสน่ห์กรุงเทพ; ) is a 2009 Thai omnibus film directed by nine directors produced by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Thai PBS. The story about ...
'' by
Wisit Sasanatieng Wisit Sasanatieng ( th, วิศิษฏ์ ศาสนเที่ยง; ; born June 28, 1963) is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, '' Tears of the Black Tiger'', he is ...
* '' Shameless'' by
Jan Hřebejk Jan Hřebejk (; born 27 June 1967) is a Czech film director and actor. Life and career Born in Prague, Hřebejk graduated from high school in 1987 and continued his studies at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague ...
* '' Slovenian Girl'' by
Damjan Kozole Damjan Kozole (born 1964 in Brežice, Slovenia) is a Slovenian filmmaker whose directing credits include the 2003 critically acclaimed ''Spare Parts'' and 2009 worldwide released '' Slovenian Girl'', among others. ''Spare parts'' was nominated f ...
* ''
Suck Suck may refer to: *Suction, the force exerted by a partial vacuum *.sucks, an Internet top-level domain Arts and entertainment Music * Suck (band), a South African hard rock group * Suck, drummer for the 1990s Japanese punk band Teengenerate * ...
'' by Robert Stefaniuk * ''
Tanner Hall Tanner Hall (born October 26, 1983) is an American freeskier. Biography Hall, nicknamed 'Ski Boss', was born in Kalispell, Montana where he grew up skiing at Big Mountain, now named Whitefish Mountain Resort, starting at age three. He join ...
'' by
Francesca Gregorini Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna (born August7, 1968), known professionally as Francesca Gregorini, is an Italian-American screenwriter and film director. Early life Born in Rome, Gregorini is the daught ...
and
Tatiana von Fürstenberg Princess Tatiana Desirée von Fürstenberg (''Tatiana Desirée Prinzessin zu Fürstenberg''; born February 16, 1971) is an American art curator, singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and filmmaker. Early life and family Von Fürstenberg ...
* '' The Time That Remains'' by Elia Suleiman * ''
The Wind Journeys ''The Wind Journeys'' ( es, Los viajes del viento) is a 2009 Colombian-German-Argentine-Dutch drama film written and directed by Ciro Guerra. It was filmed in 80 locations in Northern Colombia and is spoken in Spanish, Palenquero, Wayuunaiki, a ...
'' by
Ciro Guerra Ciro Guerra (born 6 February 1981) is a Colombian film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his 2015 film ''Embrace of the Serpent'', the film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards. Career He made hi ...


Discovery

* ''
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...
'' by
Margreth Olin Margreth Olin Mykløen (often referred to as Margreth Olin, born April 16, 1970, in Stranda) is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter, and film producer. She is educated at the University of Bergen and Volda University College. She is best known ...
* ''
Applause Applause ( Latin ''applaudere,'' to strike upon, clap) is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performanc ...
'' by
Martin Zandvliet Martin Pieter Zandvliet (born 7 January 1971 in Fredericia) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. Career Zandvliet originally began as an editor, before writing and directing the documentary ''Angels of Brooklyn'' in 2002. His first ma ...
* '' Bare Essence of Life'' by Satoko Yokohama * '' Beautiful Kate'' by
Rachel Ward Rachel Claire Ward (born 12 September 1957) is an English-Australian
* '' A Brand New Life'' by Ounie Lecomte * ' by Susanne Schneider * '' The Disappearance of Alice Creed'' by
J Blakeson Jonathan Blakeson is an English film director and screenwriter. His first feature film was '' The Disappearance of Alice Creed'' (2009), a thriller starring Gemma Arterton, Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan, which he wrote and directed. His mos ...
* '' Eamon'' by Margaret Corkery * '' Everyday is a Holiday'' by
Dima El-Horr Dima or DIMA may refer to: Acronym * Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (1996–2001), Australian federal government agency * Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2006–2007), Australian federal government ag ...
* '' Five Hours from Paris'' by Leon Pruddovsky * '' Gigante'' by
Adrián Biniez Adrian is a form of the Latin language, Latin given name Adrianus (given name), Adrianus or Hadrianus (disambiguation), Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria (river), Adria from the Venetic language, Venetic and ...
* '' The Happiest Girl in the World'' by
Radu Jude Radu Jude (; born 28 March 1977) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. Biography In 2003, Jude graduated from the Film Directing Department of the Media University of Bucharest. He worked as an assistant director for feature films inclu ...
* '' Heliopolis'' by
Ahmad Abdalla Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed Abdelkader ( ar, أحمد عبد الله السيد) (born on December 19, 1979, Cairo) is an Egyptian film director, editor and screenwriter. His debut feature film is '' Heliopolis'' (2009); his second film is ''Microph ...
* '' Le Jour Ou Dieu Est Parti en Voyage'' by
Philippe van Leeuw Philippe Van Leeuw is a Belgian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. He made his feature-length debut in 2009 with ''The Day God Walked Away''. In 2017, he wrote and directed ''Insyriated'', which premiered at the 67th Berlin Internatio ...
* ''
Kelin Kelin was an ancient Iberian city located on the hill of Los Villares (Caudete de las Fuentes, Valencia). The site was inhabited from the Proto-Iberian period (7th century BC) to the Late Iberian period (2nd to 1st centuries BC). The site was w ...
'' by
Ermek Tursunov Ermek Tursunov (, born 20 July 1961) Kazakh writer and screenwriter, one of the best Asian Film director according to Asia Pacific Screen Awards, master of sport, international class in futsal. Biography Ermek Tursunov was born in the settlemen ...
* '' Last Ride'' by Glendyn Ivin * ''
The Man Beyond the Bridge ''Paltadacho Munis'' or ''The Man Beyond the Bridge'' is an Indian film in Konkani directed by Laxmikant Shetgaonkar. Set in Goa, the film is about a recently widowed forest ranger in a dwindling forest, who strikes up an unlikely relationship ...
'' by
Laxmikant Shetgaonkar Laxmikant Shetgaonkar is an Indian film director and screenwriter from the coastal state of Goa. He is best known for his critically acclaimed Konkani films, ''Paltadacho Munis'' and ''Baga Beach''. Early life Shetgaonkar was born in Cun ...
* '' My Dog Tulip'' by Paul Fierlinger and Sandra Fierlinger * ''
My Tehran for Sale ''My Tehran for Sale'' (Persian language, Persian :تهران من، حراج), is a 2009 Australian-Iranian feature film written and directed by poet turned filmmaker Granaz Moussavi, produced by Cyanfilms and starring Marzieh Vafamehr, Amir Che ...
'' by Granaz Moussavi * '' Northless'' by Rigoberto Perezcano * '' La Pivellina'' by Tizza Covi and
Rainer Frimmel Rainer Frimmel (born 11 July 1971 in Vienna) is an Austrian director and photographer. After studying psychology in Vienna he graduated as a photographer. He has received scholarships in New York City, Paris and Rome for his photographic work. Si ...
* ''
Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...
'' by
Warwick Thornton Warwick Thornton (born 1970) is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. His debut feature film '' Samson and Delilah'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific ...
* '' Shirley Adams'' by
Oliver Hermanus Oliver Hermanus (born 26 May 1983) is a South African film director and writer.
"Oliver Hermanus." IMDb: The Internet Movie Dat ...
* '' Should I Really Do It?'' by
Ismail Necmi Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...
* '' La Soga'' by Josh Crook * '' Toad's Oil'' by
Kōji Yakusho , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), ''The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolv ...
* '' Together'' by
Matias Armand Jordal Matias is a form of the given name Matthew. In List of territorial entities where German is an official language, German-speaking Europe it is most often written as Matthias. It appears in this form in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Alternate ...
* ''
The Unloved ''The Unloved'' is a British television film starring Molly Windsor, Robert Carlyle, Susan Lynch and Lauren Socha. It is about an eleven-year-old girl called Lucy (Windsor) growing up in a children's home in the UK's care system, and shown th ...
'' by
Samantha Morton Samantha Jane Morton (born 13 May 1977) is an English actress and director. Known for her work in independent cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for two ...


Future Projections

* ''
The Butcher's Shop ''Butcher's Shop'' is the title of two paintings by the Italian Baroque painter Annibale Carracci, both dating from the early 1580s. They are now in the collections of Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford, and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Wor ...
'' by
Philip Haas Philip Haas (born 1954) is an American artist, screenwriter and filmmaker, perhaps best known for his 2012 sculpture exhibition "The Four Seasons" and his 1995 film ''Angels and Insects.'' He began his career as a documentary film maker, direct ...
* ''
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
'' by Marco Brambilla * '' The Death of Tom'' by
Glenn Ligon Glenn Ligon (born 1960, pronounced Lie-gōne) is an American conceptual artist whose work explores race, language, desire, sexuality, and identity.Meyer, Richard. "Glenn Ligon", in George E. Haggerty and Bonnie Zimmerman (eds), ''Gay Histories a ...
* ''
I'm Feeling Lucky Google Search (also known simply as Google) is a search engine provided by Google. Handling more than 3.5 billion searches per day, it has a 92% share of the global search engine market. It is also the most-visited website in the world. The ...
'' by Samuel Chow * '' Teenager Hamlet 2006'' by
Margaux Williamson Margaux Williamson (born in 1976) is a Canadian painter, filmmaker, and writer based out of Toronto. Williamson’s paintings are meant to be understood in part as "a philosophical investigation of the landscape around her, as well as dedicated rig ...
* '' Utopia Suite'' by
Clive Holden Clive Holden is a Canadian new media artist, filmmaker and poet from Victoria, British Columbia, he is currently living in Toronto with his wife, writer Alissa York. New Media In the inaugural exhibition in 2013 of ''UNAMERICAN UNFAMOUS'' at th ...
* ''
When the Gods Came Down to Earth When may refer to: * When?, one of the Five Ws, questions used in journalism * WHEN (AM), an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Syracuse, New York * WHEN-TV, the former call letters of TV station WTVH in Syracuse, New York Music * When (b ...
'' by Srinivas Krishna


Gala Presentations

* ''
Agora The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order o ...
'' by
Alejandro Amenabar Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre (French), Alexandros ( Greek), Alsander (Irish), Alessandro (Italian), Aleksandr (Ru ...
* ''
Chloe Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...
'' by
Atom Egoyan Atom Egoyan (; hy, Աթոմ Եղոյեան, translit=Atom Yeghoyan; born July 19, 1960) is a Canadian filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in the 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. Egoyan m ...
* '' Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky'' by
Jan Kounen Jan Kounen (born Jan Coenen; 2 May 1964) is a Netherlands-born French film director and producer. In France, he is mostly known for his films '' Dobermann'' (1997), '' Blueberry, l'experience secrete'' (2004) and ''99 francs'' (2007). Outside ...
* '' Cooking with Stella'' by Dilip Mehta * ''
Creation Creation may refer to: Religion *''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing *Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it *Creationism, the belief that ...
'' by
Jon Amiel Jon Amiel (born 20 May 1948) is an English director who has worked in film and television in both the UK and the US. After receiving a BAFTA Award nomination for the BBC series ''The Singing Detective'' (1986), he went on to direct films, inclu ...
* ''
The Damned United ''The Damned United'' is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel '' The Damned Utd'' – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of ...
'' by
Tom Hooper Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Hooper began making short films as a teenager and had his first professional short, ...
* '' Dil Bole Hadippa'' by Anurag Singh * ''
Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
'' by Oliver Parker * '' Get Low'' by
Aaron Schneider Aaron Schneider (born July 26, 1965) is an American filmmaker and cinematographer. His short film ''Two Soldiers (2003 film), Two Soldiers'' (2003) won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He won an Independent Spirit Award for Best ...
* ''
I, Don Giovanni ''I, Don Giovanni'' (Italian: ''Io, Don Giovanni'') is a 2009 Spanish-Italian-Austrian drama film directed by Carlos Saura. The film narrates the life of Lorenzo da Ponte, an Italian Freemason who wouldn't give up his libertinism, despite being ...
'' by
Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career t ...
* ''
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ''The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'' is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience me ...
'' by
Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...
* ''
Max Manus Maximo Guillermo "Max" Manus DSO, MC & Bar (9 December 1914 – 20 September 1996) was a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II, specialising in sabotage in occupied Norway. After the war he wrote several books about his adventu ...
'' by
Espen Sandberg Espen Sandberg (born 2 June 1971) is a Norwegian film director and advertising producer, well known to work with his childhood friend and director Joachim Rønning on several projects such as ''Bandidas'' (2006), '' Max Manus: Man of War'' (2008 ...
and Joachim Roenning * ''
The Men Who Stare at Goats ''The Men Who Stare at Goats'' (2004) is a non-fiction work by Jon Ronson concerning the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by sta ...
'' by
Grant Heslov Grant Heslov (born May 15, 1963) is an American actor and filmmaker known for his producing and writing collaborations with George Clooney, which have earned him four Oscar nominations. As a co-producer of ''Argo'' (2012), he received the Academ ...
* '' Micmacs'' by
Jean-Pierre Jeunet Jean-Pierre Jeunet (; born 3 September 1953) is a French film director, producer and screenwriter. His films combine fantasy, realism and science fiction to create idealized realities or to give relevance to mundane situations. Debuting as a di ...
'' * ''
Mother and Child ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
'' by Rodrigo García (director), Rodrigo García * '' The Other Woman'' by
Don Roos Donald Paul Roos (born April 14, 1955) is an American screenwriter and film director. Life and career Roos was born in upstate New York into a conservative Roman Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. He attended the University of Notre Dame i ...
* ' by Matthias Emcke * '' Precious'' by
Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
* ''
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller. The screenplay is based on her novel of the same name. It features an ensemble cast including Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Maria ...
'' by
Rebecca Miller Rebecca Augusta Miller, Lady Day-Lewis (born September 15, 1962) is an American filmmaker and novelist. She is known for her films ''Angela'', '' Personal Velocity: Three Portraits'', '' The Ballad of Jack and Rose'', ''The Private Lives of Pipp ...
* ''
What's Your Raashee? ''What's Your Raashee?'' () is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. It was produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Sunita A. Gowariker. The film stars Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra, with Dar ...
'' by
Ashutosh Gowariker Ashutosh Gowariker (born 15 February 1964) is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer who works in Hindi cinema. He is known for directing films "set on a huge canvas while boasting of an opulent treatment". His is particular ...
* ''
The Young Victoria ''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Produce ...
'' by
Jean-Marc Vallée Jean-Marc Vallée (March 9, 1963December 25, 2021) was a Canadian filmmaker, film editor, and screenwriter. After studying film at the Université de Montréal, Vallée went on to make a number of critically acclaimed short films, including '' ...


Masters

* ''
Air Doll is a 2009 Japanese drama film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It is based on the manga series ''Kuuki Ningyo'' by Yoshiie Gōda, which was serialized in the seinen manga magazine ''Big Comic Original''. It stars Bae Doona as an inflatable sex dol ...
'' by
Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including ''Nobody Knows'' (2004), '' Still Walking'' (2008), and '' After the Storm'' ( ...
* ''
Antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form)1 John ; . 2 John . ...
'' by
Lars von Trier Lars von Trier (''né'' Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish filmmaker, actor, and lyricist. Having garnered a reputation as a highly ambitious, polarizing filmmaker, he has been the subject of several controversies: Cannes, in addition to nominat ...
* '' Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl'' by
Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about ...
* '' Hotel Atlantico'' by
Suzana Amaral Suzana Amaral Rezende (March 28, 1932 – June 25, 2020) was a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. She was best known for the 1985 film ''A Hora da Estrela'' (''Hour of the Star''). Career Amaral's film career started at the age of 37 when ...
* ''
Janala ''Janala'' ( The window) is a 2009 Bengali film directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta and produced under Reliance Pictures banner. The music of the film was composed by Biswadeb Dasgupta. The film received best film's title in the 54th Asia Pacific Fil ...
'' by
Buddhadeb Dasgupta Buddhadeb Dasgupta (11 February 1944 – 10 June 2021) was an Indian filmmaker and poet best known for his Bengali-language films like ''Bagh Bahadur'', '' Tahader Katha'', ''Charachar'' and ''Uttara''. Five of his films have won the National ...
* ''
The Legacy The Legacy may refer to: * '' Le Legs'' or ''The Legacy'', a play by Pierre de Marivaux * The Legacy (professional wrestling), a former professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Entertainment * ''The Legacy'' (album), an album by Testament ...
'' by
Bernard Émond Bernard Émond (born 1951) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, novelist and essayist working in the French-language. He studied anthropology at university and lived for several years in the Canadian north where he worked for the Inuit Broadcast ...
* '' Wild Grass'' by
Alain Resnais Alain Resnais (; 3 June 19221 March 2014) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career extended over more than six decades. After training as a film editor in the mid-1940s, he went on to direct a number of short films which included ...


Midnight Madness

* '' Bitch Slap'' by
Rick Jacobson Rick Jacobson is an American film director, television director and producer, and stage and television actor. Biography A graduate from the California Institute of the Arts film and television program, Rick Jacobson began his professional fi ...
* '' Daybreakers'' by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig * ''
Survival of the Dead ''Survival of the Dead'' is a 2009 horror film written and directed by George A. Romero and starring Alan van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh and Kathleen Munroe. It is the sixth entry in Romero's ''Night of the Living Dead'' series. The story follows a ...
'' by
George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...
* ''
Jennifer's Body ''Jennifer's Body'' is a 2009 American horror-comedy film written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama. The film stars Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, and Adam Brody. Fox portrays a demonically possessed high school girl ...
'' by
Karyn Kusama Karyn Kiyoko Kusama (born March 21, 1968) is an American filmmaker. She made her directorial and writing feature film debut with the sports drama film '' Girlfight'' (2000) for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for ...
* '' The Loved Ones'' by Sean Byrne * ''
Ong Bak 2 ''Ong Bak 2: The Beginning'' ( th, องค์บาก 2) is a 2008 Thai martial arts film co-directed by Panna Rittikrai and Tony Jaa. Starring Jaa, it is a standalone prequel to the 2003 film '' Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior''. Set in 15th ce ...
'' by Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai * '' EC 2' by Jaume Balagueró and
Paco Plaza Francisco Plaza Trinidad (born 8 February 1973), simply known as Paco Plaza, is a Spanish filmmaker known for his works in the horror genre. He is the co-creator of the ''REC'' zombie film franchise. Career Francisco Plaza Trinidad was born on ...
* ''
Solomon Kane Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A late-16th-to-early-17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in a ...
'' by Michael J. Bassett * ''
Symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...
'' by
Hitoshi Matsumoto , commonly known as , is a Japanese film director and one of Japan's most popular comedians and TV hosts. He is one half of the comedy duo Downtown alongside Masatoshi Hamada. Like Hamada, Matsumoto was born and raised in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefect ...
* ''
A Town Called Panic ''A Town Called Panic'' (French language, French: ''Panique au village'', "Panic at the village") is a 2002-2003 French language, French-language Belgium, Belgian Stop motion, stop-motion animated sitcom, sitcom created by Stéphane Aubier and V ...
'' by
Stéphane Aubier Stéphane Aubier (born October 8, 1964) is a Belgian film director and screenwriter. In 2009, he wrote and directed the animated film ''A Town Called Panic'' along with Vincent Patar. It premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was the fir ...
and
Vincent Patar Vincent Patar (born 2 September 1965) is a Belgian film director and screenwriter. In 2009 he wrote and directed the animated film ''A Town Called Panic'' along with Stéphane Aubier. It premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was the firs ...


Reel to Reel

* '' The Art of the Steal'' by
Don Argott Don Argott (born September 14, 1972) is an American documentary filmmaker and musician. He has directed several documentary films and has also worked as a producer and cinematographer. He co-owns the production company 9.14 Pictures with prod ...
* '' Bassidji'' by Mehran Tamadon * '' Cleanflix'' by Andrew James and Joshua Ligairi * ''
Collapse Collapse or its variants may refer to: Concepts * Collapse (structural) * Collapse (topology), a mathematical concept * Collapsing manifold * Collapse, the action of collapsing or telescoping objects * Collapsing user interface elements ** ...
'' by Chris Smith * ''
Colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state' ...
'' by Carter Gunn and Ross McDonnell * '' Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould'' by Peter Raymont and Michele Hozer * '' Google Baby'' by Zippi Brand Frank * ''
How to Fold a Flag How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...
'' by Michael Tucker and
Petra Epperlein Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jab ...
* '' L' Enfer de Henri-Georges Clouzot'' by Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea * '' The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers'' by
Judith Ehrlich Judith Ehrlich (born 1948/1949) is an American film director, writer, and producer. Her work includes co-directing the 2009 documentary ''The Most Dangerous Man in America'', which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 82nd Academ ...
and Rick Goldsmith * '' Petropolis: Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands'' by Peter Mettler * '' Presumed Guilty'' by Roberto Hernández and Geoffrey Smith * ''
Reel Injun ''Reel Injun'' is a 2009 Canadian documentary film directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge, and Jeremiah Hayes that explores the portrayal of Native Americans in film. ''Reel Injun'' is illustrated with excerpts from classi ...
'' by
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
* '' Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags'' by Marc Levin * '' Snowblind'' by
Vikram Jayanti Vikram Teja Jayanti is an Indian-American documentary filmmaker responsible for a number of well known full-feature documentary films. Two films he has production credits on have received Academy Awards for Best Full-Feature Documentary: he wa ...
* '' ''Stolen'''' by Violeta Ayala and Dan Fallshaw * '' The Topp Twins'' by
Leanne Pooley Leanne Pooley ONZM is a Canadian filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand. Pooley was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, she immigrated to New Zealand in the mid-1980s and began working in the New Zealand television and film industry ...
* '' Videocracy'' by
Erik Gandini Erik Walter Gandini (born 14 August 1967) is an Italian-Swedish film director, writer, and producer anprofessorof documentary film at Stockholm University of the Arts. His film '' The Swedish Theory of Love'' premiered at the 2015 Stockholm Inter ...


Vanguard

* ''
Accident An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researche ...
'' by Soi Cheang * '' The Ape'' by
Jesper Ganslandt Jesper is a given name commonly believed to be of ancient Persian origin, meaning "Treasurer". Some notable people with the name Jesper include: Music * Jesper Koch (born 1967), Danish composer * Jesper Kyd (born 1972), Danish video game and fi ...
* ''
Bunny and the Bull ''Bunny and the Bull'' is a 2009 British comedy film from writer-director Paul King. It stars Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby in a surreal recreation of a road trip. King has previously worked on British television comedies ''The Mighty Boosh'' a ...
'' by Paul King * '' Carcasses'' by Denis Côté * '' The Dirty Saints'' by Luis Ortega * ''
Enter the Void ''Enter the Void'' is a 2009 English-language experimental art film written and directed by Gaspar Noé and starring Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, and Cyril Roy. It is a psychological drama fantasy film set in the neon-lit nightclub env ...
'' by
Gaspar Noé Gaspar Noé (, ; born 27 December 1963) is an Argentine filmmaker based in Paris, France. He is the son of Argentine painter, writer, and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. In the early 1990s, Noé along with his wife Lucile Hadžihalilović were ...
* ''
Fish Tank An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amp ...
'' by
Andrea Arnold Andrea Arnold, OBE (born 5 April 1961) is an English filmmaker and former actor. She won an Academy Award for her short film ''Wasp'' in 2005. Her feature films include '' Red Road'' (2006), ''Fish Tank'' (2009), and '' American Honey'' (2016), ...
* '' Hipsters'' by
Valery Todorovsky Valery Petrovich Todorovsky (russian: Вале́рий Петро́вич Тодоро́вский; born 9 May 1962, in Odessa) is a Russian film director, screenwriter, TV producer whose best known film is '' Hipsters'' (2008). He is the son of ...
* ''
The Misfortunates ''The Misfortunates'' ( nl, De Helaasheid der Dingen) is a 2009 Belgian comedy-drama film directed by Felix Van Groeningen. It is adapted from the 2006 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Belgian writer Dimitri Verhulst. The film sta ...
'' by Felix Van Groeningen * '' Leslie, My Name Is Evil'' by Reginald Harkema * ''
My Queen Karo ''My Queen Karo'' is a 2009 drama film. It was directed by Dorothée Van Den Berghe, produced by Frank Van Passel, and starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Déborah François, and Anna Franziska Jaeger. The film tells the story of Karo, a ten-year-old ...
'' by Dorothée van den Berghe * ''
Spring Fever Spring fever is any of a number of mood, physical, or behavioral changes which may be experienced coinciding with the onset of spring, particularly restlessness, laziness, and amorousness. Overview The term ''spring fever'' may refer to an increa ...
'' by
Lou Ye Lou Ye (), born 1965, is a Chinese screenwriter- director who is commonly grouped with the " Sixth Generation" directors of Chinese cinema. Films Born in Shanghai, Lou was educated at the Beijing Film Academy. In 1993, he made his first film ''W ...
* '' The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights'' by
Emmett Malloy The Malloys is the working name of music video and film directors and brothers Emmett Malloy and Brendan Malloy. They have been with Superprime Films since 2010. Videography *"Holiday" by Vampire Weekend (2010) *" Love Dealer" by Esmée Dent ...


Visions

* '' Between Two Worlds'' by
Vimukthi Jayasundara Kala Keerthi Vimukthi Jayasundara ( si, විමුක්ති ජයසුන්දර) is a Sri Lankan filmmaker, critic and a visual artist. Jayasundara is the first Sri Lankan to win the Caméra d'Or, in 2005. Life and career Vimukthi Jay ...
* ''
Face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
'' by
Tsai Ming-liang Tsai Ming-liang (; born 27 October 1957) is a Malaysian-Taiwanese filmmaker. Tsai has written and directed 11 feature films, many short films, and television films. He is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese ...
* ''
Gaia In Greek mythology, Gaia (; from Ancient Greek , a poetical form of , 'land' or 'earth'),, , . also spelled Gaea , is the personification of the Earth and one of the Greek primordial deities. Gaia is the ancestral mother—sometimes parthen ...
'' by Jason Lehel * ''Hiroshima'' by
Pablo Stoll Pablo Stoll (born 1974) is a Uruguayan film director and screenwriter. He attended the Catholic University of Uruguay where he studied Social communication, it was here that he started to direct short films and his collaboration with fellow stude ...
* '' Independencia'' by
Raya Martin Raya Martin (born 1984) is a Filipino filmmaker. His works include '' Independencia''Abrams, Simon"Independencia" ''Slant Magazine'', 4 October 2009. Retrieved on 8 January 2015. and ''Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the Ci ...
* '' I Am Love'' by
Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are often characterized by their emotional complexities, sensuality and sumptuous visuals. He is also known for his frequent collaboration ...
* ''
Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), the Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United State ...
'' by
Alain Cavalier Alain Cavalier (; born 14 September 1931) is a French film director. Biography Cavalier was born in Vendôme, Loir-et-Cher and studied film at the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques. He won several awards, including the César Award ...
* ''
Karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
'' by Chris Chong * ''
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
'' by
Samuel Maoz Samuel Maoz (Hebrew: שמואל מעוז; born c. 1962) is an Israeli film director. His 2009 film, ''Lebanon'' won the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice International Film Festival. He also won the award for Best Screenplay for Lebanon at the Asi ...
* ''
Nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
'' by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang * '' To Die Like a Man'' by
João Pedro Rodrigues João Pedro Rodrigues (born 24 August 1966) is a Portuguese film director. He is considered to be part of '' The School of Reis'' film family. Career Having studied at the School of Theatre and Cinema of Portugal, Rodrigues started his career as ...
* ''
To the Sea ''To the Sea'' is the fifth studio album by singer-songwriter Jack Johnson, released on May 26, 2010, in Japan, May 31, 2010 in the United Kingdom and June 1, 2010, in the United States, through Universal Republic Records and Brushfire Music Gro ...
'' Pedro González-Rubio * ''
Trash Humpers ''Trash Humpers'' is a 2009 American experimental film written and directed by Harmony Korine. Shot on worn VHS home video, the film features a "loser-gang cult-freak collective"Renninger, Bryce (2009-08-06).11 More for Toronto (including Harmony ...
'' by Harmony Korine


Short Cuts

* ''5 Dysfunctional People in a Car'',
Pat Mills Patrick Eamon Mills (born 1949) is an English comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since. He has been called "the godfather ...
* ''75 El Camino'', Sami Khan * ''
The Armoire ''The Armoire'' is a 2009 Canadian short drama film directed by Jamie Travis Jamie Travis (born August 13, 1979) is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He rec ...
'',
Jamie Travis Jamie Travis (born August 13, 1979) is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He received international recognition for his two short film trilogies, ''The Patter ...
* ''Big Head'',
Dylan Akio Smith Dylan Akio Smith (born September 21, 1974, in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian film director and producer.David Spaner, "Really good movies, ReelFast: Dylan Akio Smith had 48 hours to make winning film". ''The Province'', August 26, 2003 ...
* ''La Chute'',
Ivan Grbovic Ivan Grbovic (born 1979 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian cinematographer, film director and screenwriter, most noted for his film ''Drunken Birds (Les oiseaux ivres)''. The film was the top winner at the 24th Quebec Cinema Awards in 2022, inclu ...
* ''Covered'',
John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...
* ''
Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...
'',
Pedro Pires Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires (; born 29 April 1934) is a Cape Verdean politician who served as Prime Minister of Cape Verde from 1975 to 1991, and later as President from 2001 to 2011. Life and career Pires was born in São Filipe, Fogo, Cape ...
* ''De Mouvement'', Richard Kerr * ''Deadman'', Chelsea McMullan * ''Edge of the Desert'', Lea Nakonechny * ''Fish in Barrel'', Randall Okita * ''Found'', Paramita Nath * ''A Hindu's Indictment of Heaven'', Dev Khanna * ''Homeland Security'', Isaac Cravit * ''IKW'',
Caroline Monnet Caroline "Coco" Monnet is an Algonquin French Canadian contemporary artist and filmmaker known for her work in sculpture, installation, and film. Early life and education Monnet is a multi-disciplinary contemporary artist and filmmaker based i ...
* ''Interview with the Earth'',
Nicolás Pereda Nicolás Pereda (born 1982) is a Mexican-Canadian film director. To date, he has directed nine features and three short films. Personal life Pereda was born in Mexico City in 1982; he holds dual Mexican and Canadian citizenship and is a resid ...
* ''The Island'',
Trevor Anderson Trevor Anderson (born 3 March 1951) is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager. He played as a forward. Playing career Born in Belfast, Anderson began his playing career at Portadown before signing for Manchester United in October 1972 ...
* ''Léger problème'', Hélène Florent * '' Life Begins (La vie commence)'',
Émile Proulx-Cloutier Émile Proulx-Cloutier (born 1983) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is most noted for his performance in the film ''We Are the Others (Nous sommes les autres)'', for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 6t ...
* ''M'', Félix Dufour-Laperrière * ''Man v. Minivan'', Spencer Maybee * ''My Toxic Baby'', Min Sook Lee * ''Naissances'',
Anne Émond Anne Émond (born 1982) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter, currently based in Montreal, Quebec. Early life and education Born in 1982, Anne Émond has lived and worked in Montreal since 2001. In 2005, she completed her undergraduate pr ...
* '' Night Mayor'',
Guy Maddin Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, and film editor of both features and short films, as well as an installation artist, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since completing his first film i ...
* ''On a Lonely Drive'',
Igor Drljaca Igor Drljaca (born 1983) is a Bosnian Canadian film writer, producer and director.
* '' Out in That Deep Blue Sea'',
Kazik Radwanski Kazik Radwanski is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. His early short films have been cited as part of the New Canadian Cinema movement. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2012 with ''Tower''. His second feature film, '' How ...
* ''Pointless Film'',
Peter Wellington Peter William Wellington (born 21 August 1957) is an Australian politician. He was the independent member for Nicklin in the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2017, and served as Speaker from 2015 to 2017. Wellington has held the b ...
* ''Record'', Dylan Reibling * ''
Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proc ...
'',
Cordell Barker Cordell Barker (born 1956) is a Canadian animator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. A two-time Academy Award nominee, Barker is an animation filmmaker wi ...
* ''Sixty Seconds of Regret'',
Ed Gass-Donnelly Ed Gass-Donnelly (born August 17, 1977) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. His first full-length film, ''This Beautiful City'', was released in 2008 and nominated for four Genies at the 29th Genie Awards. In January 2011 Gas ...
* ''Smoke'', Nikos Theodosakis and Linda Theodosakis * ''Snow Hides the Shade of Fig Trees'', Samer Najari * ''Soap'', Dusty Mancinelli * ''The Spine'', Chris Landreth * ''Swimming Lesson'', Caitriona Cantillon * ''The Translator'', Sonya Di Rienzo * ''Tungijuq'', Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël * ''Unlocked'', Mio Adilman * '' Vive la rose'', Bruce Alcock * ''Volta'', Ryan Mullins * ''Vs.'', Ben Bruhmuller


Canada's Top Ten

TIFF's annual
Canada's Top Ten Canada's Top Ten is an annual honour, compiled by the Toronto International Film Festival and announced in December each year to identify and promote the year's best Canadian films."Canada's Top Ten awards will honour excellence in Canadian cinema" ...
list, its national critics and festival programmers poll of the ten best feature and short films of the year, was released in December 2009."Dolan, Nadda films among Canada's best of the year". ''
Waterloo Region Record The ''Waterloo Region Record'' (formerly ''The Record'') is the daily newspaper covering Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, including the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, as well as the surrounding area. Since December 1998, the ''Re ...
'', December 26, 2009.


Feature films

*''
Cairo Time ''Cairo Time'' is a 2009 film by Canadian director Ruba Nadda. It is a romantic drama about a brief, unexpected love interest that catches two people completely off-guard. The film won the award for Best Canadian Film at the Toronto Internatio ...
'' —
Ruba Nadda Ruba Nadda (born 6 December 1972) is a Canadian film director. She made several award-winning short films, including ''Lost Woman Story'', ''Interstate Love Story'', ''So Far Gone'' and ''Damascus Nights'' before writing and directing features '' ...
*'' Carcasses'' — Denis Côté *''
Crackie ''Crackie'' is a 2009 Canadian drama film written and directed by Sherry White. It stars Meghan Greeley, Mary Walsh, Joel Thomas Hynes and Cheryl Wells, and is White's first feature film. Plot Mitsy (Greeley) is a teenage student who lives with ...
'' —
Sherry White Sherry White is a Canadian film and television actress, writer and filmmaker, best known for her work as a producer and writer for the television series ''MVP'', ''Rookie Blue'' and '' Saving Hope''Defendor ''Defendor'' is a 2009 Canadian-American vigilante comedy-drama film written and directed by Peter Stebbings in his directorial debut. It stars Woody Harrelson as Arthur Poppington, a regular man who adopts a superhero persona named Defendor, wi ...
'' —
Peter Stebbings Peter Stebbings is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter best known for portraying Kevin Sharp in the drama series '' Madison'', Paul Deeds in the series '' Traders'', and for writing and directing '' Defendor''. He portrayed ...
*''
I Killed My Mother ''I Killed My Mother'' (french: J'ai tué ma mère) is a 2009 Canadian drama film written, directed, produced by and starring Xavier Dolan, in his directorial debut. Loosely autobiographical, it follows the complicated relationship between a yo ...
(J'ai tué ma mère)'' —
Xavier Dolan Xavier Dolan-Tadros (; born 20 March 1989) is a Canadian filmmaker, actor and costume designer. He began his career as a child actor in commercials before directing several arthouse feature films. He first received international acclaim in 2 ...
*''
The Legacy The Legacy may refer to: * '' Le Legs'' or ''The Legacy'', a play by Pierre de Marivaux * The Legacy (professional wrestling), a former professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Entertainment * ''The Legacy'' (album), an album by Testament ...
(La Donation)'' —
Bernard Émond Bernard Émond (born 1951) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, novelist and essayist working in the French-language. He studied anthropology at university and lived for several years in the Canadian north where he worked for the Inuit Broadcast ...
*''
Passenger Side ''Passenger Side'' is a 2009 drama film written and directed by Matt Bissonnette and produced by Corey Marr.John Griffin, "Great music and dialogue as a contact sport; passenger side Ex-N.D.G.er Matt Bissonnette directs a winning road movie". ''Mo ...
'' — Matt Bissonnette *'' Polytechnique'' —
Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve (; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for '' Maelström'' in 2001, '' Polytechnique'' in 2009, ''Incendies ...
*''
The Trotsky ''The Trotsky'' is a 2009 Canadian comedy film directed and written by Jacob Tierney and starring Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Colm Feore, Saul Rubinek, and Michael Murphy. Plot High School student Leon Bronstein believes that he is the re ...
'' —
Jacob Tierney Jacob Daniel Tierney (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for playing Eric in ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' (1990–1992) and as the co-writer, director, and executive producer of ...
*'' The Wild Hunt'' — Alexandre Franchi


Short films

*''
The Armoire ''The Armoire'' is a 2009 Canadian short drama film directed by Jamie Travis Jamie Travis (born August 13, 1979) is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He rec ...
'' —
Jamie Travis Jamie Travis (born August 13, 1979) is a Toronto-based filmmaker who has written and directed award-winning short films, music videos and television commercials. He received international recognition for his two short film trilogies, ''The Patter ...
*'' The Cave'' —
Helen Haig-Brown Helen Haig-Brown is a Tsilhqot'in filmmaker working primarily with indigenous and First Nations in Canada, First Nations themes. Many of these derive from her maternal roots in the Tsilhqot'in First Nation. Early life and education Helen Haig-Brow ...
*''
Danse Macabre The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...
'' —
Pedro Pires Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires (; born 29 April 1934) is a Cape Verdean politician who served as Prime Minister of Cape Verde from 1975 to 1991, and later as President from 2001 to 2011. Life and career Pires was born in São Filipe, Fogo, Cape ...
*'' Five Hole: Tales of Hockey Erotica'' — Cam Christiansen *'' Life Begins (La Vie commence)'' —
Émile Proulx-Cloutier Émile Proulx-Cloutier (born 1983) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is most noted for his performance in the film ''We Are the Others (Nous sommes les autres)'', for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 6t ...
*'' Naissances'' —
Anne Émond Anne Émond (born 1982) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter, currently based in Montreal, Quebec. Early life and education Born in 1982, Anne Émond has lived and worked in Montreal since 2001. In 2005, she completed her undergraduate pr ...
*'' Out in That Deep Blue Sea'' —
Kazik Radwanski Kazik Radwanski is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. His early short films have been cited as part of the New Canadian Cinema movement. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2012 with ''Tower''. His second feature film, '' How ...
*''
Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proc ...
'' —
Cordell Barker Cordell Barker (born 1956) is a Canadian animator based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He began animating in his late teens after taking on an apprenticeship at Kenn Perkins Animation. A two-time Academy Award nominee, Barker is an animation filmmaker wi ...
*'' The Spine'' — Chris Landreth *'' Vive la rose'' — Bruce Alcock


References


External links


Official site

1,500 Artists and Writers Sign Letter Protesting Toronto Film Festival Decision to Spotlight Tel Aviv
- video report by ''
Democracy Now! ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
''
IMDB page, showing award-winners.

2009 Toronto International Film Festival
at
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toronto International Film Festival 2009 2009 in Canadian cinema
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
2009 film festivals 2009 in Toronto 2009 festivals in North America