The Toronto International Film Festival Announces Contemporary World Cinema Roster

The Toronto International Film Festival® announced today the 48 titles from international filmmakers that comprise this year's Contemporary World Cinema roster. This year's programme features luminous films from 30 countries - with a strong presence from Latin America and Eastern Europe - telling stories of identity, depicting family dynamics, and making bold political statements. The Contemporary World Cinema programme is generously sponsored by Sun Life Financial.

"Each film in Contemporary World Cinema offers a snapshot of the world and shows the importance of compelling global filmmaking," said Kerri Craddock, Director of Festival Programming at TIFF. "Together, the films expose truth, open borders, and captivate audiences with their deep and empowering stories."

Several of the the impressive 27 World Premieres in the programme are from TIFF veterans, including Belmonte from Uruguay's Federico Veiroj, The Other Story from Israel's Avi Nesher, Stupid Young Heart from Finnish Academy Award nominee Selma Vilhunen, Quie?n te Cantara? from Spain's Carlos Vermut, and Look at Me from Tunisia's Nejib Belkadhi.

The programme also highlights film selections that have already captivated audiences worldwide this year, including "I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians" by Radu Jude, Birds of Passage by directing duo Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra, and Border by Ali Abbasi.

Films screening as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme include:

The Accused (Acusada) Gonzalo Tobal | Argentina North American Premiere

Angel (Un Ange) Koen Mortier | Belgium/Netherlands/Senegal International Premiere

Asako I & II (Netemo Sametemo) Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan/France North American Premiere

Before the Frost (Før Frosten) Michael Noer | Denmark World Premiere

Belmonte Federico Veiroj | Uruguay/Spain/Mexico World Premiere

Birds of Passage (Pa?jaros de verano) Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra | Colombia/Denmark/Mexico/France Canadian Premiere

Black 47 Lance Daly | Ireland/Luxembourg North American Premiere

The Black Book Valeria Sarmiento | Portugal/France World Premiere

Border (Gra?ns) Ali Abbasi | Sweden/Denmark North American Premiere

Bulbul Can Sing Rima Das | India World Premiere

Core of the World Natalia Meshchaninova | Russia/Lithuania International Premiere

The Dive (Hatzlila) Yona Rozenkier | Israel North American Premiere

Donbass Sergei Loznitsa | Germany/Ukraine/France/Netherlands/Romania North American Premiere

El A?ngel Luis Ortega | Argentina/Spain North American Premiere

EXT. Night (Leil Khargi) Ahmad Abdalla | Egypt/United Arab Emirates World Premiere

The Factory (????? (Zavod)) Yury Bykov | Russia/France/Armenia World Premiere

Floriano?polis Dream (Suen?o Floriano?polis) Ana Katz | Argentina/Brazil/France North American Premiere

"I Do Not Care If We Go Down In History As Barbarians" (I?mi este indiferent daca? i?n istorie vom intra ca barbari) Radu Jude | Romania/Czech Republic/France/Bulgaria/Germany
North American Premiere

Jinpa (Zhuang Si Le Yi Zhi Yang) Pema Tseden | China North American Premiere

Let Me Fall (Lof mer ad falla) Baldvin Z | Iceland/Finland/Germany International Premiere

Look at Me Nejib Belkadhi | Qatar/France/Tunisia World Premiere

Minuscule - Mandibles From Far Away (Minuscule - Les Mandibules du Bout du Monde) Thomas Szabo, He?le?ne Giraud | France
World Premiere

The Most Beautiful Couple (Das scho?nste Paar) Sven Taddicken | Germany/France World Premiere

Museum (Museo) Alonso Ruizpalacios | Mexico North American Premiere

One Last Deal (Tuntematon mestari) Klaus Ha?ro? | Finland World Premiere

The Other Story (Sipur Acher) Avi Nesher | Israel World Premiere

Quie?n te Cantara? Carlos Vermut | Spain/France World Premiere

The Realm (El Reino) Rodrigo Sorogoyen | Spain/France World Premiere

Redemption (Geula) Boaz Yehonatan Yacov, Joseph Madmony | Israel North American Premiere

Retrospekt Esther Rots | Netherlands/Belgium World Premiere

Roads in February (Les routes en fe?vrier) Katherine Jerkovic | Canada/Uruguay World Premiere

Rosie Paddy Breathnach | Ireland World Premiere

Sew the Winter to my Skin Jahmil X.T. Qubeka | South Africa/Germany World Premiere

Sibel C?agla Zencirci, Guillaume Giovanetti | France/Germany/Luxembourg/Turkey North American Premiere

Stupid Young Heart (Ho?lmo? nuori syda?n) Selma Vilhunen | Finland/Netherlands/Sweden World Premiere

Styx Wolfgang Fischer | Germany/Austria North American Premiere

The Sweet Requiem (Kyoyang Ngarmo) Ritu Sarin, Tenzing Sonam | India/USA World Premiere

That Time of Year (Den Tid Pa? A?ret) Paprika Steen | Denmark World Premiere

Ulysses & Mona Se?bastien Betbeder | France World Premiere

The Vice of Hope (Il Vizio Della Speranza) Edoardo de Angelis | Italy World Premiere

Winter Flies (Vs?echno bude) Olmo Omerzu | Czech Republic/Slovenia/Poland/Slovakia International Premiere

Working Woman (Isha Ovedet) Michal Aviad | Israel International Premiere

Previously announced Canadian titles in the Contemporary World Cinema programme include Darlene Naponse's Falls Around Her, Bruce Sweeney's Kingsway, Rene?e Beaulieu's Les Salopes or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin, Thom Fitzgerald's Splinters, Se?bastien Pilote's The Fireflies Are Gone, and Maxime Giroux's The Great Darkened Days.

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