TIFF unveils cinematic first looks with Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® is thrilled to announce the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes. The infamous Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, 7 of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total programme are featured in this year’s Discovery programme.

Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favourite, iconoclastic programme highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery programme offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.

“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”

MIDNIGHT MADNESS PROGRAMME 2023

AGGRO DR1FT Harmony Korine | USA
North American Premiere

Boy Kills World Moritz Mohr | Germany/South Africa/USA
World Premiere

OPENING FILM
Dicks: The Musical Larry Charles | USA
World Premiere

Hell of a Summer Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk | USA/Canada
World Premiere

KILL Nikhil Nagesh Bhat | India
World Premiere

NAGA Meshal Aljaser | Saudi Arabia
World Premiere

CLOSING FILM
Riddle of Fire Weston Razooli | USA
North American Premiere

Sleep Jason Yu | South Korea
North American Premiere

When Evil Lurks Demián Rugna | Argentina
World Premiere

Working Class Goes to Hell Mladen Đorđević | Serbia
World Premiere

DISCOVERY PROGRAMME 2023

“The Discovery section, which is curated by a brilliant team of international programmers, is an integral part of TIFF,” stated Dorota Lech, TIFF Lead Programmer, Discovery, & International Programmer for Central, Eastern, & Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Iran, & Turkey. “It is a bold and exciting showcase of cinema and emerging talent from around the world, and we are honoured to highlight new and distinctive voices from artists creating their first or second feature on our global stage. This year’s programme of 26 titles includes films from 25 countries, accounting for international co-productions and local talent.”

Achilles Farhad Delaram | Iran/Germany/France
World Premiere

After the fire Mehdi Fikri | France
World Premiere

A Match (Sthal) Jayant Digambar Somalkar | India
World Premiere

Andragogy Wregas Bhanuteja | Indonesia/Singapore
World Premiere

An Endless Sunday Alain Parroni | Italy/Germany/Ireland
International Premiere

Arthur&Diana Sara Summa | Germany
World Premiere

Backspot D.W. Waterson | Canada
World Premiere

Frybread Face and Me Billy Luther | USA
International Premiere

OPENING FILM
Gonzo Girl Patricia Arquette | USA
World Premiere

Hajjan Abu Bakr Shawky | Saudi Arabia/Egypt/Jordan
World Premiere

How to Have Sex Molly Manning Walker | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

I Don’t Know Who You Are M. H. Murray | Canada
World Premiere

La Suprema Felipe Holguín Caro | Colombia
World Premiere

Mandoob Ali Kalthami | Saudi Arabia
World Premiere

Mimang Kim Taeyang | South Korea
World Premiere

Seagrass Meredith Hama-Brown | Canada
World Premiere

Solitude Ninna Pálmadóttir | Iceland/Slovakia/France
World Premiere

Tautuktavuk (What We See) Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk | Canada
World Premiere

The Teacher Farah Nabulsi | United Kingdom/Palestine/Qatar
World Premiere

The Tundra Within Me (Eallogierdu) Sara Margrethe Oskal | Norway
World Premiere

The Queen of My Dreams Fawzia Mirza | Canada
World Premiere

Valentina or the Serenity (Valentina o la serenidad) Ángeles Cruz | Mexico
World Premiere

Widow Clicquot Thomas Napper | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere

Wild Woman Alán González | Cuba
World Premiere

Without Air Katalin Moldovai | Hungary
World Premiere

Yellow Bus Wendy Bednarz | United Arab Emirates
World Premiere