10 Films Announced As Part Of The Festival’s Masters Programme
Toronto – The 35th Toronto International Film Festival today announced 10 new films presented as part of the Masters programme, which delivers to audiences the latest projects from the world’s greatest filmmakers. With three previously announced titles, this brings the Masters lineup to a total of 13 films.
Masters
13 Assassins Takashi Miike, Japan
North American Premiere
Cult director Takeshi Miike delivers a period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.
Essential Killing Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland/Norway/Ireland/Hungary
North American Premiere
A Taliban fighter is captured, interrogated, tortured and then transported to an unnamed snowy destination in Europe. He manages to escape and must use his wits to evade his pursuers whilst battling bitter winter cold and lack of food.
Film Socialism Jean-Luc Godard, Switzerland
North American Premiere
Godard's latest film, a "symphony in three movements," grapples with trying to make sense of a world that appears to be beyond comprehension and meaning.
I Wish I Knew Jia Zhang-ke, China/The Netherlands
North American Premiere
Commissioned to commemorate the 2010 World Expo, this documentary on Shanghai portrays a chapter of modern Chinese history through interviews and scenic views of a city in continuous evolution. I Wish I Knew is directed by one of the youngest masters of cinema, Jia Zhang-ke.
Poetry Lee Chang-dong, South Korea
North American Premiere
Rhyme and crime intertwine in Poetry, the moving portrait of an elegant old lady in the initial stages of Alzheimer's, as well as a lyrical take on creative discovery and an upsetting look at juvenile violence, by Korean master Lee Chang-dong.
Roses à Crédit Amos Gitai, France
World Premiere
A young couple marry in France in the 1940s and the film follows the arc of their marriage over the next decade. As France recovers from the trauma of the war, the wife finds herself increasingly caught up in acquiring material possessions while the husband prefers a more traditional lifestyle.
Route Irish Ken Loach, United Kingdom/France/Belgium/Italy/Spain
North American Premiere
A British solider who worked with a security firm in Iraq attends the funeral of his best friend, who was killed on the notorious Baghdad highway Route Irish. After receiving an envelope containing his friend's cell phone with a video recording of a massacre of Iraqi civilians, he sets out to avenge his friend's memory.
The Sleeping Beauty Catherine Breillat, France
North American Premiere
An epic fantasia of a young girl's coming-of-age, featuring Catherine Breillat's signature take on gender relations and breathtaking cinematography.
The Strange Case of Angelica Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal/Spain/France/Brazil
North American Premiere
Manoel de Oliveira, a 101-year-old filmmaker, returns to the Douro River, the site of his first short, Douro Faina Fluvial, to create a surprising tale about a metaphysical love that defies reason. Photographer Isaac becomes smitten when he is called to take the last picture of the beautiful Angelica. Although she is dead, when he looks at her through his viewfinder she becomes animated and lively.
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Apichatpong Weerasethakul, U.K./Thailand/France/Germany/Spain
North American Premiere
Winner of this year’s Palme d'Or, Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul takes viewers on a subliminal journey through a cinematic border zone where magic, transmigration of souls and generations of memory cohabit in a highly original masterpiece.
Previously announced titles include Erotic Man (Jørgen Leth), Mysteries of Lisbon (Raul Ruiz) and Nostalgia for the Light (Patricio Guzmán).
The Festival’s Official Film Schedule was released today. It is available at the TIFF Box Office, at BLOCKBUSTER® stores across Canada and by visiting tiff.net. Copies will also be distributed via Toronto’s EYE Weekly on Thursday, August 26. Thursday’s issue of the Toronto Star will contain a 24-page section on the Festival and includes the full film schedule.
Ticket packages for the Festival are now available for purchase by cash, debit or Visa†. Purchase online at tiff.net/thefestival, by phone at 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968-FILM (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,) or in person at the TIFF Box Office at 2 Carlton Street, West Mezzanine (Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. The 35th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 9 to 19, 2010.
The Masters programme is made possible through the generous support of BMO Nesbitt Burns
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Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the King and John Festival Corporation - consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, Visa†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, NBC Universal Canada, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the Harbinger Foundation, CIBC and BMO. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit belllightbox.ca.
About TIFF:
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.
The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC and BlackBerry, the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.
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