TIFF 2023: Patricia Arquette's directorial debut 'Gonzo Girl' leads Discovery programme

Just over a month away from the beginning of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the films that will be part of the Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes have been released, including the world premiere of Patricia Arquette's directorial debut, Gonzo Girl.

While questions are still being raised about how the SAG-AFTRA strike could impact the festival, particularly if it continues into TIFF's Sept. 7 start date, excitement still remains for many films being featured in the festival. This includes several films from outside the U.S., many of which are part of the Discovery programme, made up of movies from first and second-time filmmakers.

“Discovery is an international showcase of cinema and talent from around the world,” Dorota Lech, TIFF Lead Programmer for Discovery and International Programmer for Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey, explained to Yahoo Canada.

“How many countries are represented, from where, is different every year, but fundamentally at its core, it's a place to on unearth work that is bold, distinctive, and above all passionate, from first and second-time filmmakers from around the world who we believe are visionary, and possibly future auteurs. It's a place for them to launch their international careers.”

This year, 25 countries are represented in the Discovery programme. Additionally, half of the 26 films in the lineup are by women filmmakers.

“We don't program based on statistics, that's not a way we choose films,” Lech stressed. “We just happen to be a really diverse programming team that likes really diverse things.”

“I think when you have diversity in the workspace as you do, then it just makes complete sense that we have such a plethora of voices and places represented. … It just happens because that's how the world looks and it's also how the whole film festival works, when it's made by people who are representative of different groups. … I think just having international representation is critical globally, but also really important in a film festival, especially."

What's particularly great about seeing a film that's part of the Discovery programme at TIFF is watching how the careers of this filmmakers evolve. For example, Christopher Nolan, Chantal Akerman and Steve McQueen were all part of a previous iterations of Discovery. This year, Warwick Thornton's film The New Boy will have a gala presentation at the festival, but the filmmaker was previously part of the Discovery programme.

Enthusiasm remains for TIFF amid SAG-AFTRA strike questions

The big question around TIFF this year is largely related to the SAG-AFTRA strike in the U.S. and what that could mean for the upcoming Toronto festival, if some of the biggest stars expected to attend are absent.

While Lech largely programs international films, she shared that to her knowledge TIFF is "continuing communication with SAG-AFTRA representatives."

“I genuinely believe [enthusiasm] won't waver and that people will continue to support the films that we have,” Lech said. “No one wants to punish the filmmakers and the artists. That's, I think, across the board.”

What to watch from TIFF Discovery lineup

With so many films at TIFF, it can be hard to narrow down exactly what to see. But Lech highlights a great Discovery programme option is the opening film Gonzo Girl, the directorial debut for actor Patricia Arquette, starring Willem Dafoe and Camila Morrone.

"It's really high flying, fast-paced, based on Cheryl Della Pietra's semi-autobiographical novel, ... which depicts her time with Hunter S. Thompson, she was his personal assistant," Lech teased.

But of course the Discovery lineup is filled with filmmakers that many people will be less familiar with, including Farhad Delaram with the film Achilles.

"It's his debut feature and it follows two fugitives, let's call them, in contemporary Iran, as they encounter people across the country, all of whom have been affected by the same kind of corruption, let's call it, and their ... willingness to help," Lech explained.

"What's really significant is that Farhad wrote this film when he was actually in prison, due to his protesting of certain things happening in Iran. So it's really a major standout. We're so excited to have it."

Lech also highlighted the Hungarian film Without Air, from filmmaker Katalin Moldovai, which Lech describes as "quite absurdist."

"She takes on the administration of conservative Hungary, specifically within a school classroom, when a teacher is accused of promoting homosexual agendas through recommending a film," Lech teased. "What's really interesting is that the film she recommends is a film by Agnieszka Holland, and Agnieszka Holland is also in the festival with her film [The Green Border.]"

"What I really appreciate about Without Air is that as many countries in the world become more conservative, this is a first-time filmmaker that's using their platform to do something that's going to really make it presumably harder for them to work within the system. I just think that's so brave and so bold, and we're just here to support as much as possible, because the film itself is a standout."

A tip for navigating TIFF is looking at the program notes that are posted on the festival's website, all of which are written by the programmers. Not only can you filter the films in the festival by country or topics, but you can read what the programmers have teased about what to expect.

Another approach highlighted by Lech is just taking the risk to go see a film from a filmmaker you completely haven't discovered yet.

“We definitely have the advantage of being a public festival,” Lech stressed. “It's a place to discover the world for everyday people, but it's also a place where films are bought and sold. ... We actually do both."

“The audience screenings and what the filmmakers can actually experience by seeing an audience enjoy their film for the first time is phenomenal.”

Midnight Madness: 'Borat' director's new film, Finn Wolfhard's second directing feature

TIFF has also announced its full list of the 10 films included in the Midnight Madness programme for 2023, which highlights films described as "weird and the wicked."

“Sides will be split — both figuratively and literally (on screen) — as Midnight Madness returns to the Royal Alexandra Theatre with another stimulating concoction of unpredictable shock and ‘y’arr!’ cinema,” a statement from Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer for Midnight Madness reads.

“Featuring two timely satiric provocations from Saudi Arabia (NAGA) and Serbia (Working Class Goes to Hell) — nations that are making their section debut — this year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!”

This year's Midnight Madness Programme also includes a film from Canadian Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, titled Hell of a Summer.

See the full list of film in the TIFF 2023 Discovery programme below:

• 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, U.S. (International Premiere)

• Gonzo Girl: Patricia Arquette, U.S. (World Premiere)

• Hajjan: Abu Bakr Shawky, Saudi Arabia/Egypt/Jordan (World Premiere)

• How to Have Sex: Molly Manning Walker, U.K. (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, U.K./Palestine/Qatar (World Premiere)

• The Tundra Within Me (Eallugierdi): 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, 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)

See the full list of film in the TIFF 2023 Midnight Madness programme below:

• AGGRO DR1FT: Harmony Korine, U.S. (North American Premiere)

• Boy Kills World: Moritz Mohr, Germany/South Africa/U.S. (World Premiere)

• Dicks: The Musical: Larry Charles, U.S. (World Premiere)

• Hell of a Summer: Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, U.S./Canada (World Premiere)

• KILL: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, India (World Premiere)

• NAGA: Meshal Aljaser, Saudi Arabia (World Premiere)

• Riddle of Fire: Weston Razooli, U.S. (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)