As #APAToronto Returns, Asian Cinema Reaches a High Point

Mismatched sisters Anne (Awkwafina) and Jenny (Sandra Oh) find themselves in a pickle that they can only dig their way out of by becoming game show champions in QUIZ LADY, Academy Award-winning director Jessica Yu’s return narrative feature to Toronto ’23. (Photo: Courtesy Toronto International Film Festival Group)

As the awards season descends upon us (admittedly, considerably delayed due to twin major labor strikes by the Writers guild of America and SAG-AFTRA), one would think that the pickings for great cinema might likewise slow to a crawl as we slowly near the end of the calendar year. Judging by the surprisingly stellar crop of works making their World and North American premiere screenings at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it is reasonable to determine that major new works are instead coming our way real soon. With that, here is a list of works (by directors, producers, screenwriters, and/or a combination thereof) that will premiere starting September 7 through 17 in The City By The Lake.

AğACIKOğLU, CemilTHE REEDS (SON HASAT) (Centrepieces)
AL RASHEED, AmjadINSHALLAH A BOY (Inshallah Walad) (Centrepieces)
AMER, KarimDEFIANT (TIFF Docs)
BAIG, MinhalWE GROW NOW (Centrepieces)
BHAT, Nikhil NageshKILL (Midnight Madness)
BHANUTEJA, WregasANDRAGOGY (Discovery)
BOOLANI, KaranTHANK YOU FOR COMING (Galas)
BYUN Seung-min (Co-Director) – BARGAIN (Primetime Programme)
CALVENTO, SonnyPRIMETIME MOTHER (Short Cuts)
CEYLAN, Nuri BilgeABOUT DRY GRASSES (Kuru Otlar Üstüne) (Centrepieces)
CHEN, AnthonyTHE BREAKING ICE (Centrepieces)
CHEN, Daniel (Co-Director) – BAD BOY (Primetime Programme)
CHEN KaigeFAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (Classics)
CHIANG, James Michael – XIE XIE, OLLIE (Short Cuts)
CHIKA-URA Kei DEAR ABSENCE (Platform)
CHINN, Jimmy (Co-Director) – NYAD (Galas)
DASH, Subarna (Co-Director) – THIS IS TMI (Short Cuts)
DELARAM, FarhadACHILLES (Discovery)
DHANDWAR, Tarsem SinghDEAR JASSI (Platform)
DORJI, Pawo ChoyningTHE MONK AND THE GUN (Centrepieces)
GUPTA, Vidushi (Co-Director) – THIS IS TMI (Short Cuts)
HAMAGUCHI, RyûsukeEVIL DOES NOT EXIST (Special Presentations)
HONG Khaou (Co-Director) – ALICE & JACK (Primetime Programme)
HUR Jin-hoA NORMAL FAMILY (Galas)
JEON Woo-sung  (Co-Director) – BARGAIN (Primetime Programme)
KAUL, ShambhaviSLOW SHIFT (Wavelengths)
KHAN, ZarrarIN FLAMES (Centrepieces)
KIM TaeyangMIMANG (Discovery)
KORE-EDA HirokazuMONSTER (Special Presentations)
LANA, Jun RoblesYOUR MOTHER’S SON (ANAK KA NG INA MO) (Centrepieces)
LIU, SimonLET’S TALK (Wavelengths)
LUM, KaseyBLOOM (Short Cuts)
MEHTA, Deepa (Collaborator) – I AM SIRAT (Documentary)
MIRZA, FawziaTHE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS (Discovery)
MIYAZAKI, HayaoTHE BOY AND THE HERON (Galas)
MOMIN, Anubha – AFTERCARE (Short Cuts)
NIASARI, NooraSHAYDA (Centrepieces)
NING HaoTHE MOVIE EMPEROR (Galas)
NISHIKAWA TomonariLIGHT, NOISE, SMOKE, AND LIGHT, NOISE, SMOKE (Wavelengths)
PATWARDHAN, AnandTHE WORLD IS FAMILY (TIFF Docs)
PHạM Thiên nINSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL (Wavelengths)
PUREV-OCHIR, LkhagvadulamCITY OF WING (сэр сэр салхи) (Centrepieces)
RAO, KiranLOST LADIES (LAAPATAA LADIES) (Centerpieces)
REVEREZA, MikoNOWHERE NEAR (Wavelengths)
RYOO Seung-wanSMUGGLERS (Galas)
SAMADI, FarnooshTITANIC, SUITABLE VERSION FOR IRANIAN FAMILIES (Short Cuts)
SEN, IvanLIMBO (Centrepieces)
SHEU, Erica it follows it passes on (Wavelengths)
SOLONDZ, Joshua GenWE DON’T TALK LIKE WE USED TO (Wavelengths)
SOMALKAR, Jayant DigambarA MATCH (STHAL) (Discovery)
SUBBA, NabinA ROAD TO A VILLAGE (गाउ आएको बाटो) (Centrepiece)
SUH, Caroline (Co-Director) – SORRY/NOT SORRY (TIFF Docs)
TAFAKORY, MaryamMAST-DEL (Wavelengths)
TAMAHORI, LeeTHE CONVERT (Special Presentations)
TANEJA, Sirat (Collaborator) – I AM SIRAT (Documentary)
TELENGUT, AlisiBAIGAL NUUR – LAKE BAIKAL (Short Cuts)
THÚY, Kim (Producer) – RU (Special Presentations)
TREHAN, Honey – PUNJAB ’95 (Galas)
TSEDEN, PemaSNOW LEOPARD (XUE BAO) (Centrepieces)
TSUKAMOTO ShinyaSHADOW OF FIRE (Centrepieces)
UM Tae-HwaCONCRETE UTOPIA (Galas)
VASARHELYI, Elizabeth Chai (Co-Director) – NYAD (Galas)
WAITITI, TaikaNEXT GOAL WINS (Galas)
WANG BingYOUTH (SPRING) (Wavelengths)
WANG, LuluEXPATS (Primetime Programme)
WIDJAJANTO, Andrea NirmalaSAWO MATANG (Short Cuts)
XU Haofeng (Co-Director) – 100 YARDS (Centrepieces)
XU Junfeng (Co-Director) – 100 YARDS (Centrepieces)
YU, JasonSLEEP (Midnight Madness)
YU, JessicaQUIZ LADY (Special Presentations)
ZHAN, ReneeSHÉ (SNAKE) (Short Cuts)

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