Toronto film festival announces Wavelengths, Classics line-ups

Cannes, Locarno, Berlin picks among selections.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced its Wavelengths programme highlighting visionary work including Dimitris Athiridis’s 14-hour documentary exergue – on documenta 14, and a Classics line-up featuring work from Atom Egoyan and Frederick Wiseman.

The 2024 Wavelengths programme is curated by Senior Curator Andréa Picard and Associate Curator Jesse Cumming, with contributions by Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, and June Kim.

Feature film highlights include a number by esteemed Wavelengths alumni, among them the North American Premieres of “Grand Tour” by Miguel Gomes, “The Damned” by Roberto Minervini, and “Pepe” by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias. Jessica Sarah Rinland also returns to the programme with “Collective Monologue,” alongside the North American Premiere of the queer, controversial “Viêt and Nam,” by first-time Wavelengths filmmaker Trương Minh Quý. The 14-hour, compulsively watchable “exergue – on documenta 14” from Greek filmmaker Dimitris Athiridi will be presented over three screenings.

Short film highlights include the World Premieres of “Archipelago of Earthen Bones — To Bunya” by Malena Szlam, and “A Black Screen Too” by Sobey Prize–nominated Rhayne Vermette, as well as the North American Premiere of Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s “The Diary of a Sky.” A pairing of work by legendary filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and John Smith includes the former’s final film “Scénarios,” completed just before Godard’s death, and the World Premiere of Smith’s wry, moving “Being John Smith.”

Presented as a rare and unmissable special presentation, the programme is rounded out by celebrated Egyptian artist Wael Shawky’s “Drama 1882.” A mesmerizing highlight of this year’s Venice Biennale, the film (re)stages an anti-colonial uprising as a libretto across eight chapters and 45 hypnotic minutes. “Drama 1882” will be presented looped in-cinema on Saturday, September 7th, and admission will be free.

TIFF Classics reunites audiences with iconic films from visionary filmmakers such as Srinivas Krishna, Raj Kapoor, and Atom Egoyan. Two newly restored international discoveries include Shahid Sohrab Saless’ “Time of Maturity,” and Lino Brocka’s “Bona.” In celebration of the centenary of auteur Raj Kapoor, known as The Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema, TIFF Classics presents the World Premiere 4K restoration of one of his most acclaimed films, “Awāra,” which he directs and stars in.

Continuing TIFF’s year-long spotlight on Toronto New Wave filmmakers, Classics is screening  the 4K restoration of Atom Egoyan’s “The Sweet Hereafter;” and Srinivas Krishna’s “Masala,” a restoration that was made possible through Canadian Cinema – Reignited, a Telefilm Canada initiative, in partnership with TIFF. Lastly, Classics is honoured to present the World Premiere of the new 4K restoration of legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman’s documentary “Essene.”

The 2024 Classics programme is programmed by Robyn Citizen, TIFF’s Director of Programming, and Andréa Picard.