11 DFI-supported films selected to screen at 47th Toronto International Film Festival

A strong contingent of 11 films supported by the Doha Film Institute (DFI) grants programme will shine the spotlight on film talent from the Arab region and beyond at the prestigious 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to be held from Thursday until September 18.Continuing DFI’s track-record of showcasing Arab talent to an international audience at the world’s leading film festivals, the selection at TIFF builds on the strong showing of DFI-supported films at the Cannes, Venice, Locarno and Sarajevo film festivals earlier this summer.With the mission to transform the way people see the world through film, the 47th edition of the high-profile festival will feature some of the most celebrated names in cinema offering diverse perspectives in storytelling. The films in Official Selection supported by the Institute at TIFF 2022 will be screened in four key programming sections – Discovery, Contemporary World Cinema, Short Cuts and TIFF Docs – with many of them making their World Premiere.Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute, said: “Over the years, we have built a strong reputation for our Grants programme and established the initiative as an important source for standout Arab and international talent in contemporary cinema. The 11 films selected to screen at Toronto are truly representative of the kind of films we support – diverse, compelling, and innovative, with powerful human stories at their centre. We hope that the films receive the international acclaim and attention that they deserve.”DFI supported films set to screen at TIFF 2022 are:* The World Premiere of 'A Gaza Weekend' (Palestine, UK, Qatar), the feature debut in the Discovery Programme of Academy Award and Palme d’Or nominee Palestinian-British director Basil Khalil* Also screening in the Discovery Programme is 'Return to Seoul' (France, Germany, Belgium, South Korea, Romania, Qatar) by Davy Chou. * Six films screen in the Contemporary World Cinema programme, including the World Premiere of 'Alam' (Palestine, France, Qatar) by Firas Khoury.* 'Ashkal' (Tunisia, France, Qatar) by Youssef Chebbi.* 'Autobiography' (Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Poland, Germany, France, Qatar) by Makbul Mubarak.* 'Domingo and the Mist' (Costa Rica, Qatar) by Ariel Escalante Meza.* 'Plan 75' (Japan, France, the Philippines, Qatar) directed by Hayakawa Chie.* Sofia El Khyari’s 'The Shadow of the Butterflies' (France, Qatar, Portugal) makes its World Premiere in the TIFF 2022 Short Cuts programming. * Two compelling documentaries supported by the Institute will make their World Premiere in the TIFF Docs programme. One of these is 'Cine-Guerrillas: Scenes from The Labudovic Reels' (Serbia, France, Croatia, Montenegro), directed by Mila Turajli?.* The other is Vinay Shukla’s 'While We Watched' (India, United Kingdom, Qatar).