The Toronto Film Festival is gearing up to showcase a diverse array of short films as part of its Short Cuts program this September. With a lineup spanning 42 shorts from filmmakers hailing from 23 countries, the festival promises to captivate audiences with a mix of talent and storytelling.
At the forefront of the lineup is the Riz Ahmed-starrer “Dammi,” directed by French filmmaker Yann Mounir Demange. Ahmed, who received an Oscar nomination for his role in “Sound of Metal” and won an Oscar for the live-action short “The Long Goodbye,” takes on the lead role in this intriguing short. The film is set to world premiere in Locarno before gracing the screens at the Toronto Film Festival. Alongside Ahmed, the cast includes Isabelle Adjani, Souheila Yacoub, Sandor Funtek, and Suzy Bemba. “Dammi” is produced by AMI, a French fashion brand, which provided a glimpse of the film’s essence with a teaser trailer at Cannes.
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Also making waves in the Short Cuts selection is “Redlights,” featuring Kaniehtiio Horn and Ellyn Jade. Directed by Eva Thomas, an associate producer of Denis Goulet’s sci-fi indigenous drama “Night Raiders,” the film brings together two talents from the hit series “Reservation Dogs” and “Letterkenny.”
The short film “Shé” (Snake) marks Renee Zhan’s return after earning the Jury Award for best animated short at Sundance in 2019 with “Reneepoptosis.” Additionally, the horror genre is well-represented with “Woaca,” directed by Mackenzie Davis, renowned for her roles in “Halt and Catch Fire” and “Black Mirror.” This chilling short stars Sidse Babett Knudsen, known for her lead role in “Borgen.”
The lineup features a variety of genres, from animated films like “27 Flóra” by Anne Buda, which secured the short film Palme d’Or at Cannes, to “Aphasia” by Marielle Dalpe, an animated National Film Board of Canada short exploring the disconcerting sensory experience of Alzheimer’s disease. Other notable additions include “The Passing” by Ivete Lucas and Patrick Xavier Bresnan, which will also premiere at Locarno, and “Bloom” by Kasey Lum, featuring Jodi Balfour.
The Toronto Film Festival, scheduled to take place from September 7 to 17, promises an eclectic and vibrant lineup of short films that will undoubtedly leave audiences captivated and engaged with the rich world of cinematic storytelling.