Andrea Picard to oversee curation for Toronto's Visions strand

The Visions programme, launched in 2002, highlights more daring works by international filmmakers.

Visions past programmes have included films including Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Blissfully Yours (2002), Claire Denis’ L’intrus (2004) and João Pedro Rodrigues’ To Die Like a Man (2009).

“Andréa’s unwavering commitment to cinema and her extensive programming experience make her the perfect choice to lead the curatorial direction of Visions”, said Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of TIFF. “While other programmers will continue to contribute to Visions, Andréa will provide its shape. This is one step in an ongoing process of developing and refining the Festival’s programmes. As the home for innovative approaches to film narrative and language, Visions is essential to the Festival’s future.”

“Just as filmmakers take great risks, so should we as programmers,” said Picard, who is this week attending the International Film Festival Rotterdam. “The programme will continue advocating for daring, visionary and autonomous voices that expand our notions of cinema. It will strike a balance between new, emerging
voices and higher profile filmmakers and will be open to feature-length films of high artistic merit from all over the world.”

Picard reiterated to Screen that the other members of the programming team will continue to suggest titles for Visions. There are expected to be about 20 selections in all each year, although that will vary from year to year.

Picard told Screen that the section will continue to “include the latest generation of those new voices, as well as those established filmmakers breaking new ground. To build on that is vital to TIFF.”

Picard is also a writer on film, art and architecture (she is a columnist for Cinema Scope). Her past thematic shows at TIFF Cinematheque include Factory Empire: The Films of Andy Warhol, States of Longing: Films from the Berlin School, and Time Regained: Manoel de Oliveira.

She has curated Wavelengths since 2006.