How To Have Sex

Source: Cannes International Film Festival

‘How To Have Sex’

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex. 

The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres. 

As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe, in the opening night slot, the section includes British filmmaker Walker’s How to Have Sex, winner of the Un Certain Regard award at this year’s Cannes. 

Overall, Discovery spotlights 13 female filmmakers, representing 50% of the section’s total programme. 

The Midnight Madness programme, which focuses on iconoclastic work, includes ten titles, seven of them world premieres. Dicks: The Musical, from Borat director Larry Charles, is the section’s opening night film and Korine’s Aggro Dri1ft, which also screens at the Venice festival, makes its North American debut. 

TIFF chief programming officer Anita Lee said: “We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema. TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.” 

This year’s TIFF runs September 7–17.

All films are world premieres unless otherwise indicated:

Midnight Madness 

Aggro Dr1ft (US) – North American premiere
Dir: Harmony Korine 

Boy Kills World (Ger/South Africa/US)
Dir: Moritz Mohr 

Dicks: The Musical USA - opening night film
Dir: Larry Charles 

Hell of a Summer (US/Can)
Dirs: Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk 

Kill (India)
Dir: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat  

NAGA (Saudi Arabia)
Dir: Meshal Aljaser  

Riddle of Fire (US) - closing film, North American premiere
Dir: Weston Razooli  

Sleep (South Korea) – North American premiere
Dir: Jason Yu 

When Evil Lurks (Argentina)
Dir: Demián Rugna  

Working Class Goes to Hell (Serbia)
Dir: Mladen Đorđević  

Discovery

Achilles (Iran/Ger/Fr)
Dir: Farhad Delaram  

After The Fire (Fr)
Dir: Mehdi Fikri  

A Match (Sthal) (India)
Dir: Jayant Digambar Somalkar 

Andragogy (Indonesia/Singapore)
Dir: Wregas Bhanuteja  

An Endless Sunday (It/Ger/Ireland) – international premiere
Dir: Alain Parroni  

Arthur & Diana (Ger)
Dir: Sara Summa  

Backspot (Can)
Dir: D W Waterson  

Frybread Face and Me (US) – international premiere
Dir: Billy Luther  

Gonzo Girl (US) - opening night film
Dir: Patricia Arquette  

Hajjan (Saudi Arabia/Egypt/Jordan)
Dir: Abu Bakr Shawky  

How to Have Sex (UK) – North American premiere
Dir: Molly Manning Walker  

I Don’t Know Who You Are (Can)
Dir: M H Murray  

La Suprema (Colombia)
Dir: Felipe Holguín Caro  

Mandoob (Saudi Arabia)
Dir: Ali Kalthami  

Mimang (South Korea)
Dir: Kim Taeyang  

Seagrass (Can)
Dir: Meredith Hama-Brown  

Solitude (Iceland/Slovakia/Fr)
Dir: Ninna Pálmadóttir  

Tautuktavuk (What We See) (Can)
Dirs: Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk  

The Teacher (UK/Palestine/Qatar)
Dir: Farah Nabulsi  

The Tundra Within Me (Eallugierdi) (Norway)
Dir: Sara Margrethe Oskal  

The Queen of My Dreams (Can)
Dir: Fawzia Mirza  

Valentina or the Serenity (Valentina o la serenidad) (Mex)
Dir: Ángeles Cruz  

Widow Clicquot (Fr)
Dir: Thomas Napper  

Wild Woman (Cuba)
Dir: Alán González  

Without Air (Hungary)
Dir: Katalin Moldovai  

Yellow Bus (UAE)
Dir: Wendy Bednarz