Toronto TIFF generic Connie Tsang

Source: Connie Tsang

Director Athina Rachel Tsangari, newly appointed Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian, and film critic Jessica Kiang will serve as the jury for the 2019 Toronto Platform Prize.

The jury will award $20,000 CAD to the best film in the programme, which will present 12 “bold directorial visions” and is named after Jia Zhang-ke’s second feature

“We have been honoured to have had a remarkable list of distinguished filmmakers be a part of Platform ’s jury over the past four years,” said TIFF artistic director and co-head Cameron Bailey. “As we continue to evolve and shape the future of this young programme, we feel incorporating established industry professionals into its jury is the natural progression. We are very fortunate to have Carlo, Jessica, and Athina join us as we make this transition.”

“We have decided to expand the range of perspectives and forms of expertise included in the jury for this year,” said Platform co-curator Andréa Picard. “We expect that moving away from exclusively inviting filmmakers will shift the focus of the jury discussions, a change that will be exciting to observe given the makeup of our exceptional jurors this year.”

Now in its fifth year, Platform is curated by Bailey and Picard, who is also lead curator for the Wavelengths programme. TIFF Cinematheque director Brad Deane, senior manager of theatrical programming at TIFF Bell Lightbox Ming-Jenn Lim, and TIFF Cinematheque programmer Lydia Ogwang are part of Platform ’s selection committee.

Previous Platform selections include Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell (2018), Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer (2018), Clio Barnard’s Dark River (2017), Kamila Andini’s The Seen And Unseen (2017), Bertrand Bonello’s Nocturama (2016), Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016), and Gabriel Mascaro’s Neon Bull (2015).

TIFF will announce the Platform programme in August. The 44th Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5-15.