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Source: Courtesy of TIFF

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TIFF has announced the In Conversation With… series and the talent development programmes and participants.

On-stage conversation participants include Eddie Redmayne, Viola Davis and Lee Jung-jae, while Sarah Gadon is announced as the TIFF Micki Moore Residency.

The festival has also unveiled the 10 Industry Selects roster of acquisition titles. TIFF runs from September 8-1.

In Conversation With…

The In Conversation With… series features Damien Chazelle, the director of La La Land and Whiplash whose December release Babylon is expected to be an awards contender; Viola Davis and Gina Prince-Bythewood, the star and director of TIFF world premiere The Woman King; Korean actors and creators Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung, whose A Man Of Reason, and Hunt both play TIFF; and Eddie Redmayne, the British star of TIFF selection The Good Nurse.

This year’s talent development programmes and participants, include TIFF Rising Stars, TIFF Filmmaker Lab, TIFF Series Accelerator, the Chanel Women Writers’ Network Micro Talent Summit, TIFF Micki Moore Residency, and TIFF Talent Accelerator.

TIFF Rising Stars

The programme provides actors on the cusp of breaking out with access to the festival’s professional development sessions, industry events, red carpets, mentorship, and networking opportunities. All Rising Stars are featured in films in official selection this year. TIFF 2022 Official Selection.

Natalia Aranguren (Col-Can), So Much Tenderness – TIFF Share Her Journey Fellow

Gabriel LaBelle (USA-Can), The Fabelmans

Isaiah Lehtinen (Can), I Like Movies

Carmen Madonia (Can), Something You Said Last Night – TIFF Share Her Journey Fellow

Thuso Mbedu (SA), The Woman King – TIFF Share Her Journey Fellow

Joshua Odjick (Can), Bones Of Crows

Aaron Pierre (UK), Brother

Choi Seung-yoon (SK), Riceboy Sleeps – TIFF Share Her Journey Fellow

Ty Simpkins (USA), The Whale.

TIFF Filmmaker Lab

Twenty Canadian and international directors will over five says get to interact with mentors and programme governors including Ramin Bahrani, Deepa Mehta, and Roger Ross Williams. The participants will be joined by guest speakers that including El Hosaini, Nikyatu Jusu, Cristian Mungiu, and Clement Virgo. Fellowships are sponsored by Share Her Journey and For the Love of Film.

Zhannat Alshanova (Kaz) TIFF Canada Goose Fellow

Nadine Gomez (Can) – TIFF Jennifer A. Tory Legacy Fellow

Sis Gurdal (Tur) TIFF Every Story Fellow

Jayden Rathsam Hua (Aus)

Zarrar Kahn (Can-Pak)

Aaron Lucas (Aus-Ger)

Miki Magasiva (NZ)

Isabelle Mecattaf (Leb-Fr) – TIFF Every Story People’s Fellow

Araya Mengesha (Can)

Sophia Mocorrea (Ger-Arg) TIFF Canada Goose Fellow

Carol Nguyen (Can)  TIFF Talent Accelerator Fellow

Olive Nwosu (Nig-UK) – TIFF Every Story Fellow in honour of Viola Desmond

Naishe Nyamubaya (Zim)

Melanie Oates (Can) – TIFF Canada Goose Fellow

Mahsa Razavi (Can-Ira) – TIFF Talent Accelerator Fellow

Caleb Ryan (Can)

Gavin Seal (Can)

J Stevens (Can) TIFF Every Story Fellow

Nesaru Tchaas (USA)

D.W. Waterson (Can) – TIFF Every Story Fellow.

TIFF series accelerator

The new strand presented by Canada Media Fund presents a one-day mentorship programme for four Canadian series-creator teams from underrepresented communities.

Participants will receive tailored mentorship from industry professionals, refine their series pitches, and work towards developing a business plan for their projects.

Meher Jaffri, Mariam Zaidi (The Chosen One)

Jessica Landry, Hannah Johnson (Ghosts Of Lakeland)

Abdul Malik, Shant Joshi (Salt)

Bianca Kenna, Shelby Manton (Thread).

Chanel Women Writers’ Network Micro Talent Summit

As part of Share Her Journey, the Chanel Women Writers’ Network supports a year-round programme to advance the careers of women and non-binary alumni of TIFF Writers’ Studio. The inaugural summit is a one-day intensive programme connecting participants with industry professionals.

Abbesi Akhamie (Nig-USA)

Maggie Briggs (USA)

Yasmine Mathurin (Hai-Can)

Mayumi Yoshida (Jap-Can).

TIFF Micki Moore Residency

Established to support women who are outstanding Canadian feature-film screenwriters, the residency provides one writer with the chance to develop their screenplay and receive mentorship in Toronto’s downtown district. This year’s 2022 TIFF Micki Moore Writer-in-Residence is Sarah Gadon.

TIFF Talent Accelerator

Year-round mentorship for female emerging producers, directors, and screenwriters in Canada, supported by the Share Her Journey campaign, including ongoing support from the RBC Women Creators’ Initiative.

The fellows are: directors Carol Nguyen and Mahsa Razavi; producers Britt Kerr and Alona Metzer; and writers Teyama Alkamli and Berkley Brady.

Other guest speakers and mentors at this year’s Talent Development programmes include Sheila Atim, John Bain, Karla Bobadilla, Clea DuVall, Kate Hagen, Felicia Pride, Kiva Reardon, Trevor Rotenberg, Bird Runningwater, Sanjay Sharma, Samantha Starr, and Kevin Williamson.

Jason Reitman’s Live Read

The event will return featuring a surprise cast as the Montreal-born filmmaker presents a screenplay in honour of his father, the late filmmaker Ivan Reitman. The event will take place on September 9 in the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Cast and film title will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Previous live table reads included Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights, Alan Ball’s American Beauty, John Hughes’s The Breakfast Club, and William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

CaribbeanTales Media Group’s The Big Pitch

CaribbeanTales Media Group’s The Big Pitch session takes place on September 11 when nine emerging and mid-career BIPOC filmmakers selected from CaribbeanTales Black Incubator and Studio Access Project and CineFam Limitless Incubatorwill pitch projects to Canadian and international broadcasters and distributors for cash, mentorship, and support for their projects. 

This year’s participants are: Fennella Bruce, Aeyliya Hussain, Asis Sethi, Muniyra Douglas, Nauzanin Knight, Roble Issa, Suki Motoyi, Ana De Lara, Kai-Little White, Kristen Lambie, Kirsty Plange & Daisy Komujini, and Yasmin Evering-Kerr.