Toronto International Film Festival to Spotlight Indian Cinema in Major Initiative

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), North America’s largest film event, is set to place a significant focus on Indian cinema as part of its programming strategy. The 11-day festival, running from September 5 to September 15, aims to “lean into” the Indian film industry, according to Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer.

In an interview at TIFF’s headquarters, the Lightbox, Lee highlighted the festival’s commitment to showcasing Indian cinema. “That is important to our programme. We do plan to lean into it further going ahead,” she said. To strengthen its connection with the Indian film industry, TIFF has appointed Meenakshi Shedde, a programming advisor based in India, who joined last year. Shedde’s role involves recommending films from India, with the final selection being made by Robyn Citizen, TIFF’s director of programming.

This year, five Indian films will be featured at the 49th edition of the festival. Among them are the world premieres of Superboys of Malegaon, directed by Reema Kagti, and Boong, the first-ever Manipuri project at TIFF, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi. Another highlight is All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia, which has already garnered international acclaim, winning the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The Hindi-language film Santosh, directed by Sandhya Suri, will also be showcased.

Payal Kapadia is a returning filmmaker at TIFF; her documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing screened at the festival in 2021 and won the Amplify Voices Award. Superboys of Malegaon has been selected as the gala presentation, a category reserved for mainstream crowd-pleasers, reflecting the festival’s recognition of the strong audience demand for star-driven Indian films.

Additionally, one of the principal attractions this year will be the high-quality digital restoration of the 1951 classic Awara, directed by and starring the legendary Raj Kapoor. The special screening will honor Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary.