After showing at the French Angouleme Francophone Film Festival on August 25th, A Wedding, the third feature film by Belgian director Stephan Streker, will have its North American premiere at TIFF. The film will be presented in the TIFF “Discovery” section whose line-up was unveiled on August 23rd.
A Wedding follows the story of Zahira, an 18-year-old Pakistani girl, who wants to keep the baby she is carrying. Her brother and confidant, Amir, promises to help her… But their parents have other plans for her.
The film is to be released early 2017 both in Belgium by Bardafeu Distribution and in France by Jour2Fête – which is also handling international sales of the film. By then, it will have been shown in several major festivals worldwide.
Wallimage has been very proud to support The Red Turtle by Dutch director Michael Dudok, which will also be part of the TIFF “Discovery” program.
Award-winner of the “Un Certain Regard” section of the Cannes festival, this stunning animation film tells the story about the relationship between a man and a giant turtle. Behind the touching story, the director tells us about human experience: falling in love, raising children and letting them go, growing old and dying. Emotion guaranteed!
Co-produced by Belgian Belvision, the film has already had 250,000 amazed viewers in Belgian and in France.
Presented as a world première in May at the “Director’s Fortnight” in Cannes, Joachim Lafosse’s 7th feature film After Love will play in the TIFF’s “World Contemporary Cinema” program. Last year, the Belgian director attended TIFF with his film The White Knights competing in the “Platform” section of the festival.
After Love tells the story about Marie and Boris who decide to break up after 15 years of living together. Marie had purchased the house in which they raised their twin daughters, but Boris had completely renovated it. Since he cannot afford to find another place to live, they must continue to share it. Both of them feel that they have a right to the house which neither is willing to give up.
The film is co-produced by Versus who will also present Home by Fien Troch (co-produced by the Flemish company Prime Time), as part of the TIFF “Platform” section.
Regulars at the world largest festivals, the Dardenne brothers will present The Unknown Girl which has been selected for the TIFF’s “Masters” program. Already screened in official competition in Cannes, the brothers’ new film follows a young doctor named Jenny. One evening, as she is closing up her practice and about to leave, Jenny does not answer when the doorbell rings. The next day she hears from the police that a young unidentified woman has been found dead nearby.
The Unknown Girl is to open the Namur film festival FIFF on September 30 and will be released in theatres on October 5.
Two more films co-financed by Wallimage are part of TIFF 2016 line-up.
In 2011, Flemish director Bavo Defurne showed a promising debut with Noordzee Texas, which received two awards at the International Film Festival of Montréal and was selected at Palm Springs.
His new film Souvenir, a Belgian-Luxembourg co-production (by Frakas in Belgium) is also co-financed by Wallimage. This is the story of a forgotten European Song Contest singer who falls in love with a young aspiring boxer. Together they decide to attempt the singer’s comeback.
This original and touching story is supported by two leading actors who work surprisingly well together: the famous French actress Isabelle Huppert and the young Belgian talent Kévin Azaïs.
Showing as a “Special Presentation” at TIFF, the film is expected to create a buzz in Toronto. A nice addition to it: the soundtrack by Pink Martini.
With four films showing at TIFF, Frakas (Jean-Yves Roubin and Cassandre Warnauts) will be extremely well represented in Toronto this year.
Along with Souvenir, Raw is the other Frakas co-production which is also supported by Wallimage. This is the first feature film from Julia Ducournau, selected by the “Critics Week” in Cannes where it won of the FIPRESCI prize. In Toronto, it will be screening in the “Midnight Madness” program.
Entirely shot in Liège, the film follows 16-year-old Justine. Everyone in Justine’s family is a vet. And a vegetarian. When Justine starts veterinary school, she strays from her family principles when she eats raw meat for the first time. Justine will soon face the terrible and unexpected consequences of her actions when her true self begins to emerge.
Many experienced Belgian technicians and actors took part in the project, including actor Bouli Lanners and director of photography Ruben Impens.
The two additional Frakas co-productions presented at TIFF this year are Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Daguerrotype, and Kattell Quillévéré’s Heal the Living.
While not involved in the two latter projects, Wallimage is very proud of the impressive list of films coming from Wallonia to Toronto as part of a most influential festival globally!
