Here Are the Asian Titles Premiering at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival
Earlier this week, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) revealed a diverse lineup of Asian films that will premiere at the event. Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, renowned for The Night Comes for Us (2018), will present his latest work, The Shadow Strays (2024). Director Hur Jin Ho also returns to TIFF 2024 as a jury member, following the premiere of his film A Normal Family (2023) as Gala Presentation at TIFF 2023. Anderson .Paak, who is partially of Korean descent, will make his directorial debut at TIFF with a comedy-drama film K-POPS! (2024).
In addition to films directed by Asian creatives, the festival will feature movies starring prominent Asian actors. Notably, Nacho Vigalondo’s Daniela Forever (2024), featuring Henry Golding, will have its world premiere as the opening film of the Platform competition program. Additionally, Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed stars as Tom in Relay (2024), directed by David Mackenzie. Take a look at the diverse array of Asian films set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival from September 5 to 15.
Sunshine (2024)
- Director: Antoinette Jadaone
- Cast: Maris Racal, Annika Co, Jennica Garcia, Elijah Canlas, Meryll Soriano, Xyriel Manabat
- Country: Philippines
Filipina filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone’s latest work tells the story of Sunshine (Maris Racal), a young gymnast who discovers she’s pregnant shortly before her national team tryout. Struggling with the shock of the news, she grapples with tough decisions about her future in a country where abortion is illegal. As she navigates these challenges, the film delves into broader themes of reproductive rights, healthcare, and conservative religious culture.
Love In The Big City (2024)
- Director: E.oni
- Cast: Kim Go-eun, Noh Sang-hyun
- Country: South Korea
Based on Park Sang Young’s novel by the same name, the film centers on Heung Soo (Noh Sang-hyun), a young gay man living in South Korea. He forms a deep friendship with Jae Hee, a French major portrayed by Kim Go Eun, and the two bond over their romantic experiences. As their relationship evolves, they choose to live together. However, Heung Soo experiences profound grief when Jae Hee marries someone else.
All We Imagine as Light (2024)
- Director: Payal Kapadia
- Cast: Kani Kusruti, Chhaya Kadam, Divya Prabha
- Country: India, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Set in Mumbai, Nurse Prabha’s monotonous life is disrupted when she receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband. Anu, her roommate, struggles to find a private place to be with her boyfriend. Their journey to a coastal town provides both women with the opportunity to explore their personal desires and escape from everyday challenges.
Caught by the Tides (2024)
- Director: Jia Zhang-Ke
- Cast: Tao Zhao, Yu Zhao, Xu Changchu, Li Zhubin
- Country: China
Spanning the first two decades of the 21st century, the film portrays the passionate yet fragile love between Qiaoqiao and Bin. Their relationship thrives amid the lively city but falters when Bin departs to seek new opportunities, prompting Qiaoqiao to search for him. Jia Zhangke’s epic narrative examines their romantic journey and offers a new perspective on contemporary China and its significant personal and societal changes.
The Paradise of Thorns (2024)
- Director: Boss Kuno
- Cast: Jeff Satur, Engfa Waraha
- Country: Thailand
In a remote Thai village, Thongkam and Sek build a dream durian orchard together, but their happiness is shattered when Sek dies in an accident. Without his name on the land deed, Sek’s mother claims ownership of the orchard, forcing Thongkam to fight for what they created together.
Crocodile Tears (2024)
- Director: Tumpal Tampubolon
- Cast: Marissa Anita, Yusuf Mahardika, Zulfa Maharani
- Country: Indonesia
Johan (Yusuf Mahardika), who is almost an adult, lives with his mom on a crocodile farm in West Java. They choose to live far from others, with only a white crocodile as their friend. Their quiet life changes when Johan falls in love with a girl in town named Arumi (Zulfa Maharani). This triggers a series of events that disrupt their peaceful life. As their small world starts to fall apart, Johan’s mom shows her disapproval in strange and unusual ways.
Harbin (2024)
- Director: Woo Min-ho
- Cast: Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, Lee Dong-wook
- Country: South Korea
Ahn Jung-geun (Hyun Bin) plays an independence fighter in this spy action spectacle set in 1909 in Harbin. The film portrays the courageous efforts of those who risked their lives to reclaim the Korean Empire from the Japanese Empire. It delves into the struggles and sacrifices of these freedom fighters in their quest for independence.
Daughter’s Daughter (2024)
- Director: Huang Xi
- Cast: Sylvia Chang, Karena Kar-Yan Lam, Eugenie Liu, Winston Chao
- Country: Taiwan
The film follows Jin (Sylvia Chang), a 60-year-old who worries about her daughter Zuer, who is living in New York and undergoing IVF with her partner Michelle. Upon learning that Zuer and Michelle have tragically died in an accident, Jin travels to New York. There, she is further stunned to discover that she has inherited Zuer’s embryo and must decide its future. While there, she is confronted by Emma, the daughter Jin gave up for adoption when she was 17.
The Shadow Strays (2024)
- Director: Timo Tjahjanto
- Cast: Aurora Ribero, Adi Pati, Hana Malasan, Andri Mashadi, Ali Fikri, Taskya Namya
- Country: Indonesia
Premiering at Midnight Madness, a TIFF program that features action, horror, and fantasy films shown at midnight. The Shadow Strays follows a 17-year-old assassin with the codename “13,” who befriends an 11-year-old boy named Monji who has just lost his mother to a crime syndicate. When Monji is captured, 13 is determined to rescue him, defying her mentor and the organization that raised her. This sets her on a destructive path to save the boy and seek justice.
K-POPS! (2024)
- Director: Anderson .Paak
- Cast: Anderson .Paak, Jee Young-han, Kevin Woo, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cathy Shim
- Country: USA
A struggling musician from Los Angeles tries to revive his career by participating in a K-Pop competition show in Seoul. During this trip, he unexpectedly discovers that his estranged son is poised to become the lead singer of one of South Korea’s most promising new bands. This unexpected reunion brings both professional and personal challenges, blending elements of family drama with the high-energy world of K-Pop.
Superboys of Malegaon (2024)
- Director: Reema Kagti
- Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora
- Country: India
Based on true events and set in the small town of Malegaon, the film features Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Shashank Arora in lead roles. This heartwarming narrative follows Nasir Shaikh, who transforms his hometown into an unexpected dream factory through his no-budget, community-created movies.
An Unfinished Film (2024)
- Director: Lou Ye
- Cast: Qin Hao, Mao Xiaorui, Qi Xi
- Country: Singapore, Germany
Lou Ye’s film blends documentary footage, web videos, and scenes from his past projects to depict the collective trauma of the Chinese lockdown. An Unfinished Film follows a filmmaker, Xiaorui, who revisits an unfinished project but is forced into lockdown by the onset of COVID-19. Through a mix of fiction and reality, the film captures the monotony, anxiety, and isolation of the pandemic, offering a powerful tribute to the nation’s experience.
Bound in Heaven (2024)
- Director: Huo Xin
- Cast: Ni Ni, Zhou You, Liao Fan
- Country: China
Bound in Heaven is the debut feature of renowned scriptwriter Huo Xin, starring Ni Ni, Zhou You, and Liao Fan. The film tells a poignant story of love and resilience, tackling themes of domestic violence and terminal illness. It portrays the deep connection between two characters facing life’s harsh realities.
I, the Executioner (2024)
- Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
- Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dal-su, Oh Dae-hwan, Jang Yoon-ju, Kim Shi-hoo
- Country: South Korea
In a sequel to his 2015 box office success with Veteran (2015), Ryoo Seung-wan reunites with detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) for a new explosive detective story. Detective Seo Do-cheol and his team recruit young officer Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in) to hunt down a serial killer who is terrorizing the nation. The film explores themes of disillusionment and moral distortion, emphasizing the impact of “fake news” and algorithmic influence on contemporary society.
Boong (2024)
- Director: Lakshmipriya Devi
- Cast: Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Hamom Sadananda
- Country: India
Boong (Gugun Kipgen), a determined schoolboy, sets out on a journey to reunite his family by finding his missing father. Joined by his best friend Raju (Angom Sanamatum), Boong faces challenges armed only with a photograph and faith in the power of music. The film offers a heartfelt reminder of hope during dark times.
Hiver à Sokcho (Winter in Sokcho) (2024)
- Director: Koya Kamura
- Cast: Roschdy Zem, Bella Kim
- Country: France, South Korea
In his directorial debut, filmmaker Koya Kamura introduces the story of a young woman who is grappling with her identity and independence. Her routine is upended when a French artist arrives at the small guesthouse where she works in the snowy town of Sokcho.
Dead Talents Society (2024)
- Director: John Hsu
- Cast: Bo-Lin Chen, Sandrine Pinna, Jingle Wang, Yi Ti Yao, Bai Bai, Soso Tseng
- Country: Taiwan
A group of East Asian ghosts compete to scare the living to renew their “haunter’s license” and avoid oblivion. The story follows a shy, recently deceased teen (Gingle Wang) who only has 30 days to exist, with the help of a ghost talent agent and a troupe of misfit haunters. This supernatural satire is a humorous and heartfelt take on the afterlife, blending scares with laughs and touching moments.
Don’t Cry, Butterfly (2024)
- Director: Dương Diệu Linh
- Cast: Lê Tú Oanh, Nguyễn Nam Linh, Lê Vũ Long, Bùi Thạc Phong
- Country: Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia
Tam discovers on live television that her husband is having an affair, but instead of confronting him, she turns to mystical means to win him back. Despite working at a wedding hall, her own life is far from perfect, with her marriage crumbling and her home deteriorating. Director Dương Diệu Linh uses surrealism to explore gender roles and cultural traditions in Vietnam, blending absurdity, pity, and humor.
Viet and Nam (2024)
- Director: Trương Minh Quý
- Cast: Phạm Thanh Hải, Đào Duy Bảo Định
- Country: Vietnam
In a near-dark mine, Viet and Nam find freedom to express their love despite their harsh surroundings. As Nam prepares to move abroad for better opportunities, they cherish their remaining time together. Set in the aftermath of war, “Viet and Nam” explores themes of love, loss, and healing with a universal and timeless approach, beautifully captured on 16mm film by Trương Minh Quý.
By the Stream (2024)
- Director: Hong Sangsoo
- Cast: Kim Minhee, Kwon Haehyo, Cho Yunhee
- Country: South Korea
Jeonim (Kim Minhee), spends her days sketching nature-inspired designs and invites her uncle, Chu Sieon (Kwon Haehyo), to direct a skit at her university after a scandal ousts the original director. Set against a backdrop of changing autumn leaves, By the Stream is a bittersweet tale of loneliness, connection and finding solace through artistic creation.
My Sunshine (2024)
- Director: Hiroshi Okuyama
- Cast: Sosuke Ikematsu, Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi
- Country: Japan, France
Set on a small Japanese island, My Sunshine highlights the friendship between a shy hockey player, a skilled figure skater, and their coach, deviating from typical sports movie clichés. Okuyama’s work, notable for its delicate visual style and introspective storytelling, establishes him as a rising talent in Japanese cinema.
With a lineup that spans genres and cultural narratives, The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival promises to be a vibrant celebration of Asian cinema, reflecting the global power of its diverse talents. Featuring over 30 Asian films, the festival highlights the dynamic and evolving nature of Asian cinema, which continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Interested in film festivals? Check out our coverage of the 2024 Venice Film Festival here!
