34 films (26 long and 8 short – as well as one series) of French or French-majority production will be screened at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, the largest film festival on the American continent, whose new edition will be held from September 5 to 15. An excellent year for French cinema on this pre-eminent world cinema scene.
The TIFF pays even more tribute than in previous editions to the diversity of talent and richness of French cinema. While some of the directors present are regulars (Olivier Assayas, Alice Winocour, Albert Serra), others will make their first appearance at the festival, including Ladj Ly, Mati Diop and Justine Triet.

Some thirty French artists (or linked to French films) have already announced their presence, including Isabelle Huppert, Olivier Assayas, Ladj Ly, Nicolas Bedos, Céline Sciamma, Justine Triet, Alice Winocour, Roschdy Zem, Noémie Merlant, Rebecca Zlotowski, Adèle Haenel, Mati Diop, Éric Baudelaire, Rabah Ameur-Zaïmèche, Doria Tillier, Ira Sachs, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, Atiq Rahimi, Albert Serra, Barbara Sukowa…

The new generation of French women directors is going to be very well represented.
This 2019 edition of the TIFF brings together five of the most important French filmmakers on the international scene, once again recalling the specificity of our industry, a pioneer in an international universe that is still very masculine. Thus, Celine Sciamma, Justine Triet, Alice Winocour, Rebecca Zlotowski and Mati Diop will be gathered under the tutelary shadow of Agnès Varda, and without forgetting Manèle Labidi, Rubaiyat Hossain and Hind Meddeb, as well as the five short film directors (out of 8 films presented!)
TIFF is particularly attentive, if not to parity, at least to ensure that women’s voices are particularly heard during these 10 days of festivals, particularly through the Share Her Journey programme, created last year and for a period of five years.

A committed and international French line-up
The strength of French cinema also lies in its ability to open up to other cultures and to highlight them. Many films related to France in terms of production reflect this diversity, whether it is the working conditions in the textile industry in Bangladesh (Made in Bangladesh, by Rubaiyat Hossain) or the political antagonisms in Rwanda in 1974 (Notre-Dame du Nil, by Atiq Rahimi).
In a completely different tone, the Italian Filippo Meneghetti tells, in Deux, the love story between two retired women, and whose hidden life will gradually be revealed.

UniFrance at TIFF / Market side
As every year, UniFrance is providing its members with a dedicated space within the Hotel Hyatt Film Market. This year, 21 French exporters will be present on the UniFrance stand.

The exporters present:

Distribution Film Tray
Be For Films
Office Coproduction
Doc & Film International
France tv distribution
Indie Sales
Day 2 holiday
The Pact
Les Films du Losange
Luxbox
Memento Films International
Orange Studio
Other Angle Pictures
International Pyramid
Reel Suspects
SND Group M6
The Bureau Sales
UDI – Urban Distribution International
Wide
Wide House
WTFilms

On Saturday 7 September, UniFrance will be holding its traditional French Night, an evening gathering selected French film teams, producers, exporters, distributors and international professionals.

Finally, with the French Lounges, which will take place on 6 and 8 September, UniFrance organises events dedicated to artists, producers and sellers, aimed at encouraging networking with the press, festival selectors and foreign distributors present at TIFF.