Greetings from Toronto, where the air is crisp, the wind is a little too powerful, and the queues for 8:30am TIFF Press & Market screenings are snaking around the Scotiabank at the crack of dawn. (I had missed window-shopping at the Michaels art-supply store on the ground floor of the Scotiabank theater, my bleary-eyed morning ritual.) We’re taking notes and keeping our eyes peeled for the wildest activations on “Festival Street” for our TIFF dispatches, as well as fielding reports from Locarno, Telluride, and Venice for the days to come.
It feels a little premature to synthesize narratives, but there are a lot of films with mortality on the brain. There are meditations on caretaking as a form of reckoning with capitalism (Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care; Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden), and there are also more insular musings on legacy, masculinity, and the value of a human life (Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine; Michael Dowse’s The Stunt Driver). Certain films, including The Stunt Driver, are preoccupied with the entertainment industry, focusing on performers and actors who philosophize about the deeper meaning or social impact of their craft. As I put notes together toward a dispatch, I’m very curious about this recurring impulse to argue for the utilitarian worth of life as an entertainer.
Every festival season, the question arises: where are the surprises, the bolt-from-the-blue talents? Rather than rely on the lineups, we figured this could be a good moment to share some ideas of our own. Our fall issue ships out to subscribers starting next week, and as a sneak preview, we’re thrilled to announce this year’s list of 25 New Faces of Film.
Together, these new faces form a microcosm of contemporary film culture. This year, we expanded our eligibility requirements to consider filmworkers from outside of the United States, as well as different moments in film culture that take place off of traditional sets. You’ll find directors and actors, producers and editors, cinematographers and costume designers, and the programmers and critics who connect these artists with audiences. The aim is to track the lifespan of a work of art as it changes hands, becoming imbued with the energy of many makers.
Without further ado, here they are! Keep an eye out in the weeks to come for more editorial from the section, including profiles written by Natalia Keogan, Maxwell Paparella, and myself, as well as some words from notable 25NF alumni, who share where they’ve been and how they’re feeling about the state of independent film.
Kevin Walker & Jack Auen
Avalon Fast
Yanis Gaye
Caroline Golum
Phoebe Jane Hart
kekahi wahi
Adam & Zack Khalil
Sarah Lasley
Michelle J. Li
Alena Lodkina
Saffron Maeve
Danny Scharar & Harris Mayersohn
Blair McClendon
Lindsey Normington
Juanita Onzaga
Xenia Patricia
Hansel Porras Garcia
Inney Prakash
Sophy Romvari
Siyou Tan
Mars Verrone
Connor Sen Warnick
Louise Weard
Aidan Zamiri
Charlotte Zhang
Really appreciate the addition of programmers and other film workers! Go Inney & Saffron!
I look forward to the profiles.