“Dream Scenario,” a bizarre comedy starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, will be one of 10 films competing in the Platform program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Wednesday.
The films will be competing for the Platform Prize, a $20,000 CAD award that will be given to the film chosen as the section’s best by a jury consisting of directors Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), Nadine Labaki (“Capernaum,” “Where Do We Go Now?”) and Anthony Shim (who won the Platform Prize last year for “Riceboy Sleeps”).
In a statement released by TIFF, programming director and Platform lead Robyn Citizen singled out “Dream Scenario,” which will serve as the section’s opening-night film, and said, “This surrealist satire-comedy has sharp, timely observations about social media culture — especially ‘going viral’ — and its impact on the way that we interact with others in our day-to-day life. Cage delivers some of his finest work.”
She went on to say, “This year’s diverse selection is distinguished by bold character studies and classic stories told through dynamic narrative and genre approaches. Audiences will witness the emergence of thematic threads like social exile and reconnection, woven in unexpectedly thrilling ways by an array of captivating local and international voices.”
The Platform section was launched in 2015 to showcase “bold directorial visions.” Films that have screened in the section in the past include Jenkins’ “Moonlight” as well as Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal,” Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin,” Pablo Larrain’s “Jackie” and William Oldroyd’s “Lady Macbeth.”
Here is the complete list of Platform films. All 10 films will be making their world premieres at TIFF.
- “Dear Jassi,” Tarsem Singh Dhandwar (India)
- “Dream Scenario,” Kristoffer Borgli (USA)
- “Great Absence,” Kei Chika-ura (Japan)
- “I Told You So” (“Te l’avevo detto”), Ginevra Elkann (Italy)
- “The King Tide,” Christian Sparkes (Canada)
- “Not A Word” (“Kein Wort”), Hanna Slak (Germany/Slovenia/France)
- “The Rye Horn” (“O Corno”), Jaione Camborda (Spain/Belgium/Portugal)
- “Sisterhood (HLM Pussy),” Nora El Hourch (France)
- “Shame on Dry Land” (“Syndabocken”), Axel Petersén (Sweden)
- “Spirit of Ecstasy” (“La Vénus d’argent”), Héléna Klotz (France)
The 2023 Toronto International Film Festival will run from Sept. 7 through Sept. 17.
