Following on from the announcement last month that Irish films The Secret Scripture, Unless and Maudie as well as Northern Irish film The Journey were selected for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, it was announced today that two more Irish productions will be having their world premieres at TIFF. Irish film Without Name and the Irish co-production Forever Pure have joined the list of films chosen to be shown at the prestigious film festival.
Without Name is written by Garret Shanley, directed by Lorcan Finnegan and produced by Brunella Cocchiglia. The film follows a land surveyor who loses his reason in a supernatural environment that defies all boundaries. The film will be screened as part of TIFF’s Vanguard section, which focuses on emerging directors and auteurs of tomorrow. Without Name was produced as part of the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board initiative Catalyst Project, which was launched in an attempt to discover and profile new Irish talent by low-budget features. The winning teams of the selection process had access to key industry mentors throughout the filmmaking process and Without Name is the first feature film to be produced under the Catalyst Project scheme.
Commenting on the selection, director Lorcan Finnegan said: “We are delighted to be unleashing Without Name into the world at TIFF, especially in the Vanguard program. I am a fan of many of the films that have screened in the same program in the past and very much look forward to the audience reaction to our film. It will definitely take them to a place they haven’t been before, to a place Without Name.”
Alan Maher of Roads Entertainment is among the co-producers of documentary Forever Pure. Directed by Israeli filmmaker and journalist Maya Zinshtein, Forever Pure focuses on Israeli football club Beitar Jerusalem, which became a flashpoint for controversy in 2012 when the signing of two Muslim players brought down the racist wrath of the team’s long-time fans. This is the second year in a row that Roads Entertainment have had a feature documentary shown at TIFF, with AP McCoy documentary Being AP selected last year.
The Toronto International Film Festival takes place from the 8-18 September 2016.