The Toronto International Film Festival returns September 5 – 15, 2024 for its 49th edition. The festival’s “Discovery” lineup was recently announced. The category is described “Directors to watch. The future of world cinema.”

Check out the Discovery lineup below:

Aberdeen – Ryan Cooper, Eva Thomas. “A tour-de-force performance by Gail Maurice (Bones of Crows, TIFF ’22) sees her inhabit the role of Aberdeen, a woman who must rise above hardships to save her grandkids, and herself.”

Bonjour Tristesse – Durga Chew-Bose. “Bonjour Tristesse, Durga Chew-Bose’s adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s unforgettable coming-of-age novel of the same name, is a sun-soaked heralding of a singular artist.”

Boong – Lakshmipriya Devi. “In her debut film, Lakshmipriya Devi crafts a vibrant and poignant portrayal of childhood resilience following a schoolboy, Boong, as he defies borders and ethno-racial discord in Manipur to reunite his family.”

Diciannove – Giovanni Tortorici. “In Diciannove (translating to Nineteen), Giovanni Tortorici’s elegant, heartfelt, and daring debut, a curious student learns that the road to self-discovery is worthwhile, if not necessary, no matter how unfamiliar or daunting the path.”

Do I Know You From Somewhere? – Arianna Martinez. “A committed couple finds their life slipping away, not because they’ve done anything in particular, but because their history is unwriting itself. Sort of.”

Freedom Way – Afolabi Olalekan. “A start-up faces unfavorable government laws and police harassment, causing a ripple effect in the lives of nine individuals, setting them on a collision course.”

Gülizar – Belkıs Bayrak. “Bride-to-be Gülizar believes a brighter future is on the horizon. When a violent assault occurs on her journey from Turkey to Kosovo where she planned a fresh start, she is forced to navigate a new path forward.”

Horizonte – César Augusto Acevedo. “A mother and her long-lost son journey through war-torn Colombia seeking redemption and discovering that only great sacrifices can heal their souls and mend their fractured past.”

Ink Wash – Sarra Tsorakidis. “The debut from director Sarra Tsorakidis follows a painter approaching her 40th birthday and reeling from a breakup. A difficult professional job offers crucial insights into her personal life, a reminder that the only way out of the woods is going through them.”

Linda – Mariana Wainstein. “Self-assured, mysterious, and captivating Linda agrees to work at an affluent home in Buenos Aires. Her charm sparks strong sexual attraction among all members of the family, exposing how fragile their externally happy veneer really is.”

Meat – Dimitris Nakos. “In a tale rooted in ancient Greek tragedy, a patriarch must decide the fate of his son and the boy he raised when a long-standing unneighbourly feud turns to murder.”

Mother Mother – K’naan Warsame. “United by tragedy in rural Somalia, a widowed camel farmer and a young American must find common ground in this drama from Somali Canadian recording artist K’naan Warsame.”

My Father’s Daughter – Egil Pedersen. “Egil Pedersen’s delightful debut film follows the wistful teenaged Elvira (Sarah Olaussen Eira) as she discovers the truth about her father’s identity. Featuring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones).”

On Falling – Laura Carreira. “In her feature debut, Laura Carreira crafts an intimate and unwavering portrait of an isolated Portuguese migrant and her relationship to the precarious labour that constrains and defines her.”

Really Happy Someday – J Stevens. “A rising musical-theatre star before his transition, Z (Breton Lalama) has to figure out how to sing in his new register in order to return to the thing he loves most — and, in the process, integrate his past and present selves.”

Saba – Maksud Hossain. “In his deeply emotional directorial debut, Bangladeshi filmmaker Maksud Hossain refracts end-of-life care through two completely opposite views held within a fraught mother–daughter relationship.”

Sad Jokes – Fabian Stumm. “Set in present-day Berlin, this tragicomical second feature from writer-director-actor Fabian Stumm poignantly portrays modern queer life and the perseverance required of an artist.”

Seeds – Kaniehtiio Horn. “Kaniehtiio Horn (Alice, Darling, TIFF ’22) wrote, directed, and stars in Seeds, a tense thriller that weaves Kanienʼkehá꞉ka connections to the land with a cat-and-mouse game.”

Shook – Amar Wala. “Struggling writer Ashish is thrown for several loops when he falls for barista Claire and learns his estranged father has just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, in Amar Wala’s first dramatic feature.”

The Courageous – Jasmin Gordon. “Jasmin Gordon’s poignant and impeccably crafted feature film debut rattles our perceptions of motherhood and moral integrity with its intimate and complex portrait of a sort of woman who is rarely depicted.”

The Paradise of Thorns – Boss Kuno. “When a tragedy takes Sek away from Thongkam, it’s as though the whole world is denying the love between the two men. Thongkam has no option but to fight for the fruits of his labour and love.”

The Party’s Over – Elena Manrique. “In southern Spain, a wealthy divorcée’s life is upended when a young Senegalese immigrant takes refuge in her tool shed. Though it explores harsh realities, Elena Manrique’s directorial debut blends humour and vulnerability to create a poignant story.”

The Quiet Ones – Frederik Louis Hviid. “Based on the true story of Denmark’s biggest-ever robbery, Frederik Louis Hviid’s heist thriller highlights the steely professionalism of men operating outside the law.”

U Are the Universe – Pavlo Ostrikov. “Written and filmed during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Pavlo Ostrikov’s debut feature is a true wonder and a prescient reminder how important it is to connect with someone who understands during the darkest of times.”