The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced the 12 long-listed films for the 2024 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award, spotlighting emerging Canadian directors to watch out for this festival season.
This year’s long list includes Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language, which will represent Canada in the race for Best International Feature Film; Tamara Segura’s feature documentary Seguridad, exploring the Newfoundland-based filmmaker’s complicated relationship with her father in the context of the Cuban Revolution; and Melanie Oates’ second feature Sweet Angel Baby, which is making its premiere at TIFF this week.
Other directors making the long list include:
- 7 Beats Per Minute, Yuqi Kang
- A French Youth, Jérémie Battaglia
- Inedia, Liz Cairns
- Lovely, Serville Poblete
- Monica’s News, Pamela Gallant
- Seeds, Kaniehtiio Horn
- Simply Johanne, Nadine Valcin
- You Are Not Alone (Vous n’êtes pas seuls), Marie-Hélène Viens & Philippe Lupien
- Young Werther, José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço
The films are set to screen at TIFF, Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC), the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), the Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF), Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF), the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF), with some already making their debut at Hot Docs.
“We are honoured and thrilled to be able to amplify these bold new voices, artists who’ve created trailblazing cinematic works” said Warren P. Sonoda, DGC President. “These filmmakers showcase both the talent and the diverse range of voices keeping Canadian cinema at the cutting-edge.”
The Discovery Award was rededicated in 2022 to long-time DGC Director Member Jean-Marc Vallée. The Discovery Award Jury is chaired by Andrea Martinez Crowther, along with Ivan Madeira, Hayley Gray, Ryan Couldrey, Fawzia Mirza, and Charles Uwagbai.
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