Genre is in ascension, and Fantasia’s Frontières and the Toronto Festival’s TIFF: The Market are making sure Canadian filmmakers can reach for the top this fall.

Frontières, the international genre co-production market organized by Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival, is teaming up with TIFF: The Market to crack open a new genre market showcase at the event’s inaugural edition this September. 

The showcase will spotlight three Canadian and two international titles at various stages of development. Accredited market attendees look set to get a first look at stories bubbling in the brains of some of the most exciting creators in contemporary genre filmmaking.

The call for submissions for the new showcase opens today (May 28) for titles in all genres sub-genres and stages of development. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Frontières on this dynamic new initiative,” said Charles Tremblay, head of TIFF: The Market. “One of our primary objectives with the Market is to create space for the wealth of exceptional Canadian talent and projects to garner global attention.

“By aligning our strengths, we’re not only expanding opportunities for storytellers, we’re building a viable platform for distinctive genre content to reach wider audiences.” 

The TIFF: The Market partnership continues Frontières’ global expansion, following the recent announcement of a new gap-financing program for genre film launching at Tokyo’s TIFFCOM this fall, as well as earlier successes this year at the European Film Market, its evolving partnership with the Marché du Film in Cannes, and its flagship four-day market event, which will be reanimated at the Fantasia International Film Festival in July.

The Fantasia and Frontières’ teams have long been front row center in Toronto’s popular Midnight Madness sidebar, a jewel in the genre universe that has premiered some dangerously hot acquisition titles over the years igniting. 

“TIFF has always been a fundamental pillar of our industry, and we are proud to partner with the Market for this special showcase, spotlighting Canadian visionary filmmakers and bold new voices shaping the future of genre cinema,” Tania Morissette, Fantasia deputy director told Variety. “It’s an exciting opportunity to support projects at a pivotal stage in their journey and connect them with collaborators, and industry leaders from around the world.

Notable Canadian genre films that have participated in Frontières market programs in recent years include Zarrara Khan’s “In Flames,” Annick Blanc’s “Hunting Daze,” Avalon Fast’s “Camp,” Ramsey Fendall and Deanna Milligan’s “Lucid,” Seb McKinnon’s “The Stolen Child” by Seb McKinnon, and this year’s highly anticipated “Ancestral Beasts” by Tim Riedel.

The Frontières International Co-Production Market is funded by Telefilm Canada, SODEC, the Government of Quebec, the City of Montreal, Tourisme Montréal, le Conseil des arts de Montréal, and RDV Canada.

TIFF: The Market takes place over Sept. 10-16. Registration is now open. Early bird rates end June 5. Exhibition spaces are also available.

Funded by the Government of Canada and supported by major supporter Telefilm Canada, TIFF: The Market expands TIFF’s scope of offerings, reinforces its role as a global entertainment industry leader in screen-based storytelling, and fosters sustainable growth for the industry worldwide. 

Aligned with the Festival, TIFF: The Market fosters the buying and selling of screen-based projects, intellectual property, and immersive and innovative content across all platforms, elevating Canadian and international talent while driving global distribution and sales.