As if there wasn’t enough to be excited about at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it looks like the 2018 Platform lineup looks to be pretty spectacular. With films from Karyn Kusama, Alex Ross Perry, Tim Sutton, and Carol Morley, to name only a few, TIFF’s 2018 program that focuses on distinct voices and assured directorial efforts that address difficult subject matters unflinchingly looks to be an incredibly strong selection of projects.
Perhaps the two biggest projects are headlined by filmmakers Kusama and Perry, respectively. Kusama has scheduled the international premiere of her latest film, “Destroyer,” starring Nicole Kidman, Tatiana Maslany, and Sebastian Stan. The crime thriller follows a young cop that goes undercover to infiltrate a gang in the California desert. “Destroyer” marks Kusama’s return to feature filmmaking, after directing episodes of TV series like “Billions,” “The Man in the High Castle,” and “Halt and Catch Fire.” Her last feature was 2015’s excellent “The Invitation.”
Alex Ross Perry is debuting his latest film, “Her Smell,” starring Elisabeth Moss, Amber Heard, Cara Delevigne, and Dan Stevens. The film follows a self-destructive aging punk star that is going through a variety of issues as she attempts to mentor a younger artist and find her own creative spark.
“This year’s Platform selection stands out for the assured and precise directing on display,” said TIFF Director & CEO Piers Handling. “We are thrilled to present a slate that perfectly embodies the essence of the programme with so many risk-taking, challenging, and, at times, formally inventive titles that are the result of audacious directors making bold choices.”
TIFF begins September 6.
Here’s the full list of films appearing in the Platform section of the festival:
Angelo Markus Schleinzer | Austria/Luxembourg
World Premiere
Cities of Last Things Ho Wi Ding | Taiwan/China/USA/France
World Premiere
Destroyer Karyn Kusama | USA
International Premiere
Platform Opening Film
Donnybrook Tim Sutton | USA
World Premiere
The Good Girls ( Las niñas bien) Alejandra Márquez Abella | Mexico
World Premiere
Her Smell Alex Ross Perry | USA
World Premiere
The Innocent Simon Jaquemet | Switzerland/Germany
World Premiere
Platform Closing Film
Jessica Forever Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel | France
World Premiere
Mademoiselle de Joncquières Emmanuel Mouret | France
World Premiere
Out of Blue Carol Morley | UK
World Premiere
The River Emir Baigazin | Kazakhstan/Poland/Norway
North American Premiere
Rojo Benjamín Naishtat | Argentina/Brazil/France/Netherlands/Germany
World Premiere