The organizers of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival announced its initial slate of Gala and Special Presentation films coming to Toronto this fall, and the slate spans blockbusters to auteur cinema.
READ MORE: 50 Films We Hope To See At The 2016 Fall Film Festivals
The most exciting thing about any festival is discovering something new, and there are any number of titles in Toronto that could end up being something special. I’ve particularly got my eye on “Planetarium” starring Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp, “The Secret Scripture” with Rooney Mara, “Orphan” with the intriguing trio of Adèle Haenel, Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Gemma Arterton, the return of Christopher Guest with “Mascots,” the western “Brimstone,” and much more. All of the aforementioned movies, plus others, are featured in the first look images below.
TIFF runs from September 8-18.
The Edge of Seventeen, Kelly Fremon Craig, USA, World Premiere
The directorial debut of writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig follows high school junior Nadine, who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian starts dating her best friend Krista. All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner and Hayden Szeto.
The Headhunter’s Calling, Mark Williams, Canada, World Premiere
A ruthless corporate headhunter in Chicago battles his rival for control of their job placement firm, until a family tragedy brings his personal and professional lives into conflict. Starring Gerard Butler, Alison Brie, Willem Dafoe, Gretchen Mol, Alfred Molina, and Max Jenkins.
LBJ, Rob Reiner, USA, World Premiere
On November 22, 1963, one president’s life was taken while another’s was resurrected. LBJ tells the story of politician Lyndon B. Johnson who was at risk of fading into irrelevancy but, upon John F. Kennedy’s assassination, seized his moment to rescue a nation and claim his place among the most influential US presidents. LBJ is an intimate look into Johnson’s masterful political manoeuvring during one of the most difficult times in America’s history. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, and Michael Stahl-David.
Planetarium, Rebecca Zlotowski, France/Belgium, North American Premiere
Kate and Laura Barlow, two young American spiritualists in 1930s Paris, finish their world tour. Fascinated by their gift, a powerful French film producer hires them to shoot a highly ambitious film. In the vortex of cinema, experiments, and feelings, this new family doesn’t yet see what Europe will soon go through. Stars Natalie Portman, Lily-Rose Depp, Emmanuel Salinger, Amira Casar, Pierre Salvadori and Louis Garrel.
The Secret Scripture, Jim Sheridan, Ireland, World Premiere
A once vibrant and lively beauty in her youth, Roseanne McNulty has spent the majority of her adult life confined to a mental hospital in rural Ireland. She has been institutionalized for so long, no one seems to remember why she was hospitalized in the first place. When a new chief psychiatrist takes a keen interest in her, he finds a hidden memoir she has written over the course of decades. It unravels the mystery of her incarceration, telling the tale of her passionate, yet tortured, life. Starring Vanessa Redgrave, Rooney Mara, Theo James, Eric Bana, and Jack Reynor
Strange Weather, Katherine Dieckmann, USA, World Premiere
A lyrical, emotionally rich drama tracking Darcy as she travels the Deep South with her friend in an effort to process her grief over the loss of her son. A story about forgiveness, redemption, grace, and how to be fully alive when facing death. Starring Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, and Kim Coates.
Their Finest, Lone Scherfig, United Kingdom, World Premiere
Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig’s period comedy-drama follows a group of filmmakers struggling to make an inspirational film to boost morale — and inspire America to join the war — during the London Blitz in World War II. A witty, romantic and moving portrayal of a young woman finding her way, and her voice, in the mayhem of war…and movies. Starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Helen McCrory, Eddie Marsan, Jake Lacy, Rachel Stirling, and Richard E. Grant.
A United Kingdom, Amma Asante, United Kingdom, World Premiere
This biopic tells the true story of Seretse Khama, King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he married in 1947 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. Starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.
The Age of Shadows (Miljeong), Kim Jee woon, South Korea, North American Premiere
The latest from cutting-edge director Kim Jee woon is an epic-scale period thriller about a double agent sent to infiltrate a band of freedom fighters during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1920s. Starring Korean superstars Song Kang ho, Han Ji min, and Gong Yoo.
All I See Is You, Marc Forster, Thailand, World Premiere
Set in exotic locations, this unique and visually-driven psychological drama tells the story of a blind woman and her husband, who upon restoration of her sight, begins to discover previously unseen and disturbing details about themselves, their marriage, and their lives. Stars Blake Lively, Yvonne Strahovski, and Jason Clarke.
Blue Jay, Alex Lehmann, USA, World Premiere
Meeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts reflect on their shared past through the lens of their differently dissatisfied presents, in this tender, wise and affecting chamber drama from first-time feature director Alex Lehmann. Starring Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson.
Brimstone, Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands/Germany/France/Belgium/Sweden/United Kingdom, North American Premiere
A triumphant epic of survival set in the searing wilds of the Badlands, the menacing inferno of the old American West. This tale of powerful womanhood and resistance against the unforgiving cruelty of a hell on earth follows Liz, a heroine carved from the beautiful wilderness, full of heart and grit, and accused of a crime she didn’t commit, hunted by a vengeful preacher. Stars Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Emilia Jones, Carice Van Houten and Kit Harington.
Carrie Pilby, Susan Johnson, USA World Premiere
Carrie, a person of high intelligence who graduated Harvard at 18, struggles to make sense of the world as it relates to morality, relationships, sex and leaving her New York City apartment. Susan Johnson makes her feature directorial debut in this beautiful adaptation of the acclaimed novel. Stars Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Vanessa Bayer, and Jason Ritter.
Denial, Mick Jackson, USA/United Kingdom, World Premiere
Based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, this riveting, true-life drama recounts the courtroom showdown between historian Deborah E. Lipstadt and notorious Holocaust denier David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove that the Holocaust had occurred. Starring Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott, Jack Lowden, Caren Pistorius and Alex Jennings.