With the Venice Film Festival lineup announcement later this week, you knew that Toronto wasn’t going to be that far behind. However, even though TIFF doesn’t begin until after the Italian festival, this year, the folks in Toronto beat Venice to the punch. And with the first wave of titles announced for TIFF, it appears that the event is going to be just as star-studded as you might expect.
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Today, the Toronto International Film Festival announced that “Jojo Rabbit,” written and directed by Taika Waititi, would have its world premiere. The film is said to be about a young German boy during World War II that is dealing with his life at home with the help of his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler. Waititi himself stars as the former German leader.
But “Jojo Rabbit” isn’t the only major film that will debut this September. There are also major new films from the likes of Steven Soderbergh, who will screen his Netflix awards contender, “The Laundromat,” Rian Johnson and his whodunnit “Knives Out,” Marielle Heller and her Mister Rogers biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and Noah Baumbach and his own Netflix film “Marriage Story.”
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Oh yeah, and Todd Phillips‘ highly anticipated “Joker” is landing at TIFF, as well, but as a North American premiere. This all but guarantees that the world premiere will be in Venice.
Other highlights include Hugh Jackman, who is set to star in “Bad Education,” which is the sophomore film from director Cory Finley. The filmmaker turned heads in 2017 thanks to his film “Thoroughbreds.” Now, all eyes are on Finley and Jackman, as well as co-stars Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Ray Romano.
Another film that is coming to TIFF this year include “Blackbird” from “Notting Hill” director Roger Michell and starring Susan Sarandon, Rainn Wilson, Kate Winslet, Mia Wasikowska, and Sam Neill.
“Some of the year’s biggest films will land in Toronto this September,” said Bailey, Co-Head and Artistic Director of TIFF. “We’re thrilled to unveil Galas and Special Presentations that bring the brightest lights in film to our Festival audience. Our new programming team has been hard at work for months to deliver the compelling stories, acclaimed filmmakers, and top onscreen talent that mark our two highest-profile sections.”
“I’m delighted to step into my first Festival as TIFF Co-Head to such a powerful slate of films,” said Vicente, Co-Head and Executive Director of TIFF. “Fast-paced, boundary-pushing, satirical — this lineup has films representing every corner of the cinematic landscape on top of a strong number of World Premieres. It’s a pleasure to be able to share these films with audiences for the first time.”
TIFF 2019 begins on September 5.
Here’s the lineup for TIFF 2019:
GALAS 2019
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere
Abominable Jill Culton | USA
World Premiere
American Woman Semi Chellas | Canada
Canadian Premiere
Blackbird Roger Michell | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Clemency Chinonye Chukwu | USA
International Premiere
Ford v Ferrari James Mangold | USA
Canadian Premiere
The Goldfinch John Crowley | USA
World Premiere
Harriet Kasi Lemmons | USA
World Premiere
Hustlers Lorene Scafaria | USA
World Premiere
Joker Todd Phillips | USA
North American Premiere
Just Mercy Destin Daniel Cretton | USA
World Premiere
*Opening Night Film*
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band Daniel Roher | Canada
World Premiere
Ordinary Love Lisa Barros D’Sa, Glenn Leyburn | United Kingdom
World Premiere
*Closing Night Film*
Radioactive Marjane Satrapi | United Kingdom
World Premiere
The Sky Is Pink Shonali Bose | India
World Premiere
The Song of Names François Girard | Canada
World Premiere
True History of the Kelly Gang Justin Kurzel | Australia
World Premiere
Western Stars Thom Zimny, Bruce Springsteen | USA
World Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2019
A Herdade Tiago Guedes | Portugal
North American Premiere
Bad Education Cory Finley | USA
World Premiere
Coming Home Again Wayne Wang | USA/South Korea
World Premiere
Dolemite Is My Name Craig Brewer | USA
World Premiere
Ema Pablo Larraín | Chile
North American Premiere
Endings, Beginnings Drake Doremus | USA
World Premiere
Frankie Ira Sachs | France/Portugal
North American Premiere
The Friend Gabriela Cowperthwaite | USA
World Premiere
Greed Michael Winterbottom | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Guest of Honour Atom Egoyan | Canada
North American Premiere
Heroic Losers (La odisea de los giles) Sebastian Borensztein | Argentina/Spain
International Premiere
Honey Boy Alma Har’el | USA
International Premiere
Hope Gap William Nicholson | United Kingdom
World Premiere
How to Build a Girl Coky Giedroyc | United Kingdom
World Premiere
*Opening Special Presentations Film*
I Am Woman Unjoo Moon | Australia
World Premiere
Jojo Rabbit Taika Waititi | USA
World Premiere
Judy Rupert Goold | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
Knives Out Rian Johnson | USA
World Premiere
La Belle Époque Nicolas Bedos | France
North American Premiere
The Laundromat Steven Soderbergh | USA
North American Premiere
The Lighthouse Robert Eggers | USA
North American Premiere
Marriage Story Noah Baumbach | USA
Canadian Premiere
Military Wives Peter Cattaneo | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Motherless Brooklyn Edward Norton | USA
International Premiere
No.7 Cherry Lane Yonfan | Hong Kong
North American Premiere
The Other Lamb Malgorzata Szumowska | Belgium/Ireland/USA
World Premiere
Pain and Glory Pedro Almodóvar | Spain
Canadian Premiere
The Painted Bird Václav Marhoul | Czech Republic/Ukraine/Slovakia
North American Premiere
Parasite (Gisaengchung) Bong Joon-ho | South Korea
Canadian Premiere
Pelican Blood (Pelikanblut) Katrin Gebbe | Germany/Bulgaria
North American Premiere
The Personal History of David Copperfield Armando Iannucci | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) Céline Sciamma | France
Canadian Premiere
The Report Scott Z. Burns | USA
International Premiere
Saturday Fiction (Lan Xin Da Ju Yuan) Lou Ye | China
North American Premiere
The Two Popes Fernando Meirelles | USA/United Kingdom/Italy/Argentina
Canadian Premiere
Uncut Gems Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie | USA
International Premiere
Weathering With You Makoto Shinkai | Japan
North American Premiere
While at War (Mientras Dure La Guerra) Alejandro Amenábar | Spain/Argentina
World Premiere