There was a moment, an ever brief one, where I thought that maybe this year’s Toronto International Film Festival might be slightly underwhelming. Today, organizers have quickly disabused me of any such notions. A massive slate of new titles have just been added and there is some fantastic stuff coming.
As part of their Special Presentations lineup, TIFF has secured the World Premiere of two big fall movies: David Gordon Green‘s political dramedy "Our Brand Is Crisis" starring Sandra Bullock, and James Vanderbilt‘s "Truth", featuring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford. Damn. That’s not all. Tom Hiddleston‘s Hank Williams biopic "I Saw The Light" also gets its first screening in Toronto, as does the Johnny Depp starring "London Fields," which I totally forgot existed.
There’s lot of great World Cinema riches to be found as well, including the North American premiere of Rachel Attenberg‘s "Chevalier," along with "The Whispering Star," the latest from the super prolific Sion Sono.
Dig in with the latest additions below. TIFF runs from September 10-20.
Closing Night Film
"Mr. Right," Paco Cabezas, USA, World Premiere
Galas
"Disorder (Maryland)," Alice Winocour, France/Belgium, North American Premiere
"Miss You Already," Catherine Hardwicke, United Kingdom, World Premiere
"Mississippi Grind," Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, USA, Canadian Premiere
Special Presentations
"45 Years," Andrew Haigh, United Kingdom, Canadian Premiere
"About Ray," Gaby Dellal, USA, World Premiere
"Being Charlie," Rob Reiner, USA, World Premiere
"Body (Body/Cialo)," Małgorzata Szumowska, Poland, North American Premiere
"Equals," Drake Doremus, USA, North American Premiere
"I Saw the Light," Marc Abraham, USA, World Premiere
"ma ma," Julio Medem, Spain/France, International Premiere
"The Meddler," Lorene Scafaria, USA, World Premiere
"Mr. Six (Lao Pao Er)," Guan Hu, China, North American Premiere
"Mustang," Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Turkey/France/Germany, North American Premiere
"My Mother (Mia Madre)," Nanni Moretti, Italy/France, North American Premiere
"Our Brand Is Crisis," David Gordon Green, USA, World Premiere
"A Tale of Love and Darkness," Natalie Portman Israel/USA, North American Premiere
"A Tale of Three Cities (San Cheng Ji)," Mabel Cheung, China, International Premiere
"The Wave Roar," Uthaug, Norway, International Premiere
"The Witch," Robert Eggers, USA/Canada, Canadian Premiere
"25 April," Leanne Pooley, New Zealand, World Premiere
"3000 Nights (3000 Layla)," Mai Masri, Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon/United Arab Emirates/Qatar, World Premiere
"An Naomi Kawase," Japan/France/Germany, North American Premiere
"As I Open My Eyes (A peine j’ouvre les jeux)," Leyla Bouzid, Tunisia/France/Belgium, North American Premiere
"Baba Joon," Yuval Delshad, Israel, World Premiere
"Box," Florin Șerban, Romania/Germany/France, North American Premiere
"Campo Grande," Sandra Kogut, Brazil/France, World Premiere
"Chevalier," Athina Rachel Tsangari, Greece, North American Premiere
"A Copy of My Mind," Joko Anwar, Indonesia/South Korea, North American Premiere
"The Endless River (La Rivière sans fin)," Oliver Hermanus, South Africa/France, North American Premiere
"The Fear (La Peur)," Damien Odoul, France, World Premiere
"Frenzy (Abluka)," Emin Alper, Turkey/France, North American Premiere
"Granny’s Dancing on the Table," Hanna Sköld, Sweden, World Premiere
"A Heavy Heart (Herbert)," Thomas Stuber, Germany, World Premiere
"Homesick (De nærmeste)," Anne Sewitsky, Norway, Canadian Premiere
"Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous," Christopher Doyle, Hong Kong, World Premiere
"Invisible (Imbisibol)," Lawrence Fajardo, Philippines/Japan, International Premiere
"Incident Light (La Luz Incidente)," Ariel Rotter, Argentina/France/Uruguay, World Premiere
"I Promise You Anarchy (Te prometo anarquía)," Julio Hernández Cordón, Mexico/Germany, North American Premiere
"Ivy (Sarmaşik)," Tolga Karaçelik, Turkey, Canadian Premiere
"Jack," Elisabeth Scharang, Austria, North American Premiere
"The Kind Words (Hamilim Hatovot)," Shemi Zarhin, Israel/Canada, International Premiere
"Koza," Ivan Ostrochovský, Slovakia/Czech Republic, North American Premiere
"Lamb," Yared Zeleke, Ethiopia/France/Germany/Norway, North American Premiere
"Let Them Come (Maintenant ils peuvent venire)," Salem Brahimi, France/Algeria, World Premiere
"Magallanes" Salvador del Solar, Peru/Argentina/Colombia/Spain, International Premiere
"Mekko," Sterlin Harjo, USA, International Premiere
"Much Loved," Nabil Ayouch, Morocco/France, North American Premiere
"One Floor Below (Un Etaj mai Jos)," Radu Muntean, Romania/France/Germany/Sweden, North American Premiere
"Parisienne (Peur de rein)," Danielle Arbid, France, World Premiere
"THE PEOPLE vs. FRITZ BAUER (Der Staat gegen Fritz Bauer)," Lars Kraume, Germany, North American
"Price of Love," Hermon Hailay, Ethiopia, North American Premiere
"Rams (Hrútar)," Grímur Hákonarson, Iceland, Canadian Premiere
"Starve Your Dog," Hicham Lasri, Morocco, World Premiere
"The Steps," Andrew Currie, Canada, World Premiere
"Story of Judas (Histoire de Judas)," Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche, France, North American Premiere
"Stranger (Zhat)," Yermek Tursunov, Kazakhstan, World Premiere
"Thank You for Bombing," Barbara Eder, Austria, World Premiere
"The Treasure (Comoara)," Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania/France, North American Premiere
"Truman," Cesc Gay, Spain/Argentina, World Premiere
"The Whispering Star (Hiso Hiso Boshi)," Sion Sono, Japan, World Premiere
Wavelengths, Short Films:
"Wavelengths 2: YOLO," including "A Distant Episode," "An Old Dog’s Diary," "The Reminder," Solo for Rich Man," "YOLO," "Analysis of Emotions and Vexations," "Bunte Kuh"
"Wavelengths 3: Light Space Modulator," including "Navigator," "Théodolitique," "Office Space Modulation," "Palms," Occidente," "Terrestrial," "Tarlabaşı"
"Wavelengths 4: Psychic Driving," including "Actua1," "Time for Outrage!," "Untitled," "Many Thousands Gone," "Neither God nor Santa," "Psychic Driving," "UNcirCling," "Engram of Returning"
"Night without distance (Noite Sem Distância)" by Lois Patiño and "Minotaur" by Nicolás Pereda.
"Santa Teresa and Other Stories (Santa Teresa y Otras Historias)" by Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias and "Paradox of Praxis 5" by Francis Alÿs
"False Start (Faux Départ)" by Yto Barrada and Denis Côté’s short film "May We Sleep Soundly"
Wavelengths, Features:
"Arabian Nights: The Restless One," Miguel Gomes, Portugal/France/Germany/Switzerland, North American Premiere
"Arabian Nights: The Desolate One," Miguel Gomes, Portugal/France/Germany/Switzerland, North American Premiere
"Arabian Nights: The Enchanted One," Miguel Gomes, Portugal/France/Germany/Switzerland, North American Premiere
"Eva Doesn’t Sleep," Pablo Agüero, France/Argentina/Spain, World Premiere
"The Event," Sergei Loznitsa, Netherlands/Belgium, North American Premiere
"Lost and Beautiful (Bella e perduta)," Pietro Marcello, Italy North, American Premiere
"The Other Side," Roberto Minervini, France/Italy, North American Premiere
"The Sky Trembles and the Earth is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers," Ben Rivers, United Kingdom, North American Premiere
Previously announced feature films include Mark Lewis’ "Invention" and Evan Johnson and Guy Maddin’s "The Forbidden Room."
"Fallen Objects," Shambhavi Kaul, USA/India
"Fireworks (Archives)," Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Thailand/Mexico
Previously announced programming includes the lecture-performance, "Stories Are Meaning-Making Machines" by Annie MacDonnell and Maïder Fortuné; and film installations "La Giubba" by Corin Sworn and Tony Romano; "The Forbidden Room – A Living Poster" by Galen Johnson; and "Bring me the Head of Tim Horton" by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson.
City to City:
"Couple in a Hole," Tom Geens, United Kingdom/Belgium/France, World Premiere
"Kill Your Friends," Owen Harris, United Kingdom, North American Premiere
"Kilo Two Bravo," Paul Katis, United Kingdom, International Premiere
"London Road," Rufus Norris, United Kingdom, International Premiere
"Northern Soul," Elaine Constantine, United Kingdom, North American Premiere
"Urban Hymn," Michael Caton-Jones, United Kingdom, World Premiere