The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival announced its full lineup of Galas and Special Presentations today in what is a complete embarrassment of riches as the event blasts off after last year’s actors strike with 29 titles having rights for sale.
Among those movies making their world premieres is the Angelina Jolie-directed war drama Without Blood, starring Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir, based on the Alessandro Baricco novel. There’s also Mike Leigh’s first movie in six years, Hard Truths, with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, which is billed as an “ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with a tragicomic study of human strengths and weaknesses.”
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Gia Coppola has the drama The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd, which follows a seasoned stage dancer who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.
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Among the feature directorial debuts at the fest, there’s Argo editor William Goldenberg’s Amazon sports biopic Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez, as well as Black Panther DP Oscar nominee Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside.
A24 has the previously announced Florence Pugh-Andrew Garfield romantic drama We Live in Time, and new today is the Hugh Grant horror thriller Heretic from A Quiet Place scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
David Mackenzie, who previously was at TIFF with the world premiere of his Outlaw King, has the thriller Relay, starring Lily James, Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald, which centers on a broker of lucrative payoffs who breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive.
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More star-studded fare: There’s the world premiere of the Alicia Vikander-Elizabeth Olsen sci-fi movie The Assessment from Fleur Fortune, which follows a couple who faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing in an utopian society.
Interesting to note and in a complete spoiler to what’s likely Telluride: Focus Features’ Edward Berger papal movie Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, is making its international premiere here at TIFF. The movie which also stars Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow, hits U.S. theaters November 1. Fiennes is doing double duty at TIFF this year, also starring in the Juliette Binoche reteam The Return, which Bleecker Street is releasing in December.
Also there’s the international premiere of Piece by Piece, Morgan Neville’s Lego documentary about Pharrell Williams, which Focus opens October 11.
Of course, there’s a lot of this past Cannes’ greatest hits including Neon’s Palme d’Or winner Anora from Sean Baker; the award-winning Spanish musical noir Emilia Perez, which Netflix acquired; David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds; and Andrea Arnold’s Bird, among several other titles.
Let’s also not forget the world premiere of Hulu documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. It wouldn’t be shocking if the 20-time Grammy winner makes a big appearance at the fest.
In total, the Galas and Special Presentations section counts 63 movies from 25 countries.
Per TIFF, “The Gala and Special Presentations programs are recognized for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across all genres and styles, from all corners of the world.”
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Here are the TIFF films revealed so far:
Galas 2024
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere
Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere
*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere
Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere
*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere
*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere
Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere
Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere
Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced
40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere
All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere
Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere
Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere
Can I Get a Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere
Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere
Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere
Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere
Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere
Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere
I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere
I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere
*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere
*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere
Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere
Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere
Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere
Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere
The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere
The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere
The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere
The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere
*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere
Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available
*previously announced