Stephen Frears’ drama The Lost King starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, Shekhar Kapur’s comedy What’s Love Got to Do With It? with Lily James and Emma Thompson and Apple’s Jennifer Lawrence drama Causeway from Lila Neugebauer are among this year’s gala and special presentations for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, September 8-18).
Further previously unannounced world premiere selections include Richard Eyre’s hospital drama Allelujah (pictured) from Pathé with Jennifer Saunders and Judi Dench, Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain in Tobias Lindholm’s Netflix true-life crime drama The Good Nurse, Hong Sang-soo’s Walk Up, JD Dillard’s Korean War film Devotion, HanWay Films’ Australian eco-drama Blueback from Robert Connolly starring Mia Wasikowska, and Netflix’s English and German-language war film All Quiet On The Western Front from Edward Berger.
There are Canadian premieres for Searchlight Pictures’ love letter to cinema Empire Of Light from Sam Mendes, starring Olivia Colman and Colin Firth, Sarah Polley’s anticipated religious colony drama Women Talking with Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Frances McDormand and Ben Whishaw, and Sebastian Lelio’s mystery The Wonder from Element Pictures, House Productions and Netflix starring Florence Pugh. None of these were announced in the Venice line-up, suggesting possible world premiere berths at Telluride, which takes place in Colorado from September 2-6.
Among the world premieres announced on Thursday (July 28) are Searchlight Pictures’ period drama Chevalier from Stephen Williams and The Menu from Mark Mylod, Netflix’s Tyler Perry drama A Jazzman’s Blues, Catherine Hardwicke crime drama Prisoner’s Daughter with Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale, and Diego Lerman’s Argentinian drama El Suplente. Christian Carion’s French drama Driving Madeleine gets an international premiere.
As previously announced the world premiere of Sally El Hosaini’s refugee drama The Swimmers from Netflix will open the festival on September 8 and others announced in the past couple of weeks include Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Michael Grandage’s My Policeman, and Clement Virgo’s Brother.
Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale and Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees Of Inisherin are among Venice selections to get their North America premieres in Toronto.
“We’re excited to welcome some of the most celebrated figures in movies back to Toronto to present their Gala and Special Presentation films,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “With stories that span six continents and feature performances you just have to see, this line-up delivers the rich experiences we wait all year for. Cinema is alive. Red carpets are back. And the best audience in the world awaits them in Toronto.”
The 18 galas and 45 special presentations appear below. All are world premieres unless stated otherwise. Films with an asterisk have been previously announced.
Gala Presentations
Alice, Darling (Can-US)
Dir. Mary Nighy
Black Ice (Can)
Dir. Hubert Davis
Butcher’s Crossing (US)
Dir. Gabe Polsky
The Greatest Beer Run Ever (US)
Dir. Peter Farrelly
The Hummingbird (It-Fr)
Dir. Francesca Archibugi
Hunt (S Kor)
Dir. Lee Jung-jae
North American premiere
A Jazzman’s Blues (US)
Dir. Tyler Perry
Kacchey Limbu (Ind)
Dir. Shubham Yogi
Moving On (US)
Dir. Paul Weitz
Paris Memories (Fr)
Dir. Alice Winocour
North American premiere
Prisoner’s Daughter (US)
Dir. Catherine Hardwicke
Raymond & Ray (US)
Dir. Rodrigo García
Roost (US)
Dir. Amy Redford
Sidney (US)
Dir. Reginald Hudlin
The Son (UK)
Dir. Florian Zeller
North American premiere
*The Swimmers (UK)
Dir. Sally El Hosaini
Opening night film
What’s Love Got To Do With It? (US-UK)
Dir. Shekhar Kapur
*The Woman King (US)
Dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Allelujah (UK)
Dir. Richard Eyre
All Quiet On The Western Front (US-Ger)
Dir. Edward Berger
The Banshees Of Inisherin (UK-Ire-US)
Dir. Martin McDonagh
North American premiere
Blueback (Aus)
Dir. Robert Connolly
The Blue Caftan (Mor-Fr-Bel-Den)
Dir. Maryam Touzani
North American premiere
Broker (S Kor)
Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
Canadian premiere
Brother (Can)
Dir. Clement Virgo
*Bros (US)
Dir. Nicholas Stoller
*Catherine Called Birdy (UK-US)
Dir. Lena Dunham
Causeway (US)
Dir. Lila Neugebauer
Chevalier (US-Ire)
Dir. Stephen Williams
Corsage (Aus-Fr-Ger)
Dir. Marie Kreutzer
North American premiere
Decision To Leave (S Kor)
Dir. Park Chan-wook
North American premiere
Devotion (US)
Dir. JD Dillard
Driving Madeleine (Fr)
Dir. Christian Carion
International premiere
El Suplente (Arg-It-Mex-Sp-Fr)
Dir. Diego Lerman
Empire Of Light (UK-US)
Dir. Sam Mendes
Canadian premiere
The Eternal Daughter (UK-US-Ire)
Dir. Joanna Hogg
North American premiere
*The Fabelmans (US)
Dir. Steven Spielberg
*Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (US)
Dir. Rian Johnson
Good Night Oppy (US)
Dir. Ryan White
International premiere
The Good Nurse (US)
Dir. Tobias Lindholm
Holy Spider (Den-Ger-Swe-Fr)
Dir. Ali Abbasi
Canadian premiere
Joyland (Pak)
Dir. Saim Sadiq
North American premiere
The King’s Horseman (Nig)
Dir. Biyi Bandele
The Lost King (UK)
Dir. Stephen Frears
A Man of Reason (SK)
Dir. Jung Woo-sung
The Menu (US)
Dir. Mark Mylod
*On the Come Up (US)
Dir. Sanaa Lathan
One Fine Morning (Fr)
Dir. Mia Hansen-Løve
Canadian premiere
Other People’s Children (Fr)
Dir. Rebecca Zlotowski
North American premiere
Moonage Daydream (US)
Dir. Brett Morgen
North American premiere
*My Policeman (UK-US)
Dir. Michael Grandage
Nanny (US)
Dir. Nikyatu Jusu
International premiere
No Bears (Iran)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
North American premiere
The Return Of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile (US)
Dir. Kathlyn Horan
International premiere
Saint Omer (Fr)
Dir. Alice Diop
North American [remiere
Sanctuary (US)
Dir. Zachary Wigon
Stories Not to be Told (Sp)
Dir. Cesc Gay
Triangle Of Sadness (Swe-UK-US-Fr-Ger)
Dir. Ruben Östlund
North American premiere
Walk Up (S Kor)
Dir. Hong Sangsoo
Wendell & Wild (US)
Dir. Henry Selick
The Whale (US)
Dir. Darren Aronofsky
North American premiere
Women Talking (US)
Dir. Sarah Polley
International premiere
The Wonder (UK-Ire)
Dir. Sebastián Lelio
Canadian premiere.
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