by Nathaniel R
Elle Fanning as author Mary Shelley
The annual Toronto International Film Festival, our personal favorite, is just two months away. Today they held a press conference to announce the first batch of films from their special presentations and gala sections (i.e. the premieres of multiple kinds, be it world premiere, international premiere, canadian premiere or whatnot).
A ton of films after the jump...
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
links go to all articles involving the film in question
• BPM (Beats Per Minute) (France) This Cannes sensation is a period political drama about French ACT UP protestors during the AIDS crisis
• Battle of the Sexes (USA) Oscar hopeful true story about the infamous tennis match between Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell)
• The Brawler (India) A sports drama about a lower caste boxer [WORLD PREMIERE]
• The Breadwinner (Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg) An animated film about an 11 year old Afghan girl. From the studio that brought you all those great Irish animated films by Tomm Moore so it's probably special [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Catch the Wind (UK) A factory worker moves to Morocco to follow her job and her life is upended
• Call Me By Your Name (Italy) Luca Guadagnino's next luscious picture (after previously directing the luscious I Am Love and the luscious A Bigger Splash. They're all so... luscious!) is a gay romance between Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer
• The Children Act (UK) an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel about a high court judge in personal and professional crises. This could be a killer role for Emma Thompson who headlines [WORLD PREMIERE]
• The Current War (USA) all star period biopic about the race for sustainable electricity between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Darkest Hour (UK) This WW II Winston Churchill drama is from director Joe Wright (Atonement) and stars Gary Oldman. Everyone expects it to be an Oscar contender
The Rachels in DISOBEDIENCE
• Disobedience (UK) Sebastian Lelio of Gloria fame directs this English language adaptation of Naomi Aldermans novel. The Rachels (McAdams and Weisz) star [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Downsizing (USA) Alexander Payne is finally back. This time in a satire about a man who shrinks himself (Matt Damon)
• A Fantastic Woman (Chile) this trans drama is expected to be Chile's Oscar submission. It's from the director of the wondrous Gloris Sebastían Lelo who has two pictures at the festival.
• First They Killed My Father (Cambodia) Angelina Jolie returns to the director's chair adapting a childhood memoir by Loung Ung
• Guardians (France) Xavier Beauvois directs this drama about the women left behind to tend the farm during World War I [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Hostiles (USA) Scott Cooper of Crazy Heart fame returns with another manly drama, this one a 19th century western, starring Christian Bale, West Studi, Rosamund Pike and more...
• The Hungry (India) An adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus relocated to modern-day India [WORLD PREMIERE]
• I Tonya (USA) Margot Robbie plays Tonya Hardin in this biopic about the disgraced Olympian [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Lady Bird (USA) Greta Gerwig directs Saoirse Ronan [OPENING FILM OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
• mother! (USA) Darren Aronofsky's secretive thriller with Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and the one and only Michelle Pfeiffer
• Novitiate (USA) Melissa Leo and a bunch of young nuns! A Sundance hit
• Omerta (India) About the British terrorist who kidnapped and killed an American reporter Daniel Pearl [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Plonger (France) Actress Melanie Laurent directs this drama about a photographer attempting to "find herself" [WORLD PREMIERE]
• The Price of Success (France) a comedian's sudden succcess causes trouble with his family
• Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (USA) We just discussed the trailer to this biopic about the creator of Wonder Woman [WORLD PREMIERE]
• The Rider a slice of life drama about a cowboy (Brady Jandreau) struggling to start over (USA)
• A Season in France (France) an interracial romance between an African immigrant teacher and a Frenchwoman (the great Sandrine Bonnaire of Vagabond fame) [WORLD PREMIERE]
• The Shape of Water (USA) Guillermo del Toro's fable about a lab worker (Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with an amphibious creature
• Sheikh Jackson (Egypt) a comedy about a Michael Jackson devotee in a tailspin after the King of Pop's death [WORLD PREMIERE, CLOSING FILM OF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]
• The Square (Denmark) The Palme d'Or winning artworld satire from Cannes, from the director of Force Majeure
• Submergence (France/Germany/Spain) Wim Wenders returns with a water logged romance between James McAvoy as a water engineer and Alicia Vikander as a deep-sea researcher [WORLD PREMIERE]
• Suburbicon (USA) George Clooney directs a ton of famous actor friends in a dark comedy about home invasion
• Thelma (Norway) the latest from king of sensitively wrought miserabilism, Joachim Trier returns. This time though he's got a female lead (finally!) and a different genre since he's working with supernatural elements.
• Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (USA) a grieving mother antagonizes a local police force. Starring the great Frances McDormand
• Victoria and Abdul (UK) Judi Dench reprises her royal Oscar nominated Mrs Brown role for the sequel
GALA PRESENTATIONS
links go to all articles involving the film in question
The Catcher Was a Spy with Paul Rudd
• Breathe (UK) Actor Andy Serkis directs this biopic romance between Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy
• The Catcher Was a Spy (USA) Ben Lewin directs this biopic about a baseball player who became a secret agent in World War II
• C'est La Vie (France) a comedy about a catering team [CLOSING NIGHT GALA]
• Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool (UK) Annette Bening stars as cancer-stricken Oscar winner Gloria Grahame
• Kings (France, Belgium) Halle Berry and Daniel Craig headline this intriguing prospect, a drama about a foster mother and her 12 children during the Los Angeles riots of 1992. But here's why we're excited: it's the sophomore feature from Mustang director Deniz Gamze Ergüven.
• Long Time Running (Canada) a documentary about the final tour of Canadian rockers The Tragically Hip
• Mary Shelley (Ireland, UK, Luxembourg) a biopic about the horror author and her tempestuous marriage. Elle Fanning headlines this film from the first female Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour
• The Mountain Between Us (USA) Hany Abu-Assad directs Idris Elba and Kate Winslet in this romantic wilderness survival drama
• Mudbound (USA) this Sundance hit drama, a period piece about the Jim Crow south, is hoping for major Oscar play. From director Dee Rees of Pariah fame.
• Stronger (USA) Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslandy star in David Gordon Green's true story film about a man who survived the Boston Marathon bombins
• Untitled Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart Film (USA) a remake of the French comedy The Intouchables
• The Wife (UK, Sweden) Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce star as an author receiving a Nobel and his wife who is about to leave him
• Woman Walks Ahead (USA) Jessica Chastain headlines this true story about a 19th century artist travelling into Dakota Territory and her friendship with Sioux Chief Sitting Bull
WHICH FILMS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?
P.S. Bear in mind that these lists above are just the special presentations and galas. TIFF has yet to announce the films from their 12 other sections which are
- Contemporary World Cinema Compelling stories, global perspectives.
- Discovery Directors to watch. The future of world cinema.
- In Conversation With… Engaging onstage conversations with leaders in the film industry and beyond.
- Masters The latest from the world’s most influential art-house filmmakers.
- Midnight Madness The wild side: midnight screenings of the best in action, horror, shock and fantasy cinema.
- Platform Directors’ cinema now. Launched in 2015, this juried program shines a light on up to 12 selections that demonstrate directorial vision from international filmmakers.
- Primetime Serial storytelling: television in its artistic renaissance.
- Short Cuts The world. In short form.
- TIFF Cinematheque Curated gems from the history of Canadian and international cinema.
- TIFF Docs Candid and unscripted: the best non-fiction cinema from around the world.
- TIFF Kids and TIFF Next Wave For the next generation of movie lovers.
- Wavelengths Daring, visionary and autonomous voices. Works that expand our notions of the moving image.