TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Announced
Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 12:54PM by Nathaniel R
TIFF is around the corner y'all. Excited we are since it means the prestige film season and another round of Oscar madness is about to begin. For the first time TIFF has allowed The Film Experience two press passes so Chris Feil and Nathaniel R (that's me) will both be covering in real time for the whole fest from September 6th through the 16th. Today TIFF has announced the 47 films that will be featured in their Galas and Special Presentations sections. These are the two sections wherein you'll usually find the mainstream awards hopefuls shoulder-to-shoulder with more traditional festival fare and world cinema premieres. TIFF usually has hundreds of films so this is just the first announcement.
The full list containing masterpieces and duds and everything inbetween (though we won't know which-is-which-is-which until we see them) is after the jump!
GALAS
Beautiful Boy | Felix van Groeningen, USA
World Premiere
We've already discussed the trailer. Broken Circle Breakdown, Groeningen's biggest hit to date, was so emotionally raw that we're expecting wrenching performances at the very least.
Everybody Knows | Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy
North American Premiere
Asgar Farhadi's latest opened Cannes but the response was somewhat muted. Still Cannes is not always the end run for awards hopefuls. Cannes is such a particular frame of mind that many films have a different response when they're seen elsewhere. And Oscar loves Farhadi's work. He's already won the foreign language film Oscar twice.
First Man | Damien Chazelle, USA
Canadian Premiere
Chazelle has to be considered a major Oscar threat (again) this year for the true story of the moon landing. We've recently discussed the trailer. It's not a world premiere because First Man is opening the Venice Film Festival.
Galveston | Mélanie Laurent, USA
Canadian Premiere
The Hate U Give | George Tillman, Jr., USA
World Premiere
Hidden Man | Jiang Wen, China
International Premiere
High Life | Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche reteam (remember their scene in Cosmopolis?) for this sci-fi film from genius Denis. It's her first English language film.
Husband Material | Anurag Kashyap, India
World Premiere
The Kindergarten Teacher | Sara Colangelo, USA
Canadian Premiere
This drama, an English language remake of an Israeli picture, played Sundance and won attention for Maggie Gyllenhaal's reportedly tremendous star turn.
The Land of Steady Habits | Nicole Holofcener, USA
World Premiere
Nicole Holofcener returns. YAAAAAAS. Love love love all of her movies thus far. This one stars Ben Mendelhson (her first male protagonist!) with Edie Falco and Connie Britton. Mysteriously Holofcener's typical muse Catherine Keener is missing.
Life Itself | Dan Fogelman, USA
World Premiere
The Public | Emilio Estevez, USA
World Premiere
Red Joan | Sir Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom
World Premiere
This is the one where Dame Judi Dench is playing a real life figure who was the KGB's longest serving spy in London. Sophie Cookson plays Joan as a younger woman.
Shadow | Zhang Yimou , China
North American Premiere
Yimou has made masterpieces (Raise the Red Lantern), terrific action films (House of Flying Daggers, Hero) and duds (The Great Wall) so who knows? but lately the films have not had the same affect (The Great Wall?) This one is about a multi-character violent drama set during the Three Kingdoms era in China. Jun Hu, Chao Deng, Ryan Zheng, and Li Sun lead the cast.
A Star is Born | Bradley Cooper, USA
North American Premiere
I've become totally fascinated with early reactions to this film (and especially amused by people who think they already know its Oscar fate) and loved the trailer. I know that this is a case where regular audiences reaction is going to mean more than usual. If it's a big hit (which it could very well be) I'd expect major Oscar play. If it's not a big hit, only a nod here or there. The critics decide this one; it's too mainstream a cultural artifact, trotted out every few generations with new stars, for audience favor/obsession/rejection to not matter.
What They Had | Elizabeth Chomko, USA
International Premiere
Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon star as the adult children of Robert Forster and Blythe Danner (her character is suffering from Alzheimers). I always hope Gwyneth Paltrow watches these movies and thinks she could play Blythe's daughter better.
Widows | Steve McQueen, United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere
Another film, like A Star is Born, that could become huge with audiences. We previously discussed the trailer. Steve McQueen has only made three feature films before this but all of them (Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave) were tremendous. A note of curiousity: This is McQueen's first film without his previous muse Michael Fassbender. Is it too much to hope that they've just been hiding an uncredited Fassbender cameo?
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Ben is Back | Peter Hedges, USA
World Premiere
Julia Roberts stars with Lucas Hedges as her titular son who is in big trouble of some kind. This strikes me as an inspired actor pairing but I worry since I disliked Pieces of April (Hedges directorial debut).
Burning | Lee Chang-dong, South Korea
North American Premiere
Can You Ever Forgive Me? | Marielle Heller, USA
International Premiere
We've been seeing the trailer to this film starring Melissa McCarthy and Richard E Grant for ages. Heller's debut was really something but this one looks curiously muted in both color palette and comedy. We'll see it and hope for the best!
Capernaum | Nadine Labaki, Lebanon
North American Premiere
Cold War | Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland/United Kingdom/France
Canadian Premiere
These two films, Capernaum and Cold War, debuted at Cannes and are both considered major threats to this year's Foreign Language Film Oscar should they make it to the nominations (the process is complicated and allows for many surprises as you all know).
Colette | Wash Westmoreland, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
Keira Knightley stars as the iconoclast author
Dogman | Matteo Garrone, Italy/France
Canadian Premiere
A hit at Cannes from the director of Gomorrah.
The Front Runner | Jason Reitman, USA
International Premiere
Hugh Jackman plays disgraced politician Gary Hart.
Giant Little Ones | Keith Behrman, Canada
World Premiere
Maria Bello and Kyle Machlachlan star as the parents of Josh Wiggins in this drama
Girls of the Sun | Eva Husson, France
International Premiere
Another hit from Cannes
Hotel Mumbai | Anthony Maras, Australia
World Premiere
About a terrorist attack in Mumbai with Dev Patel (who might have a great fest since this isn't his only picture) and Armie Hammer
The Hummingbird Project | Kim Nguyen, Canada
World Premiere
If Beale Street Could Talk | Barry Jenkins, USA
World Premiere
Barry Jenkins struck gold with Moonlight but that's going to be a tough act to follow! Will this James Baldwin adaptation do it?
Manto | Nandita Das, India
North American Premiere
Maya | Mia Hansen-Løve, France
World Premiere
Monsters and Men | Reinaldo Marcus Green, USA
Canadian Premiere
MOUTHPIECE | Patricia Rozema, Canada
World Premiere - Special Presentations Opening Film
Non-Fiction | Olivier Assayas, France
Canadian Premiere
Old Man & the Gun | David Lowery, USA
International Premiere
Robert Redford reteams with his Pete's Dragon director.
Papi Chulo | John Butler, Ireland
World Premiere
Roma | Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA
Canadian Premiere
Netflix's potential awards giant this year.
Shoplifters | Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan
Canadian Premiere - Special Presentations Closing Film
Critics loved this film at Cannes.
The Sisters Brothers | Jacques Audiard, USA/France/Romania/Spain
North American Premiere
Jacques Audiard makes his first English language film and it's a western comedy? This looks so strange but we're excited for it. The absence of actresses makes us twitchy, though.
Sunset | László Nemes, Hungary/France
North American Premiere
Nemes sophomore film after his Oscar winning concentration-camp drama Son of Saul. Female lead this time in a film about a miliner searching for answers about her past (or some such). The synopsis is vague.
Through Black Spruce | Don McKellar, Canada
World Premiere
The Wedding Guest | Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Dev Patel stars as a "a mysterious young British muslim man". Hmmm. Dev Patel doesn't read very mysterious to me but hopefully the work in Lion recently signals surprising performances to come.
The Weekend | Stella Meghie, USA
World Premiere
Where Hands Touch | Amma Asante, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Asante always chooses such provocative topics. I keep hoping the filmmaking will be provocative, too. But so far nope. But I will try to see this one about a black German teenager who falls in love with a member of the Hitler Youth.
White Boy Rick | Yann Demange, USA
International Premiere
I personally loved Demange's first feature, '71, so I don't know why I'm not more excited for this. Is it the stills of with the overexposed Matthew McConaughey with greasy hair? Or the fact that it's yet another FBI drug/crime drama.
Wildlife | Paul Dano, USA
Canadian Premiere
This Sundance drama is expected to put Carey Mulligan in contention for Best Actress. We previously discussed the trailer.
WHICH OF THESE 47 FILMS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT?
Reader Comments (37)
What movie is Judi Dench in?
@ 3rtful - “Red Joan” - it’s mentioned above next to her picture. She has an FYC face even in that shot.
Awesome to see Judi Dench in the mix nearly every year. She is a national treasure! Love that she is still getting meaty LEAD roles at this stage in her career.
Top 10 Most excited for:
If Beale St Could Talk
Widows
Roma
Cold War
A Star is Born
First Man
High Life
Wildlife
Sisters Brothers
Can You Ever Forgive Me
Red Joan feels like a stealth Best Actress nominee. It isn't Judi Dench just doing her usual thing like last year.
I know I'm probably alone, but I'm way more excited to see Lucas Hedges team with Julia Roberts than with Russell and Nicole! I didn't even know about this film before today.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? may look muted but it looks a whole lot better than that RBG biopic that Heller dropped out of.
I'm glad to see If Beale Street Could Talk here, I'd heard Jenkins might have been running behind.
If Dench is nominated and does not win she joins Geraldine Page as the only two women in the 1/8 club.
Looking forward to " A Star is Born" (Please be good!), "Beautiful Boy", and what feels like our Best Picture winner "First Man".
I too think Dench maybe a stealth nominee ditto Hilary Swank in What They Had.
Hoping Boy Erased and The Favourite get added. (Even Peterloo, Suspiria and Death and Life of John F Donovan)
BUT excited for Star Is Born, Cold war, Burning, Capernaum, If Beale Street Could Talk, Roma, Wildlife, Sunset, Beautiful Boy, Shoplifters, High Life, First Man, Widows.
I finally found the time, effort and money to go this year. I'm most looking forward to Burning. Unfortunately it looks like I'll miss Shoplifters if it's the closing night selection (Koreeda is one of my current faves). I have to leave that day. But the film I'd be most anxious to see is Gaspard Noe's Climax, so I hope it'll be added in the future.
I am so glad that Maria Bello has been cast in a bigger movie. Hopefully she will be a surprise nominee during awards season. Bello was tremendous in A History of Violence so I know she got the acting tools
I know there are a lot of Oscar hopefuls but the movie that I want to see now is Lee Chang Dong's Burning because he is the bedt director of this century.
I'm definitely most excited for ben is back but for selfish reasons. I was staffed on that film for 4 months and it will be the first theatrical release with my name in the credits. No comment on the quality since even i'm not sure how it will turn out.
Other than the selfish pick. I'm really excited for
First Man
Widows
Beautiful Boy
Can You Ever Forgive Me
If Beale Street Could Talk
White Boy Rick
Top 5 from this list:
1. Widows
2. If Beale Street Could Talk
3. Where Hands Touch
4. The Front Runner
5. The Kindergarten Teacher
Please, oh please let this finally be Blythe's year.
Hypothetically, how great would it be for Blythe Danner to win an Oscar. If it happened would it be the first time a parent, or even and older relation won after their child etc won?
I love Nicole Holofcener and I look forward to anything she does. Julia Louis Dreyfus in ‘Enough Said’ was such a stand out that year! Wasn’t she originally going to direct Can You Ever Forgive Me? with Julianne Moore in the lead (when I read it I knew it was too good to be true!)
Melanie Laurent is a great actress but I’ve not seen any of her directorial work. I’m intrigued!
Steve McQueen & Viola? I’m in.
Choog - Henry Fonda didn't win until 11 years after Jane had won her first Oscar and 4 years after she'd won her second.
And I don't know what order they presented the awards in 1948, but if they handed out the Screenplay and/or Director Awards before Supporting Actor, then technically, Walter Huston won after his son John.
Choog - Henry Fonda didn't win until after Jane had won twice.
Carmine Coppola won after Francis Ford Coppola had won twice.
And depending on the order the awards were presented in 1948, Walter Huston may or may not have won until after son John had won his awards.
Honestly so confused that Nicole Holofcener could make a movie without Catherine Keener
Without spoiling it, can someone who has read Beale Street address how it will play with the Me Too movement?
poor blythe doesn't need to play goop's mother - it's surely taxing enough in real life
ken s: Henry won ten/three years after Jane.
For several reasons Beautiful Boy, The Kindergarten Teacher, and Wildlife. And because I like the directors, the Hansen-Love, the Assayas, and the McKellar.
What’s the difference between “International Premiere” and “World Premiere” I wonder?
I just bought my ticket package! I hope 6 movies will be enough?
Mareko
International premiere is the films first screening outside its country of origin
Cannot wait for A Star is Born. I think it is going to be something really special.
Cannot wait for A Star is Born. I think it is going to be something really special.
If Judi Dench continues this output she will wear down the Academy for another statue, ala Meryl and The Iron lady.
I'm going to TIFF this year (my first time ever!) so I created my list yesterday. It looks something like this:
1. A Star is Born (I know it's coming out in the States only 3 weeks later, but I can't help myself)
2. Shoplifters
3. First Man
4. Wildlife
5. Roma
6. Cold War
7. Widows
8. High Life
9. The Front Runner
10. Beautiful Boy
11. If Beale Street Could Talk
12. Everybody Knows
13. Ben is Back
14. Maya
15. Non-Fiction
16. Sunset
17. Capernaum
18. Dogman
I'm planning a full-out, Nick Davis-style rampage of 30 movies during the 10 days so I'm hoping to catch all of these and more.
Also excited about Life Itself, The Old Man & The Gun, and The Sisters Brothers, but they come out less than 2 weeks after TIFF so it feels silly to waste a ticket on them.
"Shadow" should be all about that picture you posted.
Maxine Peake is in Mike Leigh's "Peterloo"? Let me update my best supporting actress list.
I've seen "Peterloo" dismissed as a stuffy British historical for oldsters. It seems more like a blistering political polemic, where peaceful protesters agitating for democratic reform are violently crushed. Some might even see it as topical?
I'm also keen to see director Stella Meghie's new picture. Such an interesting lively director, so good with actors.
Whoops, apologies. "Peterloo" is not on this list.
A Star Is Born...hell yeah!
Hoping they add "The Life and Death of John F. Donovan" and "Noah Baumbach Untitled Project".... two little projects that might be something great!
Maxine Peake in a Mike Leigh film ? Take note, Peake is where Olivia Colman was 5 years ago, revered critically in UK but mostly unknown in U.S. I hope Peterloo is a success, and I'm hoping Maxine Peake finally gets some of the international attention she richly deserves.
She's outstanding both on stage and on TV (Silk), fingers crossed for this.
OK -- I need help y'all, and I know the crew goes all the time so here goes.
The "Back Half" package for $105 is 6 tickets for 9/12-9/16. That's good for me because it's cheap and I can't get off work during the first week. BUT is the festival front-loaded and the back half is thin? Or do the big films get their screenings spread throughout the 10 days?
Assume that I'm basic and want to see Oscar players, and Judi Dench read the phone book. Should I bother with the "Back Half"?