Yesterday, the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) lineup was revealed. While we’re still waiting for the Midnight Madness selections, we know what has been selected for the Gala and Special Presentation programming (and as of today, now the Platform Programme). The 63 films chosen to program at the festival display an intriguing variety that felt lacking from last year’s festival. That being said, some studios might lack a presence at TIFF this year due to the impact of last year’s strikes. Nevertheless, quite a few films are still making their way to Toronto during this festival season. Let’s take a deeper look at the lineup and what titles stand out the most.
As always, buzzworthy Oscar hopefuls are making their way up north for TIFF. A solid number of Cannes titles were announced to reappear at TIFF, such as “Emilia Perez,” “Bird,” “Oh Canada,” “The Shrouds,“ and Sean Baker’s critically-acclaimed “Anora.“ Netflix has not only committed to focusing on “Emilia Perez“ but is also looking to double-dip: TIFF will be the international premiere of “The Piano Lesson.“ This film adaptation of the August Wilson play looks to make a splash and is sure to be a huge focal point in beginning Oscar campaigns for Danielle Deadwyler and an incredibly overdue Samuel L. Jackson. It’s possible that both “Emilia Perez“ and “The Piano Lesson“ could contend for TIFF’s Audience Award. Speaking of beginning Oscar campaigns, TIFF will also be the world premiere for Marielle Heller’s “Nightbitch,“ which is getting people excited about Amy Adams’ performance, especially since this could get her back in the Best Actress conversation. The film itself sounds very strange, but the fact that Adams is receiving the TIFF Tribute Performer Award means there could be something there.
One of the biggest announcements for the TIFF lineup was Edward Berger’s “Conclave,“ which will have its international premiere at the festival. “Conclave“ is easily one of the buzziest films to release in the second half of the year and will likely appear in a variety of festivals (we’re looking at you, Telluride) as it is set to make a splash this awards season. While “Maria“ is (so far) skipping TIFF this year, its star, Angelina Jolie, will be there for the world premiere of her latest directorial effort, “Without Blood.“ Jolie adapted Alessandro Baricco’s short story of the same name, and “Without Blood” is a war drama starring Salma Hayek Pinault. Jolie will probably be very busy with two exciting projects towards the back half of this year. One other TIFF title that should garner attention is Gina Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl,“ which will have its world premiere at the festival. Coppola’s film features what could be a showcase performance from Pamela Anderson, possibly leading to a comeback performance in the vein of Brendan Fraser in “The Whale.” “The Last Showgirl“ also has a well-rounded cast featuring the likes of Kiernan Shipka, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, and Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis.
A noticeable trend at TIFF this year is the variety of sports films and music documentaries. There is a slew of documentaries focusing on music icons; “Elton John: Never Too Late,” “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band,” and “Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe“ all are having their world premieres at the festival. “Piece by Piece,” the documentary about Pharell Williams in the style of legos, will also have its international premiere at the festival. Switching gears, Rachel Morrison’s directorial debut “The Fire Inside“ will premiere at TIFF. Written by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, “The Fire Inside“ follows the true story of Flint, Michigan-raised boxer Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny), who breaks barriers to become a legend in women’s boxing. The film has been in development for some time now, so it’s great to see it finally make its way to audiences. Speaking of movies based on true stories, another world premiere coming to TIFF is “Unstoppable,“ which also seems like a crowd-pleasing sports drama that stars an ensemble cast of Jharell Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Don Cheadle, and Michael Peña. Maybe this could be Lopez’s chance to finally break through to an Oscar nomination, especially after missing out on her acclaimed performance in “Hustlers.“ Speaking of star power, Orlando Bloom aims to make a splash with the new boxing drama “The Cut,“ which will have its world premiere at TIFF. The film also stars CaitrÃona Balfe and John Turturro, making the film sound promising. Based on the previously released photo alone, it looks like Bloom’s physical dedication to his performance is something to keep an eye on.
There are also a handful of fascinating TIFF titles, such as Joshua Oppenheimner’s “The End,“ which will have its Canadian premiere. Who on earth wouldn’t want to watch an apocalyptic musical starring Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Moses Ingram, and George MacKay? Another excellent addition to the TIFF lineup is the world premiere of the new David Mackenzie film “Relay.“ This is Mackenzie’s first film since “Outlaw King,“ and stars Riz Ahmed in a crime thriller alongside Lily James and Sam Worthington. Here’s hoping Mackenzie delivers another solid film like “Hell or High Water.“ Speaking of crime thrillers, Justin Kurzel’s new movie, “The Order,“ might be one of the most interesting announcements for this year’s festival. It’s based on the true story of a lone FBI agent (Jude Law) hunting down a white supremacist group, completing a series of bank heists, counterfeiting operations, and armored truck heists. Yeah, we obviously need this film immediately.
We’ve barely scratched the surface of this year’s TIFF, which also has films from Mike Flannigan (“The Life Of Chuck”), Mike Leigh (“Hard Truths”), Woo Min-ho (“Harbin”), Rebel Wilson (“The Deb”), and more. Overall, it’s a pretty stout lineup so far, and with films like “The Substance“ possibly being added to the lineup later on for Midnight Madness (here’s hoping), it can only get better.
What do you think of the films announced for the Toronto International Film Festival so far? What other titles do you think will be screened this year? How does this year’s lineup compare to last year’s? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or on Next Best Picture’s X account and be sure to check out Next Best Picture’s latest Oscar predictions here.
