Movie lovers rejoice! The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is back Sept. 9 - 18 and while the usual star-studded affair won’t look exactly like it has in previous years, there are still plenty of in-person events and great films to look forward to.
From Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited release of Dune to the feature-film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, TIFF includes nearly 200 films from around the world. This year’s festival will feature a combination of in-person, drive-in and open-air screenings as well as the option to watch at home with TIFF’s digital film platform. Red carpet galas are also planned for a number of films with actors and filmmakers set to attend.
Here’s a look at some must-see movies to plan your festival whether you’re watching on the big screen or online.
(Photos courtesy of TIFF)
Dear Evan Hansen
Dear Evan Hansen will kick off the 46th annual festival with an opening night gala and world premiere at Roy Thomson Hall.
Starring Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams, the feature-film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of a high-school senior with a social anxiety disorder who goes on an unexpected journey after an encounter with a fellow classmate.
“There was no question that Dear Evan Hansen was the ideal film to launch the Festival this year,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director and Co-Head, TIFF, in a prepared news release. “This film is ultimately about healing, forgiveness, and reaffirms how connected and essential we all are to one another. We couldn’t think of a more important idea to celebrate this year as we come together once again to share the power and joy of cinema in theatres together.”
Belfast
Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, Belfast will have its world premiere with a gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall. Set in Ireland during the late 1960s and semi-autobiographical for Branagh, Belfast is the story of a young boy named Buddy (Jude Hill) growing up amidst the tumultuous time of the Troubles. “Belfast is my most personal film,” Branagh said in a statement. “It’s about coming home — a dramatic journey of excitement, emotion and humour.”
The film also stars Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe.
Dune
Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited adaptation of the classic 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert will have its IMAX premiere at TIFF, before being released in Cineplex Theatres Oct. 22.
Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Altreides, a young man tasked with protecting his family and saving humanity on the dangerous planet of Arrakis.
The Canadian director’s highly anticipated film also stars Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
In The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, Benedict Cumberbatch portrays eccentric real-life artist Louis Wain who became known for his work drawing anthropomorphized cats in Victorian-era London.
Directed by Will Sharpe, the film that also stars Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough and Toby Jones, will make its Canadian premiere with a gala presentation at TIFF.
The film will also feature cameos by Taika Waititi, Nick Cave and Olivia Colman, according to an Empire report.
It’s a big year for Cumberbatch at the festival. Not only will he star in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain and The Power of the Dog, the British-born actor will also be honoured with a TIFF Tribute Actor Award.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a revealing look at how Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband Jim created a multi-million-dollar televangelist empire and theme park in the 1980s.Directed by The Big Sick’s Michael Showalter, the film stars Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield as Jim. It chronicles the couple’s early days to Jim’s eventual conviction for fraud.
Chastain will also be honoured with a TIFF Tribute Actor Award at the festival.
Jagged
If you grew up in the 90s it’s more than likely Alanis Morissette’s music provided the soundtrack to your high school dances, backyard BBQs and summer road trips.
After having success as a teen pop singer, Morissette broke out onto the world stage in 1995 with her hit record Jagged Little Pill. In a new documentary entitled Jagged, director Alison Klayman looks back at Morissette’s rapid rise to international fame and the highs and lows that followed. The film features an intimate interview with Morissette, as well as commentary from band members and admirers.
The documentary will have its world premiere at TIFF with a gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall.
The Good House
Sigourney Weaver headlines this drama about an outspoken real estate agent whose life takes a turn when she reconnects with an old flame played by Kevin Kline. Directed by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky, the film based on Ann Leary’s bestselling novel will have a gala premiere at TIFF.Set in the New England town of Wendover, The Good House was filmed on Nova Scotia’s South Shore in the fall of 2019.
Last Night in Soho
Fresh off the documentary The Sparks Brothers and known for cult classics Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver, Edgar Wright takes a different turn with horror thriller Last Night in Soho.
The film is a trippy look at 1960s London told through the eyes of Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), a young woman studying fashion in the big city. Things take a turn when the lines between her life and that of a singer named Sandy (Anna Taylor-Joy) get blurred.
Last Night in Soho will make its North American premiere with a gala presentation at TIFF.
Night Raiders
Saskatchewan-born, Cree-Métis filmmaker Danis Goulet makes her feature directorial debut at TIFF with Night Raiders.A timely dystopian drama based on Canada’s colonial past, the film is a fictional account of children taken from their families and placed in forced-education camps.
Night Raiders, executive produced by Taika Waititi, will have its North American premiere at the festival with a gala presentation.
Spencer
The latest take on Princess Diana’s life comes in the form of Spencer, a new film by director Pablo Larraín in a similar vein to his 2016 film Jackie.
This fictionalized account stars Kristen Stewart as the Princess of Wales as she attends a tumultuous Christmas celebration with the Royal Family amidst the backdrop of her husband Charles’ infidelities.
Stewart will speak about her role in the film in a live conversation as part of TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative supporting women in film. In Conversation with…Kristen Stewart will be streamed live on TIFF Bell Digital Talks on Sept. 15 at 12:30 pm ET.
Silent Night
What would you do if you knew the world was ending later that evening? If you’re the characters in Silent Night, you celebrate Christmas with all the trimmings.Starring Keira Knightley and Lily-Rose Depp, Silent Night blends tradition with tragedy in a dark comedy that will undoubtedly put a new perspective on the most wonderful time of the year.
Directed by Camille Griffin with her feature debut, the film also stars Jojo Rabbit star Roman Griffin Davis, Matthew Goode and Annabelle Wallis.
The Survivor
From director Barry Levinson who brought us the likes of Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man and Wag the Dog comes The Survivor, a true story about boxer Harry Haft who was detained in an WWII concentration camp and forced to fight other prisoners to survive.
Starring Ben Foster as Harry, the film also features Danny DeVito, Vicky Krieps, Billy Magnussen and Peter Sarsgaard. It will make its world premiere at TIFF.
One Second
(photo courtesy Elevation Pictures)
One Second will close out the festival on Sept. 18 with a gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall. Directed by Oscar-nominated Zhang Yimou, the film is about an escaped prisoner (Zhang Yi) hoping to get a glimpse of his daughter in a newsreel. Along the way he connects with a traveling film projectionist named Mr. Movie (Fan Wei) and a young orphaned girl named Liu (Liu Haocun).Set during China’s Cultural Revolution, the director has called the film his personal tribute to cinema.