World premieres from Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, David Mackenzie, Edward Burns, Uberto Pasolini, Peter Cattaneo, and Rachel Morrison among the Gala and Special Presentation titles unveiled by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) today (July 22).
Hard Truths is a rare TIFF premiere for Leigh after the UK auteur’s last film Peterloo debuted in Venice in 2018, while Mr. Turner in 2014 and Another Year in 2010 both premiered in Cannes. Cornerstone represents sales and Bleecker Street will handle US distribution on the film, which stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste from Secrets And Lies.
Pasolini’s The Return marks his follow-up to Venice 2020 entry Nowhere Special and reunites Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche for the first time since The English Patient 25 years ago. HanWay represents sales.
Pasolini produced The Full Monty, whose director Cattaneo is back with his latest, the drama The Penguin Lessons starring Steve Coogan. Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance handle sales. Co-writer Jeff Pope and Coogan were at TIFF two years ago with Stephen Frears’ The Lost King.
French director Fortuné makes her debut with the English-language futuristic drama The Assessment, starring Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Olsen. It is a co-production between the UK’s Number 9 Films and Germany’s augenschein Filmproduktion.
Black Panther cinematographer Morrison’s feature directorial debut The Fire Inside (formerly Flint Strong) charts the rise of boxing champion Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields.
Morgan Neville’s new film Piece By Piece tells the story of performer Pharrell Williams through Lego animation.
David Mackenzie’s thriller Relay starring Sam Worthington and Riz Ahmed marks his first film since TV miniseries Under The Banner Of Heaven and is a thriller centred on a corporate broker.
Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here gets its North American premiere after a world premiere in competition at Venice.
Jolie’s Without Blood stars Salma Hayek and Demian Bichir and is adapted from Alessandro Baricco’s novella about war and brutality. Hugh Grant stars in A24’s horror thriller Heretic directed by Scott Beck and Ryan Woods, and Barry Keoghan is among the cast on the Irish drama thriller Bring Them Down, which Mubi will distribute in the US and UK and Charades represents worldwide. There is also a Canadian premiere for the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.
Also in the selection as awards season hopefuls and set to premiere in Venice or Telluride are Joshua Oppenheimer’s Golden Age musical The End with A24 distributing in the US and The Match Factory representing international rights, Justin Kurzel’s Venice-bound The Order with Vertical Entertainment handling US distribution and Prime Video holding the majority of international markets licenced by AGC International, and Edward Berger’s Conclave, which Focus Feature distributes in the US and FilmNation represents for international markets.
The films join previously announced titles by Ron Howard and Marielle Heller, and take their place alongside some of the buzziest Cannes selections include Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, and Magnus von Horn’s The Girl With The Needle.
Talent including Amy Adams, Ahmed, Cate Blanchett, Andrea Bocelli, Will Ferrell, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Vikander, Pharrell Williams, and Robbie Williams are expected to attend.
The 49th edition of TIFF runs September 5-15. The opening night film is David Gordon Green’s Nutcrackers.
Galas 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe (UK)
Dir: Cosima Spender
World premiere
Better Man (US)
Dir: Michael Gracey
Canadian premiere
*The Deb (Australia)
Dir: Rebel Wilson
World premiere
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (South Africa)
Dir: Embeth Davidtz
Canadian premiere
Sales Title - Rights Available
*Eden (US)
Dir: Ron Howard
World premiere
*Elton John: Never Too Late (US)
Dir: R.J. Cutler, David Furnish
World premiere
The Friend (US)
Dirs: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
International premiere
*Harbin (South Kor)
Dir: Woo Min-ho
World premiere
Meet The Barbarians (Fr)
Dir: Julie Delpy
International premiere
*Nutcrackers (US)
Dir: David Gordon Green
World Premiere
Oh, Canada (US)
Dir: Paul Schrader
North American Premiere
The Penguin Lessons (Sp-UK)
Dir: Peter Cattaneo
World premiere
The Return (It-UK)
Dir: Uberto Pasolini
World premiere
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band (US)
Dir: Thom Zimny
World premiere
The Shrouds (Can-Fr)
Dir: David Cronenberg
North American Premiere
*Superboys Of Malegaon (India)
Dir: Reema Kagti
World premiere
Unstoppable (US)
Dir: William Goldenberg
World Premiere
*The Wild Robot (US)
Dir: Chris Sanders
World premiere
Will & Harper (US)
Dir: Josh Greenbaum
International Premiere
Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order) *Previously announced
The Assessment (UK-Ger-US)
Dir: Fleur Fortuné
World premiere
All Of You (US)
Dir: William Bridges
World premiere
All We Imagine As Light (Fr-India-Neth-Lux)
Dir: Payal Kapadia
Canadian premiere
Anora (US)
Dir: Sean Baker
Canadian premiere
Bird (UK)
Dir: Andrea Arnold
North American premiere
Bring Them Down (UK-Ire-Bel)
Dir: Christopher Andrews
World premiere
Can I Get A Witness? (Can)
Dir: Ann Marie Fleming
World premiere
Carnival Is Over (Bra-Por)
Dir: Fernando Coimbra
World premiere
Caught By The Tides (Ch)
Dir: Jia Zhang-Ke
North American premiere
Conclave (US-UK)
Dir: Edward Berger
International Premiere
The Cut (UK)
Dir: Sean Ellis
World premiere
Emilia Pérez (Fr)
Dir: Jacques Audiard
Canadian premiere
The End (Den-UK)
Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer
Canadian premiere
The Fire Inside (US)
Dir: Rachel Morrison
World premiere
40 Acres (Can)
Dir: R.T. Thorne
World premiere
The Girl With The Needle (Den-Pol-Swe)
Dir: Magnus von Horn
North American premiere
Hard Truths (UK-Sp)
Dir: Mike Leigh
World premiere
Harvest (UK)
Dir: Athina Rachel Tsangari
North American premiere
Heretic (Can)
Dir: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
World premiere
I’m Still Here (Braz-Fr)
Dir: Walter Salles
North American premiere
I, the Executioner (S Kor)
Dir: Ryoo Seung-wan
North American premiere
*K-Pops (US)
Dir: Anderson .Paak
World Premiere
Love in The Big City (S Kor)
Dir: E.oni
World Premiere
Millers In Marriage (US)
Dir: Edward Burns
World premiere
Misericordia (Sp-Por-Fr)
Dir: Alain Guiraudie
Canadian premiere
*Nightbitch (US)
Dir: Marielle Heller
World premiere
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl (Zam-UK-Ire)
Dir: Rungano Nyoni
North American
Piece By Piece (US)
Dir: Morgan Neville
International Premiere
Quisling - The Final Days (Nor)
Dir: Erik Poppe
International premiere
Relay (US)
Dir: David Mackenzie
World premiere
Rez Ball (USA)
Dir: Sydney Freeland
World premiere
Riff Raff (US)
Dir: Dito Montiel
World premiere
Rumours (Can-Ger)
Dirs: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
North American premiere
Sharp Corner (Can-Ire)
Dir: Jason Buxton
World premiere
*Shepherds (Can-Fr)
Dir: Sophie Deraspe
World premiere
Sketch (US)
Dir: Seth Worley
Dir: World premiere
The Last Showgirl (US)
Dir: Gia Coppola
World premiere
*The Life of Chuck (US)
Dir: Mike Flanagan
World Premiere
The Order (Can-US)
Dir: Justin Kurzel
North American premiere
The Piano Lesson (US)
Dir: Malcolm Washington
International Premiere
*We Live in Time (UK-Fr)
Dir: John Crowley
World premiere
Went Up The Hill (NZ-Aus)
Dir: Samuel Van Grinsven
World premiere
Without Blood (US-It)
Dir: Angelina Jolie
World premiere
Young Werther (Can)
Dir: José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço
World premiere.
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