The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on September 5, taking over the city for 11 days with premiere screenings, parties and celeb sightings. This year's lineup offers a promising-looking mixture of homegrown productions, international fare and award hopefuls.
Before the festivities begin, we take a look at some titles we've got on our radar and are excited to get stuck into. So throw on some comfy shoes, bring a sweater for those AC-filled theatres and hydrate often — it's TIFF time, baby.
40 Acres
Directed by R.T. Thorne
Starring the powerful Danielle Deadwyler, 40 Acres looks to be an unsettling look into our post-apocalyptic future and how far we'll go to protect our families and ensure our survival. It's the directorial feature film debut of R.T. Thorne, who most recently had worked on the severely underrated series The Porter.
Conclave
Directed by Edward Berger
Edward Berger's most recent film, All Quiet on the Western Front, made it into the Top 3 of Exclaim!'s Best Films of 2022, which also debuted at TIFF that same year. For Conclave, Berger takes on the dark secrets revealed in the papal conclave, with Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini in the leads.
Friendship
Directed by Andrew DeYoung
In what sounds like a mashup of I Love You, Man and a particularly awkward I Think You Should Leave sketch, Tim Robinson plays a suburban dad who's obsessed with befriending his neighbour (Paul Rudd). Adding to the film's cringe-comedy pedigree is writer-director Andrew DeYoung, whose past credits include PEN15 and Our Flag Means Death episodes.
K-POPS!
Directed by Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak is now a filmmaker, as the Grammy-winning R&B/pop artist stars and directs as an over-the-hill musician who travels to South Korea to work with rising K-pop stars — including a youngster played by his real-life son Soul Rasheed. Having already made a big mark as a musician, it will be interesting to see how Paak takes to the new medium.
The Last Showgirl
Directed by Gia Coppola
The Pamaissance continues! Following the furor around Pam & Tommy, as well as a sympathetic Netflix doc, the Baywatch star returns to the big screen as a Las Vegas showgirl who loses her gig after 30 years, leaving the veteran performer looking for a new direction in life. The third feature from Gia Coppola (Palo Alto) also stars Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Paying for It
Directed by Sook-Yin Lee
In 2011, Chester Brown released an autobiographical graphic novel about his breakup with Sook-Yin Lee and his subsequent decision to see sex workers rather than pursue another relationship. In a unique full-circle moment, Lee herself directs and co-writes the film adaptation.
Piece by Piece
Directed by Morgan Neville
The artist biopic has become more than overdone and trite at this point, but leave it to Pharrell Williams to break the mould. Telling his life and story through LEGO feels incredibly on-brand for Pharrell, and the perfect outlet of creativity to examine his artistry.
The Shrouds
Directed by David Cronenberg
Arguably our country's greatest auteur, David Cronenberg returns to Toronto with The Shrouds, starring Diane Kruger and Vincent Cassel. The film looks to examine grief and loneliness in a way only Cronenberg can, with a real-life parallel drawn following the death of the filmmaker's wife, Carolyn, in 2017.
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal
Directed by Mike Downie
The Tragically Hip are celebrated in more detail than ever before with this four-part docuseries (premiering at TIFF as a 256-minute epic). Overseen by Mike Downie (brother of late singer Gord), the deep-dive doc features a who's-who of Canadian celebs including Will Arnett, Jay Baruchel, Geddy Lee and Justin Trudeau, as well as the surviving band members themselves and a wealth of archival footage.
Your Tomorrow
Directed by Ali Weinstein
An observational documentary detailing the final year of Ontario Place, Ali Weinstein's Your Tomorrow feels more significant than ever as Toronto's cultural institutions constantly fight against corporate greed and political influence. Examining landmark of the province that generations of kids enjoyed, Your Tomorrow seems to be a warning sign of things to come and a heartfelt celebration of our memories made.