Sydney Sweeney, Angelina Jolie, and Aziz Ansari will have their films showcased at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, as revealed by festival organizers on Monday. The festival outlined its selections for the galas and special presentations programs, which are the main attractions of North America’s largest film festival.
Among the world premieres are Ansari’s “Good Fortune,” featuring Keanu Reeves as an angel teaching a struggling man (played by Ansari) a lesson; David Michôd’s “Christy,” with Sydney Sweeney portraying the boxer Christy Martin; and Alice Winocour’s “Couture,” starring Angelina Jolie as an American filmmaker at Paris Fashion Week. These films will join the previously announced world premiere of Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Debuting at the festival will also be Derek Cianfrance’s “Roofman,” with Channing Tatum as a struggling father turned thief; Nia DaCosta’s adaptation of Ibsen’s “Hedda,” starring Tessa Thompson; Nicholas Hytner’s WWI drama “The Choral,” featuring Ralph Fiennes; Steven Soderbergh’s “The Christophers”; Hikari’s “Rental Family,” where Brendan Fraser plays an American actor in Japan; and Paul Greengrass’ “The Lost Bus,” with Matthew McConaughey as a bus driver navigating the 2018 Camp Fire in California.
The festival will commence on September 4 with the premiere of the documentary “John Candy: I Like Me,” directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds. Running until September 14, Toronto has historically been a significant platform for launching fall movie releases, although many top films often debut at the Venice or Telluride film festivals first.
Noteworthy films premiering in Toronto include James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg trials drama “Nuremberg,” featuring Rami Malik and Russell Crowe; Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s “Swiped,” with Lily James as Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd; and Agnieszka Holland’s Franz Kafka drama “Franz.”
Toronto will also see several directorial debuts, including works by Brian Cox (“Glenrothan”) and Maude Apatow (“Poetic License”). Additionally, notable selections such as “Bad Apples” with Saoirse Ronan, “Easy’s Waltz” starring Vince Vaughn and Al Pacino, and Alex Winter’s “Adulthood” will be showcased.
Several films from May’s Cannes Film Festival, such as Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or winner “It Was Just an Accident,” Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” Oliver Laxe’s “Sirât,” and Richard Linklater’s “Nouvelle Vague,” will also be featured at TIFF.
Venues such as Venice are expected to host premieres of selected films like Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” and Edward Berger’s “Ballad of a Smaller Player.” This highlights the competitive landscape among film festivals for premieres.
Through adaptations in their strategy to counter competition from other festivals, especially Venice, TIFF organizers are integrating more locally produced films into their lineup.