Hollywood is collectively heading to Canada for the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, the annual event known for potentially catapulting upcoming movies into the center of all the Oscar buzz. This year’s lineup includes anticipated projects directed by Paul Greengrass, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Alfonso Cuarón, Olivier Assayas, Claire Denis, Amma Asante, Hong Sang-soo, and more, effectively kicking off film awards season.
Running Sept. 6–16, TIFF 2018 will, for the first time, start off with the debut of a Netflix title: “Outlaw King,” David Mackenzie’s period piece in which Chris Pine portrays the Scottish king Robert the Bruce. The fest will close with “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” Justin Kelly’s true-life drama starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern as the two-person literary sensation.
The 43rd edition of the fest will feature the world premieres of Felix van Groeningen’s “Beautiful Boy” with Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet, Barry Jenkins’ James Baldwin adaptation “If Beale Street Could Talk” starring Regina King, Peter Farrelly’s Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen starrer “Green Book,” Xavier Dolan’s “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan” with Kit Harington and Natalie Portman, and Steve McQueen’s star-studded thriller “Widows” with Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, and Brian Tyree Henry.
Jason Reitman’s Gary Hart movie “The Front Runner” with Hugh Jackman, Joel Edgerton’s LGBT drama “Boy Erased” with Lucas Hedges, Damien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man” starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” remake with Lady Gaga, David Lowery’s “The Old Man & the Gun” starring Robert Redford, and Yann Demange’s crime drama “White Boy Rick” with Matthew McConaughey are also among the titles that will screen at TIFF, after debuting at the Telluride and Venice Film Festivals.
The documentaries sidebar includes the unveilings of Michael Moore’s anti-Trump movie “Fahrenheit 11/9,” Netflix’s Quincy Jones portrait (co-directed by his daughter Rashida Jones), and Alexis Bloom’s “Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes” (produced by Alex Gibney), among other titles. Shane Black’s reimagining of “The Predator” and David Gordon Green’s “Halloween” (starring Jamie Lee Curtis) top the Midnight Madness horror section.
“Every September we invite the whole film world to Toronto, one of the most diverse, movie-mad cities in the world. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to put together a lineup of Galas and Special Presentations that reflects Toronto’s spirit of inclusive, passionate engagement with film,” said Piers Handling, CEO and director of TIFF, in a statement. Echoed the fest’s artistic director Cameron Bailey, “Audiences won’t want to miss these premieres from a mix of newcomers and global heavyweights.”
For the fest’s full lineup and more, visit tiff.net. Keep checking in with Backstage for film festival updates and awards coverage!
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