Javier Bardem, Gael García Bernal, Angelina Jolie and Helen Mirren will headline a series of public conversations about their careers as part of this year’s Toronto Film Festival.
Many of these actors and filmmakers aren’t just trekking to Canada to take a jaunt down memory lane. They’re also on hand to launch new films. Bardem stars in “mother!,” Darren Aronofsky’s upcoming horror film, and “Loving Pablo,” both of which will debut at the festival. Jolie is bringing “First They Killed My Father,” a drama about the Cambodian genocide that she made for Netflix, to the gathering. Mirren is appearing opposite Donald Sutherland in “The Leisure Seeker,” another festival entry. And Bernal will be seen in “If You Saw His Heart,” which will screen at the event.
In addition, the festival also unveiled its 2017 Discovery program lineup. It boasts 45 first and second
feature films by up-and-coming filmmakers from around the world. The festival’s backers say it’s the biggest line-up yet, with 25% more titles than the 2016 roster.
n a press release touting the additions, the festival’s brass said the films deal with a wide-range of social issues such as the push for LGBTQ equality and rural economic struggles.
“If you don’t support the future of filmmaking, you fall behind. So we’re always looking for new talent,” said Cameron Bailey, the festival’s artistic director, in a statement. “The fact that the Discovery program continues to grow is deeply encouraging, and speaks to the fact that there are a lot of people that want to make films when it is often increasingly more difficult to do so.”
These films join a list of Oscar hopefuls that include Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” Joe Wright’s “Darkest Hour,” and George Clooney’s “Suburbicon,” all of which will be screening at Toronto. The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
Films screening as part of the Discovery program include:
“1%,” Stephen McCallum, Australia
World Premiere
“¾ (Three Quarters),” Ilian Metev, Germany/Bulgaria
North American Premiere
“A Fish Out Of Water (上岸的魚),” Lai Kuo-An, Taiwan
World Premiere
“A Worthy Companion,” Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez, Canada
World Premiere
“All You Can Eat Buddha,” Ian Lagarde, Canada
World Premiere
“Apostasy,: Daniel Kokotajlo, United Kingdom
World Premiere
“AVA,” Sadaf Foroughi, Iran/Canada/Qatar
World Premiere
“Black Cop,” Cory Bowles, Canada
World Premiere
“The Butterfly Tree,” Priscilla Cameron, Australia
International Premiere
“Cardinals,” Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, Canada
World Premiere
“Disappearance (Napadid Shodan),” Ali Asgari, Iran/Qatar
North American Premiere
“Five Fingers For Marseilles (Menoana e Mehlano ea Marseilles),” Michael Matthews, South Africa
World Premiere
“The Future Ahead (El futuro que viene),” Constanza Novick, Argentina
World Premiere
“The Garden (Sommerhäuser),” Sonja Maria Kröner, Germany
International Premiere
“The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯),” Huang Hsin-Yao, Taiwan
International Premiere
“The Lady From Holland,” Marleen Jonkman, Netherlands/Germany
World Premiere
“Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, Luxembourg/Germany/Belgium
World Premiere
“High Fantasy,” Jenna Bass, South Africa
World Premiere
“Human Traces,” Nic Gorman, New Zealand
North American Premiere
“I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, United Kingdom/France
North American Premiere
“I Kill Giants,” Anders Walter, United Kingdom
World Premiere
“Indian Horse,” Stephen Campanelli, Canada
World Premiere
“Killing Jesus (Matar a Jesús),” Laura Mora, Colombia/Argentina
World Premiere
“Kissing Candice,” Aoife McArdle, Ireland
World Premiere
“Luk’Luk’I,” Wayne Wapeemukwa, Canada
World Premiere
“Mary Goes Round,” Molly McGlynn, Canada
World Premiere
“Miracle (Stebuklas),” Egle Vertelyte, Lithuania/Bulgaria/Poland
World Premiere
“Montana,” Limor Shmila, Israel
World Premiere
“Never Steady, Never Still,” Kathleen Hepburn, Canada
World Premiere
“Oblivion Verses (Los Versos del Olvido),” Alireza Khatami, France/Germany/Netherlands/Chile
North American Premiere
“Oh Lucy!,” Atsuko Hirayanagi, USA/Japan
North American Premiere
“The Poet and the Boy (Si-e-nui Sa-rang),” Kim Yang-hee, South Korea
International Premiere
“Princesita,” Marialy Rivas, Chile/Argentina/Spain
World Premiere
“Ravens,” Jens Assur, Sweden
World Premiere
“Scaffolding (Pigumim),” Matan Yair, Israel/Poland
North American Premiere
“Shuttle Life (分貝人生),” Tan Seng Kiat, Malaysia
North American Premiere
“Simulation,: Abed Abest, Iran
North American Premiere
“Soldiers. Story from Ferentari (Soldaţii. Poveste din Ferentari),” Ivana Mladenovic, Romania/Serbia/Belgium
World Premiere
“Suleiman Mountain,” Elizaveta Stishova, Kyrgyzstan/Russia
World Premiere
“The Swan (Svanurinn),” Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir, Iceland
World Premiere
“Tigre,” Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra Guardiola, Argentina
World Premiere
“Valley of Shadows (Skyggenes Dal),” Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen, Norway
World Premiere
“Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, India
World Premiere
“Waru,” Briar Grace-Smith, Ainsley Gardiner, Renae Maihi, Casey Kaa, Awanui Simich-Pene, Chelsea Cohen, Katie Wolfe, Paula Jones, New Zealand
International Premiere
“Winter Brothers (Vinterbrødre),” Hlynur Pálmason, Denmark/Iceland
North American Premiere
Source: Variety
