The Toronto International Film Festival has announced its Gala and Special Presentations sections. The glaring omissions are Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” Ethan Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls” and Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”
Let me just preface by saying that, based on Premiere designations, Bertrand Bonello’s “The Beast”, Michel Franco’s “Memory” and Richard Linklater’s “Hitman” are going to Venice.
Chai Vasarhelyi/Jimmy Chin’s “Nyad”, George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin” Christos Nikou’s “Fingernails” Ethan Hawke’s “Wildcat” and Alexander Payne’s “Holdovers” will world premiere at Telluride. Meanwhile, Kitty Green’s “The Royal Hotel” is actually doing Toronto, Venice and Telluride — the only film so far to be doing all three major fests.
Obviously, TIFF decided not to screen new films from Woody Allen, Roman Polanski and Luc Besson, but that was very predictably going to happen. There’s no way TIFF head honcho Cameron Bailey would dare invite these filmmakers and get assaulted all the baggage that entails in doing so.
Now, for what’s only going to Toronto, the ones that standouts include a lot of actors-turned-directors: Ellen Kuras’ “Lee,” Viggo Mortensen’s “The Dead Don’t Hurt,” Craig Gillespie’s “Dumb Money” Michael Keaton’s “Knox Goes Away” Kristin Scott Thomas’ “North Star,” David Yates’ “Pain Hustlers,” Maggie Betts’ “The Burial,” Lukas Moodysson’s “Together 99,” and Anna Kendrick’s feature directing debut “Woman of the Hour.”
Of course, this isn’t even 50% of the full TIFF lineup, there are plenty of other sections left to be announced. An opening night film, rumored to be Miyazaki’s “The Boy and The Heron,” is still not a done deal.
GALA PRESENTATIONS 2023
Concrete Utopia Um Tae-Hwa | South Korea – North American Premiere
Dumb Money Craig Gillespie | USA – World Premiere
The End We Start From Mahalia Belo | United Kingdom – World Premiere
Fair Play Chloe Domont | USA – International Premiere
Flora and Son John Carney | Ireland/USA – Canadian Premiere
Hate to Love: Nickelback Leigh Brooks | Canada – World Premiere
Lee Ellen Kuras | United Kingdom – World Premiere
The Movie Emperor Ning Hao | China – World Premiere
The New Boy Warwick Thornton | Australia – North American Premiere
Next Goal Wins Taika Waititi | USA – World Premiere
NYAD Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin | USA – International Premiere
Punjab ’95 Honey Trehan | India – World Premiere
The Royal Hotel Kitty Green | Australia/United Kingdom – Canadian Premiere
Solo Sophie Dupuis | Canada – World Premiere
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2023
A Difficult Year Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache | France – International Premiere
American Fiction Cord Jefferson | USA – World Premiere
Anatomy of a Fall Justine Triet | France – Canadian Premiere
The Beast Bertrand Bonello | France/Canada – North American Premiere
The Burial Maggie Betts | USA – World Premiere
Close to You Dominic Savage | Canada/United Kingdom – World Premiere
The Convert Lee Tamahori | Australia/New Zealand – World PremiereThe Critic Anand Tucker | United Kingdom – World Premiere
Days of Happiness Chloé Robichaud | Canada – World Premiere
The Dead Don’t Hurt Viggo Mortensen | Mexico/Canada/Denmark – World Premiere
El Rapto Daniela Goggi | Argentina – North American Premiere
Ezra Tony Goldwyn | USA – World Premiere
Fingernails Christos Nikou | USA – International Premiere
Four Daughters Kaouther Ben Hania | France/Tunisia/Germany/Saudi Arabia – North American Premiere
His Three Daughters Azazel Jacobs | USA World Premiere
Hitman Richard Linklater | USA – North American Premiere
The Holdovers Alexander Payne | USA – International Premiere
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Alex Gibney | USA – World Premiere
Kidnapped Marco Bellocchio | Italy/France/Germany – North American Premiere
Knox Goes Away Michael Keaton | USA – World Premiere
La Chimera Alice Rohrwacher | Italy/France/Switzerland – North American Premiere
Last Summer Catherine Breillat | France – North American Premiere
*Les Indésirables Ladj Ly | France – World Premiere
Memory Michel Franco | USA/Mexico – North American Premiere
Monster Kore-eda Hirokazu | Japan – North American Premiere
Mother Couch Niclas Larsson | USA – World Premiere
A Normal Family Hur Jin-ho | South Korea – World Premiere
North Star Kristin Scott Thomas | United Kingdom – World Premiere
One Life James Hawes | United Kingdom – World Premiere
Pain Hustlers David Yates | USA – World Premiere
The Peasants DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman | Poland/Serbia/Lithuania – World Premiere
Poolman Chris Pine | USA – World Premiere
Reptile Grant Singer | USA – World Premiere
Rustin George C. Wolfe | USA – International Premiere
*Seven Veils Atom Egoyan | Canada – World Premiere
Shoshana Michael Winterbottom | United Kingdom/Italy World – Premiere
Sing Sing Greg Kwedar | USA – World Premiere
Smugglers Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea – North American Premiere
Swan Song Chelsea McMullan | Canada – World Premiere
Together 99 Lukas Moodysson | Sweden/Denmark – World Premiere
Unicorns Sally El Hosaini, James Krishna Floyd | United Kingdom/USA/Sweden – World Premiere
Uproar Paul Middleditch, Hamish Bennett | New Zealand – World Premiere
Wicked Little Letters Thea Sharrock | United Kingdom – World Premiere
Wildcat Ethan Hawke | USA – International Premiere
Woman of the Hour Anna Kendrick | USA – World Premiere
The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer | United Kingdom/Poland/USA – Canadian Premiere
The prime catalyst for Netflix's risk-free shift may have been new content chief Dan Lin, who said two years ago that the company would greenlight films "more about audience, and less about auteurs."