The Toronto International Film Festival doesn’t kick off for another six weeks, but organizers just announced this year’s initial lineup, specifically their first wave of Gala and Special Presentation pictures.
The Gala films include Oliver Stone’s Snowden, Peter Berg’s Deepwater Horizon, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, Denis Villenueve’s Arrival, Rob Reiner’s LBJ, J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls, Lion starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, Planetarium starring Natalie Portman, Queen of Katwe starring Lupita Nyong’o, The Secret Scripture starring Rooney Mara, and A United Kingdom starring both David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.
Among the highlights of the Special Presentation features are Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, Werner Herzog’s Salt and Fire, Christopher Guest’s Mascot, Andrea Arnold’s American Honey, Ewan McGregor’s American Pastoral, Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, and Park Chan-Wook’s The Handmaiden. Sundance stunners such as Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation and Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By the Sea will also screen.
What’s more, Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven will open the festival, while Kelly Fremon Craig’s The Edge of Seventeen will close the festivities.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 8th to 18th and traditionally kicks off Oscar fever. Stay tuned for more films as they’re announced and look forward to our full coverage, once again featuring the talents of Senior Staff Writer Sarah Kurchak.
