SonyaThe Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for the 47th year this September 8th to 18th. We’re more than ready to take in the great selection of movies, talks, Festival Street and maybe run into few celebrities along the way — yes, it happens more often than you might think! Amongst cinephile friends, we compare our must-see lists and place our predictions on any Oscar-worthy contenders.
There are films that will entertain, stir your emotions and some that may even surprise you! We love TIFF for so many reasons! So, get ready! Individual tickets go on sale to the public starting September 5th!
Here are a few films that we’ve got our eyes on for this year’s TIFF…
The Woman King: Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewoodm, (USA), World Premiere
This is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.
Emily: Directed by Frances O’Connor (UK), World Premiere
This boldly atmospheric portrait of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë — the directorial debut from veteran actor Frances O’Connor — is a tale of creativity, secret desire, and a woman’s arduous journey toward self-actualization in 19th-century England.
Empire of Light: Directed by Sam Mendes (UK, USA) Canadian Premiere
Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward star in this poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema, directed by Sam Mendes and captured by cinematographer Roger Deakins.
Women Talking: Directed by Sarah Polley (USA), International Premiere
Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Judith Ivey, with Ben Wishaw and Frances McDormand, star in Sarah Polley’s fearless adaptation of Miriam Toews’ acclaimed novel about a cloistered world where women struggle with an epidemic of abuse.
My Policeman: Directed by Michael Grandage (UK), World Premiere
This tale of forbidden romance and changing social conventions follows three people — policeman Tom (Harry Styles/Linus Roache), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin/Gina McKee), and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson/Rupert Everett) — and their emotional journey spanning decades.
Moonage Daydream: Directed by Brett Morgen (USA), North American Premiere
A kaleidoscopic weave of archival performances and candid interviews, this portrait of David Bowie from director Brett Morgen (Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) immerses us in the restless starman’s singular galaxy of music, art, and identity.
Triangle of Sadness: Directed by Ruben Östlund (Sweden, UK, USA, France, Greece), North American Premiere
Ruben Östlund’s latest Palme d’Or–winning satire explores hypocrisy, greed, and thirst for power amongst the idle rich (and the luxury-cruise industry).
Return to Seoul: Directed by Davy Chou (South Korea, France, Cambodia, Germany, Belgium, Qatar), International Premiere
Other People’s Children: Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski (France), North American PremiereVirginie Efira stars as a teacher whose new relationship with a single father becomes complicated when she begins to connect with his young daughter, in this romantic drama from Rebecca Zlotowski.
Causeway: Directed by Lila Neugebauer (USA), World Premiere
“It is a rare and miraculous thing to find your one true soul mate.” Carey soon learns that finding two of them can pose an even greater problem. Equal parts humour and heartbreak, THE SWEARING JAR tells two love stories at once, exploring the challenge of marriage, parenting, loss and moving on.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Directed by Rian Johnson (USA), World Premiere
Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to Greece for his latest case, in Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Knives Out starring Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Madelyn Cline, and Jessica Henwick, with Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
Alice, Darling: Directed by Mary Nighy (Canada, USA), World Premiere
Anna Kendrick captures the anxious psychology of a woman in an abusive relationship as her friends try to reconnect with her while on a cottage getaway.
Dear Mama: Directed by Allen Hughes (USA), World Premiere
This quintessential documentary series explores the life and legacy of hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur and his mother, the Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur.
The Young Arsonists: Directed by Sheila Pye (Canada), World Premiere
Set amongst the sparse landscape of an isolated farming community, 5 adolescent girls band together to escape their desolate lives. By reclaiming an abandoned farmhouse as their own, they form an intense and obsessive bond that leads them to a dark place where their innermost fears and desires destroy their only safe place.
Love Life: directed by Kôji Fukada (Japan, France), North American Premiere
This captivating drama from director Kôji Fukada (A Girl Missing) traces a couple’s journey through their respective romantic pasts, boldly exploring what it means to accept your spouse — and yourself — as a complete person.
Something You Said Last Night: Directed by Luis De Filippis (Canada, Switzerland), World Premiere
After being fired from her job, Ren, an aspiring writer and mid-twenty-something, accompanies her family on vacation. The realities of being a stunted millennial and a trans woman coalesce as Ren struggles to balance the yearning for independence with the comfort of being taken care of.
Blueback: Directed by Robert Connolly (Australia), World Premiere
Mia Wasikowska, Radha Mitchell, and Eric Bana star in a story about an intimate mother–daughter relationship, forged by the women’s keen desire to protect the inhabitants of the pristine blue oceans on the Australian coast where they live.
Ever Deadly: Directed by Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan (Canada), World Premiere
This feature documentary weaves concert footage with stunning sequences filmed on location in Nunavut, seamlessly bridging landscapes, stories and songs with pain, anger and triumph—all through the expressions of one of the most innovative musical performers of our time – avant-garde Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq.
THE SON: Directed by Florian Zeller (UK). North American Premiere
Academy Award–winning writer-director Florian Zeller’s follow-up to The Father is bold, incisive, and harrowing. Revisiting its predecessor’s focus on fraught family dynamics, The Son plunges us into a world of troubled legacies, where people try their best in the face of crisis.
Bones of Crows: Directed by Marie Clements (Canada). World Premiere
An epic account of the life of Cree matriarch Aline Spears that spans generations, Marie Clements’ Bones of Crows is a powerful indictment of the abuse of Indigenous peoples as well as a stirring story of resilience and resistance.
CARMEN: Directed by Benjamin Millipied (Australia, France) World Premiere
Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal are dazzling in Benjamin Millepied’s modern-day retelling of one of history’s most famous love stories and operas, featuring a new music score by Nicholas Britell.
Unruly: Directed by Malou Reymann (Denmark), World Premiere
A teenager in 1930s Denmark is forced into an institution to treat her rebellious behaviour, in Malou Reymann’s affecting and timely second feature.
The Wonder: Directed by Sebastián Lelio (UK, Ireland), Canadian Premiere
Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue and directed by Sebastián Lelio, The Wonder stars Florence Pugh as a nurse in 19th-century Ireland hired to investigate the case of a child who has not eaten for four months.
HAWA: Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré (France), World Premiere
A Capraesque tale about a soon-to-be-orphaned adolescent seeking an audience with Michelle Obama, Maïmouna Doucouré’s sophomore feature dismantles boundaries of status and decorum and celebrates the power of self-determination.
Individual tickets for in-person screenings go on sale for the public starting September 5, 2022. See the official site here for more details including how to access titles available via digital screenings.
*selections are based on initial trailers and descriptions found on TIFF’s official films announced. The full list is available on their site.