A dark comedy starring Amy Adams as a mother turning into a dog, a documentary about Elton John聽and the antics of an animated feral robot voiced by Lupita Nyong鈥檕 are among the first six titles, all world premieres, announced for the 2024 海角社区官网International Film Festival.
鈥淣ightbitch,鈥 directed by Marielle Heller (鈥淐an You Ever Forgive Me?鈥), stars six-time Oscar nominee Adams as a beleaguered mom convinced she鈥檚 undergoing a canine transformation. Based on the acclaimed first novel by Rachel Yoder, who wrote the screenplay, the film is attracting early Oscar buzz as one of the most anticipated movies of the fall season.
Adams will launch her Oscar campaign at TIFF, where 鈥淣ightbitch鈥 will screen in the Special Presentations program during the 11-day fest, which runs Sept. 5 to 15.
The actor鈥檚 performance and metamorphosis in the film will 鈥渂low many people away,鈥 said Anita Lee, TIFF鈥檚 chief programming officer.
鈥淭he storytelling and everything about it is really, really original. I think there’s going to be a lot of talk about this film.鈥
While in Toronto, Adams will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award at the annual TIFF Tribute Awards fundraising gala on September 8, which will also honour Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg with the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award. Cronenberg is expected to bring his new psychological thriller 鈥淭he Shrouds鈥 to TIFF. It premiered last month at the Cannes Film Festival, but a screening hasn鈥檛 been announced yet.
鈥淓lton John: Never Too Late,鈥 a doc about one of rock鈥檚 most enduring performers 鈥 who recently concluded his farewell concert tour after 52 years of global stardom 鈥 will premiere in the fest鈥檚 Gala program. Co-directed by R. J. Cutler (鈥淏illie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry鈥) and John鈥檚 Toronto-born husband David Furnish, the film is 鈥渁 beautifully done look at (John鈥檚) overall life,鈥 Lee said in an interview. The 鈥淩ocket Man鈥 singer hasn鈥檛 yet confirmed his attendance at the premiere, she said, but 鈥渋t鈥檚 looking very positive鈥 he鈥檒l turn up.
鈥淓lton John: Never Too Late鈥 is part of a recent explosion in music-themed docs, Lee added, and more such films are expected to be announced for TIFF 鈥24, the fest鈥檚 49th edition.
Another TIFF gala premiere announced Tuesday is the animated adventure 鈥淭he Wild Robot鈥 by Chris Sanders (鈥淭he Call of the Wild鈥). Based on Peter Brown鈥檚 eponymous best-selling illustrated book, it features Lupita Nyong鈥檕 as the voice of Roz, a robot forced to learn survival tactics after a shipwreck strands her on a remote island. The A-list voice cast also includes Pedro Pascal, Catherine O鈥橦ara, Bill Nighy,聽Kit Connor聽and Stephanie Hsu.
Amy Adams stars in Marielle Heller鈥檚 鈥淣ightbitch,鈥 a dark comedy about a beleagured mom who thinks she鈥檚 turning into a dog.聽
Searchlight PicturesThe third announced gala is 鈥淗arbin鈥 by South Korea鈥檚 Woo Min-ho (鈥淚nside Men鈥), the story of freedom fighters in Harbin, China, during the revolutionary years of the early 20th century. It stars Hyun Bin,聽Lee Dong-wook, Park Jeong-min (鈥淒ecision to Leave鈥) and聽Jeon Yeo-been, and is shot by Hong Kyung-pyo, the acclaimed cinematographer of 鈥淧arasite鈥 and 鈥淪nowpiercer.鈥
The two other films announced Tuesday are both Special Presentations premieres: Mike Flanagan鈥檚 鈥淭he Life of Chuck,鈥 based on a Stephen King novella and starring Tom Hiddleston as a terminally ill man contemplating his life; and Sydney Freeland鈥檚 鈥淩ez Ball,鈥 a coming-of-age story about Navajo Nation high school basketball players seeking to rebuild their team and win a championship after losing their star player.
The eclectic mix of films for TIFF鈥檚 first announcement is designed to showcase the depth and breadth of movies headed to TIFF 鈥24, Lee said.
She added the festival is eager to fully return to the 鈥渟tatus quo鈥 of showing some 200 features and dozens of shorts after several years of disruption, first through the pandemic years and then last year鈥檚 strike by Hollywood actors and writers.
TIFF has also had to weather financial difficulties, in large part due to the departure late last year of lead sponsor Bell after many years of financial support.
Sandra Oh has been named the inaugural honorary chair of this year鈥檚 TIFF Tribute Awards, a fundraising gala, now in its sixth year, that will actively seek new sponsors for the fest.
Lupita Nyong鈥檕 voices the title character of 鈥淭he Wild Robot,鈥 an animated adventure by Chris Sanders (鈥淭he Call of the Wild鈥), which is headed to TIFF 2024.聽
DreamWorks AnimationLee said the mission of this year鈥檚 TIFF, as it anticipates next year鈥檚 50th edition, is to get back to where the fest was in 2019, before COVID, strikes and other calamities forced the fest to scale back its operations and aspirations.
鈥淚’m hoping that this year, we will have no surprises 鈥 fingers crossed!鈥 she said.
鈥淚 tell people, and they’re surprised, that our attendance was actually up last year from the previous year, despite the strikes,鈥 Lee said.
鈥淚 think that really speaks to the audiences that we have in 海角社区官网that are really excited to actually see the films. (They鈥檙e also)聽 really, really excited about the directors and the filmmakers.鈥
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