The Toronto International Film Festival has announced the first batch of films heading up north, and as always, the fest is highlighting both A-List stars and emerging talent. Many of the films screening in the Galas and Special Presentations programs — the fest’s most high-profile slots — have been revealed. Among the most anticipated projects making their World Premiere as Galas at the fest are “Kings,” Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s English-language debut and follow-up to her Oscar-nominated drama “Mustang,” and Haifaa Al Mansour’s Elle Fanning-starrer “Mary Shelley.”
Of 14 films in the Gala slate, five are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to about 36 percent of the lineup. Thirty-three Special Presentation films have been announced and nine are helmed or co-helmed by women, which is about 27 percent. Bear in mind that more films will be added. In last year’s initial announcement, 37 percent of Galas and 16 percent of Special Presentations were directed or co-directed by women. So, the respectable Gala numbers have remained the same and, thankfully, the percentage for the Special Presentations has improved.
Besides “Kings” and “Mary Shelley,” other women-helmed Gala films include Susanna White’s Jessica Chastain-led Native American period drama “Woman Walks Ahead” and Dee Rees’ “Mudbound,” a post-World War II-set family drama that scored the biggest deal out of Sundance earlier this year.
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” will open the Special Presentations slate. Gerwig penned the script for the comedy, which sees “Brooklyn” star and Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan playing a Sacramento-based teenager who dreams of attending college in New York City. Other films screening in this section include Angela Robinson’s look into the herstory behind Wonder Woman, “Professor Marston & the Wonder Women,” and “Battle of the Sexes,” a comedy about the feud between tennis players Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) co-directed by Valerie Faris.
“Every year we set the stage for film lovers of all ages and cultural backgrounds to come together and embrace the universal power of cinema,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “As the Festival enters its fifth decade, we’ve challenged ourselves to adapt and build on our strengths, and we look forward to championing a new selection of films that will captivate and inspire global film audiences.”
TIFF runs from September 7-17. Check out the women-directed and co-directed films announced as Galas and Special Presentations below. List adapted from TIFF.
GALAS
Kings: Directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, France/Belgium
World Premiere
Long Time Running: Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Canada
World Premiere
Mary Shelley: Directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, Ireland/United Kingdom/Luxembourg/USA
World Premiere
Mudbound: Directed by Dee Rees, USA
International Premiere
Woman Walks Ahead: Directed by Susanna White, USA
World Premiere
Special Presentations
Battle of the Sexes: Directed by Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, USA
International Premiere
The Breadwinner: Directed by Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg
World Premiere
First They Killed My Father: Directed by Angelina Jolie, Cambodia
Canadian Premiere
The Hungry: Directed by Bornila Chatterjee, India
World Premiere
Lady Bird: Directed by Greta Gerwig, USA
*Special Presentations Opening Film* International Premiere
Novitiate: Directed by Maggie Betts, USA
International Premiere
Plonger: Directed by Mélanie Laurent, France
World Premiere
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women: Directed by Angela Robinson, USA
World Premiere
The Rider: Directed by Chloé Zhao, USA
Canadian Premiere
