Toronto International Film Festival announces Gala and Special Presentations programmes for TIFF 2017

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REVEALS FIRST GALA AND SPECIAL PRESENTATION TITLES FOR 2017
Featuring premieres from filmmakers including Hany Abu-Assad, Haifaa Al Mansour, Darren Aronofsky, George Clooney, Guillermo del Toro, Richard Eyre, Stephen Frears, Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Greta Gerwig, Craig Gillespie, David Gordon Green, MahamatSaleh Haroun, Angelina Jolie, Anurag Kashyap, Mélanie Laurent, Sebastián Lelio, Ben Lewin, Martin McDonagh, Hansal Mehta, Olivier Nakache, Alexander Payne, Angela Robinson, Andy Serkis, Eric Toledano, Wim Wenders, Joe Wright and more.

Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF, today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentations programmes of the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival®. Of the 14 Galas and 33 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 25 World Premieres, eight International Premieres, six North American Premieres and eight Canadian Premieres.

“Festival-goers from around the world can anticipate a remarkable lineup of extraordinary stories, voices and cinematic visions from emerging talent and some of our favourite masters,” said Handling. “Today’s announcement offers audiences a glimpse at this year’s rich and robust selection of films, including works from Canada, USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Chile, Egypt and Cambodia.”

“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 Bailey. “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.”

The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

GALAS 2017

Breathe Andy Serkis, United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Catcher Was A Spy Ben Lewin, USA
World Premiere

*Closing Night Film*
C'est la vie! Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano, France
World Premiere

Darkest Hour Joe Wright, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Paul McGuigan, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Kings Deniz Gamze Ergüven, France/Belgium
World Premiere

Long Time Running Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Canada
World Premiere

Mary Shelley Haifaa Al Mansour, Ireland/United Kingdom/Luxembourg/USA
World Premiere

The Mountain Between Us Hany Abu-Assad, USA
World Premiere

Mudbound Dee Rees, USA
International Premiere

Stronger David Gordon Green, USA
World Premiere

Untitled Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart Film Neil Burger, USA
World Premiere

The Wife Björn Runge, United Kingdom/Sweden
World Premiere

Woman Walks Ahead Susanna White, USA
World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2017

Battle of the Sexes Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton, USA
International Premiere

BPM (Beats Per Minute) Robin Campillo, France
North American Premiere

The Brawler Anurag Kashyap, India
World Premiere

The Breadwinner Nora Twomey, Canada/Ireland/Luxembourg
World Premiere

Call Me By Your Name Luca Guadagnino, Italy/France
Canadian Premiere

Catch the Wind Gaël Morel, France
International Premiere

The Children Act Richard Eyre, United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Current War Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, USA
World Premiere

Disobedience Sebastián Lelio, United Kingdom
World Premiere

Downsizing Alexander Payne, USA
Canadian Premiere

A Fantastic Woman Sebastián Lelio, Chile
Canadian Premiere

First They Killed My Father Angelina Jolie, Cambodia
Canadian Premiere

The Guardians Xavier Beauvois, France
World Premiere

Hostiles Scott Cooper, USA
International Premiere

The Hungry Bornila Chatterjee, India
World Premiere

I, Tonya Craig Gillespie, USA
World Premiere

*Special Presentations Opening Film*
Lady Bird Greta Gerwig, USA
International Premiere

mother! Darren Aronofsky, USA
North American Premiere

Novitiate Maggie Betts, USA
International Premiere

Omerta Hansal Mehta, India
World Premiere

Plonger Mélanie Laurent, France
World Premiere

The Price of Success Teddy Lussi-Modeste, France
International Premiere

Professor Marston & the Wonder Women Angela Robinson, USA
World Premiere

The Rider Chloé Zhao, USA
Canadian Premiere

A Season in France Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, France
World Premiere

The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro, USA
Canadian Premiere

*Special Presentations Closing Film*
Sheikh Jackson Amr Salama, Egypt
World Premiere

The Square Ruben Östlund, Sweden
North American Premiere

Submergence Wim Wenders, France/Germany/Spain
World Premiere

Suburbicon George Clooney, USA
North American Premiere

Thelma Joachim Trier, Norway/Sweden/France/Denmark
International Premiere

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Martin McDonagh, USA
North American Premiere

Victoria and Abdul Stephen Frears, United Kingdom
North American Premiere

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WORLD PREMIERE OF C’EST LA VIE! TO CLOSE THE 2017 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Latest film from duo behind The Intouchables and Samba closes TIFF on Sept 16

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® announced today the World Premiere of C’est la vie! as the Closing Night Gala. Written and directed by award-winning filmmakers Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, the film stars Gilles Lellouche, Suzanne Clément, Eye Haïdara, and Jean-Pierre Bacri. C’est la vie! will screen at Roy Thomson Hall on September 16.

“We are proud to announce C’est la vie! as this year’s Closing Night film,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “The filmmakers have truly captured the love, laughter, and often chaos that goes into planning our most important milestones, giving audiences a unique point of view to what our lives could look like to people from the outside.”

“Nakache and Toledano make films that the whole world has embraced. We're thrilled to welcome them back with their latest,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “This will be a terrific way for Toronto to close out the Festival.”

“We are excited to be back at TIFF to present C’est la vie! for the Closing Night film,” stated Nakache and Toledano. “We loved the experience we had at the Festival with Samba and are looking forward to meeting the audience again.”

C’est la vie! tells the story of Max, who has begun to grow tired after running his catering company for 30 years. While planning a large wedding for clients Pierre and Helena, a series of mishaps upends a very tight schedule, and every instant of happiness and emotion could veer into disaster and chaos. From the preparations to daybreak, we get a behind-the-scenes look at a wedding party through the eyes of the people working the event. They will all have to count on their one common quality: knowing how to throw a good party!

C’est la vie! is produced by Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Laurent Zeitoun and Yann Zenou, who also produced the directing duo’s most recent films Samba and The Intouchables.

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LADY BIRD TO OPEN SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS PROGRAMME AT 2017 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial debut opens Special Presentations Programme at TIFF

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® announced today Lady Bird as the Opening film of the Special Presentations Programme. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet and Beanie Feldstein.

“We are so pleased to announce Lady Bird as the Special Presentations opener and we know from Frances Ha and Mistress America that Greta Gerwig is an accomplished screenwriter,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF.

“Lady Bird proves she can direct the hell out of a movie as well.”

Lady Bird is an IAC Films Production, produced by Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O’Neill.

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WORLD PREMIERE OF SHEIKH JACKSON TO CLOSE TIFF SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS PROGRAMME
Michael Jackson–themed work from Egypt’s Amr Salama to cap off the Special Presentations programme

Today the Toronto International Film Festival® announced that the World Premiere of Sheikh Jackson will be the Closing Night Special Presentation. Written and directed by Amr Salama, Sheikh Jackson tells the story of a young imam and former Michael Jackson devotee who falls into a tailspin following the news of the King of Pop’s death.

“We couldn’t be happier to have Sheikh Jackson close the Special Presentations programme and to welcome Amr Salama to TIFF for its World Premiere,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “With this film he has provided a deeply personal look at one man’s life through the lens of the passing of his larger-than-life hero. Film lovers can expect a tender and moving account of fandom and faith and their influence on the more intimate aspects of our lives.”

"I'm thrilled to have this film premiere at such a prestigious festival,” said Amr Salama, writer and director, Sheikh Jackson. “Though this film was a collaborative effort, it's my most personal film to date. It's about faith, identity, self-discovery and embracing one's contradictions.”

Sheikh Jackson is produced by Mohamed Hefzy and Hani Osama.


The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.

For film synopses, cast lists, images and more information see tiff.net/galas and tiff.net/specialpresentations. Festival ticket packages start at $105. Purchase packages online at tiff.net/tickets, by phone (416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433), or in person at TIFF Bell Lightbox until August 13 while quantities last. TIFF prefers Visa.

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About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world, through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution programme Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.