I have to say that I’m both floored and delighted that the Toronto International Film Festival picked Rian Johnson’s Looper as their opening night film. (Not too long ago, Rian joined us for a cinecast episode). But the sci-fi action film is one of very many major titles slated for for the 2012 edition of TIFF. New films from Terrence Malick, Tom Tykwer, The Wachowskis, David O. Russell, Takeshi Kitano, Joss Whedon, Neil Jordon, J.A. Bayona, Chen Kaige, Baltasar Kormakur, Robert Redford, Joe Wright, Francois Ozon, Mira Nair, Derek “Blue Valentine” Cianfrance, Thomas Vinterberg, Noah Baumbach, Ben Affleck and many more (below.)
This is the first of many press releases from the festival (Which Variety leaked early; unfortunate for them, fortunate for us), and already the festival looks like a doozey. September cannot come fast enough!
Who is in for TIFF this year? Sound off in the comments section below on what (by the title or director) has got you excited thus far.
Initial Wave of titles.
“Looper” (Rian Johnson) (Opening Film)
“To The Wonder” (Terrence Malick)
“Cloud Atlas” (The Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer)
“Argo” (Ben Affleck)
“The Silver Linings Playbook” (David O Russell)
“Love, Marilyn” (Liz Garbus)
“Free Angela And All Political Prisoners” (Shola Lynch)
“The Place Beyond The Pines” (Derek Cianfrance)
“Midnight’s Children” (Deepa Mehta)
“Hyde Park On Hudson” (Roger Michell)
“Great Expectations” (Mike Newell)
“Inescapable” (Rubba Nadda)
“Twice Born” (Sergio Castellitto)
“English Vinglish” (Gauri Shinde)
“The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” (Stephen Chbosky)
“Thanks For Sharing” (Stuart Blumberg)
“End Of Watch” (David Ayer)
“Imogene” (Robert Puccini and Shari Springer Berman)
“A Late Quartet” (Yaron Zilberman)
“Much Ado About Nothing” (Joss Whedon)
“Frances Ha” (Noah Baumbach)
“The Time Being” (Nenad Cicin-Sain)
“Writers” (Josh Boone)
“At Any Price” (Ramin Bahrani)
“Venus And Serena” (Maiken Baird)
“Byzantium” (Neil Jordan)
“Quartet” (Dustin Hoffman)
“Ginger And Rosa” (Sally Potter)
“A Liar’s Autobiography” (Ben Timlett, Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson)
“Foxfire” (Laurnet Cantet)
“In The House” (Francois Ozon)
“The Impossible” (JA Bayona)
“Hannah Arendt (Margarethe Von Trotta)
“Mr. Pip” (Andrew Adamson)
“Capital” (Costa-Gavras)
“The Attack” (Ziad Doueriri)
“Zaytoun” (Eran Riklis)
“The Deep” (Baltasar Kormakur)
“Dreams For Sale (Nishikawa Miwa)
“The Last Supper” (Lu Chuan)
“Anna Karenina” (Joe Wright)
“The Reluctant Fundamentalist” (Mira Nair)
“The Company You Keep” (Robert Redford)
“Jayne Mansfield’s Car” (Billy Bob Thornton)
“A Royal Affair” (Nikolai Arcel)
“Dangerous Liasons” (Hur Ji-Ho)
“Thermae Romae” (Hideki Takeuchi)
“Caught In THe Web” (Chen Kaige)
“Dormant Beauty” (Marco Belloccchio)
“Everybody Has A Plan” (Ana Piterbarg w/Viggo Mortensen)
“Kon-Tiki” (Espen Sandberg)
“Reality” (Matteo Garrone)
“A Few Hours Of Spring” (Stephan Brize)
“The Hunt” (Thomas Vintenberg)
“The Iceman” (Ariel Vromen)
“Lore” (Cate Shortland)
“No” (Pablo Larrain)
“Outrage Beyond” (Takeshi Kitano)
“Rust And Bone” (Jacques Audiard)
“The Sapphires” (Wayne Blair)
“Tai Chi O” (Stephen Fung)
I’m definitely happy that Looper will be showing. Even though it’s highly unlikely I’ll be able to get tickets, I’ll try to see it if I can (likely during a repeat screening).
If fact, even though I liked many of the films announced today, it’s very unlikely that they will be part of my festival line-up (since they are often the first to go).
On paper, already, BEST TIFF LINEUP EVER. for me anyways.
Malick
Baumbach
Wright
Cianfrance
As a Joss Whedon fan, I was really hoping that Much Ado About Nothing would come to TIFF and happy to see it happen.
Question, buying a package like say the Back Half Pack does that limit the so-called premiere screenings? Also what exactly is considered a premiere screening?
I’ve always bought single tickets, this year I’ve been looking into possibly buying a package. Unfortunately, I’m going to be out of the country and on vacation at the end of August when the schedule is released and possibly when tickets go on sale.
The wordplay can often confuse people. What you are talking about is Premium Screenings.
Generally speaking, every Premium Screening is a premiere, but not every premiere is a premium screening.
While the festival as a whole definitely calms down in the second half, there is still plenty to see and many directors (and some stars) stay in town for Q&As at even repeat screenings.
the back half pack is a piece of shit, buyer beware… you are excluded from the lottery system and are waiting in line picking sloppy seconds after everyone in the lottery system has had a go.
Is that before or after tickets are available individually? As mentioned that is what I generally do anyways. Beyond Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing” unless some thing sticks out I will likely be going to Midnight Madness screenings.
Looper would be cool, but I can wait until it’s wide release.
Packages are processed before single tickets go on sale. That’s why I said these headliner films are often the first to go.
I personally think packages are a bit overrated. I get only single tickets every year and I always have great festivals (and I even got into screenings with celebrity guests).
There’s a package to get 5 tickets for $50. I think this year I’ll will easily go to 5 movies, so I’ve gone ahead and just bought it. If Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is not included, then I’ll have to try buy a single ticket for it. The fact that I will be out of the country when single tickets go on sale might throw a wrench into my plans.
I imagine “Much Ado About Nothing” might be hard to get a ticket as I’m seeing on the various Whedon sites and boards, people making plans on travelling to Toronto just to see this movie (and because Whedon will likely be there).
I can’t recall if Whedon was in Toronto last year for COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE (which he was a producer on).
I know Harry Knowles was here.
Filming of Avengers wrapped up at I think the beginning of September 2011. Whedon then had a month off before post-production work for Avengers started and quickly put together & filmed “Much Ado About Nothing” around when TIFF 2011 was happening. (He was supposed to go to Venice for his 20th wedding anniversary, but his wife joked that Venice wasn’t sinking that fast and he should do his Shakespeare adaption).
However, Morgan Spurlock and Stan Lee were at the Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope premiere at TIFF. I saw it at one of the later screenings which by then no one from the movie was around.
Jealousy is dripping from my eyes.
I may have to forego something important in my life so I can come up for this. Like, food.
CLOUD ATLAS TRAILER
http://www.joblo.com/video/player.php?video=cloud_atlas_extended_trlr
Jesus Christ that is a day one in the theater after that 5minute opus.
Holy Fucking Shit! I need to start the reading the book again; I stop reading it because school started.
Andrew, did you finished reading the book?
No I never did. I started reading an old Arthur C. Clarke book and got distracted. This is one rare case where I actually do want to read the book first for some reason. I have it on my phone so I’m going to get to it.