Deepwater Horizon, Antoine Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven Among TIFF 2016 Premieres, Check Out Full Lineup

Special Presentations

Among those special presentations listed below, Casey Affleck-led drama Manchester By the Sea has garnered a fair amount of buzz during its turn at Sundance, while La La Land – which comes packing serious star power in Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – ought to pique attention throughout TIFF. Toss in Ewan McGregor’s directorial debut American Pastoral and the Oscar-tipped The Birth of a Nation and you can all the makings of a brilliant festival.

The Age of Shadows (Miljeong) Kim Jee woon, South Korea North American Premiere
The latest from cutting-edge director Kim Jee woon is an epic-scale period thriller about a double agent sent to infiltrate a band of
freedom fighters during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1920s. Starring Korean superstars Song Kang ho, Han Ji min, and Gong Yoo.

All I See Is You Marc Forster, Thailand World Premiere
Set in exotic locations, this unique and visually-driven psychological drama tells the story of a blind woman and her husband, who upon restoration of her sight, begins to discover previously unseen and disturbing details about themselves, their marriage, and their lives. Stars Blake Lively, Yvonne Strahovski, and Jason Clarke.

American Honey Andrea Arnold, USA North American Premiere
Star, an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away with a travelling sales crew who drive across the American Midwest selling subscriptions door to door. Finding her feet in this gang of teenagers, she soon gets into the group’s lifestyle of hard-partying nights, lawbending days, and young love. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keogh, and Sasha Lane.

American Pastoral Ewan McGregor, USA World Premiere
Based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning Philip Roth novel, American Pastoral follows a family whose seemingly idyllic existence is shattered by the social and political turmoil of the 1960s. Ewan McGregor stars in his directorial debut as Seymour “Swede” Levov, a once legendary high school athlete who is now a successful businessman married to a former beauty queen. But turmoil brews beneath the polished veneer of Swede’s life, when his beloved teenage daughter disappears after being accused of committing a violent act. Dedicated to finding her, what he discovers shakes him to the core, forcing him to look beneath the surface and confront the chaos that is shaping the world around him. Also starring Academy Award–winner Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning, Emmy–winner Uzo Aduba, David Strathairn, Valorie Curry, Peter Riegert, and Rupert Evans.

Asura: The City of Madness Kim Sung-soo, South Korea World Premiere
A shady cop finds himself in over his head when he gets caught between Internal Affairs and the city’s corrupt mayor, in this scintillating crime drama from Korean maestro Kim Sung-soo. Stars Hwang Jung-min, Kwak Do-won, Ju Ji-hoon, and Jung Woo-sung.

Barakah Meets Barakah (Barakah yoqabil Barakah) Mahmoud Sabbagh, Saudi Arabia North American Premiere
Saudi Arabia’s first rom-com features comedian and social-media superstar Hisham Fageeh as a mild-mannered civil servant who runs up against his society’s strict mores when he sets out to romance the outspoken daughter of a wealthy couple. Also starring Fatima Al Banawi.

Barry Vikram Gandhi, USA World Premiere
New York City, 1981. Inspired by true events, a young Barack Obama tries to find his way as a college student in a new city as he is
faced with questions about race, culture, and identity in this inspiring drama centered on a crucial year in the future President’s life. Starring Devon Terrell, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Ellar Coltrane.

Birth of the Dragon George Nolfi, USA/China/Canada World Premiere
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1964, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martialarts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with Shaolin master Wong Jack Man. While details of the fight are hotly disputed to this day, one thing is clear — out of that epic fight, Bruce Lee emerged as The Dragon, the man who brought Kung Fu to the world. Starring Billy Magnussen, Xia Yu, and Philip Ng.

The Birth of a Nation Nate Parker, USA International Premiere
Filmmaker-actor Nate Parker reclaims the title of D.W. Griffith’s 1916 milestone for this epic chronicle, set against the antebellum South, of the life of Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner accepts an offer to use his preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities — against himself and his fellow slaves — Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom. Starring Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith, Gabrielle Union, Penelope Ann Miller, and Jackie Earle Haley.

Bleed for This Ben Younger, USA Canadian Premiere
This film tells the incredible true story of one of the most inspiring and unlikely comebacks in sports history. Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza, shoots to stardom after winning two world title fights before a near-fatal car accident leaves him with a broken neck, and he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor’s orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident, for what could be the last fight of his life. Stars Miles Teller, Katey Sagal, and Aaron Eckhart.

Blue Jay Alex Lehmann USA World Premiere
Meeting by chance when they return to their tiny California hometown, two former high-school sweethearts reflect on their shared past through the lens of their differently dissatisfied presents, in this tender, wise and affecting chamber drama from first-time feature director Alex Lehmann. Starring Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson.

Brimstone Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands/Germany/France/Belgium/Sweden/United Kingdom North American Premiere
A triumphant epic of survival set in the searing wilds of the Badlands, the menacing inferno of the old American West. This tale of
powerful womanhood and resistance against the unforgiving cruelty of a hell on earth follows Liz, a heroine carved from the beautiful wilderness, full of heart and grit, and accused of a crime she didn’t commit, hunted by a vengeful preacher. Stars Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning, Emilia Jones, Carice Van Houten and Kit Harington.

BrOTHERHOOD Noel Clarke, United Kingdom International Premiere
Writer-director-star Noel Clarke completes the British crime-drama trilogy he began with KiDULTHOOD and AdULTHOOD, in this gritty tale of an ex-con whose dreams of settling down and going straight run up against the long memories (and itchy trigger fingers) of a crew of old enemies. Stars Noel Clarke, Arnold Oceng, David Ajala, Cornell S. John, and Michael “Stormzy” Omari.

Carrie Pilby Susan Johnson, USA World Premiere
Carrie, a person of high intelligence who graduated Harvard at 18, struggles to make sense of the world as it relates to morality,
relationships, sex and leaving her New York City apartment. Susan Johnson makes her feature directorial debut in this beautiful
adaptation of the acclaimed novel. Stars Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Vanessa Bayer, and Jason Ritter.

Catfight Onur Tukel, USA World Premiere
A reunion between two old school friends sparks a no-holds-barred war of attrition, in this outrageously madcap black comedy. Stars Sandra Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone, Craig Bierko, and Dylan Baker.

City of Tiny Lights Pete Travis, United Kingdom World Premiere
Tommy Akhtar — cricket fan, devoted son and deadbeat private eye — is just emerging from another hangover when his next case walks through the door. Hooker Melody wants him to find her friend who has gone missing. As he delves deeper into the case, Tommy’s journey to uncover the truth leads him into the hidden layers of modern London, unlocking shocking secrets about past loves, friendships, and family. Starring Riz Ahmed, Cush Jumbo, James Floyd, Billie Piper and Roshan Seth.

The Commune (Kollektivet) Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands North American Premiere
Danish auteur Thomas Vinterberg’s new film focuses on a middle-aged professional couple in 1970s Denmark who decide to experiment with communal living by inviting a group of friends and random eccentrics to cohabit with them in a sprawling house. With Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, and Helene Reingaard Neumann.

Daguerrotype (Le Secret de la chambre noire) Kiyoshi Kurosawa, France/Japan/Belgium World Premiere
Kiyoshi Kurosawa makes his first film outside Japan with this French-language ghost romance fantasy, about an aging photographer whose obsession with an archaic technique draws his young assistant and beautiful daughter into a dark and mysterious world. With Tahar Rahim, Constance Rousseau, Olivier Gourmet, and Mathieu Amalric.

A Death in the Gunj Konkona Sensharma, India World Premiere
Set in 1979, this coming of age story follows a shy young Indian student who quietly and fatefully unravels during a family road trip to McCluskiegunj. Stars Vikrant Massey, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, Gulshan Devaiah, Tillotama Shome, Jim Sarbh, Tanuja Mukherjee, Om Puri, and Arya Sharma.

Denial Mick Jackson, USA/United Kingdom World Premiere
Based on the book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, this riveting, true-life drama recounts the courtroom showdown between historian Deborah E. Lipstadt and notorious Holocaust denier David Irving, who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team to prove that the Holocaust had occurred. Starring Academy Award-winner Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott, Jack Lowden, Caren Pistorius and Alex Jennings.

Elle Paul Verhoeven, France North American Premiere
Michèle seems indestructible. As the head of a leading video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle’s life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game — a game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control. Stars Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, Virginie Efira, Christian Berkel, Judith Magre, Jonas Bloquet, Alice Isaaz, Vimala Pons, Raphaël L Lenglet, Arthur Mazet, Lucas Prisor, Hugo Conzelmann, and Stéphane Bak.

Foreign Body (Jassad gharib, Corps etranger) Raja Amari, Tunisia/France World Premiere
Samia immigrates to France illegally. Obsessed by the idea her radical islamist brother might be stalking her, she first finds refuge with Imed, an acquaintance from her village, then with Leila, her employer. Desire and fear heightens the tension between the three protagonists. With Hiam Abbass, Sarra Hannachi, and Salim Kechiouche.

Frantz François Ozon, France/Germany Canadian Premiere
Set in a small German town in the aftermath of World War I, this elegiac tale of love and remembrance follows a young woman mourning the death of her fiancé, Frantz, who was killed in battle in France. She forms a bond with a mysterious Frenchman who has arrived to lay flowers on her beloved’s grave. Starring Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Marie Gruber, Ernst Stötzner, Johann Von Bülow, and Anton Von Lucke.

The Handmaiden (Agassi) Park Chan-wook, South Korea North American Premiere
A crook-turned-servant falls for the vulnerable heiress she had originally schemed to swindle, in this audacious, visually sumptuous, and highly erotic period piece from writer-director Park Chan-wook. Starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Kim Hae-sook, and Moon So-ri.

Harmonium (Fuchi ni tatsu) Kôji Fukada, Japan/France North American Premiere
A Japanese family’s humdrum daily routine is fatefully upset by the arrival of a stranger from the father’s past, in this slow-burning dramatic thriller. Stars Tadanobu Asano, Mariko Tsutsui, Kanji Furutachi, Taiga, Momone Shinokawa, and Kana Mahiro.

I Am Not Madame Bovary Feng Xiaogang, China World Premiere
A café proprietor spends a decade petitioning the Chinese legal system after being swindled by her ex-husband, in this caustically comic contemporary fable. Stars Fan Bingbing.

The Journey Nick Hamm, United Kingdom North American Premiere
A dramatization of the events preceding the historic 2006 St. Andrews Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland after years of violent strife between Unionist and Republican factions. Stars Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, John Hurt, Toby Stephens and Freddie Highmore.

King of the Dancehall Nick Cannon, USA/Jamaica World Premiere
Nick Cannon directs and stars in this high-energy musical about a young man from Brooklyn who gets caught up in the vibrant Kingston music scene during a visit to Jamaica. Starring Nick Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes, Peter Stormare, Kimberly Patterson, Louis Gossett Jr., Kreesha Turner, Kamani Marley, Collie Budz, Killer Bean, and Beenie Man.

La La Land Damien Chazelle, USA Canadian Premiere
Writer-director Damien Chazelle captures the story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, who are
struggling to make ends meet in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams. Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, and Rosemarie DeWitt.

The Limehouse Golem Juan Carlos Medina, United Kingdom World Premiere
In the notorious Limehouse district of 19th-century London, a series of murders have shaken the city. The crimes are so monstrous that the press claim they’re the work of The Golem — a mythic creature from European legend. With no leads and in a desperate attempt to avoid the mobs wrath, Scotland Yard promote the seemingly inexperienced Detective Kildare to stop the slaughtering. Stars Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke, Douglas Booth, Daniel Mays, Sam Reid, Maria Valverde, and Eddie Marsan.

Manchester by the Sea Kenneth Lonergan, USA Canadian Premiere
A reclusive handyman must face his painful past when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown after the sudden death of his beloved older brother, in this emotionally overwhelming and critically acclaimed drama from writer-director Kenneth Lonergan. Stars Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, and Matthew Broderick.

Mascots Christopher Guest, USA World Premiere
Starring many of his regular troupe of actors, Christopher Guest’s new comedy takes place in the ultra-competitive world of sports
mascots where they compete for the most prestigious award in their field, the Gold Fluffy. Cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Parker Posey, Bob Balaban, Harry Shearer and Ed Begley Jr.

Maudie Aisling Walsh, Canada/Ireland Canadian Premiere
Maudie tells the true story of Maud Lewis, who overcame the physical challenge of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to become one of
Canada’s premier folk artists. Stars Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.

Neruda Pablo Larraín, Chile/Argentina/Spain/France Canadian Premiere
Pablo Larraín weaves an engrossing metafictional fable around the 1948 manhunt for celebrated poet and politician Pablo Neruda, who goes underground when Chile outlaws communism and is pursued by an ambitious police inspector hoping to make a name for himself by capturing the famous fugitive. Starring Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, Mercedes Morán, Diego Muñoz, Pablo Derqui, and Michael Silva.