TIFF to premiere films directed by Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen at this year’s fest

A number of celebrities are settling into the director’s chair and premiering their tasks at the Toronto Worldwide Movie Festival (TIFF) this 12 months, including Viggo Mortensen, Michael Keaton, Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick.

Mortensen’s Canadian co-made western titled The Useless Don’t Harm is between the galas and particular displays declared by TIFF amid ongoing labour motion in Hollywood that could modify this year’s competition working experience.

In the meantime, Keaton directs and stars along with Al Pacino in the thriller Knox Goes Absent, with the Birdman actor playing a hit man in hazard of dropping his memory. That film — as well as Pine’s secret/comedy Poolman, in which he co-stars with Annette Bening — will have its globe premiere at the competition.

Other stars that are established to premiere directorial tasks at TIFF are Anna Kendrick, with Woman of the Hour, and Kristin Scott Thomas, with North Star.

The pageant is a essential system for Hollywood to debut its tumble fare and awards hopefuls. But like the Venice Film Festival, which commences about a 7 days just before TIFF launches on Sept. 7, Toronto organizers are anxiously next the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

Whilst those strikes go on, actors and writers are prohibited by their unions from selling their movies. TIFF will go forward, no matter, but an ongoing strike would sap the pageant of A-listers and absolutely reduce the usual cacophony of buzz emanating from Toronto.

Present strike motion guidelines would probably prevent directors who also star in their movie — this kind of as Pine and Keaton — from promoting their perform as an actor, but they’d be ready to discuss to the media from a director’s stage of check out.

The strike has previously led to 1 of Venice’s top titles — Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, starring Zendaya — to pull out as the festival’s opening evening collection and postpone its launch to April.

However, several projects from noteworthy directors like South Korean filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda (Monster) and British director Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Desire) will have their Canadian premieres at the festival.

Director Richard Linklater’s comedy-thriller Hitman, starring Glen Powell as a Houston cop who functions undercover as a hired assassin, will have its North American premiere at TIFF.

Elliot Web page, Annie Murphy between Canadian expertise

Freshly introduced Canadian tasks contain Val-d’Or, Que.,-born director Sophie Dupuis’s queer romance Solo, which centres on a Montreal drag performer navigating relatives and marriage troubles.

Montreal-based mostly filmmaker Chloé Robichaud’s Days of Joy, starring Sophie Desmarais as a young orchestra conductor navigating a complicated connection with her father-slash-agent, will have its entire world premiere at the fest — as will Swan Song by Langley, B.C. director Chelsea McMullan.

Also on the list is Dominic Savage’s Shut to You, a Canada-United Kingdom co-creation starring Elliot Page. Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy will be featured in Fingernails by Greek filmmaker Christos Nikou.

Many other acquainted Canadian faces will appear on the massive monitor at TIFF this year. Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Funds will co-star Seth Rogen, even though Taika Waititi’s formerly declared soccer comedy Next Ambitions Wins will star Will Arnett. Atom Egoyan’s latest film Seven Veils will characteristic a largely Canadian supporting cast.

Canadian rockers Nickelback will get the documentary treatment method in Loathe To Like: Nickelback by director Leigh Brooks, which will juxtapose the band’s wild, multi-10 years achievements with its adore/hate reputation.

TIFF states its first announcement of 2023 options consists of 7 global premieres, 37 earth premieres, 12 North American premieres and four Canadian premieres.