CONFIRMED TIFF 2011 TITLES

Still from Moneyball

So the first TIFF 2011 Press Conference was held at 10:00 AM today with various Galas and marquee titles announced.  Although weekly announcements still are to come over the next month, here are some of the more buzzed Movies we will be seeing in Toronto come September:

Trishna – directed by Michael Winterbottom – The tragic love story of a Property Developer’s Son and an Auto Rickshaw Owner’s Daughter; stars Freida Pinto.

The Lady – Luc Besson’s Biopic about pro-Democracy Activist Aung San Suu Kyi played by Michelle Yeoh, who was blacklisted in Burma after filming this one

W.E. – Madonna’s directorial debut. A film which criss-crosses a modern day love story with the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

Moneyball – true story about Oakland A’s Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) who puts together Baseball club via computer-generated analysis. Also stars Jonah Hill, Robin Wright and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

The Ides of March – starring George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti and Evan Rachel Wood. A Staff Member to a new Presidential Candidate is given a quick, dirty Crash Course on Politics during his Campaign Trail.

Take this Waltz - Canadian Director/Actress Sarah Polley's second Feature Film starring Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams and Sarah Silverman
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - stars Ewan McGregor as a Fisheries Scientist who despite expressing hesitation to bring Salmon Fishing to Yemen, winds up having a great impact on British History. Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas also star.
The Descendants - George Clooney plays a Father who is forced to connect with his Daughters after their Mother suffers a boating accident and falls into a Coma

50/50 - Comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen (also in Take this Waltz) about a Cancer Survivor's successful battle over the illness

A Dangerous Method – based on passionate affair between Carl Jung and one of his patients prior to the birth of Psychoanalysis; directed by David Cronenberg and starring Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen and Kiera Knightley.
Albert Nobbs - Glenn Close stars as a Woman who disguises herself as a Butler for 20 years; also stars Mia Wasikowska. 
Killer Joe - Emile Hirsch stars as a Man who plots the killing of his Mother.  He hires a crooked Police Officer (Matthew McConaughey) to do the job for him.
The Oranges - A Man falls for his Friend's Daughter, causing a big ordeal among them and their Families.  Stars Hugh Laurie, Alison Janney, Catherine Keener and Leighton Meester.

Drive - a Stuntman who also works as a Getaway Driver, discovers that someone has ordered a "hit" on him; stars Ryan Gosling (also in The Ides of March), Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks.

Butter - about a Girl in the Midwest who learns she has a talent for Butter-carving.  Stars Olivia Wilde, Alicia Silverstone, Hugh Jackman and more.

Machine Gun Preacher – Gerard Butler stars as Sam Childers, a former Drug Dealer/Biker who goes on a mission to save Sudanese children from being forced into becoming soldiers

From the Sky Down – a new U2 Documentary from Waiting for Superman and An Inconvenient Truth Director Davis Guggenheim; opening night Gala.
Hick - stars Blake Lively and Chloë Moretz; a Nebraska teen fleets her simple life for the bright lights and big City.
Take Shelter - stars Michael Shannon as a Father who obsessively builds a shelter after having visions of a Disaster.

Twixt – Francis Ford Coppola directs this  story about a has-been Writer (Val Kilmer) who goes on a Book Tour and reaches a small town.  He gets caught-up in a Murder mystery surrounding a young Girl; also stars Ben Chaplin and Elle Fanning.

Peace, Love and Misunderstanding – A Lawyer takes her two Children to visit their Hippie Grandmother in Woodstock.  Stars Jane Fonda, Chace Crawford, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Catherine Keener.  Fonda likely will make her second trip to Toronto in two months as she will be here in August for a Book Signing.
Coriolanus - Shakespeare adaptation from Actor-turned-Director Ralph Fiennes starring himself and Gerard Butler, who also stars in Machine Gun Preacher.

Pearl Jam Twenty – Cameron Crowe Documentary about one of the most prominent outfits in Rock Music

Americano – Mathieu Demy Film starring a recently-quiet Salma Hayek

Anonymous – Roland Emmerich film starring Vanessa Redgrave, Rhys Ifans, David Thewlis (also stars in The Lady) 

Martha Marcy May Marlene – Elizabeth Olsen stars as a young Woman trying to free herself from a Cult

Like Crazy – a Sundance Film Festival favourite starring Felicity Jones andAnton Yelchin; about a British girl who falls madly in love with an American and must leave the Country after she is banned from the U.S. for overextending her visit.

Friends with Kids - about a Couple who unlike their Friends don't aspire to have Children; directed and written by Jennifer Westfeldt and starring her longtime Boyfriend Jon Hamm, plus Kristen Wiig and Megan Fox.

Melancholia - Lars von Trier's new Sci-Fi Film starring Kirsten Dunst, for which she won a Best Actress Award at Cannes in May

Shame - Another Michael Fassbender-starring Film about a Playboy who has various sexual escapades only for this to change after his Sister (Carey Mulligan) moves in with him.

Ten Year – about a group of High School Friends who reunite, realizing how much their lives have changed; stars Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson and Kate Mara.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home – stars Jason Segel as a grown Man who lives at home, leaving to run an errand one day; he realizes the Universe might be sending him messages about his Destiny.  Also stars Ed Helms and Judy Greer (also here possibly for The Descendants).

We Need to Talk About Kevin – starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly; about a Mother recounting the series of events leading up to her Son’s massacring of students and teachers at his High School.

Dark Horse – Todd Solondz Film about a Man-boy who desires romantic love; stars Justin Bartha, Selma Blair and Christopher Walken.

360 – Fernando Meireilles Film about how sexual relationships can transgress social boundaries; stars Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Anthony Hopkins.

I must say I’m a little bit devastated that Roman Polanski’s Carnage will be doing the rounds at the Venice Film Festival come September, while a Toronto Premiere hasn’t yet been announced.  It appears also that Steven Soderbergh’s  Contagion also will get a Premiere in Venice, while no Toronto plans have been firmed-up yet.

On that flipside, this TIFF definitely is not lacking in star power at all.  Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Madonna, Gerard Butler, Jane Fonda, Seth Rogen, Michael Fassbender, U2, Michelle Yeoh and so many more are names we are proud to showcase in our City!

Stay tuned as more titles are to come…  There is still hope for many of these!

For a complete list of Films, click here.

(Photo credit: Columbia Pictures)