Daniel Craig stars as Detective Benoit Blanc in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”.

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The Toronto International Film Festival started this past Thursday, September 8th (check out our article on all the cool things going on this year!); Festival Street hosted the kickoff party and it has not stopped (we got a chance to soak it all in!). While there have been some notable events so far, including the screening of and conversation regarding Taylor Swift’s epic short film for the 10 minute version of “All Too Well” and the world premiere of Sally El Hosaini’s epic “The Swimmers”, there still are plenty of notable films to check out at this year’s festival!‍

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Bros

The Nicholas Stoller-directed Bros is a witty satire of the rom-com genre that is sure to give audiences all the feels; it’s a love story about a man who doesn’t want love but finds love nonetheless. Sounds fun, right? Billy Eichner makes history with this film as the first openly gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film, and Bros features an entirely 2SLGBTQIA+ cast! The film has already premiered at the festival, but will have showings on Saturday, September 17th!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On

The recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media, Buffy Sainte-Marie is the focal point of the Madison Thomas-directed documentary Buffy Saint-Marie: Carry It On. It focuses on the music, the activism, and the life of the legendary Oscar-winning Indigenous singer-songwriter, and features interviews with Canadian music scene icons including Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, and George Stroumboulopoulos. The last showing of the documentary is on Saturday, September 17th, so don’t miss out!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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The Fablemans

One of Hollywood’s most decorated filmmakers is making his first-ever appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival. Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans is a story documenting the filmmaker’s childhood, his affinity for filmmaking, and how his family’s dynamics found their way into his works. The film features a breakout performance by Gabriel Labelle as Sammy Fabelman and also stars Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, and one of this author’s favourite filmmakers, David Lynch. With many showings, be sure to catch one of the most heartwarming stories of this year’s festival!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson’s sequel to his ultra-popular and critically acclaimed 2019 film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is getting it’s world premiere at TIFF this year (just like it’s predecessor). Daniel Craig revives his role of Benoit Blanc as he travels to Greece and uncovers a variety of mysteries. Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, and Dave Bautista all star in this blockbuster film in which Johnson cites Agatha Christie as inspiration. The film premiers tonight at 6 p.m., but will have showings throughout the festival’s duration.

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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Hunt

Are you ready for some action? Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae directs and stars alongside Jung-Woo sun in Hunt; this action-packed thriller is set in the 1980’s when tensions between North and South Korea were at an all-time high. The duo’s characters are tasked with finding those responsible for an assassination attempt, but the two have a history filled with conflict and tension. Catch the North American premiere of this film on Thursday, September 15th at 9 p.m. at the Roy Thomson Hall.

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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I Like Movies

Remember Blockbuster and video rental stores? This movie is a throwback to that era, set in a fictional store named “Sequels”. I Like Movies is a Canadian directed (Chandler Levack), Canadian acted (Isaiah Lehtinen), and Canadian based (Burlington, Ontario) story of a self and film-obsessed teenage curmudgeon. Levack and her crew have told and empathetic and endearing story that many of us can relate to, and you can see it next Wednesday, September 14th and Friday, September 16th!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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Moonage Daydream

Throughout his career that spanned six decades, David Bowie became known as one of the most creative and eccentric figures in the music industry. Brett Morgen (who also directed the biopic Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) has channeled that creativity into Moonage Daydream; he documents Bowie’s career through his own interviews and performances, letting the artist tell his story through his various characters and music. Being shown exclusively in Imax, catch a showing on Monday, September 12th and Wednesday, September 14th!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Daniel Radcliffe has come a long way from being a young wizard with a lightning bolt above his eyebrow and now stars as another titular character in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Co-written and produced by Weird Al Yankovic, this documentary promises to be an accurate story of how one of music’s most eccentric figures (a running theme in this article) went from an accordion player to an icon! Catch the final showing on Sunday, September 18th!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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The Whale

Brendan Fraser, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance, stars in The Whale; a story about isolation and redemption that will tug at the heart-strings of any viewer. Darren Aronofsky has adapted Samuel D. Hunter’s stageplay about a morbidly obese man who’s mental health struggles are as challenging as his physical health struggles. Sadie Sink, of Stranger Things fame, also stars in one of this year’s most anticipated films; make sure to catch a showing on Sunday, September 11th or Monday, September 12th!

Visit their website for tickets and showings!

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The Woman King

Directed by Gina-Prince Bythewood, The Woman King brings to the screen the true story of the Agojie; the all-female military corps responsible for protecting the embattled African Kingdom of Dahomey. Viola Davis turns in a thrilling performance as Nanisca, and is joined by Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega in telling a captivating, historical story about defending your home from colonizers and the slave trade. 

Check out the showing next Thursday, September 15th at 6:00 p.m.

Visit their website for tickets and showings!‍

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With films featuring gripping stories, performances from award-winning actors, and a plethora of topics and cultures explored, the Toronto International Film Festival has something for every film fanatic. While these 10 films are some of the most anticipated of the festival, there are over 200 films and short films to choose from, so make sure to check out their website for the complete list of films and events!

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