The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival runs from Thursday September 5 until Sunday September 15…
As summer quickly comes to an end, it’s time to recognize some of the best in international cinema with the newest edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. Lauded by critics and Toronto residents alike for world premieres of many films vying for awards consideration in the near future, this year’s TIFF is unique in its blockbuster offerings from talented filmmakers from around the globe. Ron Howard, Julie Delpy, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Schrader, David Cronenberg, Sean Baker, Edward Berger, Rachel Morrison, and Luca Guadagnino are just some of the famous helmers debuting new features at the world-renowned festival taking over the streets of Toronto.
Though the mainstream buzz around some of these movies is stellar, the queer offerings at TIFF this year are bound to turn some heads. Heartwarming epics, A-list casts walking the red carpets, and diverse journeys signal a dramatic shift in the LGBTQ+ film slate, just in time for audiences to soak up dynamic perspectives from acclaimed filmmakers. Here are the 10 films from TIFF that we can’t wait to see.
Elton John: Never Too Late
Director: David Furnish, R.J. Cutler
Starring: Elton John
There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of documentaries, music videos, and biographical films to describe the essence of out icon Sir Elton John. However, many depictions of the singer-songwriter don’t have his husband at the helm, like Elton John: Never Too Late, a collaborative effort between Canadian-native David Furnish and co-director R.J. Cutler (Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry). Using newly revealed archival footage and interviews with those who know the Oscar-winner best, this new documentary will incorporate Elton John’s farewell tour and have its world premiere at TIFF.
On Swift Horses
Director: Daniel Minahan
Starring: Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Diego Calva, Will Poulter
Actor Jacob Elordi has seen his star rise after a string of hits in the past year, including his turn as Elvis Presley in Priscilla and as the object of Barry Keoghan’s affection in Saltburn. His latest venture, On Swift Horses, will see the heartthrob tear a hole into his brother (Poulter) and sister-in-law’s (Edger-Jones) life as a 1950s Korean War veteran who falls for a gambler (Calva) in Las Vegas. Based on the novel of the same name by Shannon Pufahl, gambling, racehorses, and secret love affairs are at the heart of his vintage epic.
Emilia Pérez
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Edgar Ramírez
Following its Jury Prize win and shared Best Actress award for stars Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez is hitting TIFF for its Canadian Premiere. The film revolves around Rita (Saldana), a lawyer helping an escaped Mexican cartel leader (Gascón) undergo sex reassignment surgery to hide her identity from law enforcement while simultaneously asserting her gender. Written and directed by Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone), this might be the most talked about movie to screen at the festival this year.
Queer
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Lesley Manville
Hot off of their steamy and critically acclaimed drama, Challengers, director Luca Guadagnino and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes have teamed up again to deliver their newest film, Queer. Starring Daniel Craig as a man named Lee wandering the streets of 1940s Mexico City in search of ayahuasca to soothe his latest addictions, he teams up with a bi-curious American (Starkey) on a trip to the Amazon. Their travels together create an infatuation within Lee that he cannot deny, fueled by fantasies and drugs in a foreign land. Adapted from the novel by William S. Burroughs, Queer will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival before arriving at TIFF for its North American premiere.
Sad Jokes
Director: Fabian Stumm
Starring: Fabian Stumm, Haley Louise Jones, Ulrica Flach
When a film is written, produced, directed, and stars the same person…it’s bound to be a personal endeavor. German talent Fabian Stumm brings Sad Jokes to TIFF after winning Best Director in the German Cinema New Talent section of this year’s Filmfest München. Strumm stars as gay filmmaker Joseph, who co-parents a son with best friend Sonya (Jones). Sonya is going through a rough patch and becomes hospitalized as a result, meaning Joseph must step up and become their son’s primary parent. The movie is presented as a series of vignettes to illustrate Joseph’s struggles as he works on a new project, caring for his son while trying to date and find some sense of stability.
Viet and Nam
Director: Trương Minh Quý
Starring: Phạm Thanh Hải, Đào Duy Bảo Định
Viet and Nam might be the most controversial film to have its North American premiere at TIFF this year, after a successful run at Cannes earlier in 2024. The movie has been banned in its native Vietnam for what their Cinema Department calls a “gloomy, deadlocked, and negative view” of Vietnam. But to international audiences, Viet and Nam is simply a story about a romantic entanglement between two male coal miners who seek another life for themselves other than the dark inner layers of the laborious work they’ve endured for their adult lives. Mesmerizing and deeply felt, Viet and Nam recalls postwar attitudes and compares some of the story’s elements to international events like September 11th.
Will & Harper
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Starring: Will Ferrell, Harper Steele
So, who had actor Will Ferrell starring in a movie as himself about a road trip across the United States with his trans writing partner Harper Steele on their 2024 bingo card? You’re in luck because Ferrell and Steele deliver just that in the aptly titled documentary Will & Harper, making its TIFF debut after securing a Netflix deal during this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Ferrell and Steele have worked together for many years, namely on Saturday Night Live, where both talents became staples of the long-running late-night series. But this heartfelt documentary digs deep into Steele’s transition and seeks to reinvent what audiences perceive as a road trip movie, dealing with heavy topics like change and taking back one’s identity.
Went Up the Hill
Director: Samuel Van Grinsven
Starring: Dacre Montgomery, Vicky Krieps
Spirituality and loss are at the heart of Australian filmmaker Samuel Van Grinsven’s newest feature, Went Up the Hill, having its world premiere at TIFF during the festival. The movie stars Dacre Montgomery as Jack, a young man who attends his estranged mother’s funeral in a remote part of New Zealand. He is seemingly encouraged to attend the funeral by his mother’s widow (Krieps), who has no memory of inviting him. However, confusion morphs into ghostly encounters as Jack’s mother shows up to take over her two loved ones’ bodies and form a family bond between them. Senses of abandonment and betrayal are at the core of this family drama as Jack seeks to understand his mother’s motives and her life with a woman.
Really Happy Someday
Director: J Stevens
Starring: Breton Lalama, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Xavier Lopez
This year, valuable stories about transitioning are part of TIFF’s slate of films as director J Stevens gives the festival a heroic premise with Really Happy Someday. Breton Lalama stars as Z, a musical theater devotee who has seen their star on the rise for years. But after their transition, Z must decide how to approach the industry they love so much by learning how to sing with a new voice and a new register. Confronting their past and understanding their current life’s ambitions are at the forefront of who Z has become, based on Stevens’ own experiences.
The Room Next Door
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton
In 2023, out writer-director Pedro Almodóvar graced the streets of Toronto during the film festival for an In Conversation With… session to screen his gay Western-themed short film, Strange Way of Life. This time around, the prolific Spanish director is taking his talents to the next level by showcasing his first English-language feature film, The Room Next Door. Julianne Moore plays Ingrid, a noted author who constantly fears death. She finds out that her old journalist friend, Martha (Swinton), is ill and possibly on her deathbed. As the two friends reconnect, secrets are unearthed, relationships are tested, and the idea of one’s mortality in the face of discovering identity is explored.
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