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TORONTO 2017

Toronto announces its second wave of selected films

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- Selected titles have been announced for Platform, TIFF Docs and Midnight Madness, with Borg/McEnroe to open the 42nd TIFF

Toronto announces its second wave of selected films
Borg/McEnroe by Janus Metz

Sports biopic drama Borg/McEnroe [+see also:
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]
, a Scandinavian co-production (Sweden/Denmark/Finland) will open the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September. The film, directed by Janus Metz and starring Sverrir Gudnason and Shia LaBeouf, follows two of the most famous tennis players in the history of the game and their epic rivalry, which culminated in the 1980 Wimbledon final. TIFF has also announced its second batch of selected titles. The festival, running from 7 to 17 September, has already released the Gala and Special Presentations titles (read news) and is now expanding its official feature program with the Platform slate, TIFF Docs and of course, Midnight Madness.

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Platform, one of TIFF’s more recent programmes, focuses on auteur cinema, with 12 films from all over the world selected as part of the category. British director-writer Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In the Loop [+see also:
trailer
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]
, Veep) will open this year’s edition with his historical political satire The Death of Stalin [+see also:
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]
. His compatriot, Clio Barnard, will present her new layered drama, Dark River [+see also:
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interview: Clio Barnard
film profile
]
, at its World Premiere, while Swedish Lisa Langseth’s drama, Euphoria [+see also:
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]
, follows the story of two estranged sisters with Alicia Vikander and Eva Green in the leading roles. Five years after her previous film, French actress-cum-director, Joan Chemla returns with If You Saw His Heart [+see also:
film review
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]
, starring Gael García Bernal in the main role. The selected films will compete for the Platform Prize, which will be awarded by a jury of filmmakers, including Chen Kaige, Małgorzata Szumowska, and Wim Wenders.

The documentary section has an impressive line-up that includes 23 films spanning a range of different topics. Focusing mainly on acclaimed personalities such as Grace Jones, Eric Clapton, Sammy Davis, Jr, Jane Goodall, and Jim Carrey, the selection also pays special attention to prominent cultural personalities in the African-American community. TIFF Docs also continues to present films on political (Azmaish, The Final Year, The China Hustle) and social subjects (Makala [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Gras
film profile
]
, Cocaine Prison [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
), while Morgan Spurlock’s sequel hit, Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! is among the selected documentaries.

Last but not least, one of the TIFF’s most iconic sections, Midnight Madness, is undergoing some very significant changes. After 20 years in the job, Colin Geddes is to be succeeded by Peter Kuplowsky, who will be in charge of programming for the section. Without wanting to drastically change what Midnight Madness encapsulates, Kuplowsky is aiming to maintain the spirit of the section with edgy films such as Let the Corpses Tan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile
]
and The Crescent, as well as some classic horror choices such as The Ritual. Kuplowsky is also aiming to present and establish some new filmmakers, hoping to impress the genre audience at TIFF this year.

The full list of films announced:

Gala Presentations (Opening film)

Borg/McEnroe [+see also:
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]
- Janus Metz (Sweden/Denmark/Finland)

Platform

Beast [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Pearce
film profile
]
Michael Pearce (United Kingdom)
Brad's StatusMike White (USA)
Custody [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Xavier Legrand
film profile
]
Xavier Legrand (France)
Dark River [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Clio Barnard
film profile
]
Clio Barnard (United Kingdom)
The Death of Stalin [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Armando Iannucci (France/United Kingdom/Belgium)
Euphoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Lisa Langseth (Sweden/Germany)
If You Saw His Heart [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Joan Chemla (France)
Mademoiselle Paradis [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Barbara Albert
film profile
]
Barbara Albert (Austria/Germany)
Razzia [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nabil Ayouch
film profile
]
Nabil Ayouch (France)
The Seen and Unseen [+see also:
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]
Kamila Andini (Indonesia)
Sweet CountryWarwick Thornton (Australia)
What Will People Say [+see also:
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interview: Iram Haq
film profile
]
Iram Haq (Norway/Germany/Sweden)

TIFF Docs

Azmaish: A Journey through the SubcontinentSabiha Sumar (Pakistan)
BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel BasquiatSara Driver (USA)
The China HustleJed Rothstein (USA)
Cocaine Prison [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Violeta Ayala (Australia/Bolivia/France/USA)
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars [+see also:
trailer
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]
Lili Fini Zanuck (United Kingdom)
Ex Libris - The New York Public LibraryFrederick Wiseman (USA)
The Final YearGreg Barker (USA)
The Gospel According to AndréKate Novack (USA)
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
Sophie Fiennes (United Kingdom/Ireland)
Jim & Andy: the Great Beyond - the story of Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman featuring a very special, contractually obligated mention of Tony CliftonChris Smith (USA/Canada)
JaneBrett Morgen (USA)
The JudgeErika Cohn (Palestine/USA)
The Legend of the Ugly King [+see also:
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]
Hüseyin Tabak (Germany/Austria)
Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle [+see also:
film review
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interview: Gustavo Salmerón
film profile
]
Gustavo Salmerón (Spain)
Love Means Zero – Jason Kohn (USA)
Makala [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emmanuel Gras
film profile
]
Emmanuel Gras (France)
Of Sheep and Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
Karim Sayad (Switzerland/Qatar)
One of UsHeidi Ewing, Rachel Grady (USA)
The Other Side of Everything [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mila Turajlić
film profile
]
Mila Turajlić (Serbia/France/Qatar)
Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be MeSam Pollard (USA)
Scotty and the Secret History of HollywoodMatt Tyrnauer (USA)
SilasAnjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman (Canada/South Africa/Kenya)
Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!Morgan Spurlock (USA)

Midnight Madness

BodiedJoseph Kahn (USA)
Brawl in Cell Block 99S. Craig Zahler (USA)
The CrescentSeth A. Smith (Canada)
The Disaster ArtistJames Franco (USA)
DownrangeRyuhei Kitamura (USA)
Great ChoiceRobin Comisar (USA)
Let the Corpses Tan [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
film profile
]
Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani (Belgium/France)
Mom and DadBrian Taylor (USA)
Revenge [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Coralie Fargeat
film profile
]
Coralie Fargeat (France)
The Ritual [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
David Bruckner (United Kingdom)
Vampire ClaySôichi Umezawa (Japan)

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