The Toronto International Film Festival returns September 7 to 17, 2023.
Here are 10 of The TV Watercooler’s picks to check out at the festival – with an additional entry for the just-announced Origin from Ava DuVernay. Best of luck trying to score tickets.
Dumb Money
Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Shailene Woodley star in Craig Gillespie’s (I, Tonya) take on the insanely outrageous true story of the infamous GameStop Wall Street scandal.
Showtimes: Friday, Sept. 8 at 5:45 p.m. (Roy Thomson Hall); Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9:15 a.m. (Scotiabank Theatre); In theatres on Friday, Sept. 22
Seven Veils
Big Love co-stars Amanda Seyfried and Douglas Smith reunite in Atom Egoyan’s latest where a theatre director is tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Disturbing memories allow her repressed trauma to colour the present.
Showtime: Sunday, Sept. 10 at 3:45 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre)
Quiz Lady
Sandra Oh and Awkwafina star as a gameshow-obsessed woman and her estranged sister who must work together to help cover their mother’s gambling debts. Directed by Jessica Yu and written by Jen D’Angelo, the film premieres on Hulu (U.S.) and Disney+ (Canada) on Nov. 3.
Showtimes: Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9:30 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre); Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre); Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre)
Dear Jassi
Tarsem Singh’s first film set in India, Dear Jassi follows the tragic true story of a young couple who are kept apart by time, distance, and familial expectations. Pavia Sidhu (Cruel Summer)stars as Jassi while newcomer Yugan Sood stars as Mithu, the rickshaw driver the young Canadian falls in love with.
Showtimes: Sunday, Sept. 10 at 5:45 p.m. (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Monday, Sept. 11 at 11:35 a.m. (Scotiabank Theatre); Thursday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre)
Poolman
Chris Pine’s directorial debut has him play an anxious pool cleaner who uncovers a curious conspiracy in Los Angeles. Also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Annette Bening, and Danny DeVito.
Showtimes: Monday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 p.m. in 35mm (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 8:30 p.m. in 35mm (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Sunday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. (TIFF Bell Lightbox)
Stop Making Sense
The new 4K remaster (in IMAX) of Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert which was filmed over three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983.
Showtimes: Monday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre); Thursday, Sept. 14 at 4:30 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre)
KILL
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Indian thriller follows a passenger on a train to New Delhi which becomes a combat battleground as a pair of commandos face an army of invading bandits.
Showtimes: Friday, Sept. 8 at 11:59 p.m. for Midnight Madness (Royal Alexandra Theatre); Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9:10 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre)
Dicks: The Musical
A musical-comedy riff on The Parent Trap from Larry Charles (Borat) follows a pair of identical twins, who are also business rivals, conspire to reunite their divorced and disturbingly deranged parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullaly).
Showtimes: Thursday, Sept. 7 at 11:50 p.m. for Midnight Madness (Royal Alexandra Theatre); Friday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 16 at 9:30 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre)
Fingernails
Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmend, and Jeremy Allen White star in Christos Nikou’s English-language debut about our desire for certainty and our reliance on technology.
Showtimes: Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 9:30 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre); Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 6:15 p.m. (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Friday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m. (Scotiabank Theatre)
Fair Play
Chris Dumont’s finance drama stars Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich as a couple whose secret romance is tested by their workplace.
Showtimes: Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. (Roy Tomson Hall); Thursday, Sept. 14 at 8:30 p.m. (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Friday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. (TIFF Bell Lightbox); Streaming on Netflix beginning Oct. 13
Origin
Just announced, Ava DuVernay’s Origin chronicles the remarkable life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor).
Showtimes: Monday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. (Roy Thomson Hall); Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 2:30 p.m. (Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre)
For tickets and more info, please visit tiff.net.
