TIFF Galas & Special Presentations Lineup Includes World Premieres From Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Gia Coppola; Starry Pics With Jennifer Lopez, Lily James, Dave Bautista; Int’l Premieres ‘Conclave’ & ‘Piece By Piece’, More

The 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival announced its full lineup of Galas and Special Presentations today in what is a complete embarrassment of riches as the event blasts off after last year’s actors strike with 29 titles having rights for sale.

Among those movies making their world premieres is the Angelina Jolie-directed war drama Without Blood, starring Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir, based on the Alessandro Baricco novel. There’s also Mike Leigh’s first movie in six years, Hard Truths, with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, which is billed as an “ongoing exploration of the contemporary world with a tragicomic study of human strengths and weaknesses.”

Gia Coppola has the Dave Bautista-Jamie Lee Curtis-Kiernan Shipka-Billie Lourd drama The Last Showgirl, which follows a seasoned stage dancer who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Among the feature directorial debuts at the fest, there’s Argo editor William Goldenberg’s Amazon sports biopic Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez, as well as Black Panther DP Oscar nominee Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside.

A24 has the previously announced Florence Pugh-Andrew Garfield romantic drama We Live in Time, and new today is the Hugh Grant horror thriller Heretic from A Quiet Place scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

David Mackenzie, who previously was at TIFF with the world premiere of his Outlaw King, has the thriller Relay, starring Lily James, Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald, which centers on a broker of lucrative payoffs who breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive.

RELATED: ‘Eden’ & ‘We Live In Time’ Set For TIFF As Fest Unveils Five World Premieres

More star-studded fare: There’s the world premiere of the Alicia Vikander-Elizabeth Olsen sci-fi movie The Assessment from Fleur Fortune, which follows a couple who faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing in an utopian society.

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Interesting to note and in a complete spoiler to what’s likely Telluride: Focus Features’ Edward Berger papal movie Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, is making its international premiere here at TIFF. The movie which also stars Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and John Lithgow, hits U.S. theaters November 1. Fiennes is doing double duty at TIFF this year, also starring in the Juliette Binoche reteam The Return, which Bleecker Street is releasing in December.

Also there’s the international premiere of Piece by Piece, Morgan Neville’s Lego documentary about Pharrell Williams, which Focus opens October 11.

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Of course, there’s a lot of this past Cannes’ greatest hits including Neon’s Palme d’Or winner Anora from Sean Baker; the award-winning Spanish musical noir Emilia Perez, which Netflix acquired; David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds; and Andrea Arnold’s Bird, among several other titles.

Let’s also not forget the world premiere of Hulu documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. It wouldn’t be shocking if the 20-time Grammy winner makes a big appearance at the fest.

In total, the Galas and Special Presentations section counts 63 movies from 25 countries.

Per TIFF, “The Gala and Special Presentations programs are recognized for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across all genres and styles, from all corners of the world.”

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Here are the TIFF films revealed so far:

Galas 2024

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere

Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere

*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere

Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere

*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere

*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere

Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere

Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere

Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)
*Previously announced

40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere

All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere

Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere

Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere

Can I Get a Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere

Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere

Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere

Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere

Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere

Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere

I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere

I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere

*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere

*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere

Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere

Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere

Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere

Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere

The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere

The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere

The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere

The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere

*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere

Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

*previously announced