TIFF movies in 2020 will be shownunder very different circumstances, but there are still dozens of features and short filmsto seek out through virtual screenings, socially-distanced in-person events or even drive-in presentations. Tickets to the general public go on sale Sept. 5. Make sure you get familiar with the full TIFF schedule.
Here are the must-see films at TIFF 2020according to this year's slate of programmers.
Idris Elba stars as a rough-hewn Philadelphia cowboy and Stranger Things Caleb McLaughlin as his estranged son. This story of family reconciliation invites us into one of Americas most unique subcultures, a generations-old world of Black horse trainers on the streets ofPhilly.
For over 20 years, Captain Ramadan coached world-class weightlifters in Alexandria. Ramadan led his daughter Nahla, one of Egypts most famous athletes, to become a world champion. Mayye Zayeds observational documentary dives into the training of Ramadans new protg Zebiba who dreams of lifting on the level of the captains past stars.
From the very first shot of Emma Seligmans outstanding debut you know that this is not going to be your Bubbes Shiva. This hilarious emotional roller-coasterof a film, carried out by a stunning ensemble cast, and featuring spot-on performances, never ceases to surprise.
Chlo Zhaos NOMADLAND celebrates a rarely seen aspect of the underside of the American dream. Zhao expertly interweaves veteran actors (Frances McDormand, David Strathairn) with others who have never performed in a film, to create an interweaving of fact and fiction that feels as real as a road-trip across todays United States.
The film strikes a beautiful balancebetweenhumour and reality as it addresses the international refugee crisis. We follow Syrian musician Omar as he awaits news on his asylum request on the desolate Scottish moors while he attends cultural classes. Meditative and quirkily filmed.
Naomi Kawase tells an interwoven narrative of a childless couple that adoptsa baby boy and the 14 year-old mother who gave him up. Told through interlacing timelines, the film is never predictable as it moves from the story of the couple longing for a child, to a taleof adolescent passion and love.
This first film by Tayler Montague provides a beautifully-observed portrait of a Black family living in the Bronx during the power outage of 2003.
We didnt know we could love Zach Woods any more than we did already based on his acting work in The Office and Silicon Valley. We then found out what he could do as a director with this hilarious comedy starring Will Ferrell, WilliamJackson Harper and Fred Hechinger. Score!
Gianfranco Rosi (Fire at Sea) returns with an immersive portrait set in the Middle East, that brings light to the darkness of war. This careful and patient study reveals the acute sense of humanity and resilience within people facing an unfathomable environment.
Stanley Kubricks lucid portrait of the Vietnam War feels as relevant as ever in the way it displays a system willing to exploit its own citizens in the service of a deluded and deceptive cause. Presented at a drive-in presentation in 4K.
Inspired by true events, Wang Jing's film is set in 2003 in the aftermath of the SARS epidemic, addressing issues that echo todays global scenario, where politics and prejudices sometimes conflict with safety and health concerns.
Miwa Nishikawa's latest stars Koji Yakusho as a middle-aged ex-yakuza who must adjust to his "new normal" when he is released from prison after serving a 13-year sentence for murder.
Michelle Lattimer's seminal documentary brings Thomas King's deeply respected indictment of most North Americans' profound ignorance of Indigenous history and the centuries of egregious crimes committed by the colonizing forces to the screen, in a vibrant, varied manner.
Joel Bakan and Jennifer Abbott's powerful, invigorating and frankly scary film updates the classic doc about corporate skullduggery and fraudulence, dissecting the current rhetoric employed by companies as they claim to be "woke."
With standout performances by Michaela Kurimskyand Deragh Campbelland a story that is a perfect mix of humour and heartbreak, director Hannah Cheesmanmarks herself as a true talent in this endearing friendship drama about the perils of online dating.
Starring the incomparable Noah Reid, this dystopian sci-fi will get your foot tapping when musicians uncover a vinyl album and attempt to re-imagine one of its songs. Director Igor Drljaa (The Stone Speakers) has returned to the shorts world with something entirely unique.
If "Taiwan parliament" is in the news it usualy is quickly followed by the word "brawl."Director I-Fan Wang brilliantly injects a zombie virus into this setting, and the result is comic-book silliness. Come for the political bites, and cheer through thewild and wicked fights!
I expect this uncompromising and disturbing psychodrama to suck the air out of the midnight crowd's lungs more than once,as it hypnotically depicts a series of traumatic betrayals that push a survivorof sexual violence to an extreme resolve.
Dea Kulumbegashvilis deeply unsettling debut feature follows Yana, a Jehovahs Witnesses missionary in a remote Georgian village, on a forlorn path to justice.
The story of a teenage girl who falls in love with a 35-year-old man.A remarkable and risqu debut heralding a burgeoning talent. Suzanne Lindon, who plays the lead role and directs, penned the script when she was 15-years-old.
Filmed inside Wuhan for the duration of the citys COVID-19 lockdown, this stunning film deepens our understanding of the pandemic and of China.
Errol Morris joined this film as executive producer for its exquisite craft combined with a dogged investigation that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Michelle Latimer's much anticipated adaptation of award-winning Haisla and Heiltsuk writer Eden Robinson's novel. Her interplay between score and imagery sets an energetic pace, and most importantly, her respect for the novel and the trickster figure in Indigenous storytelling is evident.
Canadian-Mexican auteur (and former Torontonian) Nicols Pereda does the impossible by creating a breezy and super-smart comedy about the glamourization of violence in Mexico, from a tale of sibling rivalry that morphs into an unlikely send-up of Narcos.
This timelyfirst feature by filmmaker and DJ Ephraim Asili looks back at his formative experiences in a Black Marxist collective in West Philadelphia, as it renders homage to a lineage of Black resistance through books, movies, political movementsand music.
Cathy Bradys debut is an emotionally stirring exploration of two sisters struggling to emerge from a traumatic past. Brady frames this present-day family drama within the history of The Troubles, exposing how the past impacts the present.
The latest from established filmmaker Manijeh Hekmat is a music-infused twist on a road movie thats laced with poignant and timely political commentary. Unfolding on the road as a band journeys in their van to Tehran, this is a stunning visual ode to the shifting landscapes of Iran.
Revered American jazz musician Billy Tipton gained fame throughout the United States in the 1940s and 50s but his transgender identity was not revealed publicly until after his death in 1989. This moving new documentary from Chase Joynt and Aisling Chin-Yee that tell of his incredible journey.
Based on the Oka Crisis, a 78-day standoff betweenMohawk communities and law enforcement, Tracey Deer's poignant debut feature takes us back to one of the biggest watershed moments in Canadian history told through the lens of a young Mohawk girl.
See the rest here:
29 must-see movies at TIFF 2020 according to its programmers - blogTO
- Forget the tired franchises, a new wave of horror movies will make us jump out of our seats - The Guardian - July 17th, 2024
- Surprise horror hit Longlegs raises the question, is Oregon safe to live in? - OregonLive - July 17th, 2024
- House of the Dragon star unrecognisable in hair-raising new horror movie - Express - July 17th, 2024
- Monster Summer trailer: Mel Gibson family horror film reaches theatres in October - JoBlo.com - July 17th, 2024
- Is Longlegs Really the Scariest Movie of the Year? - Decider - July 17th, 2024
- Terrifier, Scream Included in Spirit Halloweens New Horror Movie Babies Collection - ComingSoon.net - July 17th, 2024
- Is Longlegs Really That Scary? Inside the Horror Movie's Gruesome Twists and Turns (Spoilers!) - PEOPLE - July 17th, 2024
- Is the Next Jay and Silent Bob Sequel Going to Be a Horror Movie? - Cracked.com - July 17th, 2024
- Christian Bales Upcoming Horror Movie Can Help Pay Off The Actor's Divisive Superhero Movie - Screen Rant - July 17th, 2024
- Longlegs Star Alicia Witt Recalls Being Gently Slapped by Al Pacino During Scare on 88 Minutes (Exclusive) - Us Weekly - July 17th, 2024
- Longlegs Scores Highest Opening Weekend for an Original Horror Movie This Year - Bloody Disgusting - July 17th, 2024
- A four-star horror movie? Expertly crafted Longlegs achieves the impossible - St. Paul Pioneer Press - July 17th, 2024
- Psycho stars son directs Nicolas Cage in this creepy new horror movie - Sydney Morning Herald - July 17th, 2024
- Nicolas Cage's new horror movie Longlegs is certainly terrifying, but not in the ways you were probably expecting - Gamesradar - July 17th, 2024
- Chilling haunted doll horror movie with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score drops this week - Dexerto - July 17th, 2024
- Osgood Perkins Gets Into the Family Business With Longlegs - Vulture - July 17th, 2024
- Kevin Smith's Next Jay And Silent Bob Outing Could Be A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - July 17th, 2024
- House of the Dragon star unrecognisable in snaps from chilling new horror movie - The Mirror - July 17th, 2024
- Exploring the genius (and terror) of the 'Longlegs' marketing campaign - Euronews - July 17th, 2024
- Longlegs Ending Explained: Digging Into The Dark Mystery In The Nicolas Cage Horror Movie - CinemaBlend - July 17th, 2024
- A True Story Inspired The Horror Movie Open Water - SlashFilm - June 20th, 2024
- Horror Movies In Theaters This Weekend - FANGORIA - June 20th, 2024
- 'Lumina' Trailer - Alien Abduction Horror Movie Crash Lands in Theaters This July - Bloody Disgusting - June 20th, 2024
- The First Trailer For NOSFERATU Will Be Released This Weekend in Theaters GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - June 20th, 2024
- 10 Best Horror Movies Of 2024 - Screen Rant - June 20th, 2024
- 20 Horror Movie Villains With Motives You'll Understand - The Pryor Information Publication - June 20th, 2024
- This Korean Horror Film Is One of the Scariest Movies of 2024 - CBR - June 20th, 2024
- Zazie Beetz Shines in Muschiettis Scary Movie They Will Kill You - Digital Chew - June 20th, 2024
- Scary Summer: Five Aquatic Horror Movies to Stream This Week - Bloody Disgusting - June 20th, 2024
- This Lovecraft Adaptation Has Some of the Best Practical Effects Ever in a Horror Movie - Collider - June 20th, 2024
- Forget Ghost Ship, Wes Craven Gave Us the Best Horror Opening - CBR - June 20th, 2024
- Nicolas Cage's New Horror Film Debuts With Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score and Stunning Reviews - CBR - June 20th, 2024
- Stephen King Called This Classic Scene the Scariest Moment in Horror History - Collider - June 20th, 2024
- Dark R-Rated Supernatural Horror Mystery Thriller One Of The Best In Years, Stream Without Netflix - Giant Freakin Robot - June 20th, 2024
- Kyra Sedgwick on Finding Freedom in Directing, Plans to Make a Horror Movie With Her Family, and That One Time She Was Jealous of Kevin Bacon -... - June 20th, 2024
- 'Circles' - Sequel to the 2015 Horror Movie 'Circle' in the Works - Bloody Disgusting - June 20th, 2024
- Sequel to one of the best horror movies of the decade gets amazing first trailer - Joe UK - June 20th, 2024
- 20 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Of 2025 - WhatCulture - June 20th, 2024
- Everything You Need to Know About the Alien: Romulus Release Date - Geeks World Wide - June 9th, 2024
- The Watchers Review: Dakota Fanning Horror Movie Is Heavy on Exposition - TheWrap - June 9th, 2024
- Mike Flanagan Promises His Exorcist Movie Will Be 'Really Scary' - MovieWeb - June 9th, 2024
- Isolated Horrors: Appreciating the 2012 Horror Movie 'ATM' - Bloody Disgusting - June 9th, 2024
- Star of new horror movie The Watched says it features things she's never seen in a film before - Gamesradar - June 9th, 2024
- New horror movie The Watched was inspired by one of the best supernatural thrillers and a very divisive 2009 horror - Gamesradar - June 9th, 2024
- Horror Movies in 2024 - Cineworld - June 9th, 2024
- This new horror movie told mostly from the killer's POV may not be destined to be a classic, but its innovation is very ... - Gamesradar - June 9th, 2024
- Best of the scariest: The top 10 horror movies of all time - Popverse - June 9th, 2024
- This Divisive 2024 Horror Movie With 91% On Rotten Tomatoes Is Finally Streaming - Screen Rant - June 9th, 2024
- The Watchers - Plugged In - June 9th, 2024
- The 6 Best Sci-fi and Horror Movies to Watch on Peacock for Pride Month 2024 - Syfy - June 9th, 2024
- Under Paris: Netflix has delivered one of the best shark movies ever made - The Guardian - June 9th, 2024
- 100 mins of unrelenting intense overwhelming dread say fans as new horror movie is SO scary people are le... - The Sun - June 9th, 2024
- New follow up to 'grotesque' Netflix horror movie that left viewers 'bothered for days' is on the way - LADbible - June 9th, 2024
- Munjya review: Dinesh Vijans latest horror-comedy is neither scary nor funny, goes downhill after 30 minutes - The Indian Express - June 9th, 2024
- 'In a Violent Nature': How this innovative Canadian horror movie hacked its way to success - Toronto Star - June 9th, 2024
- The 25 best Korean horror movies of all time, ranked - Entertainment Weekly News - June 9th, 2024
- Alien: Romulus Is Making Xenomorphs Scary Again And Its About Time - Giant Freakin Robot - June 9th, 2024
- 31 Friendly Creatures From Fantasy/Horror Movies And TV Shows - MSN - June 9th, 2024
- Best Horror Movies Of 2024 (So Far) - Time Out - May 20th, 2024
- The Best Horror Movies If You Loved The Strangers - CBR - May 20th, 2024
- The Smartest Horror Movie Heroes, Ranked - CBR - May 20th, 2024
- 15 Horror Movies So Controversial They Got Banned - CBR - May 20th, 2024
- Before 'Psycho,' This Is The Twisty Horror Thriller Hitchcock Wanted to Make - Collider - May 20th, 2024
- 10 Most Rewatchable Horror Movie From Each Year of the 2010s - Collider - May 20th, 2024
- Jaws and Hitchcock's Psycho inspired new horror movie The Strangers: Chapter 1, as director explains its lack of gore - Gamesradar - May 20th, 2024
- The monsters that made me: Growing up disabled, all of my heroes were villains - Polygon - May 20th, 2024
- Shocking Horror Movie The Coffee Table Is Earning Raves From Stephen King. Its Director Wants Audiences to Suffer and Hate Me - Variety - May 20th, 2024
- Netflix fans freak out over 'insanely scary' horror film that found its way into the top 10 - Daily Mail - May 20th, 2024
- 10 Best So-Bad-They're-Good Horror Movies of the '90s, Ranked - Collider - May 20th, 2024
- Making Sense of I Saw The TV Glow's Tragic and Terrifying Ending - TIME - May 20th, 2024
- New Horror Movie With 21% RT Score Nearly Triples Budget At The Box Office In Just 10 Days - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2024
- Sting director says he's "kind of remaking Alien" with the giant spider horror movie - Gamesradar - May 20th, 2024
- How Scary Is The Strangers: Chapter 1? It's R-Rating Explained - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2024
- New Upcoming Horror Movie Gives Five Nights At Freddy's 2 Its Biggest Rival After $291 Million Success - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2024
- 10 Impossible Horror Movie Kills (and the Visual Effects Behind Them) - CBR - May 20th, 2024
- 10 Most Satisfying Horror Movie Reveals - WhatCulture - May 20th, 2024
- Stephen King Reviews Horror Movie With 88% RT Score: "You Have Never Seen A Movie As Black As This" - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2024
- Wolf Man Producer Reveals If the Horror Movie Is Part of Universal's Dark Universe Franchise - CBR - May 20th, 2024
- Nicolas Cage is set to take on another horror movie, this time about Jesus? - Gamesradar - May 9th, 2024
- Horror Tips from Director Jeff Wadlow and the Set of 'Imaginary' - No Film School - May 9th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero