TIFF 2019: Ten films to capture now, as it may take months or even years to watch them again

The Toronto International Film Festival is designed explicitly for all movie buffs.

For Oscars fanatics, there are splashed Hollywood titles that hope to become major players in this fall's trophy race (Tom Hanks in A nice day in the neighborhoodRenée Zellweger Judy, Adam Driver in Wedding story). For fans of the art house who could not buy a ticket to Cannes last spring, there are acclaimed international productions that have caused fainting among critics (South Korea). Parasite, La France Portrait of a lady on fire, Spain Pain and glory). And for those who stay awake far too late and who grew up on old Fangoria, here is the gonzo extravaganza series of Midnight Madness (including, of course, a horror movie of Nicolas Cage, Color out of the space).

But there is also a dedicated group of TIFF spectators who are here for the ephemeral chance to see something truly unique: films that arrive at the festival without attached distribution and which may never be seen again by the general public north -American. (Or, more likely, they may sit on a shelf for months before enjoying a discrete outing.) It's sometimes hard to place them between the 245 feature films of the TIFF, since you have to be aware of the ins and outs of sales and distribution agents and international rights and this year the thirst for new streaming platforms.

Thankfully, The Globe and Mail has made it easy for you by showcasing 10 films screened at TIFF and, unless an avid distributor comes in over the next 11 days, could take some time to re-emerge in Canada and in the United States. Catch them while you can.

Bad Education

Cory Finley left a footprint with her bored-killer-teen thriller Purebred in 2017, and now comes back with a black comedy on a fund-embezzlement scandal that tore up a high school in Long Island. The distribution is certainly heavy enough to arouse the interest of North American distributors (some territories in Europe are already reserved), with major performances by Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney and Oscar Romano, winner of an Oscar.

The heresy of burnt orange

In theory, Giuseppe Capotondi's adaptation of Charles Willeford's thriller should find an enthusiastic North American buyer in the TIFF market. He has negotiable stars (WidowsElizabeth Debicki, The place'S Claes Bang), a propulsive plot that revolves around stolen art, a decisive impetus for the closing of the Venice Film Festival and a true rock star (Mick Jagger, who appears in a supporting role). The film already has some European territories selected for distribution, but the question remains open as to when North Americans can see it outside the premiere of its TIFF gala.

To come back home

Director Wayne Wang has behind his back an impressive and varied filmography (including The Joy of Luck Club, Smoke and Made in Manhattan), so there's a good chance his new feature, based on Chang-rae Lee's New Yorker story about a Korean-American man taking care of his sick mother, finds his life outside of Toronto. But there is certainly an advantage to boast of having been the first to see it.

Crazy world

Including this Ugandan action movie is a bit of a cheat: it was originally produced in 2014 and it just has to be translated for an international release. But Crazy world It is also probably the most important event of the TIFF, since everyone guesses when the public can once again experience the cinematic folly of this epic "Wakaliwood" director IGG Nabwana.

Jallikattu

Ask any programmer or TIFF insider for the hidden movie they are really looking for, and this Malayalam epic is rising to the top. The concept of Lijo Jose Pellissery's film seems quite simple: "a buffalo escapes from a remote village and causes a frenzy" – until you reach the second half of this line of the newspaper, which includes the words " ecstatic violence ". The distribution is aligned for the United Arab Emirates, but for now, Toronto is the only chance for the public to witness all the emotions that these emotions cause.

Our Lady of the Nile

The adaptation by Atiq Rahimi of the novel by the Rwandan author Scholastique Mukasonga seeks to balance the themes of the transition to adulthood (it takes place in a Catholic school reserved for girls) to a political foreshadowing ( it takes place in 1973, about two decades before the civil war that tore Rwanda apart). Afghan filmmaker Rahimi knows how to adapt to it thanks to his debut in 2004 Earth and ashes, and hopes are likely high that his latest project could break into the foreign language market.

rocks

Sarah Gavron's docudrama about a British schoolgirl forced to take care of her family suddenly opens up to the TIFF Platform program. But if the director's latest film will be acclaimed right out (as its 2007 TIFF selection Brick path) or slip into the background (like his 2015 film suffragette) is an open question – and a curious distributor is probably interested in hearing an answer.

Metal sound

The heavy metal associated with Riz Ahmed may seem like an unlikely equation, but the hope is great for the drama of Darius Marder following a drummer who begins to lose his hearing. Program of the TIFF platform, Metal sound should be able to attract enough curious distributors based solely on Ahmed's career. The shattering and pounding percussions of the guitar are only an added bonus.

Synchron

Although the new film by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead is not part of TIFF's Midnight Madness program, its Utopia sounds good at noon: in New Orleans, two paramedics (Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan) discover a new drug synthetic that goes beyond modifying consciousness into something more extreme. Billed as a neo-black who bends the genres, Synchron should benefit from its main stars and a plot that could attract curious genre lovers.

A true story of Kelly's gang

There have already been 11 films about the 19th century Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly, but never about the award-winning novel by Peter Carey Booker, and never about Russell Crowe. Australian director Justin Kurzel is aware of a bloody family drama – be it in 2015 Macbeth or, uh, 2016 Assassin's Creed – and apart from his fellow Crowe, the cast is filled with tough men who act even harder (including Charlie Hunnam, Nicholas Hoult and George MacKay in the role of Ned). Non-US distribution is secure, but commercial agents are focused on a North American distributor.

The 44th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival will run until September 15 (tiff.net)

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