What to watch at the Toronto Film Festival in 2023

The 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will once again welcome world premieres of films in Canada.

TIFF has historically been a predictor of Academy Award winners, but this year’s Festival is taking place against the backdrop of two Hollywood strikes that have halted production and may result in fewer celebrities attending.

Cameron Bailey, the festival’s CEO, declined to comment on tickets or the specifics of the star-studded debuts.

The event immediately follows the Venice Film Festival, where actor Adam Driver criticised streaming services for being inflexible when it came to writer’s and actors’ guild requirements. Driver was promoting “Ferrari,” a movie he is starring in and having an independent studio make it.

The festival and the 2023 films are described in the facts that follow.

When and Where

The festival will take place in Toronto’s downtown from Thursday, Sept. 7, through Saturday, Sept. 17. The TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Scotiabank Theatre, and Princess of Wales Theatre are among the theatres hosting premieres.

Between Peter Street and University Avenue, King Street West will become an outdoor entertainment area with food vendors and live music, including a Friday performance by Nickelback.

The Stars

The Hollywood strikes are still going on, so this year’s red carpets will be a little different. Few Hollywood celebrities are anticipated to attend because they need a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement in order to attend their premieres.

The festival will likely host Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson to promote their movie “Daddio.” Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, and the rest of the “Dumb Money” star-studded cast are among the performers who are not anticipated to attend.

Due to the strike, Paul Giamatti and the cast of “The Holdovers” will also be absent.

Films to Watch

“The Boy and the Heron” by Studio Ghibli will be the first animated film to open TIFF. The hand-drawn Hayao Miyazaki movie will also be history’s first Japanese movie to begin the festival.

Many new directors are making their debuts, such as Patricia Arquette with “Gonzo Girl” and Kristin Scott Thomas with “North Star.”

Actors have directed films such “Woman of the Hour” by Anna Kendrick, “Poolman” by Chris Pine, and “Knox Goes Away” by Michael Keaton. There are films about musicians from Nickelback to Lil Nas X.

Others worth watching are “Dumb Money,” “The Royal Hotel,” and “Rustin,” to name a few. One of this year’s TIFF Tribute Award winners is the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

Oscar Winners And Nominees

TIFF often highlights a movie’s potential for success at award shows like the Oscars.

After receiving 12 Oscar nominations and winning best director, Jane Campion’s Western drama “The Power of the Dog” made its international premiere at TIFF in 2021.

The German film “All Quiet on the Western Front” received its TIFF debut the previous year and went on to win four Oscars, including best foreign language film.