The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns in its 43rd year of transforming the way people see the world through film.
The festival recently announced it's first batch of films for the Gala and Special Presentation programs that include 21 world premieres, seven international premieres, eight North American premieres and 11 Canadian premieres, according to the press release.
"We have an exceptional selection of films this year that will excite Festival audiences from all walks of life," Piers Handling, TIFF CEO and director says. "Today's lineup showcases beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous female powerhouses. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made."
Out of these films, five by today's top black directors stood out as must-watch films to catch if you plan on attending TIFF this year.
Check them out, with synopses from TIFF, below.
Where Hands Touch | Amma Asante
Photo via TIFF.
Amandla Stenberg stars in director Amma Asante's (A United Kingdom) disquieting coming-of-age romance about a Black German teenager who falls in love with a member of the Hitler Youth.
World Premiere
Widows | Steve McQueen
Photo via TIFF.
A heavyweight cast—including Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Jacki Weaver, Colin Farrell, and Michelle Rodriguez—propels Steve McQueen's white-knuckle thriller (co-written by Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn) about four women left in a deadly lurch when their criminally connected husbands are all killed.
World Premiere
The Weekend | Stella Meghie
Photo via TIFF.
An acerbic comedian (Sasheer Zamata) becomes romantically entangled with her ex (Tone Bell), his new girlfriend (DeWanda Wise), and another guest (Y'Lan Noel) during a weekend getaway, in the newest feature from Stella Meghie (Jean of the Joneses).
World Premiere
If Beale Street Could Talk | Barry Jenkins
Photo via TIFF.
Director Barry Jenkins' ambitious follow-up to Moonlight adapts James Baldwin's poignant novel about a woman fighting to free her falsely accused husband from prison before the birth of their child.
World Premiere
Monsters and Men | Reinaldo Marcus Green
Photo via TIFF.
When a Black man is shot dead by police, three members of his community face different but serious consequences if they reveal their knowledge of the murder or the systemic corruption behind it, in writer-director Reinaldo Marcus Green's bracing feature debut.
Canadian Premiere
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 6 to 16, 2018. Visit their website for more information.
