The Toronto International Film Festival finished its programming announcements on Tuesday morning with Harvey Weinstein and Spike Jonze (below), Metallica and “The Wizard of Oz” in IMAX 3D, six different looks at David Cronenberg and a film that tells the Canadian side of the story chronicled in Ben Affleck‘s “Argo.”
The wide-ranging group of films, conversations and installations brings the number of features screening at this year’s TIFF to 288, with an additional 78 shorts also showing. Of those, 93 percent – 268 – are world, international or North American premieres.
The films, which were chosen from nearly 5,000 submissions, are from 70 different countries.
Also read: Toronto Film Festival 2013: The Complete Lineup
New additions came in the Mavericks, Masters, Discovery and Future Projections sections, as well as four IMAX movies and the creation of Next Wave and Manifesto lists from all across TIFF’s programs.
Festival organizers also announced that Jason Reitman, whose film “Labor Day” is screening in Toronto, will stage his second TIFF-based Live Read at the Ryerson Theatre on Friday, Sept. 6. Last year, Reitman recruited a number of actors, including Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks and Adam Driver, for a live reading of the “American Beauty” script; this year, the director will announce the script and the cast in the days leading up to the festival’s Sept. 5 opening.
The Mavericks section, which features onstage conversations with filmmakers and others, includes conversations with director Spike Jonze and Indian actor Irrfan Khan. The Emmy-nominated concert film “12.12.12,” a benefit for Hurricane Sandy, will be followed by a discussion with concert co-organizer Harvey Weinstein, while Ron Howard will present and talk about “Made in America,” his film about a Philadelphia music festival organized by Jay Z.
And a year after Ben Affleck’s “Argo” won cheers at Toronto but stirred up some controversy for the way it downplayed Canadian involvement in the rescue of six Americans trapped in Iran in in 1979, the documentary “Our Man in Tehran” will tell Canada’s side of the story and relate, according to the TIFF description, “the true story behind ‘Argo’s’ Hollywood embellishments.” It will be followed by a conversation with former Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor, who sheltered the Americans in his home for months.
Film-centric programs in the Mavericks section include a 40th anniversary program celebrating TIFF’s Women & Film program, and Chuck Workman’s film “What Is Cinema?,” which explores the art of film with more than 100 clips and interviews with filmmakers including Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa and David Lynch.
Films added to the Masters section include a number by acclaimed international auteurs: Jia Zhangke’s “A Touch of Sin,” Catherine Breillat’s “Abuse of Weakness,” Claire Denis’ “Bastards,” Kambozia Partovi’s and Jafar Panahi’s “Closed Curtain” and Kim Ki-duk’s “Moebius” among them.
The Discovery section, which calls itself “the future of world cinema,” added 25 films from around the world, including “Palo Alto,” a teen drama starring Emma Roberts and James Franco and directed by Gia Coppola, the granddaughter of Francis Coppola; “Canopy,” a film by Australian director Aaron Wilson about two young soldiers hiding in the jungles of Singapore during the Japanese invasion during World War II; and “Bethlehem,” a political thriller by Yuval Adler and Ali Waked that led all films in Israel’s recent Ophir Award nominations.
TIFF also announced that for the first time, it will screen four films in IMAX: Alfonso Cuaron’s “Gravity,” Keanu Reeves’ martial arts epic “Man of Tai Chi,” the music-based “Metallica Through the Never” and a new IMAX 3D presentation of “The Wizard of Oz.”
The centerpiece of the Future Projections program, a series of free art installations and exhibits around Toronto, is the multi-part “David Cronenberg: Transformation,” in which six different artists create films or installations inspired by the Canadian director.
The festival also announced Next Wave and Manifesto programs, which are selections from throughout the festival chosen by committees to appeal to a specific audience – Next Wave to “the next generation of movie lovers,” Manifesto to “a diverse audience interested in the urban arts.”
Finally, the festival announced that it is adding a new venue, the Glenn Gould Studio, to this year’s facilities. The studio is located in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre and will be used for a number of different programs, including serving as the main location for the TIFF Industry Conference.
The full TIFF schedule, and information about tickets, is available here.
The new programming additions:
MASTERS
A Touch of Sin (Tian zhu ding) Jia Zhangke, China/Japan (North American Premiere)
Abuse of Weakness (Abus de Faiblesse) Catherine Breillat, France/Belgium/Germany (World Premiere)
Bastards (Les Salauds) Claire Denis, France (North American Premiere)
Closed Curtain (Parde) Kambozia Partovi and Jafar Panahi, Iran (North American Premiere)
Concrete Night Pirjo Honkasalo, Finland/Sweden/ Denmark (World Premiere)
Home From Home – Chronicle of a Vision (Die Andere Heimat – Chronik einer Sehnsucht), Edgar Reitz, Germany/France (North American Premiere)
How Strange to be Named Federico: Scola Narrates Fellini (Che strano chiamarsi Federico: Scola racconta Fellini) Ettore Scola, Italy (International Premiere)
Moebius Kim Ki-duk, South Korea (North American Premiere)
Norte, The End of History (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan) Lav Diaz, Philippines (North American Premiere)
Our Sunhi (Uri Sunhi) Hong Sangsoo, South Korea (North American Premiere)
MAVERICKS
12.12.12, produced by Amir Bar-Lev
Followed by live discussion with concert co-organizer Harvey Weinstein
For No Good Reason
In conjunction with Ralph Steadman For No Good Reason installation at the CIBC Canadian Film Gallery at TIFF Bell Lightbox
In Conversation With… Irrfan Khan
Onstage discussion with Bollywood screen legend
In Conversation With… Spike Jonze
Interactive session with an exclusive preview of Her
InRealLife, Beeban Kidron
Made in America, Ron Howard
Followed by live conversation with Ron Howard
Our Man In Tehran, Drew Taylor and Larry Weinstein
Followed by conversation with Ken Taylor
What is Cinema? (Qu'est ce que le cinéma?), Chuck Workman
Followed by conversation with Chuck Workman
Women & Film 40th Anniversary
Preceded by I Am Somebody, Madeline Anderson
Includes onstage discussion with Kay Armatage and Madeline Anderson
DISCOVERY
1982 Tommy Oliver, USA (World Premiere)
All About the Feathers (Por las Plumas) Neto Villalobos, Costa Rica (World Premiere)
The Amazing Catfish (Los insólitos peces gato) Claudia Sainte-Luce, Mexico (North American Premiere)
Around the Block Sarah Spillane, Australia (World Premiere)
Bends Flora Lau, Hong Kong (North American Premiere)
Beneath the Harvest Sky Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, USA (World Premiere)
Bethlehem Yuval Adler, Israel (North American Premiere)
Bobô Inês Oliveira, Portugal (International Premiere)
Border Alessio Cremonini, Italy (World Premiere)
Canopy Aaron Wilson, Australia (World Premiere)
Fat Mark Phinney, USA (World Premiere)
Giraffada Rani Massalha, France/Germany/Italy/Palestine (World Premiere)
I Am Yours (Jeg Er Din) Iram Haq, Norway (International Premiere)
Ilo Ilo Anthony Chen, Singapore (North American Premiere)
The Militant (El Lugar Del Hijo) Manolo Nieto, Uruguay (World Premiere)
Miracle (Zázrak) Juraj Lehotsky, Slovakia/Czech Republic (International Premiere)
My Love Awaits Me by the Sea (Habibi Bistanani And il Bahar) Mais Darwazah, Germany/Jordan/Palestine/Qatar (World Premiere)
Of Good Report Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, South Africa (International Premiere)
Palo Alto Gia Coppola, USA (North American Premiere)
Paradise (Paraiso) Mariana Chenillo, Mexico (World Premiere)
Salvation Army (L'Armée du salut) Abdellah Taïa, France (North American Premiere)
South is Nothing (Il Sud è Niente) Fabio Mollo, France/Italy (World Premiere)
The Stag John Butler, Ireland (World Premiere)
The Summer of Flying Fish (El verano de los peces voladores) Marcela Said, Chile/France (North American Premiere)
Trap Street (Shuyin Jie) Vivian Qu, China (North American Premiere)
MIDNIGHT MADNESS
Witching & Bitching (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi) Alex de la Iglesia, Spain/France (World Premiere)
IMAX
Gravity Alfonso Cuarón, USA/United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Man of Tai Chi Keanu Reeves, USA/China (North American Premiere)
Metallica Through the Never Nimród Antal, Canada/USA (World Premiere)
The Wizard of Oz Victor Fleming, USA (World Premiere)
FUTURE PROJECTIONS
Grosse Fatigue, Camlle Henrot, 2013 (North American Premiere)
Ralph Steadman For No Good Reason, Ralph Steadman, 1970 to 2013 (World Premiere)
Sweat, Radical Friend (Kirby McClure and Julia Grigorian), 2012 (World Premiere)
David Cronenberg: Transformation
Treatment, Candice Breitz, 2013 (World Premiere)
Une Danse des Bouffons (or A Jester's Dance), Marcel Dzama, 2013 (World Premiere)
Swarm, James Coupe, 2013 (World Premiere)
Introduction to the Memory Personality, Jeremy Shaw, 2012/2013 (North American Premiere)
Rough Cut (Hiker Meat), Jamie Shovlin, 2012-2013 (World Premiere)
walkthrough, Laurel Woodcock, 2013 (World Premiere)
NEXT WAVE
Festival films chosen by committee to “appeal specifically to the next generation of movie lovers”
Around the Block Sarah Spillane, Australia (World Premiere)
Beneath the Harvest Sky Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, USA (World Premiere)
Exit Marrakech Caroline Link, Germany (International Premiere)
The Finishers Nils Tavernier, Belgium/France (World Premiere)
The F Word Michael Dowse Canada/Ireland (World Premiere)
Giraffada Rani Massalha, France/Germany/Italy/Palestine (World Premiere)
How I Live Now Kevin Macdonald, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Palo Alto Gia Coppola, USA (North American Premiere)
The Square Jehane Noujaim, Egypt/USA (World Premiere)
Tracks John Curran, United Kingdom/Australia (North American Premiere)
MANIFESTO
Selections from the festival “programmed for a diverse audience interested in the urban arts”
All Is By My Side John Ridley, United Kingdom/Ireland (World Premiere)
Belle Amma Asante, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Cristo Rey Leticia Tonos Paniagua, Dominican Republic/France/Haiti (World Premiere)
Empire of Dirt Peter Stebbings, Canada (World Premiere)
Half of a Yellow Sun Biyi Bandele, Nigeria/United Kingdom (North American Premiere)
Made in America Ron Howard, USA (World Premiere)
Omar Hany Abu-Assad, Palestine (North American Premiere)
Starred Up David Mackenzie, United Kingdom (World Premiere)
Supermensch The Legend of Shep Gordon Mike Meyers, USA (World Premiere)
Words and Pictures Fred Schepisi, USA (World Premiere)