2014 Toronto International Film Festival....Looks Like an Exciting Year

Reese Witherspoon will come to TIFF 2014 for her films Wild and The Good Lie.

The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival announced its first slate of movies on Tuesday morning, and based on the line-up so far, this year’s fest looks like it’s going to be great year for Canadian filmmakers working abroad -- and for actress Reese Witherspoon.

Toronto’s own David Cronenberg will bring his star-studded new movie “Maps to the Stars” to TIFF 2014 for its North American Premiere. The film, which offers up a scathing take on the U.S. entertainment industry, stars Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, and Sarah Gadon.
Montreal-native Jason Reitman’s dramedy "Men, Women & Children,” starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Garner, will also debut during TIFF 2014.
Quebecois directors Jean-Marc Vallée (“Dallas Buyers Club”) and Philippe Falardeau (“Monsieur Lazhar”) return to TIFF in September, bringing “Wild” and “The Good Lie” (Falardeau’s English-language debut), respectively.



Both films star Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon, whose performance in “Wild” is already generating a lot of awards season buzz. No word yet on whether the actress will attend TIFF this year, but given that she’s in two very high-profile films directed by Canadian directors. The chances are very high she’ll be in town to walk the red carpets. Could Toronto be the beginning of Witherspoon's big comeback?
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Toronto Film Fest without last year's “Man of the Festival” Benedict Cumberbatch. The English actor had three films at last year’s festival and will return to Toronto in September with “The Imitation Game,” based on the real-life story of Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing. This might finally be Cumberbatch’s year at the Oscars.



Other potential awards season contenders set to make appearances at TIFF 2014 include Bennett Miller’s disturbing sports drama “Foxcatcher” (starring Channing Tatum and a nearly-unrecognizable Steve Carell), Dan Gilroy’s crime thriller “Nightcrawler” (starring a gaunt Jake Gyllenhaal), and David Dobkin’s family drama “The Judge” (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall).

TIFF 2014 has plenty for the indie and art house crowd, too. Sundance hit “Whiplash” (starring Miles Teller) is set for its Canadian premiere, David Gordon Green’s “Manglehorn" (starring Al Pacino) will have its North American Premiere, and Noah Baumbach’s latest “While We’re Young” (starring Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver) will have its world premiere.

This year’s fest also has a lot to offer on the international front, with films from France, Germany, Denmark, China, South Korea, and India being announced. A few of the global highlights include French director François Ozon’s “The New Girlfriend” (“Une nouvelle amie”), and Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s political drama “Coming Home.”
In a break from tradition, no opening night film was announced on T uesday. This may have something to do with Toronto’s new policy of only allowing exclusive premieres to screen during the first four days of the festival, a clause that may prevent them from making any announcements currently. Festival organizers Piers Handling and Cameron Bailey reported that the opening film,would be announced soon.
The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4 to 14. The Festival is always a lot of fun for Torontonians, tourists and gawkers. We have made many good friends among actors and others in the entertainment field, from all over the globe, who enjoy the city and the friendly Canucks.