Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2020 Lineup

After anxiously awaiting news on one of the most prestigious and renowned events in cinema, the 45th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has finally unveiled its lineup of movies from filmmakers across the globe and in all levels of notoriety, ready to premiere their work side-by-side both in Toronto and at home.

TIFF announced that the festival will premiere 50 movies in their 2020 slate from Thursday, September 10th through Saturday, September 19th. TIFF regulars will notice this slate is much smaller than usual, which typically includes around 300 films. However, the programmers promise that this year's festival will prove to be just as engaging and entertaining and, in some cases, more personal than years past.

Of the announced movies, those who choose to attend, both virtually and in-person, are in for a real treat. The festival will open on Thursday night with Spike Lee's film version of David Byrne's stage show "American Utopia," which gives a somber reflection of race and racial representation in America, setting the proper tone and discourse for a troubled world dealing with these struggles in 2020. In addition to that, 46% of the titles are directed by women, as TIFF continues to advocate for equality and representation.

Regina King, fresh off her tenure on the Emmy-nominated HBO limited series "Watchmen," will premiere her directorial debut at the festival with "One Night in Miami," a film adaptation of the play detailing a fictionalized account of four infamous African-American icons in the 1960s.

Viggo Mortensen will also make his directorial debut. His new film, "Falling," tells the story of a homophobic and conservative father (Lance Henriksen). After succumbing to the effects of dementia, he goes to live with his gay son and his husband in Los Angeles. Halle Berry will premiere "Bruised," the tail of a disgraced former MMA fighter who must compete against a new challenger while navigating motherhood.

Other notable names to look out for at the festival include Mark Wahlberg, Mads Mikkelsen, and Idris Elba.

Arguably the most anticipated film of the festival is Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland." The film sees "The Eternals" director teams up with Francis McDormand for an adaptation of the non-fiction work of the same name about middle-aged Americans traveling the United States looking for employment after the Great Recession of the mid-2000s.

The festival will include a hybrid of online screenings, digital red carpets and press conferences, and a mixture of physical screenings and drive-ins for socially distant and responsible in-person viewing. No press will be allowed at the physical screenings.

For a comprehensive list of the 50 feature films and documentaries premiering at Toronto International Film Festival 2020, please use this link: https://www.tiff.net/films