The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival complete lineup of participating films has been announced and as expected the list is flush with numerous big name stars and high profile projects that will begin vying against one another for golden Oscar statues to be awarded early next year.
Among the films headlining TIFF 2013 is The Fifth Estate starring Benedict Cumberbatch as tabloid favorite Julian Assange, the founder of the controversial secrets-leaking website Wikileaks. Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) is directing the biopic that will open the festival on September 5. Cumberbatch also appears in John Wells’ August: Osage County. The drama is set in Oklahoma and co-stars Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin and Chris Cooper.
Also amongst the 13 films to premiere in Roy Thomson Hall is Long Walk to Freedom, the Nelson Mandela biopic from director Justin Chadwick that stars Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) in the title role.
Alfonso Cuaron’s Sci-fi disaster thriller Gravity, featuring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, is also on tap, but will have already premiered in Venice by the time it reaches Toronto. Gravity earned rave early reviews after new “Detached” footage premiered at Comic-Con, and can now be seen and experienced below.
High profile younger stars Daniel Radcliffe and Dane DeHaan will see their film Kill Your Darlings make an appearance after first playing at Sundance.
Ron Howard’s Formula One racing thriller Rush starring Chris Hemsworth will spin its wheels on North American soil for the first time.
Filling out the world premieres set for Toronto are The Railway Man with the Oscar winner combination of Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, and The Love Punch with Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan aiming to deliver love and laughs.
Other North American debuts including Bad Words from first-time director Jason Bateman, and Cannes Palme d’Or winner Blue is the Warmest Color.
The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival comes to a close on September 14 with the premiere of Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime starring Tim Robbins, Jennifer Aniston, Isla Fischer and Mos Def. The film is based on Elmore Leonard’s acclaimed novel The Switch.
