The 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 5–15, 2024.
The festival opened with David Gordon Green's film Nutcrackers, and closed with Rebel Wilson's directorial debut film The Deb.
Key programming announcements The first programming announcements were released on June 18, 2024. A second batch of films was announced on July 9, and the opening and closing galas were announced on July 16. Full program announcements began on July 22, with the gala and special presentations lineups announced that day and several other programs announced over the course of that week.Jeremy Kay, "Toronto film festival adds Angelina Jolie, Mike Leigh, Edward Burns, David Mackenzie titles". Screen Daily, July 22, 2024. The full festival schedule, including numerous late additions, was announced on August 13.Barry Hertz, "TIFF 2024: Francis Ford Coppola, Pedro Almodóvar films among wealth of high-profile additions to lineup". The Globe and Mail, August 13, 2024. In addition to new and current films, the schedule included anniversary special event screenings of Damien Chazelle's Whiplash and Mina Shum's Double Happiness.Samantha Bergeson, "TIFF 2024 Announces Additional Films: Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ Set for Gala". IndieWire, August 13, 2024.
Nutcrackers marked the first time that an acquisitions title not already attached to a commercial distributor opened the festival since Creation launched the 2009 edition.Barry Hertz, "TIFF 2024: Why Ben Stiller dramedy Nutcrackers is perfect film to open growing festival". The Globe and Mail, July 16, 2024. Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail linked this choice to the festival's announcement earlier in the year that it plans to launch a full film market in 2026, suggesting that it signaled an effort by the festival to play an active role in helping the film to secure a distribution deal and thus demonstrate the business case for the market project.
The choice of The Deb as closing film was effectively leaked a few days earlier than the official announcement, when Wilson posted a video to her Instagram account to accuse the film's producers of having tried to block the film's premiere at TIFF.Mike Fleming Jr., "Rebel Wilson Wallops Backers Of Her Directing Debut ‘The Deb’ For Nixing Pic From Toronto Berth; Producers Call Claims 'False, Defamatory And Disappointing'". Deadline Hollywood, July 10, 2024.
Awards
Tribute Awards The TIFF Tribute Awards recipients included David Cronenberg as recipient of the Norman Jewison Award, and Amy Adams as a recipient of the performer award.Megan LaPierre, "Elton John Documentary and 'Nightbitch' Among First Titles to Premiere at TIFF". Exclaim!, June 18, 2024. Actor Jharrel Jerome was also honoured in the performance category, and actress Zhao Tao received a special tribute award."‘Moonlight’ star Jharrel Jerome, Chinese actress Zhao Tao join TIFF Tribute Awards". CityNews, August 20, 2024.
Cate Blanchett was the recipient of the Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award for women who have made a positive difference in the film industry.Ben Dalton, "Cate Blanchett to receive Toronto film festival honorary Share Her Journey Groundbreaker Award". Screen Daily, July 2, 2024. Angelina Jolie was the recipient of the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media.Etan Vlessing, "Angelina Jolie to Receive Tribute Award at the Toronto Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, August 27, 2024.
Mike Leigh received the Director Award, Camille Dalmais and Clément Ducol received the Variety Artisan Award, and Durga Chew-Bose received the Emerging Talent Award."Mike Leigh to Receive Ebert Director Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival". RogerEbert.com, July 30, 2024.
Regular awards Awards for films, including the People's Choice Award, were announced at the conclusion of the festival.Harrison Richlin, "Who Will Win the TIFF People’s Choice Award? Live Updates from the Ceremony". IndieWire, September 15, 2024. The awards program included a return of the Best Canadian Discovery Award, previously presented by the festival as "Best Canadian First Feature" until being discontinued after the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.Jeremy Kay, "TIFF brings back renamed Best Canadian Discovery Award". Screen Daily, August 22, 2024. Award Film Director People's Choice Award The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan People's Choice Award, First Runner Up Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard People's Choice Award, Second Runner Up Anora Sean Baker People's Choice Award: Documentaries The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal Mike Downie Documentary, First Runner Up Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum Documentary, Second Runner Up Your Tomorrow Ali Weinstein People's Choice Award: Midnight Madness The Substance Coralie Fargeat Midnight Madness, First Runner Up Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道) John Hsu Midnight Madness, Second Runner Up Friendship Andrew DeYoung Platform Prize They Will Be Dust (Polvo serán) Carlos Marqués-Marcet Platform Prize, Honorable Mention Daughter's Daughter (女兒的女兒) Sylvia Chang (performance) Best Canadian Feature Film Shepherds (Berger) Sophie Deraspe Best Canadian Discovery Universal Language (Une langue universelle) Matthew Rankin Best Canadian Discovery, Honorable Mention You Are Not Alone (Vous n'êtes pas seuls) Marie-Hélène Viens, Philippe Lupien Best Canadian Short Film Are You Scared to Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? Bec Pecaut Best International Short Film Deck 5B (Däck 5B) Malin Ingrid Johansson Best International Short Film, Honorable Mention Quota (Quotum) Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw FIPRESCI Award Mother Mother K'naan Warsame NETPAC Award The Last of the Sea Women Sue Kim
Award juries Platform: Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho, Jane SchoenbrunAnthony D'Alessandro, "Atom Egoyan, Hur Jin-ho & Jane Schoenbrun To Preside Over TIFF Platform Jury; Sidebar Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood, July 23, 2024. Best Canadian Feature Film and Best Canadian Discovery: Estrella Araiza, Chelsea McMullan, Randall Okita Short Cuts: Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, Shane Smith NETPAC: Hannah Fisher, Vilsoni Hereniko, Kerri Sakamoto FIPRESCI: Li Cheuk-to, Pierre-Simon Gutman, Azadeh Jafari, Saffron Maeve, Wilfred Okiche
Events In Conversation with... events were held featuring Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldaña, Steven Soderbergh, and Hyun Bin and Lee Dong-wook.Etan Vlessing, "Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldaña, Steven Soderbergh to Keynote Toronto Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, August 13, 2024.
Programme
Galas The following films were selected to the Gala Presentations section: English title Original title Director(s) Production country Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender United Kingdom Better Man Michael Gracey Australia The Deb Rebel Wilson Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz South Africa Eden Ron Howard United States Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish United States, United Kingdom The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel United States Harbin 하얼빈 Woo Min-ho South Korea Meet the Barbarians Les barbares Julie Delpy France Megalopolis Francis Ford Coppola United States Nutcrackers David Gordon Green Oh, Canada Paul Schrader The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo Spain, United Kingdom The Return Uberto Pasolini Italy, United Kingdom Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny United States The Shrouds David Cronenberg Canada, France Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti India Takin' Care of Business Tyler Measom Canada, United States Unstoppable William Goldenberg United States Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum The Wild Robot Chris Sanders William Tell Nick Hamm Italy, United Kingdom
Special Presentations The following films were selected to the Special Presentations section: English title Original title Director(s) Production country 40 Acres R. T. Thorne Canada All of You William Bridges United States All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg Anora Sean Baker United States The Assessment Fleur Fortuné United Kingdom, Germany, United States Babygirl Halina Reijn United States Bird Andrea Arnold United Kingdom Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews Ireland, Belgium The Brutalist Brady Corbet United States, United Kingdom, Hungary Can I Get a Witness? Ann Marie Fleming Canada Carnival Is Over Os Enforcados Fernando Coimbra Brazil, Portugal Caught by the Tides 风流一代 Jia Zhangke China Conclave Edward Berger United States, United Kingdom The Cut Sean Ellis United Kingdom Dahomey Mati Diop France, Senegal, Benin Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard France The End Joshua Oppenheimer Denmark, United Kingdom The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison United States The Girl with the Needle Pigen med nålen Magnus von Horn Denmark, Poland, Sweden Hard Truths Mike Leigh United Kingdom, Spain Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari United Kingdom Heretic Scott Beck and Bryan Woods United States Hold Your Breath Karrie Crouse, Will Joines I'm Still Here Ainda Estou Aqui Walter Salles Brazil, France I, the Executioner 베테랑2 Ryoo Seung-wan South Korea K-Pops! Anderson .Paak United States The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan United States Love in the Big City 대도시의 사랑법 E.oni South Korea The Luckiest Man in America Samir Oliveros United States Millers in Marriage Edward Burns Misericordia Miséricorde Alain Guiraudie France, Spain, Portugal Nightbitch Marielle Heller United States On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland On Swift Horses Daniel Minahan United States The Order Justin Kurzel Canada, United States Paul Anka: His Way John Maggio United States The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington United States Piece by Piece Morgan Neville Queer Luca Guadagnino Italy, United States Quisling: The Final Days Quislings siste dager Erik Poppe Norway Relay David Mackenzie United States Rez Ball Sydney Freeland Riff Raff Dito Montiel The Room Next Door Pedro Almodóvar Spain Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson Canada, Germany The Salt Path Marianne Elliott United Kingdom Saturday Night Jason Reitman United States Sharp Corner Jason Buxton Canada, Ireland Shell Max Minghella United States Shepherds Berger Sophie Deraspe Canada Sketch Seth Worley United States Vermiglio Maura Delpero Italy, France, Belgium We Live in Time John Crowley France, United Kingdom Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven New Zealand, Australia Without Blood Angelina Jolie United States, Italy Young Werther José Lourenço Canada
Special Events English title Original title Director(s) Production country Double Happiness Mina Shum Canada Dune Denis Villeneuve United States Dune: Part Two Whiplash Damien Chazelle
Centrepiece The Centrepiece program was announced on August 6.Jeremy Kay, "Toronto film festival unveils 43 titles in Centrepiece programme". Screen Daily, August 6, 2024.