Hunting And Gathering in Toronto
Day 1 Toronto International Film Festival
David and I arrived last night in Toronto, checked in to our shared hotel room with one king bed and one pullout couch…LOL, David is 6’8” and I’m barely 6’, so you can guess who gets the couch:) Shower temperature this morning, scalding hot or melt your skin hot - maintenance has been called. Off to a good start.
Our goals at TIFF are simple - hunt for our next Colossal (NEON is here), network with potential partners (several meetings already set), spread the word on Legion M and meetup with Legion M members/investors on Friday, Sept 8 from 9-10:30pm ET at Roxy Bar (284 King Street West).
We’ve done our homework, talked to our advisors, compared notes with our allies and we would love your insights as well. Below is a living list of some of the films we expect to see while we’re here. We don’t expect that we’d be able to participate in all of these, but if we see something we really like, we will make a move. Let us know what you think of the films below or if there is a film here that you think we should see.
Bodied - Toronto rapper Alex Larsen (Kid Twist) will take the stage at Festival Street in an epic showdown with battle rapper Madness.
The Ritual - Venturing into the wilderness of the Swedish highlands to perform a remembrance for a dearly departed friend, four men are subjected to a night of terror when they unwisely take refuge in a derelict house.
Lady Bird - A rebellious young woman (Saoirse Ronan) navigates the pressures and constraints of Catholic school and life in Sacremento, in Greta Gerwig's solo directorial debut.
The Shape of Water - At the height of the Cold War, circa 1962, two workers in a high-tech US government laboratory (Sally Hawkins and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer) discover a terrifying secret experiment, in this otherworldly fairytale from Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth).
Valley of Shadows - A young boy ventures into the forest in search of mysterious creatures that eat sheep, in this delightfully creepy Scandinavian Gothic fable from Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen.
All You Can Eat Buddha - A mysterious man at an all inclusive resort begins performing miracles, leading curious onlookers to believe he is perhaps connected to a higher power, in Ian Lagarde's feature debut.
Les Affamés - A remote village in Quebec is terrorized by a flesh-eating plague, in the latest from Robin Aubert.
Downrange - Stranded at the side of the road after a tire blowout, a group of friends become targets for an enigmatic sniper, in this wickedly entertaining bloodbath from Midnight Madness regular Ryuhei Kitamura (Versus).
The Lodgers - Set in rural Ireland in 1920, this Gothic chiller evokes the spooky stories of Shirley Jackson and Oscar Wilde in its tale of teenage twins living in a haunted manor under the shadow of a family curse.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer - The strange relationship between a cardiac surgeon and a 16-year-old boy portends a terrifying sacrifice, in this eagerly awaited supernatural thriller from Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone.
The Florida Project - The latest from Sean Baker (Tangerine) juxtaposes the carefree summer of a spirited kid with the harsh realities dogging the grown-ups in her orbit.
The Disaster Artist - James Franco directs this giddy tribute to eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and his friend, actor Greg Sestero, whose notoriously awful film The Room has become one of the most beloved cult classics of all time.
Veronica - Inspired by real events that transpired in Madrid in 1991, the nerve-rattling new feature from Spanish director Paco Plaza (co-creator of the hugely successful [REC] series) chronicles a teenage girl’s descent into terror following her naïve attempt to communicate with her dead father.
The Cured - Ellen Page stars in this gloriously terrifying yet thought-provoking horror thriller about the fraught process of reintegrating formerly infected flesh-eaters into society in the aftermath of a zombie plague.
(No Trailer Found Yet For These Films Below)
I Kill Giants - Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura, I Kill Giants tells the story of a teenager who struggles through school and family life by escaping into a fantasy world of magic and monsters. Read more info of this film on TIFF.
Mom and Dad - Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair star in this pitch-black horror-comedy about a worldwide mass hysteria where, for 24 brutal hours, parents turn violently against their own children. Read more info of this film on TIFF.
Revenge - Never take your mistress on an annual guys’ getaway, especially one devoted to hunting — a violent lesson for three wealthy married men, in writer-director Coralie Fargeat's feature debut. Read more info of this film on TIFF.
Mary Shelley - Elle Fanning stars in this scintillating biopic of the Frankenstein author, chronicling her tempestuous marriage to dissolute poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the fateful night at a Swiss chateau that inspired her most famous creation. Read more info of this film on TIFF.