At least two Chinese movies including Feng Xiaogang's latest one will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which unveiled on Tuesday its initial lineup of films for this September's 41st edition.
Announced at downtown Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox, Chinese filmmaker Feng Xiaogang's "I Am Not Madame Bovary" and Cheng Er's "The Wasted Times" are among the 19 galas and 49 special presentations titles for the first slate of the estimated 300-film lineup, mostly world or North American premieres.
"Revealing the first round of films offers a highly anticipated glimpse into the Festival's lineup this year," said Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF.
Handling believed that bold and adventuresome work by established and emerging filmmakers from all across the world will illuminate Toronto screens and red carpets over another remarkable 11 days this September.
"The global voices, transformative stories and diverse perspectives of these films capture the cinematic climate of today," said Cameron Bailey, artistic director of the film festival.
"New films featuring cinema's brightest talents promise to captivate and entertain the world's film community and audiences alike," said Bailey.
Starring Fan Bingbing, "I Am Not Madame Bovary" is a caustically comic contemporary fable about a cafe proprietor spending a decade petitioning the Chinese legal system after being swindled by her ex-husband.
For its world premiere, "The Wasted Times" tells love, hatred, and betrayal abound in Shanghai during the chaotic, war-torn 1930s. Its cast includes Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, and Tadanobu Asano.
Also revealed Tuesday, this year's Toronto film festival will open with Antoine Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven," a star-studded remake of the 1960s ensemble western that puts Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke into the saddle.
New filmmaker Kelly Fremon Craig's "The Edge of Seventeen" landed the closing night slot. The Vancouver-filmed coming-of-age drama stars Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick.
Another notable title is "Birth of the Dragon," a USA/China/Canada co-production on Bruce Lee's emergence as a martial arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with Shaolin master Wong Jack Man.
Films that made a splash at earlier film festivals such as Sundance and Cannes are also headed for Toronto, including Nate Parker's slave rebellion drama "The Birth of a Nation" and Jeff Nichols's interracial marriage drama Loving.
The Toronto film festival, which was founded in 1976, now is seen as one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Organizers are expected to unveil more of its lineup in the next few weeks for the 41st festival, which runs Sept. 8-18.
