Toronto International Film Festival's Opening Night on tap

Jeffrey Wright stars as a respected author and professor becoming tired of the conventions of Black entertainment in “American Fiction,” which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The loaded ensemble in director Cord Jefferson’s book-based satire includes Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown and Leslie Uggams. (Courtesy of TIFF)

PUBLISHED: September 5, 2023 at 9:28 a.m. | UPDATED: September 5, 2023 at 9:28 a.m.

“Well, I’m running down the road, tryin’ to loosen my load / About 100 movies on my mind.”

With apologies to the Eagles (and particularly songwriters Jackson Browne and the late Glenn Frey), yours truly always finds himself just singin’ those lyrics on the way to his favorite event of the year.

Yep, that would be the annual Toronto International Film Festival, and Sept. 6 is to drive to the 48th edition with a relatively easy, five-hour (or less) trip up Interstate 90 near Cleveland, across the border to the Queen Elizabeth Way and on to Canada’s biggest city, which again becomes world’s foremost cinema showcase from Sept. 7 through 17.

And now there’s even a bit more to celebrate, as some actors associated with this year’s always-large crop of TIFF independent movies likely will march down a few red carpets, after all. The leadership of the striking Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists will allow members to make festival appearances as long as their (indie) films have signed interim agreements with striking unions.

As of this writing, a few actors-turned-directors, including Viggo Mortensen (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Ethan Hawke (“Wildcat”) and Finn Wolfhard, co-helmer of “Hell of a Summer,” apparently will attend.And Kristin Scott Thomas (“North Star”), Michael Keaton (“Knox Goes Away”) and Tony Goldwyn (“Ezra”) reportedly are possibilities. However, another trio of “star” directors, Patricia Arquette (“Gonzo Girl”), Anna Kendrick (“Woman of the Hour”) and Chris Pine (“Poolman”), definitely will not be there.

Even without them, though, TIFF should have plenty to see and admire, starting with the Sept. 7 first-nighter, “The Boy and the Heron,” an animated epic from Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (“Spirited Away”).

Already a hit in Japan, "The Boy and the Heron" will become the first animated Opening Night film in the 48-year history of the Toronto International Film Festival when it begins on Sept. 7. (Courtesy of TIFF) — Already a hit in Japan, “The Boy and the Heron” will become the first animated Opening Night film in the 48-year history of the Toronto International Film Festival when it begins on Sept. 7. (Courtesy of TIFF)

“We are honored to open the 48th annual TIFF with the work of one of cinema’s greatest artists,” festival CEO Cameron Bailey announced weeks ago. “Already acclaimed as a masterpiece in Japan, Miyazaki’s new film begins as a simple story of loss and love and rises to a staggering work of imagination.”

Later on during TIFF’s first night, “Dicks: The Musical” raises the curtain on the popular “Midnight Madness” series, which features a 11:59 p.m. start for one “weird, wacky, wild” offering on each of the festival’s 10 evenings through Sept.16. “Dicks,” the latest from “Borat” director and “Seinfeld”/”Curb Your Enthusiasm” cohort Larry Charles, seems like a perfect fit for madness, with a cast that includes Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Nathan Lane and Bowen Yang, among others.

"Dicks: The Musical," directed by Larry Charles and with a cast headed by Megan Mullally, looks for big things on Sept. 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival as the "Midnight Madness" film for Opening Night. (Courtesy of TIFF) — “Dicks: The Musical,” directed by Larry Charles and with a cast headed by Megan Mullally, looks for big things on Sept. 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival as the “Midnight Madness” film for Opening Night. (Courtesy of TIFF)

Still, even by then, we really will have seen nothin’ yet, as just about every TIFF film slated in the 10-day exploration of cinema likely will become watchable enough to find a release date more sooner than later. In fact, studio-financed films to look forward to already include “American Fiction,” “Dumb Money,” “The Holdovers” and “Next Goal Wins,” to name just a few.

Director Craig Gillespie, who brought "I, Tonya" to the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, returns this year with the world premiere of "Dumb Money," the story of how the GameStop Wall Street scandal went down. Pete Davidson, left, and Paul Dano are among the players, along with Seth Rogen, America Ferrera, Shailene Woodley and others. (Courtesy of TIFF) — Director Craig Gillespie, who brought “I, Tonya” to the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017, returns this year with the world premiere of “Dumb Money,” the story of how the GameStop Wall Street scandal went down. Pete Davidson, left, and Paul Dano are among the players, along with Seth Rogen, America Ferrera, Shailene Woodley and others. (Courtesy of TIFF)

And if awards strike your fancy, five — count ’em five — 2023 Cannes Film Festival winners in competitions for the Palme d’Or (“Anatomy of A Fall”), Grand Prix (“The Zone of Interest”), Jury Prize (“Fallen Leaves’), Best Screenplay (Sakamoto Yuji for Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Monster”), Best Performance by an Actress (Merve Dizdar in “About Dry Gasses”) and Actor (Koji Yakusho in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days”) all also have found their way onto the TIFF48 schedule.

The Canadian premiere of Justine Triet's murderous "Anatomy of a Fall," this year's Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, should attract plenty of attention during a few opening-weekend showings at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Courtesy of TIFF) — The Canadian premiere of Justine Triet’s murderous “Anatomy of a Fall,” this year’s Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, should attract plenty of attention during a few opening-weekend showings at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Courtesy of TIFF)

Naturally, there are some potential winners, as well, with the likes of “Shayda” (Australia), “Concrete Utopia” (South Korea) and “Teacher’s Lounge” (Germany) not only on board at TIFF but also their country’s official submissions as possible Academy Award nominees for Best International Feature Film. (By the way, Wenders’ aforementioned “Perfect Days” is Oscar entry from Japan.)

Finally, let’s simply squeeze in some promising TIFF titles from a couple of streaming giants. Apple will be represented by “Fingernails” (with Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed and Jeremy “The Bear” Allen White), gifted Irish filmmaker John Carney’s “Flora and Son” and “The Pigeon Tunnel,” an Errol Morris documentary featuring a final interview with famed spy novelist John le Carré.

Meanwhile, in addition to TIFF’s closing night “Sly,” a doc about Sylvester Stallone, Netflix will offer an assortment of films, including world premieres of “Reptile” (with Benicio del Toro, Justin Timberlake and Alicia Silverstone) and David Yates’ “Pain Hustlers” (Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara and Andy Garcia).

Coverage from Toronto and TIFF48 continues here on Sept. 8, the second day of TIFF48. Also, check out tiff.net for more info on how to see all the films mentioned above, or simply just take it easy.

John M. Urbancich, former and first executive editor of CriticsChoiceMovies, reviewed films and wrote related features and celebrity profiles at Cleveland’s Sun Newspapers from 1983 to 2018. He has been an accredited journalist at the Toronto International Film Festival for 30 years. Look for his ratings on recent releases at JMUvies.com.