Toronto International Film Festival Must See Movies

by Helen Earnshaw | 5 September 2015

The start of the Toronto International Film Festival is now just days away and they have put another very exciting programme together with movies from around the world.

Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto has a knack of picking out some real Oscar contenders and there could be a few more to watch out for when screenings get under way on Thursday. We take a look at some of the movies that you cannot afford to miss.

- The Martian

The Martian is one of the autumn movies that I am looking forward to the most as it marks the return of Ridley Scott to the director's as he tackles another science fiction project. I am a huge fan of Scott and I am excited to see him back.

The Martian is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Andy Weir and has been adapted for the big screen by writer and director Drew Goddard. The movie follows in the footsteps of Gravity and Interstellar and is set to be a must see space adventure when it arrives at the end of the month.

Matt Damon is set to take on the central role of astronaut Mark Watney as he teams up with Scott for the first time. A great cast has been assembled as Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Jeff Daniel, Michael Pena, and Chiwetel Ejiofor are all also on board.

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meagre supplies, Watney must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring 'the Martian' home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return.

The Martian is a movie that is already surrounded in Oscar whispers and it could be a film that is in the mix for Best Picture when the nominations are announced at the beginning of next year. The movie will receive its premiere at the festival. The Martian is released in the UK on 30th September.

- The Program

There are a string of biopic movies coming our way this October and one that is set to be a truly riveting watch is the Program, which follows the Lance Armstrong doping scandal that rocked the world of cycling.

The Program sees Stephen Frears back in the director's chair for his first film since Philomena back in 2013 - he is a filmmaker who is no stranger to the biopic genre. John Hodge, who wrote the scripts for Trainspotting and Trance, has adapted David Walsh's book into a screenplay.

Ben Foster is set to take on the role of Lance Armstrong in the film in what is set to be one of the biggest lead roles of his career to date. Chris O'Dowd is also on board as journalist David Walsh, who pursued the truth about Armstrong.

Foster and O'Dowd are joined on the cast list by Lee Pace, Jesse Plemons, Guillaume Canet, Edward Hogg, and Laura Donnelly - it is one of the great ensemble cast lists of the autumn.

The Truth: The untold story of one man's thirteen-year crusade to find the truth behind one of the greatest cons in history. A journalist with The Sunday Times and author of the book the film was based on 'Seven Deadly Sins', David Walsh undertook what has become one of the great pieces of investigative journalism by uncovering the truth about Lance Armstrong. Feted as a hero and adored by millions of people, how did Walsh bring down one of the most powerful icons in the world?

For me, Ben Foster is one of the most underrated actors working in Hollywood at the moment and I cannot wait to see what he delivers in the central role of Armstrong. The Program is released in the UK on 16th October.

- I Saw the Light

We are huge fans of Tom Hiddleston here at FemaleFirst and sadly, there has been a major lack of him on the big screen so far in 2015. However, all that is about to change as he is set to lead an all-star cast in - I Saw the Light.

Hiddleston is set to take on the role of musician Hank Williams in the biopic about his life and career, which is based on the book by Colin Escott. The movie will see Marc Abraham in the director's chair and working with Hiddleston for the first time.

I Saw The Light is only the second feature film of Abraham's career and comes six years after he made his debut with Flash of Genius - he has also penned the film's screenplay.

Elizabeth Olsen is on board as Audrey Sheppard Williams, Hank's wife and manager, while David Krumholtz, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, and Cherry Jones will also star.

I Saw The Light will chronicle the life and career of Williams, from his rise to fame to his sudden death at the tender age of twenty nine.

We all know how much the Academy loves a biopic and I Saw The Light could well be in the Oscar race next year. Will Tom Hiddleston land his first Oscar nomination for his central performance? I guess we are going to have to wait and see. I Saw The Light is released in the U.S. on 27th November.

- Colonia

We haven't seen very much of Emma Watson on the big screen so far this year, but she is set to return with new thriller Colonia. The movie sees Watson team up with director Florian Gallenberger for the first time as he returns to the director's chair.

As well as being at the helm of the movie, Gallenberger has also teamed up with Torsten Wenzel to pen the screenplay, which is based on true events se in Chile in 1973.

Watson is set to take on the central role of Lena alongside Daniel Bruhl, who will play her husband Daniel. They duo are joined on the cast list by Michael Nyqvist, Richenda Carey, and Vicky Krieps.

Chilean military coup of 1973. Daniel is abducted by Pinochet's secret police and Lena tracks him to a sealed off area in the South of the country, called Colonia Dignidad. The Colonia presents itself as a charitable mission run by lay preacher Paul Schäfer but, in fact, is a place nobody ever escaped from. Lena decides to join the cult in order to find Daniel.

Colonia is set to screen as part of the Special Presentations section of the festival this year and it is great to see Watson back on the big screen and taking on a role that she can really get her teeth into. At the moment, there is no UK release date for Colonia.

- The Lady in the Van

The Lady in the Van is a British movie that I have been looking forward to all year and it is set to screen as part of the Special Presentations section of the festival.

The Lady in the Van is based on the 1999 West End play of the same name by Alan Bennett, which was based on a true story of a woman that he knew for fifteen years. Bennett as adapted the play for the big screen, while Nicholas Hytner is back in the director's chair.

Hytner is no stranger to the work of Bennett having directed the adaptation of The History Boys back in 2006. It is great to see him back in the director's chair for his first live action film since The History Boys.

Everyone loves Maggie Smith and she is set to take on the role of Miss Mary Shepherd - the lady in the van - while Alex Jennings is on board as Bennett. The pair are is joined on the cast list by Frances de la Tour, Dominic Cooper, James Corden, Jim Broadbent, and Roger Allam.

The Lady in the Van follows the relationship between Bennett and the singular Miss Shepherd, a woman of uncertain origins who 'temporarily' parked her van in Bennett's London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years.

If you are a fan of British film you are in for a treat this autumn as there are a whole host of movies coming our way... The Lady in the Van is just one not to miss. The Lady in the Van is released in the UK on 13th November.

- The Lobster

The Lobster is a movie that has already whipped up a storm on the festival circuit; winning the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Now it is part of the programme in Toronto, where it will screen as part of the Special Presentations section.

The Lobster sees Yorgos Lanthimos back in the director's for the first time since Alps back in 2011 - and he is no stranger to the festival circuit after the success Dogtooth back in 2009. As well as being in the director's chair, Lanthimos has also teamed up with Efthymis Filippou to pen the screenplay.

The Lobster boasts another impressive line-up of acting talent as Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly, and Olivia Colman are all on board.

The Lobster is a blackly funny love story where finding love is a matter of life or death. A love story set in the near future where single people, according to the rules of The City, are arrested and transferred to The Hotel.

There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into The Woods. A desperate Man escapes from The Hotel to The Woods where The Loners live and falls in love, although it is against their rules.

The Lobster was a movie that was met with acclaim when it premiered at Cannes earlier this year, and it could be one of the dark horses when it comes to Oscar nominations next year. The Lobster is released in the UK on 16th October.

- Where to Invade Next

We haven't heard too much from filmmaker Michael Moore of late and that is because he has been working on his new documentary Where to Invade Next.

Where to Invade Next is set to receive its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and yet, this is a movie that was made on the quiet. Moore may have reunited with producers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin, but they filmed abroad so not to spark the interest of the U.S. media.

Of course, Moore is no stranger to making controversial movies and Where to Invade Next looks set to be one of the big talking points of the upcoming festival.

The movie is inspired by the United States' long history of invading countries and pushing different agendas - sometimes, that has been successful. Other times, not so much. With this new film Michael Moore asks the question, what if the U.S. could do a better job at invading?

It has been six years since we last saw Moore in the director's chair with Capitalism: A Love Story in 2009 and I am looking forward to seeing him return and stir up more and interesting conversation and debate. No UK release date for Where To Invade Next has been announced.