TIFF Announces Midnight Madness and Documentaries Slate, Including ‘The Disaster Artist,’ ‘Super Size Me’ Sequel, and More
They are two of the Toronto International Film Festival‘s wildest sections — for very different reasons — and this year’s slate of both Midnight Madness and Documentary offerings appear to signal another strong lineup for the festival. Thrills, chills, terror, and scares await movie-goers, all care of unbelievable real-life stories and slightly less true tales for genre fans of all stripes.
This year’s Midnight Madness section will open with Joseph Kahn’s provocative World Premiere of “Bodied,” and also offers up the World Premiere of “The Disaster Artist,” directed by James Franco and based on the making of Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 cult film, “The Room.” (The film previously screened as a work-in-progress at SXSW.)
In his first year as programmer, Peter Kuplowsky is also welcoming back several fest alumni, including David Bruckner, Ryuhei Kitamura, S. Craig Zahler, Hélène Cattet, and Bruno Forzani. “With my inaugural lineup, I’ve sought to assemble an eclectic group of films that expand and explode traditional definitions of genre and shock cinema while still preserving the infectious rock ’n’ roll gusto that TIFF’s Midnight Madness audiences have come to relish over the past three decades,” said Kuplowsky in an official statement.
On the doc side of things, the section will open with Sophie Fiennes’ “Grace Jones: Bloodlight & Bami,” a film that captures the legendary performer on and off stage. Other lineup highlights include Morgan Spurlock, back with a surprise sequel in the form of “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!,” Brett Morgen’s portrait of primatologist Jane Goodall, “Jane”; and Frederick Wiseman’s latest opus, which takes viewers behind the scenes of a New York institution in “Ex Libris – The New York Public Library.”
“Resistance is a key theme in this year’s documentaries,” said TIFF Docs Programmer Thom Powers. “We pay witness to rebels challenging the status quo in art, politics, sexuality, religion, fashion, sports and entertainment. They speak powerfully to our times as audiences seek inspirations for battling powerful and corrupt systems.”
Below are the newest additions to the TIFF 2017 lineup, including both Midnight Madness and Documentaries. Stay tuned for more programming announcements in the days to come.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs September 7 – 17 in Toronto, Canada.
Midnight Madness
“Bodied,” Joseph Kahn, USA, World Premiere, Midnight Madness Opening Night Film
”Brawl in Cell Block 99,” S. Craig Zahler, USA, North American Premiere
”The Crescent,” Seth A. Smith, Canada, World Premiere
”The Disaster Artist,” James Franco, USA, World Premiere
“Downrange,” Ryuhei Kitamura, USA, World Premiere
“Great Choice,” Robin Comisar, USA, Canadian Premiere
“Let The Corpses Tan,” Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani, North American Premiere
“Mom and Dad,” Brian Taylor, USA, World Premiere
“Revenge,” Coralie Fargeat, France, World Premiere
“The Ritual,” David Bruckner, UK, World Premiere
“Vampire Clay,” Sôichi Umezawa, Japan, World Premiere, Midnight Madness Closing Film
Documentaries
“Azmaish: A Journey through the Subcontinent,” Sabiha Sumar, Pakistan, North American Premiere
“BOOM FOR REAL The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat,” Sara Driver, USA, World Premiere
“The China Hustle,” Jed Rothstein, USA, World Premiere
“Cocaine Prison,” Violeta Ayala, Australia/Bolivia/France/USA, World Premiere
“Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars,” Lili Fini Zanuck, United Kingdom, World Premiere
“Ex Libris – The New York Public Library,” Frederick Wiseman, USA, North American Premiere
“The Final Year,” Greg Barker, USA, World Premiere
“The Gospel According to André,” Kate Novack, USA, World Premiere
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami,” Sophie Fiennes, United Kingdom/Ireland, World Premiere, Documentary Programme Opening Film
“JIM & ANDY: the Great Beyond – the story of Jim Carrey & Andy Kaufman featuring a very special, contractually obligated mention of Tony Clifton,” Chris Smith, USA/Canada, North American Premiere
“Jane,” Brett Morgen, USA, World Premiere
“The Judge,” Erika Cohn, Palestine/USA, World Premiere
“The Legend of the Ugly King,” Hüseyin Tabak, Germany/Austria, World Premiere
“Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle,” Gustavo Salmerón, Spain, North American Premiere
“Love Means Zero,” Jason Kohn, USA, World Premiere
“Makala,” Emmanuel Gras, France, North American Premiere, Documentary Programme Closing Film
“Of Sheep and Men,” Karim Sayad, Switzerland/Qatar, World Premiere
“One of Us,” Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, USA, World Premiere
“The Other Side of Everything,” Mila Turajlić, Serbia/France/Qatar, World Premiere
“Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me,” Sam Pollard, USA, World Premiere
“Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood,” Matt Tyrnauer, USA, World Premiere
“Silas,” Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman, Canada/South Africa/Kenya, World Premiere
“Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!,” Morgan Spurlock, USA, World Premiere
