The Angelina Jolie-directed war film "Without Blood," a documentary about Bruce Springsteen and Mike Leigh's contemporary tragicomedy "Hard Truths" will have their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall. The festival announced its gala and special presentation lineup Monday.
Jolie's film stars Salma Hayek and Demian Bichir and is based on the Alessandro Baricco novel "Without Blood." The Springsteen film, "Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band" charts behind the scenes of his world tour. Leigh's film, his first in six years, has him reuniting with his "Secrets & Lies" star Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Also announced were the world premieres of Gia Coppola's "The Last Showgirl," starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista and Kiernan Shipka, and Rachel Morrison's directorial debut "The Fire Inside," about the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. Barry Jenkins wrote the screenplay.
Edward Burns has a new film, "Millers in Marriage" with Minnie Driver and Morena Baccarin, as does David Mackenzie with the thriller "Relay" starring Riz Ahmed and Lily James. Jennifer Lopez co-stars in the Ben Affleck-produced sports drama "Unstoppable" about American wrestler Anthony Robles. And Hugh Grant leads the eerie Scott Beck and Bryan Woods-directed A24 pic "Heretic."
One year after TIFF went on through the actors strikes, the star power has returned to the prestigious film festival which helps inform the conversation around the season's awards hopefuls.
