Salma Hayek Pinault, Barry Keoghan among EW's 2024 TIFF Awardist Must List honorees
From "Saturday Night" and "The Piano Lesson" to "Anora" and two sports biopics, here are some of the titles vying for a spot in the awards race.
More than 200 films are part of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival lineup — and with it, hundreds of stars and filmmakers in attendance after last year's double-strike-impacted fest.
Among the many heading north of the border are Demi Moore (Substance), Selena Gomez and Zoe Salda?a (Emilia Pérez), Amy Adams (Nightbitch), Hugh Grant (Heretic), Cate Blanchett (the series Disclaimer and film Rumours), Samuel L. Jackson (The Piano Lesson), Ben Stiller (Nutcrackers), Tom Hiddleston (Life of Chuck), Sydney Sweeney (Eden), and Jude Law (The Order and Eden).
And of the many movies we have seen, EW's Awardist Party honoring our 2024 TIFF Must List features some films that have already lit up audiences at other festivals as well as some highly anticipated titles, including Jason Reitman's Saturday Night Live film and the adaptation of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, produced by Denzel Washington and his daughter Katia, directed by Washington's son Malcolm, and starring his other son John David. Plus, The Banshees of Inisherin Oscar nominee and Saltburn star Barry Keoghan has two films — Bird and Bring Them Down — and Jharrel Jerome and Ryan Destiny star in two sports drama biopics, Unstoppable and The Fire Inside, respectively.
Read on for our full list of honorees, and be sure to check back at EW.com over the course of the festival (Sept. 5-15) for premiere reviews, exclusive interviews, and awards analysis.
Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV, movies, and more.
Anora — Star Mikey Madison and writer/director Sean Baker
Neon /Courtesy Everett Collection
Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madison in 'Anora'Riding a wave of strong tidings from Cannes in southern France to the shores of Lake Ontario, actress Mikey Madison and director (and writer...and editor) Sean Baker once again hope to bolster their (already building) Oscar buzz for Anora. With the prestigious Palme d’Or prize already in hand, Anora’s tale of a stripper (Madison) clashing with the Russian oligarchal parents of her new husband reframes classic interpretations of the pursuit of the American dream — and Baker's film could be in the hunt for Academy Awards gold if TIFF reactions measure up. —Joey Nolfi, Sr. Writer
Related: Anora marks Sean Baker's most earnest depiction of sex work yet
Bird and Bring Them Down — Star Barry Keoghan
MUBI
Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott in 'Bring Them Down'TIFF is delivering a double shot of Barry Keoghan this year, with Andrea Arnold's Bird, where he plays a young father who's trying to be a good dad...and trying to make money selling hallucinogenic "slime" produced by a toad; and in Bring Them Down he plays Jack, a sheep farmer's son at war with a man (Christopher Abbott) who dated and nearly killed Jack's mom in a car accident before he was born. Both showcase why the Irish actor has emerged in recent years as a complex and captivating talent — dance moves and all. —Gerrad Hall, Editorial Director
The Fire Inside — Star Ryan Destiny
Sabrina Lantos
Ryan Destiny in 'The Fire Inside'The Oscar-nominated cinematographer behind Mudbound and other stunning visual feats like Black Panther, Dope, and Fruitvale Station is taking a seat in the director's chair for the first time with The Fire Inside, making its world premiere at this year's TIFF. The upcoming sports biopic stars Grown-ish’s Ryan Destiny as champion boxer Claressa Shields, who, under the tutelage of local volunteer coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry), harnessed her innate talents to become an Olympic contender. Written and produced by Moonlight helmer Barry Jenkins, The Fire Inside promises to intimately explore the highs and lows of Shields' historic career as she battled not only for gold but to uplift her native Flint, Mich., in its darkest chapter. —Mike Miller, Executive Editor
Related: August Wilson's The Piano Lesson receives a haunting film adaptation
The Piano Lesson — Co-writer/director Malcolm Washington
Katia Washington/Netflix
Ray Fisher, director Malcolm Washington, and John David Washington on the set of 'The Piano Lesson'Malcolm Washington makes a promising directorial debut with an adaptation of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. It's a family affair, continuing dad Denzel's mission to bring all of Wilson's work to the screen (and produced by Malcolm's sister Katia and starring brother John David, who played the role on Broadway in 2022). A favorite at Telluride where it debuted there, the film and Washington could find himself in the Oscar race if his lesson strikes audiences as hard at TIFF. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Sr. Writer
The cast of Saturday Night
Hopper Stone/Sony
The cast of 'Saturday Night'Hollywood loves it when famous people play other famous people, but in this case, the adulation is warranted. Gabriel LaBelle, Nicholas Braun, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt, Lamorne Morris, Dylan O'Brien, Cory Michael Smith, and many more star; LaBelle portrays Lorne Michaels, while Braun does double duty as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson in Jason Reitman's real-time fictionalized account of the 90 minutes prior to the debut of Saturday Night Live. LaBelle is the film's fulcrum, portraying Michaels as a man bursting with self-confidence but who finds himself in way over his head. Morris pays homage to his longtime pal, Garrett Morris, with his performance, and Smith feels like he's Chevy Chase circa 1975 reincarnated. After mixed reviews out of Telluride, the cast will need to win over audiences at TIFF to keep themselves in the race, but either way, they've all amply proven they're ready for primetime and then some. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Sr. Writer
Related: Saturday Night is an adrenaline-fueled nostalgia trip with pitch-perfect casting
Unstoppable — Star Jharrel Jerome
Amazon MGM Studios
Jharrel Jerome as Anthony Robles in 'Unstoppable'When They See Us Emmy winner Jharrel Jerome is a young man on a mission in this triumphant real-life sports drama about NCAA championship wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with just one leg. Working 10 times as hard as everyone else to prove his strength, worth, and ability, his journey is made more complicated by his abusive stepfather (Bobby Cannavale). Through it all, though, his mom (Jennifer Lopez) is his biggest cheerleader — rising above her own challenges both personal and professional to prove, alongside her son, that nothing can stop them. —Gerrad Hall, Editorial Director
Without Blood — Salma Hayek Pinault
Stefano C. Montesi
Salma Hayek Pinault in 'Without Blood'Salma Hayek Pinault already came for blood in the murderous plot of House of Gucci, but now she's foregoing the bodily fluid as she teams up with superstar director Angelina Jolie for Without Blood. The film — based on Alessandro Baricco's novel of the same name — follows Hayek as a woman embroiled in a years-long plot of subtle revenge for her family's brutal murder, with the star's emotional portrayal of a scarred woman embodying what TIFF observes as "how war seeps inside each person it touches long after the weapons fall silent." —Joey Nolfi, Sr. Writer
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