You won't want to miss these exciting fantasy and family-friendly titles that are premiering at TIFF 2022.
In mid-September, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will return for its 47th annual, 11-day event that celebrates talented filmmaking from all over the world. The festival will be screening dozens of films in an array of genres, from both acclaimed directors and others who will be making their feature debuts. In addition to several Canadian and worldwide premieres, several projects will be shown that have already won awards at previous festivals. While some films boast a huge budget and a cast of Hollywood stars, such as Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, other more independent films feature lesser known international actors who shine in their roles. Below is a list highlighting the projects that TIFF has chosen to present in both the fantasy and family-friendly genres. You won’t want to miss these exciting titles.
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French-Burkinabe actor Cédric Ido moved behind the camera when he directed his first feature film, Château, in 2017. His most recent film, The Gravity, is premiering at TIFF and follows a group of young “entrepreneurs” who must deal with the chaos caused by a gravitational upset that occurs in their Parisian suburb. French actors Max Gomis, Jean Baptiste Anoumon, Steve Tientcheu, and Olivier Rosemberg take on the lead roles. TIFF selected this project to be a part of their competitive “Platform” program that celebrates creative directorial visions. With an intriguing sci-fi premise and a talented artist at the helm, The Gravity is sure to excite audiences.
Rather than a feature, The Kingdom Exodus is actually a Danish television miniseries trilogy from controversial director Lars Von Trier. The premise of the mystery horror show follows a group of staff and patients at a hospital known for its supernatural occurrences. The first season, Riget, premiered in 1994 and the second, Riget II in 1997. The third season,dubbed Riget Exodus, will be premiering at TIFF and consists of five episodes directed by Von Trier and co-written with Niels Vørsel. Original cast members Ghita Nørby, Søren Pilmark, Peter Mygind, Birgitte Raaberg, Laura Christensen, and Udo Kier will all be returning. According to Variety, all three installments of the project will be released on the streaming platform MUBI this fall.
Wendell and Wild, described as an American, stop-motion, animated, dark fantasy, comedy, and horror, is the brainchild of Henry Selick, who previously won a BAFTA award for his 2009 film Coraline. The film is based on a yet unpublished book of the same name that Selick penned with Clay McLeod Chapman that has been purchased by Simon & Schuster. The film centers on two demon brothers named Wendell and Wild, who enlist the help of goth 13-year-old girl to help them defeat their nemesis and make it to the land of the living. Iconic comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele voice the two brothers and Lyric Ross stars as their ally Kat Elliot. The film also includes the voices of Angela Bassett, James Hong, Tamara Smart, and others. Following its world premiere at TIFF, Wendell and Wild will be available to stream on Netflix beginning in October 2022.
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Subversive Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues’ most recent feature film is Will-o’-the-Wisp, which has proven difficult for critics to classify. The out-of-the-box project can best be described as part musical comedy featuring balletic firemen, part sensual queer romance, and several parts post-colonial political commentary. Though light on plot, the film travels through time from 2011 to 2069, making periodic stops in between. Starring Mauro Costa, André Cabral, and others, Will-o’-the-Wisp has been called both “horny” and “silly” and features full-frontal nudity. Despite how entertaining it sounds, this one is not for children.