“Hostiles” and “The Rider” also are slated for the September 7-17 event.
The Toronto International Film Festival, long recognized as the premier event of its kind in North America, has an impressive track record as a high-profile launching pad for movies that generate must-see interest from audiences — and loom large in considerations for year-end awards recognition. To put it another way: If you hear that a movie is screening there, chances are very good you’ll be hearing a lot more about it in the weeks and months ahead.
All of which augurs well for three films — Susanna White’s Woman Walks Ahead, Scott Cooper’s Hostiles, and Chloé Zhao’s The Rider — that were included Tuesday in the first announcement of titles programmed for the 2017 edition of TIFF (September 7-17), and will be of special interest to C&I readers.
Here’s info each film, provided by TIFF:
Woman Walks Ahead
Jessica Chastain stars in the true-life story of Catherine Weldon, a 19th-century Brooklyn artist who travelled to the Dakota Territory and became the confidante of legendary Sioux chief Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). (World Premiere)
Hostiles
Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Jesse Plemons, Wes Studi, and Adam Beach star in this 19th-century western drama from director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass), about an Army captain who agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief back to his tribal lands. (International Premiere)
The Rider
Chloé Zhao’s (Songs My Brothers Taught Me) Art Cinema Award–winning impressionistic drama casts real-life wrangler Brady Jandreau as a South Dakota cowboy struggling to chart a new course. (Canadian Premiere)
All three films are tentatively scheduled for a fall theatrical release. Watch this space for updates, and for announcements of other significant TIFF 2017 offerings.