Taylor Swift, Weird Al Yankovic film, Squid Game star's directorial debut join TIFF 2022 lineup

Joey Nolfi
·9 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The stars are headed north as part of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival lineup.

As announced Thursday, notable titles joining TIFF's growing slate include buzzy projects like Brendan Fraser's transformative turn as a 600-pound man in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale; Brett Morgen's trippy David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream; Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae's directorial debut, Hunt; Jennifer Lawrence's latest drama Causeway; Sarah Polley's Women Talking, a mysterious drama featuring Frances McDormand about sexual assaults in a religious colony; Florian Zeller's Laura Dern- and Hugh Jackman-fronted The Son; Sam Mendes' Olivia Colman–led romantic drama Empire of Light; Peter Farrelly's Zac Efron–starring war drama The Greatest Beer Run Ever; Tyler Perry's crime drama A Jazzman's Blues; and Oscar nominee Reginald Hudlin's Sidney Poitier documentary.

New titles that joined the Midnight Madness, Discovery, and Wavelengths sections include Daniel Radcliffe's upcoming Weird Al Yankovic biopic, Weird; Ti West's Mia Goth–starring X prequel, Pearl; Tim Story's new movie, The Blackening; and V/H/S 99, a new entry in the V/H/S anthology horror series.

New TV series joining the TIFF lineup include season 5 of Elisabeth Moss' Toronto-shot thriller The Handmaid's Tale, Clea DuVall's High School (based on musical duo Tegan and Sara's book), and the third part in Lars von Trier's Kingdom series, The Kingdom Exodus.

TIFF's In Conversation With... panels will include presentations focused on Taylor Swift and her All Too Well short film, Damien Chazelle, Davis and her Woman King helmer Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung, and Eddie Redmayne. Other previously announced speakers headed to Canada for TIFF's Visionaries roster include Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Perry.

The Woman King
The Woman King

Ilze Kitshoff/TriStar Pictures Viola Davis wages war against European colonialism in 'The Woman King.'

The festival previously announced other high-profile films heading to this year's event, including Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama The Fabelmans, Billy Eichner's gay rom-com Bros, Lena Dunham's period piece Catherine Called Birdy, Viola Davis' warrior epic The Woman King, Harry Styles' My Policeman, and Daniel Craig's highly anticipated sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, among others.

"We're excited to welcome some of the most celebrated figures in movies back to Toronto to present their Gala and Special Presentation films," said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey in a statement. "With stories that span six continents and feature performances you just have to see, this lineup delivers the rich experiences we wait all year for. Cinema is alive. Red carpets are back. And the best audience in the world awaits them in Toronto."

TIFF plays a crucial role in the global film industry, often hosting the premieres of big commercial projects as well as smaller, independently, and internationally produced prestige films. The festival also has a reputation for stoking Oscars buzz ahead of the Academy Awards season, as the event often launches awards-bound projects into the race. Across the past decade, nine of the 10 TIFF People's Choice Award winners have gone on to win or be nominated for the Academy's Best Picture prize — including last year's Best Picture nominee Belfast.

See the full 2022 lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival's Gala and Special Presentations programs below. TIFF runs from Sept. 8-18. Tickets are available now.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Taylor Swift, in her first feature film role since 2019's Cats, appears in David O. Russell's highly secretive and previously untitled new movie, which has officially been dubbed 'Amsterdam'

Gala Presentations

Alice, Darling — Mary Nighy (Canada, USA)
World Premiere

Black Ice — Hubert Davis (Canada)
World Premiere

Butcher's Crossing — Gabe Polsky (USA)
World Premiere

Dalíland — Mary Harron (United Kingdom, USA)
World Premiere

The Greatest Beer Run Ever — Peter Farrelly (USA)
World Premiere

The Hummingbird Francesca Archibugi — (Italy, France)
World Premiere

Hunt — Lee Jung-jae (South Korea)
North American Premiere

A Jazzman's Blues — Tyler Perry (USA)
World Premiere

Kacchey Limbu — Shubham Yogi (India)
World Premiere

Moving On — Paul Weitz (USA)
World Premiere

Paris Memories — Alice Winocour (France)
North American Premiere

Prisoner's Daughter — Catherine Hardwicke (USA)
World Premiere

Raymond & Ray — Rodrigo García (USA)
World Premiere

Roost — Amy Redford (USA)
World Premiere

Sidney — Reginald Hudlin (USA)
World Premiere

The Son — Florian Zeller (United Kingdom)
North American Premiere

The Swimmers — Sally El Hosaini (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

What's Love Got to Do With It? — Shekhar Kapur (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

The Woman King — Gina Prince-Bythewood (USA)
World Premiere

The Whale
The Whale

A24 Brendan Fraser in 'The Whale'

Special Presentations

Allelujah — Sir Richard Eyre (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

All Quiet on the Western Front — Edward Berger (USA, Germany)
World Premiere

The Banshees of Inisherin — Martin McDonagh (United Kingdom, Ireland, USA)
North American Premiere

Blueback — Robert Connolly (Australia)
World Premiere

The Blue Caftan — Maryam Touzani (Morocco, France, Belgium, Denmark)
North American Premiere

Broker — Hirokazu Kore-eda (South Korea)
Canadian Premiere

Brother — Clement Virgo (Canada)
World Premiere

Bros — Nicholas Stoller (USA)
World Premiere

Catherine Called Birdy — Lena Dunham (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

Causeway — Lila Neugebauer (USA)
World Premiere

Chevalier — Stephen Williams (USA)
World Premiere

Corsage — Marie Kreutzer (Austria, France, Germany)
North American Premiere

Decision to Leave — Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
North American Premiere

Devotion — JD Dillard (USA)
World Premiere

Driving Madeleine — Christian Carion (France)
International Premiere

El Suplente — Diego Lerman (Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Spain, France)
World Premiere

Empire of Light — Sam Mendes (United Kingdom, USA)
Canadian Premiere

The Eternal Daughter — Joanna Hogg (United Kingdom)
North American Premiere

The Fabelmans — Steven Spielberg (USA)
World Premiere

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery — Rian Johnson (USA)
World Premiere

Good Night Oppy — Ryan White (USA)
International Premiere

The Good Nurse — Tobias Lindholm (USA)
World Premiere

Holy Spider — Ali Abbasi (Denmark, Germany, Sweden, France)
Canadian Premiere

Joyland — Saim Sadiq (Pakistan)
North American Premiere

The King's Horseman — Biyi Bandele (Nigeria)
World Premiere

The Lost King — Stephen Frears (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

A Man of Reason — Jung Woo-sung (South Korea)
World Premiere

The Menu — Mark Mylod (USA)
World Premiere

On the Come Up — Sanaa Lathan (USA)
World Premiere

One Fine Morning — Mia Hansen-Løve (France)
Canadian Premiere

Other People's Children — Rebecca Zlotowski (France)
North American Premiere

Moonage Daydream — Brett Morgen (USA)
North American Premiere

My Policeman — Michael Grandage (United Kingdom)
World Premiere

Nanny — Nikyatu Jusu (USA)
International Premiere

No Bears — Jafar Panahi (Iran)
North American Premiere

The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile — Kathlyn Horan (USA)
International Premiere

Saint Omer — Alice Diop (France)
North American Premiere

Sanctuary — Zachary Wigon (USA)
World Premiere

Stories Not to Be Told — Cesc Gay (Spain)
World Premiere

Triangle of Sadness — Ruben Östlund (Sweden, United Kingdom, USA, France, Greece)
North American Premiere

Walk Up — Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)
World Premiere

Wendell & Wild — Henry Selick (USA)
World Premiere

The Whale — Darren Aronofsky (USA)
North American Premiere

Women Talking — Sarah Polley (USA)
International Premiere

The Wonder — Sebastián Lelio (United Kingdom, Ireland)
Canadian Premiere

Midnight Madness

The Blackening — Tim Story (USA)
World Premiere

Leonor Will Never Die — Martika Ramirez Escobar (Philippines)
Canadian Premiere

Pearl — Ti West (USA)
North American Premiere

The People's Joker — Vera Drew (USA)
World Premiere

Project Wolf Hunting — Kim Hongsun (South Korea)
World Premiere

Sick — John Hyams (USA)
World Premiere

Sisu — Jalmari Helander (Finland)
World Premiere

Venus — Jaume Balagueró (Spain)
World Premiere

V/H/S 99 — Flying Lotus, Johannes Roberts, Maggie Levin, Tyler MacIntyre, Vanessa & Joseph Winter (USA)
World Premiere

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story — Eric Appel (USA)
World Premiere

Weird The Al Yankovic Story Quinta Brunson and Daniel Radcliffe
Weird The Al Yankovic Story Quinta Brunson and Daniel Radcliffe

Roku 'Abbott Elementary' star Quinta Brunson plays Oprah Winfrey in the Daniel Radcliffe-led Weird Al Yankovic biopic.

Discovery

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe — Aitch Alberto (USA)
World Premiere

Baby Ruby — Bess Wohl (USA)
World Premiere

Carmen — Benjamin Millepied (Australia, France)
World Premiere

Daughter of Rage (La Hija de todas las Rabias) — Laura Baumeister (Nicaragua)
World Premiere

A Gaza Weekend — Basil Khalil (United Kingdom, Palestine)
World Premiere

I Like Movies — Chandler Levack (Canada)
World Premiere

The Inspection — Elegance Bratton (USA)
World Premiere

A Long Break — Davit Pirtskhalava (Georgia)
World Premiere

Pussy — Joseph Amenta (Canada)
World Premiere

Return to Seoul — Davy Chou (South Korea, France, Germany, Belgium)
International Premiere

ROSIE — Gail Maurice (Canada)
World Premiere

Runner — Marian Mathias (USA, France, Germany)
World Premiere

SHIMONI — Angela Wanjiku Wamai (Kenya)
World Premiere

Snow and the Bear — Selcen Ergun (Turkey, Germany, Serbia)
World Premiere

Something You Said Last Night — Luis De Filippis (Canada, Switzerland)
World Premiere

Susie Searches — Sophie Kargman (USA)
World Premiere

Sweet As — Jub Clerc (Australia)
International Premiere

The Taste of Apples Is Red — Ehab Tarabieh (Israel, Germany)
World Premiere

This Place — V.T. Nayani (Canada)
World Premiere

Unruly (Ustyrlig) — Malou Reymann (Denmark)
World Premiere

Until Branches Bend — Sophie Jarvis (Canada)
World Premiere

When Morning Comes — Kelly Fyffe-Marshall (Canada)
World Premiere

The Young Arsonists — Sheila Pye (Canada)
World Premiere

Wavelengths

Concrete Valley — Antoine Bourges (Canada)
World Premiere

De Humani Corporis Fabrica — Véréna Paravel, Lucien Castaing-Taylor (France, Switzerland)
North American Premiere

Dry Ground Burning (Mato Seco em Chamas) — Joana Pimenta, Adirley Queirós (Portugal, Brazil)
North American Premiere

Horse Opera — Moyra Davey (USA)
Festival Premiere

Pacifiction — Albert Serra (France, Spain, Germany, Portugal)
North American Premiere

Queens of the Qing Dynasty — Ashley McKenzie (Canada)
North American Premiere

Unrest (Unrueh) — Cyril Schäublin (Switzerland)
North American Premiere

Will-o'-the-Wisp (Fogo-Fátuo) — João Pedro Rodrigues (Portugal, France)
North American Premiere

Shorts

After Work — Céline Condorelli, Ben Rivers (United Kingdom)
North American Premiere

Bigger on the Inside — Angelo Madsen Minax (USA)
World Premiere

EVENTIDE — Sharon Lockhart (USA)
World Premiere

F1ghting Looks Different 2 Me Now — Fox Maxy (Mesa Grande Reservation/USA)
Festival Premiere

Fata Morgana — Tacita Dean (United Kingdom, USA)
Festival Premiere

Hors-titre — Wiame Haddad (France)
North American Premiere

I Thought the World of You — Kurt Walker (Canada)
North American Premiere

Moonrise — Vincent Grenier (USA, Canada)
World Premiere

The Newest Olds — Pablo Mazzolo (Argentina, Canada)
World Premiere

Puerta a Puerta — Jessica Sarah Rinland, Luis Arnías (Mexico, USA, Venezuela)
International Premiere

The Time That Separates Us — Parastoo Anoushahpour (Canada, Jordan, Palestine)
World Premiere

What Rules the Invisible — Tiffany Sia (USA)
North American Premiere

Primetime (TV)

1899 — Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese (Germany, USA)
World Premiere

Dear Mama — Allen Hughes (USA)
World Premiere

The Handmaid's Tale (season 5) — Bruce Miller, Elisabeth Moss (USA)
World Premiere 

High School — Clea DuVall, Laura Kittrell (USA, Canada)
World Premiere

The Kingdom Exodus — Lars von Trier (Denmark)
North American Premiere

LIDO TV — Lido Pimienta, Sean O'Neill (Canada)
World Premiere

Mystery Road: Origin — Dylan River (Australia)
International Premiere

Visionaries (keynote speakers)

Efe Çakarel
Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton
Tyler Perry
S.S. Rajamouli

In Conversation With...

Taylor Swift
Damien Chazelle
Viola Davis and Gina Prince-Bythewood
Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung
Eddie Redmayne

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.

Related content: