Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ Gets International Premiere as Centerpiece Selection at Toronto

Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Presence’ Gets International Premiere as Centerpiece Selection at Toronto

As a cinephile with a heart for discovering fresh talents and unique stories, I find myself utterly captivated by this diverse lineup of world premieres and North American debuts. Each film seems to offer a glimpse into the lives of individuals from different corners of the globe, weaving tales that resonate universally.


In 2024, Steven Soderbergh’s chilling ghost tale titled “Presence” featuring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and newcomer Callina Liang will debut internationally as the main highlight in a special section at the Toronto Film Festival.

Director Soderbergh premiered “Presence” at Sundance earlier this year, marking a significant milestone since his groundbreaking film “Sex, Lies and Videotape” debuted in Park City 35 years ago. In total, TIFF’s Spotlight section (previously called Contemporary World Cinema) revealed 43 films from 41 different countries on Tuesday.

There’s world premieres for Marcelle Lunam’s rom com Addition, starring Teresa Palmer and Joe Dempsie; Erin Lee Carr’s documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, a Hulu title about the Canadian pop duo falling victim to identity theft; French director Laura Piani’s Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, with a Frederick Wiseman cameo; Sofia Bohdanowicz’s Measures for a Funeral, written by actor Derah Campbell; and Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s Front Row, a comedy about feuding matriarchs battling over the best beachfront location.

Various movies that are noteworthy include “Pimpinero: Blood and Oil,” directed by Narcos director Andres Baiz; “Sweet Angel Baby,” produced by Chris Hatcher (of Priscilla) and helmed by Melanie Oates; the Iranian production “Seven Days” from Ali Samadi Ahadi, based on a screenplay by dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who is also presenting his latest work, “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” for its Canadian premiere following a world premiere at Cannes; and the second film from Polish director Damian Kocur, “Under the Volcano,” which serves as a follow-up to his Venice award winner, “Bread and Salt.”

As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that the Toronto Film Festival, a cinematic extravaganza, is all set to unfold from September 5th to the 15th next year. The festival organizers have already unveiled some exciting details! David Gordon Green’s heartfelt comedy, “Nutcrackers,” starring Ben Stiller, will kick off the festival on September 5th. On the other hand, “The Deb,” Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut and an adaptation of the original hit musical from Australia, will bring the curtains down on the 2024 edition. Can’t wait to be there!

Here is a complete list of Centerpiece titles:

Addition, Marcelle Lunam, World Premiere

A Missing Part, Guillaume Senez, World Premiere

An Unfinished Film, Lou Ye, North American Premiere

Anywhere Anytime, Milad Tangshir, International Premiere

April, Dea Kulumbegashvili, North American Premiere

Beloved Tropic, Ana Endara, World Premiere

Bound in Heaven, Huo Xin, World Premiere

By the Stream, Hong Sangsoo, North American Premiere

Cloud, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, North American Premiere

Crocodile Tears, Tumpal Tampubolon, World Premiere

Don’t Cry, Butterfly, Dương Diệu Linh, North American Premiere

Edge of Night, Türker Süer, North American Premiere

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, Erin Lee Carr World Premiere

Flow, Gints Zilbalodis, Canadian Premiere

Front Row, Merzak Allouache, World Premiere

Happyend, Neo Sora, North American Premiere

Happy Holidays, Scandar Copti, North American Premiere

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, Laura Piani, World Premiere

Julie Keeps Quiet, Leonardo van Dijl, North American Premiere

Ka Whawhai Tonu – Struggle Without End, Michael Jonathan, North American Premiere

Kill the Jockey, Luis Ortega, North American Premiere

Little Jaffna, Lawrence Valin, North American Premiere

Los Tortuga, Belén Funes, World Premiere

Matt and Mara, Kazik Radwanski, North American Premiere

Measures for a Funeral Sofia Bohdanowicz, World Premiere

My Sunshine, Hiroshi Okuyama, North American Premiere

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil, Andrés Baiz, World Premiere

Presence, Steven Soderbergh, International Premiere

Santosh, Sandhya Suri, Canadian Premiere

Seven Days, Ali Samadi Ahadi, World Premiere

Souleymane’s Story, Boris Lojkine, International Premiere

Sunshine, Antoinette Jadaone, World Premiere

Sweet Angel Baby, Melanie Oates, World Premiere

The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, Agbajowo Collective,
World Premiere

The Mother and the Bear, Johnny Ma, World Premiere

The Mountain, Rachel House, North American Premiere

The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Mohammad Rasoulof, Canadian Premiere

The Swedish Torpedo, Frida Kempff, World Premiere

The Village Next to Paradise, Mo Harawe, North American Premiere

To a Land Unknown, Mahdi Fleifel, North American Premiere

Under the Volcano, Damian Kocur, World Premiere

Universal Language, Matthew Rankin, North American Premiere

When the Light Breaks, Rúnar Rúnarsson, North American Premiere

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2024-08-06 17:24