Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Christophers,’ Nia DaCosta’s ‘Hedda’ to Premiere at TIFF

New movies from directors Steven Soderbergh and Nia DaCosta have been added to this year’s Toronto Film Festival lineup.

TIFF organizers announced on Thursday the first five titles of its official selection, all of which are set to world premiere in Canada. They are Soderbergh’s “The Christophers,” DaCosta’s “Hedda,” Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Captive,” Sung-hyun Byun’s “Good News” and Chandler Levack’s “Mile End Kicks.”

Soderbergh, the prolific filmmaker of “Ocean’s 11,” “Contagion” and “Erin Brockovich,” was at the last edition of TIFF with his ghost thriller “Presence.” His newest film, “The Christophers,” is described as a black comedy set in the art world and stars Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Jessica Gunning, and James Corden.

DaCosta, known for “The Marvels,” “Candyman” and the upcoming “28 Years Later: Bone Temple,” is adapting Henrik Ibsen’s famous play with Tessa Thompson and Imogen Poots in the lead roles. “Hedda” follows the eponymous character who is trapped in a house and marriage she does not want.

Amenábar is the Chilean-Spanish director of “The Others” and “The Sea Inside.” His film “The Captive” follows famed “Don Quixote” writer Miguel de Cervantes, then a wounded navy soldier, as he’s held hostage in Algiers.

Sung-hyun Byun, a South Korean filmmaker whose 2017 film “The Merciless” had its world premiere at Cannes, will attend the festival with “Good News.” The movie is reportedly about people who attempt to land a hijacked plane.

Levack’s directorial debut “I Like Movies” a coming-of-age comedic drama, premiered at TIFF in 2022. “Mile End Kicks” follows a 24-year-old movie critic who moves to Montreal in the summer of 2011 with the goal of writing a book about Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill.” Her plans take a turn when she falls for two guys in the same struggling indie band and vows to become their publicist.

“These first five films of our official selection reflect the innovation, heart, and global perspective that have made our festival a home for great cinema over the past 50 editions,” said TIFF’s CEO Cameron Bailey. “We’re excited to kick-off our special presentations with Chandler Levack’s ‘Mile End Kicks,’ a young, Canadian director who has very close ties to TIFF in addition to these established directors. We can’t wait to share more in the weeks ahead as we celebrate this historic year with audiences and filmmakers from around the world.”

The documentary “John Candy: I Like Me,” from director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds, will open the festival’s 50th edition, as previously announced. In keeping with tradition, TIFF is expected to slowly reveal the rest of its lineup over the next few months. This year’s event will take place from Sept. 4 through 14.