Big stars coming to TIFF 2014 -- as directors

We're used to seeing these stars in front of the camera but for TIFF 2014, these guys have their director hats on. (No, really, why do they always seem to be wearing hats?)

Chris Evans

Captain America makes his directorial debut in "Before We Go," a romance about two strangers (Evans and Alice Eve) who spend a long, wonderful night in NYC. Sounds very "Before Sunrise"-y, no? Evans and Eve were romantically linked during filming but we'd prefer if the rumours about him and Sandra Bullock are true.

Chris Rock

"Top Five," which Rock also wrote, is the third fiction film the comedian has directed (after "Head of State" and "I Think I Love My Wife"). It follows a comedian-turned-film star (Rock) who wants to take his career down a more serious avenue. Hmm, true to life? Rock amassed quite a cast for the movie, including Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart and Tracy Morgan.

Ethan Hawke

Hawke, who has previously directed "Chelsea Walls," "The Hottest State" and the short film "Straight to One" 20 years ago, tries his hand at a documentary. "Seymour: An Introduction" looks at the life of classic pianist, composer and music teacher Seymour Bernstein. We likely didn't know too much about the musical man before, but as the actor stays off camera and lets Bernstein do all the talking, it gives us a reason to want to know more.

Alan Rickman

It's been 17 years since Rickman's directorial debut ("The Winter Guest") so he's about due. In "A Little Chaos," he plays King Louis XIV, who commissions a renowned architect (Matthias Schoenaerts) to design the grand gardens for the Palace of Versailles. But things go squirrelly when he clashes with a landscape designer (Kate Winslet) — professionally and personally. The elegant comedy has wit and bite, much like its director.

Ben Lewis
Unless you're familiar with abusive jerk Bobby from "Degrassi" or Other Scott in "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," then you probably don't know who Lewis is. But you might soon. The actor makes his directorial debut with the short "Zero Recognition," which follows a young actress ("Degrassi" alum Lauren Collins, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Lewis) as she tries to lead a normal life after starring in a successful Canadian TV series. Art imitating life much?

Paul Bettany

What's that saying about not pooping where you eat? Well, the acclaimed actor got risky in his directorial debut: he cast his wife, Jennifer Connelly in his movie "Shelter." The film follows two people (Connelly and Anthony Mackie) living on the streets of New York who find solace with one another and struggle to maintain a relationship.

Jon Stewart

Stewart teamed up with Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari for his directorial debut "Rosewater," which tells the true story of Bahari's five-month imprisonment in Iran after his appearance on "The Daily Show." It's political with shades of his wit but this is dramatic as Stewart gets. Gael Garcia Bernal takes on the role of Bahari, while Shohreh Aghdashloo plays his mom.

The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival runs through to Sept. 14.