TIFF 2013: Schedule release reveals front-loaded festival

The organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival always like to start things off with a bang - and the 2013 fest is no exception. TIFF’s first weekend is inarguably the most important time for the festival. Accompanied by a bevy of Hollywood acting and filmmaking talent, it’s in those first few days that the festival’s highest profile offerings will make their Toronto debuts. But what happens after that?

As the just-announced schedule reveals, many of the biggest events of TIFF 2013 are set to happen during the first six days of the fest. And while there will certainly be no shortage of films playing during the latter half of the 10-day event, with the galas over, the red carpets rolled up, and most the A-listers gone home, things will be pretty quiet.

Here are some of the daily TIFF 2013 highlights.

TIFF gets off to a creepy start on Thursday, Sept. 5 with an afternoon screening of David Cronenberg’s 1975 horror film “Shivers.” A restored version of the classic Canadian horror film was commissioned by the festival as part of the upcoming “David Cronenberg: Evolution” exhibit. But Thursday evening is when the stars really come out: Beginning with a 30^th anniversary screening of Lawrence Kasdan’s “The Big Chill” – with Glenn Close, Tom Berenger, and others in attendance – the first night of TIFF will also feature the world premiere of the Wikileaks thriller “The Fifth Estate,” as well as the North American premieres of Cannes Palme d'Or winner “Blue is the Warmest Colour,” and Jim Jarmusch’s vampire flick “Only Lovers Left Alive.”

Friday, Sept. 6 features the world premieres of Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” – a definite People’s Choice Award and Oscar contender starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt – Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s psychological thriller “Prisoners” – starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal as well as the Alexandre Aja fantasy film “Horns" which stars Daniel Radcliffe as a horned young man searching for his girlfriend’s killer.

For those looking for something a little different on Friday, there’s always “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman's star-studded Live Read. The filmmaker will direct a surprise cast in a live stage reading of a classic movie screenplay. Last year’s Live Read was a performance of “American Beauty” featuring Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Adam Driver, Sarah Gadon, Nick Kroll, Mae Whitman and others.

Canadian funny man Mike Myers makes his directorial debut on Saturday, Sept. 7 with the music documentary “Supermensch The Legend of Shep Gordon,” and the Great White North will continue to shine that day with the premieres of Michael Dowse’s “The F word” – starring Daniel Radcliffe as a guy in love with his best friend (Zoe Kazan) – and Jean-Marc Vallée’s AIDS drama “Dallas Buyers Club” – starring Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. The first Saturday of TIFF 2013 will also feature the world premiere of the biopic “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” – starring Idris Elba as the titular South African leader – and horror director Eli Roth’s latest Midnight Madness offering “The Green Inferno” – a tribute to Italian cannibal movies of the 1970s.

Hollywood will be out in full force on Sunday, Sept. 8, as Ron Howard’s Formula 1 drama “Rush” – starring Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde and Daniel Brühl – and Alfonso Cuarón’s harrowing 3D space film “Gravity” – starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock – both get glitzy red carpet gala premieres. Sunday will also a banner day for Canadian movies as the latest work from Toronto’s Atom Egoyan and Don McKellar debuts. Egoyan’s West Memphis Three drama “Devil’s Knot” and McKellar’s “The Grand Seduction” are sure to be highlights of the weekend. Denis Villeneuve makes a second appearance on the 8th with the mind-bending mystery “Enemy” – starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, and Sarah Gadon. With two films getting the gala treatment on the opening weekend at TIFF, the Quebec director is definitely one of Canada’s stars of the fest.

From there on out things cool down a bit for TIFF – as they usually do after a long few days of partying and schmoozing. Monday, Sept. 9 sees the premiere “August: Osage County” – a star-studded ensemble drama that will invariably result in yet another Oscar nomination for Meryl Streep – “Pineapple Express” director David Gordon Green’s return to drama with the Nicolas Cage-starrer “Joe,” and Jonathan Glazer’s sci-fi film “Under the Skin,” which features Scarlett Johannson as a beautiful alien with an appetite for men.

Tuesday, Sept. 10 has the beat era murder mystery “Kill Your Darlings,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut “Don Jon,” and the Keanu Reeves helmed martial arts flick “Man of Tai Chi.” Highlights of Wednesday, Sept. 11 include Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Wind Rises” – an animated biography of the man who designed the famed Zero fighter plane – and Canadian director Jonathan Sobol’s talent-packed crime flick “The Art of the Steal” – featuring Jay Baruchel, Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell, and Terence Stamp.

The remainder of TIFF is mostly dedicated to smaller films and international fare, as well as repeat screenings of some of the bigger movies. There is still quite a lot of good stuff to see during the latter half of the film fest, including Lee Sang-il’s Japanese remake of the Clint Eastwood Western “Unforgiven” and Ben Wheatley’s English civil war odyssey “A Field in England,” but those expecting to rub shoulders with the stars at screenings should look elsewhere.

With the full TIFF 2013 schedule finally out of the bag, eager festivalgoers can now start the arduous task of planning out their fest experience. What to see, where to see it, and which stars will be in attendance are all important factors that need to be considered, but no matter where you go, expect long lines and big crowds. Toronto is about to go TIFF crazy.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5 - 15.