An origin story about the Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix, a Mr. Rogers biopic with Tom Hanks and a film about strippers scamming Wall Street bankers with Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B are among the films premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

TIFF Artistic Director Cameron Bailey and Executive Director Joana Vicente announced 16 gala selections and 37 in the special presentation category Tuesday morning, including Todd PhillipsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淛oker,B次元官网网址� Marielle HellerB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎 Beautiful Day in the NeighborhoodB次元官网网址� and Lorene ScafariaB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淗ustlers.B次元官网网址� Iranian-born director Marjane SatrapiB次元官网网址檚 Marie Curie film B次元官网网址淩adioactive,B次元官网网址� in which Rosamund Pike plays the groundbreaking physicist, will close the festival on Sept. 15.

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Bailey told The Associated Press that B次元官网网址淛okerB次元官网网址� is somewhat of a first for the festival.

B次元官网网址淭his is our first entry into the superhero world as far as I can remember,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut itB次元官网网址檚 a really original vision. ItB次元官网网址檚 disturbing, utterly compelling, really gripping from start to finish. B次元官网网址� And one of the most remarkable things is that Joaquin Phoenix, in a career of great performances, gives one of his very best.B次元官网网址�

Other standout performances the programmers love are Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx in Destin Daniel CrettonB次元官网网址檚 civil rights drama B次元官网网址淛ust Mercy,B次元官网网址� Meryl Streep in Steven SoderberghB次元官网网址檚 investigative journalism drama B次元官网网址淭he Laundromat,B次元官网网址� Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in Noah BaumbachB次元官网网址檚 divorce saga B次元官网网址淢arriage StoryB次元官网网址� and Renee Zellweger in the Judy Garland biopic B次元官网网址淛udy.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 one of those career-best performances,B次元官网网址� Bailey said. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 coming from a guy who absolutely loves B次元官网网址楯erry Maguire.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Destin Daniel CrettonB次元官网网址檚 JUST MERCY, starring , Rafe Spall, , Jamie Foxx, and O'Shea Jackson Jr.

B次元官网网址� TIFF (@TIFF_NET)

The Toronto selections often help define the looming awards race. Last year, TIFFB次元官网网址檚 audience award winner B次元官网网址淕reen BookB次元官网网址� went on to win the best picture Oscar.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not the motivation, but itB次元官网网址檚 always great to be a launchpad for films that will be part of the awards conversation,B次元官网网址� Vicente said.

Other high-profile films premiering include James MangoldB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淔ord v FerrariB次元官网网址� with Christian Bale and Matt Damon, Kasi LemmonsB次元官网网址� Harriet Tubman film B次元官网网址淗arrietB次元官网网址� starring Cynthia Erivo, Rian JohnsonB次元官网网址檚 star-studded ode to Agatha Christie B次元官网网址淜nives Out,B次元官网网址� with Chris Evans and Daniel Craig, Edward NortonB次元官网网址檚 adaptation of B次元官网网址淢otherless Brooklyn,B次元官网网址� John CrowleyB次元官网网址檚 adaptation of B次元官网网址淭he GoldfinchB次元官网网址� and the Bruce Springsteen concert film B次元官网网址淲estern Stars.B次元官网网址�

Some, a little less flashy, but just as worthy according to Bailey include the cancer drama B次元官网网址淭he Friend,B次元官网网址� from Gabriela Cowperthwaite with Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck, the animated teen love story B次元官网网址淲eathering With You,B次元官网网址� from Makoto Shinkai, the Japanese director of the anime breakout B次元官网网址淵our Name,B次元官网网址� and Michael WinterbottomB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淕reed.B次元官网网址�

Bailey said B次元官网网址淕reed,B次元官网网址� about the economy of fast fashion, is B次元官网网址渙ne everybody should see.B次元官网网址�

Steve Coogan plays a mogul in the fast fashion world and it is B次元官网网址渧ery funny and very biting.B次元官网网址�

And then of course there is B次元官网网址淗ustlers,B次元官网网址� with Lopez and Constance Wu, which Bailey said is B次元官网网址渁 great watch.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t feels like B次元官网网址楥asinoB次元官网网址� or B次元官网网址楪oodfellas,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut instead of gangsters killing, these are women just scamming these guys.B次元官网网址�

Although films arenB次元官网网址檛 selected with any theme or agenda in mind, Bailey said some do emerge eventually.

B次元官网网址淚t became clear that although weB次元官网网址檙e living in a complicated, difficult world with a lot of conflict, a lot of the films that really resonated the most this year were ones that were about empathy, about reaching out and across borders to other people,B次元官网网址� Bailey said. B次元官网网址淢aybe most emblematic of that is B次元官网网址楢 Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,B次元官网网址� but also B次元官网网址楯ust Mercy,B次元官网网址� a really tough film about the death penalty B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址楯ojo Rabbit.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淛ojo Rabbit,B次元官网网址� from filmmaker Taika Waititi, is about a young member of a Hitler Youth group.

B次元官网网址淏ut he grows, he changes, he learns,B次元官网网址� Bailey said. B次元官网网址淎nd you begin to feel at least some empathy for the possibility of change.B次元官网网址�

Vicente added that it was B次元官网网址渙ne of our favourites. It really surprises and we all kind of fell in love with it.B次元官网网址�

The festival kicks off Sept. 5 with the previously announced opening-night film B次元官网网址淥nce Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band.B次元官网网址� More films will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press

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