TIFF schedule today: Jodie Foster’s A Private Life, Colin Farrell’s Ballad of a Small Player debut in Canada and more events on Sept. 9 | Canada Voices

TIFF highlights for Sept. 9

• Welcome to Day 6 of the Toronto International Film Festival. The festival Tuesday features the Canadian premiere of Jodie Foster’s new psychological thriller A Private Life, Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton’s Ballad of a Small Player and Richard Linklater’s comedy Nouvelle Vague.
• Foster was among the Hollywood celebrities being honoured Sunday at the TIFF Tribute Awards that celebrate the contributions of actors and filmmakers to cinema, alongside the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Channing Tatum, Idris Elba and Catherine O’Hara. Foster received this year’s Share Her Journey Award for helping to pave the way for women in film.
• TIFF’s opening weekend was marked by tension, protests, marketing buzz – and, of course, movies. Meanwhile, Day 5 of the festival featured Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, the North American premiere of The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson, and Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaption of Frankenstein.

The TIFF film premieres happening today

A Private Life

Starring Jodie Foster, director Rebecca Zlotowski’s psychological thriller A Private Life follows an American psychoanalyst in Paris who is devastated to learn that her client Paula has taken her own life – but a series of twists suggest that Paula may have fallen victim to foul play.

A Private Life screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 11.

Ballad of a Small Player

Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player stars Colin Farrell as a travelling gambler and Tilda Swinton as a detective determined to track him down. It is adapted from Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel by Rowan Joffe (Before I Go to Sleep).

Ballad of a Small Player screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 13.

Train Dreams

Director Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams details the story of a labourer working on the construction of rail bridges throughout Idaho and Washington who is forced to spend much time away from his wife and daughter. The film is set in the Pacific Northwest during the early decades of the 20th century and adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella. It stars Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones.

Train Dreams screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 12.

Nouvelle Vague

Richard Linklater’s comedy Nouvelle Vague, which makes its Canadian premiere at TIFF, is a recreation of the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 feature debut Breathless, the film that heralded the arrival of the French New Wave. The film, which is described as “a love letter” to Godard’s project, stars Guillaume Marbeck, Zoey Deutch and Aubry Dullin.

Nouvelle Vague screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 14.

The Ugly

South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film, The Ugly, follows a young man searching for answers about the mysterious past of his long-lost mother. The film is based on the director’s 2018 graphic novel of the same name and stars Park Jeong-min and Kwon Hae-hyo.

The Ugly screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10, 11 and 13.

It Was Just an Accident

The winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes, It Was Just an Accident, will make its Canadian premiere at the festival. The film by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, who was previously put in prison and banned from filmmaking in his home country, follows a group of citizens pondering revenge against a man they believe was their torturer.

It Was Just an Accident screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 13.

Swiped

Making its world premiere at TIFF, Swiped from director Rachel Lee Goldenberg is inspired by the real-life story of Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd. Starring Lily James, the film details her experience in the male-dominated tech industry and her journey to becoming the world’s youngest female billionaire.

Swiped screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10 and 12.

Midnight Madness: Karmadonna

Satirical thriller Karmadonna follows a pregnant woman who receives a phone call from a voice that claims to be a God, offering her an ultimatum: murder a select list of individuals or lose her unborn child. Aleksandar Radivojević makes his directorial debut.

Karmadonna screens at TIFF on Sept. 9, 10, 12 and 13.

Star watch

• Jodie Foster will likely walk the red carpet for her psychological thriller A Private Life, which makes its Canadian premiere at Roy Thomson Hall at 5:30 p.m. ET.
• Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton are also expected to walk the red carpet ahead of the Canadian premiere of Ballad of a Small Player at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre at 3:30 p.m. ET.
• Other celebrities who are expected to be in town today are Lily James, Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Park Jeong-min, Kwon Hae-hyo, Guillaume Marbeck and Zoey Deutch.

The big parties and other events

• The Hollywood Reporter Flora Lounge at 1 Hotel Toronto is open from Sept Sept. 4 (from 8 to 11 p.m.). Filmmakers, festifestivalgoers city creatives can drop by for bites, cinematic cocktails and nightly live performances between screenings to recharge in the piano lounge.
• There will be a Nobu at Night launch event on Sept Sept. 9obu Toronto.
• The celebrations will continue in Toronto’s David Pecaut Square from Sept. 4 to 13 for open-air movie screenings and other activities. Before Sunrise, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, will have a free outdoor screening Tuesday evening on Cinema Park in David Pecaut Square, starting at 10 p.m.

How to get TIFF tickets, and other common questions

How do you buy TIFF tickets?

You can buy curated ticket packages, member bundles or individual tickets to film screenings. Tickets went on sale to the general public Aug. 25, but you are still able to purchase individual tickets to screenings throughout the festival. Prices for regular screenings start at $29 and prices for premium screenings start at $43. Browse films and purchase tickets on TIFF’s website.

Where can I see this year’s festival schedule?

The TIFF schedule is available on the festival’s website and can be sorted by venue, type of screening and date.

What are “rush” tickets, and how do they work?

Festivalgoers who are unable to secure a ticket online are able to wait in rush lines for screenings. About 15 minutes prior to a screening’s start time, staff will count the amount of empty seats in the cinema and sell rush tickets to those in line on a first-come, first-served basis. The TIFF website recommends arriving no earlier than 60 minutes before the screening to wait in the rush line.

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