Toronto 2018: HIGH LIFE, WIDOWS, LIFE ITSELF, FIRST MAN and More In Gala Screenings

The Toronto International Film Festival came crashing out of the gate with its first wave of title announcements. The festival is scheduled for September 6th - 16th, and already this magnificent corner of the best cinema is setting the bar high with both much-anticipated and unexpected titles.

Claire Denis' much-anticipated sci fi drama High Life, with Robert Pattinson as a father caught in space, will finally make its World Premiere, as will Steve McQueen's action thriller Widows starring Viola Davis. other great world premieres include The Land of Steady Habits from American auteur Nicole Holofcener, Life Itself from This is Us creator Dan Fogelman; Red Joan from UK's Sir Trevor Nunn and starring Judi Dench; and the latest from Emilio Estevez, The Public.

Other big titles include Damien Chazelle's film First Man, on the life of Neil Armstrong starring Ryan Gosling; Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, yet another remake of A Star is Born starring Cooper and Lady Gaga; Galvenston from Mélanie Laurent, starring Elle Fanning and adapted from the novel by Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective); and Beautiful Boy, starring Steve Carrell and Timothee Chalamet as a father and son who struggle with the latter's addictions.

A press statement and list of the galas announced below. Let the countdown begin!

Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF, today unveiled the first round of titles premiering at the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival.

“We have an exceptional selection of films this year that will excite Festival audiences from all walks of life,” said Handling. “Today’s lineup showcases beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous female powerhouses. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made.”

Beautiful Boy

Felix van Groeningen, USA

World Premiere

Everybody Knows

Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy

North American Premiere

First Man

Damien Chazelle, USA

Canadian Premiere

Galveston

Mélanie Laurent, USA

Canadian Premiere

The Hate U Give

George Tillman, Jr., USA

World Premiere

Hidden Man

Jiang Wen, China

International Premiere

High Life

Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom

World Premiere

Husband Material

Anurag Kashyap, India

World Premiere

The Kindergarten Teacher

Sara Colangelo, USA

Canadian Premiere

The Land of Steady Habits

Nicole Holofcener, USA

World Premiere

Life Itself

Dan Fogelman, USA

World Premiere

The Public

Emilio Estevez, USA

World Premiere

Red Joan

Sir Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom

World Premiere

Shadow

Zhang Yimou, China

North American Premiere

A Star is Born

Bradley Cooper, USA

North American Premiere

What They Had

Elizabeth Chomko, USA

International Premiere

Widows

Steve McQueen, United Kingdom/USA

World Premiere