The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is kicking off in the city this week. It is set to be packed with movie stars<\/a>, world premieres<\/a> and all the glitz and glamour that\u2019s wrapped into Hollywood.<\/p>\n And to make sure you\u2019re prepared for what\u2019s to come during the celebration, I turned to \u201cThe Movie Podcast\u201d team for recommendations.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Movie Podcast,\u201d hosted by Daniel Baptista, Shahbaz Siddiqui and Anthony Gagliardi, is a top entertainment show with a 4.9 rating on Apple, and it\u2019s \u201cTomatometer-Approved<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n With more than 230 episodes and a passion for the industry, the team has previously interviewed stars like Julia Garner, Jenna Ortega, Academy Award-winning director Celine Song and Emmy Award-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus.<\/p>\n With a plethora of premieres on the horizon at TIFF, it feels like the \u201cbiggest festival since 2019,\u201d according to Baptista.<\/p>\n And he\u2019s particularly excited for the Canadian premiere of \u201cNirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n The film comes from Matt Johnson, also known for his work on \u201cBlackBerry,\u201d and Jay McCarrol who Baptista says are \u201cCanadian legends.\u201d<\/p>\n The movie is adapted from their cult web series where Johnson and McCarrol portrayed \u201chyperactive, hap-witted versions of themselves as a musical duo desperately failing to book a gig at the storied Toronto venue The Rivoli,\u201d according to TIFF.<\/p>\n For Baptista, not only is the movie \u201cunapologetically Toronto\u201d it\u2019s also \u201cone of the funniest films of the decade.\u201d<\/p>\n The North American premiere of \u201cNo Other Choice<\/a>\u201d from Park Chan-wook is also coming to TIFF this year and it\u2019s a film Siddiqui is looking forward to watching. In fact, the team interviewed megastar Lee Byung Hun, who stars in the movie, earlier this year.<\/p>\n Gagliardi is eager to see the world premiere of \u201cRental Family<\/a>\u201d starring Brendan Fraser.<\/p>\n \u201cThe trailer really showcases Brendan in a different light than what we saw in his last film,\u201d Gagliardi tells Toronto.com<\/a>. \u201cIt looks at humanity in a different way and I\u2019m just really interested to see what the story is about and what it gives us.\u201d<\/p>\n With award season creeping up, there are also some films playing at TIFF that The podcast team believes will make a mark this year.<\/p>\n And \u201cSentimental Value\u201d is one that \u201cis going to make a big impact come award season,\u201d according to Baptista.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd working with Renate Reinsve again, who he worked with on \u2018The Worst Person in the World,\u2019 and to have Elle Fanning in the mix this time, I think it\u2019s going to be a very powerful movie.\u201d<\/p>\n Siddiqui says it \u201cmay not be an accident\u201d if Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi\u2019s \u201cIt Was Just An Accident\u201d makes a splash during award season. The film will make its Canadian premiere during the festival and it\u2019s already won the Palme d\u2019or<\/a> at the Cannes Film Festival this year.<\/p>\n Directed by Benny Safdie, also known for \u201cUncut Gems,\u201d Gagliardi says everyone\u2019s been talking about Dwayne Johnson in \u201cThe Smashing Machine\u201d when it comes to award season. The film, also starring Emily Blunt, will make its North American premiere during the festival.<\/p>\n \u201cThis might be the year of The Rock,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Aside from the blockbusters making their way to TIFF, there are also some hidden gems coming to the festival that movie fanatics should also keep their eyes peeled for.<\/p>\n For Canadians, the world premiere of \u201cJohn Candy: I Like Me\u201d documentary isn\u2019t one to miss, according to Baptista.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a huge connection here, so we\u2019re really excited to see,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n And Siddiqui agrees. \u201cThe strongest part of TIFF this year is starting with the John Candy documentary,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s to remind everyone that we are the kings of entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n And speaking of Canada, the world premiere of Aziz Ansari\u2019s \u201cGood Fortune\u201d also features Canadian icons like Seth Rogen, Sandra Oh and Keanu Reeves.<\/p>\n \u201cThe premise alone is just so fun. When you have Keanu Reeves and Sandra Oh playing angels, what more can you ask for?\u201d says Baptista.<\/p>\n Siddiqui says \u201cThe Voice of Hind Rajab,\u201d backed by producers like Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix and making its North American premiere at TIFF, is going to be a \u201cvery powerful film.\u201d<\/p>\n And Gagliardi says \u201cThe Wizard of the Kremlin,\u201d also making its North American premiere during the festival, is one he needs to watch.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think a lot of people know that this movie is coming out,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Although the team has sat down with some of the biggest names in the industry during their interviews, they\u2019re still looking forward to seeing the stars walk the red carpet. And with casts packed with celebrities, there won\u2019t be a shortage of sightings this year.<\/p>\nFilms to see<\/h2>\n
Award season<\/h2>\n
Hidden Gems<\/h2>\n
Celebrity sightings<\/h2>\n