Last month, TIFF 2024 lit up King St. West and surrounding areas with celebrities, movie goers, and a jam-packed lineup of over 278 films. SheDoesTheCity covered the festival both online and on social media, interviewing filmmakers, producers, and talent about their work. This year’s edition of the festival welcomed more celebrity guests than last year’s, which happened during the WGA and SAG strikes, with many actors and screenwriters unable to attend the screenings of their respective films. 

Over the course of 11 days, several titles stood out from the rest, with some of the top films on our radar receiving awards from TIFF.  The Substance continued its winning streak after receiving the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes. The gory body horror about beauty standards and ageism won the hearts of TIFF attendees, making it the recipient of the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award. 

Other raved about titles at the festival were Anora, We Live in Time, and Babygirl. These and more will be out in theatres this fall— meaning anyone those who wasn’t able to catch these films during TIFF will get to watch them on the big screen very soon!

We have all the info you need on these films and where you can watch them this fall:

The Substance

With anti-aging procedures only increasing in popularity, The Substance comes as a reminder that giving into society’s beauty standards comes with consequences. Directed by Coralie Fargeat, the film follows Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a movie star past her prime who decides to try a new substance after being fired from her fitness show. By injecting this liquid, she unlocks an alternate version of herself named Sue (Margaret Qualley), who is younger and conventionally attractive. The two have to swap places every 7 days, in order for there to be no collateral effects. Yet, as one would imagine, things get out of hand when Sue begins to misuse the substance.

Not only did this title become a TIFF favourite, but its continued success has sparked conversations about its potential to land Oscar nominations. Although body horror is a genre that is often overlooked by the Academy, there is a possibility of next year being a game changer if the film gets awards recognition. 

The Substance is currently screening in theatres across Canada.

The Wild Robot

This Dreamworks animation has warmed audiences’ hearts ever since its premiere at TIFF last month, reaching certified fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Wild Robot is centered on Roz (Lupita Nyong’o), a robot created with the sole purpose of helping humans complete tasks. However, after getting accidentally stuck on an island, Roz is forced to adapt to her surroundings, leading her to grow close to a baby goose named Brightbill (Kit Connor). Without any mothering skills programmed in her system, she learns to take care of Brightbill one day at a time. Soon enough, Roz is able to do the unimaginable for a robot, as she begins to feel a sense of love and responsibility over the goose she took under her wing. 

The Wild Robot is currently screening in theatres across Canada. 

We Live in Time

Crowds lined up in front of the Princess of Wales Theatre during the festival when Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield walked the red carpet for their new romance, We Live in Time.

A tearjerker from start to finish, this A24 title focuses on Almut and Tobias, two people drawn to each other after a car accident. Later in their trajectory, Almut finds out that she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, driving her to take full advantage of the little time she has left to follow her dreams and do her best to create lasting memories with her loved ones.

We Live in Time arrives in theatres on October 18. 

Matt and Mara

Kazik Radwanski’s latest, Matt and Mara, features the same duo that audiences first fell in love with in Anne at 13,000 ft. Deragh Campbell and Matt Johnson play long lost friends who rekindle their relationship when one of them returns to Toronto. Fueled by creative debacles and their urge to be romantically entangled (even though Mara is married), the couple’s chemistry makes it hard to deny that they aren’t made for each other.

This Canadian indie set in the heart of downtown TO was well-received at TIFF, and has since drawn comparisons to last year’s Oscar nominee, Past Lives. 

Matt and Mara opens at Toronto’s Carlton Cinema on October 18, and will screen at Revue Cinema in Toronto from November 15 to 19.

Anora

After gaining crowd-pleaser status at Cannes earlier this year, winning the Palme d’Or, Anora continued to receive acclaim at TIFF. Branded as “Pretty Woman on steroids”, the film follows a New York stripper who gets married on a whim to the son of a Russian oligarch. After tying the knot, the main character’s wish to be happy, free, and rich for the rest of her life is threatened by her husband’s family, who isn’t in favour of their union.

Given how popular Anora has been with critics and audiences alike, it wouldn’t be surprising if it landed multiple Oscar nominations next year. 

Anora arrives in Toronto theatres on October 25 and on November 8 across Canada.

Bird 

This coming-of-age tale set in Kent is centered on Bailey (Nykiya Adams), a 12-year-old girl who seeks solace in an imaginary friend. With her father (Barry Keoghan) solely focused on his upcoming wedding to a woman Bailey doesn’t particularly like, she finds refuge in nature and uses her imagination to escape her dysfunctional reality.

Director Andrea Arnold is known for telling stories that feel organic onscreen and that focus on characters living on the margins of society. Bird is yet another touching depiction of a young girl’s journey to knowing more about herself despite the chaos around her.

Bird arrives in theatres on November 8. 

Emilia Pérez 

Although it was Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck that won the TIFF People’s Choice Award, Emilia Pérez was the runner-up. The film premiered at Cannes and won both the Jury Prize, as well as the Best Actress award, which was shared by its lead actresses—Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz.

Acclaimed for its blend of genres (a musical, a thriller, and a cartel drama all at once), the project follows Rita Moro Castro, an unappreciated defense attorney stuck in a dead end job. She sparks the interest of Manitas Del Monte, a drug lord who transitions and reemerges in society as Emilia Pérez, and requests Rita’s help to deal with unfinished business from her corrupt past.

Emilia Pérez will arrive on Netflix on November 13, and in select theatres on November 1.

Nightbitch

The first trailer for Nightbitch might have sparked mixed reactions for its comedic approach to the story of a woman who believes she might be turning into a dog. Yet, the film’s success at TIFF showed that it was much more nuanced than the promo material led audiences to believe.

Marielle Heller’s latest directorial effort focuses on a new mom (Amy Adams), who struggles to take care of her toddler and let go of her career as an artist. The more she adapts to this phase of her life, the more she begins to notice her body growing hair in odd spots and a tail beginning to sprout. This dramedy has a comforting message about motherhood that will surely continue to resonate with audiences during its theatrical run.

Nightbitch will arrive in theatres on December 6.

Babygirl

After Eyes Wide Shut, Nicole Kidman returns to the erotic genre in Babygirl, playing a high-powered executive who gets sucked into a twisted affair with an intern. As this forbidden relationship ensues, the protagonist must come into terms with her darkest desires and decide whether putting them into practice is worth the price.

Kidman’s performance in this film was awarded at the Venice Film Festival, making her a probable contender for next year’s Oscars, alongside the Emilia Pérez leads. 

Babygirl will arrive in theatres on December 25.