Toronto International Film Festival Opening Film Announced

A story about the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his early supporter and colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a story about a friendship torn apart as a website's power and influence expands across the globe. This 2013 thriller drama, The Fifth Estate, will kick off this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which runs between September 5th - 15th. The film, directed by Bill Condon (Dream Girls), stars English actor Benedict Cumberbatch and Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl.

Cumberbatch seems to be a headliner this festival, with several appearances in several star-studded films. For one, he is among the stars of the Steve McQueen directed film 12 Years A Slave, which will premier at the festival. The film, a pre-civil war historical drama about a free black man who is abducted and sold into slavery, also features the likes of Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, and Brad Pitt.

Among the Gala presentations announced, August: Osage County, a dark comedy drama based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, presents an all-star cast of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and Ewan McGregor, with a third Benedict Cumberbatch feature this festival.

Other special presentations announced include, Gravity, the highly anticipated space thriller starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney; Bad Words, a boisterous comedy directed and starring Jason Bateman, The Invisible Woman, a period drama directed and starring Ralph Fiennes about Charles Dickens' secret affair with young actress Nelly Terman (Felicity Jones); Prisoners, a gripping thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman; and Tracks, a story about a young woman, played by Mia Wasikowska, who set out on a 2,700 km journey across the Australian outback by foot.

Which TIFF film are you most looking forward to?

Visit tiff.net to view the full list of announcements.

4 Cannes 2013 Films To Look Forward To

(1) Emma Watson continues to spread her wings and take on unique roles. The Bling Ring, which opened the "Un Certain Regard" category yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival, explores the interesting and prevalent topic of Los Angeles and celebrity influence on American culture. 

(2) On top of being the lead actor, he's both the director and screenwriter. James Franco translates paper to screen in the psychological gritty drama As I Lay Dying.

(3) Nicolas Winding Refn teams up again with Ryan Gosling in their new collaboration Only God Forgives. The look of the film had me hooked from the get go. Shot only at night, the glaring red monochromatic lighting has a similarity to the thrilling neon-lit quality of their previous collaboration Drive (2011).

(4) I'm no Coen Brother expert (have only seen Fargo and No Country For Old Men), but I'm used the usual hard-edged and grisly style typically found in a Coen Brothers film. However this quiet and grim trailer still has the charming Coen Brother humour I like. Inside Llewyn Davis follows a week in the life of musician Llewyn Davis, as he navigates New York's music scene, and his own personal demons, during the winter of 1961. 

Which Cannes film are you looking forward to?

Click here for all the trailers of Cannes selection 2013