TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contender ‘Dumb Money’
The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes aren’t stalling the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, which announced the first 60 feature films in what’s expected to be a 200-plus-title schedule. Last year counted some 260 full-length films.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey promised “a bumper crop” of acquisition titles this year, and indeed there are 39 movies that have either domestic or international distribution rights up for grabs; roughly 18 of them have U.S. rights available.
And while there’s only a handful of awards contenders from theatrical and streaming studios, there is a plethora of starry independent movies, many available for sale. If SAG-AFTRA negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland can clear these titles for promotion (he told us at Comic-Con that the guild “is looking at the issue”), then there’s a shot that actors could show up at TIFF red carpet premieres — that is if the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA still haven’t hammered out a contract by the fest’s September 7-17 run.
Awards strategists have told us that if the strike isn’t resolved by mid-August, then the odds of stars heading to Toronto, Venice or Telluride remains unlikely for regular motion picture and streaming features in the mix. The question is whether more awards titles or Q3 or Q4 tentpoles get programmed at TIFF. Sources close to the fest have told us that none of the studios is pulling out. Such was the unfortunate case for the Venice Film Festival, which lost its big opening-night title, CHALLENGERS, starring Zendaya. Since the Emmy-winning actress and social media heavyweight can’t promote due to the actors strike, MGM pushed the R-rated Luca Guadagnino-directed romance to the end of April.
Among those potential awards-contender world premieres at TIFF, Sony Pictures will tee off its September 22 theatrical release DUMB MONEY from director Craig Gillespie, about the everyday folks who flipped the script and turned GameStop into a meme stock. The pic stars Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson, Anthony Ramos, Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan and America Ferrera among others.
Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen in ‘Dumb Money’