Christy, Mile End Kicks, Couture, Poetic License, Tuner Courtesy of TIFF (5) Unlike Cannes or Berlin, Toronto has never been a market-first festival. But ahead of the launch of the official TIFF market next year, Toronto is looking to boost its industry credentials, positioning itself as the go-to for finished films - particularly mainstream English-language fare - without domestic distribution. "Given the uncertainty in the movie exhibition space right now, [Toronto's] going to give us a real snapshot of what the people who release movies think can work in the marketplace," says Steven Soderbergh, who brings his latest, The Christophers, to TIFF without a distributor. "There's no better barometer of what's happening than a bunch of people who have to put movies out into theaters, making decisions about what they think can succeed." Related Stories Movies Carlo Chatrian Named Jury President at Tokyo Film Festival Movies Julian Schnabel's Big Swing 'In the Hand of Dante' Gets Exuberant Embrace in Venice With prestige titles, bold debuts and star-driven dramas looking for homes, TIFF 2025 could prove a decisive test for the independent film business. The Christophers DIRECTOR Steven Soderbergh STARS Ian McKellen, Michaela Coel, Jessica Gunning, James Corden Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen in 'The Christophers.' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ An A-list director and an award-winning cast will certainly pique the interest of buyers. Soderbergh is coming off his critically lauded spy thriller Black Bag and is switching gears with this pseudo-family dramedy from Men in Black writer Ed Solomon where the estranged relatives (Gunning, Corden) of a famous artist (McKellen) enlist the help of a struggling artist (Coel) to steal and complete the artist's unfinished works. SALES CAA Media Finance CHRISTY DIRECTOR David Michôd STARS Sydney Sweeney, Ben Foster 'Christy' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The King) directs Sweeney as real-life boxer Christy Martin in this gritty sports biopic. With Black Bear backing and strong U.S. reps, the film should draw major attention from distributors eyeing both prestige awards slots and mainstream audiences. SALES Black Bear (international), UTA/AC Independent/Black Bear (domestic) COUTURE DIRECTOR Alice Winocour STARS Angelina Jolie, Louis Garrel 'Couture' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ The French director of Disorder and Revoir Paris heads to Toronto with her first U.S.-set feature, a fashion-world thriller shot between New York and Paris. Known for her sleek, character-driven work, Winocour's latest promises a mix of psychological suspense and couture spectacle that could appeal to both prestige distributors and crossover audiences. SALES UTA Independent Film Group (North America), HanWay Films (international) EASY'S WALTZ DIRECTOR Nic Pizzolatto STARS Vince Vaughn, Al Pacino, Kate Mara 'Easy's Waltz' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ Dramas with a touch of music have often proved winning festival fodder. This massive cast, which also includes Simon Rex, Mary Steenburgen and Shania Twain, is led by Vaughn, hot off of starring in one of Netflix's biggest titles of the year, Nonnas. He plays a Las Vegas lounge singer who gets another chance at the big time after meeting an older star (Pacino). SALES WME Independent/CAA Media Finance/Range (world) FUZE DIRECTOR David Mackenzie STARS Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Will Tranter in 'Fuze.' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ The always adept Mackenzie is heading to the fest with a high-concept heist movie, perfect for a buyer looking to bolster its male-skewing offerings. A gang of criminals takes advantage of a chaotic situation in central London when a live World War II-era bomb is found in a construction site. SALES WME Independent/UTA Media Finance GLENROTHAN DIRECTOR Brian Cox STARS Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Shirley Henderson, Alexandra Shipp 'Glenorthan' Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ Cox makes his feature directorial debut with this Highland-set family drama about two estranged brothers - one a Chicago transplant (Cumming), the other a whisky distiller (Cox) facing the end of the family business. With a cast mixing prestige U.K. talent and Hollywood names, Glenrothan looks primed to connect with buyers seeking character-driven crowd-pleasers with international appeal. SALES Protagonist Pictures HAMLET DIRECTOR Aneil Karia STARS Riz Ahmed, Joe Alwyn, Timothy Spall Riz Ahmed in 'Hamlet.' Courtesy of Hamlet Film Production BUZZ This contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's classic, set in a wealthy British-Indian family, sees Ahmed take on the iconic role. With the actor's global following and Karia's breakout acclaim (Surge, The Long Goodbye), Hamlet is primed to spark interest among prestige distributors. SALES WME Independent/CAA Media Finance I SWEAR DIRECTOR Kirk Jones STARS Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan 'I Swear' Graeme Hunter/Courtesy of TIFF BUZZ The true-life story of Tourette's syndrome ca