Ridley Scott, Jean-Marc Vallee to head the lineup

Organizers of the annual Toronto International Film Festival unveiled an ambitious lineup Tuesday leading off with psychological drama "Demolition" by Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee.

"Alien" director Ridley Scott's eagerly-awaited space adventure "The Martian" will also be among the highlights at the movie fest that runs September 10-20.

But Quebecois Vallee is the only filmmaker in the festival's 44-year history to both open and close the event.

"Vallee has a tradition of presenting strong characters who are on journeys to self-discovery and redemption," said the festival's artistic director Cameron Bailey.

"Demolition" tells the story of Davis, a brilliant investment banker played by Jake Gyllenhaal who must come to terms with the death of his wife in a terrible automobile accident.

It portrays Davis, torn by the pull between his professional obligations and his family, in a hellish descent before an unexpected encounter leads to his redemption.

Co-stars include Chris Cooper and Naomi Watts.

"I can't think of a better place to introduce 'Demolition' to the world than at home. That's how I feel about TIFF," Vallee said in a statement, referring to the festival.

At least 22 other films will make their world debut at the gathering, including Scott's "The Martian," starring Matt Damon and adapted for the screen from the hit sci-fi novel by US writer Andy Weir.

The film tells the story of an astronaut trapped on Mars after an emergency evacuation.

Isolated hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth with few ways of communicating, he battles to survive in an unremittingly hostile environment.

- Controversial filmmaker Moore back -

Another hotly-anticipated US director is documentary-maker Michael Moore with his comeback "Where to Invade Next?"

Moore's first movie in six years, few details of which have been released in advance, will have its world premiere in Toronto. Programmers call the film provocative and hilarious.

French cinema is not left out, with several major Gallic names present, including Jacques Audiard who will present his latest movie "Dheepan," a social drama about refugees from the civil war in Sri Lanka living in France.

Jean-Paul Rappeneau, meanwhile, returns to Toronto with "Belles Familles" ("Beautiful Families"), his first feature film in a dozen years.

Backed by an impressive cast including notably Gilles Lellouche and Andre Dussollier, the drama features a company boss who, after a decade living in China, returns to his native village in France. Complications ensue.

Claude Lelouch will also return to Toronto to unveil for the first time his latest comedy "Un plus Une," ("One Plus One") starring Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin.

The actor, who won an Academy Award for 2011's black and white hit "The Artist," plays a composer traveling to India for an adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet." His life is turned upside down by a chance encounter.

Since its modest beginnings in 1976, the Toronto filmfest has developed into arguably North America's biggest movie festival, expanding from 80 films in five theaters when it was launched to nearly 400 films last year.

In contrast to Cannes or Berlin, Toronto does not have an official competition. But it regularly highlights films that go on to make it big in the Oscars season climaxing early next year.
Source: AFP