While Billy Bob Thornton broke out in a big way as a director with "Sling Blade," his efforts behind the camera since have failed to live up to that promise. From the troubled production of "All The Pretty Horses" to little seen efforts like "Daddy & Them" and last year's Willie Nelson documentary "The King Of Luck" (which, to be fair, is still look for a home) he hasn't yet matched that initial spark. But audiences in Toronto will get to see if he's turned it around with his latest "Jayne Mansfield's Car."
Rounding up a solid ensemble cast for a period tale about a family split in two, this dramedy certainly isn't lacking in talent with Robert Duvall, Kevin Bacon, John Hurt, Billy Bob Thornton, Ray Stevenson, Tippi Hedren and more on board. Here's the official synopsis: Jayne Mansfield’s Car is a funny, poignant and searching look at three generations of fathers and sons in the South during the tumultuous ‘60s. It follows the family's heartfelt — and sometimes hilarious — struggles with long-held resentments, secrets, the memories of war, and how life, death and loss shaped them all.
You can read our review from the Berlin Film Festival here and watch the intertional trailer here. The film is still seeking U.S. distribution.
If you haven't seen Cate Shortland's debut "Somersault," do so now. Starring Sam Worthington and Abbie Cornish very early on in both their careers, the film is unique little indie that firmly put Shortland on our list of ones to watch. And we've been patiently waiting eight years for his next effort, but now we'll get to finally see it next month at TIFF.
"Lore" arrives making its North American premiere in Toronto, and we couldn't be more excited — especially after the great first trailer — to see what the helmer is bringing to the table. Here's the official synopsis: After her Nazi parents are imprisoned, Lore leads her younger siblings across a war-torn Germany in 1945. Amidst the chaos, she encounters mysterious Jewish refugee Thomas, who shatters her fragile reality with hatred and desire. To live, she must trust someone she was taught to hate and face the darkness within herself.
Lastly, those who want more Viggo Mortensen in their lives will have a treat with "Everybody Has A Plan" which features a double dose of the actor, as he takes two roles. As twins.
The film follows the story of a man desperate to abandon his unfulfilling existence after years of living in Buenos Aires. Following the death of his identical twin brother Pedro, Agustín sets out to begin his life anew, by assuming Pedro’s identity and returning to the mysterious Tigre Delta region, a maze of islands and rivers that once served as a recreational playground for the Buenos Aires elite, but is now a refuge for Argentina's outcasts and criminals.
Before even going into production, the film's script by writer/director Ana Piterbarg took home the Julio Alejandro Screenplay Award at the 2008 Malaga Film Festival. The movie will make its North American premiere at TIFF where it will be looking for a stateside home. 
