‘The Substance’ to Open TIFF 2024 Midnight Madness with North American Premiere
After taking over Cannes 2024, Coralie Fargeat is returning to TIFF seven years after her directorial debut “Revenge” premiered at the 2017 festival.
Fargeat’s buzzy feminist sci-fi drama “The Substance” will make its North-American debut at TIFF 2024, opening the Midnight Madness section of the festival. “The Substance,” which IndieWire’s David Ehrlich deemed an “instant classic,” stars Demi Moore as a former A-list actress past her prime who undergoes a new drug therapy to be temporarily transformed into a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley.
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Fargeat writes and directs the film, which was acquired by MUBI and won the Cannes prize of Best Screenplay. Moore later told IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio that the film “felt risky” to join.
“It was one [where] you don’t know if it’s going to all come together or work,” Moore said. “It’s what you hope. […] If we step back from it being about an actor, [the film is more about] a desire to have validation, to be seen, to be appreciated, to belong, and what it is to feel rejected and to feel not-enough, that there’s something wrong with you. When you add into it the aspect of aging — which is really about our inability to control — [it becomes] an exploration of a lack of acceptance of self. What really connected me was the unique way in which [Coralie Fargeat chose] to tell this story.”
She added, “In all honesty, I think I’m still feeling a little bit of shock, awe. I feel extremely humbled by the overall experience.”
The Midnight Madness lineup for TIFF 2024 is presented by Intrepid Travel and features five world premieres among the 10 titles within the action, horror, shock, and fantasy genres. All films will screen at the historic (and allegedly haunted!) Royal Alexandra Theatre.
And Fargeat isn’t the only TIFF alum screening a film during Midnight Madness: Joseph Kahn, who won the TIFF 2017 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, will debut his new feature “Ick,” while Timo Tjahjanto marks the world premiere of “The Shadow Strays.”
The festival will take place from September 5-15. Check out the full lineup below.
Dead Mail Joe DeBoer, Kyle McConaghy | USA Canadian Premiere
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Dead Talents Society John Hsu | Taiwan North American Premiere
Else Thibault Emin | France/Belgium World Premiere
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Escape from the 21st Century Yang LI | China International Premiere
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Friendship Andrew DeYoung | USA World Premiere
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Ick Joseph Kahn | USA World Premiere
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It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This Rachel Kempf, Nick Toti | USA Canadian Premiere
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The Gesuidouz Kenichi Ugana | Japan World Premiere
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The Shadow Strays Timo Tjahjanto | Indonesia World Premiere
The Substance Coralie Fargeat | United Kingdom/USA/France North American Premiere
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