TIFF 2017: 13 movies with major buzz coming to Toronto

Indomitable women, sharp social commentary, plus a surprise entry from the Louis C.K.: there are a host of promising, much anticipated films slated for this year's Toronto International Film Festival with hopes of eventually landing ata cinema near you.

Here are 13 of the top movies buildingmajor buzz heading into this year's fest.

The Shape of Water

What's Cameron Bailey's must-see film at TIFF 2017?

7 years ago

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The Toronto International Film Festival's artistic director names his No.1 must-see this year.

None other than TIFF's artistic director himself named Guillermo del Toro'sThe Shape of Water as his single, must-see pic of this year's festival. Many a reviewer who took in the film's premiere in Venice have likened the unusual romance starring the superb Sally Hawkins to his indelible, spine-tingling fable Pan's Labyrinth.

Downsizing

Big ideas can explode from a miniaturized package, with Alexander Payne's social satireexploring wider implications of a neat sci-fi conceit: shrinking humans and objects down to 1/12 their normal size ("get small") to deal with overpopulation.MattDamonandKristenWiig star.

mother!

Director Darren Aronofskydefinitely knows how to mess with viewer's heads and his latest a mysterious,psychological horrorstory revolving around Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence (the pair are also dating) and co-starring Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer looks to be a truly disturbing mind-blower.

Suburbicon

George Clooney's behind-the-camera efforts typically offer brainy entertainment. His latest, in which flawed suburbanites makesome very bad decisions, draws from a real-life story as it exploresthe dark, violent and racist underbelly of a supposedly peaceful, post-war American town. Further points in its favour: it's based on an unproduced script from Clooney's past collaboratorsJoel and Ethan Coen, while the talented cast includesMatt Damon, Julianne Mooreand Oscar Isaac.

Lady Bird

After bringing to life dozens of complex rolesand increasingly adding her stamp onto productions as a writer and producer as well, indie film darling Greta Gerwigmakes her solo directorial debut with this much anticipated dramedystarring Saoirse Ronanas a rebellious high schooler looking to college as a means of escaping herfamily.

Mary Shelley

What might otherwise be written off as a standard period bio-picproject about Frankenstein's author has intrigued cinema-watchers instead, thanks to a female-centric production starring Elle Fanning, directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. Heracclaimed dramaWadjda,which she wrote and helmed,was the first feature filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia, instantly made her that country'sfirst female filmmakerand ended up being the country's first Oscar foreign-language film submission to boot.

Bodied

Though perhaps best known these days as Taylor Swift's go-to music video director, Joseph Kahn has re-teamed with previous collaborator Eminem for his latest. Described as a sharp satire about a grad student diving into the battle rap community, the film also has several Canuck connections, including Victoria-born actor Calum Worthy and the movie's Toronto-born screenwriter and former battle rap champion Alex (Kid Twist) Larsen.

Molly's Game

What more can we say? It's about the secretive, sexy world of high-stakes poker. It stars the commanding Jessica Chastain and always-magnetic IdrisElba. It's Aaron Sorkin making his directorial debut. Sold.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

British writer and filmmaker Martin McDonagh,known for his darkly comic portraits, returns with this new film starring thecrackling, awe-inspiringFrances McDormand as a mother fed up with the local police force's inability to solve her daughter's killing. The stellar cast also features Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish and Peter Dinklage.

Battle of the Sexes

Recent Oscar-winner Emma Stone reteams with actor Steve Carrell, who played her dad in Crazy. Stupid. Love,for what looks to be a terrificallyentertaining and timely tale about sports, gender parity and sexuality, revolving around the real-life 1973 match between tennis icon Billie-Jean King and retired player Bobby Riggs.Directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, who worked with Carrell on Little Miss Sunshine, along with writer Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) definitely know their way around heart-tugging crowd-pleasers.

Long Time Running

Who better to capture The Tragically Hip'spoignantMan Machine Poem tour in the summer of 2016 which followed frontman Gord Downie's diagnosis of terminal brain cancer than accomplished, award-winning Canadian documentary makersJennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier?

Call Me By Your Name

Italian director Luca Guadagnino's film exploring first love blossomingacross ahazy summer on the Riviera emerged as a must-see at theSundanceand Berlin festivals earlier thisyear, winning over critics and drawing comparisons to Moonlight and Carol as another powerful and evocative tale of same-sex love.

I Love You Daddy

To those fans eagerlyawaiting more of LouisC.K.'s hit series Louie, perhaps this might tide you over for a while? Here's whatlittle we know: that the boundary-pushing funnyman shot his first film in 16 years completely in secret, with a star-studded cast, including ChloeGrace Moretz, John Malkovich, Rose Byrne and regular collaborator Pamela Aldon,and in black and white. The plot is said to revolve around a TV producer (Louis C.K. himself) and his relationship with his daughter (Moretz).

The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 7-17, 2017.