The festival's Galas and Special Presentations sections already boast a number of festival favorites and early awards contenders.

The Toronto International Film Festival — aka TIFF — has announced its first round of picks for this year’s festival, including Galas and Special Presentations, along with the festival’s opening night selection, Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” and their closing night pick, Kelly Fremon Craig’s feature directorial debut “The Edge of Seventeen.” Filled with early awards contenders, returning filmmakers and favorites from other festivals from around the globe, it’s a meaty selection of offerings that firmly announces the imminent arrival of the cinematic bonanza otherwise known as the fall festival season.

There are plenty of familiar faces here, including Denis Villeneuve, who will be bringing his “Arrival” to the same festival that has also screened his “Sicario” and “Prisoners” in previous years. The year after debuting his “Being Charlie” at TIFF, director Rob Reiner will return with his Woody Harrelson-starring biopic “LBJ.” Lone Scherfig, who has screened films like “An Education” and “The Riot Club” at past festivals, will debut her romantic comedy, “Their Finest,” which stars Gemma Arterton. And fashion giant Tom Ford’s second film, “Nocturnal Animals,” will play at the festival, where he screened his acclaimed debut “A Single Man” back in 2008.

READ MORE: Film Festival Roundup: BFI London To Open With ‘Queen Of Katwe,’ Michael Fassbender Honored By TIFF And More

Another TIFF favorite returning to the fold? Werner Herzog, with his long-anticipated Michael Shannon-starrer “Salt and Fire,” which premiered earlier this year in Shanghai.

The lineup also includes a number of festival favorites that have played elsewhere, including Kenneth Longeran’s Sundance premiere, “Manchester By the Sea,” which Amazon and Roadside Attractions have already set up with the very awards-friendly release date of November 18. Sundance’s other big debut, Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation,” will also screen at the festival before Fox Searchlight opens it in wide release later this fall.

READ MORE: Jim Jarmusch’s ‘Paterson’ Gets Awards-Friendly Release Date From Amazon And Bleecker Street

Other offerings that have debuted at other festivals include Cannes hits like “Paterson,” “Toni Erdmann,” “Loving” and “American Honey.” Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” will open Venice before making its way to TIFF, while “Queen of Katwe” will follow its TIFF world premiere by opening the London Film Festival in October. Another rising star is France’s Mia Hansen-Løve, whose “Things To Come” bowed at the Berlinale earlier this year.

Below are the first additions to the TIFF 2016 lineup, including both Galas and Special Presentations. Stay tuned for more programming announcements in the days to come.

The festival runs September 8 – 18.

Opening Night Film

“The Magnificent Seven,” Antoine Fuqua, USA, World Premiere

Closing Night Film

“The Edge of Seventeen,” Kelly Fremon Craig, USA, World Premiere

Galas

“Arrival,” Denis Villeneuve, USA, Canadian Premiere

“Deepwater Horizon,” Peter Berg, USA, World Premiere

“The Headhunter’s Calling,” Mark Williams, Canada, World Premiere

“The Journey is the Destination,” Bronwen Hughes, United Kingdom/South Africa, World Premiere

“JT + The Tennessee Kids,” Jonathan Demme, USA, World Premiere

“LBJ,” Rob Reiner, USA, World Premiere

“Lion,” Garth Davis, Australia, World Premiere

Disney

“Loving,” Jeff Nichols, USA, North American Premiere

“A Monster Calls,” J.A. Bayona, USA/Spain, World Premiere

“Planetarium,” Rebecca Zlotowski, France/Belgium, North American Premiere

“Queen of Katwe,” Mira Nair, South Africa/Uganda, World Premiere

“The Rolling Stones Olé Olé Olé! : A Trip Across Latin America,” Paul Dugdale, United Kingdom, World Premiere

“The Secret Scripture,” Jim Sheridan, Ireland, World Premiere

“Snowden,” Oliver Stone, Germany/USA, World Premiere

“Strange Weather,” Katherine Dieckmann, USA, World Premiere

“Their Finest,” Lone Scherfig, United Kingdom, World Premiere

“A United Kingdom,” Amma Asante, United Kingdom, World Premiere

Special Presentations

“The Age of Shadows (Miljeong),” Kim Jee woon, South Korea, North American Premiere

“All I See Is You,” Marc Forster, Thailand, World Premiere

“American Honey,” Andrea Arnold, USA, North American Premiere

A24

“American Pastoral,” Ewan McGregor, USA, World Premiere

“Asura: The City of Madness,” Kim Sung-soo, South Korea, World Premiere

“Barakah Meets Barakah (Barakah yoqabil Barakah),” Mahmoud Sabbagh, Saudi Arabia, North American Premiere

“Barry,” Vikram Gandhi, USA, World Premiere

“Birth of the Dragon,” George Nolfi, USA/China/Canada, World Premiere

“The Birth of a Nation,” Nate Parker, USA, International Premiere

Fox Searchlight

“Bleed for This,” Ben Younger, USA, Canadian Premiere

“Blue Jay,” Alex Lehmann USA, World Premiere

“Brimstone,” Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands/Germany/France/Belgium/Sweden/United Kingdom, North American Premiere

“BrOTHERHOOD,” Noel Clarke, United Kingdom, International Premiere

“Carrie Pilby,” Susan Johnson, USA, World Premiere

“Catfight,” Onur Tukel, USA, World Premiere

“City of Tiny Lights,” Pete Travis, United Kingdom, World Premiere

“The Commune (Kollektivet),” Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands, North American Premiere

“Daguerrotype (Le Secret de la chambre noire),” Kiyoshi Kurosawa, France/Japan/Belgium, World Premiere

“A Death in the Gunj,” Konkona Sensharma, India, World Premiere

“Denial,” Mick Jackson, USA/United Kingdom, World Premiere

Amazon Studios

“Elle,” Paul Verhoeven, France, North American Premiere

“Foreign Body” (Jassad Gharib, Corps Etranger), Raja Amari, Tunisia/France, World Premiere

“Frantz,” François Ozon, France/Germany, Canadian Premiere

“The Handmaiden” (Agassi), Park Chan-wook, South Korea, North American Premiere

“Harmonium (Fuchi ni tatsu),” Kôji Fukada, Japan/France, North American Premiere

“I Am Not Madame Bovary,” Feng Xiaogang, China, World Premiere

“The Journey,” Nick Hamm, United Kingdom, North American Premiere

“King of the Dancehall,” Nick Cannon, USA/Jamaica, World Premiere

“La La Land,” Damien Chazelle, USA, Canadian Premiere

“The Limehouse Golem,” Juan Carlos Medina, United Kingdom, World Premiere

“Manchester by the Sea,” Kenneth Lonergan, USA, Canadian Premiere

“Mascots,” Christopher Guest, USA, World Premiere

“Maudie,” Aisling Walsh, Canada/Ireland, Canadian Premiere

“Neruda,” Pablo Larraín, Chile/Argentina/Spain/France, Canadian Premiere

“Nocturnal Animals,” Tom Ford, USA/United Kingdom, North American Premiere

“The Oath,” Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland, World Premiere

“Orphan (Orpheline),” Arnaud des Pallières, France, World Premiere

“Paris Can Wait,” Eleanor Coppola, USA, World Premiere

Amazon/Bleecker Street

“Paterson,” Jim Jarmusch, USA, North American Premiere

“The Salesman,” Asghar Farhadi, North American Premiere

“Salt and Fire,” Werner Herzog, Germany/USA/France/Mexico, North American Premiere

“Sing,” Garth Jennings, USA/France, World Premiere

“Souvenir,” Bavo Defurne, Belgium/Luxembourg/France, North American Premiere

“Things to Come (L’Avenir),” Mia Hansen-Løve, France/Germany, Canadian Premiere

“Toni Erdmann,” Maren Ade, Germany, Canadian Premiere

“Trespass Against Us,” Adam Smith, United Kingdom, World Premiere

“Una,” Benedict Andrews, United Kingdom, Canadian Premiere

“Unless,” Alan Gilsenan, Canada/Ireland, World Premiere

“The Wasted Times (Luo Man Di Ke Xiao Wang Shi),” Cheng Er, China, World Premiere

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.