Hey y’all. Once again, I will be combing through TIFF’s massive lineup to try and find some good bets and interesting obscurities. These picks will be updated as new announcements are made. I make this list for myself first, so they are listed in order of my own interest. The only real rule is I avoid obvious Hollywood marketing pushes (as in most Gala selections) and movies with general releases later in the same month. I don’t always find the most obscure stuff but am very open to recommendations.

Update 1: first batch of announcements. Safe picks so far, will add more adventurous stuff.

Update 2: Added Midnight Madness, Vanguard, Docs.

Update 3: Added extra Special Presentations, Masters.

Update 4: Added Discovery. Also, the fine folks at TWG built a Facebook chatbot called TIFFBOT using my picks as a guide to help people find movies!

dir. Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, The Past) | Iran/France | 125m

A sudden eruption of violence creates an atmosphere of simmering tension between a husband and wife, in this work of slow-burning domestic suspense from Academy Award–winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (A Separation).

Notes: Have you seen A Separation? It’s only one of — if not, the — best film in the past 10 years. No, but seriously, watch it. Farhadi will forever be my #1 pick. This played at Cannes and he won Best Screenplay, obviously.