Salma Hayek-Starrer “Without Blood” to World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

Salma Hayek’s latest film is headed to Canada’s largest film festival…

Organizers of the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival have announced the full lineup of Galas and Special Presentations, with the 57-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress and film producer’s war drama Without Blood set to make its world premiere at the event.

Salma HayekDirected by Angelina Jolie and based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, the film also stars Demián Bichir.

Among the feature directorial debuts at the fest, there’s Argo editor William Goldenberg’s Amazon sports biopic Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez.

There’s a lot of this past Cannes Film Festival’s greatest hits as well, including the award-winning Spanish musical noir Emilia Perez, starring Selena Gomez.

In total, the Galas and Special Presentations section counts 63 movies from 25 countries.

Per TIFF, “The Gala and Special Presentations programs are recognized for celebrating the very best of contemporary cinema across all genres and styles, from all corners of the world.”

Here are the TIFF films revealed so far:

Galas 2024

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe Cosima Spender | UK
World Premiere

Better Man Michael Gracey | USA
Canadian Premiere

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Embeth Davidtz | South Africa
Canadian Premiere

*Eden Ron Howard | USA
World Premiere

*Elton John: Never Too Late R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere

*Harbin Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere

Meet the Barbarians Julie Delpy | France
International Premiere

*Nutcrackers David Gordon Green | USA
World Premiere

Oh, Canada Paul Schrader | USA
North American Premiere

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Thom Zimny | USA
World Premiere

*Superboys of Malegaon Reema Kagti | India
World Premiere

*The Deb Rebel Wilson | Australia
World Premiere

The Friend Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
International Premiere

The Penguin Lessons Peter Cattaneo | Spain/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Return Uberto Pasolini | Italy/United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Shrouds David Cronenberg | Canada/France
North American Premiere

*The Wild Robot Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere

Unstoppable William Goldenberg | USA
World Premiere

Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum | USA
International Premiere

Special Presentations 2024 (in alphabetical order)

40 Acres R.T. Thorne | Canada
World Premiere

All of You William Bridges | USA
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

All We Imagine as Light Payal Kapadia | France/India/Netherlands/Luxembourg
Canadian Premiere

Anora Sean Baker | USA
Canadian Premiere

Bird Andrea Arnold | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Bring Them Down Christopher Andrews | Ireland/Belgium
World Premiere

Can I Get a Witness? Ann Marie Fleming | Canada
World Premiere

Carnival is Over Fernando Coimbra | Brazil/Portugal
World Premiere
Sales Title – Rights Available

Caught by the Tides Jia Zhang-Ke | China
North American Premiere

Conclave Edward Berger | USA/United Kingdom
International Premiere

Emilia Pérez Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
Canadian Premiere

Hard Truths Mike Leigh | United Kingdom/Spain
World Premiere

Harvest Athina Rachel Tsangari | United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Heretic Scott Beck, Bryan Woods | Canada
World Premiere

I’m Still Here Walter Salles | Brazil/France
North American Premiere

I, the Executioner Ryoo Seung-wan | South Korea
North American Premiere

*K-Pops Anderson .Paak | USA
World Premiere

Love in the Big City E.oni | South Korea
World Premiere

Millers in Marriage Edward Burns | USA
World Premiere

Misericordia Alain Guiraudie | Spain/Portugal/France
Canadian Premiere

*Nightbitch Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Rungano Nyoni | Zambia/United Kingdom/Ireland
North American Premiere

Piece by Piece Morgan Neville | USA
International Premiere

Quisling – The Final Days Erik Poppe | Norway
International Premiere

Relay David Mackenzie | USA
World Premiere

Rez Ball Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere

Riff Raff Dito Montiel | USA
World Premiere

Rumours Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson | Canada/Germany
North American Premiere

Sharp Corner Jason Buxton | Canada/Ireland
World Premiere

*Shepherds Sophie Deraspe | Canada/France
World Premiere

Sketch Seth Worley | USA
World Premiere

The Assessment Fleur Fortuné | United Kingdom/Germany/USA
World Premiere

The Cut Sean Ellis | United Kingdom
World Premiere

The End Joshua Oppenheimer | Denmark/UK
Canadian Premiere

The Fire Inside Rachel Morrison | USA
World Premiere

The Girl with the Needle Magnus von Horn | Denmark/Poland/Sweden
North American Premiere

The Last Showgirl Gia Coppola | USA
World Premiere

*The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere

The Order Justin Kurzel | Canada/USA
North American Premiere

The Piano Lesson Malcolm Washington | USA
International Premiere

*We Live in Time John Crowley | United Kingdom/France
World Premiere

Went Up the Hill Samuel Van Grinsven | New Zealand/Australia
World Premiere

Without Blood Angelina Jolie | USA/Italy
World Premiere

Young Werther José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço | Canada
World Premiere

*previously announced

Selena Gomez & “Emilia Perez” Co-Stars Earn Best Actress Honors at Cannes Film Festival

Selena Gomez and her Emilia Perez cast mates are celebrating a special prize.

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana and Karla Sofia Gascon have been awarded the Best Actress award as an ensemble at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for their performances in the musical crime comedy film written and directed by Jacques Audiard.

Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia GasconSaldaña stars as Rita, a Mexico City lawyer hired by the cartel kingpin Manitas to help him flee Mexico for gender confirmation surgery. This turns out to be the beginning of a relationship that will continue between Rita and Emilia Perez (Gascón). Emilia returns years later, posing as Manitas’ sister, to stay close to her children who are living with her ex-wife (Gomez).

Gomez, who was not present at the ceremony shared the moment that she learned about the win on social media.

In an Instagram story, Selena shared a video of herself getting a call from Zoe, who informed her of their big accomplishment. In the clip, the star appears to be outside enjoying a picnic and is clearly ecstatic about the news.

“We did it, we did it,” Zoe shouts as Selena responds, “I’m so excited!”

The film, which also won the Jury Prize and Best Soundtrack, earned one of the longest standing ovations during the fesical when it was presented last weekend.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Palme d’Or
Anora, dir: Sean Baker

Grand Prize
All We Imagine as Light, dir: Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize
Emilia Perez, dir: Jacques Audiard

Best Director
Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour

Special Prize
Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Actor
Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Best Actress
Emilia Perez ensemble: Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez

Best Screenplay
The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Camera d’Or
Armand, dir: Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Special Mention
Mongrel, dir: Chiang Wei Liang

Short Film Palme d’Or
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir: Nebojsa Slijepcevic

Special Mention
Bad For a Moment, dir: Daniel Soares

Adria Arjona to Star Opposite Edgar Ramirez in Jayro Bustamante’s Dystopian Thriller “El Sombreron”

Adria Arjona has landed her next role…

The 32-year-old Guatemalan-Puerto Rican actress will co-star opposite Edgar Ramirez in in Jayro Bustamante’s dystopian thriller El Sombreron as The Match Factory launches worldwide sales on the project in Cannes, with CAA Media Finance representing North America.

Adria ArjonaBustamante, a Guatemalan director, previously made waves with Mayan drama Ixcanul, which premiered in competition in Berlin, winning the Alfred Bauer Prize (since renamed the Silver Bear Jury prize), and war criminal horror La Llorona, which won Best Director and Best Film in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2019.

Arjona will play an ambitious woman trapped in a marriage as the trophy wife of a violent cartel boss. Desperate for liberation, she seizes the opportunity presented by a mysterious stranger (Ramirez), who promises to smuggle her north. However, once on route, she discovers the harrowing truth about her companion and finds herself thrust into a surreal odyssey.

Bustamante’s La Casa de Produccion, Alejandro De Leon and Brian Clark and Sergio Lira and Lynette Coll for Luz Films will serve as producers.

“In El Sombreron, Jayro fuses magical realism, folklore, and horror to vividly evoke the hell that borders create,” said producers. “We could not have asked for two better guides through the inferno than the immensely talented Adria Arjona and Edgar Ramirez.”

Arjona will next be seen starring in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man opposite Glen Powell, which releases in theaters on May 24 and on Netflix June 7. She’ll also be seen in Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut film Blink Twicewhich hits cinemas on August 23.

Ramirez, who clinched Golden Globes nominations for American Crime Story and Carlos, is in Cannes this year for Jacques Audiard’s Competition title Emilia Perez opposite Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez. Upcoming projects include Eli Roth’s Borderlands, co-starring Cate Blanchett, and Arenas directed by Camille Perton.

Karla Sofia Gascón to Star in Jacques Audiard’s Comedy “Emilia Perez”

Karla Sofia Gascón has landed an aunt-tastic role…

The 50-year-old Spanish transgender actress will star in director Jacques Audiard comedy Emilia Perez, with talks underway with Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana.

Karla Sofia GascónThe project, which is creating buzz in the Cannes market, is a musical comedy about an El Chapo-type fugitive who can’t get away from the law, so has a sex change.

Ten years later she misses her children immensely and returns as their aunt.

Library Pictures International is financing the film, and The Veterans will be selling international rights to the film along with CAA Media Finance, which is also selling North American territories.

Gascón is an up and coming Spanish trans actress who has emerged as one to watch and should stand out in this musical comedy along the lines of Mrs. Doubtfire.