TIFF announces Margaret Qualley romance, Mahershala Ali action film and more as premieres

Alpha Gang, Glaxo, Love of Your Life and more announced as special presentations at festival

The Toronto International Film Festival began rolling out the red carpet on Thursday, announcing five special presentations for this year's instalment — their first major announcement since revealing the opening-night film and gala presentations earlier this month.

On the marquee for the 51st iteration of Canada's most prestigious film fest are premieres for the star-studded sci-fi comedy Alpha Gang, Argentinian revenge thriller Glaxo, the Margaret Qualley-led romance Love of Your Life, true-story Nazi hunting drama The Housewife and the Mahershala Ali action vehicle Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Alpha Gang is described as having its international premiere at the festival — meaning its first time screening outside of its home country. Given that it is an American movie, trade watchers like IndieWire predict that means it will have an earlier world premiere at the Telluride film festival.

The four other films are scheduled to receive their world premieres at TIFF.

From notoriously off-balanced, idiosyncratic directors David and Nathan Zellner (Kid-Thing, Sasquatch Sunset), Alpha Gang tells the story of a group of aliens sent to invade and conquer Earth. But when the group, disguised as a 1950s biker gang, encounters the most dangerous human defence of all — emotions — their plans go up in smoke.

First announced in October 2024, the film went through a number of delays and cast changes — early releases had Channing Tatum, Zoë Kravitz and Steven Yeun attached. The current roster includes Chris Pine, Lily-Rose Depp, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Cate Blanchett, Dave Bautista, Riley Keough and Léa Seydoux.

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Adapted from a 2009 novel by Argentinian author and sociologist Hernán Ronsino — who co-wrote the film — Glaxo focuses on a small-town drama. Four friends' lives are forever altered after a policeman and his beautiful wife arrive, setting off a domino effect of desire and revenge.

Director Benjamin Naishtat, who also co-wrote the film, saw his film Rojo premiere at TIFF in 2018. The Argentinian filmmaker's work often deals with the country's social and political makeup, and Glaxo will probably be no exception — it promises to show Argentina's loss of innocence in the turbulent period of the 1950s-1980s.

Meanwhile, The Substance's Margaret Qualley leads Love of Your Life, paired with Patrick Schwarzenegger for an emotional story about loss and romance. Though much of the plot has been kept under wraps, it follows a widow who struggles to reconnect with a love from her past.

Love of Your Life is produced by Ryan Gosling and crafted by Black Panther and Fruitvale Station cinematographer-turned-director Rachel Morrison, and it was recently announced that Gabriel Basso would also join the cast.

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Based on a true story, Canadian director Ben Shirinian's psychological drama The Housewife is ostensibly drawn from a New York Times journalist who in 1964 investigated the possibility of a Nazi officer living in Queens. His investigation is complicated, however, when he befriends that suspected officer's wife.

The film is set to star Naomi Watts, Tye Sheridan, Michael Imperioli and Norman Reedus.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, starring two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali as a deeply religious hitman, is advertised as a John Wick-adjacent thrill ride. After a man's wife dies, he travels across Houston in a desperate attempt to both protect his children and grapple with his faith.

Coming from director, producer and writer Bassam Tariq, the film's kaleidoscopic and violent teaser trailer released last month. It is also set to star Giancarlo Esposito, John Cho and Tramell Tillman and is scheduled for a theatrical release later this fall.

TIFF previously announced that Siân Heder's Being Heumann would open the festival, while Prima Facie and The Assassin(s) would receive world premieres as gala presentations.

The festival will run this year from Sept. 10 to 20, with the full slate of films to be announced Aug. 11. Tickets will go on sale to TIFF members on Aug. 21 and to the rest of the public on Aug. 31.

Jackson Weaver is a reporter and film critic for CBC's entertainment news team in Toronto. You can reach him at jackson.weaver@cbc.ca.