ASSEMBLY DEBUTS FIVE feature FILMS AT THIS YEAR’S TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

This week marks the start of the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where prolific and upcoming filmmakers from around the world gather to celebrate the latest indie releases and award favorites.

The creative team at Assembly collectively delivered five of this year’s leading projects for TIFF, four of which were graded by Assembly Colorist, Sean Dunckley, with the addition of supplementary VFX.

Here’s the low down of Assembly’s creative highlights at TIFF, and where you can see them if you’re on the ground in Toronto this week. 

Baby Ruby, TIFF

BABY RUBY:

Color, VFX, Offline & Editorial by Assembly

Directed by Bess Wohl, Bay Ruby follows Jo (Noémie Merlant), a young lifestyle influencer with the kind of renovated home, handsome husband (Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington), and picture-perfect, aspirational nursery that make her followers envy her. Typically in control of herself and everyone in her radius, Jo prepares for the arrival of her baby, Ruby, by planning her own flawless baby shower and vlogging every step along the way. Soon, however, the chaos of postpartum recovery and new motherhood throws Jo’s routines and relationships into disarray.

Find out more about Baby Ruby and where to watch the film here.

The Listener, TIFF

THE LISTENER:

Color, VFX, Offline & Editorial by Assembly

Steve Buscemi's directorial film debut, The Listener, is about a helpline volunteer – part of the small army that gets on the phone every night across America, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, hopeless. Over the last year the tide has become a tsunami. As Beth goes through her shift, the stakes rise: is this the night she will lose someone? Save someone? Eventually, Beth’s own story comes to light, revealing why she does it. All along we remain with her: listening, comforting, connecting – patching the world back together, one stitch at a time.

Bruiser, TIFF

BRUISER:

Color, VFX & Offline by Assembly

This searing feature debut from director Miles Warren takes a hard look at the effects of toxic masculinity on a boy desperate for paternal guidance. Featuring bold performances from Jalyn Hall, Shamier Anderson, and Moonlight’s Trevante Rhodes, Bruiser contends with legacies of violence — and lands its every punch squarely on the heart.

Find out more about Bruiser and where to watch the film here.

Causeway, TIFF

CAUSEWAY:

VFX & Offline by Assembly

Lila Neugebauer’s feature directorial debut peers deep into the wounds soldiers retain from armed conflict — and those they carried with them going in. With an understated but penetrating performance from Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Causeway is a character study, a tale of friendship, and an intimate portrait of a great American city.

Find out more about Causeway and where to watch the film here. 

A Jazzman’s Blues, TIFF

A JAZZMAN’S BLUES:

Color by Sean Dunckley 

Tyler Perry’s latest creation is a heartbreaking tale of forbidden love lays secreted within a tantalizing murder mystery spiked with a series of dazzling musical numbers. Featuring songs by Spike Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard, choreography by the legendary Debbie Allen, and music by composer Aaron Zigman, A Jazzman’s Blues is a testament to Black American music, resilience, and storytelling.

Find out more about A Jazzman’s Blues and where to watch the film here.