Toronto Int'l Film Festival kicks off

The 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off on Thursday with some 340 films to screen at the event, which runs until September 17.

TIFF is facing potential difficulties with the number of films have declined in recent years -- a result of a TIFF mandate to trim the overall number of titles by 20 percent. Organizers said they made the changes in response to feedback from audiences, the industry and the media.

The movie screening industry overall has suffered from waning audiences, with even Canada's largest cinema chain, Cineplex, struggling with declining attendance and increasingly pursuing diversification beyond simply showing movies.

TIFF also saw a drop in festival attendance by about 3,000 from 2015 to 2016, while year-round attendance at the Lightbox dropped by nearly 30 percent last year.

Among the first celebrities to arrive in Toronto for the fest were Charlie Hunnam of "Sons of Anarchy" fame, who stars in "Papillon" with Rami Malek of "Mr. Robot."

Armie Hammer has stopped in for "Call Me By Your Name," while supermodel and musician Grace Jones has flown in for the world premiere of a documentary on her life.

Other films in the lineup include "Suburbicon," directed by George Clooney, Darren Aronofsky's "mother!" starring Jennifer Lawrence and Alexander Payne's "Downsizing."

About a third of the films in the lineup are directed by women, including Angelina Jolie's "First They Killed My Father."

Other stars expected to attend the festival include Denzel Washington , Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba and Steve Carell and Emma Stone.

Some A-listers will also discuss their craft at a multitude of Q-and-A special events, including Jolie, Helen Mirren, Glenn Close and Javier Bardem. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan will speak at an IMAX screening of "Dunkirk," Aaron Sorkin will conduct a master class, and Louis C.K. will do a live TIFF Long Take podcast for his film "I Love You, Daddy."

Piers Handling, director and CEO of TIFF, said this year's lineup features adventurous work by major filmmakers at a time when the instinct is to not take risks.