Get serious

Political and war-themed films dominate the lineup at the forthcoming Toronto International Film Festival. (NY Times)

Given the signals preceding next month’s bellwether Toronto International Film Festival, party planners might want pick to up some black crepe to go with those red carpets in the movie awards season to come.

A list of 20 gala presentations — announced Wednesday at a Toronto news conference introducing this year’s lineup of 349 films — showed a skew toward markedly somber topics among Hollywood’s offerings at the festival, which begins on Sept. 6.