TORONTO — A Montreal-set thriller from Jay Baruchel and Scott Speedman, the sophomore effort by Quebec phenom Xavier Dolan and the return of "Fubar"'s hoser headbangers are among the Canadian movies bound for the Toronto International Film Festival.

Organizers said Tuesday that the slate of homegrown fare also includes new films from directors Denis Villeneuve and Bruce McDonald, as well as performances from homegrown stars Molly Parker, Don McKellar, Jill Hennessy, Jason Jones and the late Tracy Wright.

Festival programmers touted a diverse mix of documentaries, dramas, thrillers, comedies, "and a record number of dysfunctional families."

They include Villeneuve's "Incendies," about twins who learn in their mother's will that they have a brother and father they didn't know about. The dark tale follows the duo as they travel to the Middle East to find their kin.

"It's a very, very poignant and powerful story," Villeneuve said following a news conference Tuesday.

Villeneuve, who swept the Genie Awards last year with "Polytechnique," his haunting retelling of the Montreal massacre, said he wasn't surprised to see so many films drawn from family turmoil.

"The first thing that inspires you is your family," he said.

"Incendies" is based on a play by Wajdi Mouawad and was largely shot in Jordan.

"It was a very intense human experience," Villeneuve said of the production.

"It was kind of our 'Apocalypse Now,' I think. It was quite intense, quite a tough movie to make but still a beautiful experience."

Other films bound for the fest include Dolan's comedy "Heartbeats," about two friends who pursue a mutual obsession; the Jacob Tierney thriller "Good Neighbours," featuring Baruchel as the resident of a strange apartment building in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood; and "Fubar II," which opens the Midnight Madness section with Terry and Dean searching for wealth and more beer in the oil fields of Alberta.

Several films feature new directors paired with Hollywood veterans, among them Jonathan Sobol, who scored Harvey Keitel for his film "A Beginners Guide to Endings," which also features Jones of "The Daily Show" fame, "Entourage"'s Scott Caan, and Paulo Costanzo of "Royal Pains" as brothers coping with their father's complicated legacy.

First-time director Mike Goldbach brings his script, "Daydream Nation," to the screen with the help of Kat Dennings as a small town teen having an affair with her teacher, played by Josh Lucas. Andie McDowell also stars.

Meanwhile, Dolan returns to TIFF with his second film, "Heartbeats," a comic romance that he wrote, directs and stars in. The film won the Regards Jeunes prize at the Cannes film festival earlier this year and follows his acclaimed debut, "I Killed My Mother."

"He's like early 20s and he seems to be fully formed in terms of an aesthetic and subject matter," said TIFF programmer Steve Gravestock.

"He's quite brilliant."

Other Canadian films set to unspool include:

• McDonald's rock 'n' roll film, "Trigger," with Parker and Wright as a dysfunctional rock duo who reunite a decade after their band folded;
• Ed Gass-Donnelly's "Small Town Murder Songs," featuring Hennessy and Martha Plimpton about an aging police officer from a small Ontario Mennonite town who hides a violent past;
• the documentary "Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie," billed as a portrait of the passionate environmentalist's legacy.

Previously announced Canadian galas include fest opener, "Score: A Hockey Musical," the South African war drama "The Bang Bang Club," and the Mordecai Richler adaptation, "Barney's Version."

The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 9 through 19.