A fairytale-gone-awry about an eccentric inventor will front this year’s Canada First! program at the Toronto International Film Festival, which on Tuesday unveiled its slate of domestic films at a packed press conference at the Royal York hotel.

The $10-million stop-motion animated feature Edison and Leo, from B.C.’s Infinity Features and Perfect Circle Productions, will bow alongside eight other titles from emerging Canadian directors, including Warren Sonoda’s Cooper’s Camera, Randall Cole’s Real Time, and Cameron Labine’s (Control Alt Delete).

‘The film just leapt out at us,’ says Canadian programmer Steve Gravestock, speaking to Playback Daily after the presentation. ‘We were impressed by how unique [Edison and Leo] was, not only in the history of Canadian cinema, but in the history of this sub-genre,’ he adds.

Written by George Toles (The Saddest Music in the World), the film centers on an inventor, voiced by Powers Boothe (Sin City), and his son Leo, played by Gregory Smith (The Patriot), during the discovery of electricity. It was one of the last projects produced by Infinity’s William Vince, who died last month from cancer.

Rookie director Neil Burns says he’s ‘quite honored’ by the prestigious spot, adding that they’ll be looking to conjure up interest from an American and international distributor for Edison and Leo — touted as Canada’s first stop-motion animated feature film. TVA Films is the Canadian distributor.

Homegrown fare screening as gala presentations this year include the political thriller Fifty Dead Men Walking — Kari Skogland’s second consecutive film at the fest following The Stone Angel. It stars Ben Kingsley and Jim Sturgess.

Toronto filmmaker Michael McGowan, who opened the Canada First! program with Saint Ralph in 2004, returns to TIFF to walk the red carpet for his road trip drama One Week, starring Joshua Jackson.

‘We weren’t expecting it, so it feels incredible,’ says McGowan, adding, ‘It’s a small film, and to be showcased in this way hopefully speaks volumes of the film and the faith that the festival has in it.’

Among the special presentations unveiled Tuesday were Philippe Falardeau’s comedy C’est pas moi, je le jure!, Fernando Meirelles’ Blindness, which opened Cannes, and Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth, about a young woman who travels from India to Canada where her new husband awaits.

Films by directors including Léa Pool and Carl Bessai will unspool in Contemporary World Cinema, while Bruce McDonald’s latest Pontypool, about a deadly virus that takes over a small town, will have its world premiere in the Vanguard program.

TIFF has programmed 64 Canadian films to date for this year’s fest, which runs Sept. 4-13.