Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning documentarian behind Navalny, has launched his first narrative feature with Tuner, a heist-tinged drama about a gifted piano tuner whose meticulous ear leads to an unexpected side hustle cracking safes. The film held its world premiere over Labor Day weekend at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival and now heads to Toronto, where it will screen during TIFF’s 50th edition, running September 4–14.
Led by One Day star Leo Woodall and co-starring Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Jean Reno, Lior Raz, and Tovah Feldshuh, Tuner marks a notable pivot for Roher from reportage to genre storytelling. TIFF’s listing frames the movie as a “whip-smart thriller” centered on an unusual safecracker, with Woodall’s character drawing on the same precision he applies to Steinways to navigate criminal demands.
Production companies include Black Bear and Elevation, with producers JoAnne Sellar and Lila Yacoub alongside Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler; Elevation is also attached on the Canadian side. Composer Will Bates provides the score, a logical fit for a story built around craft, rhythm, and the way sound can both guide and betray.
The Telluride bow drew immediate attention to Woodall’s lead turn and the film’s tactile focus on process. Early festival reactions noted a tightly engineered caper with romantic and character stakes, while emphasizing how Roher translates his nonfiction instincts into a clean, cause-and-effect dramatic build. Several accounts highlighted the film’s emphasis on listening—both literal and moral—as the tuner’s specialty becomes a liability when criminal work eclipses everyday gigs.
Tuner shot in Toronto in fall 2024 and surfaces at a moment when buyers are weighing mid-budget, star-driven thrillers with international play. Industry chatter around TIFF has positioned the title as a potential sales talking point for Black Bear’s slate, with the festival platform giving Roher’s narrative debut visibility beyond the awards-documentary lane he previously occupied.
