The World Premiere of Mouthpiece will be the opening film of the Special Presentations program of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Patricia Rozema and written by Rozema, Amy Nostbakken, and Norah Sadava, the film stars Nostbakken, Sadava, and Maev Beaty.
Mouthpiece is a powerful and amusing look into the female psyche that harnesses the essence of Nostbakken and Sadava’s award-winning play, from which it was loosely adapted. Cassandra Haywood (played by both Nostbakken and Sadava) is a strong, single woman, a writer who lives by her own rules. She is also a bit of a disaster. Following the sudden death of her mother, Elaine (Beaty), Cassandra begins to recognize the resemblances between her more traditional mother and herself, and the frightening similarities between the struggles of past generations of women and the realities of today.
“We are thrilled to be opening the Special Presentations programme with Patricia Rozema, an iconic Canadian filmmaker,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “Based on the play of the same name, Mouthpiece is one of Rozema’s most vibrant films, an honest and heart-wrenching portrayal of a young woman finding her voice after the passing of her mother.
“I can’t thank the TIFF programmers enough for the special spotlight on Mouthpiece,” said Rozema. “I’m thrilled to introduce Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava, and Maev Beaty to cinema audiences. That this movie was written, directed, shot, designed, edited, produced, and costume designed by women shouldn’t feel special, but it is — and makes it all the more sweet.”
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)
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World Premiere of MOUTHPIECE to Open 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Special Presentations Program
The World Premiere of Mouthpiece will be the opening film of the Special Presentations program of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Patricia Rozema and written by Rozema, Amy Nostbakken, and Norah Sadava, the film stars Nostbakken, Sadava, and Maev Beaty.
Mouthpiece is a powerful and amusing look into the female psyche that harnesses the essence of Nostbakken and Sadava’s award-winning play, from which it was loosely adapted. Cassandra Haywood (played by both Nostbakken and Sadava) is a strong, single woman, a writer who lives by her own rules. She is also a bit of a disaster. Following the sudden death of her mother, Elaine (Beaty), Cassandra begins to recognize the resemblances between her more traditional mother and herself, and the frightening similarities between the struggles of past generations of women and the realities of today.
“We are thrilled to be opening the Special Presentations programme with Patricia Rozema, an iconic Canadian filmmaker,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “Based on the play of the same name, Mouthpiece is one of Rozema’s most vibrant films, an honest and heart-wrenching portrayal of a young woman finding her voice after the passing of her mother.
“I can’t thank the TIFF programmers enough for the special spotlight on Mouthpiece,” said Rozema. “I’m thrilled to introduce Amy Nostbakken, Norah Sadava, and Maev Beaty to cinema audiences. That this movie was written, directed, shot, designed, edited, produced, and costume designed by women shouldn’t feel special, but it is — and makes it all the more sweet.”
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.
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Toronto International Film Festival Cancels #TIFF18 Press Conference Following Shooting
The Toronto International Film Festival has canceled the planned #TIFF18 press conference scheduled for Tuesday, July 24, following the shooting in a popular Toronto’s Greektown neighborhood late Sunday night when a gunman opened fire killing two and wounding 13. The gunman is also dead, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said. Instead, the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival’s first slate of Galas and Special Presentations will be announced by press release on Tuesday, July 24.
In light of the tragedy that occurred last night in Toronto and out of respect for those affected, TIFF is cancelling its scheduled press conference tomorrow, July 24th. Instead, the film announcements will go out via press release at 10am.
The Toronto Danforth area is the gold standard of our city’s vibrancy and we stand with our fellow Torontonians in condemnation of this violence.
https://twitter.com/TIFF_NET/status/1021441193564098568
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TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival Unveils 2018 Jury + New Share Her Journey Prize
The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival, launched in 2016, in partnership with Instagram to discover and celebrate emerging, diverse, and creative voices from the global film community is back for a third year. This year, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is committed to meeting gender parity within its final selection with the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize.
TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign is a five-year commitment to championing women, both in front of and behind the camera, by investing in their skill development. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is supporting this initiative by enlisting an all-woman jury made up of some of the industry’s most creative, knowledgeable, and experienced experts.
This year’s jury features award-winning UK writer, director, and Share Her Journey Ambassador Amma Asante (@iammasante); leading arts-marketing guru and #oscarssowhite creator April Reign (@reignofapril); TCM and FilmStruck host, author Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone), rapper, comedian, and Ocean’s 8 star Awkwafina (@awkwafina), and activist, artist, and actor Sarain Fox (@sarainfox).
Since the launch of TIFFxInstagram Shorts Film Festival, jury members have included Isabelle Huppert, Lake Bell, Ava DuVernay, Xavier Dolan, Ashton Sanders, Director X, and Priyanka Chopra. The Share Her Journey Prize recipient will be selected by Amma Asante. Eligibility for the prize is based solely on a film’s direction by an individual who identifies as a woman. Additional jury members will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“In many ways, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is reflective of the ever-evolving nature of storytelling and digital media. The film industry is going through a period of change, and the addition of the new Share Her Journey Prize reinforces our commitment to achieving gender parity,” said Malcolm Gilderdale, Director of Content, Creative, and Digital at TIFF. “With the support of our amazing partners at Instagram and the generous participation of our jury, we are grateful to have the opportunity to champion the brilliant work that we know will be presented during this year’s edition of the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.”
Last year saw entrants from regions all over the world — including submissions from America, Europe, Asia, and Africa — whose films reached more than 64 million users on the social platform. The 2017 TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival featured the Fan Favourite Award winner, Canadian-born, Paris-based filmmaker Justin Wu for Overtime, and Jury’s Choice Award winner Confession, by Russia’s Natalia Gurkina. In early 2018, the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival was nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Social: Promotions & Contests.
“We’re thrilled to once again collaborate with TIFF to celebrate the craft of short filmmaking through the TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival.” said Claudine Cazian, Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Instagram. “More than 800 million people come to Instagram to engage with a positive, highly engaged community where they can express their creativity around shared interests. The TIFFxInstagram Shorts Festival is just another way in which creators can showcase their inspiring work and connect with new fans all over the world.”
To enter, filmmakers may submit a 60-second-or-less film on Instagram using the hashtag #TIFFxInstagram and complete the submission form at tiff.net/shortsfestival. The deadline for submissions is June 18. Entries must be submitted from a public Instagram account that must remain open until August 21. Winners will receive a round-trip flight to Toronto and three nights’ accommodation to attend the Toronto International Film Festival this September, and get a chance to network with the film community at the popular Industry Conference and see a selection of exciting film premieres. The winning short films will also be showcased on TIFF and Instagram’s digital channels.
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Toronto International Film Festival Selects 3 Filmmakers for 2018 Platform Program Jury
[caption id="attachment_29053" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]
Margarethe von Trotta, Béla Tarr, and Lee Chang-dong[/caption]
New German Cinema legend Margarethe von Trotta, Hungarian long-take, existential master Béla Tarr, and South Korean director and novelist Lee Chang-dong, together will make up the 2018 jury for the Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform program.
Now in its fourth year, Platform champions up to 12 works with high artistic merit that also demonstrate a strong directorial vision. The three-person jury will select the winner of the Toronto Platform Prize, an award of $25,000 CAD presented to the Best Film in the program.
“We are privileged to have a Platform jury that so perfectly embodies the program’s essence,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “Our 2018 jurors’ bold and daringly uncompromising artistic visions have not only influenced, but helped mold the next generation of filmmakers. The wealth of experience, passion, and knowledge that they will bring to this year’s edition will be priceless, and exciting to watch this September.”
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018. The lineup for this year’s Platform program will be announced on August 7.
Toronto International Film Festival 2018 Platform Program Jury
Margarethe von Trotta Margarethe von Trotta is considered one of the leaders of the New German Cinema movement. After studying Germanic and Romance languages in Munich and Paris (where she encountered the Nouvelle Vague and the films of Ingmar Bergman), von Trotta pursued a career in acting, working closely with both Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Volker Schlöndorff. Starting with her first independent directorial effort, The Second Awakening of Christa Klages (1978), von Trotta’s filmography includes numerous critically acclaimed titles such as Marianne & Juliane (1981), which won the Golden Lion in Venice and became her first feature to ever screen at TIFF; Rosa Luxemburg (1986) and Love and Fear (1988), both of which were nominated for the Palme d’Or in Cannes; Rosenstraße (2003), which earned actor Katja Riemann the Coppa Volpi Award in Venice; and Hannah Arendt (2012), which won the German Film Award. Her first feature documentary, Searching for Ingmar Bergman (2018), is set to premiere at Cannes. Margarethe von Trotta first attended TIFF (then the Festival of Festivals) in 1985, when three of her films were part of the 10 to Watch program, which also included Andrei Tarkovsky, Chantal Akerman and Lino Brocka in its lineup. Béla Tarr Béla Tarr grew up in Budapest, Hungary. He began making amateur documentaries at the age of 16 and shot his feature debut, Family Nest (1977), at the age of 22. His work made a dramatic shift with his 1982 video adaptation of Macbeth which is comprised of only two shots, and in subsequent films, Tarr developed a durational aesthetic revolving around extended shot lengths, most famously in Sátántangó, which screened at the Festival in 1994. Through his entire body of work, Tarr has established himself as one of the defining filmmakers and greatest innovators in contemporary cinema. Béla Tarr first attended TIFF (then the Festival of Festivals) in 1988, when his feature Damnation screened at the Festival. He has since returned several times, including a visit for a spotlight on his work in 1995. Lee Chang-dong Lee Chang-dong was born in Daegu, South Korea, and studied Korean literature at Kyungbuk University. Already established as a novelist, he made his directorial debut with Green Fish (1996), which was followed by the critically acclaimed Peppermint Candy (1999) and Oasis (2002), the latter of which won Best Director and Best New Actress awards at Venice, and became his first film to ever screen at TIFF. After serving as South Korea’s Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2002 to 2004, he directed his fourth film, Secret Sunshine (2007) which won the Best Actress award at Cannes, while his fifth, Poetry (2010), won Best Screenplay three years later. His latest film, Burning (2018), is set to premiere at Cannes. Lee Chang-dong first attended TIFF in 2007, when Secret Sunshine screened at the Festival.
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Toronto International Film Festival Reveals 2018 Programs and Programmers
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) today revealed their 2018 lineup of programs and programming team, comprised of 22 of the industry’s most seasoned and talented film experts and curators, consisting of nine men and 12 women.
“In 2017, the TIFF programming team worked tirelessly to curate a Festival experience that resulted in the release of some of year’s most critically acclaimed films, including Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri (Winner, TIFF 2017 Grolsch People’s Choice Award), The Shape of Water, Lady Bird, I, Tonya, Faces Places and A Fantastic Woman, among many others,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “As the 2018 Festival lineup comes together, the programming team is working to curate the most memorable experience possible for our audiences, through a diverse selection of the highest-quality films from around the globe.”
TIFF’s representation of women amongst its programmers is reflective of the organization’s continuing commitment to normalizing gender parity and equality for future generations. With a clear understanding that there is still much more work to be done, TIFF intends to continue its strong representation of women in the Festival programming team.
“Being a woman in a leadership position at TIFF allows me to be the change I want to see by supporting, inspiring and empowering the women around me,” comments Kerri Craddock, Director of Programming for the Festival. “With TIFF’s mission being to transform the way people see the world through film, we need to create an environment where people have what they need to be their best. Diversity across all levels of our Festival programming team is key to achieving that goal.”
This year, Danis Goulet will be programming Canadian Features alongside Steve Gravestock. Goulet programmed Short Cuts, the Festival’s annual showcase of the best in Canadian and international short film, between 2015 and 2017, previously worked as Short Cuts Programming Associate and has had her own short films presented at TIFF.
Lisa Haller, Festival Programming’s Manager and Shorts Programmer, will be filling Goulet’s shoes as co-programmer for Short Cuts. Haller has worked for TIFF since 2010. In addition to her work as the Programming Associate for Short Cuts for the last three years, she has also managed Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival, including programming the student shorts selection for the past three years, and began programming short films for TIFF Kids International Film Festival in 2018.
Jennifer Barkin, Senior Manager of Festival Programming, will be making her debut as the TIFF Kids programmer for the Festival after managing and programming for the TIFF Kids International Film Festival for the last eight years. Barkin will also continue in her role as the programmer for Festival Street, TIFF’s annual closure of King and John Streets near TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features stage performances, nightly film screenings, and other fun activities during the first four days of the Festival.
2018 Toronto International Film Festival Programs
Contemporary World Cinema Compelling stories, global perspectives. Discovery Directors to watch. The future of world cinema. Gala Presentations Movie stars. Red-carpet premieres. Major audience interest. In Conversation With… Engaging onstage conversations with leaders in the film industry and beyond. Masters The latest from the world’s most influential art-house filmmakers. Midnight Madness The wild side: midnight screenings of the best in action, horror, shock and fantasy cinema. Platform Directors’ cinema now. Launched in 2015, this juried programme shines a light on up to 12 selections that demonstrate directorial vision from international filmmakers. Primetime Serial storytelling: television in its artistic renaissance. Short Cuts The world. In short form. Special Presentations High-profile premieres and the world’s leading filmmakers. TIFF Cinematheque Curated gems from the history of Canadian and international cinema. TIFF Docs Candid and unscripted: the best non-fiction cinema from around the world. Wavelengths Daring, visionary and autonomous voices. Works that expand our notions of the moving image.2018 Toronto International Film Festival Sub-Programs
TIFF Kids Entertaining and illuminating family-friendly films from around the world. TIFF Next Wave Perspectives for the next generation of film lovers. TIFF Speaker Series Watch, experience, and participate in post-screening discussions with film directors and subject experts.2018 Toronto International Film Festival Programmers
Piers Handling Western Europe, Italy, Poland; Gala Presentations, Platform Cameron Bailey South Asia; Gala Presentations, Special Presentations Michèle Maheux Ireland, the Netherlands; Gala Presentations Kerri Craddock Western Europe, USA, Turkey; Gala Presentations, Special Presentations Jennifer Barkin TIFF Kids & Festival Street Brad Deane TIFF Cinematheque Dimitri Eipides Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Western Asia Giovanna Fulvi East and Southeast Asia Steve Gravestock Canada, the Philippines, Nordic Region Danis Goulet Canada Peter Kuplowsky Midnight Madness Michael Lerman Primetime Andrea Picard Wavelengths Thom Powers TIFF Docs Kiva Reardon Africa and the Middle East Diana Sanchez Spain, Portugal, Latin America, Caribbean Theresa Scandiffio In Conversation With… Jane Schoettle Australia, New Zealand, Israel, USA Producer, TIFF Talent Jason Anderson Short Cuts Lisa Haller Short Cuts Karina Rotenstein Industry programming Natalie Semotiuk Producer, Rising Stars
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Cameron Bailey Promoted to Artistic Director and Co-Head of TIFF
The Board of Directors of TIFF this week promoted Cameron Bailey to the newly created position of Artistic Director and Co-Head of TIFF. The role is a promotion and expansion of Bailey’s current position of Artistic Director, which he has held since 2012. Prior to that, Bailey held the role of Festival Co-Director from 2008-2012. Bailey will report directly to the Board of Directors effective October 1, 2018.
Since CEO Piers Handling’s announcement last July that the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival would be his last, the TIFF Board engaged in a process for CEO transition, including a review of the organization’s current structure. After their assessment, the Board decided on a two-headed structure for TIFF, with one position (Bailey’s) focused on the artistic direction of the organization, and the other, Managing Director & Co-Head, focused on the business and revenue optimization. These two positions will work closely together to set the tone and lead the organization, bringing the new strategic plan to life. They will both report directly to the Board of Directors.
“With a five year strategic plan for TIFF launched this year, and more changes on the horizon for our industry, we believe a two-headed structure is right for the future success of TIFF,” explained Jennifer Tory. “Cameron is a film industry veteran who has earned a reputation for discerning, expansive curation since joining TIFF as a programmer in 1990. Combined with his accomplishments as TIFF’s Artistic Director, we have full confidence in his vision for the direction of the organization.”
“Piers has done a remarkable job during his tenure as Director & CEO and Artistic Director before that,” continued Tory. “We are indebted to him for the vision and strategy – and the elegance he brought to the role.”
“I have tremendous respect for Cameron and his longstanding contribution to TIFF’s success,” said Piers Handling. “His passion and vision for the future of the organization underlines his deep leadership skills. It gives me great comfort to know TIFF is in such good hands.”
“I’ve been fortunate to work alongside Piers for so many years. We programmed Canadian films together, we made our first programming trip to Burkina Faso together and we’ve spent countless hours working out how best to engage audiences with the power of film,” said Cameron Bailey. “I am honoured to be entrusted with guiding the future of TIFF.”
A search committee of the Board of Directors has been working with Caldwell Partners to identify candidates for the Managing Director & Co-Head role. The search is international in scope and is expected to result in an announcement prior to this September’s Festival.
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“Rock My Heart,” “Shadow Boxer,” and “The Witch Hunters” Win Prizes at 2018 TIFF Kids International Film Festival
2018 TIFF Kids International Film Festival Young People’s Jury Hanno Olderdissen’s coming-of-age tale Rock My Heart came out on top as the TIFF Kids Festival People’s Choice Favourite Feature Film award winner at this year’s 2018 TIFF Kids International Film Festival.
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2017 Toronto International Film Festival Awards: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Wins Top Award
The Toronto International Film Festival announced its award winners and the Grolsch People’s Choice Award went to Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The second runner-up is Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The first runner-up is Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Joseph Kahn’s Bodied. The second runner-up is Craig Zahler’s Brawl in Cell Block 99. The first runner-up is James Franco’s The Disaster Artist.
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places. The second runner-up is Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! The first runner-up is Long Time Running directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier.
IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Marc-Antoine Lemire’s Pre-Drink. The jury remarked the film “is a monumental yet intimate portrayal of a woman in transition. Lead by the towering performances of the film’s two actors, both of who are worthy of receiving their own awards. The jury were especially taken by the leading actress who gives one of the best performances we saw in the Short Cuts programs. The 2017 Short Cuts jury honors Pre-Drink for Best Canadian short film.”IWC SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes to Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s The Burden (Min Börda). The jury remarked, “Whimsical but tragic, imaginative and just plain weird, this is exactly what one can expect from a Scandinavian musical with fish in bath robes singing out their existentialist crisis. This is a film that stands out in this program and any film program it will ever be part of.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize made possible by IWC Schaffhausen. The jury gave honourable mentions to Matthew Rankin’s The Tesla World Light (Tesla: Lumière Mondiale) and Qiu Yang’s Xiao Cheng Er Yue (A Gentle Night).CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Wayne Wapeemukwa’s Luk’ Luk’l. The jury remarked, “The award goes to a striking debut film that disrupts borders – of form and content and suggests new cinematic territories.This beautifully realized film offers a unique Canadian perspective, made with real compassion, insight and remarkable characters from Vancouver’s East Side.” This award carries a cash prize of $15,000, made possible by the City of Toronto. The jury gave honourable mention to Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava.CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Robin Aubert’s Les Affamés. The jury remarked, “This year the Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to a hybrid art-house film that proved to be something of a revelation. Wonderfully scripted and perfectly cast, this film managed the rare feat of featuring genuinely interesting and well-rounded characters; surprising dramatic and comedic moments with well thought-out multi-generational female roles (who were totally badass, I might add) while also dealing with poignant and contemporary issues, set against a striking rural backdrop and hundreds of ‘ravenous’ zombies.” The jury gave honorable mention to Simon Lavoie’s The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (La petite fille qui aimait trop les allumettes).THE PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)
Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery program is awarded to Sadaf Foroughi for Ava. Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations is awarded to Manuel Martín Cuenca for The Motive (El Autor).NETPAC AWARD
As selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema for the sixth consecutive year, the NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere goes to Huang Hsin-Yao’s The Great Buddha+. The jury remarked, “The NETPAC Jury awards The Great Buddha+ for depicting the interface between the haves and have-nots, with black humor and style, innovating with noir in representing the social reality of Taiwan today.”TORONTO PLATFORM PRIZE PRESENTED BY AIR FRANCE
This is the third year for Platform, the Festival’s juried program that champions directors’ cinema from around the world. The Festival welcomed an international jury comprised of award-winning filmmakers Chen Kaige, Małgorzata Szumowska, and Wim Wenders who unanimously awarded the Toronto Platform Prize, presented by Air France, to Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country. “This is a spiritual epic taking place in 1929 in Australia’s Northern Territory,” said the jury in a statement. “It is a great saga of human fate, and its themes of race and struggle for survival are handled in such a simple, rich, unpretentious and touching way, that it became for us a deeply emotional metaphor for our common fight for dignity. Speaking about their deliberations, the jury added: “We saw 12 films from all over the world that took us into very different universes of the soul and to extremely different places on our planet. We were thankful to be able to see these films and we very much appreciated that actually exactly half of them were made by women. TIFF is leading the way, we feel.” “As we only had one award to give, we had to be quite radical. We also limited ourselves to only one special mention, even if other films might have imposed themselves for best acting, writing or directing.” Awarding a special mention to Clio Barnard’s Dark River, the jury said: “This film, deeply rooted in the Yorkshire countryside, convinced us, as its characters and actors, its photography, its story and its sense of place were all so much ONE, so utterly believable and controlled, that we were totally taken by it.”GROLSCH PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
This year marked the 40th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favorite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year’s award goes to Martin McDonagh for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The second runner-up is Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The first runner-up is Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya. The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Joseph Kahn’s Bodied. The second runner-up is Craig Zahler’s Brawl in Cell Block 99. The first runner-up is James Franco’s The Disaster Artist. The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Agnès Varda and JR’s Faces Places. The second runner-up is Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! The first runner-up is Long Time Running directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas De Pencier.
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Showtime Releases ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS Trailer + Poster, Doc to Debut at Toronto Fest
Ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend, Showtime has released the trailer and poster for Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Oscar-winner Lili Fini Zanuck (Rush, Driving Miss Daisy).
Following the festival, the film will make its world television debut exclusively on Showtime on Saturday, February 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Also making its debut at TIFF this weekend is the new Showtime Documentary Film Love Means Zero, which presents an in-depth look at famed tennis coach Nick Bollettieri and will premiere on Showtime in 2018.
Told through his own words and songs, Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars is a moving and surprising film about one of the great artists of the modern era – a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the only artist ever inducted three times into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Spanning more than half a century of legendary popular musical innovation, the film contextualizes Eric Clapton’s role in contemporary music and cultural history. This rare and deeply intimate film reflects on Clapton’s traumatic childhood, his long and difficult struggle with drugs and alcohol, the tragic loss of his son and how he always found his inner strength and healing in music.
The documentary features extensive interviews with Clapton himself, along with his family, friends, musical collaborators, contemporaries and heroes – including late music icons B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison. Incorporating exclusive access to Clapton’s extensive personal archive, audiences will see the sheer raw talent and ambition that was blighted by personal tragedy, sacrifice and addiction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrAvDFmE9i4
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Piers Handling Stepping Down as Head of Toronto International Film Festival
After almost 25 years, Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF, announced today that 2018 will be his final year leading the Toronto International Film Festival.
“Because of Piers’ leadership, TIFF is the leading cultural organization it is today, with a global reach and impact,” said Jennifer Tory, Chair of the Board of Directors of TIFF. “We are all indebted to him for his years of vision, innovation and dedication to the art of film.”
Handling’s tenure at TIFF has been both ground-breaking and prolific, with career highlights including:
- Growing TIFF from a 10-day event into a thriving year-round arts organization with global impact;
- Leading the Festival into the top tier of internationally recognized film events;
- Leading and mentoring a strong and seasoned team of executives and management and a passionate and dedicated staff;
- Supporting the careers of many Canadian and international filmmakers, including David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan, Deepa Mehta, Guy Maddin, Denys Arcand, Denis Villeneuve, Jean-Marc Vallee, François Girard, Xavier Dolan, Michael Haneke, Danny Boyle, Kathryn Bigelow, Nanni Moretti, Agnieszka Holland, Abbas Kiarostami, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonathan Glazer, Antoine Fuqua, Pedro Almodóvar, Aki Kaurismäki, Patricia Rozema, Jennifer Baichwal, Guillermo Del Toro, Steven Soderbergh; and many others.
- Leading the campaign to design, fund and build TIFF Bell Lightbox, a permanent home for TIFF and film, now a cornerstone of engaging and innovative programming for audiences and professionals, here and around the world.
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World Premiere of ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. Starring Denzel Washington Added to 2017 Toronto International Film Festival
The World Premiere of Dan Gilroy’s Roman J. Israel, Esq., starring Denzel Washington will complete the 2017 Official Program Selection lineup of the Toronto International Film Festival. Written and directed by Gilroy and featuring an amazing transformation by Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq. is the newest and final addition to TIFF’s Special Presentations program.
“The Toronto International Film Festival has a wonderful history with both Dan Gilroy and Denzel Washington,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “Three years ago TIFF had the honor of premiering Gilroy’s directorial debut, Nightcrawler, at the Festival. In addition to previously screening The Equalizer and presenting the World Premiere of Training Day, which earned Washington an Oscar for Best Actor, the Washington-starring The Magnificent Seven was our Opening Night film last year. A project that teams up both of these remarkable creators is one not to be missed.”
“We always hoped to premiere at Toronto and couldn’t be happier that TIFF audiences will be the first to see the film,” said Gilroy. “Thanks to Cameron and the entire Festival crew for embracing us and bringing Roman Israel to the world.”
Roman J. Israel, Esq. is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when a turbulent series of events challenge the activism that has defined his career. Colin Farrell costars as the ambitious, monied lawyer who recruits Roman to his firm.
This star-led cast features Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Lynda Gravatt, Amanda Warren, Hugo Armstrong, Sam Gilroy, Tony Plana, DeRon Horton and Amari Cheatom. R
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.
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Toronto International Film Festival to Screen Christopher Nolan’s DUNKIRK in Honor of IMAX’s 50th Anniversary
In honor of the 50th anniversary of IMAX Corporation, the Toronto International Film Festival will present an exclusive screening of Christopher Nolan’s widely acclaimed epic Dunkirk. On Sunday, September 10, Nolan will be in Toronto to present the film, which was shot almost entirely with IMAX® cameras. The screening, to be presented in IMAX® 70mm, will be introduced by Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF, followed by a conversation between the director/writer/producer and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. The free event will fittingly be held at the restored and soon to be re-opened Ontario Place Cinesphere, which has the distinction of being the world’s first permanent IMAX® theatre.
“Nineteen years ago, Nolan premiered Following in the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival. We stand in awe of all he has achieved since, and are proud to welcome him back to Toronto,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “The Ontario Place Cinesphere is the perfect place to do it. This cinema on Toronto’s waterfront opened in 1971 as IMAX’s first permanent home. We couldn’t be happier to be able to provide fans with the chance to hear Nolan speak on the groundbreaking art and craft of Dunkirk.”
Christopher Nolan, who pioneered the use of IMAX cameras in major motion pictures, beginning with the blockbuster The Dark Knight, expanded the use of the large-format cameras as never before for Dunkirk, which marks the first time he has turned his cameras to a real-life event. The result is a truly immersive experience that draws the audience into the harrowing drama as it unfolds on land, sea and air.
“Dunkirk is quite remarkable,” said Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “It sets a new standard for the visualization of war. Its form and structure is immersive and experiential and its attention to detail exemplary. This is a story for the times – one of resilience against all odds, ordinary people surviving amidst chaos. Christopher Nolan captures this seminal moment in history with an artist’s eye.”
One of the best-reviewed films of the year, Dunkirk opens as hundreds of thousands of British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces. Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea, they face an impossible situation as the enemy closes in. The story unfolds on land, sea and air. RAF Spitfires engage the enemy in the skies above the Channel, trying to protect the defenseless men below. Meanwhile, hundreds of small boats manned by both military and civilians are mounting a desperate rescue effort, risking their lives in a race against time to save even a fraction of their army.
The film features a multigenerational ensemble cast, including Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy and Barry Keoghan, with Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy.
Dunkirk was directed by Christopher Nolan from his own screenplay. Emma Thomas and Nolan produced the film, with Jake Myers serving as the executive producer. The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Dunkirk is a Syncopy Production.
The 42nd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17, 2017.