TIFF Unveils First Wave of Special Presentations for 50th Festival
Canada’s premiere festival enters its 50th year, which is shaping up to be their biggest yet.
Today, the Toronto International Film Festival came out with their first batch of film announcements for their annual festival in early September.
Announced in early June was the festival’s opening night film, the documentary John Candy: I Love Me, a fitting choice to honour the Toronto-born icon. Colin Hanks directed the documentary, with Canadian Ryan Reynolds serving as an executive producer. The documentary will surely celebrate Candy’s comedic milestones and enduring legacy, and is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in the fall. In a statement on TIFF’s offical website, CEO Cameron Bailey said the following about the opening night film, ““We love that John’s global career started in Toronto, and we can’t wait to share John Candy: I Like Me with everyone at this year’s Opening Night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart. For us, it’s the perfect way to kick off TIFF’s 50th edition.”
The festival seems determined to keep Canadian talent at the forefront, a very timely and always welcomed decision. The first of the festival’s Special Presentations this year is Mile End Kicks, the sophomore outing for rising Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack (I Like Movies). The film follows 23 year-old music critic Grace Pine (Barbie Ferreira) and her journey from Toronto to Montreal with the goal of writing a book chronicling the Alanis Morrisette album Jagged Little Pill. Grace then finds herself caught up in Montreal’s music scene, falling in love with two indie rockers in the same band. Also starring are Devon Bostick, Stanley Simons, and rising Canadian actress Juliette Gariépy (Red Rooms). Mile End Kicks also marks a reunion for Levack and actor Isaiah Lehtinen, the lead of her stellar debut, I Like Movies. Canadian screen legend Jay Baruchel will also appear. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.
American auteur Steven Soderbergh is set to bring out his third feature film this year, The Christophers, a dark comedy written by frequent collaborator Ed Solomon. The selection of The Christophers marks Soderbergh’s seventh selection at TIFF, off the heels of his premiere of Presence at TIFF 2024.
The film follows the estranged children (Jessica Gunning, James Corden) of a legendary artist, (Sir Ian McKellen) who hire an art forger (Michaela Coel) to finish their father’s incomplete works in hopes of turning a profit. Soderbergh finds himself operating in new territory once again, further cementing himself as America’s most versatile working filmmaker.
No distributor has been set for The Christophers as of yet, but with Soderbergh’s appeal and status, it should prove to be a hot commodity for studios during the festival.
Nia DaCosta has emerged as a burgeoning young director in the studio space, having helmed instalments in the Candyman, Captain Marvel, and 28 Years Later franchises. With festival selection Hedda, DaCosta returns to a smaller scale, adapting the Norwegian play Hedda Gabler. Tessa Thompson will play the titular role, a woman who struggles with her place within her marriage. Starring alongside Thompson are the likes of Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nina Hoss, Eve Hewson, Nicholas Pinnock, and Kathryn Hunter.
Spanish-Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar returns to the festival with historical thriller, The Captive, which follows a wounded Spanish navy soldier trying to escape captivity in 1500’s Algiers. The Captive marks Amenábar’s first feature film in 6 years, and could prove to be a return to the prominence brought about by his earlier films such as The Others.
Good News, the latest from Korean director Sung-hyun Byun rounds out TIFF’s preliminary round of Special Presentation announcements. As of yet, not much is known about Good News, apart from the brief premise of the landing of a hijacked plane.
More announcements can be expected from TIFF about the full festival lineup in the coming weeks.