Toronto International Film Festival Goes Downtown

• 
• 

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Sunday, 12 September 2010 12:30

Written by Laura Blum

Flying north in formation, film flocks are making their annual migration to the Toronto International Film Festival (September 9 to 19, 2010) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Festival initiates both the fall movie season in North America and the awards campaigns of numerous films, and is considered among the most influential fests in the world.

This year, TIFF itself has moved. Following a $196-million capital drive, it has abandoned its Bloor and Yorkville nest, and will now be headquartered in a five-story complex called the Bell Lightbox, at King and John Streets in the city’s downtown. The official ribbon cutting and revelries will take place on September 12.

Former TIFF co-director Noah Cowan has been named Artistic Director of Bell Lightbox, while veteran programmer Cameron Bailey inherited his mantle; and Piers Handling holds down the titles of Director and CEO.

The Festival’s 35th docket contains 300 films, including 112 world premieres. Judging by recent years, more than 250,000 people will be scrambling for tickets to see them.

From its genesis as “The Festival of Festivals” skimming the cream off other festival films, TIFF in the mid-90s added the role of launch pad, along with a new Hollywood axis -- and name.

Four of the past five Oscar winners in the Best Picture category took their first bows in Toronto, including Slumdog Millionaire and Hurt Locker. Last year’s audience prize went to Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, and the film proceeded to win two Academy Awards.

This year some of the Oscar contestants are The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper’s humor-inflected tale of the future King George VI (Colin Firth) whose stammer at the dawn of radio is speech therapist Geoffrey Rush’s task to cure.

A number of Oscar hopefuls come to Toronto after buzzy openings in Venice. Conspicuous among them are Ben Affleck’s The Town, in which he plays a bank robber panged by guilt; and Never Let Me Go, Mark Romanek’s screen version of the sci fi novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, starring Carey Mulligan.   

Among other films set to make a splash at the fest are John Madden’s The Debt, starring Dame Helen Mirren as an Israeli Mossad agent; Clint Eastwood’s Matt Damon starrer about life after death entitled Hereafter; and Barney’s Version, Richard J. Lewis’ adaptation of the popular Mordechai Richler novel with screen luster from Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman.

Robert Redford returns to Toronto with his new film, The Conspirator, which rounds up James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn and Kevin Kline to replay the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln.

Toronto has also played a part on the road to foreign-language Oscar glory. Last year it held the international premiere of prizewinner The Secret in Their Eyes, from Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella. Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies comes to TIFF 2010 with award buzz and, given his Canadian ID, extra cheers from the home team. Mexicans will be rooting for Biutiful. Javier Bardem stars in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s drama about a Barcelona man in deep legal trouble.

One of the Festival’s many claims to fame is – at least for local audiences – its vibrant showcase of Canadian work. Highlights of year’s slate encompass Score: A Hockey Musical and Bang Bang Club. Toronto’s savvy, devoted audiences are a major boon for the Festival; their reactions provide the industry with a useful platform for crash testing new work.

Another source of pride for TIFF is its track record as a sales hub. A Single Man and The Wrestler offer two recent examples. Darren Aronofsky, who brought the latter to TIFF, is now back with his ballet thriller Black Swan, co-starring Natalie Portman and Vincent Cassel.

Danny Boyle, Errol Morris, Bill Gates and Werner Herzog are but four of the grandees scheduled to grace Toronto’s red carpet, one of the most prestigious of any festival in the world.  

For the full low down, consult: www.tiff.net

Toronto International Film Festival
September 9 to 19, 2010
TIFF
 office
2 Carlton Street, Suite 1600
Toronto ON M5B 1J3 CANADA

416-968-FILM
1-877-968-FILM

• < Prev
• Next >