Toronto Film Festival to open with ‘Dear Evan Hansen’
The adaptation of the Broadway hit and Tony-winner “Dear Evan Hansen,” Edgar Wright’s ’60s London themed “Last Night in Soho,” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” are just a few of the major films coming to the Toronto International Film Festival this September.
Chloé Zhao’s 'Nomadland' wins TIFF People's Choice Award
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Frances McDormand in a scene from the film "Nomadland" by Chloe Zhao. (Searchlight Pictures via AP)After picking up Venice's Golden Lion award, Chloé Zhao’s “ Nomadland " has won another prestigious honor: The Toronto International Film Festival's People's Choice Award. Zhao's film features Frances McDormand as a widowed wanderer of the modern American West. Set for a Dec. 4 release, “Nomadland” has already been hailed as a top Oscar contender, but winning the audience award at TIFF is promising for its Oscar chances. Other People's Choice winners include Michelle Latimer's documentary “Inconvenient Indian," about Indigenous peoples in North America, and Roseanne Liang's midnight madness selection “Shadow in the Cloud," with Chloë Grace Moretz.
Digital and drive-in, film festivals try to salvage a season
This year, three of the four major fall film festivals, including Venice, are going forward despite the pandemic. This year, three of the four major fall film festivals all but Telluride, which had to cancel are going forward despite the pandemic. For a season predicated on badge-wearing throngs and marquee movies, its meant rethinking what a film festival is. A situation like this forces you to assess what is fundamental, says Dennis Lim, director of programming for the New York Film Festival. Anyone in Canada will be able to buy tickets to TIFF screenings, and New York Film Festival films will be briefly available nationwide.
Toronto sets lineup, Regina King to debut Muhammad Ali film
This combination photo shows actor-director Werner Herzog, left, and actress-director Regina King. The Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday unveiled a lineup featuring the directorial debut of Regina King and the latest documentary from Herzog. Toronto, which is set to run Sept. 10-19, has plotted a largely virtual 45th edition due to the pandemic. In normal years, TIFF is the largest film festival in North America. Some of the films will play first at the much smaller Venice Film Festival the week prior in September.
Spike Lee doc of David Byrne's Broadway show to open TIFF
NEW YORK The 45th Toronto International Film Festival will be a much diminished event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it has an opening-night film. Spike Lee's filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway theatrical concert American Utopia will kick off the largely virtual fall festival. TIFF's Toronto headquarters currently remain closed. The former Talking Heads frontman's American Utopia played at New York's Hudson Theatre from October 2019 through February 2020. With David Brynes American Utopia, he brings Byrnes classic songs and joyous stagecraft to the screen just when we need it.