Crunchyroll today announced that the live-action stage performance of Demon Slayer -KIMETSU NO YAIBA- the stage will be available to stream on Crunchyroll with English subtitles in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand tomorrow, Friday, June 21 at 11:30 a.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. ET.

Demon Slayer -KIMETSU NO YAIBA- the stage is brought to life with an impeccable and thrilling performance by a stellar cast starring:

Ryota Kobayashi as Tanjiro Kamado

Akari Takaishi as Nezuko Kamado

Keisuke Ueda as Zenitsu Agatsuma

Yugo Sato as Inosuke Hashibira

Reo Honda as Giyu Tomioka

Tomoyuki Takagi as Sakonji Urokodaki

Shori as Sabito

Arisa Sonohara as Makomo

Yuria Kakizawa as White-Haired Guide

Kokoro Kuge as Black-Haired Guide

Mimi Maihane as Tamayo

Hisanori Sato as Yushiro

Yoshihide Sasaki as Muzan Kibutsuji

Ensemble: Shintarou Takemura, Masahide Tada, Ayaka Nishibun, Kenta Hoshi, Yuta Hoshino, Yu Maekawa, Rikito Morita

The synopsis for Demon Slayer -KIMETSU NO YAIBA- the stage is as follows:

One day in Japan during the Taisho era, Tanjiro, a kind young man who sells coal, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. Worse yet, the only survivor, his younger sister Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Tanjiro makes up his mind to become a Demon Slayer to turn his sister back into a human and slay the demon who killed his family. This tragic tale, interwoven with humans and demons, begins!

The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba TV series, which debuted in 2019, along with the Entertainment District Arc (2021), the Swordsmith Village Arc (2023), Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020) and the first several episodes of the Hashira Training Arc (2024) are all currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is pleased to announce the 19 participants selected for the annual Norman Jewison Film Program. As CFC’s signature program for emerging to mid-level Canadian directors, writers, producers and editors, it has played a pivotal role in elevating the voices, stories and careers of some of the country’s most notable talent and has had a significant impact on the Canadian film & TV industry. The program is generously supported by Netflix as a lead partner for the second consecutive year. This full-time professional development program will take place from July 15 to December 13, 2024 at CFC’s campus in Toronto.

“We’re thrilled to be extending Norman Jewison’s legacy by welcoming these 19 talented creatives into the CFC. Their talent, their perspectives and their growing body of work are exciting, bold and inspiring.” said Kathryn Emslie, Executive Lead, Programs, CFC. “We were very impressed with the large number of strong applicants we received, demonstrating what a vibrant talent pool we have here in Canada.,”

With support from Netflix, the participants will have the opportunity to advance their narrative storytelling and business skills, grow their body of work while developing and producing some original new IP, expand their creative community and their career opportunities.

“The Norman Jewison Film Program continues to be a cornerstone in fostering Canadian storytelling talent,” said Stéphane Cardin, Director of Public Policy for Netflix in Canada. “We’re pleased to support this initiative that empowers emerging to mid-level creators to enrich our cultural landscape with their diverse and compelling narratives.”

The 2024 residents of the Norman Jewison Film Program (Bios below):

Directors’ Lab:
Andy Reid
Joy Webster
Kalainithan Kalaichelvan
King Louie Palomo
Luvleen Hunjan

Producers’ Lab:
Alison Almeida
Lucy McNulty
Nicholas Nyhof
Priyanka Shailendra
Shaista Roshan

Writers’ Lab:
Brandon Hackett
Briony Merritt
Helena Morgane
Stephanie Fabrizi
Victoria Anderson-Gardner

Editors’ Lab:
Andrea Novoa
Ania Smolenskaia
Jake Lee
Santiago Ruiztorres

The Norman Jewison Film Program aims to elevate talented professionals to go on to become among Canada’s leading storytellers. Some of the award-winning alumni of this program include writer-directors Sarah Polley (Women Talking), Clement Virgo (Brother), Zarrar Khan (In Flames) and editor Maureen Grant (Sort Of).

Learn more about the Norman Jewison Film Program here. The Norman Jewison Film Program is generously supported by Netflix, RBC Emerging Artists and Telefilm Canada, and program partners The Norman & Margaret Jewison Charitable Foundation and the Government of Ontario.

Bios:
Directors’ Lab:

Andy Reid (He/Him) is a filmmaker and actor based in Toronto. Often combining the mundane and the absurd, his work takes interest in the ways life reveals itself to be ridiculous. His most recent short, Testing, which he is currently developing as a feature, screened at festivals across the globe, including Atlantic International Film Festival, Queer Screen Sydney, and Inside Out Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award at the festival’s Ottawa iteration. He is an alumna of Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Image Arts, and holds a BFA in Film Studies.

Joy Webster (She/Her) is a writer, director and editor from Toronto. Her short films, In The Weeds (2015), Game (2017), Buzzard (2019), and Menace (2022), have screened at film festivals in Canada and abroad including NewFilmmakers LA, San Diego International Film Festival, Brooklyn International Film Festival and Cinéfest Sudbury. Her work has garnered numerous awards including two Best Short awards at Canadian Film Fest, the National Screen Institute’s A&E Short Filmmakers Award, and three Golden Sheaf awards from Yorkton Film Festival. Her films have been broadcast on CBC, included in the Telefilm: Not Short on Talent showcase at the Cannes Short Film Corner, and shortlisted for the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. Joy recently completed an MFA in Scriptwriting & Story Design at Toronto Metropolitan University and is in development on multiple projects including her first feature film.

Kalainithan Kalaichelvan (He/Him) is a Tamil-Canadian writer and director, whose films have screened at festivals such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest, and Melbourne International Film Festival. His short film credits include Junglefowl (2023), A Feller and the Tree (2021) and Petit Four (2019). He is also known for directing music videos and was nominated for a Juno Award for Music Video of the Year in 2022. Kalaichelvan was a participant in the 2022 Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices and the Rogers-BSO Script Development Fund Program.

King Louie Palomo (He/They) is a Queer Filipino-Canadian filmmaker who has produced an array of short films that have been showcased at both local and international film festivals. King has gained recognition for his work on Nene, which was hailed as a Standout Director in a Short Film at the 21st Reelworld Film Festival. His latest short, Stay, features Kendall Gender of Canada’s Drag Race Season 2. He has screened at over 20 film festivals, and was runner up in the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at Out on Film: Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Fest. He is currently developing Stay as his first feature-length film. Beyond his independent film work, King is also an accomplished production manager in the VFX industry. He works at Distillery VFX where he contributed to several productions, including The Last of Us on HBO, which won the 75th Emmys for Outstanding Special Visual Effects.

Luvleen Hunjan is a filmmaker born in Delhi, India and based in Brampton, Ontario. Her recent project, On the Cosmic Shore, screened at the 2023 TIFF Next Wave Festival. She was a participant of the Canadian Academy’s 2023 Women in Post Production program. Within her filmmaking, Luvleen is inspired by the interconnectedness of people, and the otherworldly threads which link individuals together. She also finds herself drawn to exploring the natural world and its connection with femininity. She enjoys the process of creating, and the ways spirituality rests between the layers of thinking, feeling, making, and waiting. She hopes to create films that evoke the soul, films that people feel more than think about.

Producers’ Lab:

Alison Almeida (She/Her) is a South Asian producer whose coordinating credits include Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla (2023), Matt Johnson’s Blackberry (2023), Clement Virgo’s Brother (2022), and many more. She line-produced the musical short Before They Were Them (2019) and produced the 39-minute musical film More Together (2023), which has won Best Musical in multiple international festivals. She is an associate producer on the following 2024 features: Amar Wala’s Shook, Hubert Davis’s The Well, Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse, and Reza Dahya’s Boxcutter. Alison participated in the CMPA Production Mentorship Program with Babe Nation Films and is a participant in the 2024 Whistler Film Festival Producers Lab. She’s currently associate producing Season 4 of the TV series Children Ruin Everything.

Lucy McNulty (She/Her) is a Vancouver-based filmmaker whose notable achievements include winning Jury’s Choice and the DEAI Award for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion at the Thomas Edison Film Festival for her directorial debut Chicken, The film screened internationally and gained recognition from the Down Syndrome Resource Foundation and the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. It was also featured in 3.21: Canada’s Down Syndrome Magazine, The LowDOWN: A Down Syndrome Podcast and on AMI’s Season 2 of DisRUPT. Lucy is the founder of Strange Company Productions, a company dedicated to championing under-represented communities and telling female-centred socially conscious stories. She’s also the President of Wet Ink Collective, a writer-driven initiative for women to write, develop and produce stories for stage and screen. Lucy is a graduate of Studio 58’s acting conservatory, the recipient of the Sydney J Risk Foundation Acting Award and a Jessie Richardson Award. She is currently developing her debut feature film, It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.

Nicholas Nyhof (He/Him) is a Toronto-based creative producer focused on bringing gripping, character-driven genre narratives to life. He has produced numerous short films in Canada and the U.S., which have screened around the world. Currently, he works as an independent producer, supporting projects through scripted content development, business affairs, and production logistics. In 2023, Nicholas was selected to participate in the Film Independent Fast Track Finance Market and was a Sloan grant winner for his nuclear thriller, SILO, written by frequent collaborator Cole Smith. Nicholas holds an MFA in Creative Producing from Columbia University, where he was honoured with the Michael Hausman Producing Award. While at Columbia, he interned in development for Blumhouse Productions and Alaz Film, honing his skills in identifying, refining, and bringing scripted stories to life. As a producer, he takes a collaborative approach, working with talented writers and directors to develop a diverse slate of projects that aim to captivate audiences both within Canada and on the world stage.

Priyanka Shailendra (She/Her) has been an integral part of the Indian film industry (Bollywood) for over 15 years, gaining experience across production, direction, and writing. Growing up in a Bollywood family known for their contributions as writers and lyricists, Priyanka has always aspired to create magic through visuals. Priyanka’s short film, The Unnamed Crime, was nominated for the Mumbai International Women’s Film Festival in 2013. Her series, Frozen, was selected for the pitch workshop at the Canadian Film Fest 2023, earning critical acclaim from jurors. She also worked as an assistant showrunner on the acclaimed show Potluck Ladies. Recently, Priyanka produced, directed, and wrote the short film Dark Memories, which premiered at the Filmi Festival in 2023. Additionally, she serves on the board of the South Asian Canadian Film Federation, empowering South Asian voices through film and television in Canada. Priyanka’s relocation to Canada signifies her ambition to produce high-concept content and tell impactful stories.

Shaista Roshan (She/Her) is an Indo-Arab filmmaker and producer based in Toronto and raised in the UAE. She has spent a decade producing within the unscripted and live TV space in the Middle East, South Asia and the U.S. She worked on shows such as Sabah Al Dar, Andama Yatil Massa, Dirhami (ADTV), The Doctors & The Doctor Phil Show (CBS) before shifting her focus on narrative storytelling. Since her move to Canada, she’s produced and directed several short films that are currently making festival rounds within Canada, the U.S. and the UK. Over the past year, Shaista has worked on Tokyo Vice (HBO Max), Brilliant Minds (NBC) and Witch Mountain’ Pilot (Disney+). She’s now weaving her own narrative tapestry and in post-production for a short film and in early development stages of a co-production feature. She aims to champion stories that hone a hybrid sense that blend across different cultures and its peoples.

Writers’ Lab:

Brandon Hackett (He/Him) is a Toronto-based comedian, actor and screenwriter. He served as an executive story editor on the sitcom Shelved, and as a producer on The Next Step Season 8. He has also written for the shows Made For TV, The Popularity Papers, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Beaverton, the latter two garnering CSA nominations for Best Writing in Variety or Sketch Comedy. His feature screenplay Toughen Up was part of the 2023 Whistler Film Festival Screenwriters’ Lab, and is currently being developed with Fae Pictures. Brandon is an alumnus of Toronto’s Second City Mainstage and was recently nominated for a Dora Award with the ensemble of Holiday! An Improvised Musical.

Briony Merritt (She/Her) is a British-Canadian writer and actor with home communities in Toronto and Nova Scotia. She has previously participated in script development programs with Women in Film & Television—Atlantic, FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, and Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre to workshop scripts for both stage and screen. Briony is particularly passionate about female-centered, familial, and intergenerational stories. Across a range of genres, her work explores unlikely relationships, the nature of home, and how the impact of certain decisions transcends time and community.

Helena Morgane (She/Her) is a Black European filmmaker-actor and multidisciplinary creative who is an alumni of the The Barrow Group’s Apprentice Program, BIPOC TV & Film x Warner Bros. Episodic Writers Lab, and Black Women Film! Canada. A prolific creative and polyglot, she works globally, having collaborated with organizations such as Interscope, T.D.E., Shopify, NIA Centre for the Arts, and artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Helena was the Associate Programmer for TIFF Rising Stars 2020 where she hosted mentorship sessions with David Oyelowo, Tantoo Cardinal and the Casting Society of America.

Stephanie Fabrizi (They/Them) is a Toronto-based screenwriter. Their first feature film, Below Her Mouth, which premiered at TIFF 2016, received international distribution and sold to Netflix worldwide; helping the film achieve international cult status with the queer community. Stephanie’s most recent feature film script, Light As Bones, was the official finalist for the 2022 TIFF-CBC Screenwriting Award.

Victoria Anderson-Gardner (They/Them) is a two-spirited award-winning Anishinaabe writer, director and producer from Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation, Ontario. They most recently completed a three-month long Indigenous Youth Program in New Zealand. Before that, they were the Studio Coordinator for the Central Canada Studio at the National Film Board of Canada where they were also the Coordinator for Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement. They graduated from the Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Film Studies. Victoria is focused on creating Indigenous content, showcasing underrepresented communities and using their skills as a filmmaker to educate. Victoria was awarded the Glenn Gould Protegé Prize for their work from Glenn Gould laureate Alanis Obomsawin. Victoria is most well known for Braided Together which won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at the imagineNATIVE Film Festival; Namid which was commissioned by REEL Canada and Netflix and won the Vox Popular Media Arts Festival Audience Choice Award; Becoming Nakuset is a CBC Gem and Loud Roar Production that won the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at the imagineNATIVE Film Festival and the Skoden Indigenous Film Festival; and The Hurt That Binds Us which won Best Documentary, the HSBC Canada Filmmaker Award for Best Director, and the Natalie McDonald Memorial Award for Best Director at the TMU Film Festival.

Editors’ Lab:

Andrea Novoa (She/Her) is a multifaceted filmmaker based in North Bay, Ontario, with experience in writing, directing, and producing. Andrea draws from her multicultural upbringing in Bogota, Colombia, to infuse her work with a diverse perspective.Transitioning from an extensive background in dance performance and choreography, Andrea’s segway into film editing was a natural progression, influenced by her continued dedication to movement and expression. Previously, she held the role of founder and artistic director at the World Dance Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario where she cultivated a dynamic cultural hub in northwestern Ontario, celebrating dances from around the globe. Andrea’s editorial talent shines through in her work on numerous acclaimed and award-winning short films, including the documentary The Dance Connection (which she also wrote, directed and co-produced), and the neo-noir Bang Bang, both of which have garnered awards and recognition.

Ania Smolenskaia (She/Her) is an award-winning film editor based in Toronto. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design, she worked with the independent news and documentary organization, The Real News. She’s produced pertinent social justice stories across North America and later joined a creative agency where she edited dramatic, emotion-laden mood pieces and attention-grabbing commercials. She is passionate about crafting visual stories, weaving images with music and rhythm to provoke, excite, and inspire. Her first long-form documentary won a Silver Dolphin at Cannes in 2018 and her subsequent documentary work has been broadcast on television and screened at festivals across Europe and North America. Ania’s recent credits include Ice-Breaker: The 1972 Summit Series (2022) and Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics (2024), which had its North American premiere at SXSW and European premiere at Sheffield DocFest.

Jake Lee (He/Him) is a Toronto-based film editor who strives to bring directors’ visions to life. He is drawn to filmmakers who are invested in telling unique, personal stories that span over topics like relationships, family and community life. Since his graduation at York University in the BFA Film Program, he has edited short films for directors including Winnifred Jong, Shaun Boyd, Bita Joudaki, Nikita Zhang and Yvette Sin. His most notable editing credit is the web series Streams Flow From a River by Christopher Yip and Fae Pictures, for which he received a CCE Award nomination. He also has a background in VFX production from having worked as a Production Coordinator at various VFX houses such as Double Negative, ILM and Toronto’s MARZ VFX.

Santiago Ruiztorres (He/Him) was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. At the age of 17 his family moved to Markham, Ontario and it was around that time he started exploring photography and video. He studied Recording Engineering and Production at Fanshawe College and after working in the music industry for a year, Santiago decided to pursue cinema. He studied Film Production at Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema of Concordia University in Montreal where he received several awards including the Arri Canada Scholarship (2005). Santiago currently lives and works in Toronto, and is a member of the DGC. His industry credits include Guest of Honour, American Gods, The Handmaid’s Tale, Billy the Kid, and Angels’ Atlas.

Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF, is delighted to announce the first honourees of this year’s Tribute Awards: Oscar-nominated actor Amy Adams, who will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award; and iconic Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter David Cronenberg, who will be recognized with the Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award. Sandra Oh, the award-winning Korean Canadian actor and producer, will serve as the inaugural Tribute Awards Honorary Chair. The sixth annual Tribute Awards will take place on Sunday, September 8 at Fairmont Royal York Hotel and honours the film industry’s outstanding contributors and their achievements, serving as a kick-off to awards season.

“In the five years that TIFF has been honouring such standout talent as Joaquin Phoenix, Michelle Yeoh, Jessica Chastain, Chloe Zhao, Taika Waititi, and Ari Wegner on their road to further awards success, we’ve been inspired to watch our Tribute Awards gala grow into a must-attend event,” said Bailey. “This year, we’re thrilled to welcome the incomparable Sandra Oh as the inaugural honorary Chair of the 2024 Tribute Awards. She joins our first-announced honourees, Amy Adams and David Cronenberg, in what promises to be another singular, sparkling night during the Festival. We’re grateful that artists of this stature will gather in Toronto to help TIFF turn the spotlight on increasing inclusion throughout our industry.”

“Returning to TIFF feels like coming home and I’m excited to serve as Honorary Chair for this year’s Tribute Awards,” said Oh. “Raising funds and awareness for representation and great storytelling is a passion of mine and why I’m so proud that the proceeds will go directly to Every Story Fund. Their mission to empower diverse voices aligns perfectly with my own, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this.”

The Tribute Awards gala is TIFF’s largest annual fundraiser. In 2024, proceeds from the Awards will go towards TIFF’s Every Story Fund, which champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in film.

Adams returns to the Festival this year for the World Premiere of Marielle Heller’s dark comedy Nightbitch, and is being recognized for her outstanding body of work. Past recipients of the TIFF Tribute Performer Award are Colman Domingo and Vicky Krieps in 2023; Brendan Fraser and the ensemble cast of My Policeman in 2022; Jessica Chastain and Benedict Cumberbatch in 2021; Kate Winslet and Sir Anthony Hopkins in 2020; and Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix in 2019.

The Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award, presented this year to David Cronenberg, recognizes Canadians in the film industry who have made a global impact with their careers. The filmmaker’s willingness to explore unconventional themes and his innovative storytelling continues to shape contemporary cinema worldwide. Producer-director Shawn Levy received the inaugural award in 2023.

About Amy Adams
2024 TIFF Tribute Performer Award
Six-time academy award nominated actress, Amy Adams will next be seen starring in the film, Nightbitch, an adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed debut novel of the same name. Adams also serves as a producer on the film via her production company, Bond Group Entertainment. Recently, Adams can be seen starring in the film Disenchanted, the sequel to her 2007 blockbuster hit, Enchanted, for Disney+. Prior, Adams made her West End debut starring in an evocative production of Tennessee Williams’ beloved memory play, The Glass Menagerie. Adams also starred in Adam McKay’s 2018 film, Vice, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, SAG nomination, Critics’ Choice Nomination, BAFTA Nomination, and an Academy Award Nomination. Additionally, she starred in HBO’s high-profile drama series, Sharp Objects, in which she also executive produced. She won a Critics’ choice award for her role and was nominated for a Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy for her performance. Adams recently wrapped production on the Sony film Klara and the Sun, from director Taika Waititi. The film is based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s New York Times–bestselling novel. It was recently announced that Adams will star in At the Sea, a new drama from Kornel Mundruczó and Kata Wéber. Adams is represented by WME, Linden Entertainment, Narrative, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

About David Cronenberg
2024 Norman Jewison Career Achievement Award
Filmmaker David Cronenberg’s reputation as an authentic auteur has been firmly established by his uniquely personal body of work which includes Shivers, Rabid, Fast Company, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, eXistenz, The Dead Zone, M. Butterfly, Spider, A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis, Maps to the Stars, Crimes of the Future, and The Shrouds. Cronenberg has developed a dramatic oeuvre of outstanding depth and breadth, and consequently has been lauded as one of the world’s most influential filmmakers. His wider creative pursuits have included curation of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Andy Warhol/Supernova: Stars, Deaths and Disasters, 1962-1964 exhibition in 2006; staging an opera of The Fly in 2008; and penning his first novel, Consumed, in 2014. As an actor, Cronenberg has given notable performances of late in Alias Grace, Disappearance at Clifton Hill, and Star Trek: Discovery. Recognition of Cronenberg’s contribution to art and culture has included an appointment as an Officer to the Order of Canada in 2003, a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2014, investiture in France’s Order of Arts and Letters in 1990 and the Légion d’Honneur in 2009.

About Sandra Oh
2024 TIFF Tribute Awards Honorary Chair
A prolific actor of the screen and the stage, Sandra Oh’s career spans over 30 years. Hailing from Ottawa, Canada, Oh appeared in her first play The Canada Goose at age 10. After three years at the National Theatre School of Canada, she landed the title role in the CBC film The Diary of Evelyn Lau (Gemini nomination/Best Actress and the Cannes FIPA d’Or for Best Actress). Oh is currently starring in the Off-Broadway production of The Welkin at New York’s The Atlantic Theatre; the Hulu comedy film Quiz Lady, opposite Awkwafina, which had its World Premiere at TIFF in 2023; and the HBO/A24 limited series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Sympathizer. She will next star in director Anne Marie Fleming’s Can I Get a Witness. Her film credits include: Sideways, Double Happiness, Under The Tuscan Sun, The Princess Diaries, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Last Night, Catfight, Defendor, Blindness, The Night Listener, For Your Consideration, Long Life Happiness and Prosperity, Sorry Hater, Ramona and Beezus, The Red Violin, and The Same Storm. Animated film credits include the Toronto-set Turning Red, Over The Moon, Raya and the Last Dragon, Window Horses, and The Tiger’s Apprentice. Television credits: 10 seasons as Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy (Golden Globe Award/SAG Award/Emmy nominations), The Chair (also Executive Produced), and four seasons of Killing Eve (also Executive Produced, Golden Globe Award/SAG Award/Critics Choice Award/Emmy Award nominations), Arli$$ (HBO), and Thorne: Scaredy Cat (UK).

The 49th Toronto International Film Festival takes place September 5–15, 2024.

The Toronto International Film Festival is getting ready to roll out the red carpets to welcome the world’s largest public audience of local and international film lovers to Toronto from September 5–15, 2024. Setting the stage for an exciting Festival ahead is today’s announcement of six highly-anticipated titles from the Gala programme, sponsored by Dyson, and Special Presentation programme from internationally acclaimed filmmakers making their World Premieres at the 49th edition of the world’s leading public film festival. Today’s announced films feature beloved A-list talent: the legendary Elton John pulls back the curtain on his life for the first time in Elton John: Never Too Late; fans of South Korean cinema and series will recognize Hyun Bin, Lee Dong-wook, Park Jeong-min, and Jeon Yeo-been all starring in Harbin; Tom Hiddleston plays the title character in The Life of Chuck, based on the 2020 Stephen King short story of the same name; the dark comedy Nightbitch features Amy Adams as a stay-at-home-mom whose domestic life takes a surreal turn; Rez Ball is a coming-of-age film about Indigenous basketball produced by LeBron James; and The Wild Robot is an animated film featuring an acclaimed ensemble cast led by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, a robot shipwrecked on an island that must adapt to its new surroundings.

“We know the TIFF audience has been eagerly anticipating what films will be coming to Toronto this September, and today’s announcement is a snapshot of what’s to come this year: a wonderfully wide range of titles that span genres and generations, with discoveries for everyone,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “TIFF is renowned for finding and showcasing works from both emerging and established filmmakers from all around the world, and for creating an unmatched groundswell of excitement, often paving the way for awards season, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of industry delegates and public filmgoers that attend each year. As we approach our 50th Festival, we are proud to evolve and expand our offerings to meet the needs of the industry and our audiences while always remaining true to what TIFF stands for — transforming the way people see the world through film.”

Welcoming both public and industry attendees, TIFF is an 11-day celebration of film and entertainment. This year’s official screening venues will include TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The sixth edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will take place on Sunday, September 8, 2024, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

In addition to screenings, the Festival provides unique in-person opportunities including live post-screening Q&As, the In Conversation With… series, a five-day industry conference, and Festival Street, which returns for opening weekend along King Street West, from Peter Street to University Avenue, celebrating all things film. The free, family-friendly street festival will take place September 5–8, and will feature live performances, partner activations, and outdoor screenings.

TIFF is also known for its prestigious awards, from the renowned People’s Choice Award, which serves as a bellwether for the upcoming awards season (including last year’s winner American Fiction), to the esteemed Jury Prizes including the Platform Award, FIPRESCI, and NETPAC that will return once again this year.

TIFF recently announced that it is launching a new official content market at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Envisioned as the North American hub for buying and selling screen-based projects, intellectual property, and immersive and innovative content across all platforms, the market will elevate Canadian and international talent while driving global distribution and sales. Recently, the Canadian federal government announced an investment of $23 million CAD in this initiative; the three-year investment has enabled the organization to accelerate planning and development work, which is currently underway.

Film details (in alphabetical order):

Elton John: Never Too Late | R.J. Cutler, David Furnish | USA
World Premiere | Gala
Disney+

Harbin | Woo Min-ho | South Korea
World Premiere | Gala
CJ ENM

The Life of Chuck | Mike Flanagan | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Sales Title – Rights Available (WME)

Nightbitch | Marielle Heller | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Searchlight Pictures

Rez Ball | Sydney Freeland | USA
World Premiere | Special Presentation
Netflix

The Wild Robot | Chris Sanders | USA
World Premiere | Gala
DreamWorks Animation

More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF ’24 go on-sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on Friday, August 16. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released on Tuesday, August 13.

Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of DESPICABLE ME 4 on Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 7 PM.

Toronto:
Scotiabank Theatre

Montreal EN:

Cinema Banque Scotia

Montreal FR:
Cinema Starcite

Vancouver:
Scotiabank Theatre

Synopsis:

In the first Despicable Me movie in seven years, Gru, the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4. 

Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar^® nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar^® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.  

The film features fresh new characters voiced by Joey King (Bullet Train), Emmy winner Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live). Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Oscar^® nominee Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom. 

Packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Oscar^® nominee Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Illumination’s visionary founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru). The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage (animation director Sing 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2), and the screenplay is by the Emmy winning creator of White Lotus, Mike White, and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio. 

Genre: Action-Comedy

Cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Miranda Cosgrove, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier, Madison Polan

Screenplay: Mike White, Ken Daurio

Director: Chris Renaud

Co-Director: Patrick Delage

Producers: Chris Meledandri, Brett Hoffman

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City in the comments. Specify language where applicable. Tag a friend who you’d like to bring along with you. Enter as many times as you wish. You can also enter on your IG and X accounts as well!

Rules and regulations here.

Universal Pictures Canada release DESPICABLE ME in theatres July 3, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of LONGLEGS!

Screenings take place as follows:

VANCOUVER

Location: Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver

Date: Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

CALGARY

Location: Scotiabank Theatre Chinook

Date: Monday, July 8th, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

TORONTO

Location: Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Date: Monday, July 8th, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM

Synopsis: In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree.

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe and Blair Underwood. 

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City in the comments. Tag a friend who you’d like to bring along with you. Enter as many times as you wish. You can also enter on your IG and X accounts as well!

Rules and regulations here.

Elevation Pictures release LONGLEGS in theatres July 12, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

After the smash success of SMILE, comes its followup SMILE 2. Today, we get a new Teaser.

SYNOPSIS:

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

PRODUCED BY

Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, Parker Finn, Robert Salerno

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

Parker Finn

CAST

Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson

CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

AND FOLLOW SMILE 2 ON SOCIAL AND TRY THE LENS ON SNAPCHAT!

In case you haven’t heard it, here’s Skye Riley‘s new single “Blood on White Satin“:

Today Apple Original Films announced that its highly anticipated Formula 1 feature film starring Brad Pitt, and hailing from director Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Plan B Entertainment, and seven-time F1 world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Dawn Apollo Films banner will be distributed in theatres around the world and in IMAX® by Warner Bros. Pictures in North America on June 27, 2025 and internationally beginning 25 June 2025. Made in collaboration with Formula 1®, the new film is immersed in the exhilarating and cinematic world of F1, as filming takes place at races on the sport’s calendar.

Starring Brad Pitt as a former driver who returns to Formula 1, alongside Damson Idris as his teammate at APXGP, a fictional team on the grid, the feature has been shot during actual Grand Prix weekends as the team competes against the titans of the sport. The star-studded cast also includes Academy Award-nominee Kerry Condon, Academy Award-winner Javier Bardem, and Emmy Award-winner, Golden Globe Award nominee Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodnia and Samson Kayo.

Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”) directs and produces the feature alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films; and Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner for Plan B Entertainment, and Lewis Hamilton under his Dawn Apollo Films banner. The film is made in collaboration with Formula 1® and the F1 community, including the 10 F1 teams and their drivers, the FIA, and race promoters. Academy Award-nominee Ehren Kruger (“Top Gun: Maverick”) writes the screenplay. Copper CEO Penni Thow serves as executive producer.

The wide theatrical release will also include IMAX® theatres. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Momentum around the Apple Original Films slate continues to grow since the debut of Apple TV+ four years ago. In addition to Apple making history as the first streaming service to land the Academy Award for Best Picture with “CODA,” Apple Original Film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” also recently earned the Academy Award for Best Animated Short, and “Killers of the Flower Moon” landed 10 historic Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. In addition to its upcoming Formula 1 feature, highly anticipated Apple Original Films include “Fly Me to the Moon,” starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum and premiering in-theatres July 12; an upcoming Jon Watts thriller starring Academy Award winners George Clooney and Brad Pitt who will both produce under Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures and Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment; “The Instigators,” a heist-gone-wrong film starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck for director Doug Liman; “Blitz,” from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen, and more.

The red carpet was rolled out at TIFF Lightbox for the Toronto Premiere of I AM CELINE DION, the compelling Documentary from Irene Taylor. Simultaneous events were held tonight in New York City and Montreal also.

The Film chronicles the global icon and national treasure’s rise, legacy and health struggle, shedding light on her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. Uplifting, heartbreaking and completely mesmerizing, which also shed’s light into her craft and musical genius.

A tearful Dion even joined us via livestream from New York City, to share her thanks to her fans, Taylor and Dr. Amanda Piquet who has been instrumental her diagnosis and treatment.

I AM CELINE DION arrives June 25, 2024, only on Prime Video.

Walking the Red Carpet:

• Ali Budd

• Amanda Brugel

• Ed Robertson

• Jamie Thomas King

• John Tavares

• Jully Black, host

• Juno Rinaldi

• Kristin Booth

• Melissa Grelo

• Omega Mighty

• Paula Brancati

• Roxy Earle

• Peter and Paige Torkan

• Sabrina Wu

• Salvatore Antonio

• Sarah Gadon

• Sarah Nurse

• Tamara Podemski

• Tara Spencer-Nairn

• Tatiawna Jones

• Terance Reddick

• Teri Hart

• Tommie-Amber Pirie

• TÖME

• Trish Stratus

…and more!

Highlights from the Red Carpet:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Prime Video Canada)

MUBI Canada have announced their upcoming July programming slate additions and we’ve got some gems in there!

DAMMI

Dammi (Short, Drama) – Streaming Exclusively on MUBI July 12
Dir. Yann Demange, 2023
Starring Academy Award winning actor Riz Ahmed, Dammi follows a man who travels back to Paris while navigating his past experiences and weird glimpses of the present in an effort to reconnect with his estranged father. He is forced to face his fears and guilt while also reclaiming his lost Arab identity.

THIS CLOSENESS

This Closeness (Drama) – Streaming Exclusively on MUBI July 3
Dir. Kit Zauhar, 2023
Tensions rise when a couple on the rocks stays at the home of a reclusive host, with the three entering an intimate battle to gain and reclaim territory. Kit Zauhar’s sophomore feature This Closeness debuted at South by Southwest in 2023 and received a special jury mention for best ensemble cast in the New American Cinema Competition at Seattle International Film Festival. Check out Kit’s debut feature Actual People, returning to MUBI as a part of the KIT ZAUHAR: A DOUBLE BILL.

QUEEN OF EARTH

Queen of Earth (Drama) – Streaming July 1
Dir. Alex Ross Perry, 2015
Catherine absconds to the sun-soaked serenity of her best friend Virginia’s lakeside cabin, quivering with anxiety and seeking refuge from the haunting memories of the past year. But as their painful pasts come slithering into the already-uncomfortable present, their nerves become intertwined. Queen of Earth stars Katherine Waterston and Elisabeth Moss, who also served as a producer on the film.

THE CANYONS

The Canyons (Thriller) – Streaming July 1
Dir. Paul Schrader, 2013
Set against the sun-drenched, seductive backdrop of Los Angeles, this chilling film follows the lives of Christian (James Deen), a wealthy young man with a passion for filmmaking, and his girlfriend Tara (Lindsay Lohan), a former actress who now lives a life of leisure and indulgence.

SOURCE CODE

Source Code (Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller) – Streaming July 1
Dir. Duncan Jones, 2011
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Captain Colter Stevens, who must identify a bomber who just destroyed a train and plans to kill thousands more. A top-secret program allows Colter to repeatedly exist in the parallel reality of the doomed commuter train. He becomes convinced that he can prevent the deadly blast from ever happening. Source Code premiered at South by Southwest in 2011, and was nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form at the Hugo Awards the same year.

CROSSING THE BRIDGE – THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL

Crossing The Bridge – The Sound of Istanbul (Documentary, Music)
Streaming Exclusively on MUBI July 5
Dir. Fatih Akin, 2005
From Golden Bear winner Fatih Akin, comes a remastered 4K release of Crossing The Bridge – The Sound Of Istanbul, an enchanting musical journey through the heart of Istanbul. German musician Alexander Hacke sets out to capture the musical diversity of Istanbul with his mobile recording studio to assemble an inspired portrait of Turkish music. The film joins TURN IT UP: MUSIC ON FILM, a MUBI collection that celebrates the electric magnetism of performance through a diverse range of music films.

A STILL SMALL VOICE

A Still Small Voice (Documentary) – Streaming July 19
Dir. Luke Lorentzen, 2023
An aspiring hospital chaplain begins a yearlong residency in spiritual care, only to discover that to successfully tend to her patients, she must look deep within herself. A Still Small Voice premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2023, and screened at Hot Docs Film Festival the same year.

LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION BUT I’M WINNING

Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning (Documentary, Sport, LGBTQ+) Streaming exclusively on MUBI July 26
Dir. Julia Fuhr Mann, 2023
If history is written by the victors, where does that leave those who were never allowed to be part of the game? Arriving on MUBI in time for the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, the film follows a collective of queer athletes as they enter the Olympic Stadium in Athens and set out to honour those who were excluded from standing on the winners’ podium. The film premiered in Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival in 2023.

PENANCE

Penance (Drama, Crime, Mystery, Mini-series) – Streaming July 26
Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2012
A mysterious stranger approaches a group of young friends at a sleepy small town playground, then kidnaps and brutally murders one of the girls. Wracked with grief, the victim’s unhinged mother Asako demands that the shaken survivors identify the killer or face a penance of her choosing. Penance is a five episode mini-series adapted from the Kanae Minato book of the same name.