#TIFF: “SEVEN VEILS” TO PREMIERE AT TIFF ’23

TIFF is delighted to announce that legendary filmmaker Atom Egoyan returns to the Festival with the World Premiere of his latest work Seven Veils. The film stars Amanda Seyfried with Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O’Brien, and Vinessa Antoine. Also featured are Ambur Braid as Salome and Michael Kupfer-Radecky as John the Baptist, who both starred in the Canadian Opera Company’s most recent production of Salome, also directed by Egoyan, from which the film was inspired.

“We are honoured to premiere Atom Egoyan’s extraordinary film at this year’s Festival,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF. “Egoyan’s cinematic works are unmatched, and we’re excited to bring Seven Veils to our TIFF audiences and to the city of Toronto, his home.”

Seven Veils is Egoyan’s 18th film to premiere at TIFF. Prior to the TIFF Special Presentation World Premiere screening on Sunday, September 10, an Avant-première of the film will be presented in partnership with the Canadian Opera Company on Friday, September 8, at 7pm at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

With Seven Veils, the Academy Award®–nominated Egoyan reunites with Seyfried (Chloe), who plays Jeanine, an earnest theatre director tasked with remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera Salome. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to colour the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Egoyan first directed Salome for the Canadian Opera Company in 1996 and returned earlier this year to revive the production on stage.

“Amanda is a phenomenal actress, and here she brilliantly plays a woman dealing with complex and explosive relationships in her past, present, and future,” said Egoyan. “To have the world premiere of this film at TIFF and to be partnering with the Canadian Opera Company really brings my two great passions together in such a beautiful way.”

“Atom’s production of Salome electrified the stage when it debuted in 1996 and has evolved with each remounting,” said producer Niv Fichman, Rhombus Media. “The opera explores themes that resonate through Atom’s body of work, and Seven Veils is an exciting and provocative next step in this ongoing evolution.”

Seven Veils is an Elevation Pictures and XYZ Films presentation, produced by Rhombus Media and Ego Film Arts, with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, in association with IPR.VC, Cinetic Media, Crave, and the Canadian Opera Company. XYZ Films is handling world sales. Elevation Pictures will distribute the film in Canada.

More Festival details will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for TIFF 2023 go on sale to TIFF Members by level beginning on August 18. For more details, visit tiff.net/join. The full Festival schedule will be released in August.

#SPOTTED: AMANDA SEYFRIED IN TORONTO AT COMEDY BAR FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Fresh-off her Golden Globe win for her superb performance in THE DROPOUT, Amanda Seyfried is back in-town and she reunits with Atom Egoyan on his latest film THE SEVEN VEILS, wrapping this month in Toronto.

The Drama centers on an earnest theatre director named Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried), who has been given the task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, the opera “Salome“. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as she re-enters the opera world after so many years away. Seyfried last collaborated with Egoyan on 2009’s CHLOE, which we loved. SEVEN VEILS will be released by Elevation Pictures in Canada.

Seyfried while in-town did some good on International Women’s Day raising money for Redwood Women’s Shelter. The event titled “ALL THAT SHE WANTS” was held at Comedy Bar, with her making an appearance to draw awareness to the cause.

We’ve always remembered her as being amazing and kind and she has not changed. On working with Egoyan again, she tells me “Atom is the f*cking best!”.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR ATOM EGOYAN’S “GUEST OF HONOUR”

Canadian cinema visionary Atom Egoyan is back with GUEST OF HONOUR. A new Trailer has surfaced.

Synopsis:
JIM (David Thewlis) and his daughter VERONICA (Laysla De Oliveira), a young high-school music teacher, attempt to unravel their complicated histories and intertwined secrets in Guest of Honour, a film that weaves through time exploring perception and penance, memory and forgiveness.

David Thewlis, Laysla De Oliveira, Rossif Sutherland, Luke Wilson and Alexandre Bourgeois star.

 

See the Trailer:

 

Elevation Pictures release GUEST OF HONOUR, coming soon.

 

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN PASSES TO THE TORONTO PREMIERE OF “THE CAPTIVE” WITH ATOM EGOYAN

eOne Films and Mr. Will want to take Readers to the Red Carpet Premiere of THE CAPTIVEon Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at Scotiabank Theatre.  Director Atom Egoyan will be in-attendance for a special Q&A!

Official Synopsis

Matthew (Ryan Reynolds) and Tina (Mireille Enos) live in Niagara Falls, Ontario with their nine-year-old daughter Cassandra. When Matthew goes to a store to pick up some food, he leaves Cassandra in the truck. She vanishes without a trace.

Some years later, police officers Nicole (Rosario Dawson) and Jeffrey (Scott Speedman) uncover a lead in the case. After hours spent scanning the internet for photos and video circulated by pedophiles, they come across images of Cassandra, alive in captivity.

See the Trailer:

Enter to win by simply clicking “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. Share with your Friends on Facebook and increase your chances. Re-Tweet the below to increase your odds also:

http://www.mrwillwong.com/thecaptive @MRWILLW wants us to #win Passes to the Red Carpet Premiere of #THECAPTIVE with #AtomEgoyan in attendance!

eOne Films release THE CAPTIVE on Friday, September 5, 2014.

(Photo/video credit: eOne Films)

#TIFF13: MAISON BIRKS & TELEFILM CANADA’S DIAMOND TRIBUTE TO THE YEAR’S WOMEN IN FILM

Honouring some of the most significant Females in Canadian Film, Telefilm Canada and Maison Birks honoured ten Women Actors and Directors at their Flagship Toronto Store today at the first ever Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film.  The Event was timed while all eyes are on Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival.

Selected by a Panel of Journalists who cover the Arts, Cultural and Entertainment fields, an immensely-talented group of Canadian Women were awarded for their achievement and talent, recognition from peers and visibility they have brought Canada.  Drawing a huge crowd to Bay x Bloor despite the threat of rain, Fans were ready in a designated FanZone allowing them an opportunity to connect with the Who’s Who of Film and Television in Canada.

This year’s Honourees include:

Directors: Louise Archambault, Deepa Mehta, Alanis Obomsawin, Sarah Polley and Chloé Robichaud

Actresses: Évelyne Brochu, Geneviève Bujold, Sarah Gadon, Jessica Paré and Alison Pill

The Event being fully at capacity, Archambault, Mehta, Obomsawin, Robinchaud and Brochu were all in attendance today. Gadon‘s Mother accepted her Award in her absence.

Among those in attendance this year were several familiar Canadian faces including the likes of Kelly Rowan, Anthony Lemke, Katie Boland, Aaron Abrams, Kristin Booth, Rob Stewart, Cynthia Preston, Atom Egoyan, Paul Haggis, Liane Balaban, Michael Seater and several more.  TIFF Rising Stars, Cara Gee and Johnathan Sousa also came out to celebrate.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#FILMING: RYAN REYNOLDS TORONTO-BOUND FOR ATOM EGOYAN’S “QUEEN OF THE NIGHT”

Although there’s been much talk about it, finally we got a confirmation of filming dates. Chloe Director Atom Egoyan will be filming his new Thriller Queen of the Night – not to be confused as a Whitney Houston Biopic (I wish!!) – here in Toronto. Filming dates have been scheduled and the month-plus-long shoot will take place throughout the City between February 4 through March 18, 2013.

The Film centers around a Man in pursuit of his kidnapped Daughter. Starring a Canadian Duo of Ryan Reynolds and Scott Speedman, Toronto’s Egoyan truly is a Man of his word, talking the talk in keeping it Canadian. Does this perhaps mean we’ll be seeing Blake Lively spend Valentine’s Day here in Toronto next year? We’ll soon see won’t we?…

eOne Films will be distributing Queen of the Night in Canada.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)