Disney+ debuted the official trailer for the upcoming original documentary “Elton John: Never Too Late.” With iconic concert footage from his career, the trailer features Elton John as he reflects on his extraordinary rise to success, the personal challenges he faced, and how his family has changed him. The original documentary will premiere December 13, 2024 on Disney+. 

The original documentary from Disney Branded Television is produced by Rocket Entertainment and This Machine Filmworks (a part of Sony Pictures Television). Directors Cutler and Furnish also serve as producers alongside Trevor Smith. Elise Pearlstein, Mark Blatty, Luke Lloyd Davies, Rachael Paley, Jane Cha Cutler and John Battsek serve as executive producers.

Elton John’s final North American concert, the Emmy®-winning “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium,” is available to stream now on Disney+.

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Hashtag: #DisneyPlus

ABOUT DISNEY+

Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In Canada, it also includes the general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from Disney, Disney+ offers an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disney’s long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

ABOUT DISNEY BRANDED TELEVISION

Disney Branded Television encompasses the creative storytellers and production and content marketing teams responsible for Disney-branded television series, movies and other programming spanning live-action, animated and unscripted formats. The group fuels the Disney+ streaming platform and Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior linear networks with content geared toward kids, tweens, teens and families, with stories that are imaginative, aspirational and reflective of their world and experiences.

ABOUT THIS MACHINE

This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television) was founded in 2020 and has quickly established itself as one of the premier producers of documentary film and television in the world. Headed by Award-winning filmmaker and non-fiction pioneer R.J. Cutler, This Machine is a filmmaker-driven company that explores the times in which we live through non-fiction storytelling in all media.

Recent This Machine projects include the PGA Award-nominated theatrical documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite (IFC), the Emmy-nominated hit documentary series Big Vape (Netflix), the HBO feature doc South to Black Power, the award-winning docuseries Murf the Surf (MGM), the celebrated history of women of color in the fashion industry, Supreme Models (YouTube Originals) and the feature documentary Anthem (Disney+). This Machine is also behind the Academy Award-shortlisted Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry, the multi-award winning BELUSHI, and the cult-hit Dear… (Apple TV). Upcoming projects include the feature documentaries Elton John: Never Too Late (Disney+), Martha (Netflix), and Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop (Amazon Prime Video).

This Machine’s team includes Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning producer and executive Elise Pearlstein, Cutler’s long-time producing partner Trevor Smith, COO Mark Blatty, and our development team of Sally Rosen Phillips and Alisa Cacho-Sousa.

This Machine’s team has decades of experience creating the highest quality and most popular non-fiction films and series, as well as scripted series, feature films, and podcasts.

Today, Disney+ released the trailer for the highly anticipated, upcoming Original documentary film “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band,” premiering Friday, October 25, 2024 exclusively on Disney+ in Canada.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band offer the most in-depth look ever at the creation of their legendary live performances – sharing fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage – as well as hearing directly from Springsteen on the topic. Fans get the chance to experience professionally shot footage from the 2023-2024 tour for the first time ever – while following the band through their one-of-a-kind preparation process, and onto performances for tens-of-thousands across continents.

“Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band” was directed by Springsteen’s longtime collaborator, Emmy® and GRAMMY® Award winner Thom Zimny, and produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Thom Zimny, Adrienne Gerard, and Sean Stuart.

Now through September 27, new and returning customers can stream the biggest movies and series of the fall with Disney+ Standard With Ads for only $1.99/month for three months. To learn more or sign-up visit www.disneyplus.com.

And that’s a wrap! What a wonderful TIFF this was! We’re quickly going to drop a line to say thank you to all of you for your amazing support, and also the generosity of our partners at the Festival who make it all possible for us! Also so grateful to our Team of Contributors: David Baldwin, Amanda Gilmore and Nicholas Porteous for their awesome reviews.

We’re crawling past the finish line and straight to the sauna for some overdue rest and relaxation. We were at it every single day of the Fest.

Our Official Partners

CP24 – For a 15th year in-a-row, we were a subject matter expert on films and star sightings at TIFF at the widely-watched news network, which also streams worldwide for free on their website CP24.com. In case you missed it, here’s a couple appearances we did:

HONDA CANADA – We were thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with our friends at HONDA CANADA, allowing us to travel in style this TIFF in the 2024 Passport Trail Sport. In addition to getting us there every day safe and efficiently, it also served as a quiet oasis for us to take a quick nap, collect our thoughts and do our posts privately. So grateful for this powerful machine.

STARBUCKS CANADA – Starbucks Canada has been there for us for several TIFFs. So grateful to be fuelled by their Fall Menu selections, keeping us awake! While our fave always will be the Pumpkin Spice Latte, their Apple Crisp Nondairy Chai, Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte, Baked Apple Croissant and Raccoon Cake Pops also are must-tries! Thrilled to give away gift cards to our Readers and Followers this TIFF, who were following our journey.

NIKON CANADA – We were thrilled to use the Nikon Z-30, a superb compact mirrorless camera with a range of lens options. We shot with a 50-250mm lens, helping us reach that bit closer to the stars. While we shoot on the go a lot on our phone, nothing beats the clarity and precision of actual camera on the red carpet!

OEB BREAKFAST CO. – Hands down, one of our favourite Brunch spots in the City, with two locations in Toronto. Two of our lucky Readers and Followers got to win gift cards to enjoy for themselves their greatness! They also now are an offcial TIFF Hospitality Partner too.

MINAMI TORONTO – Minami are an official TIFF Hospitality partner and did you know our queen Cate Blanchett was spotted there having lunch? There is no higher endorsement for their elevated, sophisticated Japanese fare. One of our Readers and Followers won a $100 gift card to enjoy a meal here.

LITTLE SISTER – With two beautiful locations in Toronto, this marriage of Dutch and Indonesian cuisine, with a phenomenal drink list is pure innovation. One of our Readers and Followers also won a $100 gift card to enjoy a meal.

SANDBANKS WINERY – Hailling from Prince Edward County, Sandbanks Winery  were a perfect way to wind down after this feverish dream of a Festival. Their Sparkling Rosé is perfect for evenings and this time of year I find myself gravitating to a nice sweet Riesling!

ETIKET – The goal of this luxurious beauty and wellness boutique is to provide everyone with a personalized, educational and friendly experience offering results oriented skin care and treatment services, niche fragrances, and luxury beauty products. We got to enjoy a freshening right before the Festival and also near the end. While we’re a little sleepy on the inside, you cannot deny that we LOOK rejuvenated!

UNIQLO CANADA – We are a huge fan of Uniqlo‘s style, comfort and quality, so it made perfect sense to partner with them. For all our TV appearances, we sported Uniqlo and Uniqlo only. Clothing that makes our lives better.

Congratulations to Ashley Smart who won our TIFF ’24 Surival Pack, featuring goodies from our partners!

-$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
-$50 Gift Card to OEB Breakfast Co.
-$100 Gift Card to MINAMI Toronto
-$100 Gift Card to LITTLE SISTER Portland St.
-3 bottles of Sandbanks Winery wines
-1 Uniqlo Quilted Shoulder Bag

Be following us! We’re here year-round with reviews, star-sightings, giveaways and so much more!

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Till next TIFF!

Mr. Will

One final lap! This was an outstanding year for us! Rebel Wilson and the Cast of Closing Night Gala THE DEB (which she directs), made it so much sweeter! Others spotted from this very Australian Cast include Karis Oka, Amanda Kour, Sophea Pennington and the Film’s star Charlote MacInnes. Wilson did the rounds and his been here for a bit taking-in the Festival including attending the premieres and parties for EMILIA PEREZ and BETTER MAN.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

After 11 days of cinematic magic, moments, and memories, TIFF officially concludes the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, by celebrating the best of the fest with its annual awards slate. A total of 10 awards were handed out at the awards ceremony today, including jury-awarded prizes and the renowned People’s Choice Awards, also presented by Rogers, that signals the official start to awards season.

“As we conclude this year’s Festival and present these 10 awards today, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated juries, our TIFF programmers, and all of the filmmakers who have shared their work with us,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “Most importantly, I want to thank our audience, who are truly the best in the world. Their passion and enthusiasm bring this festival to life every year, and we couldn’t do it without them. To The Life of Chuck, The Substance, and The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, this year’s winners of the People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, I can’t wait to see the future awards and accolades that await your incredible films.”
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD PRESENTED BY ROGERS
The 47th edition of TIFF’s People’s Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, has been distinguished as the audience’s top title at the Festival as voted by the viewing public. All feature films and series in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible.

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award presented by Rogers is: The Substance, dir. Coralie Fargeat | United Kingdom/USA/France
The first runner-up is: Dead Talents Society, dir. John Hsu | Taiwan
The second runner-up is: Friendship, dir. Andrew DeYoung | USA

People’s Choice Documentary Award presented by Rogers is: The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, dir. Mike Downie | Canada
The first runner-up is: Will & Harper, dir. Josh Greenbaum | USA
The second runner-up is: Your Tomorrow, dir. Ali Weinstein | Canada

People’s Choice Award presented by Rogers is: The Life of Chuck, dir. Mike Flanagan | USA
The first runner-up is: Emilia Pérez, dir. Jacques Audiard | France/USA/Mexico
The second runner-up is: Anora, dir. Sean Baker | USA
SHORT CUTS AWARDS
Short Cuts Awards are for Best International Film and Best Canadian Film. Each of the two winning films will receive a bursary of $10,000 CAD. The 2024 jurors for the Short Cuts Awards were Luis De Filippis, Micah Kernan, and Shane Smith.

Short Cuts Award for Best International Film:
Deck 5B, dir. Malin Ingrid Johansson | Sweden

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “By subverting narrative expectations at every turn, while adding layers of insight and potent emotional truths that evocatively illustrate the tensions between motherhood and desire, this deeply moving film enthralled the jury, staying with us long after we’d watched it. Helmed by a gifted filmmaker, skillfully eliciting an exceptional performance from her lead actress, in service of a nuanced, heartbreaking story, the jury is thrilled to present the award for Best International Short Film to Deck 5B, directed by Malin Ingrid Johansson.”

Honourable Mention:
Quota, dir. Job Roggeveen, Joris Oprins, Marieke Blaauw | Netherlands

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “In its three-minute runtime, this inventive animation does exactly what the best shorts do: make us ask big questions in little timeframes. The work tackles the timely issue of the cost of human invention and innovation on our tired planet. In a world where going viral has become synonymous with success, it asks if perhaps the real virus is us and our unquenchable need for more. The jury is pleased to present an honourable mention to the filmmaking team of Job, Joris & Marieke for their short Quota. We also applaud the filmmakers for practicing what they preach by choosing not to attend the Festival this year as a way to limit their carbon footprint and stay within their ‘quota.’”

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Film:
Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?, dir. Bec Pecaut | Canada

Short Cut Jury’s statement: “This filmmaker was able to capture a moment in life with such authenticity in an effortless way. The jury was inspired to join these characters on a heartful expedition through decisions that were scary, funny, challenging, and ultimately real. The exploration of familial bonds and how they shift during adulthood resulted in an emotional journey from start to finish. The jury is thrilled to award the Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film to director Bec Pecault for Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?”
FIPRESCI AWARD
The FIPRESCI jury is awarding the Prize of International Critics, dedicated to emerging filmmakers, to a debut feature film having its World Premiere in TIFF’s Discovery programme. The 2024 FIPRESCI jury members are Li Cheuk-to, Pierre-Simon Gutman, Azadeh Jafari, Saffron Maeve, and Wilfred Okiche.

FIPRESCI Award:
Mother Mother, dir. K’naan Warsame | Somalia

In all a very fulfilling and successful TIFF ’24 for us! This will be the final daily of the Fest for us and we hope you had fun! Some sightings from Day Nine:

•Lucy Liu
•Steven Soderbergh
•Callina Liang
•Chris Sullivan

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By David Baldwin

Rita (Zoe Saldaña) is a defence lawyer in Mexico City with the uncanny ability of helping her wealthy clients stay out of jail. She is contacted by a local drug kingpin for assistance in finding the right discreet medical centres to complete their gender affirmation surgery from man to woman. She needs to help get the kingpin’s young wife Jessi (Selena Gomez) and children to safety in Switzerland as well. Four years later, Rita meets the fully transitioned Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón) who now wants to become reacquainted with her family.

Oh, and did I mention that this is a full-blown rock opera filled head to toe with songs – almost all entirely in Spanish – while also being a Shakespearean tragedy?

EMILIA PÉREZ is a sumptuous fever dream that should not work. But Co-Writer/Director Jacques Audiard manages to balance all of the ideas and genres (including it also being a crime thriller and a moving exploration of discovering one’s true self in the LGBTQ+ community) into one cohesive and beautiful film. I loved the look and the feel, and felt the songs and dance sequences – yes there are plenty of those as well – were exquisite. While I wish there was a true showstopping number, I still feel like we are gifted a solid soundtrack that will get lots of future replay on Spotify.

If I hold anything really again EMILIA PÉREZ, it’s that there are a few subplots and characters that feel extraneous and take away from the commanding performances by the lead trio of Saldaña, Gomez and Gascón. This is a story about powerful, flawed women first and foremost, and they each slay in their own way from start to finish. There’s a reason why the Cannes Film Festival bestowed the Best Actress prize to the three of them (plus Adriana Paz) rather than highlighting only one of these spectacular performers. So why should we care about characters like Edgar Ramírez’s Gustavo? Some of this leads to sag in the middle that I wish was tightened up a bit better, but I will admit that it’s easy to look past and forgive once you see what a distinct and unique sensory feast the rest of the film is.

EMILIA PÉREZ screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9 at 6:15PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Tuesday, September 10 at 11:30PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Friday, September 13 at 5:45PM and 9:00PM at TIFF Lightbox

Saturday, September 14 at 9:00AM at TIFF Lightbox and 9:45PM at VISA Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre

Sunday, September 15 at 12:00PM at TIFF Lightbox

By David Baldwin

In 1983, FBI Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) has come to small town middle America to investigate a series of bombings and bank robberies. As he digs further in, he discovers that it is a case of domestic terrorism and cult leader Bob Matthew (Nicholas Hoult) is gearing up for an armed revolution against anyone who stands in the way of the Caucasian race taking back what they think they deserve.

THE ORDER is a startingly piece of true crime that has more than a few eerie similarities to modern times. It is unsettling even at the best of times and will certainly get under your skin. Hoult’s character specifically is one of the most despicable in the Film, but the way he plays up the charm and rizz in certain scenes will make you second guess why you are meant to hate him so much (and then he goes ahead and shows his young son how to use a gun at a party and you suddenly know exactly how you are supposed to feel). Director Justin Kurzel threads the needle carefully between tough moments like this and a handful of propulsive action beats that will have you glued to your seat.

Law and his epic broom handle mustache are great here, acting in a much more reserved and calculated way versus his unhinged work in fellow festival selection Eden. Tye Sheridan is another standout as a local officer helping with the FBI’s investigation and Marc Maron makes a lasting impression in a small role as a local radio DJ.

While some may write off THE ORDER as slight or as rather simply, a “Dad movie”, it is still a solid thriller that does a great job staying grounded and not taking massive swings. And sometimes, that is more than acceptable.

THE ORDER screens at TIFF ’24:

Sunday, September 8 at 3:00PM at TIFF Lightbox

Monday, September 9 at 2:30PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Friday, September 13 at 7:30PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

Saturday, September 14 at 12:00PM at Scotiabank Theatre Toronto

By Nicholas Porteous

We open on a particularly bland overhead shot as a car pulls into a driveway. It’s a reserved choice to serve as the opening for Steven Soderbergh‘s latest–but wait. The camera twists and turns and hovers down the stairs, revealing an empty house and an anxious realtor (Julia Fox–be warned: this is her only scene). There’s clearly something more to this strange, drifting perspective. Indeed, there’s a Presence in this house. A ghost. And for whatever reason, among the family of new occupants in this otherwise lovely abode, their young daughter Blue (captivating newcomer Callina Liang) shares some kind of connection with the spirit.

What follows is entirely from the ghost’s perspective, and it turns out to be a fantastic parameter for Soderbergh to play within. How does a non-speaking entity reveal its motivations? What kind of phantom are we dealing with here? And how will a family contend with the unknown force? You won’t hear another word about the plot from me, but if you’re looking for a good little ghost story, you’ve come to the right place. Presence is another small-scale, experimental gem from Soderbergh that moves at a clip and kept me intrigued–both as a narrative and as a technical act of storytelling–for its lean, 85-minute runtime.

David Koepp‘s Screenplay is occasionally guilty of tripping over the line into schlock and cheese, which plays at odds with Soderbergh’s relatively naturalistic approach. But all in all, Presence is a brilliant blend of family dramedy and supernatural suspense, anchored by a strong ensemble–featuring Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan as spiritually discordant parents–that imbues the camera with a perfectly calibrated sense of fear and wonder. Presence could be considered a minor work from a master Filmmaker, but its slender format and otherworldly themes have staying power. Don’t let this one pass you by.

Presence screens at TIFF ’24:

Friday, September 13 at 6:15 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre

Saturday, September 14 at 7:45 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

We are in the home stretch finally! Our TIFF ’24 DAY EIGHT included:

•Kate Hudson
•Kaia Gerber
•Elizabeth Berkley
•Este Haim
•Arian Moayed
•Lionel Boyce
•Max Minghella

Highlights from the day:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)