#TIFF: “JOHN CANDY: I LIKE ME” SELECTED AS OPENING NIGHT GALA AT 2025 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TIFF is thrilled to announce the World Premiere of John Candy: I Like Me as the Opening Night Gala taking place on Thursday, September 4, 2025 at Roy Thomson Hall. Directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, this documentary is a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Canadian icon, with stories and memories from Candy’s family, closest friends, and longtime collaborators. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will take place September 4–14, 2025.

“Comedy fans all over the world grew up on John Candy’s humour,” said Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF. “We love that John’s global career started in Toronto, and we can’t wait to share John Candy: I Like Me with everyone at this year’s Opening Night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made a hugely entertaining film packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart. For us, it’s the perfect way to kick off TIFF’s 50th edition.”

“When you hear the name John Candy, your face lights up. He wasn’t just a great actor; he was an even better person. People loved his everyman qualities, but they didn’t know how relatable John really was. He went through the same struggles we all do, except now we talk about them. We are incredibly honoured to have gotten to know the man better through this process and to bring the real John Candy to audiences starting with his hometown of Toronto.” — Director/Producer Colin Hanks and Producer Ryan Reynolds

From director Colin Hanks and lifelong John Candy fan Ryan Reynolds comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of the life of the Canadian comedic icon. This John Candy film documents his on- and off-camera existence, featuring never-before-seen home videos, intimate access to his family, and candid recollections from collaborators to paint a bigger picture of one of the brightest stars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures. The Amazon MGM title will debut globally on Prime Video in the fall.

Film Details:
John Candy: I Like Me | Colin Hanks | USA
World Premiere | Gala

Official Synopsis: From director Colin Hanks and lifelong John Candy fan Ryan Reynolds comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of the life of the Canadian comedic icon. This John Candy film documents his on- and off-camera existence, featuring never-before-seen home videos, intimate access to his family, and candid recollections from collaborators to paint a bigger picture of one of the brightest stars of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. It’s the story of a son, husband, father, friend, and professional driven to bring joy to audiences and loved ones while battling personal ghosts and Hollywood pressures.  

Directed by Colin Hanks

Produced by Company Name’s Colin Hanks and Sean Stuart, Zipper Bros Films’ Glen Zipper, Maximum Effort’s Ryan Reynolds, George Dewey and Johnny Pariseau, and Shane Reid

Executive Produced by Maximum Effort’s Ashley Fox and Patrick Gooing

Co-Executive Produced by Chris Candy, Jennifer Candy-Sullivan, Rosemary Candy

Co-Producers Maren Domzalski, Aude Temel

Limited tickets to the Opening Night Gala of John Candy: I Like Me will be available as part of TIFF 50 Curated Ticket Packages, on sale exclusively to TIFF Members on June 11 and Visa cardholders on June 18. Visit tiff.net/about-the-festival for more details.

TIFF’s Film Reference Library includes a free John Candy Collection, donated by Rose Candy, containing objects related to Candy’s professional career and personal life from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. More Festival details will be shared in the coming weeks.

#FIRSTLOOK: HIGHLIGHTS FROM PRIME VIDEO CANADA UPFRONT 2025

Today, Prime Video announced an exciting slate of new Canadian original series and films during its inaugural Amazon Upfronts in Canada. The lineup features returning fan favourites, new series, and documentaries spanning sports, crime, music and comedy.

Special guest appearances include Taylor Kitsch, Tom Hopper, Nathan Mitchell, RJ Barrett and more. Head of Prime Video, Canada, Mark Shopiro, Head of Content Strategy, Prime Video, Shaun Alperin, Head of Local Originals Canada, Brent Haynes, Vice President, Amazon, Tamir Bar-Haim, Prime Monday Night Hockey broadcaster, Blake Bolden, and President of Toronto Tempo, Tessa Resch were all in attendance on stage.

We were there and here are some highlights!

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Programming includes the second season of the NHL docuseries FACEOFF: Inside the NHL, true-crime docuseries ROMCON: Who the F**k is Jason Porter?, the highly anticipated music documentary, Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd, first season of French language Amazon Originals Karaoké Club and season 4 of LOL: Qui Rira Le Dernier?, a first look at comedian Martin Matte’s Vitrerie Joyal, plus the greenlight of Trailer Trash (Working Title), a new comedy docuseries about a family-owned RV camper salvage empire in rural Alberta. This Canadian content slate underscores Prime Video’s ongoing commitment to producing authentic stories that resonate with Canadians.

About Prime Video

Prime Video is a one-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one application available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports, including Prime Monday Night Hockey – also Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Fallout, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Reacher, The Boys, and Roadhouse; licensed fan favourites Vampire Diaries andDegrassi; exclusive entertainment such as Prime Monday Night Hockey, ONE Championship; and programming from channels such as Sportsnet, Paramount+, Crave, Citytv+, STARZ, AMC+, Super Channel, BritBox, Hayu, STACKTV, a multi-channel service featuring 16 top-tier networks (Global, Food Network Canada, HGTV Canada, W Network, The HISTORY® Channel, Adult Swim, Lifetime, Slice, Showcase, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, Treehouse, YTV, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD), via Prime Video Channels add-on subscriptions. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles, including blockbusters such as Barbie and Oppenheimer, via the Prime Video Store. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.primevideo.com

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