#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “MOTHERING SUNDAY”

Premiering at TIFF ’21, here is your first glance at Eva Husson’s MOTHERING SUNDAY starring Odessa Young, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth and Olivia Colman.

Synopsis:

On a warm spring day in 1924, house maid and foundling Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) finds herself alone on Mother’s Day. Her employers, Mr and Mrs Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Colman), are out and she has the rare chance to spend an afternoon of abandon with her secret lover, Paul (Josh O’Connor), the boy from the manor house nearby who is Jane’s long-term love despite the fact that he’s engaged to be married to another woman, a childhood friend and daughter of his parents’ friends. But events that neither can foresee will change the course of Jane’s life forever.

(Photo/video credit: Lionsgate Films)

#TIFF21: NEW TRAILER FOR “THE GUILTY”

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in TIFF ’21 selection THE GUILTY. Your first glimpse of the Trailer.

Synopsis:

The film takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center. Call operator Joe Baylor (Gyllenhaal) tries to save a caller in grave danger—but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and facing the truth is the only way out.

THE GUILTY arrives in Select Theatres September 24, 2021 and on Netflix October 1, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#TIFF21: 2021 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL GUESTS ANNOUNCED

We’ve been waiting eagerly for this and are so happy to read that several guests will be arriving in Toronto for TIFF ’21.

Confirmed today are the following guests (note this is subject to change):

In addition to this, it has just been announced to secret Steven Soderbergh film will be premiering at the Festival with details to come on how to get tickets! This is looking more like the TIFF we love!

The Festival runs September 8 – 19, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Searchlight Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “NIGHT RAIDERS”

Premiering at TIFF ’21 and from Executive Producer Taika Waititi, we present to you the new Trailer for NIGHT RAIDERS by Danis Goulet.

Synopsis:

The year is 2043. A military occupation controls disenfranchised cities in post-war North America. Children are property of the State. A desperate Cree woman joins an underground band of vigilantes to infiltrate a State children’s academy and get her daughter back. Night Raiders is a female-driven dystopian drama about resilience, courage and love.

Elevation Pictures release NIGHT RAIDERS October 8, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW FEATURETTE FROM “DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

TIFF ’21 Opening Night Gala DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a highlight for many and here is a new Featurette which asks its stars about its theme of being found.

Synopsis:

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age.  

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder), the film is written for the screen by the show’s Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show’s Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman).

Universal Pictures Canada release DEAR EVAN HANSEN in theatres September 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TEASER FOR “THE POWER OF THE DOG”

Premiering at TIFF ’21, here is the new Teaser Trailer for Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG.

Synopsis:

Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil’s romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He can castrate a bull calf with two swift slashes of his knife; he swims naked in the river, smearing his body with mud. He is a cowboy as raw as his hides.

The year is 1925. The Burbank brothers are wealthy ranchers in Montana. At the Red Mill restaurant on their way to market, the brothers meet Rose, the widowed proprietress, and her impressionable son Peter. Phil behaves so cruelly he drives them both to tears, reveling in their hurt and rousing his fellow cowhands to laughter – all except his brother George, who comforts Rose then returns to marry her.

As Phil swings between fury and cunning, his taunting of Rose takes an eerie form – he hovers at the edges of her vision, whistling a tune she can no longer play. His mockery of her son is more overt, amplified by the cheering of Phil’s cowhand disciples. Then Phil appears to take the boy under his wing. Is this latest gesture a softening that leaves Phil exposed, or a plot twisting further into menace?

Trailer:

Netflix release THE POWER OF THE DOG in select theatres on November 17, 2021 and on Netflix December 1, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#FIRSTLOOK: “THE STARLING” TRAILER

Premiering at TIFF ’21, THE STARLING stars Melissa McCarthy. See this first Trailer for the September release.

Synopsis:

After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love

THE STARLING is in select theaters September 17, 2021 and on Netflix September 24, 2021.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

#TIFF21: IN CONVERSATION WITH… AND SPECIAL EVENTS ANNOUNCED

TIFF announced earlier today additional Special Events and In Conversations as part of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. While virtual, fans globally can tune-in to chats with the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Steve Yeun, Sir Kenneth Branagh and Kristen Stewart this year.

Additional details below:

Special Events – Part 2

Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine

Before Drake and The Weeknd, there was a different set of Toronto musicians who ruled the roost. Known simply as Triumph, this rock trio dominated North American radio and mainstream charts in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and were the envy of the touring business — with even The Jacksons taking a page out of their live-show book. But despite being one of the world’s biggest rock bands, the trio split at the height of their fame and seemingly disappeared without explanation to their fans or media. Directed by Sam Dunn and Marc Ricciardelli, produced by the Emmy-winning Banger Films in association with Revolver Films and set to a mesmerizing visual backdrop of spandex, ’80s hair, and explosive pyro, Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine reveals a deeper story about fame and the human condition as the band reunites for what might be the very last time they play music together.

Reflecting on 9/11: A day of recollection, 20 years later.

The horrific news from New York City on that bright, late-summer morning 20 years ago tore open the bubble of the Toronto International Film Festival. Everyone was shaken, but, for the hundreds of Americans and New Yorkers in Toronto for the Festival that day, the shock went deeper. TIFF staff, led by then CEO Piers Handling and Executive Director Michèle Maheux, decided immediately to pause screenings, to shut down red carpets altogether, and to help people get home to their families.

Two decades on, memory becomes more important. This year, we remember the filmmakers who have sought to tell the stories of 9/11 with insight and empathy. We remember the still-present threat of Islamophobia, including in film and television. This year, we mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with a day of recollection for our Festival community, including a special screening from Yard 44 and NBC News Studios, the new documentary Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11, by Bjørn Johnson and David Belton. This film explores the months following the worst terrorist attacks on the US, via recordings made in a simple video booth that captured the thoughts, feelings, and fears of more than five hundred Americans. Now, 20 years later, as the country and the world faces renewed uncertainty, Memory Box brings to the screen a collective, untold, and relevant story, presented by NBC News Studios, MSNBC Films and Peacock.

Platform Prize Jury

TIFF is also thrilled to announce the full international 2021 Platform Prize Jury. Led by Academy Award–nominated actor Riz Ahmed, the jurors include: Clio Barnard, Valerie Complex, Kazik Radwanski, and Anthony Chen.

In Conversation With…

This year’s In Conversation With… series connects audiences and film lovers around the world with some of the most talented artists working in film and television. The 2021 lineup includes award-winning actors and creators who have helped shape the discourse in the entertainment industry and who are presenting their highly-anticipated new films at the Festival. All In Conversation With… events are taking place digitally and will be accessible worldwide on the TIFF Bell Digital Talks platform.

Kenneth Branagh
The Academy Award–nominated writer, director, and actor joins us to discuss his wide-ranging career in film, television, and theatre; the challenges and joys of adapting Shakespeare’s plays for the big screen; and the journey of making Belfast (2021), a Gala Presentation at this year’s Festival and his most personal film to date.
Monday, September 13, 12pm EDT

Benedict Cumberbatch
The TIFF Tribute Actor Award recipient and Academy Award nominee joins us to discuss his career in film, theatre, and television, and his two films at this year’s Festival: Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog and Will Sharpe’s The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.
Sunday, September 12, 3:30pm EDT

Kristen Stewart
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of TIFF’s ongoing Share Her Journey initiative in support of women in the film industry, we proudly present a conversation with the award-winning actor about her collaborations with the likes of Olivier Assayas and Kelly Reichardt, and her portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s Spencer, a Special Event at this year’s Festival. Note: This live digital event is accessible to audiences worldwide on TIFF Bell Digital Talks for free as part of TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative, empowering and celebrating women behind and in front of the camera. Audiences can pre-register for this exclusive event here.
Wednesday, September 15, 12:30pm EDT

Steven Yeun
The Academy Award–nominated actor joins us to retrace his extraordinary journey from collaborations with Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and Lee Isaac Chung to his upcoming film, Stephen Karam’s The Humans, a Special Presentation at this year’s Festival.
Sunday, September 12, 6pm EDT

Additional Visionaries speaker added to the 2021 TIFF Industry Conference lineup:

VISIONARIES Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Generously supported by Anne-Marie Canning

Born in Bangkok, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the most influential and revered visual artists of this time. His incisive, visceral relationship with the moving image often draws on the ancestral myths of his country to reflect on his surroundings, from global social issues to the political concerns of modern Thailand. Join us for a conversation with the filmmaker, whose latest feature, Memoria, was one of two Jury Prize winners at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival moderated by TIFF Artistic Director & Co-Head Cameron Bailey.

TIFF 2021 Industry Selects

“These titles, hand-selected by TIFF’s Festival Programming team presented on our TIFF Digital Cinema Pro platform, are sure to garner interest from buyers,’’ said Diana Sanchez, Senior Director, Film. “They reflect the Festival’s global spirit and showcase a host of new voices and international talent.”

“We’re delighted to present these director-driven and audience-engaging sales titles from around the world to international buyers who rely on our festival to help discover the best cinema from across the globe,” added Geoff Macnaughton, Senior Director, Industry and Theatrical. “TIFF is thrilled to support buyers, sales agents, producers, and of course filmmakers this year with the TIFF Industry Selects distinction.”

107 Mothers Peter Kerekes | Slovakia
America Latina Damiano D’Innocenzo & Fabio D’Innocenzo | Italy, France
Cadejo Blanco Justin Lerner | Guatemala, USA, Mexico
Carmen Valerie Buhagiar | Malta, Canada
Cool Abdoul Jonas Backeland | Belgium
Domingo Raúl López Echeverría | Mexico, Austria, France
The Hole in the Fence Joaquín del Paso | Mexico, Poland
The King of All the World Carlos Saura | Mexico, Spain
La Civil Teodora Ana Mihai | Belgium, Romania, Mexico
The Last Mark Reem Morsi | Canada
My Night Antoinette Boulat | France
Night Blooms Stephanie Joline | Canada
Nightride Stephen Fingleton | UK
Nr. 10 Alex van Warmerdam | Netherlands, Belgium
Old Henry Potsy Ponciroli | USA
Onoda – 10,000 Nights in the Jungle Arthur Harari | France, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Italy
The Pink Cloud luli Gerbase | Brazil
Quake Tinna Hrafnsdóttir | Iceland
Reflection Valentyn Vasyanovych | Ukraine
The Score Malachi Smythe | UK
Shankar’s Fairies Irfana Majumdar | India
A Tale of Love and Desire Leyla Bouzid | France

The 2021 Toronto International Festival takes place September 9 – 19, 2021.

Official Film Schedule available here.

(Photo credit: Elevation Pictures)

#TIFF21: TIFF ’21 AWARDS, PRICING AND KEY DATES ANNOUNCED

Key dates, pricing and Awards at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival have been announced!

Returning this year is the coveted People’s Choice Award, often a precusor to Oscars glory starting with the buzz that generates out of TIFF. In addition, dates for ticketing and scheduling have been confirmed for this year’s Festival.

AWARDS

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD —  A longstanding tradition at TIFF, the People’s Choice Award marks its 44th year in 2021. Audience members who purchase a ticket are encouraged to place a vote for their favourite films online via tiff.net.  Recent People’s Choice winners include Nomadland (2020) and Jojo Rabbit (2019). All feature films in TIFF’s Official Selection are eligible for this award.

PLATFORM – Named after Jia Zhang-ke’s groundbreaking 2000 film Platform, the Platform Prize spotlights films with high artistic merit and strong directorial vision. All films invited to the Platform programme are eligible for this award, which is selected by an international jury. As previously announced, Academy Award–nominated actor Riz Ahmed will serve as the head of the 2021 Platform Prize jury. The winning filmmaker will receive a $20,000 CAD cash prize. 

The FIPRESCI Prize is presented by an international jury selected by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). Founded in 1930, the federation awards the prize at international film festivals to promote film art and to encourage new and emerging filmmakers to contribute to cinema. This year’s Toronto FIPRESCI prize is dedicated to emerging filmmakers premiering a feature-length film worldwide at TIFF. Jury members include Andrew Kendall, Esin Kücüktepepinar, Gilbert Seah, Teresa Vena and Caspar Salmon.

IMDbPro AWARDS — The 2021 IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards are Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman. IMDbPro will provide each of the three winners with a bursary of $10,000 CAD and a one-year membership to IMDbPro, the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, to help them continue achieving success in their careers. These awards build on IMDbPro’s nearly 20-year history of empowering entertainment professionals to discover new talent and projects, and on its ongoing commitment to supporting and collaboratively working with organizations that create greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the entertainment industry, including TIFF’s Share Her Journey initiative. Jury members include Sudeep Sharma, Tiffany Hsiung and Nicole Delaney. 

Presented by the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema, the NETPAC Award recognizes films specifically from the Asian and Pacific region. The jury consists of three members of the international community selected by TIFF and NETPAC, who award the prize to the best Asian or Pacific Islands film. Jury members include Gemma Cubero del Barrio, Isabelle Glachant and Elhum Shakerifar.

AMPLIFY VOICES AWARDS PRESENTED BY CANADA GOOSE — These awards will be presented to the three best feature films by under-represented filmmakers. Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including technique and passion that transports storytelling to screen. All feature films in Official Selection by emerging self-identified BIPOC filmmakers and all Canadian features are eligible, and the three winners will receive $10,000 CAD each. Jury members include Yung Chang, Calvin Thomas, Kaniehtiio Horn, Hugh Gibson and Aisha Jamal.

SHAWN MENDES FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKER AWARD — Presented by the Shawn Mendes Foundation, the 2021 Changemaker Award is awarded to an emerging filmmaker at the Festival whose work tackles issues of social change, and comes with a $10,000 CAD cash prize. The winning film will be selected by TIFF’s Next Wave Committee, a group of young film lovers who recognize cinema’s power to transform the world.


TICKET PRICING FOR FESTIVAL 2021 IS AS FOLLOWS:
Tickets for TIFF’s in-person venues — TIFF Bell Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the  Princess of Wales Theatre, Cinesphere Theatre at Ontario Place, and Scotiabank Theatre:

• Regular film screenings: $25 including taxes + fees
• Premium film screenings: $40 including taxes + fees

Drive-in screenings ​— Visa Skyline Drive-In and RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place: 

• Car with 1–2 people: $49 including taxes + fees
• Car with 3+ people: $69 including taxes + fees

Open-air cinema screenings​ ​— West Island Open Air Cinema at Ontario Place

• Lawn access for 2 people: $38 including taxes + fees

Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox:

• Regular film screenings: $19 including taxes + fees
• Premium film screenings: $26 including taxes + fees

TIFF Bell Digital Talks

• In Conversation With… events: $12 including taxes + fees (FREE for TIFF Members)

ON-SALE DATES & CATEGORIES 

August 26
Individual tickets for in-person and digital events go on sale to TIFF Patrons Circle Members according to level

August 28
Ticket transfers for in-person and digital events open
(Note: Ticket transfers for digital events are only available until ​September 7 at 5pm)

August 29
Digital ticket package redemption begins for TIFF Members, by level. Closes September 2 at 6pm

September 4
Individual tickets go on sale to Contributors Circle and Members 365 

September 5
Individual tickets go on sale to TIFF Insiders

September 6    
Individual tickets go on sale to the public

September 8
Ticket exchanges for in-person events open 

The schedule for the general public’s screenings will be available on the TIFF website at tiff.net/schedule on Tuesday, August 24 at 10am EDT. The screening schedule for Press & Industry screenings, the Industry Conference, and TIFF Bell Digital Talks programming will be available on TIFF’s website. Printed copies of the TIFF 2021 schedule will not be available.

#TIFF21: ADDITIONAL TITLES IN PLATFORM, SPECIAL EVENTS AND SHORT CUTS PROGRAMMES ANNOUNCED

Additional titles have been announced at TIFF ’21 today in the Platform, Special Events and Short Cuts Programmes, with Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) being named President of the Jury for the Platform Competition this year! The Competition seeks to reward films of high artistic merit that also demonstrate a strong directorial vision. Ahmed also will be at TIFF ’21 with the film ENCOUNTER, about two brothers embarking on a journey with their father to protect the world from an alien threat.

Pablo Larrain‘s SPENCER which stars Kristen Stewart as Diana also will be coming to the Festival in the Special Events Programme.

The Festival is set to take place September 9-18, 2021.

PLATFORM PROGRAMME

Arthur Rambo Laurent Cantet | France
World Premiere

Drunken Birds (Les oiseaux ivres) Ivan Grbovic | Canada
World Premiere

Earwig Lucile Hadžihalilović | United Kingdom/France/Belgium
World Premiere

Huda’s Salon Hany Abu-Assad | Palestine/Egypt/Netherlands/Qatar
World Premiere

Mlungu Wam(Good Madam)(Mlungu Wam) Jenna Cato Bass | South Africa
World Premiere

Montana Story Scott McGehee, David Siegel | USA
World Premiere

Silent Land(Cicha Ziemia) Aga Woszczyńska | Poland/Italy/Czech Republic
World Premiere

Yuni Kamila Andini | Singapore/France/Indonesia/Australia
World Premiere

TIFF SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME

A Few Miles South Ben Pearce | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice(Angakusajaujuq) Zacharias Kunuk | Canada
North American Premiere

Anxious Body Yoriko Mizushiri | France/Japan
North American Premiere

ASTEL Ramata-Toulaye Sy | France/Senegal
World Premiere  

Beity Isabelle Mecattaf | Lebanon/United States of America
International Premiere

Bhai Hamza Bangash | United Kingdom/Canada/Pakistan
World Premiere

Boobs Marie Valade | Canada
North American Premiere

Charlotte Zach Dorn | United States of America 
World Premiere 

DEFUND Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah, Araya Mengesha | Canada 
World Premiere

Displaced (Pa Vend) Samir Karahoda | Kosovo
North American Premiere

DUST BATH Seth A Smith | Canada 
World Premiere 

Egúngún(Masquerade) Olive Nwosu | United Kingdom/Nigeria
World Premiere

Fanmi Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Carmine Pierre-Dufour | Canada
World Premiere

Hanging On Alfie Barker | United Kingdom
International Premiere

I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse Ayçe Kartal | France
North American Premiere

I Would Never Kiran Deol | United States of America
World Premiere 

Little Bird Tim Myles | Canada 
World Premiere

Love, Dad (Milý tati) Diana Cam Van Nguyen | Czech Republic/Slovakia
Canadian Premiere

Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics Terril Calder | Canada
World Premiere

Motorcyclist’s Happiness Won’t Fit Into His Suit (Al motociclista no le cabe la felicidad en el traje) Gabriel Herrera | Mexico
Canadian Premiere 

NuisanceBear Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Canada 
World Premiere

Ousmane Jorge Camarotti | Canada
World Premiere

Saturday Night Rosana Matecki | Canada
World Premiere

Shark Nash Edgerton | Australia
World Premiere

Soft Animals Renee Zhan | United Kingdom 
North American Premiere

Some Still Search (Algunos Siguen Buscando) Nesaru Tchaas | United States of America
World Premiere

Srikandi Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Indonesia/Canada
World Premiere

Successful Thawing of Mr. Moro (Lyckad upptining av herr Moro) Jerry Carlsson | Sweden 
International Premiere

Sycorax (Sycorax)Lois Patiño, Matías Piñeiro | Portugal/Spain
North American Premiere

The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be Adeyemi Michael | United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

The Infantas (Las Infantas) Andrea Herrera Catalá | Spain
World Premiere

The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night Fawzia Mirza | United States of America/Canada
World Premiere

Together (Ham-Gye) Albert Shin | Canada/South Korea
World Premiere

Trumpets in the Sky Rakan Mayasi | Palestine/Lebanon/France/Belgium
World Premiere

Twelve Hours Paul Shkordoff | Canada 
World Premiere

White Devil Mariama Diallo, Benjamin Dickinson | United States of America
World Premiere

You and Me, Before and After Madeleine Gottlieb | Australia
International Premiere

Zero (Nula) Lee Filipovski | Canada/Serbia
World Premiere

SPECIAL EVENTS

Special IMAX Screenings of Dune

The film, based on Frank Herbert’s classic novel, will screen at the Cinesphere in Toronto on the following dates:

·  Saturday, September 11 – World Exclusive IMAX Special Event
·  Sunday, September 12 – Repeat IMAX Screening  
·  Saturday, September 18 – Public IMAX Screening

TIFF is also delighted to announce an additional Special IMAX screening of Dune in Montreal presented by Bell at Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal on Sunday, September 12. 

This screening is made possible in venue partnership with Cineplex as part of TIFF’s Canadian Satellite Screening programme. An additional screening of Dune will take place in Toronto at Scotiabank Theatre on September 13.

NBA Films For Fans created with OLG

On November 1, 1946, the NBA’s first-ever game was held at Maple Leaf Gardens, where the hometown Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers. Seventy-five years later, as part of the league’s anniversary celebrations, the NBA honours its Canadian roots at TIFF 2021. 

TIFF is proud to announce the launch of NBA Films For Fans created with OLG. This can’t-miss Special Event will feature five short films from Canadian filmmakers and basketball fans: Thyrone Tommy — also at this year’s Festival with his debut feature, Learn to Swim — and fellow Torontonians and TIFF talent development alumni Romeo Candido, Shawn Gerrard, and S.M. Turrell, as well as Vancouverite Kat Jayme, also a Talent Alumni as the 2019 Pitch This winner. Learn more about the Special Event and register for updates at NBAFilmsForFans.com.

Special Event Films

A Hero (Ghahreman) Asghar Farhadi | Iran

Memoria Apichatpong Weerasethakul | Colombia/Thailand/United Kingdom/France/Germany/Mexico 

Spencer Pablo Larraín  | United Kingdom/Germany

More at tiff.net.

(Photo/video credit: Amazon Prime Video)