TIFF highlights for Sept. 10
- Welcome to Day 7 of the Toronto International Film Festival. Yesterday, Colin Farrell, Jodie Foster, Amanda Seyfried, Sigourney Weaver, Édgar Ramírez, William H. Macy and Felicity Jones were some of the big names that walked the red carpets of their respective TIFF premieres.
- Today, TIFF will screen one of the most headline-grabbing events in recent festival history, with the world premiere of Canadian director Barry Avrich’s documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. The documentary was pulled and then reinstated into the festival’s lineup days later. Ahead of the film’s world premiere this afternoon at Roy Thomson Hall, TIFF chief executive Cameron Bailey spoke exclusively with The Globe’s Barry Hertz about the programming decisions behind the film, and the ensuing controversy’s impact on the organization.
- The Globe got ready with actress Star Slade before the TIFF premiere of her movie Nika & Madison. In the film, Slade plays the titular Madison, who returns to her hometown after university only to be met with a chilly welcome from her ex-best friend and cousin, Nika. After a fateful decision, the Indigenous women are forced on the run from a predatory police offer.
- On Thursday, Sept. 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET, film editor Barry Hertz and writer Johanna Schneller will be answering reader questions about TIFF 50, including who’s expected to take the festival’s top awards, their personal top picks, and more. Submit your questions here.
The TIFF film premieres happening today
Homebound
A scene from the TIFF film Homebound.TIFF
Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound follows a pair of best friends from a northern Indian village who dream of securing police work until circumstances and the continuing humiliation they suffer as a result of religious and caste-based bigotry threatens to crush their hopes – and even their friendship. The film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, was inspired by Kashmiri journalist Basharat Peer’s New York Times essay in 2020. It stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.
Homebound screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11 and 13.
Two Pianos
A scene from Two Pianos from French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin.Emmanuelle Firman/TIFF
Featuring François Civil and Charlotte Rampling, Two Pianos from French filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin follows a virtuosic pianist who returns from Asia to his hometown of Lyon, where his childhood mentor convinces him to collaborate on a series of concerts at the city’s historic auditorium. TIFF describes the film as an mystery in which music, memory and identity merge and threaten to overwhelm.
Two Pianos screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11 and 12.
The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue
A scene of Noam Tibon in The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.TIFF
Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich’s Oct. 7, 2023, documentary follows the mission of retired Israel Defense Forces Major-General Noam Tibon as he journeys from Tel Aviv to the Nahal Oz kibbutz near the Gaza border, where his son’s family resided during the Hamas attacks. The documentary was pulled the film from the TIFF lineup last month and then reinstated, and sparked pro-Palestinian protests on King Street West over the weekend. Ahead of the screening, Barry Avrich and Major-General Noam Tibon sat down for an exclusive joint interview with The Globe’s Barry Hertz to discuss the film’s production and its festival inclusion.
The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue screens at TIFF on Sept. 10.
Project Y
Director Lee Hwan’s Project Y, starring Han So-hee and Jun Jong-seo, is one of the most anticipated Korean films of the year.TIFF
Director Lee Hwan’s Project Y is one of the most anticipated Korean films of the year. The crime drama, starring Han So-hee and Jun Jong-seo, follows two young women living in Gangnam, Seoul, who save up money to open a flower shop – until their hopes are shattered by betrayal. Their unbreakable bond drives them to steal hidden black money and gold bars to reclaim their stolen futures.
Project Y screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11, 12 and 13.
The Wizard of the Kremlin
A scene from The Wizard of the Kremlin.carole bethuel/TIFF
Alicia Vikander, Jude Law, Jeffrey Wright and Paul Dano star in political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin, which captures an insider’s chronicle of post–Cold War Russia. In the film, an American journalist with a long-standing interest in Russian history is invited to the luxurious dacha of a former adviser to Vladimir Putin. Directed by Olivier Assayas, it is based on the debut novel by Giuliano da Empoli.
The Wizard of the Kremlin screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11, 12 and 14.
The Fence
A scene from The Fence starring Matt Dillon.TIFF
The Fence from director Claire Denis follows the supervisor of a British-owned construction site in Africa who must deal with the death of one of his workers – until a local villager arrives demanding answers. The film, starring Isaach De Bankolé and Matt Dillon, adapts the Bernard-Marie Koltès play Black Battles with Dogs, and explores themes of racial inequality, exploitation and masculinity.
The Fence screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11, 13 and 14.
Scarlet
A still from anime director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest film, Scarlet.TIFF
Anime director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest film, Scarlet, evokes Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet. The anime film follows a young girl as she seeks to avenge her father’s death at the hands of her uncle.
Scarlet screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, 11, 12 and 13.
Midnight Madness: F– My Son!
A still from the movie F– My Son!TIFF
Todd Rohal’s F– My Son!, which makes its world premiere at TIFF, is an adaptation of Johnny Ryan’s comic about a mother, well, trying to find someone to sleep with her mutant son. The TIFF site calls it an “uncut, unclean geek show of odious viscosity and a gleefully depraved spectacle,” so enter at your own risk.
F– My Son! screens at TIFF on Sept. 10 and 11.
Star watch
- Matt Dillon, Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, Han So-hee, Jun Jong-seo, Jude Law and Paul Dano are among the celebrities expected to be in town and walk the red carpet.
- Director Park Chan-wook is set to participate in an “In Conversation With…” session to discuss his latest film, No Other Choice, and to reflect on his acclaimed body of work on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET at Royal Alexandra Theatre.
The big parties and other events
People walk along King Street as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 50th edition in Toronto.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
- The celebrations will continue in Toronto’s David Pecaut Square from Sept. 4 to 13 for open-air movie screenings and other activities. Romantic comedy High Fidelity, starring John John Cusackl have a free outdoor screening Wednesday evening on Cinema Park in David Pecaut Square, starting at 10 p.m. ET.
How to get TIFF tickets, and other common questions
People wait in a rush line for tickets on King Street as the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) returns for its 50th edition.Carlos Osorio/Reuters
How do you buy TIFF tickets?
You can buy curated ticket packages, member bundles or individual tickets to film screenings. Tickets went on sale to the general public Aug. 25, but you are still able to purchase individual tickets to screenings throughout the festival. Prices for regular screenings start at $29 and prices for premium screenings start at $43. Browse films and purchase tickets on TIFF’s website.
Where can I see this year’s festival schedule?
The TIFF schedule is available on the festival’s website and can be sorted by venue, type of screening and date.
What are “rush” tickets, and how do they work?
Festival-goers who are unable to secure a ticket online are able to wait in rush lines for screenings. About 15 minutes prior to a screening’s start time, staff will count the amount of empty seats in the cinema and sell rush tickets to those in line on a first-come, first-served basis. The TIFF website recommends arriving no earlier than 60 minutes before the screening to wait in the rush line.
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