In addition to the 336 films (268 features; 68 shorts) being presented at this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which opens September 8 and runs until September 18, this year’s edition will feature an expanded focus on popular TIFF programs such as the Master Class program with maverick Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald (“Queer as Folk,” “The Collector”) and several different Meet With sessions, which feature in-depth discussions with leading producers, screenwriters, costume designers, and industry professionals.
Now in its 36th year, TIFF is widely recognized as one of the most important film festivals in the world, focusing on both Canadian and international cinema. The festival’s reach this year is as impressive as years past, with filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Luc Besson, and Werner Herzog premiering films.
Coppola’s film “Twixt” may be one of the most anticipated films featured at TIFF. The film stars Val Kilmer and Bruce Dern and focuses on a writer with a faltering career who finds himself entangled in the murder of a girl in a town he is visiting for a book tour.
The Meet With sessions will be held in the Filmmakers Lounge in the Hyatt Regency, which is adjacent to the Bell Lightbox, which is the year-round, permanent home for TIFF. These mostly informal sessions take place September 9-13 and feature industry veterans such as Hayet Benkara, Industry Consultant, Toronto International Film Festival; Derrick Martini, writer/director, “Hick,” and Jane Schoettle, International Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival, who will take part in the How to Festival Program; Alex Kavanagh, Costume Designer - “Splice” and “Saw 3D: The Final Chapter,” and Heather Neale – Costume Designer, “Goon” and “Keyhole,” who will take part in the From Stitch to Screen: Contemporary Canadian Costume Design; and Karynn Austin, Interim National Feature Film Executive, Telefilm Canada; Ann MacKenzie, President & CEO, Film Nova Scotia; Kristine Murphy, Director of Industry Development, OMDC; and Robert Wong, Vice President, Tax Credits & Development, Film BC, who will discuss different aspects of film finance in The Film Funders.
With the opening of the Bell Lightbox, TIFF is able to present several different programs highlighting filmmakers and actors. One of the most intriguing programs beginning in October after the festival concludes is a retrospective of the films of Nicholas Ray (“Rebel without a Cause,” “Bitter Victory”), presented by his wife and collaborator Susan Ray. Other filmmakers dropping by the Bell Lightbox include Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) and Guillermo del Toro, who will discuss his career in fantasy and horror filmmaking on October 27, just in time for Halloween.
Visit www.tiff.net for a complete schedule of events.
