TORONTO: The Toronto International Film Festival commenced with strong political undertones as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and former US President Barack Obama delivered opening remarks before Hollywood celebrities took centre stage.
North America’s largest film festival celebrates its 50th anniversary with stars including Daniel Craig, Sydney Sweeney and Matthew McConaughey presenting their latest films over the eleven-day event.
The festival opening occurred against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s threats toward Canada, prompting Prime Minister Carney to address sovereignty concerns during his introduction of the opening documentary about Canadian comic John Candy.
Carney received enthusiastic applause when he stated that Canadians facing external threats had “channeled their inner John Candy” in response to political challenges.
Barack and Michelle Obama presented “The Eyes of Ghana,“ a documentary produced by their production company that features previously unseen footage of Ghana’s first president Kwame Nkrumah.
The former president emphasised the historical significance of sharing colonized perspectives through cinema during his video message introduction.
TIFF surpasses more famous European festivals in scale by attracting approximately 400,000 visitors annually to Toronto for its audience-focused programming and Oscar campaign launches.
Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in the latest “Knives Out” installment “Wake Up Dead Man,“ which receives its world premiere on Saturday alongside co-stars Glenn Close, Mila Kunis and Josh Brolin.
Sydney Sweeney transitions from recent controversy to Oscar contention with her portrayal of female boxing pioneer Christy Martin in the biopic “Christy,“ premiering on Friday.
Matthew McConaughey stars in the intense action-thriller “The Lost Bus,“ based on true events involving schoolchildren rescued from California wildfires.
The festival lineup includes appearances by Paul Mescal, Angelina Jolie and Anya Taylor-Joy alongside numerous European directors bringing distinctive cinematic styles.
French director Claire Denis presents “The Fence” starring Matt Dillon, while Arnaud Desplechin offers the romantic drama “Two Pianos” featuring Charlotte Rampling.
Angelina Jolie appears in Alice Winocour’s Paris fashion drama “Couture,“ and Anya Taylor-Joy stars alongside Chris Evans in Romain Gavras’s climate change satire “Sacrifice.”
Russell Crowe delivers a critically acclaimed performance as Nazi Hermann Goering in the historical drama “Nuremberg,“ opposite Oscar-winner Rami Malek.
Keanu Reeves appears as an incompetent angel in Aziz Ansari’s body-swapping comedy “Good Fortune,“ while Channing Tatum portrays a real-life fugitive in “Roofman.”
Brendan Fraser plays a lonely actor for hire in the Tokyo-set drama “Rental Family” among the festival’s diverse programming.
The festival continues through September 14 after selecting several films from the influential Telluride festival for additional exposure.
Paul Mescal’s performance as young William Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao’s “Hamnet” generates significant Oscar buzz following its successful Telluride premiere. – AFP