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TORONTO

D A I LY
1

SEPTEMBER
11, 2015

THR.COM/TORONTO

BORN TO BE BLUE

BEEBA BOYS

REMEMBER

HELLIONS

HURT

CELEBRATING ONTARIO FILM:


ANOTHER BANNER YEAR!
ROOM

OMDC D1 091115.indd 1

INTO THE FOREST

THE STEPS

ZOOM

9/10/15 2:05 PM

In 1976, a group of actors, musicians and bit part players converged on


Elstree Studios to work on a small sci lm...
Their lives would never be the same.

The Works presents a true story about big people


in (very) small roles.
WORLD PREMIERE

BUYERS ONLY SCREENING

Saturday 12 September at 9:45am Thompson Hotel, 550 Wellington Street West


- Available: Worldwide excluding Australia. North America represented by CAA In attendance: Clare Crean, Head of Sales. September 10th-15th. Tel: +44 7900 212 207
Edrianne Wenger, Sales & Marketing Executive. September 10th-15th. Tel: +1 301 785 9087

WorksInt_DayX_Toronto2015_THR.indd 1
The Works D1 091115.indd 1

04/09/2015 17:49
9/10/15 2:03 PM

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015


THR.COM/TORONTO

TORONTO
WEATHER
AND HIGH
TEMPS

TODAY

72 F
22 C

T O R O N T O 1

TOMORROW

65 F
18 C

Harveys Guru:
Were Ready
to Buy By Tatiana Siegel

oming into the festival,


The Weinstein Co.
posed the biggest
question mark: Would the
studio of Harvey and Bob
Weinstein minus its COO
David Glasser be an active
player in the market?
But now that Glasser has
reversed his decision to resign from
TWC to remain
in the Weinstein
fold through 2018,
Glasser
a new question
has emerged: Can the studio
quickly regain its position as
the tone-setter it has been in
years past?
Glasser, for one, says he
is fully prepared to lead his
troops at the festival even
though the ink has barely dried
on his new contract, which
he hammered out over the
weekend.
I have been reading all of
Naomi Watts greets her fans at the TIFF opening night gala screening of Jean-Marc Vallees relationship drama at Roy Thomson Hall.
the acquisition reports, the
prepping and planning, reading the scripts for presales,
Glasser says of how he spent
his time since he announced
July 30 that he was exiting the
Michael Moores latest bomb-throwing documentary joins pics about sex abuse, drones
company. Im coming in at
and Dan Rather in perhaps the festivals most controversial slate ever By Tatiana Siegel
full capacity, ready to go if we
find the one, two, three [mov winners of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize on hand for
ith a cluster of hot-button films, Toronto
ies] or none. Whatever we find,
a Q&A. The Tom McCarthy-helmed film, which shines
2015 might go down as one of the most
were ready to buy.
an unflattering light on the churchs role in keeping
controversial on record.
Glasser says he fielded
As the 40th annual festival kicked off Sept. 10 with the scandal from surfacing, comes at a time when
eight offers for top posts that
provocateur Michael Moores Where to Invade Next, the Catholicism is enjoying an improved image thanks
he declined to name
to charismatic Pope Francis. But Spotlight financier
tone was set for a charged atmosphere to rival
because he signed nonParticipant Media, the company behind socially
a
Donald
Trump
press
conference.
MARKET
PREVIEW
disclosure agreements.
minded films like An Inconvenient Truth, is
From the priest sex abuse scandal
page 4
(Rumors swirled that he
quick to point out that the film is an indictdrama Spotlight to the Dan Rather downwas courted by Jeffrey
ment of the city more than the church.
fall pic Truth to the thinly veiled satire
Katzenberg for a DreamWorks
I dont see the film as anti-Catholic, says
about political strategists Our Brand Is Crisis,
Moore
Animation post and by Tom
Participant executive vp Jonathan King, who says
this years festival promises 10 days of heated
Rothman to run TriStar.) By the
he was sensitive to Church-bashing given that he was
debate.
end of August, he had narraised Catholic. This is more a movie about every
Based on the true story of the Boston Globe jourrowed it down to two suitors.
powerful institution in Boston basically colluding to
nalists who uncovered Catholic priest pedophilia,
Spotlight screens Sept. 14 with its real-life subjects
C O N T I N U ED O N PA G E 2
C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2

Demolition (Wo)man

Scandal, Politics Invade Toronto

(PHOTO BY GEORGE PIMENTEL/WIREIMAGE)

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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9/10/15 9:09 PM

theREPORT

HEAT INDEX

TOM MCCARTHY
A year after bombing at TIFF with Adam
Sandler dud The Cobbler, the director
returns with great buzz for the church sex
scandal drama Spotlight starring Michael
Keaton and Mark Ruffalo.

Scandal
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

keep this powerful story secret. Similarly, Johnny


Depps Whitey Bulger drama Black Mass, playing Sept.
14, details how Bostons FBI office enabled the famed
mobster.
With Our Brand Is Crisis, director David Gordon
Green kept real-life inspiration James Carville at
arms length for legal reasons. We were shooting in New Orleans where he lives, and I was very
tempted to say, Hey lets go grab dinner. Id love
to rack your brain, Gordon Green says of his
film, inspired by the political campaign tactics of
Greenberg Carville Shrum in the 2002 Bolivian
presidential election. But I think there were enough
very valid reasons that we thought we should probably keep a little distance from some of the truthful
characters.
Other potentially polarizing films in this years
festival mix include hot sales title Eye in the
Sky, a cautionary tale about drone warfare, and

admonitory climate change documentary This


Changes Everything, produced in conjunction with
Naomi Kleins best-seller of the same name.
But nothing will get the right wing more agitated than Truth and Where to Invade Next. With
renowned liberal Robert Redford in a sympathetic
portrayal of Rather, who was fired from CBS after
questioning George W. Bushs military record, the
James Vanderbilt-directed drama is certain to spark
a backlash with conservative critics. Ditto for
Where to Invade Next, the first film in six years from
Moore, the granddaddy of controversy-courting
with such documentaries as the Bush indictment
Fahrenheit 9/11 and anti-gun Oscar winner Bowling
for Columbine.
The film pokes fun at Americas long history of
utilizing military force abroad. Ironically, one buyer
who saw the film said Invade is lacking something
that other Moore docs have featured.
Theres no villain, the buyer says. Thats a big
problem. And that omission may provoke a debate
of its own.

FROM CATHOLICS TO CARVILLE: 4 HOT-BUTTON FESTIVAL TITLES


AT O M E G OYA N
The Toronto native cant catch a break.
His latest, Remember, was
heavily panned out of Venice, the latest
in a long line of critically defamed
films from the once celebrated director
of The Sweet Hereafter.

know your dealmaker

SPOTLIGHT
A look at the true story of the
Boston Globe team that reported
on the cover-up of the citys
Catholic Church sex scandal.

TRUTH
Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett
star in James Vanderbilts
sympathetic portrayal of Dan
Rathers ouster from CBS.

Glasser
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

AMY BEECROFT
VERVE VENTURES

The international sales veteran has put


the 5-year-old agency into the packaging,
finance and sales game. She will
introduce its first project, the thriller
The Twisted, to buyers at TIFF.

MEANWHILE, IN THE REAL WORLD


After more than six months in
exile, Brian Williams is set to
return to MSNBC on Sept. 22.
Hell anchor live breaking news
that day, which is expected
to include coverage of the U.S.
visit of Pope Francis.
Donald Trumps Hollywood
Walk of Fame star at 6801
Hollywood Blvd. has been
defaced with a large yellow X.
Talks are underway to move
Legendary Entertainments
Kong: Skull Island from
Universal to Warner Bros.,
putting King Kong and Godzilla
in one cinematic universe.

I had a lot of different offers


that I took a look at startups,
rebuilds, studios, Glasser told
THR before he boarded a flight
to Toronto. The one consistent
thing that stayed in the back of
my head even as I was sizing up
these other opportunities was,
Look, Ive already built it. We
built it together, me, Bob and
Harvey. It already exists.
He said acquisitions will continue to be a key part of TWCs
game plan, which should hearten
sales agents. However, TWC has
been surprisingly quiet on the fest
circuit for the past 18 months. A
bid to sell the companys TV division to ITV fell apart in the spring.
But Glasser insists that TWC
is in growth mode, and he
wouldnt have returned otherwise.
Everyone wanted me to replicate
what I did with The Weinstein
Company, he says. Instead, I
said, Lets bring the band back
together.

WHERE TO INVADE NEXT


Michael Moore, who shot the
movie abroad without drawing
attention, looks into Americas
thirst for military action overseas.

VOD Drives Unexpected


Saban Growth
By Rebecca Ford

aban Films, the distribution company founded by media magnate Haim Saban, paid a reported $2.5 million for U.S. rights to
John Travolta-starrer The Forger at Toronto in 2014. It turns out
the deal, one of the splashiest of last years fest, was a smart bet. The
film has earned nearly $3 million across all VOD platforms, including theatrical, due to Sabans customized distribution plan.
The company, which shared its VOD numbers with THR,
first released The Forger exclusively on DirecTV 30 days
before it was released in select theaters and VOD.
The Forgers success is a reflection of the 16-month-old
Saban
companys overall distribution strategy, which is based on
creating release plans specific to each films strengths. Saban is also
seeing similar pacing with its latest release, the Pierce Brosnan-starrer
Some Kind of Beautiful, which was released on DirecTV on July 23 and
VOD on Aug. 21.
We want to let filmmakers know that not getting a nationwide
theatrical release doesnt mean your film is being dumped, says vp
marketing Jonathan Saba.
Ultimately what were after is to find films that work in all the
platforms, adds Saban Films president Bill Bromiley.
For its next release, Saban also is building a unique release plan
around the Simon Pegg and Lake Bell-starrer Man Up. After Tribeca,
Saban decided to give it a platform release on Nov. 13 in New York and
Los Angeles. Depending on how Man Up does in its first weeks, it can
decide to trigger the VOD component early if it feels right.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

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OUR BRAND IS CRISIS


Billy Bob Thornton is a thinlyveiled James Carville trying to
sway a Bolivian presidential
election with Sandra Bullock.

9/10/15 9:09 PM

LINEUP

BETA CINEMA
AT TIFF 2015

COLONIA

SCREENINGS

World Premiere, Special Presentations,


at the Princess of Wales

Sun | Sept 13 | 10:00 pm | Princess of Wales | WP


Mon | Sept 14 | 9:00 am | Scotiabank 1 | P&I
Mon | Sept 14 | 11:30 am | Visa Screening Room | PUBLIC
Tue | Sept 15 | 3:00 pm | Scotiabank 1 | P&I
Sat | Sept 19 | 12:00 pm | Ryerson Theatre | PUBLIC

DIRECTOR Florian Gallenberger


CAST

Emma Watson (NOAH, HARRY POTTER), Daniel


Brhl (RUSH, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS), Mikael
Nyqvist (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO)

THE PEOPLE VS.


FRITZ BAUER
WINNER of the Audience Award
Piazza Grande Locarno
DIRECTOR Lars Kraume
CAST

SCREENINGS
Sat | Sept 12 | 2:00 pm | Scotiabank 13 | P&I
Sun | Sept 13 | 6:00 pm | Scotiabank 1 | PUBLIC
Tue | Sept 15 | 2:15 pm | The Bloor Hot Docs | PUBLIC
Fri | Sept 18 | 6:45 pm | Scotiabank 1 | PUBLIC

Burghart Klauner (THE WHITE RIBBON,


13 MINUTES), Ronald Zehrfeld (BARBARA, PHOENIX),
Sebastian Blomberg (THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX)

THE KIND WORDS

SCREENINGS

NOMINATED for 12 Israeli Academy Awards


including Best Film and Best Director

TODAY | Sept 10 | 1:45 pm | Scotiabank 8 | P&I


TODAY | Sept 10 | 7:00 pm | Scotiabank 4 | PUBLIC
TOMORROW | Sept 11 | 12:30 pm |
tiff Bell Lightbox 3 | PUBLIC
Wed | Sept 16 | 11:15 am | Scotiabank 10 | P&I
Thu | Sept 17 | 9:15 pm | tiff Bell Lightbox 1 | PUBLIC

DIRECTOR Shemi Zarhin (AVIVA MY LOVE)


CAST

Rotem Zisman-Cohen, Roy Assaf


(GODS NEIGHBOURS), Asaf Ben-Shimon,
Tsahi Halevi (BETHLEHEM),
Sasson Gabay (THE BANDS VISIT)

COCONUT HERO

SCREENING

Touching, funny and beautifully crafted. (THR)

Mon | Sept 14 | 3:00 pm | tiff Bell Lightbox 6

DIRECTOR Florian Cossen (THE DAY I WAS NOT BORN)


CAST

Alex Ozerov (BLACKBIRD), Krista Bridges


(HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET),
Sebastian Schipper (RUN LOLA RUN), Bea Santos

HEIL

SCREENING

From the award winning director of


STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Mon | Sept 14 | 9:00 am | tiff Bell Lightbox 5

DIRECTOR Alexander Sass


CAST

Benno Frmann (IN DARKNESS), Liv Lisa Fries


(THE WAVE), Jerry Hofmann, Jacob Matschenz
(JACK, THE WAVE)

TIFF OFFICE King Ballroom / Hyatt Regency Hotel / 370 King St. West / Mezzanine Level (German Films Stand)
HEAD OFFICE Gruenwalder Weg 28d / D-82041 / Oberhaching / Phone +49 89 673469 - 828
beta@betacinema.com / www.betacinema.com

Beta Cinema D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 1:47 PM

theREPORT

Four Reasons to Expect an


Especially Slow Toronto Market
Facing everything from a struggling Chinese economy to a lack of hot titles, dealmakers
are less than optimistic. Says one insider: Theres not much out there By Scott Roxborough

fter what many say was an


overheated and overhyped
2014 TIFF, Toronto this
year looks to be a significantly
more sober affair. With few major
unsold titles available Michael
Moores Where to Invade Next being
the primary exception and a
paucity of big presale packages in
the offering, most buyers expect a
quiet market. While deals will be
done at TIFF, heres why sellers
shouldnt expect a repeat of last
years feeding frenzy.
THERES SLIM PICKINGS Only
a handful of unsold titles are
generating pre-festival buzz,
including Rebecca Millers Maggies
Plan, which is being sold by CAA,
Cinetic and Protagonist; and
Tom McCarthys Spotlight from
Entertainment One, which has
already sold to Open Road for the

U.S. and has international buyers


circling. On the presale side,
Voltage and CAAs Gerard Butler
actioner The Headhunters Calling is
one of the few packages that looks
to be an easy sell. I havent sensed
a lot of anticipation from buyers
so far; there doesnt seem to be
much excitement, says Charlotte
Boucon, head of international sales
at Frances SND Groupe.
THE BIG TITLES ARE ALREADY GONE
This week, New Line Cinema
snatched worldwide rights to
Film Nations Will Smith-starrer
Collateral Beauty, taking arguably
this markets biggest presale title
out of the mix. Sony Pictures
Classics did a similar pre-emptive
strike of hot festival title The
Meddler, staring Susan Sarandon,
Rose Byrne and J.K. Simmons.
Theres not much out there. It
Maggies Plan, with
Greta Gerwig and
Ethan Hawke, is one
of the few titles
generating buzz.

looks like it will be more


about trying to find a hidden
gem like Slumdog Millionaire
[in 2008], says Rudiger Boss,
acquisitions head for German
group ProSiebenSat.1.
THE CHINESE ECONOMY Worries
about slowing growth in the
worlds second-largest film market
have rattled sellers who look to
China to make up the gap from a
still-struggling Europe. Theyll
be plenty of Chinese buyers at
TIFF, but I dont expect to see
many deals everyones become
a little more cautious, says one
European sales exec.
THE RELATIVITY HANGOVER
The bankruptcy of Ryan
Kavanaughs mini-major just
before TIFF removing a major
producer and leading domestic
buyer is certain to cast a
pall over the Toronto market.
The fallout from Relativity
is unfortunate. Its never good
when you lose a big buyer,
says Lisa Wilson of The Solution
Entertainment Group, though
she argued that any drop will be
temporary. Domestic players are
very healthy right now. I dont
think anyone is concerned this
will have a lasting effect.

Hendricks, Watson Join WWI Drama By Rebecca Ford

ad Men star Christina Hendricks


and two-time Oscar nominee
Emily Watson will star in The
Angel Makers, a World War I romantic
drama that will be directed by English
filmmaker Jon Amiel.
Abbie Cornish (Limitless), Max Riemelt
(Sense8) and David Kross (The Reader)
also have joined the film, which is slated
to begin production in January.
The movie, based on true events,
centers on the women of Englands
Yorkshire Moors, who were left to maintain the farms when their men headed
off to fight in France in 1917. When the
women enlist German POWs from a
nearby internment camp to do labor on
their land, affairs soon begin to bloom.
Six-time Emmy nominee Hendricks,

whose upcoming films include Nicolas


Winding Refns The Neon Demon, will play
the leader of the women, whose skills as
a midwife and witch doctor are needed to
mix the potions that can save a life or
take it away.
Arclight Films will present the
project to buyers at TIFF and is
handling worldwide sales. We have
all of the elements of a major commercial success in place; an award-winning
and visionary director, a team of
powerful producers, an extremely
talented, world-renowned cast and a
captivating, well-written story, says
Arclight Films senior vp sales and
acquisitions Clay Epstein. The Angel
Makers is produced by Jeanna Polley,
Alice de Sousa and Nicolas Steil.
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_news3_G.indd 4

TORONTO
DEALS
Rhys Meyers Joins
Adventure Shambhala
Jonathan Rhys Meyers has
signed on to star in Shambhala,
a survivalist drama set in the
Himalayas. The Irish actor
will play the lone survivor of a plane crash in
the Hindu Kush mountain range in Northern
Meyers
Pakistan. Xeitgeist
Entertainment Group, the
Singapore/Australia-based banner behind Damascus Cover, is
producing Shambhala on
a $3.5 million budget.

SquareOne Lands
Redford/Blanchett
Starrer Truth
SquareOne Entertainment
has taken all German and
Austrian rights for Truth, the
drama from director James
Vanderbilt on the Dan Rather
media scandal of 2004. The
film stars Robert Redford
as the newsman and
Cate Blanchett as his
60 Minutes producer,
Blanchett
Mary Mapes. Mapes
and Rather became
embroiled in a scandal when
he reported on the CBS investigative news show that George
W. Bush had received special
treatment while serving in the
Air National Guard during the
Vietnam War. Elisabeth Moss,
Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace
co-star.

Movement Crosses
to Other Side

Hendricks

Film Movement has acquired


North American rights to
Roberto Minervinis documentary The Other Side. The
film tackles the subject of
poverty in Louisiana, teeming
with drug addicts, floundering young women and
shell-shocked soldiers. Film
Movement plans to release
the film in 2016.

9/10/15 9:05 PM

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9/10/15 1:48 PM

theREPORT

THR AT TORONTO

n
Hidde
GEM

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Matthew Belloni

Gaza Biopic Offers Unlikely Uplift

Director Hany Abu-Assad turns dismay into delight with his poignant look at a
determined wedding singer from a refugee camp who wins Arab Idol By Alex Ritman

matthew.belloni@thr.com

PHOTO & VIDEO DIRECTOR

Jennifer Laski | jennifer.laski@thr.com


NEWS

Kevin Cassidy

kevin.cassidy@thr.com | +1 213 840 1896

Scott Roxborough

scott.roxborough@thr.com | +49 172 587 5075

Etan Vlessing

etan.vlessing@sympatico.ca | +1 416 578 8276

Tatiana Siegel

tatiana.siegel@thr.com | +1 310 998 7212

Borys Kit

borys.kit@thr.com | +1 323 387 8190

Rebecca Ford

rebecca.ford@thr.com | +1 925 788 0507

Chris Gardner

chris.gardner@thr.com | +1 323 706 2632

REVIEWERS

Jon Frosch | jon.frosch@thr.com


Todd McCarthy | toddmccarthy1@gmail.com
Deborah Young | dyoung@mclink.it
David Rooney | drooney@nyc.rr.com
Leslie Felperin | lesliefelperin@gmail.com
Jordan Mintzer | jpmintzer@mac.com
John DeFore | john@johndefore.com
Stephen Dalton | wetlabrador@yahoo.com
Harry Windsor | windsorharry@hotmail.com
PHOTO & VIDEO

Stephanie Fischette
stephanie.fischette@thr.com

Jenny Sargent | jenny.sargent@billboard.com


Victoria McKillop
victoria.mckillop@thr.com

Jose Cortez | jose.cortez@thr.com


Gregg Kilday
gregg.kilday@thr.com | +1 310 528 3395

Stacey Wilson

stacey.wilson@thr.com | +1 503 679 2315

ART & PRODUCTION

Mike Barnes | mike.barnes@thr.com


Kelsey Stefanson | kelsey.stefanson@thr.com
Christine Park | christine.park@thr.com
Kelly Jones | kelly.jones@thr.com

For me, this movie is about


how people can create
beauty from ugliness,
Abu-Assad says of The Idol,
which has its world
premiere Sept. 11 in Toronto.

popular TV show may have


already led one feel-good
Toronto entry to Academy
Award glory, but seven years
after Slumdog Millionaire,
TIFF could have another game
show-related hit on its hands:
Palestinian director Hany AbuAssads The Idol, which is based
on events from two years ago.
The story of how Mohammed
Assaf in 2013 won the second
season of Arab Idol, the Middle
East version of the global talent
show, almost seems as if it were
written with a swooping musical
biopic in mind. For Abu-Assad,
whose previous two features,
Paradise Now and Omar, earned
him foreign language Oscar nominations, this tale of triumph over
adversity gave him goosebumps,
despite admitting to never having

watched such programs.


A 22-year-old wedding singer
from a refugee camp in Gaza,
Assaf journeyed to Cairo with the
hope of auditioning for the show,
no small feat given the somewhat
tight border restrictions around
his war-torn homeland. Having
persuaded Egyptian security
to let him through, he then found
that the hotel where the trials
were taking place had shut
its doors and stopped accepting
auditions. The story goes that
Assaf climbed over walls, but
without a pass to perform was left
waiting in the hall, singing to the
other contestants. From there, its
a classic feel-good trajectory: He
was allowed to sing, made it to the
finals in Beirut and was crowned
the winner as thousands of captivated fans watched from TV sets

in cafes and courtyards in Gaza


and the West Bank.
Since then, Assaf has toured
relentlessly, been named a
U.N. Goodwill Ambassador and
become a figure of hope and
unity across the occupied territories and wider region.
Although Assaf was at first
skeptical about the film, AbuAssad persuaded him that it was
more about positive energy than
simply his own achievements.
The singer went on to record two
tracks that Abu-Assad says will
be huge but stopped short of
playing himself, a role that went
to Gazan newcomer Qais Atallah.
The Idols shoot saw the crew
actually venture inside Gaza, just
months after the Israeli invasion
last summer and the first time a
film has been made there in 30
years. Abu-Assad says the experience left him in a state of shock.
You wont believe the amount of
destruction there, he says. I just
cant believe that humanity is
allowing these kinds of crimes.
But from this came The Idol.
And unlike Abu-Assads other
features, which went deep into
the world of suicide bombings
and enemy informants and left
the director feeling disheartened
and questioning his choice of
trade, Assaf s story was such a
pleasure to make.

ONLINE

Tess Zolly | tess.zolly@thr.com


EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,
GROUP PUBLISHER

Exclusive

Lynne Segall | lynne.segall@thr.com

First Look

SALES

Alison Smith

alison.smith@thr.com | +44 7788 591 781

Victoria Gold

Victoria.gold@thr.com | +1 310 746 8508

Debra Fink

debra.fink@thr.com | +1 213 448 5157

Julian Holguin

julian.holguin@billboard.com | +1 646 455 8939

Tyler Del Vento

tyler.delvento@thr.com | +1 646 369 6818

Karbis Dokuzyan

Karbis.dokuzyan@thr.com | +1 323 828 8677

Karen Uzel

karen.uzel@thr.com | +1 917 825 2526

MARKETING

Curtis Thompson

curtis.thompson@thr.com | +1 323 304 2333

Laura Lorenz

laura.lorenz@thr.com | +1 908 432 9821

Julie Cotton

julie.cotton@billboard.com | +1 774 249 0293

Stephen Fry & Uma Thurman in The Brits Are Coming


Thurman stars as a British con artist who, along with her husband (Tim Roth), goes on the run to Los Angeles
to get out of paying a large debt to a gangster. The couple turns to a former associate (Fry) for help, but he secretly sells their
whereabouts. Fortitude International is selling foreign rights to the comedy, directed by James Oakley, at Toronto.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_gem_H.indd 6

9/10/15 6:14 PM

TODAY FIRST PRESS & INDUSTRY SCREENING

PRESS & INDUSTRY SCREENINGS


Sept. 11 - 2:00PM - Scotiabank 10
Sept. 16 - 9:15AM - Scotiabank 8

PUBLIC SCREENINGS
Sept. 12 - 4:30PM - Isabel Bader Theatre
Sept.13 - 8:45AM - Cinema 3
Sept. 19 - 6:00PM - Scotiabank 3

CONTACT FILMAX INTERNATIONAL Ivan Diaz +34 629340070 i.diaz@filmax.com

Truman Films D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 1:48 PM

I feel like a kid at Christmas


Eve, except Im not excited to
open up gifts. Im excited to
give one, to open this film to
the world, says Vallee of
premiering Demolition at TIFF.

Q&A DIRECTOR

Jean-Marc Vallee

The Demolition director, who brings his


third film in three years to TIFF, on going
back to basics and avoiding fakebeards
ON T R E A L -BOR N J E A N-M A RC VA L L EE ,

has become one of the most reliable


regulars at the Toronto Film Festival,
where his Dallas Buyers Club premiered
in 2013, Wild played in 2014 and now, with a
promotion to the opening-night slot, his latest film, Demolition, was just unveiled. Based
on Bryan Sipes original screenplay, which
appeared on the 2007 Black List, Demolition
stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a man grieving over
the death of his wife in a car crash whose life
is unraveling when he makes contact with a
customers rep, played by Naomi Watts, who
works for a vending machine company.
Their unlikely relationship is at the heart of
the film, which Fox Searchlight has scheduled for release on April8. In advance of the
movies world premiere, Vallee, 52, talked
with THR about his stripped-down-tothe-essentials shooting style, why hes looking
to take time off and whether hes feeling
added pressure approaching this movies
high-profile opening night.
With three films in three years, youve become
one of the most prolific directors around. How
have you accomplished that?
Yeah, thats why this year, Im so happy Im
not shooting this fall. Otherwise, I would
explode. I got out of my comfort zone doing
this. Normally, I direct every three years or
so. I was supposed to shoot Demolition after
Dallas, and then Wild appeared between the
two, and so I did it and then Demolition. So Im
glad Im resting. Im not doing another film
this year. But it happened, and that was OK,
too. You find a new strength and find some
adrenaline going from one project to another
and just do it. Being active, being creative on
the spot is whats challenging.
Why did you decide to take on Demolition?
It came to me 3 1/2 years ago from [production company] Mr. Mudd, and then we got
Black Label Media as a partner. When they
saw my film Cafe de Flore at TIFF [in 2011],
there was some sort of link between Cafe de
Flore and Demolition, and so they sent me the
script and I said, Wow, it is so rare to read
a script with that kind of quality. When you
turn the pages, you dont know at all where its
going, but youre involved. Youre emotional.
So I said, Whoa, I want to direct this. It
looks like its a meditation, a reflection on
grief, but the film celebrates life, love.

How did you go about casting it?


Jake and Naomi responded to Demolition just
the way I did, so that was an easy choice. We
didnt want to do a romance. Its not about
romance, yet theres a slight romance in the
film. These two have some sort of attraction
for each other, but theres nothing sexual. I
loved the difference of age between the two,
and it shows, and thats why we went there with
Naomi and Jake. Theres a 10-year difference.
She meets him, and theyre curious about each
other, but they know its probably an impossible relationship, but thats the fun part also.

Did you use the same stripped-down shooting


style as in Dallas Buyers Club?
Yes, we shot available light, 99 percent. The
production designer is lighting the film with
his practical lamps, which he chose meticulously with the D.P. in order to have enough
light. Theres no flags to block the light,
no reflectors to reflect the light. We shoot
360degrees. That was the approach from
Dallas to Wild to this one. The actors love it,
I love it, its lighter, and funny enough, we go
faster this way, too. Everything we needed to
do with Demolition, we did in 34 days. Its very
liberating. We focus on the essential. Its nice
to not always know what you are going to do
when you arrive on the set. I dont do shot lists.
I work with the actors. The more I shoot, the
more I feel comfortable doing this.

Gyllenhaal has changed his appearance


dramatically in such recent films as Nightcrawler
and Southpaw. Did you sit down with him at the
beginning to discuss his look in this film?
We knew we wanted a transformation from
the beginning to the end. I wanted to shoot the
film in chronology. At the beginning, this guy is
working on Wall Street. Hes clean-cut, shaved,
perfect hair. And then by page five, seven, he
stops shaving, he stops taking care of himself.
So we wanted to have a transformation and do
it for real. We managed the production to do
that. We start with Jake the way he is. But then
he starts to grow his beard, his hair, he starts to
dress differently. He becomes this other guy as
he tries to findhimself.

Is there added pressure showing opening night?


Maybe a tiny bit. But I rarely put pressure on
myself. Im grateful for what I have going on,
I feel blessed and honored. Opening TIFF,
it takes some balls from TIFF, from [artistic
director] Cameron [Bailey] and [festival
director] Piers [Handling] as
the opening film, and Im glad
BY THE NUMBERS
they did it. I feel like Im always
welcome inToronto.

Most films dont shoot in continuity.


Yeah, I know. That was a must
for me; that was a big thing
I fought for. I was telling the
producers, Come on guys, lets
make the concessions and cuts
somewhere else, but lets find
the money we need to do that.
This is going to help the actors
in their art, and this is going to
help us. Sometimes we had to
leave a location and then come
back three weeks later. It costs
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_QAvallee_G.indd 8

more, but it makes quite a difference. Just not


having to have a fake beard or fake hair. From
the beginning to the end, you will see Jake
evolving physically.

Number of Vallee films


that have played TIFF

11

Oscar nominations earned


by The Young Victoria, Dallas
Buyers Club and Wild

$55.2M
Worldwide gross of
Dallas Buyers Club, his
highest-grossing film

Whats next for you?


Im hoping to do a film about
Janis Joplin with Amy Adams. Its
not done yet. There are some legal
issues, but thats the project thats
in my heart. Id like to do a rock n
roll film with lots of music. I like
to use music to frame stories. So I
hope its going to work.

AP PHOTO/DENIS BEAUMONT

By Gregg Kilday

9/10/15 12:21 PM

Adler Assoc D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 1:49 PM

HAHA!

About Town

Canadian Joke of the Day

How do you get a Canadian to


say sorry? Step on their foot.

RAMBLING REPORTER By Chris Gardner


Smulders
OHara

Short
Arnett

Levy

Morissette

Myers
Trebek

Mandel
Aykroyd

Rogen

Why Are Canadians So Funny?


When writer-producer and Calgary native Robert Cohen (The Big Bang Theory, the Academy Awards) launched a quest to crack the mysteries of the
Canadian psyche with a documentary titled Being Canadian (in theaters Sept. 18), he wound up with more than a few conclusions, some of which
might have been obvious if you asked any cultural critic, some less so (Canada is celery, according to Mike Myers). Canadians are weird, Cohen
tells THR, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. I love how weird we are. His 90-minute film analyzes the wackiness with help from his famous
Canadian friends (and an American, Kathy Griffin). The answers might just help this years festival experience make a little more sense.

What Is Canada?

GRIFFIN Its Bob and Doug

McKenzie. Its lots of snow.


Its plaid. Its hockey.
DAN AYKROYD If you go to some places in
the United States, they couldnt even tell
you where it is.
WILL ARNETT If we were next to Uganda, we
would stick out a little more.
EUGENE LEVY We are just understated to the point
that nobody cares.
COBIE SMULDERS Ive had people ask me if I lived
in anigloo.

Why Is Everyone So Nice?

sorry to the couch. Twice I was rear-ended, and


I apologized and they drove off.
COHEN Canada was built on an ancient Indian
burial ground, and instead of poltergeists, there
are apologies that are haunting us and were not
going to do anything about it. When confronted with
something we didnt do, our instinct is to beg for
forgiveness.
LINDA ALLAN, ETIQUETTE EXPERT Were so afraid to
put someone else down because in our culture that
says more about us than the rudeness that is emitted
from someone else.

HOWIE MANDEL Canadian bacon.


MYERS Its very subtle flavors. If America is

I dont even deserve to exist.


CATHERINE OHARA If I knock into the couch, Ill say

hamburgers and steak and if Mexico is salsa,


Canada is celery.

THE HOTELIER

ANTHONY CAMPANIARIS
Director of business
development,
Shangri-La hotel

mayor Rob Ford


I am going with no
comment, no chance and
NEVER on this one.

Best bargain in Toronto


With the American dollar
being so much higher
than the Canadian at the
moment, expect everything
to appear cheaper on your
credit card statement so
I suggest you just spend
more to even it out!

What to splurge on
at the festival
A killer pair of shoes (Prada
during the day, Ferragamos
at night) that need to be broken in at least a week prior.
Everyone can relate to this.

Best local dive to throw


down a shot with former

Biggest pet peeve


Slow walkers or, as a polite
Canadian would say,
unaware pedestrians.

Biggest faux pas


NEVER ask for an
autograph or a selfie
at a party. Period.
Cliche moments dont
go over well.
Favorite Canadian actor
For obvious reasons,
Ryan Gosling. Or Reynolds.
The Ryans. Both.
One thing you wont
travel without
Altoids, which truly I
end up offering to others
needingthem.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_rambling_H.indd 10

Why Are Canadians So Funny?

What Is Canadian food?

ALANIS MORISSETTE We have an existential crisis of:

toronto according to

SETH ROGEN Canadian food is sushi. Im from


Vancouver, there is sushi everywhere.
MARTIN SHORT French fries with white
vinegar and ketchup and salt.
GRIFFIN I am always going to be curious
about a country that considers it to be
an appropriate wintertime activity to take
maple syrup, pour it on snow, watch it freeze,
break it, sell it and eat it.

10

ALEX TREBEK Were pleasant individuals,


so most of our humor is non-threatening. Its
funny without being nasty.
MORISSETTE Its not humor at the cost of other
people, its humor at the cost of yourself.
That is the core of self-deprecation, which is
myfavorite.

T O R O N T O PA R T Y P

REVIEW

SEPT.11 Foxs party for Matt


Damon-starrer The Martian at
Four Seasons Centre of the
Performing Arts. SEPT 12 The
HFPA/InStyle bash returns
to the Windsor Arms Hotel;
Drew Barrymore and Catherine
Hardwicke are expected at
the Soho House for the Grey
Goose-sponsored party for
their Miss You Already. SEPT 13
Participant Media celebrates
its TIFF entries (including Our
Brand Is Crisis) at Patria. SEPT 16
Ryan Reynolds will toast A24s
Mississippi Grind at Byblos.

CELERY: DORLING KINDERSLEY UNIVERSAL IMAGES/NEWSCOM. MCKENZIE: MGM/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION (2). SMULDERS, ROGEN, MANDEL: ANDY KROPA/INVISION/AP. LEVY: AP PHOTO/MARKUS SCHREIBER. SHORT: RICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISION/AP. MORISETTE: SHARKPIXS/ZUMAPRESS.COM/NEWSCOM. GRIFFIN: RICH FURY/INVISION/
AP. MYERS: ABC/IMAGE GROUP LA/NBC. ARNETT: JOE SCARNICI/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES. AKROYD: PICTURE PERFECT/REX USA. TREBEK: KATHY HUTCHINS/HUTCHINS PHOTO/NEWSCOM. OHARA: JORDON STRAUSS/INVISION/AP. SYRUP: KEN GILLESPIE/NEWSCOM. MOUNTEE: PEROUSSE BRUNO/HEMIS/ZUMAPRESS.COM/NEWSCOM.

Griffin

9/10/15 1:48 PM

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Center for Tobacco D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 1:50 PM

EXECUTIVE SUITE

PRESIDENT OF SALES AND DISTRIBUTION,


SIERRA/AFFINITY

Jonathan Kier

The exec on opening and closing the fest,


giving buyers what they want and hearing
from rueful Whiplash second-guessers
OR ON T O I S A BIG F E ST I VA L F OR

Sierra/Affinity president of sales and


distribution Jonathan Kier from
beginning to end. The industry veteran
handles foreign sales for opening-night film
Demolition, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and
starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paco Cabezas
action-comedy Mr. Right, which closes out
the 2015 edition. Since joining Sierra/Affinity
four years ago from The Weinstein Co.,
the New York native (who speaks 10 languages) has worked on some of the most
critically acclaimed films that have made
their way to festivals, from Gyllenhaals
Nightcrawler to triple Oscar winner Whiplash
and The Place Beyond the Pines with Ryan
Gosling. This year, Kier, 41, is bringing new
footage of prison drama Shot Caller and the
Chris Pine-starrer Comancheria to show to
buyers, but, as he tells THR, hes also focusing on allowing TIFF to be the showcase that
foreign buyers want it to be.
What are you looking forward to this year?
Demolition has come full circle for us. We
started selling the film last year at Toronto.
And last year, Jean-Marc Vallee had Wild, and
Jake also was there with us with Nightcrawler.
So now were going back with both of them.
Does it seem strange that Demolition is opening the
festival even though Fox Searchlight scheduled it
outside of awards season, on April 8 in the U.S.?
It didnt really occur to us. Jean-Marc is
Canadian, so that makes sense. Toronto is a
great audience-friendly film festival for something like this.
How does Toronto compare to the other festivals?
Its the most user-friendly for the audience,
but also for the sales agents and buyers. The
fact that audiences are so good in Toronto
gives buyers a much better gauge of what
might work and what might not, compared
to the very cinephile festivals. Toronto is a
cinephile festival as well it tends to have all
the Oscar contenders but its in a big major
international city. You dont get that at some
of the other festivals in resort towns. We also
are treating Toronto the way the buyers want it
to be, which is as a showcase and not necessarily as a market. That message has been loudly
conveyed by the buyers.

You have to be respectful that


different countries have
different tastes, different
preferences, different
moviegoing habits, says Kier,
who was photographed Aug.21
in his Beverly Hills office.

Why is that?
A lot of the Europeans are going straight
from the beach to Toronto. They dont necessarily want to be bombarded by scripts and
presales. They want Toronto to be a showcase
for footage and finished films. And AFM is six
weeks later. We have product that were holding for AFM, and its not for a lack of product.
But sometimes you get a movie that needs
to be launched at Toronto because itll begin
shooting. Demolition is a great example of that,
and Nightcrawler the year before.
Whats been a surprising result of a recent film
you worked on?
Whiplash sold well, but Ive rarely had
distributors [who didnt buy the movie] come
to me after and say it was their favorite
film. In many territories, there were bidding
wars, and it was great. The film was an
enormous success in France, and I had many
French buyers come to me and say, You
know Im a drummer. Why didnt you force
me to buy themovie?
Who bought it in France?
Ad Vitam, which we had never worked
with before, and they buy just one American
film a year. They did an incredible job.
The year before, they had Mud, and the
year before that it was Take Shelter. I think
theyre tastemakers.
Is there a lesson to be learned from the messy
bankruptcy of Relativity?
I dont think theres been a situation like this
in 25 years. Companies shut down for various
reasons, but that seems to happen quietly.
When something like this happens, the first
thing everyone seems to be concerned with is
what is happening to the existing movies. And
when that business is taken care of, well have
to look at how they got there, how did these
people let them get there.
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_ESkier_D.indd 12

12

There have been several high-profile exits at The


Weinstein Co. As a former employee, do you think
theres something bigger going on over there?
Im sure everyone is going to be talking about
it. It seems to be independent events that seem
to be happening at the same time. I wouldnt
change my time at The Weinstein Co. for anything. I learned everything from my timethere.
How do you see the business in the future?
Whats interesting is seeing, over the past
10years, various countries go through political and/or economic crises and emerge on
the other side, and the markets are still there.
People are still going to see films in Greece
and Spain and Italy. I dont feel that international has peaked or anything like that. I think
that American culture is still our greatest
export our music, our TV, our films so I
dont see that changing. Whats interesting is
what is happening in Russia, wheres theres
an embargo. Thats new and something we
havent experienced with a major market.
What are the challenges facing international
sales agents today?
Theres been a lot written about the new platforms that are emerging and what that might
mean, but that the end of the day, we at Sierra
are a theatrically oriented company. And our
buyers want theatrical films. Global box office
is still growing, and we havent experienced
some of the declines that have faced other
consumer-driven entertainment.
Is there any concern about the growth of VOD?
Yes, but its nothing we havent seen before.
I think people have been talking about the
death of cinema for about 100 years, since the
beginning. VHS was supposed to destroy it
and DVDs were supposed to destroy it. At the
end of the day, people are still looking to be
entertained and be moved and be inspired
all the things that cinema does.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY

Scott Witter

GROOMING BY MISHELLE PARRY AT CELESTINE AGENCY

By Rebecca Ford

9/10/15 12:35 PM

NuImage D1 091115.indd 1

9/3/15 1:54 PM

FESTIVAL
SCREENING
GUIDE
TODAY (SEPT. 11)

08:30 A.M. I ncident Light, Scotiabank


Theatre, Scotiabank 10, Press &
Industry, Contemporary World Cinema
Demolition, Princess of Wales, Press &
Industry, Gala Presentations
08:45 A.M. Green Room preceded
by The Chickening, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 2, Press & Industry,
Midnight Madness
Parisienne, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 14, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
09:00 A.M. Mekko, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 6, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
The Propaganda Game: Private
Screening, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 6
Stanislaw Shibinsky Cinema, Private
Sparrows, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 9, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
The Wait, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 3, Press & Industry,
Discovery

Scotiabank 6, Press & Industry,


Contemporary World Cinema
The Martian, Princess of Wales,
Press & Industry, Gala Presentations
11:15 A.M. Miss Sharon Jones!,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 9,
Press & Industry, TIFF Docs
Land of Mine, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 3, Press & Industry, Platform

The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Public,


Special Presentations
Son of Saul, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 2, Press & Industry, Special
Presentations
10:00 A.M. Welcome to F.L., TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 3, Public, TIFF Docs
Fireworks (Archives), AGO,
Contemporary Galleries, Public,
Wavelengths
The Forbidden Room A Living
Poster, TIFF Bell Lightbox, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Public, Wavelengths
10:15 A.M. Our Little Sister,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 4,
Press & Industry, Masters
10:45 A.M. Rabin, The Last Day,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 10,
Press & Industry, Masters
11:00 A.M. The Round-Up, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 4 Paul & Leah
Atkinson Family Cinema, Combined,
TIFF Cinematheque
Baba Joon, Scotiabank Theatre,

11:30 A.M. Hitchcock/Truffaut, AGO,


Jackman Hall, Public, TIFF Docs
Eva Doesnt Sleep, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 14, Press & Industry,
Wavelengths
Couple in a Hole, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 5, Press & Industry, City to City
11:45 A.M. V
 ille-Marie, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 13, Press &
Industry, Special Presentations
The Here After, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 8, Press & Industry,
Discovery
Brooklyn, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 1, Press & Industry,
Special Presentations
12:00 P.M. T rapped, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 7, Press & Industry,
Primetime
In the Shadow of Women, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 2, Public, Masters
Let Them Come, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 11, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Demolition, Roy Thomson Hall,
Roy Thomson Hall, Public, Gala
Presentations
Sky, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 6
Stanislaw Shibinsky Cinema, Private
Bone Tomahawk, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 5 NBCUniversal Cinema,
Private

F allen Objects, Scrap Metal


Gallery, Scrap Metal Gallery, Public,
Wavelengths
12:30 P.M. L a Giubba, Clint Roenisch
Gallery, Clint Roenisch Gallery, Public,
Wavelengths
London Road, The Bloor Hot Docs
Cinema, Public, City to City
Film Factory Entertainment, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 7, Private
The Kind Words, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 3, Public,
Contemporary World Cinema
1:15 P.M. L ondon Road, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 4, Press & Industry,
City to City
1:30 P.M. W
 here to Invade Next,
TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 1, Public,
Special Presentations
Honor Thy Father, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 9, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
CROMO, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 6, Press & Industry,
Primetime
Right Now, Wrong Then,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 3,
Press & Industry, Masters
1:45 P.M. Chevalier, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 7, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
A Heavy Heart, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 14, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Youth, Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank
12, Press & Industry, Special
Presentations
2:00 P.M. The Wave, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 13, Press &
Industry, Special Presentations

09:15 A.M. Short Cuts Programme 1,


Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 5, Press
& Industry, Short Cuts
 er Nachtmahr,
09:30 A.M. D
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 8,
Press & Industry, Vanguard
A Patch of Fog, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 7, Press & Industry,
Discovery
Remember, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 1, Press & Industry, Gala
Presentations
The King of Havana: Private
Screening, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 7, Private
09:45 A.M. R
 iver, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 11, Press & Industry,
Discovery
A Tale of Love and Darkness,

River

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_screening_E.indd 14

14

9/10/15 1:35 PM

A celebration of cinema

September 24 October 4, 2015

The pe
place t rfect
o
your fi launch
the ge lm in
speaki rman
ng par
t.

Main Partner

Co-Partner

SPK Entertainment D1 091115.indd 1

Hotel Partner

9/10/15 1:52 PM

PRODUCERS
LAB TORONTO

09 12 SEPTEMBER 2015

AUSTRALIA

RAQUELLE DAVID
Damsel Pictures
P +61 401 954 705
raquelle@damselpictures.com.au
www.damselpictures.com.au

Christian Geisns

DENMARK

ESTONIA

IVO FELT
Allfilm
C +372 51 76 393
ivo@allfilm.ee
www.allfilm.ee
EVA JAKOBSEN
Snowglobe
C +45 61 30 80 66
evajakobsenster@gmail.com

Associated EFP member organisations: Association of Filmmakers/


Bosnia and Herzegovina, British Council, Danish Film Institute, Estonian
Film Institute, EYE International/The Netherlands, German Films,
ICAA/Spain, Icelandic Film Centre, Irish Film Board, Slovak Film Institute.

EFP D1 091115.indd 1

THE

ICELAND

SLOVAK

CANADA
UNITED
KINGDOM

HANAN KATTAN
Enlightenment Productions
C +44 7802 6150 50
hanan@enlightenmentproductions.com
www.enlightenment-productions.com
KALEENA KIFF
Radius Squared Media Group
C +1 604 618 4469
kaleena@radius-squared.com
www.radius-squared.com

CANADA

BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA

ADIS APO
SCCA Sarajevo Center for
Contemporary Art
C +387 61 205 019
adis@pro.ba
www.scca.ba

CHANTELLE KADYSCHUK
No Trace Camping Productions
P +1 416 929 3020
C +1 905 5100 680
chantelle@notracecamping.com

NATHALIE LICHTENTHAELER
Wide Eye Films
P +353 1 678 7930
C +1 310 889 5869
nathalie@wideeyefilms.com

IRELAND

CANADA

BOB CROWE
Angel Entertainment Corp.
P +1 306 244 8691
C +1 306 222 3398
bob@angelentertainment.ca
www.angelentertainment.ca

HLN JHANNESDTTIR
Vintage Pictures
C +354 695 4230
hlin@vintagepictures.is
www.vintagepictures.is

JANE LOUGHMAN
Monkeys & Parrots
C +1 416 909 4905
jane@filmtvinternet.com
www.filmtvinternet.com

CANADA

NEW ZEALAND

ALEX BEHSE
Monsoon Pictures International
P +64 21 980 496
alex@monsoon-pictures.com
www.monsoonpictures.com

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scan for more


information
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Toronto International Film


Festival is a registered trademark
of the Toronto International
Film Festival Inc.

9/10/15 1:54 PM

Additional partners

EFP D1 091115.indd 2

PETER ROMMEL
Rommel Film
P +49 30 693 7078
info@rommelfilm.com

JULIA ROSENBERG
January Films Ltd.
C +1 416 878 8702
julia@januaryfilms.ca
www.januaryfilms.ca

Sponsored by

CANADA

NEW ZEALAND
CANADA
AUSTRALIA

REBECCA SUMMERTON
Closer Productions
C +61 402 010 095
becsummerton@
closerproductions.com.au
www.closerproductions.com.au
SIMONE URDL
The Film Farm
P +1 416 703 7317
C +1 416 886 4660
simone@thefilmfarm.ca
www.thefilmfarm.ca

CANADA

Teresa Isasi

EDMON ROCH
Ikiru Films SL
P +34 93 219 2077
C +34 609 731 462
eroch@ikirufilms.com
www.ikirufilms.com

LEANNE SAUNDERS
Piki Films
P +64 21 764 198
leanne@severe.co.nz
www.pikifilms.com
ANDREW NICHOLAS
MCCANN SMITH
First Love Films
C +1 416 333 6446
andrew@firstlovefilms.com
www.firstlovefilms.com

CANADA

THE
NETHERLANDS
SLOVAK
REPUBLIC

MARIE-CLAUDE POULIN
Item 7
P +1 514 526 2772
C +1 514 823 790
mcpoulin@item7.ca
www.item7.ca

GERMANY

CANADA

SILVIA PANKOV
Arina Film Production
P +421 2 2070 8983
C +421 907 787 945
silvia@arinafilm.sk
www.arinafilm.sk

SPAIN

FLOOR ONRUST
Family Affair Films
P +31 20 707 1713
C +31 622 661 612
floor@familyaffairfilms.nl
www.familyaffairfilms.nl

CANADA

om

Producers Lab Toronto is an initiative created by European Film Promotion, in collaboration with the Ontario Media
Development Corporation and the Toronto International Film Festival. In its sixth edition, the Lab facilitates
co-productions and strengthens cross-border networking between the 24 producers from Europe, Canada, Australia and
New Zealand.

BARBARA WILLIS SWEETE


Willis Sweete Productions
C +1 416 898 0494
barbara@willis-sweete.ca
www.willis-sweete.ca
ARNIE ZIPURSKY
CCI Entertainment
P +1 416 583 2904
C +1 416 473 8126
azipursky@ccientertainment.com
www.ccientertainment.com

With the support of

9/10/15 1:54 PM

FESTIVAL SCREENING GUIDE


T ruman, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 10, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Frenzy, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 8, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Arabian Nights: Volume 1, The
Restless One, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 5, Press & Industry,
Wavelengths
2:15 P.M. L es Cowboys, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 11, Press &
Industry, Discovery
Mississippi Grind, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 2, Press &
Industry, Gala Presentations
In Jackson Heights, AGO, Jackman
Hall, Public, TIFF Docs
2:30 P.M. La Giubba, Clint Roenisch
Gallery, Clint Roenisch Gallery,
Public, Wavelengths
2:45 P.M. Mustang, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 2, Public, Special
Presentations
3:00 P.M. F rench Blood, Elgin/
Winter Garden Theatres, Visa
Screening Room (Elgin), Combined,
Platform
Viva, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 5
NBCUniversal Cinema, Private,
The Lobster, Princess of Wales,
Public, Special Presentations
3:30 P.M. Baba Joon, The Bloor Hot
Docs Cinema, Public, Contemporary
World Cinema
3:45 P.M. Let Them Come, TIFF
Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3, Public,
Contemporary World Cinema
4:00 P.M. Stories Are MeaningMaking Machines, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 4 Paul & Leah
Atkinson Family Cinema, Public,
Wavelengths
Where to Invade Next, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 1, Press &
Industry, Special Presentations
Where to Invade Next, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 4, Press &
Industry, Special Presentations
4:15 P.M. Lost and Beautiful,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 7,
Press & Industry, Wavelengths
A Flickering Truth, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 3, Public, TIFF
Docs
My Name Is Emily, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 9, Press &
Industry, Discovery

 en & Chicken, Scotiabank


M
Theatre, Scotiabank 14, Press &
Industry, Vanguard
4:30 P.M. La Giubba, Clint
Roenisch Gallery, Clint Roenisch
Gallery, Public, Wavelengths
The Fear, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 10, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
A Journey of a Thousand Miles:
Peacekeepers, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 13, Press &
Industry, TIFF Docs
3000 Nights, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 5, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Son of Saul, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 1, Public, Special
Presentations
4:45 P.M. Grannys Dancing on
the Table, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 6, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
The Witch, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 12, Press & Industry,
Special Presentations
Office, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 2, Press & Industry,
Special Presentations
The Boy and the Beast,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 11,
Press & Industry, TIFF Kids
5:00 P.M. Sunclef, King Street,
NewCanadianMusic.ca Stage,
Public, Festival Street
The Daughter, Elgin/Winter Garden
Theatres, Winter Garden Theatre,
Public, Special Presentations
5:15 P.M. Box, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 8, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
 scot Royals, King
5:45 P.M. A
Street, NewCanadianMusic.ca
Stage, Public, Festival Street
Endorphine, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 2, Public, Vanguard
6:00 P.M. Spear, Isabel Bader, Isabel
Bader Theatre, Public, Discovery
Bang Gang (A Modern Love
Story), Elgin/Winter Garden
Theatres, Visa Screening Room
(Elgin), Combined, Platform
I Saw the Light, Ryerson,
Ryerson Theatre, Public, Special
Presentations
Arabian Nights: Volume 2,
The Desolate One, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 4 Paul & Leah
Atkinson Family Cinema, Combined,
Wavelengths

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Silversalt Half V 091115.indd 1


d1_toronto_screening_E.indd 18

18

9/8/15 10:39 AM
9/10/15 1:36 PM

World Cinema
The Treasure, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 7, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Len and Company, Ryerson,
Ryerson Theatre, Public, Special
Presentations
The Sky Trembles and the Earth
Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are
Not Brothers, AGO, Jackman Hall,
Combined, Wavelengths
Murmur of the Hearts, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 9, Press &
Industry, Contemporary World
Cinema

Demon

6:15 P.M. D
 emon, The Bloor Hot
Docs Cinema, Public, Vanguard
6:30 P.M. Miss Sharon Jones!,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 1,
Public, TIFF Docs
Eye in the Sky, Roy Thomson Hall,
Roy Thomson Hall, Public, Gala
Presentations
Very Big Shot, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 14, Public, Discovery
Our Brand Is Crisis, Princess of
Wales, Public, Special Presentations
Return of the Atom, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 4, Public, TIFF
Docs
The Endless River, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 3, Public,
Contemporary World Cinema
TF1 International: Private
Screening, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 7, Private,
6:45 P.M. S
 unclef, King Street,
NewCanadianMusic.ca Stage, Public,
Festival Street
Our Last Tango, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 7, Press &
Industry, TIFF Docs
The Final Girls, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 10, Press & Industry,
Midnight Madness
Kilo Two Bravo, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 9, Press &
Industry, City to City
7:00 P.M. Wavelengths 1: Fire in
the Brain, AGO, Jackman Hall,
Combined, Wavelengths
Semana Santa, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 13, Public, Discovery
Born to Dance, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 3, Public, Discovery
Stranger, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 5, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
7:15 P.M. Song of Songs,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank
6, Press & Industry, Contemporary
World Cinema

 y Great Night, Scotiabank


M
Theatre, Scotiabank 2, Public,
Vanguard
7:30 P.M. H
 ong Kong Trilogy:
Preschooled Preoccupied
Preposterous, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 8, Press & Industry,
Contemporary World Cinema
Kill Your Friends, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 11, Press &
Industry, City to City
Every Thing Will Be Fine, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 1, Public, Masters
7:45 P.M. B
 ruce Peninsula and the
Sounds of Sleeping Giant, King
Street, NewCanadianMusic.ca Stage,
Public, Festival Street
Zoom, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 12, Press & Industry,
Vanguard
8:00 P.M. U
 n plus une, Elgin/
Winter Garden Theatres, Winter
Garden Theatre, Public, Special
Presentations
8:30 P.M. The Apostate, TIFF
Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2, Public,
Contemporary World Cinema
8:45 P.M. Sunclef, King Street,
NewCanadianMusic.ca Stage, Public,
Festival Street
The Idol, Isabel Bader, Isabel
Bader Theatre, Public, Special
Presentations
9:00 P.M. B
 lack, The Bloor Hot Docs
Cinema, Public, Discovery
Dheepan, Elgin/Winter Garden
Theatres, Visa Screening Room
(Elgin), Public, Special Presentations
Urban Hymn, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 1, Public, City to City
9:15 P.M. Grannys Dancing on the
Table, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema
4 Paul & Leah Atkinson Family
Cinema, Public, Contemporary
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_screening_E.indd 19

9:30 P.M. A
 Patch of Fog,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 4,
Public, Discovery
Starve Your Dog, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 6, Press &
Industry, Contemporary World
Cinema
A Journey of a Thousand Miles:
Peacekeepers, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 13, Public, TIFF Docs
Sparrows, TIFF Bell Lightbox,
Cinema 3, Public, Contemporary
World Cinema
Eva Nova, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 10, Public, Discovery
A Young Patriot, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 5, Press &
Industry, TIFF Docs
The Martian, Roy Thomson Hall,
Roy Thomson Hall, Public, Gala
Presentations
9:45 P.M. Nari, King Street,
NewCanadianMusic.ca Stage, Public,
Festival Street
Schneider vs. Bax, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 11, Press &
Industry, Contemporary World
Cinema
Thank You for Bombing,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 3,
Public, Contemporary World Cinema
Short Cuts Programme 2,
Scotiabank Theatre, Scotiabank 14,
Public, Short Cuts
Yakuza Apocalypse, Scotiabank
Theatre, Scotiabank 8, Press &
Industry, Midnight Madness
10:00 P.M. Sicario, Princess of
Wales, Public, Special Presentations
We Monsters, Scotiabank Theatre,
Scotiabank 2, Public, Discovery
10:30 P.M. T rapped, TIFF Bell
Lightbox, Cinema 1, Public,
Primetime
11:59 P.M. Baskin, Ryerson, Ryerson
Theatre, Public, Midnight Madness

19

Silversalt QTR V 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 1:36
PM 10:41 AM
9/8/15

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8/18/15 11:22 AM

R E V I E WS
Larsons Joy seems remarkably
sane and emotionally steady
under the heavily depressing
circumstances, a tribute to
her single-minded maternal
devotion, even if she sees no
hope of their situation changing.
She is, in fact, an incredible
mom, teaching her sponge-like
son a good deal even if he doesnt
believe theres an actual greater
world out there; I cant see
the outside side, he eloquently
puts it.
Clearly the victim of kidnapping and ongoing rape, Joy has
had no luck at escape in the
past; she and Jack are locked
in by a door code, and the only
window is a skylight too high
to reach. But finally, trying a
bizarre scheme, there is success,
which allows for a momentary
Tremblay (left)
deep breath.
and Larson make
the most of their
The emotional dynamics of
captivity.
the second half change significantly but are at times equally
depressing, especially because
some of the new adult characters
introduced are so unnecessarily
Brie Larson wows as a mother raising her child in a single room in Lenny
selfish and uncomprehending,
Abrahamsons solid adaptation of the novel by Emma Donoghue by todd mccarthy
but also because of the banality
of the milieu that now surrounds Jack. After a hospital recovery period,
R ISH DIR ECTOR L EN N Y A BR A H A MSON CL E A R LY H A S A
mother and son move into the home of Joys mother (Joan Allen),
penchant for confining his actors to tight spaces Michael
although its news to Joy that her mom and dad (William H. Macy) have
Fassbender within a large fake head in 2014s Frank and now
Brie Larson and her little son to a 10x10 shed in Room. The result divorced and mom is now living with a new guy, Leo (Tom McCamus).
Timid and uncommunicative at first, Jack eventually displays the
is rather better this time around, as this adaptation of Emma
resilient coping and adaptability skills of children, which are far greater
Donoghues celebrated 2010 novel, with a script by the author herself,
than those of grown-ups; at a certain point, Joy simply collapses. The
is involving and moderately heartwarming here and there, even if it
latter is not helped by the behavior of her elders, which initially swings
doesnt reach the higher levels of psychological insight and emotional
between uncomfortable stiffness and ridiculous arguing and is later
profundity to which it aspires. Strong performances by Larson and
exacerbated by a misguided decision to earn some much-needed money
Jacob Tremblay as a mother and son held captive for years, as well as
by giving an exclusive television interview.
the books reputation, will provide a certain arthouse draw. But the
Some tender and insightful moments eventually ensue, particularly
claustrophobic and upsetting nature of the material will be a disincenthanks to nice work by Allen (sorely missed in good roles on the big
tive to many.
screen of late) and McCamus. Especially good is a scene in which
Donoghues book was able to make much more of the notion that, for
5-year-old Jack (Tremblay), there is no world other than his mother, the Grandma cuts the boys cascading hair. On the other hand, the reaction of Macys character to the course of events is all but inscrutable,
objects in the messy, one-room hut to which theyre confined and what
leaving a sour taste.
he knows from childrens books and television. Twentysomething mom
The eventual emotional transformations are low-key rather than
Joy (Larson) maintains a certain discipline against extraordinary odds,
cathartic, and the film overall provides more in the line of minor
limiting TV time, doing a bit of exercise and so on, but the circuminsights than anything truly wrenching or harrowing. Overall, its a
stances are dire, and little Jack must nightly endure the sounds of Old
decent shot at a tall target, but real credit is due the lead actors, with
Nick (Sean Bridgers) creeping into the shed and making weird muted
Larson expanding beyond the already considerable range shes previnoises in bed with his mother.
ously shown with an exceedingly dimensional performance in a role
As the extent of their shared creativity cant be nearly as fully
that calls for running the gamut and Tremblay always convincing withexpressed onscreen as it is on the page, the effectiveness of the movies
out ever becoming cloying.
first 50 minutes rest on Abrahamsons ability to keep things interesting visually within cramped quarters which he does reasonably well
Special Presentation
while working in widescreen and on the intensity of the complicity
Cast Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, William H. Macy
between the two characters, which is strong and credible.
Entirely deglamorized and festooned with pimples and straggly hair, Director Lenny Abrahamson // 118 minutes

Room

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_rev_room_E.indd 21

21

9/10/15 3:18 PM

REVIEWS

London Road

Tom Hardy makes a creepy cameo in this well-crafted screen adaptation of


the London stage musical about a real-life murder spree in a sleepy English town
by stephen dalton

Hardy is a cab driver and possibly


a killer in London Road.

DA P T ED F ROM A N

unorthodox stage
musical that opened
to rave reviews at
Londons National
Theatre in 2011, London Road
examines the shockwaves that
shook the English backwater town
of Ipswich in 2006, when serial
killer Steve Wright murdered five
prostitutes over a six-week period.
Sensational media stories dubbed
Wright The Ipswich Ripper
and The Suffolk Strangler,
but Alecky Blythes play is less
focused on the killer and his gory
misdeeds than on the ripple effect
they had on his traumatized suburban neighbors.
Rufus Norris, who recently
replaced Nicholas Hytner as
artistic director of the National
Theatre, returns to direct this
finely crafted and mostly faithful
screen adaptation for BBC Films.
Norris reunites most of the original ensemble cast with a handful

of commercially savvy additions,


notably Mad Max: Fury Road
star Tom Hardy. The result is an
exotic docudrama hybrid whose
mannered style and localized
subject may translate to limited
interest outside Britain. That said,
Hardys box-office clout should
help lure the wider audience that
this compelling and original production deserves.
The script to London Road
was assembled entirely from
Blythes interviews with Ipswich
residents, police, media and sex
workers. Some were conducted
before Wrights arrest in late
2006, others in the buildup to his
guilty verdict in 2008. Blythe uses
an unusually forensic method,
quoting interviewees verbatim,
reproducing all their repetitions
and hesitations, verbal tics and
grammatical errors.
Adam Corks chamber-orchestra
score is equally precise, mimicking the meter and pitch of each

speech snippet, transforming


ultra-naturalistic dialogue into
hypnotic loops and syncopated
refrains. The film is an arrestingly
vivid fusion of music and text
that owes more to the modernist
oratorios of Steve Reich than the
Broadway showtunes of Stephen
Sondheim.
Rising British screen star
Olivia Colman (Broadchurch)
joins the cast as Julie, a proud
London Road resident who fights
to save her neighborhoods tainted
reputation following the murders.
Colmans vocal delivery is quickfire and nervy, perfectly matched
by Corks staccato score.
Meanwhile, Hardy radiates
quiet menace as a shifty, unshaven
taxi driver with a suspiciously
deep grasp of serial killer psychology. Norris teases us with hints
that Hardys Travis Bickle-like figure may prove to be the murderer.
Other male characters get the
same uneasy, paranoid treatment.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_rev_londonroad_D.indd 22

No spoilers here.
In its stylized depiction of
mostly working-class and marginalized characters, London Road
risks striking a tone of condescending metropolitan voyeurism
at times. While the text carefully
balances the sensitivities of
residents and sex workers alike,
some of the quotes ambush us
with their casual brutality: I feel
sorry for the families, not them,
says one. Id like to just shake his
hand and say thanks very much
for getting rid of them, adds
another. These are callous lines
delivered in a breezy, matter-offact manner. Blythe and Norris do
not overtly editorialize here, but
their interviewees include a trio
of prostitutes, who are portrayed
with dignity and compassion.
The films main location is a
real residential street in the South
London suburbs, which doubles
as Ipswich. Straight-to-camera
interview is the default stylistic
device, but Norris and choreographerJavier De Frutos also open
up the action to include elegantly
staged dance numbers in shopping malls, courthouses and
community halls. There are pleasing echoes here of the late French
director Jacques Demys gloriously whimsical sung-through
musicals, notably The Umbrellas
of Cherbourg. Cinematographer
Danny Cohen also uses color for
dramatic effect, muted and wintry
during the murder spree, then
more vibrant and summery as the
community recovers.
As gripping onscreen as it
was onstage, London Road
remains a work of great finesse
and originality. The one slightly
jarring note is Hardys stunt casting in a single-scene cameo, which
sits awkwardly in the ensemble
format of recurring characters
and choral motifs. Hardy is a
magnetic presence even in this
small vignette, but he was clearly
hired for his marquee appeal
rather than his singing skills.
City to City London
Cast Tom Hardy, Olivia
Colman, Paul Thornley,
Nick Holder, Anita Dobson,
Linzi Hateley, Nicola Sloane,
Duncan Wisbey, Clare Burt
Director Rufus Norris
91 minutes

22

9/10/15 3:39 PM

Brassaii D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 2:00 PM

The Holywood
Reporter_
Toronto Daily
September 11, 2015

REVIEWS

4C Half Page Vert


4.1181 x 11.6667
SPECS:
TRIM:

THE BEAUTY SHOTS YOU


EXPECT, WITH THE DIVERSITY
OF LOCATIONS YOU DONT.
Filming in the U.S. Virgin Islands is one unbelievable shot after
another. Youll find a diversity of locations from rural farmland,
cosmopolitan settings and colorful Caribbean architecture. Not
to mention picturesque beaches. Youll also find an experienced
film community with English-speaking crews and the convenience
of U.S. currency. For more opportunities in St. Croix, St. John and
St. Thomas, call 340.775.1444 ext. 2243. Plan your production at

A N Y PEOPLE K NOW THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF

the story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen


who was the youngest person ever to be awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize. But He Named Me Malala retells
that story in a deft and affecting way. Director Davis
Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) does some of his most
heartfelt work in this tribute to Malala and her family.
The film opens with a beautiful animated sequence
recounting the legend of the woman for whom Malala was
named, a 19th century freedom fighter against the British
in Afghanistan. Elegant pastel drawings are incorporated
throughout the film, and although some may feel the
animation is overused, Guggenheim clearly wanted to fill
in Yousafzais story without relying on talking heads.
The basic tale is compelling: When the Taliban took over
Malalas village in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, books and
videos were burned and girls were forbidden any education
except religious education. Malala spoke out against this
policy, first on a BBC blog and later more publicly, and
she was shot in the head by the Taliban at the age of 15.
Miraculously, she survived. Although the left side of her
face is partially paralyzed, Malala has become a spokesperson for female education, and with her father, Ziauddin
Yousafzai, has traveled the world as an advocate in addition
to co-authoring the best-selling book, I Am Malala.
All of this information is in the film, but not in chronological order, and this leads to disjointed moments. Still,
Guggenheim scored marvelous interviews with Malala and
her family, including an engagingly impish younger brother.
The final scenes, which incorporate Malalas memorable
address to the U.N., are heartrending, though Thomas
Newmans score is a bit over-emphatic. The story itself is
so powerful that it really doesnt need any underlining.

AGENCY:
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Davis Guggenheim tells the moving story of


the Pakistani teen who was shot by the Taliban for
speaking up for women by stephen farber

JWT/Atlanta
USVI
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The Beauty Shots
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lush rain forest and rolling hills to quaint European towns,

He Named Me Malala
DATE:

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Malala and
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Download the FilmUSVI app

TIFF Docs
Director Davis Guggenheim
87 minutes

2015 U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER


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d1_toronto_rev_malala_F.indd 24

9/8/15 12:10 PM

24

9/8/15 12:09 PM

9/10/15 4:07 PM

EUROPEAN
FILM MARKET
IT ALL STARTS HERE.

1119 Feb 2016

Early Bird
Registration
starting Nov 1.
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01.09.15 15:20
9/10/15 2:00 PM

REVIEWS

Man Down

Shia LaBeouf impresses as a traumatized Marine returning home from Afghanistan in Dito Montiels unpersuasive genre bender

by deborah young
H E T R AU M A FACED BY

a Marine returning home


from Afghanistan is
hyperbolized in Man Down, where
the America he comes back to
has been destroyed by a mysterious enemy. Shia LaBeouf, who
starred in director Dito Montiels
autobiographical first feature A
Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,
is again the main attraction and
acquits himself well in a demanding role. But his performance
is over-powered by the films misplaced ambition to switch back
and forth between genres, from
war film to sci-fi, family film to
psychological drama.
Montiel already stepped outside
his New York comfort zone in last
years Boulevard, in which Robin
Williams played a man who comes
to terms with his homosexuality
late in life. Here the psyche being
explored is the even more complex
one of a soldier whose experiences
in battle snowball together with
a personal betrayal, turning him
into one very screwed-up guy.
The story is told in rapidly
alternating flashbacks that soon
begin to feel like channel-hopping, switching the mood and
undercutting the emotional flow.
Only in the last half-hour does it
become apparent why they are
vital for a particular plot twist
that makes sense of everything.

We meet Gabriel (LaBeouf)


living in suburbia with his loving
wife, Natalie (Kate Mara), and
tow-headed son Jonathan. In
a nicely acted father-and-son
scene, they agree to use the
code phrase man down to say
I love you. This picture of domestic bliss wouldnt be complete
without his best buddy Devin
(Jai Courtney), who drags Gabe
into the Marine Corps with him.
Its hard to imagine a guy as
sweet as Gabe going to war a
thought that may cross Devin and
Natalies mind as they watch him
horsing around with Jonathan at
a childrens birthday party.

Gabes soft spot may worry


them, but it doesnt hinder his
progress through boot camp at
Camp Lejeune under a classically sadistic Marine sergeant.
One could have lived without
these numbingly familiar training images meant to illustrate
the unshakable bond that exists
between Gabe and Devin.
So off to war they go. During
a shootout in an Afghan village,
where local rebels attack an
American tank in a scene out
of Zero Dark Thirty, it becomes
apparent that no amount of
training can prepare a soldier to
come face-to-face with death.
LaBeouf (left) is a
Marine who returns to a
post-apocalyptic
America.

The effective action shots are laden


with real tension and bring Gabe
up against his own inner courage.
The incident in the village
leads to a long interview with a
military authority charged with
assessing Gabes mental health.
Capt. Peyton (Gary Oldman)
urges him to relive the trauma,
and Gabe shows all his mental
fragility in a long, key scene
that unfortunately has been cut
up in the editing, so we get it in
bits and pieces.
A final scenario is the unexplained presence of Gabe and
Devin in post-apocalyptic
America, after all life has been
destroyed. Shelly Johnsons expressive cinematography is at its best
in these surreal, color-drained
shots that impress with their
horror. The two men, still dressed
in army fatigues, are hunting for
Gabes wife and son. When they
stumble across a lone survivor
(Clifton Collins Jr.) he refuses to
tell them anything, but revelation
is around the corner in a depressingly schmaltzy ending.
Gala Presentation
Sales CAA, WME
Cast Shia LaBeouf, Kate Mara,
Gary Oldman, Jai Courtney,
Clifton Collins Jr., Jose Pablo Cantillo
Director Dito Montiel
92 minutes

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

26

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Seattle Film Festival D1 091115.indd 1

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9/4/15 10:54 AM

9/10/15 3:30 PM

PRO MOT IO N

SEE & BE SEEN


AT T H E

AMERICAN

FILM
M A R K E T
AFM PREVIEW 11/4

CLOSE: 10/28

MATERIALS: 10/30

FESTIVAL AND
MARKET DAILIES
11 /4 11 /11

THR.COM/AFM

LIVE NOVEMBER 2015

CONTACT: UNITED STATES | Debra Fink | debra.fink@thr.com


EUROPE | Alison Smith | alison.smith@thr.com Tommaso Campione | tommaso.campione@thr.com
ASIA | Ivy Lam | ivy.lam@thr.com AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND | Lisa Cruse | lisa@spiritedmedia.co.nz

thrhaff_FP_AFM_seeandbeseen_FP_2015.indd 1

8/18/15 11:30 AM

REVIEWS

Land of Mine recounts the


little-known history of
German POWs in Denmark.
The Program
Courtesy of StudioCanal

Sunset Song
Courtesy of Hurricane Films

Land of Mine

Danish director Martin Zandvliets powerful World


War II drama tells the story of German prisoners put
to work defusing land mines by stephen farber

T T H IS POI N T, I T M IGH T SEEM H A R D TO F I N D

a World War II story that hasnt been told, but


Danish director Martin Zandvliet has come up with
a fresh and compelling approach to this well-traveled territory. Land of Mine, based on a true but not well-known story,
brings the past to life with remarkable assurance, working
as a moving anti-war essay and gripping thriller.
After the official end of the war in May 1945, German
POWs in Denmark were put to work on a deadly mission,
defusing more than two million German land mines that
had been set along the countrys west coast. The main
character is Danish Sergeant Rasmussen (Roland Moller),
who is assigned to oversee the German prisoners most of
whom are teenage boys conscripted by Hitler and hopelessly ill-equipped to carry out their dangerous job.
An early scene of the captured German soldiers being
harassed by the Danes shows the understandable hatred
that the Danes felt toward their occupiers. Rasmussen
shares this contempt and is determined to treat the young
soldiers under his command without sympathy. They are
locked in at night and given almost no food, and their work
on the beach inevitably leads to calamitous accidents.
One of the films chief assets is the performance of
Moller, who takes us along on a credible emotional journey
as Rasmussen comes to recognize the vulnerability of his
young charges. His moral awakening is handled subtly,
without the slightest hint of sentimentality.
Cinematographer Camilla Hjelm Knudsen (the wife of
the director) makes excellent use of the seaside locations.
The sound and special effects team also do a superb job with
the scenes in the minefield, which sometimes culminate in
startling explosions. There may be nothing novel in a story
of enemies beginning to recognize the humanity in their
antagonists. But this kind of plea for compassion will never
lose its relevance, and Land of Mine serves up another vivid
rendition of the always timely theme.

Events showcasing the best of the UK film


industry at the Toronto International Film
Festival 2015
PROGRAMME
Selling British Film Internationally
in assocation with Screen International
Friday 11 September, 10am-11am
UKs Most Exciting Emerging Talent
Saturday 12 September, 10am-11.30am
Stephen Frears in Conversation
Sunday 13 September, 10am-11am
Jeremy Thomas in Conversation
Tuesday 15 September, 11am-12.15pm
Filming in the UK: British films at TIFF
Tuesday 15 September, 2pm-3.30pm
www.britishfilmcommission.org.uk/tiff
or follow the conversation at #LDNHouse
LOCATION

Maison Mercer, 15 Mercer Street


Toronto, ON M5V 2M9
Presented by

Partners

Platform
Cast Roland Moller, Louis Hofmann, Joel Basman,
Mikkel Boe Folsgaard, Laura Bro
Director-screenwriter Martin Zandvliet
Sales K5 International, WME
100 minutes
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

THR day 1_FINAL.indd 1

London Film half Vert D1 091115.indd 1

d1_toronto_rev_landofmine_D.indd 28

08/09/2015 17:54

28

9/8/15 12:14 PM

9/10/15 2:48 PM

TABLES
AND TICKETS
AVAILABLE
gotham.ifp.org/
purchase
or call Steven Pfeiffer,
Associate Director
of Development:
spfeiffer@ifp.org
212.465.8200x219
The IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards,
selected by distinguished juries and presented
in New York City, the home of independent
film, are the first honors of the film award
season. This public showcase honors the
filmmaking community, expands the audience
for independent films, and supports the work
that IFP does behind the scenes throughout
the year to bring such films to fruition.

P r e m I e r

P l AT I N u m

s P o N s o r s

s P o N s o r

Gotham Awards D1 091115.indd 1

9/8/15 10:56 AM

The Definitive
Voice of
Entertainment
News
TORONTO
DISCOUNT

35% OFF
R E G U L A R R AT E

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
THR.COM/TIFFSPECIAL

FP Partials D1 091115.indd 1

9/10/15 2:02 PM

REVIEWS

Andersons experimental
feature pays tribute to her
departed pet.

Mustang

Five Turkish sisters have their freedoms stripped from


them in Deniz Gamze Erguvens understated feminist drama

Heart of a Dog

Multidisciplinary artist Laurie Andersons clever wisp


of a visual essay touches on a wide range of topics, from
geopolitics to her late rat terrier by todd mccarthy

EART OF A DOG IS A N I M PR E SSION IST IC M EDI TAT ION

on death and its prelude by a thoughtful, free-ranging,


highly idiosyncratic artist who enjoyed a very deep relationship with her dog. Laurie Andersons return to feature-length
filmmaking for the first time since Home of the Brave in 1986
has the effect of watching a thrown stone bouncing many times
along the surface of the water; its frequent insights and clever
creative formulations are often pleasing to behold, but theyre all
glancing and quickly replaced by something else. Set for limited
theatrical release next month and due for HBO airings in 2016,
this short feature will mainly appeal to fans of the multitalented
musician-filmmaker.
The connections Anderson makes between her beloved late rat
terrier Lolabelle, who from all the evidence was quite a gifted and
lovable character, and such diverse topics as 9/11, art-making, The
Tibetan Book of the Dead, means of perception and the works of
Wittgenstein and Kierkegaard, come off as both loopy and charming, if also ephemeral. Very little sticks here, other than the final
stretch: Set to very slowed-down visuals, she tells a story about her
having, as a child, rescued two younger brothers when they fell into
an icy lake in their stroller. When Lou Reeds resonant Turning
Time Around comes on the soundtrack, it becomes clear that telling the story of her cherished dog has been a way of mourning and
celebrating her late husband, as well as, perhaps, her mother.
The rest consists of flights of fancy, musings, passing thoughts,
clever turns of phrase, ideas tossed off, her attention landing in
sometimes interesting places but rarely staying in any one place
for long. The same goes for the eclectic visuals, many of which
feature Lolabelle, who Anderson claims could recognize 500 words,
had a French accent and saw in shades of blue and green until she
went blind. The pairs hiking trip in Northern California is vividly
evoked, as is Andersons dream of having given birth to a dog.
The artists fans may attach great importance to all this and will
at least get a good kick out of it. To others it will seem more like
reasonably coherent, undeniably talented doodling. In other words,
viewers with an investment in Anderson will want to plumb its
depths for buried treasure, while tourists will smile and move on.
From a sensory point of view, the film is a pleasure, the images
having been manipulated in various ways to evocative effect,
Andersons voiceovers proving more amusing than not, and the
music taking mostly lively turns. But most of all, you leave feeling
that Lolabelle was very lucky in her choice of owner.

by david rooney
H E WOR D M USTA NG,

which also is the evocative


title of Turkish-French
filmmaker Deniz Gamze Erguvens
stirring first feature, conjures
images of bands of wild horses
roaming the untamed American
West, their manes flying and their
defiant spirits resistant to being
broken. Those qualities also fit the
five young sisters in this intimate
drama, whose independence and
burgeoning sexuality prompt their
alarmed guardians to sequester
the girls in a systematic campaign
to break their unity and tame
them into traditional female roles.
Unfolding in a Black Sea coastal
village in northern Turkey, the
film opens as the sisters begin
their summer break. The youngest, Lale (Gunes Sensoy), shows a
particular fondness for her female
teacher (Bahar Karimoglu), who
is returning to Istanbul. Giddy
with the euphoria that accompanies the end of any kids school
term, the girls walk home along
the rocky beach, splashing about
with some male classmates.
But their cheerful energy
turns to dismay as their strict
grandmother (Nihal Koldas)
ushers them into their house on
a hill. Informed by a villager who
saw them cavorting on the beach,
she fears the girls virtue and
their marriage prospects have
been tarnished. Her hysteria is
fanned by the angry reaction of
their Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan),
who is not above taking advantage of their supposed disgrace
in the case of one of the girls.

Despite the sisters denial of any


wrongdoing, which is verified
by medical examination, they are
locked up behind closed doors.
Potentially corrupting influences
like phones and computers are
removed, and they are outfitted in
shapeless dresses for rare outings
in the village.
The girls are given instruction
by local women in traditional
cooking and homemaking as their
grandmother sets the wheels in
motion to arrange marriages for
each of them, starting with the
eldest, Sonay (Ilayda Akdogan).
Shot in unfettered, naturalistic
style in the atmospheric locations,
Mustang has something of a frontier feel, an aspect nourished by
the melancholy score of Warren
Ellis, the Nick Cave collaborator known for his work on such
unconventional Westerns as The
Assassination of Jesse James by the
Coward Robert Ford.
Only one of the five principals,
Elit Iscan, has screen-acting experience, but all of them register
strongly. The storys power comes
from its sensitive observation of
the characters as emancipated
young women, with healthy
desires and curiosities, whose
supposed transgressions are imagined and then magnified in the
judgmental minds of others.
Special Presentation
Sales Kinology
Cast Gunes Nezhe Sensoy,
Doga Zeynep Doguslu
Director Deniz Gamze Erguven
98 minutes
FIve Turkish sisters find themselves
sequestered for the summer.

TIFF Docs // Director Laurie Anderson // 75 minutes


THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_rev_heart+mustang+saul_D.indd 30

30

9/10/15 4:08 PM

Rohrig (left) plays


a Sonderkommando
worker in Nemes
claustrophobic thriller.

Son of Saul

Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes


debut is a harrowing Auschwitz-set thriller

by boyd van hoeij


H E HOR ROR S OF T H E NA ZI DE AT H

camps have rarely been so vividly


evoked as in Son of Saul, the imposing
debut from Hungarian newcomer Laszlo
Nemes. Any first feature that wins the

second-place Grand Prize at Cannes has done


something right, and the rookie writer-director here takes a well-known cinematic subject,
the Nazi camps, but distills his narrative to the
story of just one man: the titular Saul. Hes a
Jewish prisoner and Sonderkommando worker
who, in the piles of bodies he needs to clear
from the gas chambers, discovers the corpse of
a boy he claims is his son. Hard to watch but
confidently assembled, the film is a powerful
aural and visual experience that doesnt manage to sustain its tension over the course of its
running time but is remarkable nonetheless.
What makes the experience more visceral
and direct than classically staged Holocaust
films is Nemes and co-screenwriter Clara
Royers narrowly focused story and the camerawork from Matyas Erdely, who stays glued
to the protagonist (played by Geza Rohrig) in
all but a handful of shots while almost blocking out nearly everything else. The almost
square aspect ratio already doesnt leave much
room for any background to appear, but since
everythings filmed in shallow focus, what
little surroundings are present in the frame
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

are more suggested than visible.


Shot on 35mm, often in sickly greens and
yellows and with deep shadows, Erdelys
cinematography is one of the films major
assets, but it wouldnt be half as effective
without the sound work, which plays a major
role in suggesting what is happening around
Saul. Audiences often are forced to rely on the
sound to imagine the whole, horrible picture.
Supplementing the multilayered audio is
the sculptural, often mesmerizing face of
Rohrig. The initially zombie-like protagonist
morphs from a follower of orders to a determined man with a goal. Sauls resolve to honor
his son might, in his mind, redeem his forced
treatment of the others that came before him.
The film features little dialogue, relying on
visuals and direct sound (theres no score) to
advance the story. This augments the urgency
and directness of a lot of the action but makes
some elements somewhat hard to follow.
Special Presentation
Cast Geza Rohrig, Levente Molnar, Urs Rechn
Director Laszlo Nemes // 107 minutes

31

12 meters high facades overlooked a permanent square set,


La Piazza, of about 1000 m2 (a total of 3000 m2)
Videa offers very unique
flexible shooting stages and
guarantees excellent results
to International Production
Companies, and assist them in

all productions steps, whether the project will


be entirely or partially shot in Italy or at Videa
Studios. The Studios are located in the natural
park of Veios Reserve, 60 hectares of forest; a vast
backlot and fully equipped facilities to meet specific

VIDEA STUDIOS

e-mail: info@videastudios.it - videastudios@pec.it


Stefano Spadoni Executive Producer: stefano.spadoni@videaspa.it
Via Livigno 50, 00188 Roma - Tel: +39 06 331851 - Fax: +39 06 33185225

d1_toronto_rev_heart+mustang+saul_D.indd 31

consists of 6 studios, fully equipped with facilities,


dressing rooms, make-up rooms, costume rooms. A
very professional staff will meet every specific need
including a very high qualified Set Design Department.

Full services to International Film Production Companies who shoot in Italy

w w w. v i d e a st u d i o s . i t

Videa Studios D1 091115.indd 1

demands and needs. Indoor Area (15.000 square meters)

SERVICES
Stagecraft (Set Design Department)
Specialized technical assistance
Restaurant (500 seats)
Warehouse and Storage Shed
Projection booth
Live Television facilities
Wi-Fi
Wide Parking Lot

INDOORS AND FACILITIES


Tooling department and Carpentry Shop
Costume Department
Hair and make-up Rooms
Dressing Rooms
VIP Dressing Rooms
Offices
Meeting Rooms
Safe Deposit Rooms

DRESSING ROOMS
Various types of dressing rooms are available.
VIP dressing rooms include restroom and washroom, make-up desk,
air conditioning, fridge, TV and ADSL cable. They are located close to stages.

9/3/15 11:43 AM

9/10/15 4:08 PM

8 Decades of The Hollywood Reporter


The most glamorous and memorable moments from a storied history

Moreau presented her


film Lumiere at the
inaugural Toronto Film
Festival in October 1976.

N 1976, F R ENCH ACT R E SS

Jeanne Moreau gave a


fledgling film festival a
dose of star power. Then
in the prime of her career with
more than 60 titles to her name,
Moreau brought her directorial
debut, Lumiere, to the inaugural Toronto International Film
Festival (then called the Festival
of Festivals, it was renamed
in 1995). The 48-year-old had
become a French cinema icon
following the success of two
features released in 1958, both
helmed by Louis Malle, Elevator

to the Gallows and The Lovers, and


for her frequent collaborations
with renowned directors Francois
Truffaut, Wim Wenders and
Orson Welles (who called her the
greatest actress in the world).
Though Lumiere was panned by
THR as a curiously dispiriting
disappointment, the film earned
Francine Racette a Cesar Award
supporting actress nomination
in 1977 and was one of three
French features chosen to screen
at TIFFs very first gala presentation, which was otherwise heavily
focused on German cinema.

Founded by Bill Marshall,


Henkvan der Kolk and Dusty
Cohl, the new festival served as a
place where the best films from
other festivals held around the
world were shown at Torontos
Windsor Arms Hotel. That year,
35,000 attended to watch 127 features from 30 countries. Moreau,
now 87, returned to Toronto in
2001, the year the festival nearly
was canceled after the 9/11 terrorist attacks (ultimately a subdued
and red-carpet-free version went
on), and for the festivals 30th edition in 2005 with Francois Ozons

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

d1_toronto_endpg_moreau_C.indd 32

32

Time to Leave.
You saw the beginnings of
major stars coming to Toronto
in year three. And by year four,
you have Malcolm McDowell,
George Romero, Susan Sarandon,
James Woods, David Steinberg,
Piers Handling, festival director
and CEO since 1994, tells THR.
The festival had been knocking on Hollywoods door. And it
opened slowly. TIFF, which this
go-round welcomes famous faces
such as Matt Damon and Jake
Gyllenhaal, celebrates its 40th
anniversary this year. MEENA JANG

REG INNELL/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES

Jeanne Moreau Shined Her Light on the Very First TIFF

9/10/15 12:07 PM

Meet
moguls,
masters and
mavericks
Scilla Andreen

Nicolas Chartier

Danny Gabai

Asif Kapadia

Avi Lewis

An Xiaofen

Carmen Cuba

Aaron L. Gilbert

Charles King

Laura Michalchyshyn

Felice Bee

Madeline DiNonno

Bianca Goodloe

Naomi Klein

Gigi Pritzker

Wendy Calhoun

John Fithian

Mike Goodridge

Niija Kuykendall

Lorenzo Soria

Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Stephen Frears

Dan Janvey

Tim League

Yu Dong

TIFFIndustry

Toronto Film Festival D1 091115.indd 1

TIFF_Industry

tiff.net/industry

Toronto International Film Festival Inc.

This years TIFF Industry Conference is a whos-who of global screen giants.


Excuse us while we drop some names.

9/10/15 2:03 PM

SCREENINGS:
TODAY | 9:45 | SCOTIABANK 11 | P&I SCREENING
TUES 15 SEPT | 13:45 | SCOTIABANK 11 | P&I SCREENING
TUES 15 SEPT | 19:45 | THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
WEDS 16 SEPT | 18:45 | SCOTIABANK 4

FIND US AT:

UK INDIES STAND, 9TH FLOOR,


THE HYATT REGENCY

Kaleidoscope D1 091115.indd 1

Anthony Buckner - Director of International Sales


anthony@kaleidoscopefilmdistribution.com
Michael Chapman, Sales & Acquisitions Executive
michael@kaleidoscopehomeentertainment.com

9/9/15 11:11 AM

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