By Bhargav Acharya
TORONTO (Reuters) -The Toronto International Film Festival returns for a 50th edition on Thursday, with a lineup of star-studded blockbuster films, documentaries, and series from around the world.
Below are some facts about the festival:
WHEN IS THE FESTIVAL?
The festival will take place from September 4-14, opening with the world premiere of “John Candy: I Like Me,” a documentary by director Colin Hanks that pays homage to the legendary Canadian comedian. It closes with Anne Émond’s Canadian romantic comedy “Peak Everything.”
WHERE IS IT HELD?
The 11-day event takes place in Toronto’s Entertainment District. Five venues will screen films, with red carpets rolled out for select films at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and the TIFF Lightbox.
WHAT TO WATCH AND WHY?
The festival is closely watched for its showcase of films starring Hollywood A-listers and independent features from across the globe, which often set the tone for the awards season culminating in the Oscars.
Director Rian Johnson’s latest in the Knives Out franchise, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” will have its world premiere on September 6. Daniel Craig returns as the eccentric private detective Benoit Blanc in the movie and leads an ensemble cast that includes Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny.
Annemarie Jacir directs “Palestine 36,” starring Hiam Abbass, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Cunningham. The movie, which debuts at the festival, tells the story of Palestinians in the 1930s under British rule.
Canadian premieres include Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just An Accident,” which won the top prize at Cannes this year, Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value”, and Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare. Guillermo del Toro’s magnum opus “Frankenstein” and Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine” will also have their North American premieres at the TIFF.
The 2025 edition also gives a platform to a slew of Canadian and Indigenous films such as “Blood Lines,” “Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts),” and “Meadowlarks.” Legendary Scottish actor Brian Cox’s directorial debut, “Glenrothan,” and South Africa-born Zamo Mkhwanazi’s “Laundry,” set during apartheid, will also premiere at the event.
WHO IS ATTENDING?
Scarlett Johansson, Russell Crowe, Jodie Foster, Dwayne Johnson, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, and Ryan Reynolds are among the many stars expected at the festival.
One of several awards presented on the last day of the festival is the People’s Choice Award, which is seen as an Oscars bellwether. Past winners include “Chariots of Fire,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” and “Nomadland.”
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Editing by Caroline Stauffer and Rod Nickel)
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