Toronto - The
Toronto International Film Festival is pleased to announce the addition of
11 Gala Presentations and
2 Special
Presentations to the programming lineup for TIFF08, which runs September 4 through 13. These include films from critically
acclaimed filmmakers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Caroline Link and Anees Bazmee and feature performances
by Peter O'Toole, Rachel McAdams, John Malkovich, Julie Christie, Vincent Cassel, Ellen Burstyn, Edward Norton, Christina Ricci,
Colin Farrell, Akshay Kumar, Jon Voight, Scarlett Johansson, James Caan, Natalie Portman, George Clooney, Jeremy Northam, Kate
Beckinsale, Alan Alda, David Schwimmer, Matt Dillon, Tim Robbins, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton, Noah Wyle and
Angela Bassett. Previously announced,
La Fille de Monaco is now a Gala Presentation; previously announced
Empty Nest is now a
Special Presentation.
Ticket packages now on sale. Purchase online at
tiff08.ca, by phone at
416-968-FILM or
1-877-968-FILM or in person at the
Festival
Box Office at Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (main floor, north entrance). Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday
through Saturday. The 33rd
Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4 through 13, 2008.
GALA PRESENTATIONS
Dean Spanley Toa Fraser, United Kingdom/New Zealand
World Premiere
Living in Edwardian England where upper lips are always stiff and men from the Colonies are not to be trusted, Fisk Senior (Peter
O'Toole) has little time or affection for his son (Jeremy Northam). But when the pair visit an eccentric swami, they embark on a strange
journey that eventually allows the old man to find his heart. Based on Lord Dunsany's novel
My Talks with Dean Spanley, the film also
stars Sam Neill and Bryan Brown.
Dean Spanley is distributed in Canada by Alliance Films.
The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond Jodie Markell, USA
World Premiere
In this rediscovered original screenplay by Tennessee Williams, young and rebellious socialite Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard),
already tainted by family scandal, defies social convention and falls in love with farm hand Jimmy Dobyne (Chris Evans). The
relationship is jeopardized when the loss of a priceless diamond sets off a series of accusations and betrayals that threaten to shatter
their hopes for the future. Also starring Ellen Burstyn, Mamie Gummer, Ann-Margret and Will Patton,
The Loss of a Teardrop
Diamond is produced by Brad Michael Gilbert/Constellation Entertainment.
The Lucky Ones Neil Burger, USA
World Premiere
Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Peña star as returning U.S. soldiers who find themselves on an epic road trip across
America. Their unplanned journey is hilarious and heartbreaking as they discover home is not quite what they remembered and the
unlikely companionship they've found in one another might be what matters most of all.
The Lucky Ones is directed by Neil Burger
(
The Illusionist) and is distributed in the U.S. by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions and in Canada by Maple Pictures.
Nothing But the Truth Rod Lurie, USA
World Premiere
Inspired by today's politically charged climate,
Nothing But the Truth stars Kate Beckinsale as a Washington DC reporter who writes
an explosive story about a government scandal in which she reveals the name of a covert CIA agent (Vera Farmiga). When a special
government prosecutor (Matt Dillon) demands she divulge her source, she refuses and finds herself behind bars, struggling to defend
the principles upon which she has based.
Nothing But the Truth also stars Alan Alda, David Schwimmer, Noah Wyle and Angela
Bassett. Directed by Rod Lurie (
The Contender, TIFF 2000),
Nothing But the Truth is a Yari Film Group presentation.
Pride and Glory Gavin O'Connor, USA
World Premiere
Starring Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Noah Emmerich and Jennifer Ehle,
Pride and Glory follows a multi-generational
New York City police family whose moral code is tested when one of two sons on the force investigates an incendiary case involving
his older brother and brother-in-law, ultimately forcing the family to choose between their loyalties to one another and their loyalties to
the department.
Pride and Glory will be distributed in the U.S. by Warner Bros. and in Canada by Alliance Films.
A Year Ago in Winter Caroline Link, Germany
World Premiere
From the director of
Nowhere in Africa (TIFF 2002) comes the gripping story of a family in the aftermath of the unexpected death of its
only son. Grieving mother Eliane (Corinna Harfouch) commissions a renowned artist, Max Hollander (Josef Bierbichler), to paint a
portrait of the young man and his sister, Lilli (Karoline Herfurth). As part of his process, Max insists on meeting regularly with Lilli to
glean an understanding of the relationship that existed between the siblings. What he happens upon instead are troubling family
secrets that threaten his unfinished work.
A Year Ago in Winter is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.
Who Do You Love Jerry Zaks, USA
World Premiere
Alessandro Nivola stars as legendary record producer Leonard Chess in
Who Do You Love. Founded by Leonard and his brother Phil,
the label helped to introduce and popularize blues music during the 1950s and 1960s, including that of the extraordinary Muddy
Waters. As the music around them transformed, so too did their family lives
- Who Do You Love explores the professional success
and personal sacrifices of the men behind what would come to be known as America's greatest blues label.
Who Do You Love is
presented by Alexander/Mitchell Productions.
Burn After Reading Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, USA
North American Premiere
A stellar cast including George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins and Brad Pitt stars in
Burn After Reading, from writer/directors Joel and Ethan Coen. Worlds collide when a computer disc containing material for a CIA
analyst's memoirs accidentally falls into the hands of a fitness centre duo eager to exploit their find. Events spiral out of everyone's and
anyone's control in a cascading series of darkly hilarious encounters.
Burn After Reading is distributed in the U.S. by Focus Features
and in Canada by Alliance Films.
La Fille de Monaco Anne Fontaine, France
North American Premiere
Director Anne Fontaine (
Nouvelle Chance, TIFF 2006 and
Entre ses mains, TIFF 2005) returns with
La Fille de Monaco starring
Fabrice Luchini, Louise Bourgoin and Roschdy Zem. A brilliant but neurotic attorney goes to Monaco to defend a famous criminal but
instead of focusing on the case, he finds himself falling for a beautiful she-devil, who turns him into a complete wreck. Hopefully, his
zealous bodyguard will step in and put everything back in order... or will he?
La Fille de Monaco is distributed in Canada by
Entertainment One.
Public Enemy No. 1/Mesrine: L'Énnemi public no. 1 Jean-François Richet, France/Canada
Work-in-Progress
Vincent Cassel plays Jacques Mesrine, the legendary French gangster of the 1960s and 1970s who came to be known as French
Public Enemy No. 1. Infamous for his sadism, bravado and daring prison escapes, Mesrine carried out numerous robberies,
kidnappings and murders in a criminal career that spanned continents until he was shot dead by France's notorious anti-gang unit at
the Porte de Clignancourt in 1979. Both a thriller and a biopic,
Public Enemy No. 1 explores the man behind the icon. Also starring
Cécile de France, Gérard Depardieu and Roy Dupuis,
Public Enemy No. 1 is produced by LaPetite Reine and Remstar Productions
and is distributed in Canada by Alliance Films.
Singh Is Kinng Anees Bazmee,
India
In our Special Mumbai Matinee, Akshay Kumar stars opposite Katrina Kaif and Om Puri in this romantic action-comedy from
writer/director Anees Bazmee. Happy Singh (Kumar) is well-intentioned but accident-prone - bringing constant disaster upon his small
village in Punjab. Fed up, the village decides to send him on a journey that will take him out of the country for an extended period of
time - to retrieve another former villager, Lucky Singh (Sonu Sood), whose deeds and designation as "King" of the Australian
underworld have been maligning the village's reputation. What starts out as a seemingly simple assignment becomes a heroic quest in
which Happy will travel great distances, battle fierce enemies and finally meet his destiny.
Singh Is Kinng is distributed in North
America (and worldwide) by Studio 18 USA Inc.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Empty Nest Daniel Burman, Argentina/Spain/France/Italy
International Premiere
Superbly imaginative and entertaining,
Empty Nest offers a heartfelt look at the marital tensions between Martha (Cecilia Roth) and
Leonardo (Oscar Martinez) as they struggle to maintain a fresh and exciting marriage after their youngest child marries and leaves
Buenos Aires. Daniel Burman's sixth feature is laugh-out-loud funny even while nostalgic moments bring tears to the eye.
New York, I Love You, USA
Work-in-Progress
Short films from twelve international filmmakers, including Allen Hughes, Shekhar Kapur, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner,
Fatih Akin, Scarlett Johansson, Ivan Attal, Natalie Portman, Shunji Iwai, Jiang Wen, and Andrei Zvyagintsev are woven together in
New York, I Love You, an homage to The Big Apple. Revolving around the theme of encountering love within the different boroughs of
New York City,
New York, I Love You features performances from Orlando Bloom, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Christina Ricci,
Julie Christie, Robin Wright Penn, Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Andy Garcia, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, Chris Cooper, Olivia
Thirlby, Kevin Bacon, James Caan, Bradley Cooper, Drea de Matteo, John Hurt, Cloris Leachman, Carla Gugina, Goran Visnjic, Ugor
Yucel, Carlos Acosta, Eva Amurri, Anton Yelchin, Justin Bartha, Irrfan Khan, Jacinda Barrett, and Taylor Geare.
The Special Presentations programme is made possible through the generous sponsorship of
American Movie Classics Company LLC.
Bell Lightbox
Currently under construction in downtown Toronto, Bell Lightbox is soon to be the world's leading destination for film lovers. This
major new cultural institution on the Canadian and international landscape will be structured around five state-of-the-art cinemas
celebrating film from around the world. Bell Lightbox programming will give context to films through innovative cross-media
exhibitions, lectures, and film-related learning opportunities for all ages. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, Bell
Lightbox's fluid design encourages exploration, movement and play within its soaring atriums.
The campaign to build Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell. The Government of Canada and the
Government of Ontario each have contributed $25 million to realize Bell Lightbox. A gift of more than $22 million has been confirmed
from the Reitman family - acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Reitman and his sisters Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels - and The Daniels
Corporation, who together form the King and John Festival Corporation. The project is also supported by RBC as Major Sponsor and
Official Bank, Visa†, Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, The Allan Slaight Family, The Brian Linehan Charitable
Foundation, CIBC, and many other individuals and corporations. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals have
also contributed to the campaign. The total amount raised to date is $147 million, three quarters of the total campaign of $196 million.
For more information on the Bell Lightbox campaign, visit
belllightbox.ca
We are a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Our
vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.
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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or email
[email protected]