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Toronto Film Fest Nabs 100 World Premieres
2004-08-25
TORONTO - Looking to become a bastion of heavyweight, star-filled indie cinema, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled Tuesday a 328-film lineup that includes 100 world premieres and 81 North American premieres.The festival opens Sept. 9 with the world premiere of Istvan Szabo's "Being Julia," starring Annette Bening, and closes Sept. 18 with the Martin Short starrer "Jiminy Glick in Lalawood." Among the 20 high-profile films to receive red-carpet treatment at Roy Thomson Hall are Mike Barker's "A Good Woman," a comedy about Americans in Italy that stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson; and "Beyond the Sea," which Kevin Spacey directed and stars in as Bobby Darin. Other world premieres include: - Oliver Hirschbiegel's "Downfall," a German thriller about Adolf Hitler's final hours, starring Bruno Ganz; - John Stephenson's "Five Children and It," a kids' tale that stars Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald. - Bille August's "Return to Sender," which stars Kelly Preston and Aidan Quinn; - Jean-Paul Salome's "Arsene Lupin," an adventure tale starring Romain Duris, Kristin Scott Thomas and Eva Green; - Mick Davis' "Modigliani," a biopic about the celebrated painter starring Andy Garcia; - Chazz Palminteri's "Noel," about five New Yorkers seeking a miracle on Christmas Eve; - "Silver City," a political satire from John Sayles; - Paul Haggis' "Crash," which follows a multi-ethnic cast through the streets of Los Angeles; - John Waters' comedy "A Dirty Shame," starring Tracey Ullman as a lustful convenience store owner; - Lodge Kerrigan's "Keane," starring Damian Lewis as a man who suffers from schizophrenic episodes while trying to retrace the steps of his six-year-old daughter's abduction. - and Dylan Kidd's "P.S.," starring Laura Linney and Topher Grace in a tale of forbidden love. North American premieres include Todd Solondz's "Palindromes," Roger Michell's "Enduring Love," Charles Dance's "Ladies in Lavender" and Johnnie To's "Throwdown." Toronto also has booked Canadian premieres for Carlo Mazzacurati's "An Italian Romance," a period drama that stars Stefano Accorsi and Maya Sansa; Walter Salles' "The Motorcycle Diaries," which bowed at Cannes; and Richard Eyre's "Stage Beauty," which stars Billy Crudup and Claire Danes. Elsewhere, Toronto has booked two films by Iran's Abbas Kiarostami, "10 on Ten" and "Five"; Benoit Jacquot's "A Tout de Suite"; Pedro Almodovar's "Bad Education"; Agnes Varda's "Cinevardaphoto"; and "Eros," an anthology of films about eroticism from Wong Kar-Wai, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni. Paul Cox's "Human Touch" will make an appearance, as will Wim Wenders' "Land of Plenty," Korean director Im Kwon-Taek's "Low Life," Volker Schlondorff's "The Ninth Day" and the latest film from Jean-Luc Godard, "Notre Musique." The Visions sidebar will spotlight Michael Winterbottom's "9 Songs," Catherine Breillat's "Anatomie de L'enfer," Philippine director Lav Diaz's "Evolution of a Filipino Family," Asia Argento's "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" and Jonathan Caouette's Sundance hit "Tarnation." The Contemporary World Cinema program this year features 58 features from 37 countries, including the North American premiere of Gregg Araki's "Mysterious Skin" and the Canadian premiere of Nicole Kassell's "The Woodsman," which stars Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Other World Cinema titles include Shane Meadows' "Dead Man's Shoes," Carlos Sorin's "Bombon -- El Perro," Frederic Fonteyne's "La Femme de Gilles" and a host of French films, including Ziad Doueiri's "Lila Dit Ca," Robert Guediguian's "Mon Pere est Ingenieur" and the Isabelle Huppert starrer "Ma Mere," from Christophe Honore. On the documentary front, Toronto has programed Antoine Fuqua's "Lightning in a Bottle," a film about the lead-up to a historic Radio City Music Hall blues concert; and Mark S. Wexler's "Tell Them Who You Are," a film about the director's father, veteran cinematographer Haskell Wexler, featuring interviews with Julia Roberts, Martin Sheen, Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda. In all, Toronto will unspool 253 features and 75 shorts this year. Of that total, 207 features, or 82%, will have their world, international or North American premieres; 68 directors will show off feature film debuts; and 146 features, or 58%, will screen in languages other than English. On the industry side, Toronto has programed sessions with Sydney Pollack, Terry Gilliam, Araki, Lukas Moodysson, Bruce La Bruce and Solondz. And new this year is Talent Lab, an intense three-day program giving 21 emerging Canadian filmmakers a chance to learn from industry veterans such as Gus Van Sant, Patricia Rozema, Bingham Ray and Michael Ondaatje. Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
'Watchmen' on duty at Warner Bros (2005-12-18)'Virgin' vanquishes rivals at U.S. box office (2005-08-28)Toronto Film Fest Nabs 100 World Premieres (2004-08-25)Film Deals Get Cannes Buzzing (2001-05-15)Cannes Film Festival Opens (2001-05-09)
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