Stephen Chbosky鈥檚 musical feature 鈥淒ear Evan Hansen鈥� will open this year鈥檚 hybrid Toronto International Film Festival, with organizers touting an expansion of last year鈥檚 shrunken showcase and a return of red carpets and in-person glitz as pandemic border measures ease.
Organizers on Tuesday revealed the first selections of high-profile gala and special presentations slots for the 46th edition, which runs Sept. 9 to 18.
Newly announced star-studded features making world premieres include 鈥淭he Eyes of Tammy Faye鈥� by Michael Showalter, Barry Levinson鈥檚 biographical boxer drama 鈥淭he Survivor鈥� and Michael McGowan鈥檚 Canadian adaptation 鈥淎ll My Puny Sorrows.鈥� They鈥檙e among more than 100 films set to screen digitally and in-person at downtown drive-in and open-air cinemas, as well as some in-person venues, including TIFF Bell Lightbox and Roy Thomson Hall.
TIFF co-head and artistic director Cameron Bailey said the festival wants to stage this year鈥檚 galas and special presentations as safely as possible while reviving some pre-pandemic excitement.
Still, red carpets will likely be smaller than usual and be held indoors 鈥� a departure from the usual outdoor media spectacles that attract hordes of fans seeking hugs, photos and autographs from celebrities.
Tuesday鈥檚 announcement came a day after the federal government said fully vaccinated United States citizens and permanent residents will be allowed into Canada as of Aug. 9. Visitors from the rest of the world will be allowed into Canada starting Sept. 7.
TIFF co-head and executive director Joana Vicente said they鈥檙e still trying to figure out whether local press and industry will also need to be fully vaccinated, and what COVID-19 testing might be required.
鈥淲e know that everyone who will come into Canada will need to be tested and have proof of vaccine, so that鈥檚 already taken care of,鈥� Vicente said in an interview.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just taking a lot into consideration and figuring out what are the right safety and health measures.鈥�
Steven Levenson adapted 鈥淒ear Evan Hansen鈥� from his hit Tony Award-winning stage show, with Ben Platt reprising his acclaimed leading role as a teenager who has social anxiety disorder.
Amy Adams, Julianne Moore and Kaitlyn Dever are among the other cast members in the story directed by Chbosky, who鈥檚 known for his film and novel 鈥淭he Perks of Being a Wallflower.鈥�
The feature, which will have its world premiere with a gala presentation at Roy Thomson Hall, follows in the footsteps of past music-filled TIFF openers including 鈥淎merican Utopia,鈥� 鈥淥nce Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band,鈥� the U2 documentary 鈥淔rom the Sky Down鈥� and 鈥淪core: A Hockey Musical.鈥�
Bailey said while 鈥淒ear Evan Hansen鈥� covers hard-hitting subject matter, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not a heavy movie.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a movie that鈥檚 got so much hope to it, that has this beautiful soaring score,鈥� he said in an interview Tuesday.
鈥淎 great cast, a great story and a tone that I think is what we want to start with: We鈥檝e been through a tough year, we鈥檙e not afraid of facing tough issues in life, but we want to focus on the hope.鈥�
Chinese director Zhang Yimou鈥檚 鈥淥ne Second,鈥� about the connection between a travelling film projectionist and an escaped prisoner, will close the fest.
鈥淗e set it in the 1970s and during the Cultural Revolution in China, at a time when movies were really one of the few ways that people could be entertained as a group,鈥� Bailey said.
鈥淎nd so you really get a sense of, when you have very little else, how movies can transport you and how they can transform you.鈥�
Vicente said that鈥檚 one of the themes of the festival, after over a year of devastating theatre shutdowns: 鈥淛ust reminding people of the magic of coming together to watch a film and get immersed.鈥�
TIFF announced 10 galas and 22 special presentations Tuesday, including 鈥淎ll My Puny Sorrows,鈥� based on the Miriam Toews book. Alison Pill and Sarah Gadon star in the adaptation of a tale inspired by the Manitoba author鈥檚 relationship with her older sister and father.
Other newly announced world premieres include 鈥淭he Eyes of Tammy Faye,鈥� starring Jessica Chastain as televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, and 鈥淭he Middle Man鈥� by Bent Hamer, a Norway/Canada/Germany/Denmark co-production with Canuck stars Don McKellar, Paul Gross and Rossif Sutherland.
Then there鈥檚 Walt Becker鈥檚 鈥淐lifford the Big Red Dog,鈥� a Canada/United States/United Kingdom co-production based on the children鈥檚 book series about a giant red pooch.
鈥淚 love that people are like, 鈥榃hat?鈥欌�� Bailey said with a laugh about social media reactions to 鈥淐lifford鈥� being in the lineup.
鈥溾�楥lifford鈥� is just super fun. It鈥檚 really that simple,鈥� he added, noting it鈥檚 a well-known story with 鈥渂ig Hollywood visual effects鈥� and an all-star cast including David Alan Grier as the voice of Clifford.
鈥淔or every family who鈥檚 had kids at home for a long time and just missed taking them out to a big screen adventure, this is for you.鈥�
Previously announced titles getting world premiere gala presentations include U.S. filmmaker Alison Klayman鈥檚 documentary 鈥淛agged,鈥� about Ottawa-raised singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette.
TIFF said it added Scotiabank Theatre Toronto to its screening venues for the first five days of the festival, and will also show films at the Princess of Wales Theatre and the Cinesphere Theatre at Ontario Place.
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
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