When Ron Leshem, executive producer of the Emmy-winning television series Euphoria,&nbsp;was deciding where to premiere his new project, the gritty Israeli juvenile prison drama Bad Boy,&nbsp;he set his sights on the Toronto Film Festival.

"Usually we would go to a TV festival. But with this, we felt that this is a cinematic creation and it needs a film festival," Leshem told AFP in an interview.

He and Bad Boy&nbsp;co-creator Hagar Ben-Asher were not alone: the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which has served as a launchpad for numerous Oscar-winning movies, is now also a springboard for prestige television, with an A-list lineup in 2023. Netflix unveiled the first episode of its hotly anticipated limited series All the Light We Cannot See,&nbsp;a World War II epic based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Anthony Doerr and starring three-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo.&nbsp;

Amazon's Prime Video also came to town with Expats,&nbsp;a drama set in Hong Kong that explores the intertwined lives of rich and poor expatriates in the city, starring Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman.

For TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, the festival's expanded prime-time programming is the result of "the growth of series and the real integration between the people who are making series and the people who are making theatrical films."&nbsp;

"They're often the same writers, directors, producers, actors. It just makes sense to dig deeper into that world," Bailey told AFP.

- TV shows 'travel easily' - 
 
Bad Boy,&nbsp;which is on the market in Toronto, delves into the surreal true story of Israeli standup comedian Daniel Chen who, as a child, was incarcerated in a grim juvenile detention center.

Twenty years on, the series -- shot in Hebrew -- shows that the secrets of his past are a constant burden and threat.

As Leshem and Ben-Asher explain, the teen -- then known as Dean -- learned to use humor behind bars to survive.

"It's not a dark story -- it's a story about a guy who found his talent in a very, very harsh place," Ben-Asher, who is 44, told AFP.

Leshem, 46, had embedded himself in a juvenile detention center as a young journalist to report on the fate of children born to inmate mothers.&nbsp;

But he could never find a way to tell the story -- unless news of Chen's past came to light.

Leshem -- co-creator of the Israeli series Euphoria&nbsp;on which the HBO show starring Zendaya is based -- says they rejected an offer from a US studio to do Bad Boy&nbsp;in English from the outset.

"We wanted the freedom to do it as authentically as possible," he said.

Subtitles are no longer the death knell for television series: the worldwide success of shows like Narcos&nbsp;and Squid Game&nbsp;is a testament to the fact that audiences are not afraid to consume content in languages other than their own.

"That's the power of TV nowadays. Different stories can travel easily," said Ben-Asher.

- 'More to come' - 
 
All the Light We Cannot See,&nbsp;which hits Netflix on November 2, tells the story of a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose lives collide in the occupied French city of Saint-Malo as bombs rain down.

Ruffalo plays the girl's father, who one Nazi officer believes has left a valuable gem with his daughter, while Hugh Laurie rounds out the cast as her uncle Etienne.

Canadian creator Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum,&nbsp;Stranger Things) told the audience after its premiere that it was a "huge luxury to share it, to watch it with everyone on a big screen with big sound... it was like director heaven today."

Wang -- known for 2019's The Farewell&nbsp;starring Awkwafina -- chose to unveil the feature-length penultimate episode of Expats&nbsp;rather than the first, saying she believed there were "multiple doors into any story."

"It was always my dream that a smaller festival audience would enter through a different door and have a different lens into this world," she told reporters at a press screening.

Kidman -- part of a huge ensemble cast -- plays an American mother who experiences a family tragedy in the series, which is based on the novel The Expatriates&nbsp;by Janice YK&nbsp;Lee.

Expats&nbsp;is set for release on Prime Video in 2024.

Kidman and Ruffalo did not attend the premieres, as Hollywood's actors and writers remain on strike.

TIFF's Bailey said organizers were thrilled to have more series on the festival program and plan to keep expanding the offerings in future years.&nbsp;

"This is one step up and we hope there'll be more to come," he said.

When Ron Leshem, executive producer of the Emmy-winning television series Euphoria, was deciding where to premiere his new project, the gritty Israeli juvenile prison drama Bad Boy, he set his sights on the Toronto Film Festival.

When Ron Leshem, executive producer of the Emmy-winning television series Euphoria, was deciding where to premiere his new project, the gritty Israeli juvenile prison drama Bad Boy, he set his sights on the Toronto Film Festival. "Usually we would go to a TV festival. But with this, we felt that this is a cinematic creation and it needs a film festival," Leshem told AFP in an interview. He and Bad Boy co-creator Hagar Ben-Asher were not alone: the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which has served as a launchpad for numerous Oscar-winning movies, is now also a springboard for prestige television, with an A-list lineup in 2023. Netflix unveiled the first episode of its hotly anticipated limited series All the Light We Cannot See, a World War II epic based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Anthony Doerr and starring three-time Oscar nominee Mark Ruffalo. Amazon's Prime Video also came to town with Expats, a drama set in Hong Kong that explores the intertwined lives of rich and poor expatriates in the city, starring Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman. For TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, the festival's expanded prime-time programming is the result of "the growth of series and the real integration between the people who are making series and the people who are making theatrical films." "They're often the same writers, directors, producers, actors. It just makes sense to dig deeper into that world," Bailey told AFP. - TV shows 'travel easily' - Bad Boy, which is on the market in Toronto, delves into the surreal true story of Israeli standup comedian Daniel Chen who, as a child, was incarcerated in a grim juvenile detention center. Twenty years on, the series -- shot in Hebrew -- shows that the secrets of his past are a constant burden and threat. As Leshem and Ben-Asher explain, the teen -- then known as Dean -- learned to use humor behind bars to survive. "It's not a dark story -- it's a story about a guy who found his talent in a very, very harsh place," Ben-Asher, who is 44, told AFP. Leshem, 46, had embedded himself in a juvenile detention center as a young journalist to report on the fate of children born to inmate mothers. But he could never find a way to tell the story -- unless news of Chen's past came to light. Leshem -- co-creator of the Israeli series Euphoria on which the HBO show starring Zendaya is based -- says they rejected an offer from a US studio to do Bad Boy in English from the outset. "We wanted the freedom to do it as authentically as possible," he said. Subtitles are no longer the death knell for television series: the worldwide success of shows like Narcos and Squid Game is a testament to the fact that audiences are not afraid to consume content in languages other than their own. "That's the power of TV nowadays. Different stories can travel easily," said Ben-Asher. - 'More to come' - All the Light We Cannot See, which hits Netflix on November 2, tells the story of a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose lives collide in the occupied French city of Saint-Malo as bombs rain down. Ruffalo plays the girl's father, who one Nazi officer believes has left a valuable gem with his daughter, while Hugh Laurie rounds out the cast as her uncle Etienne. Canadian creator Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum, Stranger Things) told the audience after its premiere that it was a "huge luxury to share it, to watch it with everyone on a big screen with big sound... it was like director heaven today." Wang -- known for 2019's The Farewell starring Awkwafina -- chose to unveil the feature-length penultimate episode of Expats rather than the first, saying she believed there were "multiple doors into any story." "It was always my dream that a smaller festival audience would enter through a different door and have a different lens into this world," she told reporters at a press screening. Kidman -- part of a huge ensemble cast -- plays an American mother who experiences a family tragedy in the series, which is based on the novel The Expatriates by Janice YK Lee. Expats is set for release on Prime Video in 2024. Kidman and Ruffalo did not attend the premieres, as Hollywood's actors and writers remain on strike. TIFF's Bailey said organizers were thrilled to have more series on the festival program and plan to keep expanding the offerings in future years. "This is one step up and we hope there'll be more to come," he said.

At Toronto Film Festival 2023, prestige TV also makes its mark

Lil Nas X brought his megawatt smile and star power to Toronto for the world premiere of a documentary tracking his meteoric rise -- one of several movies spotlighting the music industry at North America's biggest film festival.

Movies about legendary singer Paul Simon and Canadian rock group Nickelback also got their debut screenings over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival.

But the 24-year-old Lil Nas X -- who rocketed to fame with viral country rap hit Old Town Road&nbsp;and has since become an icon for the LGBTQ community -- captured all the attention when he stepped onto the red carpet late Saturday. 
 
The artist and his entourage joined fans in the audience for Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,&nbsp;which combines footage from his first tour and confessional interviews to explain his breakthrough and watch him navigate his monumental fame.

In the film, the Grammy-winning Georgia native, born Montero Lamar Hill, also explains his decision to openly embrace his queerness in the wake of the blistering success of Old Town Road,&nbsp;and how it affected his loved ones and his music.&nbsp;

"I felt like coming out was very important if I wanted to progress," Lil Nas X says in the film.

On the red carpet, co-director Zac Manuel emphasized the singer's wider societal influence as an out and proud Black man defying stereotypes with his massive, quirky social media presence and his embrace of edgy fashion. 
"I think it's so important to see just a different spectrum of what queerness and Blackness and masculinity looks like, and to be comfortable in that vision, I think, is something that he's bringing to audiences," Manuel told AFP.

In the post-screening question and answer session, Lil Nas X offered this to his cheering fans: "My biggest advice is: do that thing you're most afraid to do."

Saturday's late-night screening started 30 minutes late after a security issue. TIFF's vice president of communications Judy Lung said police briefly looked into "a general threat" nearby that was "not directed at the film or the artist."

Toronto police told AFP in a statement Sunday that "a passerby uttered a threat towards private security," also stressing it was not specific. 
 
But Variety, citing an unnamed source, said a bomb threat was called in by someone who specifically targeted the rapper for being Black and gay.

Lil Nas X's agents did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

- Simon retrospective - 
 
Less than 12 hours after the Lil Nas X screening ended, film buffs in Toronto gathered for the world premiere of In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon&nbsp;-- an engrossing deep dive into the career of the 81-year-old folk-rock icon.

"I've never wanted to be anything but a songwriter and a singer since I was 13," Simon says in the film by Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director behind documentaries "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "Going Clear" about the Scientology movement.

The movie splices together archival images from Simon's more than six decades in music, from his fraught partnership with childhood friend Art Garfunkel to his exploration of world music, notably with Graceland.

It also tracks the development of his latest album Seven Psalms,&nbsp;which was released in May -- and describes how the Grammy-winning, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is coping with deafness in his left ear.

"I really fell into a depression," says Simon, who explains how his creative process has changed because of his condition.

On Friday, Nickelback fans got a double treat -- the premiere of documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback&nbsp;and a free performance from the band at the film festival's street fair, which is back in 2023 after a pandemic-induced hiatus. 
The group -- best known for the 2001 number-one hit How You Remind Me&nbsp;-- has also been on the receiving end of wicked criticism over the years for being too formulaic, and the film looks at how that backlash affected band members.

TIFF runs through September 17.

Lil Nas X brought his megawatt smile and star power to Toronto for the world premiere of a documentary tracking his meteoric rise -- one of several movies spotlighting the music industry at North America's biggest film festival.

Lil Nas X brought his megawatt smile and star power to Toronto for the world premiere of a documentary tracking his meteoric rise -- one of several movies spotlighting the music industry at North America's biggest film festival. Movies about legendary singer Paul Simon and Canadian rock group Nickelback also got their debut screenings over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. But the 24-year-old Lil Nas X -- who rocketed to fame with viral country rap hit Old Town Road and has since become an icon for the LGBTQ community -- captured all the attention when he stepped onto the red carpet late Saturday. The artist and his entourage joined fans in the audience for Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, which combines footage from his first tour and confessional interviews to explain his breakthrough and watch him navigate his monumental fame. In the film, the Grammy-winning Georgia native, born Montero Lamar Hill, also explains his decision to openly embrace his queerness in the wake of the blistering success of Old Town Road, and how it affected his loved ones and his music. "I felt like coming out was very important if I wanted to progress," Lil Nas X says in the film. On the red carpet, co-director Zac Manuel emphasized the singer's wider societal influence as an out and proud Black man defying stereotypes with his massive, quirky social media presence and his embrace of edgy fashion. "I think it's so important to see just a different spectrum of what queerness and Blackness and masculinity looks like, and to be comfortable in that vision, I think, is something that he's bringing to audiences," Manuel told AFP. In the post-screening question and answer session, Lil Nas X offered this to his cheering fans: "My biggest advice is: do that thing you're most afraid to do." Saturday's late-night screening started 30 minutes late after a security issue. TIFF's vice president of communications Judy Lung said police briefly looked into "a general threat" nearby that was "not directed at the film or the artist." Toronto police told AFP in a statement Sunday that "a passerby uttered a threat towards private security," also stressing it was not specific. But Variety, citing an unnamed source, said a bomb threat was called in by someone who specifically targeted the rapper for being Black and gay. Lil Nas X's agents did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. - Simon retrospective - Less than 12 hours after the Lil Nas X screening ended, film buffs in Toronto gathered for the world premiere of In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon -- an engrossing deep dive into the career of the 81-year-old folk-rock icon. "I've never wanted to be anything but a songwriter and a singer since I was 13," Simon says in the film by Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director behind documentaries "Taxi to the Dark Side" and "Going Clear" about the Scientology movement. The movie splices together archival images from Simon's more than six decades in music, from his fraught partnership with childhood friend Art Garfunkel to his exploration of world music, notably with Graceland. It also tracks the development of his latest album Seven Psalms, which was released in May -- and describes how the Grammy-winning, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is coping with deafness in his left ear. "I really fell into a depression," says Simon, who explains how his creative process has changed because of his condition. On Friday, Nickelback fans got a double treat -- the premiere of documentary Hate to Love: Nickelback and a free performance from the band at the film festival's street fair, which is back in 2023 after a pandemic-induced hiatus. The group -- best known for the 2001 number-one hit How You Remind Me -- has also been on the receiving end of wicked criticism over the years for being too formulaic, and the film looks at how that backlash affected band members. TIFF runs through September 17.

Lil Nas X thrills Toronto fans as film fest looks at music

Bell Canada is ending its long-standing partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival. The telecommunications company&nbsp;has been sponsoring the film festival since 1995.&nbsp;

The partnership will end with the 48th season of the Toronto International Film Festival. In a statement to Variety, the company said, ''Bell has had a terrific partnership with TIFF for the past 28 years."

"We’re proud of our partnership to help make TIFF a leading global destination for film and to support Canadian content and talent on the world stage."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/fewer-stars-more-scandal-at-80th-venice-film-festival-629603">Fewer stars, more scandal at 80th Venice Film Festival</a>

The statement continued, "Earlier this year, we decided that the end of 2023 would be the right time to step back from our partnership with TIFF and opted not to renew our sponsorship in order to invest in other opportunities that are core to our business. We are confident TIFF will continue to develop and showcase the world’s leading content to inform, educate and entertain the best audience in film. We’re grateful to have been a part of it all."

The 28 years of financial ties came to an end at a time when the industry was struggling to recover from the pandemic lockdown. And this year, the festival is going to be impacted by the ongoing Hollywood strikes. In the wake of the ongoing actors' and writers'&nbsp;strike, members are not allowed to take part in any promotional event for any film. Following the same, many big stars are going to skip the film festival.&nbsp;Despite the strike, the TIFF CEO assured earlier this year that the festival is in great shape.&nbsp;

The CEO of TIFF, Cameron Bailey&nbsp;said, "We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the US," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/miley-cyrus-reflects-on-her-2013-dispute-with-late-sinead-oconnor-says-she-deeply-regrets-her-actions-629487">Miley Cyrus reflects on her 2013 dispute with late Sinéad O'Connor; says she deeply regrets her actions</a>

"That’s why filmmakers and film companies and journalists and buyers and sellers come, because they want to see how films play with the Toronto audiences. So there’s all kinds of reasons to bring a film here, even if the strike is continuing. Because you’ll still get that reaction," added Bailey.

The A-list lineup of world premieres includes movies starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Seth Rogen.

The line-up includes Dumb Money, Tony Goldwyn's Ezra,&nbsp;Taika Waititi's sports comedy Next Goal Wins&nbsp;French filmmaker Ladj Ly's drama Les Indesirables,&nbsp;Atom Egoyan's Seven Veils&nbsp;starring Amanda Seyfried and Michael Keaton's Knox Goes Away,&nbsp;starring Pacino. 
&nbsp; 
The event only returned to full strength in 2022, after two years of online or hybrid events.

TIFF&nbsp;will run from September 7 to September 17, 2023.

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<header>(With input from the agency)</header>
</section>

Bell Canada is ending its long-standing partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival. The telecommunications company has been sponsoring the film festival since 1995.

Bell Canada is ending its long-standing partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival. The telecommunications company has been sponsoring the film festival since 1995. The partnership will end with the 48th season of the Toronto International Film Festival. In a statement to Variety, the company said, ''Bell has had a terrific partnership with TIFF for the past 28 years." "We’re proud of our partnership to help make TIFF a leading global destination for film and to support Canadian content and talent on the world stage." Also read: Fewer stars, more scandal at 80th Venice Film Festival The statement continued, "Earlier this year, we decided that the end of 2023 would be the right time to step back from our partnership with TIFF and opted not to renew our sponsorship in order to invest in other opportunities that are core to our business. We are confident TIFF will continue to develop and showcase the world’s leading content to inform, educate and entertain the best audience in film. We’re grateful to have been a part of it all." The 28 years of financial ties came to an end at a time when the industry was struggling to recover from the pandemic lockdown. And this year, the festival is going to be impacted by the ongoing Hollywood strikes. In the wake of the ongoing actors' and writers' strike, members are not allowed to take part in any promotional event for any film. Following the same, many big stars are going to skip the film festival. Despite the strike, the TIFF CEO assured earlier this year that the festival is in great shape. The CEO of TIFF, Cameron Bailey said, "We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the US," he told The Hollywood Reporter. Also read: Miley Cyrus reflects on her 2013 dispute with late Sinéad O'Connor; says she deeply regrets her actions "That’s why filmmakers and film companies and journalists and buyers and sellers come, because they want to see how films play with the Toronto audiences. So there’s all kinds of reasons to bring a film here, even if the strike is continuing. Because you’ll still get that reaction," added Bailey. The A-list lineup of world premieres includes movies starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Seth Rogen. The line-up includes Dumb Money, Tony Goldwyn's Ezra, Taika Waititi's sports comedy Next Goal Wins French filmmaker Ladj Ly's drama Les Indesirables, Atom Egoyan's Seven Veils starring Amanda Seyfried and Michael Keaton's Knox Goes Away, starring Pacino. The event only returned to full strength in 2022, after two years of online or hybrid events. TIFF will run from September 7 to September 17, 2023. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. (With input from the agency)

Toronto Film Festival lead sponsor Bell cut ties with the event after 28 years

The 2023 edition of Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of film premieres, amid the double strike by two major unions of Hollywood actors and writers.

Indian film Punjab '95, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal, and Suvinder Vicky, is part of the Gala Presentations section. Also in the section are Craig Gillespie's Dumb Money, John Carney's Flora and Son, and Um Tae-hwa's Concrete Utopia. Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins was the first movie to be confirmed to be part of the festival.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival! 
 
Presenting the first look of Punjab ‘95, a compelling story based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji 🙏🏽<a href="https://twitter.com/HoneyTrehan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@honeytrehan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rampalarjun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rampalarjun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Suvinder_Vicky?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Suvinder_Vicky</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeetikaVidyaOhlyan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GeetikaVidyaOhlyan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/kukuhere?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kukuhere</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RonnieScrewvala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ronniescrewvala</a>… <a href="https://t.co/PmTC1Fxxhz">pic.twitter.com/PmTC1Fxxhz</a>
— DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) <a href="https://twitter.com/diljitdosanjh/status/1683526407698415616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In the Special Presentations section, there are films by Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, David Yates, and more. Films from the likes of those who are better known for their acting, like Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Ethan Hawke, and Viggo Mortensen, will also be shown in this category.&nbsp;

You can see the full list of films at TIFF <a href="https://tiff.net/press/news/tiff-2023-announces-60-films-in-first-wave-of-galas-and-special-presentations">here.</a>

<h2>TIFF CEO assures the festival is in great shape</h2>

The CEO of TIFF, Cameron Bailey, has said that despite the double strike and the ensuing chaos in Hollywood, TIFF is in great shape.

“We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the US,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Bailey mentioned that Toronto programmers had been actively evaluating US and international cinema titles for several months before the actors' union SAG-AFTRA declared strike, even as the Writers Guild of America had been on strike for weeks.

Invitations had already been sent out prior to the strike's commencement. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the actors' strike, Bailey said that they had revisited discussions with all the individuals associated with the films they had invited, inquiring about their situation in case the strike persisted. However, the outcome of these conversations is still undecided.

"That’s why filmmakers and film companies and journalists and buyers and sellers come, because they want to see how films play with the Toronto audiences. So there’s all kinds of reasons to bring a film here, even if the strike is continuing. Because you’ll still get that reaction," added Bailey.

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<h2>What is Toronto International Film Festival?</h2>

Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious and influential film festivals in the world, held annually in Toronto, Canada. Established in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a major event in the film industry, attracting filmmakers, actors, critics, and film enthusiasts from around the globe. It plays a crucial role in promoting international cinema, fostering talent, and providing a space for filmmakers and film professionals to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the art of filmmaking. Unlike say Cannes and Venice festivals, TIFF is known for a bent towards indie cinema.

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The 2023 edition of Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of film premieres, amid the double strike by two major unions of Hollywood actors and writers.

The 2023 edition of Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled its lineup of film premieres, amid the double strike by two major unions of Hollywood actors and writers. Indian film Punjab '95, directed by Honey Trehan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Arjun Rampal, and Suvinder Vicky, is part of the Gala Presentations section. Also in the section are Craig Gillespie's Dumb Money, John Carney's Flora and Son, and Um Tae-hwa's Concrete Utopia. Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins was the first movie to be confirmed to be part of the festival. World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival! Presenting the first look of Punjab ‘95, a compelling story based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji 🙏🏽@honeytrehan @rampalarjun @Suvinder_Vicky #GeetikaVidyaOhlyan @kukuhere @ronniescrewvala… pic.twitter.com/PmTC1Fxxhz — DILJIT DOSANJH (@diljitdosanjh) July 24, 2023 × In the Special Presentations section, there are films by Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, David Yates, and more. Films from the likes of those who are better known for their acting, like Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Ethan Hawke, and Viggo Mortensen, will also be shown in this category. You can see the full list of films at TIFF here. TIFF CEO assures the festival is in great shape The CEO of TIFF, Cameron Bailey, has said that despite the double strike and the ensuing chaos in Hollywood, TIFF is in great shape. “We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the US,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. Bailey mentioned that Toronto programmers had been actively evaluating US and international cinema titles for several months before the actors' union SAG-AFTRA declared strike, even as the Writers Guild of America had been on strike for weeks. Invitations had already been sent out prior to the strike's commencement. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the actors' strike, Bailey said that they had revisited discussions with all the individuals associated with the films they had invited, inquiring about their situation in case the strike persisted. However, the outcome of these conversations is still undecided. "That’s why filmmakers and film companies and journalists and buyers and sellers come, because they want to see how films play with the Toronto audiences. So there’s all kinds of reasons to bring a film here, even if the strike is continuing. Because you’ll still get that reaction," added Bailey. What is Toronto International Film Festival? Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious and influential film festivals in the world, held annually in Toronto, Canada. Established in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a major event in the film industry, attracting filmmakers, actors, critics, and film enthusiasts from around the globe. It plays a crucial role in promoting international cinema, fostering talent, and providing a space for filmmakers and film professionals to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the art of filmmaking. Unlike say Cannes and Venice festivals, TIFF is known for a bent towards indie cinema. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.