Bono and Adam Clayton, seen at a U2 concert in Denver, star in ‘From the Sky Down’
By Ray Bennett
After several years as a regular at the Venice International Film Festival, it was a pleasure last year to review films at the Toronto International Film Festival, and I hope to again this year. There’s a terrific set-up at TIFF with the new purpose-built Lightbox film centre, and once again festival organisers have announced an impressive lineup.
Davis Guggenheim’s U2 documentary “From the Sky Down” will have its world premiere as a gala presentation on opening night, Sept. 8, and there will be 10 galas in all and 43 special presentations with 31 world premieres during the 36th annual event, which runs to Sept. 18.
A wide array of established filmmakers and big stars will be in Toronto for the festival including George Clooney with two films, political thriller “The Ides of March” and family drama “The Descendants”, Brad Pitt as baseball manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball”, and Jane Fonda as a hippy grandmother in “Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding”.
TIFF Director and CEO Piers Handling said, “The international scope and diversity of voices in these programmes are impressive and inspiring. We eagerly anticipate welcoming these filmmakers and their provocative works to Toronto and sharing them with audiences in September.”
Co-Director Cameron Bailey said, “These films showcase powerful performances delivered by actors who are in a class all their own, including Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Ryan Gosling, Woody Harrelson, Vanessa Redgrave and Tilda Swinton to name a few. We hope our audience will be as impressed as we were.”
Ticket packages for the Festival are now available for purchase by cash, debit or Visa. Purchase online at tiff.net/festival, by phone at 416-599-TIFF or 1-888-599-8433 (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), or in person at the TIFF Box Office at 350 King Street West (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.).