After going hybrid for last year’s 45th edition of the annual festival, the Toronto International Film Festival has today announced early plans for a festival that more closely resembles pre-pandemic festivities.
Nevertheless, in a joint interview with IndieWire, TIFF co-heads Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente said that all films had been invited to premiere both in-person and virtually for Canadian audiences, while the press and industry screening platform launched last year will remain in place.
While the initial vaccine rollout in Canada was hobbled by a strategic decision to delay second doses, recent statistics have shown improvement on that front, as 75 percent of Canadians have received a first dose and 25 percent are completely vaccinated.
The IMAX screening of “Dune” will follow its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and take place at the Cinesphere Theatre at Ontario Place, the first permanent IMAX venue in the world.
“Denis has accomplished something that’s very hard for any filmmaker to do — creating a visual language for these novels and directing a whole suite of actors,” he said.
“There are references to Italian giallos and Hammer horror for those who want to pick them up, but it’s also just non-stop fun even though it’s about about a serious subject.
Bailey said that the festival has received a record number of submissions estimated at 7,000 films. Further programming selections, including the Gala and Special Presentation titles, were expected to be announced next month.
The programming team expected to have a minimal presence at Cannes in the coming weeks as it doubles down on its next announcements.
Additional titles confirmed for the selection include Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman,” which premiered in February at the virtual edition of the Berlinale, and Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” which stars Caitrona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds, and newcomer Jude Hill.
New this year, audiences across Canada can enjoy the excitement of TIFF in their own communities with TIFF’s “Coast-to-Coast Screenings.” Film Circuit, TIFF’s film-outreach program since 1995, will host in-cinema screenings in select locations across the country for one evening in each location.
The festival leaders continue to track developments at other festivals, including the in-person and largely outdoor Tribeca Festival, which just wrapped.