Canadian Films And Artists Find A Home At TIFF Bell Lightbox
Toronto – TIFF proudly welcomes Canadian filmmakers and artists to TIFF Bell Lightbox. A who’s who of Canadian film, music and visual arts will be showcased as part of the inaugural fall calendar. The lineup includes new works by Denis Villeneuve, Bruce McDonald, Atom Egoyan, Guy Maddin, James Andean, François Xavier Saint-Pierre, Barr Gilmore and special performances by Michael Thibaudeau and Toronto post-rock outfit Do Make Say Think.
“Championing Canadian cinema is central to our mandate as an organization and we are looking forward to giving Canadian filmmakers a home that will support their creative efforts year-round at TIFF Bell Lightbox,” said Piers Handling, Director & CEO, TIFF. “TIFF Bell Lightbox will give us a unique opportunity to showcase the best in Canadian talent to new and diverse audiences and we can’t wait to open our doors to film lovers next month.”
“We are proud to present a cross-disciplinary lineup of Canadian talent, all in celebration of Canadian film,” said Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, TIFF Bell Lightbox. “TIFF Bell Lightbox will be the hub for film lovers interested in delving deeper into much more than film, with concerts and events that showcase the depth of talent here in Canada.”
SPECIAL GUESTS
Canadian filmmakers and critics will introduce and talk about the films on TIFF’s Essential 100 list. Canadian master David Cronenberg will introduce his gory genre classic, Videodrome (1983); internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker Michael Snow will introduce a special presentation of Wavelength (1967) followed by an on-stage conversation about his avant-garde masterpiece; and Canadian director Jacob Tierney will lead a Q&A session with actor Michael Murphy following a screening of Nashville (1975). In addition, TIFF and The Globe and Mail will present longtime Globe film critic Liam Lacey in a discussion after Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). In celebration of Culture Days, in partnership with Hot Docs, TIFF will present Chronique d’un été, an on-stage event with one of the key figures of Québécois cinema, master cinematographer and director Michel Brault.
FILMS
Bruce McDonald’s Trigger (2010), which will be TIFF Bell Lightbox’s inaugural red carpet on September 12, as it makes its world premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival; Les Amours imaginaires (2010) by Xavier Dolan and Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies (2009) will be the first Canadian films to have their theatrical runs at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Preceding a screening of her parents’ classic collaboration, Voyage in Italy (1953), special guest Isabella Rossellini will screen her tribute to her father, the Guy Maddin-directed My Dad is 100 Years Old (2005). On Halloween weekend, a selection of spooky Canadian shorts will screen for the whole family.
CONCERTS AND EVENTS
New to TIFF, a special series of concerts will take place in TIFF Bell Lightbox, accompanying select films. Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) will be screened with a performance of Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light by the Toronto Consort, Canada’s leading chamber ensemble; and in a world premiere, Toronto’s instrumental post-rock outfit Do Make Say Think will accompany the film Greed (1925). To mark the premiere of the new restoration of Metropolis (1927), and its 25 minutes of previously lost material, Gabriel Thibaudeau, celebrated pianist and composer for the Cinémathèque québécoise, presents a new score for Fritz Lang’s science fiction masterpiece. Metropolis with Gabriel Thibaudeau is presented by TIFF in association with the Goethe-Institut Toronto.
On Halloween weekend, the award-winning Canadian composer, musician and bandleader Andrew Downing will appear with his ensemble to perform Caligari in Concert!, their original score for the silent German Expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). Also part of Halloween activities, The Hand Eye Society’s Arcadian Renaissance will offer fun, free classic arcade games, created by Toronto indie designers. TIFF’s lineup during Scotiabank Nuit Blanche events will include Singin’ in the Dark, a riotous all-night sing-along hosted by Canadian stand-up and cabaret artist Shawn Hitchins. As part of TIFF’s Culture Days activities, a screening of Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (1924) will be presented with live musical accompaniment by Toronto swing-klez band Fern Lindzon Sextet.
ESSENTIAL CINEMA EXHIBITION AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS
As previously announced, the Essential Cinema exhibition and this year’s edition of Future Projections will showcase a wealth of Canadian programming, including newly commissioned artworks by Canadian artists: Guy Maddin’s Hauntings I and II; Atom Egoyan’s 8½ Screens, a piece based on Fellini’s masterpiece 8½ and specially designed for TIFF Bell Lightbox’s Cinema 4; James Andean and François Xavier Saint-Pierre’s sound installation E-100; and Barr Gilmore’s Essential Titles, a looped motion graphic projection based on the Essential 100 list. Canadian works in Future Projections include Michael Snow’s projection-based work Slidelength (1969-71); Stan Douglas’s Klatsassin (2006), a refashioning of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950); Man With a Movie Camera: The Global Remake (2007-ongoing) by Perry Bard; and HEAVENHELL (2009) by Chris Chong Chan Fui with Yasuhiro Morinaga.
Tickets are on sale now. Visit tiff.net or call 416-968-FILM for showtimes, ticket prices, box office hours and location.
TIFF Membership
The opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox has inspired TIFF to create a new membership programme that offers audiences exciting opportunities to experience year-round programming in unique and special ways. TIFF members will enjoy discounts on select screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox, priority access to programming, free entry to the exhibitions in the galleries, regular TIFF insider updates, invitations to exclusive members-only events, and more. To learn about all the benefits of being a TIFF member please visit tiff.net/membership
About TIFF Bell Lightbox
Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, major sponsor BlackBerry, Visah†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, The Daniels Corporation, NBC Universal Canada, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the Harbinger Foundation, Mackenzie Financial, CIBC and BMO. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit tiff.net/tiffbelllightbox.ca.
About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.
TIFF is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC and Blackberry, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto.
The Essential Cinema is generously supported by presenting sponsor RBC, presenting partner the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund. With Special Thanks to the official media sponsor The Globe and Mail and the Hal Jackman Foundation
for supporting Essential Cinema.
Future Projections is supported by the Ontario Arts Council.
Visa† is the only credit card accepted by TIFF.
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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or email proffice@tiff.net.