TIFF kicks off with star power, ticketing glitch and a brief protest

The Toronto International Film Festival got off to a rocky start Thursday when ticketing glitches and a brief protest marred the first day of festivities that nevertheless drew throngs of cinephiles, music fans and celeb-watchers to the heart of the city's entertainment district.

Organizers had billed this year's edition as a return to celebrity glitz after several years of industry upheaval, and while there was plenty of fanfare, an early evening protest briefly derailed celebrations as TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and chief programming officer Anita Lee took the stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre to introduce "Nutcrackers," a dramedy starring Ben Stiller.

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A handful of people carrying signs about the war in Gaza accused major TIFF sponsor RBC of supporting genocide. Bailey and Lee did not acknowledge the protesters, who then approached the stage. After about four minutes, and amid a chorus of boos from the audience, the demonstrators were led out of the theatre by security.

A group called RBC Off Screen said in an emailed statement that the protest was “an act of solidarity with those fighting to address the climate emergency, as well as end the war in Gaza, and support Indigenous sovereignty.”

The statement said the disruption was part of ongoing calls from some film workers and environmental groups for TIFF to sever ties with RBC. The group is critical of the bank’s connection to the fossil fuel industry, as well as its investments in weapons manufacturers implicated in the Israel-Hamas war.

RBC called the protest “unfortunate” and said such demonstrations shift attention from artists and are “weakening support” for the arts.

“We respect the right of individuals to make their voices heard, but it’s unfortunate to see activist groups attempting to co-opt this important cultural event,” the bank said in a statement to The Canadian Press late Thursday, adding it felt deeply for those affected by the “humanitarian crisis in Israel and Gaza.”

Earlier in the day, Ticketmaster emailed some TIFFsters about a technical issue and told them they would have to re-download their tickets. A spokeswoman for the festival did not respond to a request for comment about which events were affected.

Nevertheless, TIFF buzz was apparent on a sunny afternoon as moviegoers lined up for selfies along so-called festival street, a main artery shut down for pedestrian-only access and defined by food trucks, a photo-friendly TIFF welcome sign and the marquee venues set to host red carpets.

A boisterous outdoor singalong to Tragically Hip hits filled King Street with people belting out songs following an afternoon world premiere of the docuseries, "The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal," attended by band members Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker.

The screening also had a surprise appearance from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who shows up in the docuseries to tout the band's national impact. Taking the stage Thursday in one of multiple stops at the fest, Trudeau praised the work of director Mike Downie, brother of late frontman Gord Downie.

The Hip documentary, presented by Prime Video, is a nearly four-and-a-half-hour journey through a treasure trove of archival footage and fresh interviews with the band, their friends and others who witnessed their rise.

It's among more than 270 films set to light up screens as the 49th edition of the festival features buzzy movies including Sean Baker's tragicomic sex-worker love story "Anora," Marielle Heller's Amy Adams-starring horror comedy "Nightbitch," and Pamela Anderson's Hollywood comeback "The Last Showgirl."

A-listers expected to attend include Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Murray, Bruce Springsteen, Nicole Kidman and Adam Driver. 

Fans cheered as the stars of “Nutcrackers” walked the red carpet at another screening later Thursday at Roy Thomson Hall, with its lead Ben Stiller and director David Gordon Green saying that bringing the dramedy to TIFF was like a homecoming.

“I’ve been here with so many of my movies,” Green said.

“It’s the best festival in the world and I just love coming here. We actually finished the movie here. We did a lot of our post-production work here, so any excuse to come up here and enjoy the culture is wonderful.”

Among the more unorthodox films at TIFF is “Better Man,” a tongue-in-cheek retelling of U.K. pop star Robbie Williams’ rise to fame, in which he’s played by a computer-generated monkey. There's also "Piece by Piece," a take on the life of Pharrell Williams told through Lego animation.

An incredible tale of online deception plays out in “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,” where the Calgary pop sisters recall the shocking turn of events that saw an impostor use message boards to trick their most loyal fans.

“Elton John: Never Too Late” tells of the English performer’s rise to fame through the lens of his Toronto-born husband David Furnish, who co-directs the documentary, while “Takin’ Care of Business” explores the story of Winnipeg boy Randy Bachman of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

In advance of the festival, Canadian filmmaker Kazik Radwanski said a TIFF comeback is much needed after COVID-19 and Hollywood strikes hit the film business hard and dulled the star power of previous festivals.

The Toronto native, whose dramedy "Matt & Mara" makes its North American debut at the festival, says TIFF is important for the city's culture, identity and global recognition. 

The festival will be a new experience for Ottawa-born music legend Paul Anka, who flies into the city for the premiere of “Paul Anka: His Way” on Tuesday.

The authorized documentary races through the “My Way” songwriter’s prolific career, which included being taken under the wing of the Rat Pack and even starring in several Hollywood movies.

Yet, Anka said he’s never been to the Toronto film festival, which led him to seek advice from his son-in-law, actor Jason Bateman.

“I said, ‘What’s the vibe going to be?’ They said, ‘Oh it’s fun, they’re very warm and yada yada yada,” Anka said on the phone from Los Angeles.

“It’s just an honest effort about the life I’ve lived, and I’m coming back to where it all started.” 

TIFF runs until Sept. 15.

- With files from Tara Deschamps, David Friend, Alex Goudge and Nicole Thompson in Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2024.