Toronto film festival kicks off with star power, ticketing glitch and a brief protest

A small group of protesters briefly interrupted an opening night screening at the Toronto International Film Festival as the 11-day movie marathon kicked off Thursday with promises of celebrity glitz after several years of industry upheaval.

A handful of people carrying signs about the war in Gaza were at the Princess of Wales Theatre, and accused major TIFF sponsor RBC of supporting genocide. The interruption occurred as TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and chief programming officer Anita Li were on stage to introduce "The Nutcrackers," a dramedy starring Ben Stiller.

• Download our app to get alerts on your device

Bailey and Li 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 lead out of the theatre by security.

Combined with ticketing woes reported by some festivalgoers earlier in the day, it was a less-than-smooth start for what's being billed as TIFF's return following several years of pandemic-related challenges and industry disruptions.

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 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.

Filmmaker Kazik Radwanski said the 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.

More than 270 films are set to light up screens as the 49th edition of the festival returns to form, including buzzy movies such as 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 this year’s event include Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Bill Murray, Bruce Springsteen, Nicole Kidman and Adam Driver. Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett, Angelina Jolie, Amy Adams and Toronto filmmaker David Cronenberg are among the stars set to be recognized at the TIFF Tribute Awards.

Tragically Hip members Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker were among the first stars to walk the red carpet for an afternoon world premiere of "The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal," billed as the definitive story of the Kingston, Ont., rock band.

After the screening, pop collective Choir! Choir! Choir! led fans in an outdoor sing-along of some of the band's classic hits.

Other recognizable names in music also have films at this year’s TIFF. Many of them are traditional documentaries while others take extreme liberties with reality. 

• IN PICTURES: TIFF 2024: Celebrity Guide

One of the most unorthodox is “Better Man,” a tongue-in-cheek retelling of U.K. pop star Robbie Williams’ rise to fame, where 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.

And then there’s “The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal,” a thorough, four-episode look at the Kingston, Ont., band that went from beloved hometown act to legendary Canadian artists with their final concert tour as Gord Downie battled terminal brain cancer.

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.

Drummer Fay said Amazon’s streaming service jumped on board the project after other distributors had passed on the idea.

“It is a big ask, four hours? People are fragmented. They don’t listen to a whole song any more,” he said. “They were very interested in letting us tell our story. They didn’t interfere."

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.” 

- With files from David Friend and Nicole Thompson.

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