UPDATED: Toronto International Film Festival’s Magical Features Have Been Announced
UPDATE (August 31):
Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced last week that new guests have been added to several time slots over the course of the event. Sir Kenneth Branagh (who portrayed Professor Lockhart), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Doctor Strange), and Kristen Stewart (Twilight, Spencer) are set to take part in informal discussions throughout the festival’s schedule.
Be in the virtual audience as Branagh discusses his extensive career in filmmaking and acting. Not only will Branagh’s discussion be the keynote for this year’s festival, but his latest directorial accomplishment, Belfast, will also be shown as a Gala Presentation. TIFF is scheduled for September 9–18. Tickets for the talks with Kenneth Branagh, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Kristen Stewart are available for purchase from TIFF based on membership level and availability. For more information on featured films and dates, check out the TIFF website.
After missing out on the in-person action last year due to COVID-19 restrictions canceling it, we can’t wait to get back to the Toronto International Film Festival this year. The festival recently announced which films would be shown, and there are a lot of Wizarding World stars set to be featured.
Four of the festival’s Gala Presentations feature Harry Potter actors. The first of these is Sir Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical drama film Belfast. It was announced as part of the initial, limited lineup last month, and the festival will serve as the stage for its world premiere. Ciarán Hinds (who played Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) is featured in the film as Pop.
Next up is a psycho-thriller film called Last Night in Soho, which features James and Oliver Phelps as Harvis and Jarvis, respectively. It will follow the life of a fashion designer who can travel back to the 1960s, although she does have to face the consequences of her time travel. We showed you the first trailer for the film when it was released back in May, and we’re just as excited as ever for the film’s release. This Gala Presentation will be the film’s North American premiere.
Toby Jones (who voices Dobby) will also play a role at the festival. He is featured alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, a long-awaited biopic about an eccentric artist who is known for his depictions of wide-eyed cats and kittens. The festival will mark the first time that the film is shown in Canada.
The final Gala Presentation film to feature a Harry Potter actor is Clifford the Big Red Dog, in which John Cleese plays animal rescuer Mr. Bridwell. The movie will tell the story of a young girl who buys a puppy from Mr. Bridwell but faces a huge surprise when he keeps growing. It, like Belfast, will also have its world premiere at the festival. We recently showed you the first trailer for the film, which is based on the children’s books by Norman Bridwell.
In addition to the four Gala Presentation films, there is also one Special Presentation film that features a Harry Potter actress. Gemma Jones stars in historical biopic Benediction. It is a new take on the life of World War I poet and soldier Siegfried Sassoon. TIFF will also be the world premiere for the film, which is directed by Terence Davies.
These films are part of a much larger, 32-film announcement this week. Other titles on the list include the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, sci-fi rom-com I’m Your Man, and dystopian thriller Night Raiders. After the festival had to turn mostly digital last year, we can’t wait to get in-person tickets. Some are already on sale, although other packages and deals will become available nearer the time.
The festival kicks off on September 9, and the action will continue until September 18. There’s no official schedule yet, and there are still more films expected to join the star-studded lineup. Are you hoping to get tickets?
