Toronto - The 33rd
Toronto International Film Festival is pleased to announce a series of free outdoor programming at
Yonge-
Dundas Square, the new street-level hub of Festival activity. Located at the corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets, in the heart of
Toronto, the Square sees daily foot traffic of over 60,000 pedestrians at one of Canada's busiest intersections.
Bringing the Festival experience outside the theatre, programming will include free public performances and presentations by some
of the artists and entertainers featured in films at this year's Festival in
Festival Showcase. Senegalese music sensation Youssou
Ndour headlines a free concert in celebration of his film
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love,
Keb' Mo' honours the history of
Chess Records in support of
Who Do You Love, the cast members of '
A Chorus Line' will perform in support of
Every Little Step
and a martial arts demonstration will be featured in celebration of
The Real Shaolin. Movies on Movies, programmed by Colin
Geddes, celebrates film with free outdoor screenings dedicated to the art of cinema. Visitors will be able to trace the history and art
of cinematography in
Visions of Light; walk their way through the MGM musical vault in
That's Entertainment and explore the
evolution of sex and sexuality on film in
The Celluloid Closet. During non-programming times, visitors are welcome to visit Yonge-
Dundas Square and take some time to relax and enjoy some of the best soundtracks from past and present films at the Festival. In
addition, visitors can learn more about the Festival by visiting the Information Desk, and capture a memento of their Festival
experience at outdoor photo booths. This year's Film Festival comes to a close with the first ever
Public Festival Wrap Party at
Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday, September 13.
"We're thrilled to be in Yonge-Dundas Square for the first time this year. Whether you've got 10 minutes or all day, this is the place
to plug into the Festival," says Cameron Bailey, Co-director of the Toronto International Film Festival. "It is a unique opportunity for
Toronto audiences to catch sensational performances and presentations for free!"
Schedule and Event Descriptions
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film Screening: Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography
Renowned cinematographers such as Vittorio Storaro, Nestor Almendros and László Kovács are featured in this compelling
documentary that chronicles the history, the art and the power of cinematography.
Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography
showcases classics such as
Birth of a Nation, Blade Runner, Citizen Kane and Do The Right Thing and includes sequences from
more than 125 movies.
Thursday, September 4 at 8:30 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Concert: 'Who Do You Love' with Keb' Mo'
In support of Jerry Zaks's film
Who Do You Love, in which Alessandro Nivola stars as legendary record producer Leonard Chess. Founded by Leonard and his brother Phil, the label helped to introduce and popularize blues music during the 1950s and 1960s, including that of the extraordinary Muddy Waters. This
free outdoor concert will feature:
Keb' Mo': Keb' Mo's music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of
America, informing all of its musical roots before evolving into a universally celebrated art form.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Invitational Slam Dunk Competition with an appearance by LeBron James
In support of Kristopher Belman's
More Than a Game, a documentary about the journey of a remarkable high-school basketball
team in Akron, Ohio, that included future NBA superstar LeBron James.
Saturday, September 6 at 1 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Concert: 'I Bring What I Love' with Youssou Ndour and Le Super Etoile
Straight from Dakar, Senegal, Youssou Ndour and the world famous Le Super Etoile will perform in a rare free public concert event
in celebration of the film
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love, a music-infused journey that chronicles the power of one man's
voice to inspire change. Director Chai Vasarhelyi tells the story of this Grammy award-winning artist who began humbly, with an
African youth's desire to share his joy of music and his family's socially conscious storytelling tradition. Ndour has become a
messenger for our times, recently being chosen as one of
Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Saturday September 6 at 8:30 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Performance: 'Every Little Step' featuring cast members of 'A Chorus Line'
The cast members of '
A Chorus Line' will perform in support of
Every Little Step. Every Little Step is a documentary that explores
the journey of the Broadway musical '
A Chorus Line' as an international phenomenon that has reached audiences in over 22
countries of continuous performances from the 70s to 90s and a revival beginning 2006. The film contrasts the original musical with
the current revival. It investigates the societies in which they've debuted, and why the themes are so timeless and universal. Finally,
it goes behind the scenes with exclusive interviews and footage of the revival's audition process, revealing the dramatic struggles of
the performers. Thus the story of life imitating art unfolds.
Sunday, September 7 at 2 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Concert: In support of
Witch Hunt, featured artists TBA
Dana Nachman and Don Hardy's documentary
Witch Hunt chronicles the unraveling of a small town's justice system. Voters in
Bakersfield, California, elected a tough-on-crime District Attorney into office for more than 25 years. During his tenure, dozens of
innocent working class moms and dads were sent to prison on charges of sexual abuse.
Sunday, September 7 at 4 p.m.
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film screening: That's Entertainment!
The exuberant and critically acclaimed
That's Entertainment! spotlights MGM's legacy of musicals from the 1920s through the
1950s, showcasing performances from dozens of the studio's films, including
Singin' in the Rain,
The Wizard of Oz,
Gigi, and
The
Band Wagon, and features screen legends Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Bing Crosby among
others.
Sunday, September 7 at 8:30 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Concert: Miracle at St. Anna with Terence Blanchard
Internationally renowned jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard created the score for Spike Lee's latest feature
Miracle at
St. Anna and will perform in support of the film. Terence's acclaimed album
Flow was produced in 2005 by the artist and four-time
Grammy winner Herbie Hancock and showcases Terence's prodigious instrumental and composing skills.
Monday, September 8 at 8:30 p.m.
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film Screening: EdgeCodes.com
This in-depth look at the history of film editing gathers the opinions of a wide range of academics, critics, directors and editors,
including Michael Ondaatje, Norman Jewison, George Lucas and Thelma Schoonmaker (best known as the editor of Martin
Scorsese's films).
EdgeCodes.com The Art of Motion Picture Editing gives an overview of the development of this art form, spanning
the earliest years of cinema through to present-day technological advances.
Tuesday, September 9 at 8:30 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Martial Arts demonstration A martial arts demonstration will be featured in support of Alexander Sebastien Lee's
The Real Shaolin. Rich with dazzling displays
of kung fu,
The Real Shaolin follows two Chinese and two western students as they undergo a year of rigorous training in martial
arts at the Shaolin temple in Central China.
Wednesday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m.
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film screening: Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
The award-winning
Hearts of Darkness is an engrossing, uncompromising documentary of Francis Ford Coppola's chaotic
catastrophe-plagued film
Apocalypse Now. Mixing on-location footage shot by Eleanor Coppola, and featuring interviews with the
original cast and crew, the film chronicles how production problems delayed the film and nearly destroyed Coppola's career.
Wednesday, September 10 at 8:30 p.m.
FESTIVAL SHOWCASE Concert: 'One Week' with musical guests
Great Lake Swimmers will perform in support of Michael McGowan's latest film
One Week.
Thursday, September 11 at 5:30 p.m.
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film screening: Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved
Hollywood
Many consider the late 1960s and 1970s to be a time of great daring and invention in Hollywood cinema. A new generation of
directors - Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Altman, and Roman Polanski, to name a few - reshaped the boundaries
of American filmmaking. Narrated by William H. Macy, Kenneth Bowser's documentary uses clips from key films and interviews with
essential figures to shed light on this incredibly fertile period of film history.
Thursday, September 11 at 8:30 p.m.
MOVIES ON MOVIES Film screening: The Celluloid Closet
This comprehensive, award-winning documentary examines the history of gays and lesbians in cinema, and the evolution of sex
roles in film. Featuring interviews with Tom Hanks, Shirley MacLaine, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Curtis, and Gore
Vidal among others,
The Celluloid Closet is significant and essential viewing.
Friday, September 12 at 8:30 p.m.
Festival Wrap Party
Celebrating Closing Night of the 33rd
Toronto International Film Festival, this event will offer an incredible lineup of musical
performers at Yonge-Dundas Square.
Saturday, September 13 at 8pm
Special thanks to our site supporter, the Ministry of Tourism.
Bell Lightbox
Currently under construction in downtown Toronto, Bell Lightbox is soon to be the world's leading destination for film lovers. This
major new cultural institution on the Canadian and international landscape will be structured around five state-of-the-art cinemas
celebrating film from around the world. Bell Lightbox programming will give context to films through innovative cross-media
exhibitions, lectures, and film-related learning opportunities for all ages. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, Bell
Lightbox's fluid design encourages exploration, movement and play within its soaring atriums.
The campaign to build Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell. The Government of Canada and the
Government of Ontario each have contributed $25 million to realize Bell Lightbox. A gift of more than $22 million has been confirmed
from the Reitman family - acclaimed filmmaker Ivan Reitman and his sisters Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels - and The Daniels
Corporation, who together form the King and John Festival Corporation. The project is also supported by RBC as Major Sponsor and
Official Bank, Visa†, Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, The Allan Slaight Family, The Brian Linehan Charitable
Foundation, CIBC, and many other individuals and corporations. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals have
also contributed to the campaign. The total amount raised to date is $147 million, three quarters of the total campaign of $196 million.
For more information on the Bell Lightbox campaign, visit
belllightbox.ca
We are a charitable, not-for-profit, cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Our
vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image.
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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or email
[email protected]