Don McKellar's second feature Childstar will make its world premiere at the TorontoInternational Film Festival as the event announced its local programming andunveiled its inaugural Canadian competition line-up, Canada First!
Also making their world premiere are Bruce McDonald's TheLove Crimes Of Gillian Guess, JerryCiccoritti's Blood, ElidaSchogt's Zero The Inside Story,Andre Forcier's Acapulco Gold,Anais Granofsky's The Limb Salesman,David Weaver's Siblings andDaniel McIvor's Wilby Wonderful.
Making its North American premiere is Olivier Assayas'Canada-France co-production, Clean,which won a best actress award for Maggie Cheung at this year's Cannes FilmFestival in May.
Programmed as a Special Presentation, Childstar is a comedic riff on the tensions between US andCanadian filmmakers told through the story of a famous US child actor who,while filming a Hollywood blockbuster in Toronto, goes into crisis and ishelped by his set driver, a Canadian experimental filmmaker (played byMcKellar).
The film also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brendan Fehr,Kristin Adams, Dave Foley, Gil Bellows, Eric Stoltz, and Alan Thicke.
Canada First!, which showcases emerging local talent, willopen with Michael McGowan's Saint Ralph, starring Campbell Scott, Gordon Pinsent, Jennifer Tilly, and Adam Butcher in the lead role of a schoolboy who embarks on a deluded quest to create a miracle that will restore his mother's health. It is one ten features in the debut edition.
The competition, and a short filmprogramme, Short Cuts Canada, replace the Perspective Canada programme retiredthis season after 20 years.
Clean, which stars Cheung,Nick Nolte, Don McKellar, Martha Henry, Beatrice Dalle and Jeanne Balibar, isthe story of a mother's struggle to regain control of her life, and the loveand custody of her son. It screens as a Gala.
Canada First! competition line-up:
I, Claudia, dir.Chris Abraham
Ill Fated, dir. Mark A. Lewis
It's All Gone Peter Tong, dir.Mike Dowse
Jimmywork, dir. Simon Sauve
Littoral, dir. Wajdi Mouawad
Peau Blanche, dir. Daniel Roby
Phil The Alien, dir. RobStefaniuk
CQ2, dir. Carole Laure
Saint Ralph, dir. Michael McGowan
Seven Times Lucky, dir. GaryYates
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