TIFF announces this year’s Mavericks program
TIFF announced its full programming schedule today, which means its time to start planning individual movie lineups. It also means a few more big names have been added to the festival through TIFF’s Mavericks program, which brings out celebrities and newsmakers to discuss their latest projects. Last year may have had Bruce Springsteen and Bill Gates, but this year’s slate is equally impressive: Christopher Plummer, Tilda Swinton, Neil Young, Deepa Mehta, Salman Rushdie, Jonathan Demme, Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, Francis Ford Coppola and Sony Pictures Classics founders Michael Barker and Tom Bernard will be making presentations. The program also includes the world premieres of Barrymore, The Love We Can Make, Neil Young Life and The Island President, and the North American premiere of Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician.
Check out more details about the Maverick program after the jump.
Barrymore
Sept. 10, 3:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: Christopher Plummer won a Tony Award for his 1996 portrayal of actor John Barrymore struggling with his inner demons. After a screening of the film, which is directed by Erik Canuel, Plummer will take the stage to discuss his decades-spanning career and how he brought Barrymore back to life.
Deepa Mehta and Salman Rushdie
Sept. 12, 2 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: Published in 1981, Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children won him the Booker Prize and solidified the author as a key figure in the post-colonial literary landscape. The book chronicles India’s transition from British colony to independent nation, reflecting on the issues that plagued the country, including ideas of statehood, clashing cultures, language, redrawn borders and socio-political difference. Rushdie has been working with Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta—director of Water and Heaven on Earth—to adapt his novel to film. Considering the magical content of the book (the protagonist is telepathic, after all), we can imagine it was a difficult task to adapt such a novel, and both Mehta and Rushdie will take the stage to discuss their working process with TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey. Having just finished shooting in Sri Lanka this past summer, Mehta will also preview a few scenes from the film.
In Conversation With… Francis Ford Coppola
Sept. 11, 12 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
What you’ll see: The “In Conversation With” series are always some of our favourites—past editions have included discussions with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Caine—but this year’s guest puts the series at the top of our must-attend list. Moderated again by Cameron Bailey, the discussion will cover Coppola’s expansive career, from working under producer Roger Corman to screenwriting and eventually directing, which brought us some iconic masterpieces. Perhaps best known for The Godfather, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, Coppola is screening Twixt at this year’s festival.
The Island President
Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: TIFF presents the world premiere of The Island President, a political documentary that follows Mohamed Nasheed after winning the Maldivian presidential election as he fights climate change in New York, London, Delhi and, finally, at the Copenhagen Climate Conference. The film gives access to Nasheed’s first year in office, and is followed by a discussion with the president himself, joined by director Jon Shenk and moderator Thom Powers.
The Love We Make
Sept. 9, 9:30 p.m., AMC 7
What you’ll see: TIFF presents the world premiere of The Love We Make. Directed by Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan, the film follows Paul McCartney as he prepares for a 9/11 memorial concert in New York City in October 2001. The presentation includes a live discussion with Maysles and Kaplan, as well as a pre-recorded introduction by McCartney.
Neil Young Life
Sept. 12, 7 p.m., Princess of Wales Theatre
What you’ll see: Neil Young’s Massey Hall concert this past year marked a triumphant return to the world stage for the 65-year-old Canadian folk legend. Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captured that performance over two nights to create Neil Young Life. Following the world premiere of the film, Young and Demme will take part in a live conversation.
Sony Picture Classics: 20 Years in the Business
Sept. 11, 3 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
What you’ll see: This may be the most lively Mavericks presentation yet—Sony Pictures Classic founders Michael Barker and Tom Bernard take the stage with moderator Jonathan Demme to discuss the making of some of the most successful films of all time (after all, Sony Pictures Classics boasts a roster of directors that includes Woody Allen, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, Ang Lee and Errol Morris, to name a few). As studio founders, Barker and Bernard are certain to have their fair share of outrageous stories—from the Oscars to Cannes to behind the scenes at TIFF, we can’t wait for some juicy tales.
Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician
Sept. 17, 3:15 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: Perhaps the most comprehensive Mavericks presentation, the Tahrir 2011 series was inspired by the 2011 Egyptian revolution that brought the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year regime. Three directors tell the story from different points of view: The Good, directed by Tamer Ezzat, looks at the heroes from Tahrir square. The Bad, directed by Ayten Amin, is an account of four internal police officers assigned to crush the uprising. Finally, The Politician, directed by Amr Salama, is a satirical take on how to become a dictator, deconstructing Mubarek’s persona over the course of his rule. Following the screening, Ezzat and Amin will offer reflections on changes taking place in Egypt today.
Tilda Swinton
Sept. 11, 11:45 a.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
What you’ll see: A glance at Tilda Swinton’s IMDb page reveals the memorable characters that Swinton has played: murderess Sal in The Beach, the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia, adulteress Katie Cox in Burn After Reading, Brad Pitt’s mistress, Elizabeth Abbott, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Emma in I Am Love, to name a few. However, Swinton is perhaps best known for her Academy Award–winning role as Karen Crowder in 2007’s Michael Clayton and is at TIFF this year as the executive producer and star of We Need To Talk About Kevin. Swinton will discuss her career in this session moderated by Noah Cowan.
, we can imagine it was a difficult task to adapt such a novel, and both Mehta and Rushdie will take the stage to discuss their working process with TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey. Having just finished shooting in Sri Lanka this past summer, Mehta will also preview a few scenes from the film.
In Conversation With… Francis Ford Coppola
Sept. 11, 12 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 1
What you’ll see: The “In Conversation With” series are always some of our favourites—past editions have included discussions with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Caine—but this year’s guest puts the series at the top of our must-attend list. Moderated again by Cameron Bailey, the discussion will cover Coppola’s expansive career, from working under producer Roger Corman to screenwriting and eventually directing, which brought us some iconic masterpieces. Perhaps best known for The Godfather, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, Coppola is screening Twixt at this year’s festival.
The Island President
Sept. 10, 6:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: TIFF presents the world premiere of The Island President, a political documentary that follows Mohamed Nasheed after winning the Maldivian presidential election as he fights climate change in New York, London, Delhi and, finally, at the Copenhagen Climate Conference. The film gives access to Nasheed’s first year in office, and is followed by a discussion with the president himself, joined by director Jon Shenk and moderator Thom Powers.
The Love We Make
Sept. 9, 9:30 p.m., AMC 7
What you’ll see: TIFF presents the world premiere of The Love We Make. Directed by Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan, the film follows Paul McCartney as he prepares for a 9/11 memorial concert in New York City in October 2001. The presentation includes a live discussion with Maysles and Kaplan, as well as a pre-recorded introduction by McCartney.
Neil Young Life
Sept. 12, 7 p.m., Princess of Wales Theatre
What you’ll see: Neil Young’s Massey Hall concert this past year marked a triumphant return to the world stage for the 65-year-old Canadian folk legend. Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captured that performance over two nights to create Neil Young Life. Following the world premiere of the film, Young and Demme will take part in a live conversation.
Sony Picture Classics: 20 Years in the Business
Sept. 11, 3 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
What you’ll see: This may be the most lively Mavericks presentation yet—Sony Pictures Classic founders Michael Barker and Tom Bernard take the stage with moderator Jonathan Demme to discuss the making of some of the most successful films of all time (after all, Sony Pictures Classics boasts a roster of directors that includes Woody Allen, Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, Ang Lee and Errol Morris, to name a few). As studio founders, Barker and Bernard are certain to have their fair share of outrageous stories—from the Oscars to Cannes to behind the scenes at TIFF, we can’t wait for some juicy tales.
Tahrir 2011: The Good, the Bad and the Politician
Sept. 17, 3:15 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
What you’ll see: Perhaps the most comprehensive Mavericks presentation, the Tahrir 2011 series was inspired by the 2011 Egyptian revolution that brought the end of Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year regime. Three directors tell the story from different points of view: The Good, directed by Tamer Ezzat, looks at the heroes from Tahrir square. The Bad, directed by Ayten Amin, is an account of four internal police officers assigned to crush the uprising. Finally, The Politician, directed by Amr Salama, is a satirical take on how to become a dictator, deconstructing Mubarek’s persona over the course of his rule. Following the screening, Ezzat and Amin will offer reflections on changes taking place in Egypt today.
Tilda Swinton
Sept. 11, 11:45 a.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
What you’ll see: A glance at Tilda Swinton’s IMDb page reveals the memorable characters that Swinton has played: murderess Sal in The Beach, the White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia, adulteress Katie Cox in Burn After Reading, Brad Pitt’s mistress, Elizabeth Abbott, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Emma in I Am Love, to name a few. However, Swinton is perhaps best known for her Academy Award–winning role as Karen Crowder in 2007’s Michael Clayton and is at TIFF this year as the executive producer and star of We Need To Talk About Kevin. Swinton will discuss her career in this session moderated by Noah Cowan.){kind=link}