CANADA: HOLLYWOOD'S STARS OUT IN FORCE AT THE TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL

Record ID: 392029

  • Title: CANADA: HOLLYWOOD'S STARS OUT IN FORCE AT THE TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL
  • Date: 7th September 2001
  • Summary: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA (SEPTEMBER 9, 2001) (REUTERS) CAST OF "LIFE AS A HOUSE" ONSTAGE NIGHT VIEWS OF TORONTO SKYLINE
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: Canada
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAIBMI6S74AULI4T6PPILBGLK8
  • Story Text: Hollywood went north of the border beginning on Friday, (September 7) when celebrities including Denzel Washington, Anthony Hopkins, Steve Martin, Matthew McConaughey and Kevin Kline flooded into Toronto to celebrate the 26th annual Toronto International Film Festival.
    The Toronto Festival is now considered the largest film gathering in North America and second in influence only to Cannes, at least in terms of launching movies into the all-important North American marketplace. This year, the festival, which runs from September 6 to 15, showcases 326 films, including 175 making their world or North American premieres. They represent 56 countries stretching from Chile to Kazakhstan.
    But of course, the most popular draws were the big Hollywood studio films and the big name stars that came with them. Although the festival kicked off on Thursday the 6th with a Canadian film called "Last Wedding," the first night for Hollywood was Friday the 7th, when Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke turned out to launch "Training Day," their harsh and brutal thiller about a crooked cop and his novice partner.
    The same evening, Anthony Hopkins walked the red carpet at the Gala presentation of "Hearts in Atlantis," "Shine"
    director Scott Hicks' adaptation of author Stephen King's story about a mysterious psychic stranger and a young boy.
    Meanwhile, across town, Matthew McConaughey and Amy Irving were among the stars celebrating the premiere of the low budget independent film "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing," which weaves five contemporary stories together into a single tale that examines the dramatic impact people have on one another. It was just one of many films in the festival that came to Toronto in search of a distributor.
    Another such film, "Prozac Nation," unspooled on Saturday night. Its star and producer Christina Ricci was on hand to introduce the story of a young woman's battle with depression in the 1980's. In addition to publicizing the film, Ricci was also in town taking meetings and hoping to seal a deal with a North American distributor.
    Steve Martin and Helena Bonham Carter were the big stars on the red carpet at the Roy Thompson Hall on Saturday night as they celebrated the premiere of "Novocaine," a dark comedy about a dentist who is framed for murder after meeting a mysterious drug addict.
    Sunday's big draw was called "Life As a House," and it stars Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas and "Star Wars Episode II" star Hayden Christensen. Kline plays a man who learns he has cancer and only 6 months to live and then sets out to build his dream house and reconcile with his estranged ex-wife and teenaged son.
    The 26th Toronto International Film Festival runs through Saturday, September 15 with a closing night screening of "Lantana," a tangled web of love, deceit, sex and death starring Geoffrey Rush and Barbara Hershey.
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