Music is highlighting the Toronto International Film Festival with a Michael Jackson documentary from Spike Lee and a closing-night film featuring Vanessa Redgrave as a terminally ill choir singer.
Organizers announced Tuesday that Redgrave’s “Song for Marion” will close next month’s Toronto festival, which runs Sept. 6 to 16 and is one of the key cinema gatherings that kick off Hollywood’s fall movie lineup and Academy Awards season. The film directed by Paul Andrew Williams co-stars Terence Stamp and Gemma Arterton.
Lee’s documentary “Bad 25” also is playing the festival, marking the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s 1987 album “Bad.” The film features footage shot by Jackson himself along with interviews with such stars and music producers as Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Sheryl Crow and L.A. Reid.
Toronto planners announced dozens of other films to round out its 11-day run, among them Peter Webber’s “Emperor,” starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II; Dante Ariola’s “Arthur Newman,” a romance with Colin Firth and Emily Blunt centered on a former golf hot shot who became a notorious choker on the pro circuit; and Brian De Palma’s “Passion,” an erotic thriller featuring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.
Other Toronto highlights include Lee Daniels’ “The Paperboy,” a murder tale set in 1960s Florida that stars Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack and Zac Efron; Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers,” with James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens in a tale of college girls on a wild vacation; Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the story of a World War II Navy veteran drawn into a cult by a charismatic leader; and Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s “What Maisie Knew,” with Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan in an adaptation of a Henry James tale about a girl caught in a custody battle.
Among previously announced films at Toronto are the opening-night premiere “Looper,” a sci-fi thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Blunt; Keira Knightley’s Leo Tolstoy adaptation “Anna Karenina,” featuring Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson; Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage rescue saga “Argo,” co-starring Bryan Cranston and John Goodman; and Robert Redford’s fugitive manhunt tale “The Company You Keep,” co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Susan Sarandon and Terrence Howard.
Along with the Venice and Telluride festivals that precede it, Toronto typically is a prime launch spot for many Oscar contenders. Among past Oscar winners that played the Toronto festival were “The King’s Speech,” ”The Hurt Locker,” ”Slumdog Millionaire” and “Crash.”
Spike Lee to revisit Jackson's "Bad," Paul Andrew Williams Debuts "Song for Marion"
By David Germain, Movie Writer
Director Ayse Altinok Joins Good Times For U.S. Commercial Representation
Director and writer Ayse Altinok has joined commercial production company Good Times for U.S. representation. Altinok has directed campaigns for Nike, Horizon Milk, Larabar, Jose Cuervo, Unilever, Mavi Jeans, Boots, Lumene, and more.
A former art director at Wieden + Kennedy in Amsterdam and Portland, she approaches each project with careful consideration, analyzing the end goal as a first step and uncovering meaningful moments along the way. Her work features a cinematic, dreamlike quality and elevated aesthetic.
“Having the right chemistry and karma is very powerful and that’s what attracted me to Good Times, and also timing,” said Altinok. “It’s a place where I can continue to push myself as a filmmaker and try new things, whether it’s for a traditional commercial spot or a high concept art project and everything in between.”
“I’ve worked with Ayse for 20 years and she’s super talented. She’s great at finding gems in stories that would otherwise be overlooked, and her aesthetic is phenomenal,” noted Bernadette Spear, executive producer at Good Times. “She can also empathize with creatives, because she’s lived in that world and understands what our clients face and knows how to support their vision.”
Throughout her career, Altinok’s work has won many industry accolades, including awards from The One Show, Clio, Art Directors Club, AICP, and the ANDYs. In 2016, she was nominated for a D&AD Next Director Award for her short film A Day at the Mall Reminds Me of America, a motion poem. Her first short film, 2009’s Hortum was an official selection of 11 film festivals worldwide and won the Special Jury Prize for Best Drama at the Amsterdam Film Festival.
Outside of her short... Read More