After initial concerns that the SAG-AFTRA strike would greatly impact the presence of U.S. titles and Hollywood A-listers at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) in September, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey has reassured that the festival is still in great shape, with a strong American film presence in its lineup.
Bailey mentioned that despite the strike, TIFF has secured a number of terrific films from around the world, including many key films from the U.S. The festival has announced 37 world premieres, seven international premieres, and 12 North American premieres as part of its first wave of official selections. These films include works by renowned actors such as Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton, Maggie Betts, and Viggo Mortensen.
Prior to the strike, Toronto programmers had already been screening U.S. and international cinema titles for months, and invites had already gone out to filmmakers. Bailey mentioned that the festival reached out to the filmmakers to understand the potential impact of the strike on their participation at TIFF. While the fate of big-name talent aligned with upcoming studio and streamer titles remains uncertain, Bailey emphasized that major U.S. titles will still be shown at TIFF to gauge audience reactions and serve as a launchpad for the awards season. However, the situation is different for U.S. indie titles, as the involvement of SAG-AFTRA members in these films is still being evaluated.
Bailey suggested that SAG-AFTRA could offer waivers to talent looking to promote unaligned U.S. indie titles at TIFF, similar to how certain productions not affiliated with the struck studios or streamers have continued filming with the approval of the actors union. He also mentioned that some Hollywood actors have the opportunity to use their platform at TIFF to discuss the goals of striking screenwriters and actors during ongoing negotiations.
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The lineup for this year’s festival includes directorial debuts by Hollywood actors such as Michael Keaton, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Pine. Keaton’s film, “Knox Goes Away,” is a crime thriller and his first feature film as a director. Other notable directors, like Viggo Mortensen and Ethan Hawke, have been committed to directing for some time. Kendrick’s film, “Woman of the Hour,” is a true crime drama in which she also stars as a bachelorette on a 1970s TV matchmaking show, and it highlights the impact of male violence on women.
The Toronto Film Festival will be making additional lineup announcements in the coming weeks before revealing its official 2023 selections on August 15. The festival is set to run from September 7 to 17, providing a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and engage with audiences. Despite the ongoing strike, TIFF remains a significant event in the film industry and continues to attract attention from both industry professionals and film enthusiasts alike.
