Maskless, the Cannes and Venice film festivals played to their strengths for their post-Covid comeback: doubling down on red carpet glamor and old-world elegance.
A spectacular display of fur. Top Gun: Maverick – including a supersonic viaduct, courtesy of the French Air Force – has re-established the Galle festival as a place to drop high-value carp.
The combination of Venice’s elegant setting (celebrities arriving by boat in front of the Excelsior Hotel) and the proximity of the crowd (teenagers camping out on the Lido’s red carpet) made it the perfect setting to showcase the house’s hallmarks. including Todd. Is waiting Tar With Cate Blanchett, Darren Aronofsky Format Along with Brendan Fraser, both are already top contenders for Oscars and more eclectic offerings, including bones and allLuca Guadagnino’s cannibalistic love story, starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell.
Downtown Toronto has, shall we say, a little less to offer in terms of Hollywood glitz or old-world class. The power of the Toronto International Film Festival, its secret weapon, is its audience: nearly half a million American viewers of all ages and demographics packed TIFF’s Roy Thomson Hall, Bell Lightbox and Princess of Wales Theatre. For studios and independents looking to see what will bring regular moviegoers back to theaters in this post-COVID environment, TIFF is offering the world’s largest test screening.
Sony Pictures Classics son It premiered in Venice, but the real test of the box office potential of Florian Zeller’s family drama will be its TIFF premiere on September 12.
Even if an independent film has a disappointing opening in Venice or Telluride, notes Tom Bernard, longtime co-president of Sony Pictures Classics, Toronto gives audiences a second look before awards season begins.
Courtesy of the Venice Film Festival
“For me, if a film doesn’t do that, it’s not well received in those places, at least in Toronto there’s the possibility of actually seeing it and not rescuing it, but understanding what it’s about and in all its quality, because the public read about it and [they] “Go ahead and say, ‘It’s better than that,’” says Bernard.
TIFF can also act as an accelerator, creating buzz around a Venice or Telluride title and proving it can thrive in the real world. Best Picture Oscar Winner millionaire (2008), The king’s speech (2010) and 12 years slave (2013) all debuted on Telluride but really caught fire after debuting on TIFF. it was a similar story the land (2016) and Three billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri (2017) – Venetian titles that went from pundits favorites to mainstream success stories after being embraced by Toronto audiences. On rare occasions, a more conventional headline ignored by the hottest festivals can use Toronto to stand out: see: green book in 2018, which won its TIFF debut with a boring Oscar.
“Toronto is one of the biggest festivals to see what’s on the street, what people, not the industry, but what people really think about your film,” says Rouzana Kegeian, director of acquisitions at Capstone. “With TIFF, we have our fingers on the pulse.”
Best Picture Oscar Winner green book The premiere took place at TIFF
Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Most of the top US titles shown at TIFF this year already have distribution, meaning the festival will be widely used as a testing ground to position films and sell them in theaters. However, for international bonds, TIFF has traditionally been the gateway to the North American market.
“Toronto is the absolutely pivotal festival on the calendar right now for top-notch films, both in terms of securing sales in North America and around the world. [and] as a launching pad to find international partners for future projects and pre-sales,” says George Hamilton, commercial director at Protagonist Pictures.
After securing a Venice or Telluride release and, hopefully, critical support, an international title can use a large Toronto showing to convince buyers of the film’s box office appeal with domestic audiences.
Leading the Italian delegation to TIFF, Roberto Stabile, director of international development for the association of Italian producers ANICA, insists that Italian films are best when they open in Venice and sell out in Toronto in the same week.
“This is an ideal collaboration between Italy and Canada.” [In Venice] We do red carpets, parties and paparazzi. A few days later, while the movie is still hot, we go to Toronto to do business, with a little less red carpet but a lot more concrete work,” Stabile said.
Capstone’s Kegeyan adds that TIFF is better for potential fans than critics’ favorites, films like Capstone’s Kate Beckinsale-Brian Cox thriller. the prisoner’s daughterthat the company sells in TIFF.
“The film will open in Toronto, which is more appropriate just for the theme. It’s a little more conventional film and we’re getting the reaction from the audience,” says Kegeyan.
Having screened films in Toronto and Cannes, Mimi Steinbauer of Radiant Films agrees that festivals offer different viewing experiences, but emphasizes that each has its place.
“If you’re looking for a ‘traditional festival’ film, Cannes is a great place and a good place to see it and it’s like a red carpet,” says Steinbauer. “[Toronto] It’s not a “Cannes Award-winning film”, but you can find yourself laughing and crying along with the audience. [together]. the skin is [more] About prestige.
Steinbauer adds that while Toronto audiences may not like every movie they see, they are, in typically Canadian fashion, more polite and generous with movies and less likely to punish a title that hurts them.
Says Steinbauer: “Everyone comes to Cannes as a critic. “You come to Toronto to have fun.”
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
