Toronto fest will feature Crowe, Guest world bows
Rock stars, dogs and senators on tap
Writer-director Crowe's latest is the story of a young music fan (circa 1973) assigned to follow a rock band to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine. The as-yet-untitled film stars Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand and Anna Paquin.
Guest's "Best in Show" is a dark comedy about several earnest dog owners gearing up for a canine showdown. Pic stars Parker Posey, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara.
Directed by Rod Lurie, the political thriller "The Contender," from DreamWorks Pictures in association with Battleground, follows the nasty backroom dealings as rivals dig for and discover dirt to discredit a senator (Joan Allen) in her efforts to become the first woman vice president. Gary Oldman and Jeff Bridges also star.
In its North American premiere, Denys Arcand's "Stardom" has been tapped to unspool at the opening night gala for the Toronto fest. Arcand's dark mockumentary follows the rise of a young model, played by Jessica Pare.
"The Luzhin Defense," directed by Academy Award winner Marleen Gorris ("Antonia's Line") will receive its international premiere at the fest. Based on the Vladimir Nabokov novel of the same title and starring John Turturro and Emily Watson, pic concerns love, obsession and a young chess prodigy in 1920s Italy.
Fest organizers also announced two 25th anniversary tributes. In 25 X 25, sponsored by the Ontario Film Development Corp., Canadian and international filmmakers will be given digital video cameras and asked to document their experiences during a 25-hour period of the festival. Their impressions will be screened during the festival free of charge.
Year One is a retrospective of six films selected from the fest's slate in 1976, its inaugural year. They include Akira Kurosawa's "Dersu Uzala" and Jean-Charles Tacchella's "Cousin, Cousine," plus Alexander Kluge's first feature, "Yesterday Girl," and Barbara Kopple's docu "Harlan County USA," about the struggle of unionized miners protesting wage cuts.
