TIFF kicks off with diverse Hollywood western
Posted September 8, 2016 5:19 am.
Last Updated September 9, 2016 5:22 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“Magnificent Seven” director Antoine Fuqua is tipping his hat to Hollywood for giving him the wherewithal to deliver a multicultural cowboy movie, led by Denzel Washington.
“This becomes the new definition of what a western is,” Fuqua told a Toronto International Film Festival press conference on Thursday as his international cast of stars sat alongside him.
Among the other marquee names in attendance were Chris Pratt, South Korea’s Byung-hun Lee and Mexican actor Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. They walked the red carpet later in the evening as screening of the film officially kicked off the festival.
“You’ve got to give the studio credit when they do something like this,” Fuqua added about his diverse cast.
“They didn’t blink an eye.”
Related stories:
Five times TIFF inspired real political change
Starring Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: Political talk at TIFF
Portion of King shuts down for TIFF, streetcar diversions
See the full schedule of films, talks, exhibits and parties.
The star-studded remake of the 1960 Hollywood western – itself a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” – has been in the works for years. But it arrives at TIFF during what’s widely considered to be a pivotal shift in how racial diversity is represented on movie screens.
Washington shied away from linking the film too closely with some sort of cinematic statement.
“It’s a movie. It’s for people to enjoy,” he said.
“What do they want to get from it? It depends what you bring to it.”
His director hinted that he’s hopeful the western might be representative of more open-mindedness for commercial cinema in the future.
“You can make a ‘Magnificent Seven’ with all women,” Fuqua proposed.
Ethnic diversity is expected to be the spotlight throughout this year’s 11-day film festival, which is one of the biggest and most diverse showcases of cinema in the world.
Herds of eager moviegoers from across the globe travel to Toronto in hopes of catching a glimpse of their favourite stars, buzzworthy Hollywood films and international cinema that may never get an official release on this side of the world.
Among the most-anticipated mainstream titles is “The Birth of a Nation,” set during a slave rebellion, and “A United Kingdom” and “Loving,” which both feature interracial couples.
“Moonlight” focuses on a young black man coming to terms with his sexual identity amid a turbulent upbringing.
Below, the director of TIFF discusses the screening of “The Birth of a Nation.” Click here to view it on mobile.
Other Hollywood films will use the fest as a platform for awards season. Natalie Portman is generating early buzz for her role as former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in “Jackie,” while Oliver Stone’s “Snowden” is getting attention for his hot-button take on National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Nearly 400 films from 83 countries are slated to screen at this year’s festival, which closes with coming-of-age comedy “The Edge of Seventeen.”
A throng of international stars is in Toronto hoping to draw attention to their films on the red carpets.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are expected to appear together for their ode to Hollywood musicals “La La Land,” while Mark Wahlberg will be in town to promote his upcoming oil-rig actioner “Deepwater Horizon.”
Other big names will be in town this weekend for their latest films like Hollywood actor Matt Damon and fashion designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford.
Chinese superstar Zhang Ziyi will also be visiting Toronto for appearances as part of the film festival’s Platform Jury, which also includes directors Brian De Palma and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.
