September 1, 2009
NEWS RELEASE #35
THE 2009 FESTIVAL EXPANDS ITS FREE PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
More performers and events added to Yonge-Dundas Square outdoor lineup and
announcement of free screening of Cadillac People’s Choice Award winner
Toronto – The 34th Toronto International Film Festival is proud to announce the full lineup of free outdoor events taking place at
Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) and that it will present a free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award-winning film on closing
night in the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre.
“The free programming at Yonge-Dundas Square and the free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award are gifts back to the city
of Toronto,” said Festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey. “They’re a big thank you to our audiences for their ongoing support and
commitment to the Festival, because it’s this devotion that continues to make it one of the best in the world.”
The complete YDS 2009 schedule, listed below and covering the duration of the Festival from September 10 to 19, has something for
everyone. Additions to the lineup include Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, who will host the Opening Night concert by
DJ Champion; rapper Chuck D, who will host and perform at the Closing Night Festival Wrap Party; and the National Ballet of
Canada, which will perform a preview presentation of its latest production from Aszure Barton in celebration of the Festival’s screening
of Mao’s Last Dancer.
Taking the Festival experience beyond the cinema, the planned events at YDS offer a diverse and dynamic array of free programming
that will create a new street-level hub of Festival activity in the heart of Toronto. The YDS 2009 Schedule includes daily events like the
TIFF In Concert film series, featuring an eclectic mix of music-themed films preceded by a selection of short films from the National Film
Board of Canada and musically charged shorts by Canadian filmmakers. The TIFF Shhh! series is another regular slot that will see
classics from the silent film era screened to live musical accompaniment, and the TIFF YDS Spotlight series offers a host of free
events, including movie spotlights, concerts, a roller-derby exhibition, a ballet presentation, swing-dancing lessons, the Toronto Zombie
Walk and much more. All of this will be capped off by the Festival Wrap Party on Saturday, September 19. In addition to checking out
these free events, all are invited to drop by the MeTV booth to record a quick message about their experience with the 2009 Festival, or
whatever else comes to mind. For more about YDS programming, visit tiff.net/yds.
Voted on by Festival audiences, the Cadillac People’s Choice Award winner will be announced on the afternoon of September 19.
Last year’s Cadillac People's Choice Award winner was Danny Boyle’s multiple Academy Award®-winning Slumdog Millionaire. Previous
People’s Choice Award winners include Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, TIFF 2007), Bella (Alejandro Gomez Monteverde, TIFF
2006), Tsotsi (Gavin Hood, TIFF 2005) and Hotel Rwanda (Terry George, TIFF 2004).
Tickets for the free screening of the Cadillac People’s Choice Award-winning film will be available on a first-come, first-served basis
beginning at 7 p.m. on September 19 at the box office for the Visa Screening Room at the Elgin Theatre. For more information, visit tiff.net.
TIFF Live from Yonge-Dundas Square 2009 Schedule
Opening Night: Thursday, September 10
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: I’m Your Man
Preceded by shorts: POEN, Tony Dekker at Spadina Subway Station and The Poet’s Home
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: Steamboat Bill Jr.
7 p.m. Live satellite feed from the Roy Thomson Hall red carpet for the Opening Night Gala Presentation of Creation
9 p.m. TIFF YDS Spotlight: Opening Night concert by DJ Champion, hosted by Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman
Friday, September 11
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Shut Up & Sing
Preceded by shorts: Neighbours, Serena Ryder at the Dakota Tavern and Crickets
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
6:30 p.m. Suck Spotlight featuring The Burning Brides and Canadian legends Blue Peter with guest appearances from stars
of the rock’n’roll vampire comedy screening as part of the 2009 Festival
9 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Preceded by shorts: Juke – Bar, Danko Jones at Maple Leaf Gardens and Jaffawiye
Saturday, September 12
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: The Harder They Come
Preceded by shorts: Getting Started, Divine Brown at the Rex and Bleach
2 p.m. TIFF Kids Zone – offering fun for children of all ages, including face-painting, green-screen activities and more
4 p.m. Precious Spotlight featuring American author and poet Sapphire reading from her body of work at an event hosted
by Lee Daniels, director of the film, which is screening at the Festival as a Gala Presentation
6 p.m. Toronto Zombie Walk with George A. Romero in attendance to celebrate the premiere of George A. Romero’s
Survival of the Dead, screening as part of the Festival’s Midnight Madness programme; the evening’s ghoulish
festivities conclude with a free screening of his 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead
Sunday, September 13
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Woodstock
Preceded by shorts: Street Musique, Geddy Lee at Massey Hall and Washing Machine, Sewing Machine
4 p.m. Whip It Spotlight roller-derby exhibition featuring stars from the film and the Toronto Roller Derby League
9 p.m. The Topp Twins Spotlight, hosted by comedian Elvira Kurt
Monday, September 14
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Stop Making Sense
Preceded by shorts: Lonely Boy, Woodhands at the Brick Works and From the City to the Forest
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: The Busher
9 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: North American premiere of The Neil Young Trunk Show featuring an appearance
by Neil Young, hosted by director Jonathan Demme
Tuesday, September 15
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Monterey Pop
Preceded by shorts: Toronto Jazz, Sarah Slean at the Rivoli and Questions of a Dead Worker
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: Robin Hood
7 p.m. Hipsters Spotlight: swing-dance lessons followed by a concert at 9 p.m. featuring Aelita with the Galaxy
All-Star Orchestra in honour of the Russian musical screening as part of the Festival’s Vanguard programme
Wednesday, September 16
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: The Last Waltz
Preceded by shorts: Ready When You Are, Laura Barrett with Martin Tielli at the AGO and
Bloomfield or a Memory Bank
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: Tillie’s Punctured Romance
9 p.m. The National Ballet of Canada’s preview presentation of the latest production from Aszure Barton in celebration of
the Festival’s screening of Mao’s Last Dancer
Thursday, September 17
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: U2: Rattle and Hum
Preceded by shorts: cNote, Lioness at the Masonic Temple and Gershon
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: It
9 p.m. Performance, rock show, installation and film screening: BAND, by cutting-edge New York artist Adam Pendleton,
refashions Sympathy for the Devil, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1968 cinematic paean to the Rolling Stones and the Black
Panthers, into a contemporary art happening that places the celebrated indie art-rock/post-punk band Deerhoof at the
centre of the action. This event is presented as part of Future Projections.
Friday, September 18
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Don’t Look Back
Preceded by shorts: Glenn Gould – On the Record, Jason Collett at Paul’s Boutique and Weitzman #10
3 p.m. TIFF Shhh! Silent Film Series: Grandma’s Boy
6 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: world premiere of American Masters featuring Joan Baez: How Sweet the
Sound, followed by an appearance and short concert by Joan Baez herself
Closing Night: Saturday, September 19
12 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: Truth or Dare
Preceded by shorts: Meet Gisele, Care Failure at 102.1 The Edge and Killer Babe
7 p.m. TIFF Live In Concert Film Series: world premiere of Copyright Criminals
9 p.m. The Festival Wrap Party, presented in association with Future Projections and hosted by Chuck D, featuring the
infectious improvised audiovisual mashups of Eclectic Method. The renowned trio will thrill film and music
lovers with a video remix set incorporating clips from the films included in Essential 100, the opening show of
TIFF Bell Lightbox. With special guest Clyde Stubblefield.
TIFF Live from Yonge-Dundas Square is supported by the Government of Canada, the Ministry of Tourism,
the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and the City of Toronto.
The Cadillac People’s Choice Awards are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Cadillac.
About TIFF: TIFF is a charitable, not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural
discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $135 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal
staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.
About TIFF Bell Lightbox: Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers
to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid
structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada and the
Province of Ontario, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, Visa†, the Copyright
Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, the Allan Slaight Family, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and CIBC. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals
and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit belllightbox.ca.
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For further information contact Daniela Syrovy at 416-319-3511 or by email at [email protected], or contact the Communications
Department at 416-934-3200 or email [email protected].
