Toronto Film Festival Unveils Plans for First-Ever Virtual Industry Conference

The Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled a line-up including the directorial debut of Regina King and the latest documentaries from Frederick Wiseman and Werner Herzog.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaFemale filmmakers are behind nearly half of the films that will screen at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, representing a high-water mark for the annual celebration of the best in movies and pushing the gathering tantalizingly close to achieving gender parity.The lineup includes new works by ​Roseanne Liang​ (“Shadow In The Cloud​”), Tracey Deer​ (“Beans”), Sonia Kennebeck​ (“Enemies of the State”), Chloé Zhao​ (“Nomadland”), as well as the feature

Also Read: 'The French Dispatch,' 'Soul' Make the Cannes 2020 Lineup As Festival Reveals the Movies It Would Have ShownAs previously announced, Spike Lee’s film “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” a document of Byrne’s Broadway show, will be the opening-night film on Sept. 10.

The American frontier drama “The World to Come,” the Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren comedy-drama “The Duke,” Gia Coppola’s “Mainstream,” and the Shia LaBeouf and Vanessa Kirby drama “Pieces of a Woman” are among the films set to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September, the first major event of its kind since the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of large gatherings worldwide, organizers said Tuesday. The selections for the 77th edition, which launches Sept.

The Venice International Film Festival has unveiled an all-European jury for its 77th edition as Venice prepares to host the first major film event since the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. British director Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir), French actress Ludivine Sagnier (8 Women, Swimming Pool) and Austrian filmmaker Veronika Franz (Goodnight Mommy) will join Venice jury president Cate Blanchett to hand out the honors to the competition entries this year, including the coveted Golden Lion.

Danielle Turchiano Senior Features Editor, TVThe Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest television festival is joining the ever-growing list of events pivoting to virtual production amid the coronavirus pandemic.Among the series taking part in this first-ever PaleyFest are YouTube’s “Justin Bieber: Seasons” (moderated by Variety‘s own Shirley Halperin), NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” FX on Hulu’s “Mrs.

Also Read: Fall Film Festivals Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York Team Up With 'United Platform'Based on journalist Jessica Bruder’s 2017 nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century,” the film follows Fern (McDormand), a woman who, after the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.

The 24th iteration of theAmerican Black Film Festival has announced the lineup for its virtual fest. The program, which will run from Aug.

HBO's Spike Lee–directed filmed version of David Byrne’s American Utopia Broadway stage play is set to open the virtual Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10, fest organizers said on Tuesday (July 22). David Byrne's American Utopia features the Talking Heads frontman and 11 musical artists from around the world performing songs from the 2018 album American Utopia, as well as songs from Byrne's Talking Heads and solo catalog.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorThe Toronto Film Festival is to open with Spike Lee’s filmed version of David Byrne’s hit Broadway show, American Utopia.TIFF will this year be a mix of physical and online screenings with a much-reduced industry presence due to coronavirus.American Utopia hit Broadway in the fall of 2019 and was a hot-ticket through February of 2020. Lee shot the production during its Hudson Theatre run and the concert film will debut on HBO this fall.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“American Utopia,” a filmed-version of David Byrne’s hit Broadway show, will be the opening night presentation of the 45th Toronto International Film Festival. This edition of the annual Canadian gathering for film lovers is unlike any of the previous 44 iterations.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefOnly this week officially confirmed as going ahead, the Shanghai International Film Festival has announced some of the first titles to be selected.The festival will run 25 July to Aug. 2 combining a mixture of theatrical screenings in front of live audiences, outdoor screenings and online streaming.

Pete Hammond Awards Columnist/Chief Film CriticKate Winslet is the first honoree to be announced by Joana Vincente and Cameron Bailey, Co-Heads of TIFF.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorKate Winslet will have another award to add to her trophy case.The Oscar winner will receive the Tribute Actor Award during the 2020 Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 15.“Kate’s brilliant and compelling on-screen presence continues to captivate, entertain and inspire audiences and actors alike,” TIFF executive director and co-head Joana Vicente said in statement on Thursday morning.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for the 17th edition of Cannes Classics, a popular sidebar dedicated to restored heritage movies and documentaries that forms part of the Official Selection.This year’s roster comprises 25 feature films and seven documentaries.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterInside Out, Canada’s foremost LGBTQ film festival, has unveiled the 16 recipients for its RE:Focus ‘Emergency Relief Fund’, which was created in response to the pandemic and its impact on the industry.

[email protected] And even though there won’t be 6,500 fans screaming at the top of their lungs in Hall H, Comic-Con organizers are planning an event befitting its lofty stature that will take place two weeks from now, just when the in-person con would have been held.“Everybody is committed to trying to make something the fans can enjoy and can interact with and have that community feeling, even though it will be not in person,” Comic-Con International spokesperson David Glanzer told TheWrap.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterAmazon Prime Video is not just bringing a roster of horror, comedy and superheroes  to Comic-Con@Home, but they are also bringing the first-ever Amazon Virtual-Con which will include virtual experiences and activations that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home. Things are set to kick off on San Diego Comic Con’s official YouTube channel and on the Amazon Virtual-Con portal starting at 12 p.m.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe upcoming Venice Film Festival’s reconfiguration due to coronavirus safety measures has been officially unveiled.Barring complications, Venice, which runs Sept.