Jon Stewart And Chris Evans Bring Directorial Debuts To TIFF
Jon Stewart, Chris Evans and Alan Rickman are just a few big names bringing their directorial efforts to the Toronto International Film Festival.
Jon Stewart's Rosewater
Stewart, known as a comedian and host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, is bringing his first film, Rosewater, to TIFF. The drama, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, is Stewart’s first as director, and recounts the story of a journalist arrested in Iran and brutally interrogated, suspected of being a spy, in 2009. While the film first premiered at Telluride Film Festival, TIFF will host Rosewater’s International Premiere on Monday, Sept. 8. Stewart will also participate in TIFF’s Mavericks Conversation series, along with the journalist Maziar Bahari, the journalist upon whom the film is based.
Chris Evans Directs Before We Go
Captain America star Chris Evans is also making his directorial debut at TIFF with his film, Before We Go. Evans, who also stars in the film opposite Alice Eve, will premiere his film at TIFF on Friday, Sept. 12. Written by Ron Bass, Before We Go is a romantic drama about two strangers, Brooke (Eve) and Nick (Evans) who meet late at night at Grand Central Station and end up getting to know each other as they await the morning trains.
Before We Go marks Evans’ very first time stepping behind the camera, but, no doubt depending on its success, it won’t be the last. Evans previously stated his intentions to quit acting and work as a director after his contract with Marvel expires. “I can’t see myself pursuing acting strictly outside of what I’m contractually obligated to do. I’ve known for a while I wanted to direct, but [time] never really opens up. Theres another movie to do, there’s another acting job. It just got to a point where I was like, you know what – I have to do this,” Evans told Variety in March.
A Little Chaos Directed By Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) will premiere A Little Chaos, his first film since 1997’s The Winter Guest, at TIFF on Saturday, Sept. 13. Rickman, who also acts as writer and co-star in the film, has enlisted an A-list cast for his second feature. The film stars Kate Winslet as Sabine De Barra, a landscape designer working on King Louis XIV’s garden at Versailles – Rickman portrays the French king – who butts heads with architect André Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts). The film also stars Jennifer Ehle and Stanley Tucci.
Other celebrity-directed films to screen at TIFF include James Franco's adaptation of The Sound and the Fury and Chris Rock's Top Five.
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