Two movies made in Cincinnati during this past year, My Days of Mercy and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, are among the international film lineup to be shown during the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, September 7-17 in Toronto.
My Days of Mercy (formerly known as Mercy) will have its world premiere on Friday, September 8 as one of the Festival’s Gala Presentations. Oscar nominee Ellen Page is Lucy, the daughter of a man on death row. She and her sister are regular attendees at state executions across the Midwest, where they demonstrate in favor of abolishing the death penalty. At one such event, Lucy spots and eventually falls for Mercy (Kate Mara), daughter of a police officer whose partner was killed by a man about to receive a lethal injection. Mercy is there to celebrate justice served.
Also making its North American premiere is the Cincinnati-made The Killing of a Sacred Deer, starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell, coming off its critically-acclaimed World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Its first showing will be opening day of the Festival, Thursday, September 7.
“Having two of our Cincinnati-made films featured at the Toronto Film Festival is a testament to the quality of filmmaking in our area,” said Kristen Schlotman, executive director of Film Cincinnati. “To have Cincinnati represented again on the international cinema stage shows the level of talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that we can offer to directors.”
Other highly-anticipated films being shown in Toronto include Suburbicon, directed by George Clooney and starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, Battle of the Sexes, starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell as Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and the Lady Gaga documentary, Gaga: Five Foot Two.
Film Cincinnati marks its 30th year of bringing quality productions to greater Cincinnati with a “Backlot 30” Gala on Saturday, September 23 in the Over-the-Rhine area. Tickets are still available at http://www.filmcincinnati.com/backlot30.