Greetings from Toronto, on the first full day of film screening for the Toronto International Film Festival, running from now until September 17 in the heart of downtown. And after a strong showing at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, Film Cincinnati wasted no time making its presence known here on the international cinema scene with one of two Cincinnati-made movies to be shown at TIFF.
Opening the day’s Gala Presentation screenings at 8:30 a.m. this morning was the World Premiere of My Days of Mercy, the Ellen Page/Kate Mara vehicle that was shot in Cincinnati. Reviews were quick to come in, including this from Variety:
“Page, in the middle of a very busy year, gives one of her best performances in a tailor-made role. Mara is fine as a character whose elusiveness ultimately transcends plot device.”
And this review, from IndieWire: “The greatest triumph of ‘My Days of Mercy’ is that it handles such heavy subject matter (capital punishment) with grace and — mercifully — as light a touch as good taste will allow.”
Mercy will show again on Monday, September 11, and then again throughout the final weekend of TIFF.
Also having its North American premiere here at TIFF is the Cannes Film Festival’s critically acclaimed “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” the Nicole Kidman/Colin Farrell motion picture shot in Cincinnati last year. It opened Thursday night and will show again Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10.
And another movie with Cincinnati-ties, George Clooney puts on his director’s hat to debut his newest drama, Suburbicon, starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore. The movie is screened throughout the weekend—the cast news conference is Sunday afternoon.
Expect more Cincinnati-made films to make their way to TIFF next year, and to Sundance this winter.