TORONTO—With the opening gala presentation of “Score: A Hockey Musical” on Sept. 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian film director Michael McGowan showed off what being Canadian is all about.
“Poutine, maple syrup, saying sorry, these are some of the things that define us as Canadians,” said Cameron Bailey, co-director of TIFF at the opening of Score on Thursday at the Elgin Theatre.
“One filmmaker who has brought those things to life—that’s Michael McGowan,” Bailey said.
Score takes the form of a light-hearted love story and stars Noah Reid, Allie MacDonald, and Walter Gretzky, father of the “The Great One.”
The musical portrays known Canadian characteristics like worldliness, humility, and kindness around a theme most sensitive north of the border—hockey. The movie is apt to inspire Canadians to relive the day when Canada won gold in hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Bailey said.
“We have so few opportunities as Canadians to embrace and celebrate what makes us, I think, the greatest country in the world,” said McGowan.
The latest Canadian film McGowan produced was the box office hit “One Week” that he showcased at TIFF in 2008 before it released in theatres the following year.
Affleck's 'The Town'
At a press briefing, actor turned director Ben Affleck spoke with confidence of his film “The Town” which premiered at TIFF.
It didn’t take Affleck much effort to assemble a team of dedicated talent that included Blake Lively, Chris Cooper, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, and Jeremy Renner, who was nominated for his lead role in “The Hurt Locker” at the Academy Awards.
“If casting is directing, then today I can feel proud of my directing,” Affleck said.
“The Town” smartly intertwines the genres of romance and thriller into a story about a team of professionals dealing with organized crime. Shot in Boston, the movie portrays the complex lives of diverse characters as they battle through their interpersonal as well as intrapersonal conflicts.
Renner said it was his first time in Boston, and working there was difficult, “I had to overcome my ignorance to the location.”
Affleck said he enjoyed the crowd at TIFF and that there were many movies that he personally would have liked to watch. Viewers attending this year’s festival are fortunate, he said, because it’s better to be watching the movies than showcasing them and spending the rest of the time in a hotel room.
“This is a festival that has got ten times as much stuff going on in terms of the films and the attendance,” he said, comparing TIFF with the Venice Film Festival.
Affleck added that films presented at TIFF will be exposed to more of the American public, while those in Venice are geared toward the European film market.
“I just came here because I like my movie and I would like for people to see it, and I like the Toronto Film Festival,” he said.
