After a flurry of fall festival activity in Venice and Telluride, the curtain is coming down on another year at TIFF. Careers were boosted, dark horses gained traction and blades were sharpened. Here are our biggest takeaways.
Rock delivered a crowd-pleaser in the form of this Hollywood-skewering dramedy, which follows an actress attempting to claw her way back to the spotlight. Rock has leveled up since his last turn behind the camera with 2014’s “Top Five.” “I’m more open as a person. I write more,” Rock said, reflecting on his growth as an artist.
There’s more [life] behind me than in front of me, so I’m just getting it in. You might see a fucking tap-dance musical from me next.” In a conversation the next day, Rock explained how tough love from producer Scott Rudin — one of Hollywood’s most notorious half-canceled figures — helped make him a better filmmaker. No compromise.” While screenings ran around the clock, Variety carved out some time to ponder posterity with a panel called “Focus on Future.” The event featured “Bedford Park” director Stephanie Ahn, Utopai Studios production head Carsten Kurpanek, “Girl Group” helmer and star Rebel Wilson, Thunder Road CEO Basil Iwanyk and two-time Oscar nominee Liz Garbus.
Garbus, you may recall, directed the top-rated 2022 Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex building a new life in America. Four years later, and the couple have just shocked the world by hightailing it back to the U.K. I wish them well, and it’s a hard road,” Garbus said of the surprise move.
It was not lost on the director that the festival takes place in a Commonwealth country, adding that she knew Meghan and Harry’s time in Canada “was really positive.” Back in 2021, filmmaker Bassam Tariq and twotime Oscar winner Mahershala Ali were all set to make a new “Blade” film for Marvel. Then it all went to hell. Tariq departed the following year over production delays, and Ali confirmed in July that the project was officially dead.
Marvel honcho Kevin Feige confessed he felt like “a gigantic loser” for failing Ali. Tariq and Ali finally got to make their “Blade” movie by way of “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother,” a searingly emotional action-drama about a devout Muslim hit man (Ali) who, following his wife’s sudden death, goes on the run with his three kids — including a newborn — after running afoul of his boss and a gun-toting Christian cult leader (John Cho) who’s declared a holy war on porn. It’s Ali’s best work since “Moonlight,” and Adia, in a star-making turn, matches his intensity as his rebellious teenage daughter.
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