The document “John Candy: I Like Me” will be the opening evening at 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, the TIFF organizers announced on Wednesday. Directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, the Amazon MGM movie will have its world premiere at the festival’s opening evening, Thursday September 2 in Roy Thomson Hall, before a fall released on Prime Video.
While three documentaries have opened the festival over the past 15 years, they have all been music documents: “From Heaven Down”, about U2; “Once were brothers: Robbie Robertson and the band”; And Spike Lees David Byrne concert movie, “American Utopia.” Candy was a beloved Canadian comedian and actor who started in Toronto’s second city before finding fame and success with films such as “Stripes”, “Splash” and “Planes, Train and Automobiles.” He died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 43.
“Comedyfans all over the world grew up on John Candy’s humor,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a statement. “We love that John’s global career started in Toronto, and we can’t wait to share ‘John Candy: I Like Me’ with everyone on this year’s opening night Gala premiere. Colin Hanks has made an extremely entertaining movie packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, but like John, this movie is all heart.”
Colin Hanks has directed documentaries on tower records and Eagles of death metal as he continues his acting career. His father, Tom Hanks, acted with sweets in “Splash” and “Volunteers.”
In Recent Years, Opening Night Films in Toronto Have Included Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” Rian Johnson’s “Looper,” Jean-Marc Vallee’s “Demolition,” Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” David Mackenzie’s ” Hansen “And Last Year’s Opener, David Gordon Green’s” Nutcracker. “
This year’s TIFF will be the festival’s 50th edition and will go from September 4-14. Further programming will be announced in the coming months.
