Toronto Film Festival Highlights Audience Favorites, Scarlett Johansson Directs Premiere

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has seen many anticipated awards contenders premiere at other festivals like Venice and Telluride, leading TIFF to emphasize crowd-pleasing films rather than high-profile world premieres. Scarlett Johansson, at the festival to promote her directorial debut "Eleanor the Great," praised TIFF for focusing more on films and audience engagement than celebrity fashion, highlighting the festival's conversational atmosphere and audience-driven awards. Johansson's film, which premiered at Cannes, explores themes of forgiveness and grief and features actors June Squibb and Erin Kellyman. Angelina Jolie also made a striking appearance at TIFF, attending the "Couture" world premiere and sharing plans to star in a new spy thriller titled "The Initiative," while reportedly considering relocating abroad from Hollywood. The festival remains a vibrant platform for both emerging filmmakers and established stars, maintaining its reputation for strong audience participation and diverse film offerings despite the shift in premiere locations. TIFF continues to attract a star-studded lineup, including Paul Mescal, Kirsten Dunst, Kerry Washington, and Keanu Reeves, underscoring its significance in the film festival circuit.