TORONTO 鈥� Canadian director Atom Egoyan will premiere his opera-inspired feature 鈥淪even Veils鈥� at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The drama reunites the Toronto filmmaker with U.S. actress Amanda Seyfried, who starred in Egoyan鈥檚 2009 Toronto-set film 鈥淐hloe.鈥�
This time, Seyfried plays a theatre director remounting her former mentor鈥檚 most famous work, the opera 鈥淪alome鈥� by Richard Strauss.
The film features real-life opera stars from the Canadian Opera Company鈥檚 most recent production of 鈥淪alome,鈥� also directed by Egoyan.
Soprano singer Ambur Braid played Salome and baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky played John the Baptist, and each revisit the roles for the film.
鈥淪even Veils鈥� is set to be Egoyan鈥檚 18th film at TIFF, which runs Sept. 7 to 17.
It heads to a festival swirling with uncertainty as twin Hollywood strikes by unionized actors and writers threaten to diminish this year鈥檚 star power.聽
Rules surrounding the labour action prevent SAG-AFTRA members from promoting studio work or attending film festivals.
However, Canadian films with Canadian cast and creators who are not affiliated with SAG-AFTRA or the WGA are unaffected.
鈥淪even Veils鈥� also stars Canadian actors Rebecca Liddiard, Douglas Smith, Mark O鈥橞rien and Vinessa Antoine.聽
It screens at TIFF on Sept. 10, but is preceded by an avant-premi猫re in partnership with the Canadian Opera Company at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on Sept. 8.
鈥淭o have the world premiere of this film at TIFF and to be partnering with the Canadian Opera Company really brings my two great passions together in such a beautiful way,鈥� Egoyan said Wednesday in a release.
Tickets for the avant-premi猫re will be available Aug. 15.聽
Tickets for TIFF go on sale to TIFF members by level beginning Aug. 18. The full festival schedule is expected to be released in August.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2023.
The Canadian Press
