Drake to introduce Monsters and Men at TIFF’s opening night
TORONTO — Drake is set to appear at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote a drama about police violence.
Organizers say the Toronto rapper will introduce the film “Monsters and Men” at TIFF Bell Lightbox on the festival’s opening night of Sept. 6.
Drake, an executive producer on the film, will also join the cast for what the festival calls a “unique screening experience.”
A statement says the film will have its Canadian première before “activating the building during the festival’s opening night party.”
When asked what “activating the building” means, a representative said they couldn’t reveal any more details at this time.
Reinaldo Marcus Green wrote and directed “Monsters and Men,” about the consequences a community faces when a black man is shot dead by police in Brooklyn.
The film’s stars include Anthony Ramos, John David Washington, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Drake addressed the recent spike in Toronto gun violence while performing in his hometown on Wednesday.
“It’s a lot of violence going on in our city right now,” he said.
“A lot of kids dying, a lot of families left without the people they love. And I just want you to look around and understand if you’re ever confused about how the world is supposed to work. It’s 18,000 people inside this building right now from all races, all places... I want you to know how proud of you I am because that’s something I learned from my city — how to coexist.”
TIFF says Drake has partnered with film distributor Neon on “Monsters and Men,” which won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
The screening is one of four special events lined up for TIFF, which runs Sept. 6 to 16.
The other events include an onstage live read of John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” with Jason Reitman.
Reitman, who created the Live Read in 2011, will announce the cast for “The Breakfast Club” event on his Instagram account.
Meanwhile, director Dean DeBlois and producer Brad Lewis will give an exclusive sneak preview of DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”
And director Damien Chazelle will introduce his film “First Man,” starring Ryan Gosling, in Imax at Ontario Place Cinesphere.
TIFF has also announced this year’s In Conversation With… lineup of onstage discussions with stars who are in films at the fest.
They include “What They Had” star Hilary Swank, “Green Book” star Mahershala Ali, and Maggie Gyllenhaal of “The Kindergarten Teacher.”