Drake, TIFF will make up, says director

TORONTO — Drake’s scrubbed appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival might have left some fans upset, but the two could still collaborate in the future, suggests the artistic director of TIFF.

The Toronto rapper cancelled his highly anticipated appearance at a screening of Monsters and Men with only a few hours of notice on Sept. 6, the first day of the festival, saying he couldn’t make it because of his tour.

Some fans complained that they’d shelled out good money for a ticket to the event, which also included access to the festival’s exclusive opening-night party.

TIFF artistic director and future co-head Cameron Bailey says the festival was “disappointed” but adds he understands “things can change.”

“We’re hoping that since Drake is so committed to this city and so committed in a new way to film and to visual media, that there will be other opportunities for us to work together,” Bailey said.

“He’s producing now, he’s adapting the Top Boy TV series from the U.K. for North America, he’s executive producer on Monsters and Men. There are a lot of things he’s getting into now, and he’s working with young directors like Karena Evans.

“So I think there’s probably something in our future.”

Despite the opening-night hiccup, this year’s instalment that wraps with an awards ceremony today has been “a big success,” said Bailey.

He noted they’ve had “great audiences” and “a lot of real discoveries” of critically acclaimed films that made their world premières at the festival, including Green Book, If Beale Street Could Talk and Widows.

Questions about festival attendance arose after some posts on Twitter showed empty seats during opening-night screenings of Monsters and Men and Outlaw King.

Bailey said while they won’t know total attendance figures until after today, “the houses have been, for the most part, quite full.”