Best of Hollywood at Toronto Film Festival

T O R O N T O, Sept. 5 -- Roll out the red carpet, bringon the Beautiful People and let the air-kissing begin—theToronto International Film Festival kicks off this week.

For 10 glittering days, Hollywood glamour and stardustsettles on Toronto for a festival considered one of the world’smost important, along with Cannes, Venice and Berlin.

The festival is turning the spotlight on itself this yearto commemorate its 25th anniversary. But it will have to sharethat limelight with a bevy of Hollywood stars such as RobertDeNiro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Al Pacino, Kenneth Branagh, RichardGere, Liv Ullman, Cuba Gooding Jr., Robert Duvall and directorssuch as South Korean legend Im Kwontaek, Cameron Crowe, Ang Leeand Robert Altman.

The result will be an eclectic mix of Hollywood star power,independent film grit and good old-fashioned schmoozing anddeal making.

“It may be the most outstanding list of people I’ve seen atthis festival. When you have Pacino, DeNiro, Duvall, Branagh,you’re dealing with the top of the tops. And these are just theactors,” festival director Piers Handling said in aninterview.

“There’s not too many films without people [attending] … Itdoesn’t get much better than this.”

The festival, which runs from September 7 to 16, openswith a gala presentation of Canadian director Denys Arcand’sStardom which closed the Cannes Film Festival earlier thisyear.

New Cameron Crowe Project Featured

Before the event ends on September 16, moviegoers will havebeen treated to a feast of 329 films, including a record 178world and North American premiers, as well as glimpses of theirfavorite actors.

Films making their world premieres include Cameron Crowe’sUntitled Cameron Crowe Project starring Oscar-winners FrancesMcDormand and Anna Paquin; The Contender with Gary Oldman,Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Christian Slater; and The LuzhinDefence with John Turturro and Emily Watson.