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Kickoff of the 50th Toronto International Film Festival

The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) commenced on Thursday night, featuring the world premiere of 'John Candy: I Like Me.' This documentary pays tribute to the beloved comedian, who passed away from a heart attack in 1994 at just 43 years old.

Scheduled for release on October 10 by Amazon, the film highlights Candy's journey from a local Toronto hero to a comedy icon, beginning with his rise on the SCTV sketch show in 1976.

Candy became a household name through memorable films such as 'Stripes,' 'Splash,' 'Spaceballs,' 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' 'Uncle Buck,' and 'Cool Runnings.' Ryan Reynolds, a Vancouver native and producer of the documentary, was present at the festival's opening night.

Reflecting on his childhood, Reynolds shared, 'SCTV was a significant part of my upbringing.' He emphasized the importance of allowing children to embrace imperfection and creativity, contrasting it with today's culture of perfectionism.

On the opening night, Reynolds sported a T-shirt featuring a Canadian maple leaf and was joined on stage by the film's director, Colin Hanks, whose father, Tom Hanks, starred alongside Candy in 'Splash.'

Candy's children, Jennifer and Christopher, were also in attendance for the screening at TIFF.

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will continue until September 14.

The Bharat Pavilion made its North American debut at TIFF, inaugurated by Ajay Nagabhushan, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh, Acting Consul General of India in Toronto, alongside TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. This year's pavilion highlights the WAVES Bazaar initiative.

Nagabhushan noted, 'For the first time, India is represented at TIFF by a delegation exclusively featuring women-led film projects. From over 200 submissions, six exceptional projects were chosen by a jury through the WAVES Bazaar platform.' The selected filmmakers include Arshaly Jose ('A Dandelion’s Dream'), Deepa Bhatia ('Rabbit Hole'), Katyayani Kumar ('Sons of The River'), Madhumita Sundararaman ('The Guest House'), Paromita Dhar ('Ulta'), and Pramati Anand ('A Late Autumn Dream').