BUNRAKU: JOSH HARTNETT CONFIRMED FOR TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL 2010

Hollywood might seem like a ghost town Sept. 9-19, as hundreds of celebrities head east for the Toronto International Film Festival.

TIFF released its much-anticipated list Tuesday of nearly 500 top actors, directors and other celebrity guests expected at its annual 11-day celebration of world cinema.

The fest confirmed the Star’s earlier report that Oscar-winning actor/director Clint Eastwood will be coming to support his spooky new thriller Hereafter, making his first visit to TIFF in 20 years.

Also confirmed is rocker Bruce Springsteen, who will chat onstage in a Mavericks session with actor Edward Norton about Thom Zimny’s The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, which documents the difficult gestation of Springsteen’s fourth album with his E Street Band.

Other bold faces headed for Hogtown include funnyman Bill Murray, who stars in the thriller Passion Play, and billionaire Bill Gates, who will attend a Mavericks panel discussion on education for the documentary Waiting for “Superman”.

There will also be enough Oscar-winning actors and directors to put on a convincing facsimile of an Academy Awards telecast.

The latter include Robert Redford, Woody Allen, Danny Boyle, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Hilary Swank, Helen Mirren, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Connelly and Javier Bardem, amongst many others.

Rising young stars headed our way include Canada’s Ellen Page and Xavier Dolan, plus Carey Mulligan, Freida Pinto, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings and Kodi Smit-McPhee, who will have plenty of youthful company.

International talent getting passports ready include Catherine Deneuve, Om Puri, Aamir Khan, Jeon Do-Yeon and Vincent Cassel, joining stars and directors from around the globe.

TIFF will also be hosting the North American premieres of the Palme d’Or winner from Cannes, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and New Wave stalwart Jean-Luc Godard’s Film Socialism. Weerasethakul is a confirmed guest, and TIFF is still hoping to persuade Godard to make his first Toronto visit in 13 years.

Piers Handling, the TIFF CEO and co-director, said he feels like Capt. Kirk being handed the keys to the Starship Enterprise, since this year’s fest also marks the opening of TIFF’s new Bell Lightbox headquarters.

“It’s like beam me up, you know?” he said in an interview. “You’re just about to launch into space. What a great feeling!”

Handling said the Lightbox could prove to be a life raft for films that are struggling in today’s blockbuster-dominated movie industry.

“We started the (Lightbox) project 10 years ago, and we had no idea of the shakedown that was going to happen. And now 10 years later, 2010, you sort of say to yourself, wow, we may have actually caught a moment where the building is going to fulfill a major role in sustaining film culture. Not just in Toronto . . . but also possibly in North America and hopefully internationally.”

Handling said no single theme dominates this year’s roster of 246 features and several dozen short films, but many of them reflect the post-9/11 mood of “a world of great uncertainty, with people not quite sure about what’s around the corner.”

A number of films deal with human rights, the environment, and issues of education and children, Handling added.

“It’s an eclectic year, a troubled year, an uncertain year, with some really, really strong films.”

Cameron Bailey, the other TIFF co-chairman, described this year’s selections as a bumper crop.

“It’s our 35th anniversary, our first year in Bell Lightbox, and I think we’ve managed to come up with a lineup that matches the occasion. To have people like Eastwood and Redford and Danny Boyle’s new movie all making their world premieres here, I think is major. And it’s the right year to have that kind of heavyweight lineup.”

In unveiling its final major program additions, TIFF also announced the complete slate for its Contemporary World Cinema, Discovery, Masters, Mavericks, and Visions and Vanguard programs. Full details are online at www.tiff.net.

The complete TIFF 2010 guest list follows:

The following actors and other celebrity guests are expected to attend the festival:

Aamir Khan, Aaron Eckhart, Aaron Poole, Abigail Breslin,Adelaide Clemens, Adrienne Ciuffo, AJ Bowen, Alessandro Nivola, Alex Russell, Alexander Gammal, Alexandra Chowaniec, Allie MacDonald, Amanda Plummer, Amber Heard, Amy Grey, Amy Madigan, Amy Ryan, Anamaria Marinca, Andrea Riseborough, Anna Hopkins, Anna Mae Routledge, Andy Sparacino,April Telek, Aqib Khan, Ari Cohen, Audrey Mars, Barry Pepper, Belén Rueda, Bill Gates,Bill Murray, Bill Pullman, Bjorn Lomborg, Blake Lively, Bob Hoskins,Bruce Greenwood, Bruce Springsteen, Carey Lovelace,Carey Mulligan, Carla Sacks, Carrie Ng, Catherine Deneuve, Catherine Keener, char davies, Charlotte Rampling, Christopher C.J. Wallace, Christopher Plummer, Cindy Nelson, Clive Owen, Colin Firth, Connor Paolo, Craig Roberts, Cyril Dugovic, Danielle Harris,Daphne Rubin-Vega, Dave Lawrence,David Suzuki, David Timoner, Dominic Cooper, Doro Bachrach, Dwight Yoakam, Edward Norton, Ellen Page, Emily Hampshire, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone,Emmanuel Bilodeau, Erwin Strauss, Evan Sneider, Fisher Stevens, Francesca Gasteen, Freida Pinto, Garrett Dillahunt, Gemma Arterton, Geoffrey Canada, Geoffrey Rush, George Rush, Georgina Haig, Glenn Howerton, Guerilla Girls, Hallie Switzer, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Hilary Swank, Irène Jacob, Isabelle Blais, Jackson Rathbone, Jake Johnson,James Caan, James Franco, Jason Jones, Javier Bardem, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Connelly, Jeon Do-yeon, Jeremy Renner, Jill Hennessy, Jim Broadbent, Joe Swanberg, John Brolin, John Ortiz, Jon Hamm, Jon Lovitz, Jonathan Baldock, John Legend, Josh Hartnett, Josh Lucas, Juan Diego Botto, Julian Richings, Julie Bilson Ahlberg, Juno Temple, Kailey Swanson, Kat Dennings, Kat Germain, Keanu Reeves, Keir Gilchrist, Kelly Preston, Kevin Spacey, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kristin Scott Thomas, L.J. Benet, Lambert Wilson, Laura Dern, Lee Jung-jae, Lee Pace, Lesley Chilcott,Lesley Manville, Liana Liberato, Liv Tyler, Ludivine Sagnier, Macha Grenon, Malin Akerman, Maria Bello, Marion Cotillard, Martha Wilson, Martin Sheen, Martina Gusman, Mary Steenburgen, Matt Damon, Maya Hawke,Megan Fox, Melanie Laurent, Michael Angarano, Michael C. Hall, Michael Moore, Michael Pena, Michael Sheen, Mickey Rourke, Milla Jovovich, Minnie Driver, Miranda Richardson, Molly Parker, Morgan Davidoff,Nadia Litz, Natalie Portman,Nicole Kidman, Noah Reid, Oliver Ackland, Olivia Newton-John, Olivier Barthelemy, Om Puri, Paolo Costanzo, Patrick Labbé, Paul Giamatti, Paul J. Spence, Penn Badgley, Philomène Bilodeau, Pierre Bergé, Rachel Weisz, Rachelle Lefevre, Rainn Wilson, Ray Winstone, Rebecca Hall, Rebecca Hill, Reece Thompson,Rick Miller, Robert De Niro, Robert James, Roberta Cairney, Romain Duris, Ron Hynes,Ron Perlman, Ronnie Fridthjof, Rosamund Pike, Ross Clark, Ruth Charney,Ruth Sheen, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Kwanten, Ryan Phillippe, Ryan Reynolds, Sally Hawkins, Sam Rockwell, Sara Stockman, Sarah Kolasky, Sarah Peter,Sarah Silverman, Scott Speedman, Seán Cullen, Shannon Woodward, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Stephen Root, Temuera Morrison, Terra Hazelton, Thomas Haden Church, TJ Power, Tracy Lawrence,Uma Thurman, Valentina Berisa, Vera Farmiga, VincentCassel, Will Ferrell, William B. Davis, William H. Macy, Woody Harrelson, Xiao Min, Yasmin Paige,Zach Braff, Zach Galifianakis, Zak Santiago.

The following filmmakers are expected to attend TIFF:

Aamir Bashir, Aaron Phelan, Abe Sylvia, Achero Mañas, Adam Wingard, Alejandro GonzálezIñárritu, Álex de la Iglesia, Alex Gibney, Amos Gitai, Andrew Lau, Andrucha Waddington, Andy De Emmony, Anna Boden, Anne Emond, Antoine Bourges, Anurag Kashyap, Apichatpong Weerasethakul,Atom Egoyan, Avi Nesher, Barr Gilmore, Barry Blaustein, Belmin Soylemez, Ben Affleck, Ben C. Lucas, Ben Stassen, Benoit Jacquot, Boo Junfeng, Brad Anderson, Brandon Cronenberg, Brian D. Johnson, Bruce LaBruce, Bruce McDonald, Callum Cooper, Cam Woykin, Carl Bessai, Carla Susanto, Caroline Monnet, Catherine Breillat, Catherine Martin, Charles Ferguson, Charlotte Sachs Bostrup, Chris Chong Chan Fui & Yasuhiro Morinaga, Chris Kraus, Christophe Nick, Thomas Bornot, Clint Eastwood, Dan Popa, Dan Rush, Daniel Cockburn, Daniel Espinosa, Daniel Hendler, Danis Goulet, Danny Boyle, Darragh McDonald, Darren Aronofsky, David M. Rosenthal, David Schwimmer, Davis Guggenheim, Deborah Chow, Delfina Castagnino, Denis Côté, Denis Villeneuve, Derek Cianfrance, Djo Tunda Wa Munga, Dominic Angerame, Douglas Gordon, Dustin Lance Black, Ed Gass-Donnelly, Emilio Estevez, Emmanuel Shirinian & Russell Bennett, Emre Sahin, Eran Riklis, Eric Lartigau, Eriko Sonoda, Errol Morris, Ezra Holland, Federico Veiroj, Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando, Firas Momani, François Ozon, Frederick Wiseman, Gabriel Range, Gareth Edwards, George Hickenlooper, Gilles Paquet Brenner, Greg Atkins, Guillaume Canet, Guillem Morales, Guy Maddin, Guy Moshe,Hans Olson, Helga Fanderl, Ian Sharp, Iciar Bollain, Im Sang-Soo, Ingrid Veninger, Isaac Cravit, Isabelle Stever, J. Clay Tweel, Jacob Tierney, James Andean & Francois Xavier Saint-Pierre, James Benning, James Gunn, James Wan, Janus Metz, Jeff Barnaby, Jem Cohen, Jerome Sable, Jim Mickle, Joe LoBianco, Jody Shapiro, John Bolton, John Cameron Mitchell, John Carpenter, John Curran, John Gray, John Madden, John Price, John Sayles, John Turturro, Jonathan Nossiter, Jonathan Sobol, José Luis Guerin, Juanita Wilson, Julian Schnabel, Julien Carbon, Julio Hernández Cordón, Justin Chadwick, Justin Lerner, Katrin Bowen, Kaveh Nabatian, Kazik Radwanski, Kelly Reichardt,Ken Loach, Kevan Funk, Kevin Jerome Everson, Khalo Matabane, Kim Longinotto, Kiran Rao, Kire Paputts, Koen Mortier, Ky Nam Le Duc, Larysa Kondracki, Laura Israel, Leon Ford, Linda Hoaglund, Liz Van Allen Cairns, Laurent Courtiaud,Louis Bélanger, Louise Alston, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Madison Brookshire, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Malcolm Venville, Manuel Martin Cuenca, Marie-Josee Saint-Pierre, Marion Hänsel, Mark Hartley, Mark Romanek, Martin Sokol, Matt Reeves, Max Winkler, Michael Dowse, Michael McGowan, Michael Nyman, Michael Rowe, Michael Snow, Michael Vass, Michelangelo Frammartino, Mike Goldbach, Mike Leigh, Mike Mills, Milcho Manchevski, Mitch Glazer, Nadia Litz, Nathaniel Dorsky, Nick Fox Gieg, Nicolás Pereda, Nigel Cole, Oliver Husain, Oliver Schmitz, Ondi Timoner, Özlem Sulak, Pablo Trapero, Pasquale Scimeca, Patricio Guzmán, Pelin Esmer, Perry Bard, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Pierre Thoretton, Rachid Bouchareb, Rebecca Meyers, Reha Erdem,Richard Ayoade, Richard Bowen, Richard J. Lewis, Risteard Ó Domhnaill, Robert Redford, Rodrigo Cortés, Romain Gavras, Rowan Joffe, Ryan Fleck, Ryan Redford, Sara St. Onge, Sarah Bouyain, Sarah McCarthy, Saverio Constanzo, Seren Yüce, Sergei Loznitsa, Shawn Ku, Sion Sono, Sophie Fiennes, Sophie Goyette, Stefano Incerti, Stefano Pasetto, Stephen Frears, Steve Nash, Steven Silver, Sturla Gunnarsson, Susanne Bier, Tao Gu, Tayfun Pirselimog?lu, Terry Miles, Theodore Ushev, Theron Patterson, Thom Andersen, Thom Zimny, Tom Hooper, Tom Tykwer, Tomonari Nishikawa, Tony Goldwyn, Trevor Anderson, Vincent Biron, Vincent Gallo, Vincent Grenier, Wang Bing, Werner Herzog, Will Gluck, William D. MacGillivray, Woody Allen, Wuershan, Xavier Dolan, Yoel Meranda.

Source: thestar.com