Of all the autumn film festivals, Toronto was always going to be the one that stood to lose the most from the strikes that are paralysing much of the film industry. For a public-facing event that is justly famous for the rapturously enthusiastic audience response to its celebratory gala screening events, the absence of actors because of the Sag-Aftra union action would be particularly keenly felt. After all, without a sprinkling of stars, a red carpet is just an impractically coloured floor covering.
There was speculation among those attending the festival that the unusually high number of films by actors turned directors this year was in part a strategy to circumvent the rules of the strike (unless an interim agreement has been put in place, actors are prevented from promoting their films, but no such restrictions are enforced for directors). The roster of these films included the feature-directing debuts of Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick, Kristin Scott Thomas and Patricia Arquette, plus features from more experienced actor-directors such as Taika Waititi (who won the audience prize, the People’s Choice, for Jojo Rabbit in 2019), Viggo Mortensen, Ethan Hawke and Michael Keaton.
