September 27, 2011 3:26 pm
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) commemorates celebrated producer/director Steve James at the TIFF Bell Lightbox cinema in Toronto. James will be attending the tribute, which runs from October 6th – October 9th, and features three of his films alongside the theatrical run of The Interrupters, and his special curation of the classic hockey film Slap Shot.
"Documenting Dreams: The Films of Steve James" is a celebration of Steve James’s body of work, a legacy that is still in the making but has already greatly contributed to the success of his filmmaking home, Kartemquin Films. On Thursday, October 6th at 6pm, James will be on site to introduce Hoop Dreams (1994), a film whose poignant story of two inner-city youths has gained acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
Other works that will be featured at the festival include Stevie (2002), a tragic depiction of an battered young man that James previously mentored in rural Illinois; Reel Paradise (2005) and his latest film, The Interrupters (2011) which has broken box office records at its opening at the Gene Siskel Film center in Chicago and won numerous festival awards. The Interrupters, a moving story that depicts three violence interrupters as they take on the violent streets of Chicago, will screen daily beginning Friday, October 7th. The festival also screens Slap Shot (1977) (dir. George Roy Hill), James's "Carte Blache selection" in which he describes as one of his favorite comedies.
Schedule and Times (See TIFF website for full details):
Thursday October 6th
- Hoop Dreams 6:30pm (Steve James attending)
Friday October 7th
- The Interrupters daily screenings begin. (Steve James attending 7pm, Friday October 7th screening).
Saturday October 8th
- Reel Paradise 5pm
- Slap Shot 8pm
Sunday, October 9th
- Stevie 8pm (Steve James attending)
Documenting Dreams is one of many retrospectives taking place this Fall as Kartemquin celebrates 45 years of storytelling. Look out for other retrospectives by The Milwaukee Film Festival; the University of Chicago’s Doc Films, the Virginia Film Festival, IDFA in The Netherlands, and an ongoing monthly showcase on Chicago’s WTTW11 PBS station.