Two people were killed and over a dozen others injured at Danforth Avenue, which is only miles away from the press conference venue.
- Jul 24, 2018
AceShowbiz - Organisers of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival have cancelled a Tuesday morning, July 24, press conference following a fatal shooting in the city on Sunday night.
Two people were killed and over a dozen others injured when a 29-year-old gunman opened fire on crowded Danforth Avenue, where locals and tourists were enjoying late night meals and cocktails.
The man's motive remains a mystery as city law enforcement officers attempt to make sense of the shooting incident.
Film festival bosses led by director and CEO Piers Handling, who is due to retire after this year's event, had planned to unveil much of the 2018 line-up at Tuesday's media conference, which would have been held just miles from the site of the shooting, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. However, in light of the tragedy, they have decided to reveal the news via a press release instead.
A message regarding our planned #TIFF18 press conference. #TorontoStronghttps://t.co/culT8EDbbjpic.twitter.com/U12e6PLWmK
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) 23 July 2018
The Toronto festival, which this year runs from 6 to 16 September, often predicts the films that will take home the gold at the Academy Awards.
Earlier on Monday, July 23, it was announced that Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born, will premiere at another major movie gala - the Venice International Film Festival on 31 August. The musical romantic drama, starring Cooper and Lady Gaga, is set to debut at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido at the event, over a month before it officially hits cinemas in early October.
Bosses of the Venice International Film Festival are scheduled to release their full line-up on Wednesday, July 25.
