It is the director's first picture to play in the Toronto festival, but it's not the first time he has attended.

Every one of those films got its first big exposure at last year's Toronto festival.

Piers Handling, the director of programming for the Toronto festival, echoed those sentiments.

The Toronto festival has always been a gourmet shop for film lovers - all the best produce, artfully arrayed, glistening with the mist of celebrity.

By contrast, the Toronto festival is available to typical filmgoers.

Based on Life of Brian, the hour-long oratorio premiered at the Toronto festival before beginning an international tour.

Both had premieres at last year's Toronto festival to positive reaction, but still await release.

Since the Toronto festival includes nearly 300 films, it's slightly nutty to attach a single theme to it or to its collection of movies.

Nine months later, during the 1995 Toronto festival, Mr. Fitzgerald approached her himself.

The Toronto festival has grown in recent years to become the top showcase for many of Hollywood's fall and holiday-season films.