TIFF ’18: Dolan’s Death and Life of John F. Donovan to world bow

The announcement marks the first time the vaunted Canadian filmmaker will world-premiere one of his films at TIFF.

Xavier Dolan is premiering his first English-language film at the Toronto International Film Festival.

TIFF announced this afternoon during a press conference at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto that The Death and Life of John F. Donovan would world bow in its Special Presentations section.

The Quebec wunderkind has debuted all of his previous films at international film festivals, making this a homecoming of sorts.

Dolan’s most recent film, the 2016 Cannes Grand Prix-winner Juste La Fin du Monde premiered at the French festival, while Mommy bowed at Telluride in 2014.

Meanwhile, 2013’s Tom a la Ferme premiered in Venice, 2012’s Laurence Anyways debuted at Cannes, as did his 2010 sophomore effort Les Amours Imaginaires and his 2009 debut Jai Tue Ma Mere. 

The Death and Life is produced by Montreal’s Lyla Films and Dolan’s Sons of Manual. It was co-written with Jacob Tierney and stars Canadians Sarah Gadon, Jacob Tremblay, Jared Keeso and Emily Hampshire in addition to Americans including Natalie Portman, Ben Schnetzer and Susan Sarandon.