Xavier Dolan’s ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ to World Premiere at TIFF 2018
Photo credit: TIFF
[divider style=”normal” top=”20″ bottom=”20″]
The Toronto International Film Festival® today revealed Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will have its World Premiere at the Festival this September. The surprise announcement was made at TIFF’s Canadian press conference, held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan follows the story of a young actor (Jacob Tremblay) as he reminisces on the letters he once shared with an American TV star (Kit Harington), who passed away a decade earlier, and the impact those letters had on both their lives. The film also stars Natalie Portman, Ben Schnetzer, Susan Sarandon, Jared Keeso, Kathy Bates, Thandie Newton, Emily Hampshire, and former TIFF Rising Star Sarah Gadon.
“In only a few short years, Xavier Dolan has drawn film lovers all over the world into his personal vision,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “That vision and his remarkable skill as a filmmaker are on full display in his English-language debut. We are honoured to premiere it in Toronto.”
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan will screen as part of the Special Presentations programme.
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Fight It Out - December 20, 2025
- Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another,’ Wagner Moura, Rose Byrne and More - December 20, 2025
- Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Leads with 12 - December 19, 2025
Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sinners’ Fight It Out 
Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) Winners: ‘One Battle After Another,’ Wagner Moura, Rose Byrne and More 
Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Leads with 12 
Delroy Lindo, Michelle Satter, Sony Pictures Among African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Honorees