TIFF is holding a free online 'Concrete Cowboy' screening for 500 frontline workers

No one has worked harder over these past six months than the frontline workers staffing hospitals, grocery stores, public transit systems and more during the outbreak of COVID-19. In recognition of their dedication to keeping our communities strong and running, the Toronto International Film Festival will be hosting 500 local frontline workers for an online screening of one of the Festival’s most buzzed-about films—Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba.TIFF’s co-heads, Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente, made the announcement this morning saying, “It is still hard to believe that we are all living through a global medical crisis. We could never have anticipated the global seismic changes we would be facing in 2020. We stayed true to the original spirit of the Festival from when it began in 1976 as our guiding light. We want to share our deep love of film, passion for our loyal audiences, and our gratitude to the frontline workers for the risks they took—and continue to take—during a time when it was safest to stay home. It is our pleasure to bring this great film to them.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Cowboys, magic, and one frantic shiva: these are the #TIFF20 films for the next generation of movie lovers, approved by the TIFF Next Wave Committee. “Celebrate a selection of diverse, dynamic and refreshingly relatable stories full of energy and youth, and the emerging filmmakers behind them.” —Julia Yoo, TNW Committee This year’s TIFF Next Wave line-up includes: ? Ricky Staub’s CONCRETE COWBOY ? Tracey Deer’s BEANS ? LIFT LIKE A GIRL, plus a conversation with director @MayyeZayed presented by @RBC on September 16 ? SHIVA BABY, plus an Instagram Live with director and TIFF Next Wave alum @emmmaseligman on September 16 ? Michelle Latimer’s TRICKSTER The TIFF Next Wave Committee is supported by The Slaight Family Foundation Learning Fund. . . . . . #TIFF #FilmFestivals #TIFFNextWave #ConcreteCowboy #Beans #TraceyDeer #Trickster #LiftLikeAGirl #ShivaBaby

A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net) on Sep 2, 2020 at 2:30pm PDT

The movie will be made available to 500 staff members from hospitals across the city like Sinai Health, Toronto General, St. Michael’s, St. Joseph’s, Baycrest Hospital, and CAMH as well as employees at Real Canadian Superstore and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Film fans from those organizations will have the opportunity to watch the Gala Presentation from the comfort of their own couch (which is probably the only place they want to be after half a year of the hardest kind of work) thanks to the Bell Digital Cinema streaming platform.[video_embed id='1892356']RELATED: Cameron Bailey reveals how he picks films for the Toronto International Film Festival [/video_embed]The film, from director Ricky Staub, examines a unique Philadelphia subculture—the legacy of Black urban horse trainers—while telling a moving story about forgiveness between a father and son. Elba co-stars alongside Clifford “Method Man” Smith, Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin and Emmy-winner Jharrel Jerome.The online viewing isn’t the only opportunity frontline workers will have for an extra special Festival experience this year. TIFF has set aside their “Best Seats in the House" at RBC’s socially distanced Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place. A contest is open for friends and loved ones to nominate a frontline worker to win free tickets to a TIFF 2020 drive-in show from a selection of ten different screenings (including Concrete Cowboy) over the course of the Festival.[video_embed id='2029317']MORE MOVIE NEWS: How Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper inspired Allister MacDonald in his breakthrough role [/video_embed]