Actor Neve Campbell poses for a photograph during the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Thursday, September 5, 2019. Campbell is headed to the Toronto International Film Festival as executive producer of a feature documentary about ballet legend Karen Kain.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
TORONTO – Neve Campbell is headed to the Toronto International Film Festival as executive producer of a Karen Kain ballet documentary.
The dancer-turned-screen star says “Swan Song” is an extremely personal project, noting she trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and considers ballet her first love.
Production company Visitor Media says Campbell is expected to attend the world premiere at the festival, which runs Sept. 7 to 17.
The “Scream” and “Party of Five” actor would assure the fest some star power amid an ongoing Hollywood actors strike that prevents unionized performers from promoting their work.
“Swan Song” follows Kain as she directs a group of dancers in a production of “Swan Lake” on the eve of her retirement from the National Ballet of Canada.
It’s billed as an “intimate, character-driven” look at the conflicts, injuries and sacrifices of its subjects who, “in various ways, confront ideals of race, class and body standards.”
The feature documentary is set for theatrical release Sept. 22. It will also air as a four-part limited series on CBC Gem and CBC TV, premiering Nov. 22.
“This project is deeply personal to me given my longtime admiration for Karen Kain and the National Ballet of Canada, starting with my time as a student at Canada’s National Ballet School,” Campbell said Tuesday in a release.
“Ballet was my first love, and “˜Swan Song’ beautifully captures the incredible devotion, artistry and sacrifices that dancers make in their pursuit of creating something beautiful and meaningful. I’m so proud of our team and I can’t wait to celebrate the film.”
Other Canadian films headed to TIFF include director Leigh Brooks’ rock doc “Hate to Love: Nickelback,” Chloé Robichaud’s orchestra drama “Days of Happiness,” Sophie Dupuis’s queer romance “Solo” and Atom Egoyan’s opera feature “Seven Veils,” starring Amanda Seyfried.
Also bound for TIFF are auteur Bertrand Bonello’s France/Canada feature “The Beast” with Léa Seydoux, and Dominic Savage’s Canada/United Kingdom film “Close to You,” starring Elliot Page.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2023.
