The Toronto International Film Festival just announced the first batch of titles for this year’s line-up and it was announced that “Brooklyn” will be part of their special presentations programme. Let’s hope Saoirse will attend the festival.

Plot: In the early 1950s, a young Irish woman (Saoirse Ronan) crosses the Atlantic to begin a new life in America, in this exquisitely crafted adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Colm Tóibín.
Principal Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters

The festival runs from September 10-20 and for more information be sure to head over to the festival’s official website.

Brooklyn is the story of a young woman, Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) who moves from small town Ireland to Brooklyn, NY where, unlike home, she has the opportunity for work and for a future – and love, in the form of Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen). When a family tragedy brings her back to Ireland, she finds herself absorbed into her old community, but now with eligible Jim (Domhnall Gleeson) courting her. As she repeatedly postpones her return to America, Eilis finds herself confronting a terrible dilemma – a heart-breaking choice between two men and two countries.

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2015: Brooklyn > Posters
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BROOKLYN tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of America, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new vivacity is disrupted by her past, and she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

Saoirse Ronan and Annette Bening are set to star in a movie adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” which has been added to the Cannes sales slate of Oliver Simon and Daniel Baur’s K5 Intl.

The film will be directed by Michael Mayer, who won a Tony in 2007 for “Spring Awakening” and was nominated for “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” last year. It has been adapted by playwright Stephen Karam, who wrote Pulitzer Prize finalist “Sons of the Prophet.” The producers are Leslie Urdang (“Rabbit Hole”), actor-producer Tom Hulce (“Amadeus”) and Bob Salerno (“21 Grams,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin”).

Bening, who has been nominated for four Oscars, most recently appeared alongside Al Pacino in “Danny Collins.” Ronan’s latest credits include “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and Sundance player “Brooklyn,” which Fox Searchlight picked up for the U.S.

Also in “The Seagull” are Corey Stoll, who was Golden Globe nominated for “House of Cards,” and newcomer Billy Howle, who was a standout in Richard Eyre’s Olivier Award-winning production of “Ghosts.” Costumer designer is Ann Roth, and production designer is Jane Musky, with Matthew Lloyd taking on d.p. duties. The film is shooting in upstate New York this summer.

K5 has seen a slew of recent titles on the festival circuit, including Kirsten Wiig and Alexander Skarsgard starrer “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” which was at Sundance and Berlin, and four titles at Tribeca: “Meadowland,” starring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson; Christopher Walken and Amber Heard starrer “When I Live My Life Over Again”; “The Survivalist,” which received a special jury mention at Tribeca for its director Stephen Fingleton; and Matthew Broderick-Alice Eve starrer “Dirty Weekend.”

It’s also got “Born to Be Blue,” which is in post-production, starring Ethan Hawke as Chet Baker.

“It’s a collection of projects and partnerships that have seen us discover and support Oscar-winning documentary makers such as ‘Cutie and the Boxer’s’ Zachary Heinzerling, ‘Buck’ filmmaker Cindy Meehl, and now innovative filmmakers such as Marielle Heller (‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’) and Robert Budreau (‘Born to Be Blue’),” Simon said. “While we’re currently working on larger scale feature films — three of which are set to be announced in the coming weeks — our breakout titles such as ‘Meadowland,’ and the upcoming ‘Born to Be Blue,’ demonstrate that we’ve continued to forge new strategic alliances in the U.S. while strengthening our position in Europe.”

The company has nurtured long-term partnerships with directors such as Mira Nair, Neil LaBute and Andrew Dosunmu (“Mother of George”), as well as producers such as Peter Safran, Parts & Labour’s Jan Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen, and Lydia Dean Pilcher. Footage of Safran’s latest project with actor and producer Armie Hammer, “Mine,” which sets the actor in a desert desperately trapped on a land mine, will be screening to buyers at the Cannes Market. K5’s partnership with Safran began with actioner “Vehicle 19,” starring Paul Walker.

The company’s other recent big action title, “Vice,” starring Bruce Willis, which K5 co-financed with Lionsgate and Grindstone, was shot last year.

“Rather than being hamstrung as a sales arm of a large commercial financer-distributor, K5 has full flexibility – both creatively and strategically,” Baur said. “When you see our slate, I think many buyers understand why it ends up being a K5 film. There’s a distinctive approach that we offer, which provides a real home for both auteurs and independent producers of commercial titles alike.”

WME and CAA, which helped package the film, are also handling domestic rights.

Warner Bros. and director David Yates have narrowed down their choices for the two female leads opposite Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander in J.K. Rowling‘s “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” TheWrap has learned.

Saoirse Ronan, Dakota Fanning, Lili Simmons and Alison Sudol are up for the role of Tina, while Kate Upton, Katherine Waterston and Elizabeth Debicki are being eyed to play Tina’s older sister, Queenie, multiple individuals familiar with the situation have told TheWrap.

Though it’s unclear whether all of those actresses are available or even wish to pursue the project, several of them already have test deals in place, and Redmayne is expected to read alongside them during those tests, which are slated to take place over the next week.

As with any shortlist, this one is just a snapshot in time, as it is still early in the process and there may be others in the mix down the line. Warner Bros., for its part, had no comment.

Rowling wrote the script herself for “Fantastic Beasts,” which is set in New York roughly seven decades before the start of the “Harry Potter” saga. Only a handful of insiders have read the script, though a breakdown has been circulating throughout Hollywood’s top talent agencies.

An extension of the wizarding world first depicted in that franchise, “Fantastic Beasts” is based on the Hogwarts textbook of the same name written by Scamander, a “magiczoologist” who is an expert in magical creatures.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is intended to launch a trilogy, and Warner Bros. will release the first film on Nov. 18, 2016.

Academy Award-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan says she is excited and honoured that her first vote will be for marriage equality.

The 21-year-old Carlow native is eager to encourage her fellow young people to get out and vote this Friday in the Marriage Equality referendum.

Speaking at the Yes Equality ‘Your Yes Matters get out the vote’ campaign launch, Ms Ronan said this is an opportunity for her generation to create a fair and equal society.

“I’m really excited about it and I’m really honoured that my first vote is going to be a yes vote for marriage equality,” she said.

“If it’s a yes vote it means we’re standing with the best of them. We’re forward-thinking, we’re fair, we’re just and we’re equal. If we don’t, then we’re none of those things and I would be extremely disappointed.”

Joining the actress were Steven Mannion and Eamon Farrell, who have been married for six years. They want to know there’ll be safety there if something were to happen to one of them, according to Mr Farrell, who is a brother of Hollywood actor Colin Farrell.

“I’m 15 years older than Steven and someday in our lives, Steven will be on his own. I really want him to have the constitutional protection that a marriage will afford him.”

The couple, who were married in Cannes, added that their Sandymount neighbours have actively come out in supporting them since the campaign took off.

Mr Farrell said he is delighted with how active Colin has been in backing a yes vote.
“He’s done so much over the last few years. He’s done so much over my life in supporting me. He’s an amazing brother.”

Saoirse, Eamon and Steven launched the get out the vote campaign, which is the largest ever get out the vote operation for a referendum. The first part of this campaign is getmetothevoteontime.com, which reminds people to vote on Friday.

Yes Equality spokesperson Brian Sheehan is encouraging everyone who intends to vote to plan when they will vote and how the will get there.

“We ask all people voting YES to plan their day around the time they expect to vote next Friday. People who plan how and when to vote are 30pc more likely to actually cast their ballot,” he said.

“Every individual vote will matter in securing the passage of the Marriage Equality referendum. We need each and every person who is voting Yes to use their vote.”

Meanwhile the Union of Students in Ireland has launched its initiative to drive young people to the polling stations.

The student group launched USI.ie/VoterMotor, which aims to facilitate students in carpooling and offering lifts. it also provides links to various transport options so students can plan their voting journey. People can also use the hashtag #VoterMotor on Twitter to publicise lifts and places they are travelling to this Friday.
The USI’s President Laura Harmon said students and young people can make a big impact on the referendum’s result.
“Thousands of students will be travelling all over the country on Friday to vote. This year saw nearly 28,000 new student voters directly registered by USI and over 10,000 additional forms were given out,” she said.

“Students are enthusiastic about voting in the marriage equality referendum and we expect queues of students casting their vote this Friday.”

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Some of Ireland’s biggest stars are coming together for a new Hollywood movie.
Chris O’Dowd, Saoirse Ronan and Aidan Turner have been cast together in Vincent, a new movie about famous artist Vincent Van Gogh.

The biopic will see 60 artists create 57,800 oil paintings to make up the film, which is also starring British actor Douglas Booth.

The animated feature has already started shooting in London this week, with the movie following the final months of the famed artist.
Billed as “the world’s first painted animation feature”, the film aims to bring Van Gogh’s masterpieces to life in a way never seen before.
According to Screen Daily, live action footage will be filmed and then projected, frame by frame, onto canvas and painted over in oils in the style of Van Gogh.

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Featured Films > 2015: Stockholm, Pennsylvania > Production Stills