Prime Minister Mark Carney opened the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival with a patriotic speech that celebrated Canadian culture ahead of the screening of opening-night film "John Candy: I Like Me," a documentary celebrating the late Canadian comedian.
Candy's children, Chris and Jennifer, walked the red carpet ahead of the screening alongside executive producer Ryan Reynolds and director Colin Hanks.
Hanks called premiering the movie at TIFF a "perfect dream scenario."
"The fact that (Candy) is from Toronto and was nicknamed Johnny Toronto, it's kind of a no-brainer," he said.
"I just wanted to showcase not only how talented he was and everything that he did as an actor, but more importantly showcase the kind of human he was, because he really was a great guy."
Other Hollywood heavyweights attending the festival over the next 11 days include Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves, Sydney Sweeney and Dwayne Johnson.
Here are some scenes from the opening day of the festival.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.
The Canadian Press
