Latest news with #JohnEarly
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Comedian John Early's directorial debut ‘Maddie's Secret' to premiere at TIFF
People walk the closed-off streets at the Toronto International Film Festival, in Toronto, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette TORONTO — Comedian John Early will make his directorial debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF announced Wednesday that the satire 'Maddie's Secret' will open the festival's Discovery program, which spotlights first-time and sophomore directors. Early, who is best known for his starring role on the TBS and HBO Max show 'Search Party,' had not previously announced he was making the movie. Programmer Dorota Lech says the film, which was also written by Early, is about a content creator on a food network who's trying to hide her dark past. She says the movie is both a showcase for some of comedy's brightest stars, including Early's frequent collaborator Kate Berlant, and a 'really sincere portrait of girlhood and trauma.' The Discovery lineup includes Canadian filmmaker Eva Thomas's 'Nika & Madison,' a feature-length adaptation of her short film 'Redlights.' The movie follows two Indigenous women who flee their reserve after a violent encounter with a police officer. 'It's a really relevant social drama,' Lech said in a call last week to preview the lineup. Other films in the program include '100 Sunset' by Canadian director Kunsang Kyirong, a noir about Toronto's Tibetan community, and 'The Man in My Basement' from director Nadia Latif, a thriller starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins and based on the novel by Walter Mosley. TIFF, which holds its 50th edition this year, runs from Sept. 4 to 14. Earlier this week, festival organizers dropped their most robust lineup announcement to date, touting films from big-name directors including Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine' and Scarlett Johansson's feature directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Early's Surprise Directorial Debut ‘Maddie's Secret' Will Open TIFF 2025's Discovery Section
This year's Toronto International Film Festival Discovery lineup is getting off to a secretive start, as the section, dedicated to new work from first- and second-time filmmakers, will open with John Early's surprise feature directorial debut 'Maddie's Secret.' Billed by TIFF in today's announcement 'as an unmissable directorial debut satirizing and skewering content culture from iconic alt-comedian John Early,' the filmmaker stars in the film alongside long-time compatriot Kate Berlant, Vanessa Bayer, Eric Rahill, Claudia O'Doherty, Chris Bauer, Kristen Johnston, and Conner O'Malley. More from IndieWire 'Or Something' Trailer: 'Subway Takes' Host Kareem Rahma Debates the Meaning of Life in 'Before Sunrise'-Inspired Adventure Romance 'Oh, Hi!' Review: Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman Take a Hilarious Weekend Trip Straight Into Rom-Com Hell The Discovery program has championed a number of major names over the years, such as Ildikó Enyedi, Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Dash, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Maren Ade, Yorgos Lanthimos, Barry Jenkins, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Emma Seligman, and Elegance Bratton. The 2025 Discovery selection was programmed by Dorota Lech, Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, June Kim, and Jason Ryle. The lineup includes 23 World Premiere titles, spanning 30+ countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. Over the past few weeks, TIFF has rolled out some early picks for its selection, including Colin Hanks' opening night documentary 'John Candy: I Like Me,' plus new films from Steven Soderbergh, Nia DaCosta, Chandler Levack, Alejandro Amenábar, and Sung-hyun Byun, the addition of 11 starry titles in the Gala and Special Presentations program just last week (plus that full lineup), and yesterday's release of the Platform jury and lineup. 2025 Discovery Program (in alphabetical order): '100 Sunset' | Kunsang Kyirong | Canada | World Premiere 'Amoeba' | Siyou Tan | Singapore/Netherlands/France/Spain/South Korea | World Premiere 'As We Breathe' | Şeyhmus Altun | Turkey/Denmark | World Premiere 'Babystar' | Joscha Bongard | Germany | World Premiere 'Bayaan' | Bikas Ranjan Mishra | India | World Premiere 'Dinner with Friends' | Sasha Leigh Henry | Canada | World Premiere 'Egghead Republic' | Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja | Sweden | World Premiere 'Forastera' | Lucía Aleñar Iglesias | Spain/Italy/Sweden | World Premiere 'Ghost School' | Seemab Gul | Pakistan | World Premiere 'Julian' | Cato Kusters | Belgium/Netherlands | World Premiere 'Laundry' | Zamo Mkhwanazi | Switzerland/South Africa | World Premiere 'Little Lorraine' | Andy Hines | Canada | World Premiere 'Maddie's Secret' | John Early | USA | World Premiere 'Mārama | Taratoa Stappard | New Zealand | World Premiere 'Nika & Madison' | Eva Thomas | Canada | World Premiere 'Noviembre' | Tomás Corredor | Colombia/Mexico/Brazil/Norway | World Premiere 'Oca' | Karla Badillo | Mexico/Argentina | World Premiere 'Our Father' | Goran Stankovic | Serbia/Italy/Croatia/North Macedonia/Montenegro/Bosnia and Herzegovina | World Premiere 'Out Standing' | Mélanie Charbonneau | Canada | World Premiere 'Retreat' | Ted Evans | United Kingdom | World Premiere 'Sink' | Zain Duraie | Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Qatar/France | World Premiere 'The Man in My Basement' | Nadia Latif | United Kingdom/USA | World Premiere 'The Son and the Sea' | Stroma Cairns | United Kingdom | World Premiere This year's official screening venues will once again include TIFF Lightbox, Roy Thomson Hall, the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Cineplex's Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, Glenn Gould Studio at the Canadian Broadcast Centre, Cinema Park at David Pecaut Square, and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The seventh edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards Gala will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. On the last day of the festival, TIFF announces the winners of its various awards. Alongside the popular People's Choice Awards, presented by Rogers, this September introduces the brand-new International People's Choice Award. Also returning are the esteemed Jury Prizes including the Platform Award, now celebrating its tenth year, and honors from FIPRESCI and NETPAC. The 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, runs September 4–14, 2025. More festival details will be shared in the coming weeks, with this week set to play home to some major other announcements. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Comedian John Early's directorial debut ‘Maddie's Secret' to premiere at TIFF
TORONTO – Comedian John Early will make his directorial debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF announced Wednesday that the satire 'Maddie's Secret' will open the festival's Discovery program, which spotlights first-time and sophomore directors. Early, who is best known for his starring role on the TBS and HBO Max show 'Search Party,' had not previously announced he was making the movie. Programmer Dorota Lech says the film, which was also written by Early, is about a content creator on a food network who's trying to hide her dark past. She says the movie is both a showcase for some of comedy's brightest stars, including Early's frequent collaborator Kate Berlant, and a 'really sincere portrait of girlhood and trauma.' The Discovery lineup includes Canadian filmmaker Eva Thomas's 'Nika & Madison,' a feature-length adaptation of her short film 'Redlights.' The movie follows two Indigenous women who flee their reserve after a violent encounter with a police officer. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. 'It's a really relevant social drama,' Lech said in a call last week to preview the lineup. Other films in the program include '100 Sunset' by Canadian director Kunsang Kyirong, a noir about Toronto's Tibetan community, and 'The Man in My Basement' from director Nadia Latif, a thriller starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins and based on the novel by Walter Mosley. TIFF, which holds its 50th edition this year, runs from Sept. 4 to 14. Earlier this week, festival organizers dropped their most robust lineup announcement to date, touting films from big-name directors including Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine' and Scarlett Johansson's feature directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Comedian John Early's directorial debut ‘Maddie's Secret' to premiere at TIFF
TORONTO - Comedian John Early will make his directorial debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF announced Wednesday that the satire 'Maddie's Secret' will open the festival's Discovery program, which spotlights first-time and sophomore directors. Early, who is best known for his starring role on the TBS and HBO Max show 'Search Party,' had not previously announced he was making the movie. Programmer Dorota Lech says the film, which was also written by Early, is about a content creator on a food network who's trying to hide her dark past. She says the movie is both a showcase for some of comedy's brightest stars, including Early's frequent collaborator Kate Berlant, and a 'really sincere portrait of girlhood and trauma.' The Discovery lineup includes Canadian filmmaker Eva Thomas's 'Nika & Madison,' a feature-length adaptation of her short film 'Redlights.' The movie follows two Indigenous women who flee their reserve after a violent encounter with a police officer. 'It's a really relevant social drama,' Lech said in a call last week to preview the lineup. Other films in the program include '100 Sunset' by Canadian director Kunsang Kyirong, a noir about Toronto's Tibetan community, and 'The Man in My Basement' from director Nadia Latif, a thriller starring Willem Dafoe and Corey Hawkins and based on the novel by Walter Mosley. TIFF, which holds its 50th edition this year, runs from Sept. 4 to 14. Earlier this week, festival organizers dropped their most robust lineup announcement to date, touting films from big-name directors including Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein,' Benny Safdie's 'The Smashing Machine' and Scarlett Johansson's feature directorial debut 'Eleanor the Great.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
John Early: The Album Tour review – a rich slice of larky self-mockery
For fans of a certain brand of comedy – the comedy that exposes self-fashioning in the age of social media as ridiculous performance – this flying UK visit by John Early has been keenly anticipated. The outre star of millennial self-satire Search Party and sidekick to the brilliant Kate Berlant, Early has spent his career perfectly situated where generational social commentary meets flamboyant silliness. At his best tonight, he richly delivers on the expectation. And even if his best doesn't sustain from start to finish, in the first half, when the Tennessee man addresses himself to frightened, vacuous, deracinated American modernity, he's riveting. What's interesting about Early's approach is that – unlike Berlant, Leo Reich, and others – he doesn't hide behind a character, or a grotesque version of himself. What we get is seemingly the real Early, larking around, sending up his own prissiness a little, but sharing observations on culture and its discontents that are strikingly idiosyncratic and unmistakably his own. Maybe some of the topics are familiar (pretentious food presentation in restaurants, say), but Early's way of digging beneath them into richer cultural subsoil is distinctive. There's a great routine about circumlocutory waiter-speak, and what it says about our fear of directness. Another skit about visiting the toilet while in company is both a goofy piece of self-mockery and a weirdly eloquent delve into shame and carnality in the era of the curated self. I make it sound heavy; it isn't. Early is always on to the next thing, which is often outrageous and uproarious, like his routine about overinvesting in sexual role-play. ('I went full Meryl on his ass!') All of this is punctuated by covers of pop hits by the likes of Madonna, Britney and – in a lovely closing duet with his musical wingman Hess – Dolly Parton. The songs aren't always as gripping as the comedy. There's a fairly basic audience participation interlude, and a sketch in character as denim-clad southern mom Vicky with a V that's diverting, but lower-wattage than what's gone before. It all adds up to a great show, though: entertaining in lots of ways and electrifying in some.
