TORONTO — Broadway percussionist Jacqueline Acevedo says hunkering down for 14 days of self-isolation was worth it to be able to attend tonight’s premiere of “David Byrne’s American Utopia” at a Toronto drive-in cinema.
The Toronto-born artist returned to Canada to show her support for the Spike Lee-directed concert film she stars in, which kicks off this year’s pandemic edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.
It’s a much smaller version of the usual TIFF, with about 60 features screening over the next week and a half, compared to the usual selection of several hundred.
The socially potent “American Utopia” opens the TIFF festivities in the most unusual way: by playing at three outdoor theatres.
Two of the screens will be drive-in locations while the other is an open-air cinema with a physically distanced audience.
Acevedo plans to attend one of the drive-in screenings, and she says the biggest question for her right now is what kind of evening attire will comfortably fit into her car.
The 45th edition of TIFF runs through Sept. 19, with tickets for virtual screenings available across the country.
This article by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
