* TIFF festival to feature 48 world premieres
* Festival to close with film about power of music
TORONTO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The Toronto International Film
Festival will wrap up its 10-day run in September with the world
premiere of "Song for Marion", a heartwarming story about the
power of music from a director better known for his thrillers
than feel-good fare.
"Song for Marion" stars Terence Stamp as Arthur, a grumpy
retiree, and Vanessa Redgrave as his wife. Gemma Arterton plays
a choir director who coaxes Arthur out of his shell in the film
by British writer-director Paul Andrew Williams.
Opening on Sept. 6 and considered a launching site for
Hollywood's Oscar race, the 37th edition of the Toronto festival
will feature films starring Ryan Gosling, Tom Hanks and Robert
De Niro, as well as Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.
Along with the closing night film, organizers on Tuesday
announced three new galas, including the world premieres of
"Emperor", a historical epic starring Tommy Lee Jones about the
U.S. occupation of Japan after World War Two, and "What Maisie
Knew," a family drama centered around a 7-year-old caught up in
a chaotic custody battle.
TIFF will also host the North American premiere of Spike
Lee's "Bad 25", a documentary that celebrates the 25th
anniversary of Michael Jackson's highly influential album "Bad".
The festival promises a flock of familiar faces in new
roles, from Colin Firth as a failed golfer in "Arthur Newman" to
Philip Seymour Hoffman as a cult leader in "The Master".
Launched in 1976, TIFF now ranks with festivals such as
Cannes and Sundance among the world's top movie events, and
serves as a launching point for international films seeking
North American distribution.
The festival enjoys a record of unearthing gems that go on
to success at the Academy Awards, such as "Slumdog Millionaire"
and "The King's Speech," which both won best-film Oscars.
The 21 movies named on Tuesday complete the full lineup for
the festival, which includes 48 world premieres. All told there
will be 20 Gala screenings and 70 special presentations.
(Reporting by Julie Gordon; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and
Leslie Gevirtz)