Fans of Pharrell Williams must be clapping along "like happiness is the truth" at the announcement that the singer will perform during TIFF this September.
The festival revealed today that on Saturday, September 10, 20th Century Fox will present exclusive footage of Theodore Melfi's new film Hidden Figures. Following the sneak peek of the movie, an audience Q&A will take place with stars Taraji P. Hensen, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Pharrell and the filmmakers.
After the Q&A, Pharrell and friends will take to the stage to perform a concert on Festival Street for select TIFF members. Pharrell not only produced Hidden Figures, but also wrote original tracks and oversaw the movie's music.
Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF, said, "Toronto audiences will be the first to hear Pharrell's new music from Hidden Figures, and they'll see it performed live on Festival Street."
"This film brings together an incredible array of talent. We're beyond happy to be giving audiences a taste of it," he added.
Theodore also chimed in through a statement. He said, "I am so honored for the world to first see a part of Hidden Figures at TIFF where I was lucky enough to premiere my first ever feature, St. Vincent."
"TIFF has a very special place in my heart. Pharrell's musical genius acumen takes the film to a different level," he continued.
This marks the third year of Festival Street. Between Peter and University Streets, King Street West will be closed to traffic and entirely open for pedestrians' enjoyment. The full slate of attractions scheduled to entertain onlookers from September 8 to 11 will be announced in the coming weeks.
Hidden Figures tells the untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), a trio of brilliant African-American women who worked at NASA and helped launch astronaut John Glenn into space. To do so, the women crossed gender and racial lines, and inspired dreams and turned around the Space Race in the process.
Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons complete the supporting cast.
The film is scheduled for a January 13, 2017 release. ~Matthew Pariselli