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Aug 21, 2018

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Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2018 International Rising Stars

Rising Stars from France, Egypt, the United States, and England round out the 2018 programme

Toronto International Film Festival Announces 2018 International Rising Stars

TIFF Announces Stephane Bak, Ahmed Malek, Josh Wiggins, and Eleanor Worthington-Cox as 2018 International Rising Stars

TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival® announced today that Stéphane Bak,Ahmed MalekJosh Wiggins, and Eleanor Worthington-Cox are TIFF 2018 Rising Stars. Already notable in their home countries of France, Egypt, the US, and England, the International Rising Stars stars join the four previously announced Canadian Rising Stars — Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson, Michaela Kurimsky, and Jess Salgueiro — to round out the popular talent programme that showcases and helps develop the skills of promising actors throughout the 2018 Festival.
 
“This year, Rising Stars returns with an extremely gifted group of up-and-coming actors,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF. “From a young stand-up comedian to an Olivier Award–winning musical performer, this diverse group is multi-talented and eager to make their mark. We’re so glad TIFF can provide this platform to help elevate them to the world stage.”
 
The TIFF Rising stars will participate in a curated Festival experience designed to support their professional development, consisting of valuable networking opportunities and industry events, as well as red-carpet and media engagements.
 
Performances from all four international Rising Stars are featured in this year’s TIFF Official Selection. Starring alongside Maxine Peake, Eleanor Worthington-Cox will play the title role in William McGregor’s Gwen, and France’s Stéphane Bak will star in Joël Karekezi’s survival odyssey The Mercy of the Jungle. Last year, Ahmed Malek played a leading role in the 2017 TIFF Closing Night Special Presentation Sheikh Jackson; this year, he will be featured in Ahmad Abdalla’s Contemporary World Cinema title EXT. Night. Josh Wiggins will co-star alongside film and television veteran Kyle MacLachlan in Keith Behrman’s Canadian drama Giant Little Ones.
 
Previous International Rising Stars alumni include Jessie Buckley and Mamoudou Athie, who return to the  Festival this year with roles in the films Wild Rose and The Front Runner, respectively.
 
About the Rising Stars
 
Stéphan Bak
Stéphane Bak began his career as a comedian in Paris, producing his own shows in small theatres before moving on to such venues as Le Palace, Le Grand Rex, and the Casino de Paris. His film roles include Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar’s Once in a Lifetime, Christophe Barratier’sTeam Spirit, David Moreau’s Alone, and Paul Verhoeven’s award-winning Elle. More recently, Bak has starred in Sebastian Schipper’s Roads, André Téchiné’s Les Ennemis, and Joël Karekezi’sThe Mercy of the Jungle, which screens at TIFF ’18.
 
Josh Wiggins
Josh Wiggins recently completed shooting Aaron Schneider's Greyhound opposite Tom Hanks and Paul Harrill’s Light From Light, produced by Elisabeth Moss and James M. Johnston. Previously, he starred with Oscar winner J. K. Simmons and Julie Delpy in Kurt Voelker's The Bachelors and in Harbinger Pictures’ Walking Out alongside Matt Bomer. He made his TIFF and Cannes debuts in Nathan Morlando's Mean Dreams, with Sophie Nélisse and Bill Paxton. At TIFF ’18, he will appear in Keith Behrman’s Giant Little Ones opposite Maria Bello and Kyle MacLachlan.
 
Ahmed Malek
Ahmed Malek is an Egyptian actor known for his roles in Mohamed Diab’s Clash, which opened Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2016, and Amr Salama’s Sheikh Jackson, which premiered at TIFF in 2017. Other acting credits include EXT. Night by Ahmad Abdalla, which is premiering at TIFF 2018; Gunshot by Karim El Shenawy; and The Guest from Hadi El Bagoury. Malek will play the lead in Montréal Girls, from 2018 Filmmaker Lab participant Patricia Chica.
 
Eleanor Worthington-Cox
Eleanor Worthington-Cox starred in the London stage musical Matilda, winning an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the youngest-ever recipient. She appeared as Young Aurora in Disney’s Maleficent, and in the British miniseries The Enfield Haunting, earning a BAFTA nomination. Worthington-Cox recently played the lead in Paramount Pictures’ Action Point, and will appear in the Amazon Prime/Sky series Britannia. She plays the title role in William McGregor’s Gwen, which premieres at TIFF ’18.
 
The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.
 
For images and more information, see tiff.net/press.
 
Festival tickets go on sale September 3 at 10am (TIFF Member pre-sale September 1 from 10am to 4pm). Buy tickets online at tiff.net, by phone at 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433, or in person at a box office. See box office locations and hours at tiff.net/tickets.
 
TIFF prefers Visa.
 
Social Media: 
@TIFF_NET
#TIFF18
Facebook.com/TIFF
 
About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.
 

The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto.
 
TIFF Industry is generously supported by Ontario Media Development Corporation and Telefilm Canada.
 
L'Oréal Paris is proud to be the TIFF Rising Stars Hair and Makeup Sponsor. 
 
TIFF Rising Stars is supported by IWC Schaffhausen and Telefilm Canada.
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