British director Jon Amiel’s Charles Darwin biopic Creation, starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly, and produced by Jeremy Thomas, will open the 34th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

TIFF Director and CEO Piers Handling said, “The tension between faith and reason is prominent in contemporary culture and this intimate look at Darwin puts a human face on a man whose theory remains controversial to this day. We are pleased to open the Festival with such an impassioned look at Charles Darwin, especially on the year marking the 200th anniversary of his birth.”
Festival Co-Director Cameron Bailey said, “By telling a story on many levels, weaving scenes from past and present, this depiction of Darwin promises to deeply move audiences by drawing them into the conflicted mind of a man who presented a concept that changed the world.”

Written by John Collee and based on the Randal Keynes biography of Darwin titled Annie’s Box, Creation was co-developed by Recorded Picture Company with BBC Films and the UK Film Council.

The programme is packed with European films, including Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg’s Max Manus [trailer] (Norway/Denmark/Germany), Scott Hicks’ The Boys Are Back (UK/Australia), Jane Campion’s Bright Star [trailer] (UK/Australia), Jordan Scott’s Cracks (Ireland), Bruno Dumont’s Hadewijch [trailer] (France), Rachid Bouchareb’s London River [trailer] (UK/France/Algeria), Raoul Peck’s Moloch Tropical (France/Haiti), Neil Jordan’s Ondine (Ireland/USA), Catherine Corsini’s Partir [trailer] (France), Nicolas Winding Refn’s Valhalla (Denmark/UK), Johnnie To’s Vengeance (France/Hong Kong) and Niki Caro’s The Vintner’s Luck (France/New Zealand).