Chris Rock’s “Top Five,” Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater” both will premiere at 2014 TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its slate of world premieres, gala screenings and more this morning, and both Jon Stewart’s directorial debut as well as Chris Rock’s latest both will make their world premieres there this September.

Rosewater rose straight from a guest’s appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2009. Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari (portrayed in the film by Gael Garcia Bernal) was imprisoned for five months by Iran’s government following his appearance on Stewart’s late-night Comedy Central show. Stewart took all of last summer off to make the movie, which also allowed then-correspondent John Oliver to guest host, and in turn win his own half-hour satire program on HBO, Last Week Tonight.

Chris Rock’s Top Five, meanwhile, stars Rock in a film he wrote and directed, playing a famous New York City comedian-turned-film-star (meta!) named Andre Allen, who meets a journalist and confronts the career he has made of his life. Co-starring Rosario Dawson, JB Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm and Michael Che. And featuring music by Questlove.

You can find all of the TIFF participating films here. TIFF runs Sept. 4-14, 2014, in Toronto.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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