Director Roland Emmerich's gay rights
drama Stonewall will have its world premiere at the 40th
edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which runs
September 10-20.
Stonewall tells a fictional
story about a young man's political awakening set against the
backdrop of the early days of the modern gay rights movement.
Historians often credit the June 28, 1969 police raid of the
Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village as a major flashpoint for the
movement. While such raids at the time were common at gay bars,
patrons on that night, many of whom were drag queens, resisted
arrest.
The film arrives at a pivotal moment
for the movement, which is moving from fighting for marriage equality
to protecting the right from opponents who wish to dilute it.
The film stars Jeremy Irvine, Jonny
Beauchamp, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ron Perlman.
Stonewall opens on September 25.
At a press conference on Tuesday, TIFF
announced that Demolition, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi
Watts and Chris Cooper, will open this year's festival.