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Toronto Film Fest Welcomes Double the Clooney And A Jane Fonda Controversy

Where: Toronto, ON, Canada
September 15, 2009 at 4:48 PM | by | Comments (0)

George Clooney is the unofficial King of the festival circuit this season. Last week we reported on the salt-and-pepper haired actor gracing Venice with his presence with new girlfriend in tow, and he recently hopped back over the Atlantic to attend the Toronto Film Festival and promote not one, but two movies.

The first is the curiously titled The Men Who Stare at Goats, and the second is Up in the Air, a new film from Juno director Jason Reitman where he plays a very Jaunted-friendly character. Per CinemaBlend, Clooney stars as "a corporate downsizer who is obsessed with collecting frequent flier miles." Definitely our kind of movie.

The other big news coming out of Toronto is happening off the red carpet, tangentially related to actress Jane Fonda. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fonda is one of many who signed "an artist-led protest of the controversial Tel Aviv spotlight" at the festival, which petitioners accuse of "helping Israel polish its international reputation, encourages division and not debate over the festival's Israeli film showcase."

Since signing the letter, Fonda has met with Rabbi Shlomo Schwartz of Los Angeles' Chai Center to discuss the declaration and posted a statement on The Huffington Post to renege on her original protest. She states, "Some of the words in the protest letter did not come from my heart, words that are unnecessarily inflammatory," adding that "it can become counterproductive to inflame rather than explain and this means to hear the narratives of both sides."

Oh, the drama! The Toronto Film Festival comes to a close on September 19th.

Related Stories
· Toronto International Film Festival [Official Site]
· Jane Fonda about-face on Toronto protest
· Hugo Chavez and Paris Hilton Take Venice Film Fest By Storm [Jaunted]

[Photo: Pop Sugar]

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