The worst-kept festival secret of the last 24 hours is that Zack Snyder’s “The Last Photograph,” which is still seeking U.S. distribution, will be a surprise late addition to the Toronto International Film Festival.
I can confirm that “The Last Photograph,” clocking in at 105 minutes, has secured a cushy Sunday evening screening at the 1,000-seat John Bassett Theatre.
TIFF chief Cameron Bailey has been working hard to get the film for several weeks, with Snyder’s team waiting it out to see if they could get a distributor to hop on board instead of having to go the festival route. Alas, that didn’t materialize, and so Snyder will be headed to a major festival for the first time in eons.
The film, starring “Rebel Moon” actors Stuart Martin and Fra Fee in the lead roles, is scripted by Kurt Johnstad (“300”) and follows an ex-DEA operative who ventures into the South American mountains to rescue his kidnapped niece and nephew. He’s joined by a washed-up war photographer, and as the two head deeper into the wilderness, the mission forces the protagonist to confront his past while reality begins to blur with the surreal.
“The Last Photograph” was shot primarily on location in Colombia, Iceland, and Los Angeles, with additional filming taking place in the Amazon jungle. Snyder also served as his own cinematographer, which helped him keep the production small and intimate. Hans Zimmer composed the score.
As for the budget, it has been described as a very low-budget independent film, especially compared with Snyder’s previous blockbusters. Some reports indicate that the cost came in under $10M, although an official production budget has not been publicly confirmed.
The film was financed through Snyder’s The Stone Quarry, Gianni Nunnari’s Hollywood Gang, and international partners, with Colombian tax incentives helping make the production possible. As mentioned, the film does not yet have a distributor, which means no release date has been set. That’s why TIFF will now screen the film, with the hope that positive reactions will help lure potential buyers.
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