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SPIKE LEE BRINGS 'MIRACLE' TO TORONTO: New movie part of annual film festival ending Sept. 13.

(September 4, 2008)

*Spike Lee says he hopes the Toronto International Film Festival [TIFF] debut of his World War II drama "Miracle at St. Anna," will be met with the same acclaim and enthusiasm given to his Hurricane Katrina documentary, "When the Levees Broke," which was screened in Toronto two years ago.

"The people in Toronto really appreciate films," Lee said. "Toronto's a great vehicle, a great launch pad for the film to come out in the fall."

North America's largest cinema showcase, the festival runs today through Sept. 13 with a lineup that includes the Coen brothers' dark spy comedy "Burn After Reading" with George Clooney and Brad Pitt; Keira Knightley's historical saga "The Duchess"; Edward Norton and Colin Farrell's cop drama "Pride and Glory"; and the supernatural romantic comedy "Ghost Town," with Ricky Gervais, Tea Leoni and Greg Kinnear, reports the Associated Press.

The TIFF plays out in theaters throughout the city, with everyday movie-lovers making up a large part of the audience.

"This is very much a festival designed for the public," said Piers Handling, festival director. "It's a very broad, inclusive audience and very wide-ranging in terms of the films, from the small, tiny experimental films through to edgier films through comedies and through to major studio films."

Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna," opening Sept. 26 in theaters nationwide, follows a group of four black World War II soldiers in the 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division of the U.S. Army who get stuck behind enemy lines after getting separated from their squadron when one of them bravely attempts to rescue an Italian boy. Alienated from their own country, the soldiers find solace in the quaint Tuscan village of St. Anna.

Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Omar Benson Miller, and Laz Alonso star in the war drama scripted by James McBride. View trailer below:

Miracle at St. Anna Trailer