Elliot Page returned to the Toronto International Film Festival for his new movie Close to You, sixteen years after first taking the festival by storm with his breakout role in Jason Reitman's Oscar-nominated comedy, Juno.
This is the actor’s first male lead role after he publicly came out as transgender in 2020.
The movie's director, Dominic Savage, affirmed that the film draws heavily from Page's personal journey. He stated, "This film was made with Elliot, for Elliot and because of Elliot," on the eve of "Close to You's" world premiere, which Yahoo Entertainment covered.
Page himself graced the premiere, standing out as one of the few actors who appeared on a TIFF red carpet amid ongoing strikes by the Writer's Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood.
Due to being an independent production, Close to You qualified for an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, enabling Page's participation in the festival.
Following the screening, the actor received a warm reception from the audience and described the film as "one of the most incredible experiences of my career."
In Close to You, Page portrays Sam, who returns to his hometown of Cobourg, Ontario, for his father's birthday after spending four years in Toronto.
This homecoming proves to be emotionally challenging, as Sam, who has found happiness as a trans man, faces a family still struggling to fully understand his transformation.
The film explores these dynamics, with his supportive mother inadvertently misgendering him and then berating herself for it, his older sister feeling disconnected, and his brother-in-law making prejudiced remarks followed by reluctant apologies.