TIFF makes Dear Evan Hansen world premiere available digitally and in person

The Toronto International Film Festival is singing the praises of the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen movie, thrusting it into the awards season spotlight.

Actor Ben Platt's big-screen adaptation of the popular stage musical (co-starring Julianne Moore and Amy Adams) will get a virtual world premiere as TIFF 2021's opening-night film, and fans around the world can belt along to the production when it streams globally as part of the ongoing Oscar-positioning cinema event.

The Stephen Chbosky–directed film — about a teenager overcoming social anxiety in high school following a fellow classmate's suicide — will host an in-person screening on Thursday, Sept. 9, at Roy Thomson Hall, with additional screenings set for the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre and the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place as well as a digital streaming on the TIFF Bell Lightbox web platform.

"There was no question that Dear Evan Hansen was the ideal film to launch the Festival this year. This film is ultimately about healing, forgiveness, and reaffirms how connected and essential we all are to one another. We couldn't think of a more important idea to celebrate this year as we come together once again to share the power and joy of cinema in theaters together," said TIFF's Cameron Bailey, while his festival co-head Joana Vicente added that the film "connects to our shared humanity and that reminds us how deeply we need one another."

The festival also announced Tuesday that acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou's latest work, One Second, will close its 2021 edition.

Elsewhere, TIFF's tightened annual edition is set to host gala presentations for potential Oscar contenders The Eyes of Tammy Faye (starring Jessica Chastain), Kenneth Branagh's Judi Dench–starring semi-autobiographical historical drama Belfast, and Edgar Wright's genre-hopping fantasy Last Night in Soho. Denis Villeneuve's Dune will show as a world exclusive IMAX special event at the festival as well.

See the Toronto International Film Festival's 2021 lineup of gala and special presentations below. TIFF runs Sept. 9-18 this year.

GALA PRESENTATIONS 2021

Belfast Kenneth Branagh | United Kingdom World Premiere

Clifford the Big Red Dog Walt Becker | USA/United Kingdom/Canada World Premiere

Dear Evan Hansen Stephen Chbosky | USA World Premiere

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Will Sharpe | United Kingdom Canadian Premiere

The Eyes of Tammy Faye Michael Showalter | USA World Premiere

Jagged Alison Klayman | USA World Premiere

Last Night in Soho Edgar Wright | United Kingdom North American Premiere

The Mad Women's Ball (Le Bal des folles) Mélanie Laurent | France World Premiere

Night Raiders Danis Goulet | Canada/New Zealand North American Premiere

One Second Zhang Yimou | China North American Premiere

The Survivor Barry Levinson | USA/Canada/Hungary World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2021

Ali & Ava Clio Barnard | United Kingdom North American Premiere

All My Puny Sorrows Michael McGowan | Canada World Premiere

Benediction Terence Davies | United Kingdom World Premiere

Bergman Island Mia Hansen-Løve | France International Premiere

Charlotte Eric Warin, Tahir Rana | Canada/France/Belgium World Premiere

Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over Dave Wooley, David Heilbroner | USA World Premiere

Drive My Car Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Japan North American Premiere

Encounter Michael Pearce | United Kingdom/USA International Premiere

The Guilty Antoine Fuqua | USA World Premiere

I'm Your Man Maria Schrader | Germany North American Premiere

Inexorable Fabrice du Welz | Belgium/France International Premiere

Lakewood Phillip Noyce | Canada World Premiere

The Middle Man Bent Hamer | Norway/Canada/Germany/DenmarkWorld Premiere

Official Competition (Competencia Oficial) Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat | Spain/ArgentinaNorth American Premiere

Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades) Jacques Audiard | France North American Premiere

Petite Maman Céline Sciamma | France Canadian Premiere

The Starling Theodore Melfi | USA World Premiere

The Story of My Wife Ildikó Enyedi | Hungary/Germany/Italy/France North American Premiere

Three Floors (Tre Piani) Nanni Moretti | Italy/FranceNorth American Premiere

Violet Justine Bateman | USA International Premiere

The Worst Person In The World (Verdens Verste Menneske) Joachim Trier | Norway/France/Sweden/Denmark North American Premiere

Subscribe to EW's BINGE podcast for full recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including our new season diving into all five All Stars seasons, featuring exclusive interviews with Jujubee, Alexis Mateo, Shea Couleé, Alaska, Detox, BenDeLaCreme, Kennedy Davenport, and more. And be sure to catch up on our BINGE recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race seasons 1-13 with Symone, Jaida Essence Hall, Trixie Mattel, Katya, Peppermint, Bianca Del Rio, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour, and more!

Related content:

• The newest star of Dear Evan Hansen is an actual high school student
• Tony-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen heading for the big screen
• Katy Perry releases soaring cover of Dear Evan Hansen's Waving Through a Window