The Toronto Film Festival has added a gala world premiere for Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero — a concert documentary capturing rapper Lil Nas X’s first global tour — to its 2023 edition lineup.
The Grammy-winning artist will take to the stage at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto to introduce the film by directors Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel after they captured Montero Hill, a.k.a. Lil Nas X, over 60 days on his Long Live Montero tour as he discusses his career and his place in the pop world as a Black and queer performer.
The diary film of Lil Nas X touring to support his debut studio album, Montero, is produced by RadicalMedia, in association with Sony Music Entertainment, Columbia Records and Museum & Crane.
“Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero is a triumphant ode to the extraordinary power of self-expression, music and identity,” Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto Film Festival, said in a statement as TIFF’s 48th edition gets set to host the rap artist.
Booking the popular artist and his concert tour film into Roy Thomson Hall is a safe bet for Toronto as the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will keep a slew of A-list stars from the marquee festival to promote films tied to a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, meaning major studios and streamers or specialty divisions like Sony Pictures Classics, Searchlight or Focus Features.
Oscar-nominated López Estrada has credits that include Blindspotting, Summertime and Raya and the Last Dragon. He began his career directing music videos for musicians such as Billie Eilish, Thundercat and Flying Lotus, Katy Perry and Carly Rae Jepsen.
The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from Sept. 7 to 17.
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