In a nod to local talent, this year's 32nd Toronto International Film Festival will open with a film by a prodigious hometown duo.

Fugitive Pieces, a film directed by Toronto writer/director Jeremy Podeswa, and based on the debut novel by Anne Michaels, also from Toronto, will premiere at the festival's launch on Sept. 6 at Roy Thompson Hall.

The film, which stars Stephen Dillane, is described in a press release as a "powerful, poetic, and emotionally-charged drama about love, loss and redemption."

It tells the story of Jakob Beer, a man whose life is haunted by memories of his childhood during the Second World War and his struggle to reconcile with his own losses through his writing and love.

"Having 'Fugitive Pieces' selected for the opening night of the festival is an incredible honour. I am so grateful to the festival and its programmers and organizers who have supported my work from the very start. And I'm truly overwhelmed to have this film in particular showcased in this way," Podeswa said in a press release.

The film is produced by Robert Lantos, another Torontonian whose impressive resume includes 'The Five Senses,' 'In Praise of Older Women' and 'The Sweet Hereafter,' as well as episodes of 'Six Feet Under,' 'Carnivale,' 'Rome' and CTV's 'Nip/Tuck.'

The premiere will mark the 10th time a Lantos-produced film has opened TIFF.

The Toronto International Film Festival will run this year from September 6 to 15.

- CTV.ca News Staff