Friday, August 30-------Some of world cinema's most famous faces are on tap for this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off the North American film season next week. Celebrities on the screen and on the red carpet include such popular stars as Keira Knightley, Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Thandie Newton, Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Bill Maher, Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson and Jeremy Piven.

Keira Knightley could be Oscar bound for her role as the Dutchess of Devonshire in The Duchess, the highly anticipated film from UK director Saul Dibb. She is joined by actor favorite Ralph Fiennes in this intriguing story of the ravishing, glamorous and much adored aristocrat who helps usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. 

Making the leap from the small screen to the big one, English comedy actor Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras) stars as a man who has a death experience and wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts in American director David Koepp's Ghost Town. Greg Kinnear co-stars in this supernatural comedy that is making its world premiere at the Festival before opening theatrically later in September.

Hong Kong hearthrob Tony Leung reunites with director Wong Koar-wai in the North American premiere of Ashes of Time Redux. In this long-planned "reworking" of his legendary and only martial arts film set in ancient China, Leung stars with Leslie Cheung as bounty hunters who discover the intangible secret of true love.

British acting royalty Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson and Thandie Newton topline the North American premiere of RocknRolla, the latest film from cult director Guy Ritchie. Jeremy Piven, an Emmy Award winner for his role as the agent who will not take no for an answer on the hit television series Entourage, also stars in this wild ride of film about the London criminal underworld.

Young starlet Dakota Fanning teams with the queen bee herself Queen Latifah in the world premiere presentation of Secret Life of Bees, an American production based on the international best seller and set in South Carolina in the 1960s. The film tells a touching tale of family loyalty set amidst the changing taboos and ideaologies of the American South.

Sandy Mandelberger, Toronto FF Dailies Editor