Julian Assange probably won’t like the movie that Bill Condon has made about himself and his website WikiLeaks, but the question that hung in the air after Thursday’s opening-night gala for “The Fifth Estate” at the 38th Toronto International Film Festival was something different: What would Roger Ebert have thought?
Assange and Ebert were somehow linked during the festivities at Roy Thomson Hall, which kicked off with a film tribute to the late critic before the world premiere of Condon’s movie. The short film, directed by Barry Avrich, found assorted Toronto officials talking about Ebert, a supporter of and regular visitor to TIFF since he was coaxed to attend its second year in 1976.