John Madden’s ‘Onwards and Sideways’ to premiere at TIFF

Director John Madden’s new film, ‘Onwards and Sideways’, is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The drama stars Laura Linney and Rhys Ifans as two strangers whose lives intersect after they are both diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease on the same day at the same clinic.

Writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, penned the script. The cast and director expressed a sense of responsibility regarding the portrayal of the condition. Linney and Ifans noted the importance of representing the demographic accurately and avoiding a ridiculous or insulting depiction of the disease.

The story follows Emma, a musician and single mother, and Tony, a deputy headteacher, as an unexpected friendship develops following their simultaneous diagnoses.