TORONTO

The Cinesphere at Ontario Place is making a big comeback next month.

The Toronto International Film Festival is set to host a special screening of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Nolan, who premiered his first film Following in TIFF’s Discovery program 19 years ago, will be in attendance.

Dunkirk, Nolan’s Second World War film which dramatizes the rescue of British and Allied soldiers trapped on a French beach in May and June of 1940, was shot entirely with Imax cameras using 70mm film.

From the moment the film opens with newcomer Fionn Whitehead’s Tommy narrowly escaping German gunfire, Nolan conveys three distinct storylines — on land, on sea and in the air — to evoke a tale he says is about “communal heroism.”

Nolan started using the Imax format in 2008 with The Dark Knight, which contained almost 30 minutes of Imax footage. Both his Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar had more than an hour of Imax screen time.

Dunkirk — which runs for 106 minutes — was shot entirely with Imax cameras and it was necessary he says.

“I’ve been working with Imax [cameras] for about 10 years and with each film I’ve tried to maximize our use of it and shoot more of the film that way," he told the Sun in Los Angeles last month.

"This film felt, more than any other, that it needed to try and immerse the audience in the experience. I like to create what I call a, ‘Cinema of Experience.’ I want to take people there and Imax is the best format to be able to do that."

The Cinesphere will also play host to screenings of Graeme Ferguson’s 1971 documentary North of Superior, which opened the theatre originally.

Fans that attend TIFF’s special screening of Dunkirk will get a chance to hear Nolan speak on the groundbreaking filmmaking craft of Dunkirk.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 7-17. For tickets and info, visit TIFF.net/tickets.

Twitter: @markhdaniell

MDaniell@postmedia.com