Toronto [Canada], September 5 (ANI): The Toronto International Film Festival kicked off its 50th edition Thursday evening with the world premiere of 'John Candy: I Like Me,' a documentary that celebrates the life and career of the titular funnyman, who died of a heart attack in 1994 at the age of 43, reported Variety.

Amazon will be releasing the documentary 'John Candy: I Like Me' on October 10.

According to the outlet, Candy was a local hero who grew up in Toronto before his breakout on the SCTV sketch comedy series in 1976.

He eventually became one of the most in-demand comedy stars of his generation, thanks to such films as 'Stripes,' 'Splash,' 'Spaceballs,' 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles,' 'Uncle Buck' and 'Cool Runnings.'

Actor Ryan Reynolds, who hails from Vancouver and produced the documentary, also attended the Toronto Film Festival's opening night on Thursday.

'I grew up here. SCTV was big in my house,' Reynolds said of his introduction to Candy's work.

'We live in this really curated society in which kids -- my own kids, too -- they're terrified to suffer. They're terrified to experiment and be bad at something really. Perfectionism is like a disease. And you see John going fearlessly, having fun and doing so without consequence or penalty. It was just a reminder to allow that in more as you go,' added Ryan Reynolds as quoted by Variety.

According to the outlet, Ryan Reynolds wore a T-shirt emblazoned with a Canadian maple leaf on the opening night and was joined onstage by the film's director, Colin Hanks, whose father, Tom Hanks, worked with Candy on 'Splash'.

Candy's two children, Jennifer and Christopher, also attended the screening of the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The ongoing 50th Toronto International Film Festival, presented by Rogers, will run till September 14, 2025. (ANI)