Selena Gomez, The Tragically Hip & The Best Music Moments From the Toronto International Film Festival

Some of the music industry's biggest names have been descending on Toronto over the past week for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The film festival has transformed downtown Toronto into a hub for celebrities, high fashion and red carpet glitz. It's also brought many of music's biggest stars to town, including Selena Gomez, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Pharrell Williams and more.

Here are some of the best music moments from the festival so far:

Selena Gomez on Stepping Into a New Role

Billboard Canada caught up with Selena Gomez on the red carpet for her new movie Emilia Pérez, a musical crime comedy that follows a Mexican cartel leader who comes out as a trans woman. Gomez plays the title character's wife.

The movie won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and marks the latest acting project for the pop star, alongside her starring role in the popular TV show Only Murders in the Building.

In an interview on the red carpet, Selena Gomez told Billboard Canada how her pop career actually worked against her for the role as she was learning the intricate dance style of the film.

A Tragically Hip Sing-Along Outside Their New Series Premiere

Beloved Canadian rockers The Tragically Hip premiered a new four-part docuseries at TIFF, The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal.The series features new interviews and archival footage of the band, recounting their rise to stardom and the diagnosis of lead singer Gord Downie, who died in 2017 of brain cancer.

Outside the screening, local choral collective Choir! Choir! Choir! led a sing-along of one of the band's classic songs, "Ahead By A Century," reminding attendees that love for The Hip runs deep.

Artist Willo Downie, who wrote a touching reflection about her relationship with her father Gord Downie for Billboard Canada last year, was there to celebrate.

Legends Bruce Springsteen and Elton John Reflect on Their Life's Work

Two of the world's biggest music heroes, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, were both present at TIFF to premiere new documentaries. Springsteen and John, both of whom are now in their 70s, reflected separately on aging and mortality, and the massive impact their music has had.

At the world premiere of his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, the U.K. singer held back tears as he spoke about the film. The movie chronicles John's massive music career as well as his relationship with husband and co-director, Canadian David Furnish, and their kids.

“The thing I love about this movie is that I have him [Furnish] and my two sons. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved," he said. Varietyreports that he also told the crowd: “On my tombstone, I don’t want it to say he sold a million records. I want it to say he was a great dad and great husband.”

Springsteen was similarly pensive speaking about his documentary Road Diary, which follows his journey back to the stage after six years away, as he prepares for his 2023-2024 world tour with the E Street Band. The documentary highlights some of the members of the band who died too early, like saxophonist Clarence Clemons and organist Danny Federici, as well as revealing that Springsteen's wife and bandmate Patti Scialfa was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2018.

At the premiere, Springsteen expressed gratitude for his band and the journey they've been on together. "We don’t quite live in a world where everybody gets to feel that way about their jobs or the people they work with, but I sincerely wish that we did — because it’s an experience like none I’ve ever had in my life. If I went tomorrow, I’d be, ‘It’s okay. What a f–king ride.”

K'naan Makes His Feature Directing Debut

Somali-Canadian artist K'naan Warsame is best known as the musician behind mega-hit "Wavin' Flag," but over the last decade, he's stepped away from music to focus on another passion — film and TV. In 2013, he participated in Sundance Film Festival's Directors Lab, and went on to write and produce for shows like Hulu's Castle Rock.

At TIFF, he's premiering his film Mother Mother, which follows a widowed camel farmer in Somalia as she makes a complicated decision following a family tragedy.

Though K'naan is now shining in the film industry, he's not done with music, either — this year, he won a Grammy for best song for social change, for his 2023 single "Refugee." He tells CBC Music that working in film has similarities to music: "it's just trying to shorten the distance that is spanned between your feelings and the thing you've made."

Pharrell Williams Responds to a PETA Protester

The premiere of Pharrell Williams‘ LEGO-fied animated biopic Piece By Piece on Tuesday night (Sept. 10) was interrupted by an animal rights protester who stormed the stage during a Q&A session waving a sign that read: “Pharrell stop supporting killing animals for fashion” and shouting “Pharrell stop torturing animals!" Pharrell Williams is the creative director of the Louis Vuitton men’s collection.

Rather than move past it, Williams addressed the protester directly and said “You know what? You’re right." He continued on that it wasn't the right way to make her point, but that she did have a point. "...We’re actually working on that. And if she would have just asked me, I would have told her. But instead she wanted to repeat herself.”

TIFF runs until September 15.