KATHMANDU: "Tenzing," a narrative feature about Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay's historic 1953 summit of Mount Everest, has been selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in a gala presentation. TIFF runs from September 10 to 20, with the film billed as a "Canadian premiere," suggesting it will debut at another major festival.

The Apple Original film is the narrative feature directorial debut of Australian documentary filmmaker Jennifer Peedom, known for the BAFTA-nominated films "Sherpa" and "Mountain." Peedom has known Tenzing Norgay's family since 2003 and has been developing the project since 2015.

The film centres on Tenzing Norgay's summit of Everest alongside New Zealander Edmund Hillary in 1953. Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing Norgay, while Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary. The cast also includes Willem Dafoe as expedition leader Colonel John Hunt, Catriona Balfe as Tenzing's friend Jill Henderson, and Nepali actress Thinley Lhamo as Dawa, Tenzing's wife.

Production was shot extensively across Nepal and New Zealand. In Nepal, filming covered some of the country's most iconic landscapes, including the Everest region, Mustang, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Bandipur, with the Nepal shooting schedule reportedly costing around NPR 150 million.

The screenplay is written by Oscar-nominated "Lion" writer Luke Davies and produced by See-Saw Films' Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning, alongside Desray Armstrong, Peedom and Davies. Executive producers include Simon Gillis, David Michôd and Norbu Tenzing, Tenzing Norgay's eldest son. The technical team includes cinematographer Stefan Duscio, production designer Melinda Doring, editor Simon Njoo, costume designer Kirsty Cameron, and hair and makeup designer Stef Knight, with post-production completed at Spectrum Films in Sydney.

"Tenzing" is set for a theatrical release on October 9, followed by its streaming premiere on Apple TV+ on October 16. A theatrical release in Australia is also planned, though it remains unconfirmed whether the release dates will match those in the US.

Beyond retelling one of mountaineering's most iconic achievements, the film is expected to showcase Nepal's mountain landscapes to global audiences, offering a potential boost to the country's tourism profile ahead of its release.