TIFF 2009
Didn’t get invited to any Toronto International Film Festival parties this year?
Well fear not, loyal readers, the Town Crier’s head schmoozers, ahem, journalists — columnist Kelly Gadzala, and editors Lorianna De Giorgio and Brian Baker — have your exclusive recap of some of the Sept. 10–19 fest’s hottest parties and interviews.
Sit tight, read on and live vicariously through us. C’mon, you know you want to.
Friday, Sept. 11 – Day 2
Four Seasons Hotel
[email=ldegiorgio@mytowncrier.ca]Lorianna De Giorgio[/email]
Yorkville during TIFF is a spectacle in its own right.
For 10 days, the ’hood is a mini-Hollywood.
Stars — A list, or any letter in the alphabet, for that matter — cruise around the small enclave with Starbucks in hand and huge sunglasses shielding their faces from paparazzi and/or annoying fans.
Stargazers fill the streets, staking out Holts or standing outside hotels to catch glimpses of their favourites.
And, of course, the paparazzi are present, following the stars for exclusive, gossip mag-worthy snaps.
On Day 2 of the fest, I cut through the maze of celeb-hungry fans outside the Four Seasons on my way to an interview with Clinton Shorter, the Vancouver composer behind sci-fi blockbuster [url=http://www.district9movie.com/]District 9[/url] and, [url=http://www.colethemovie.com/]Cole[/url], which premiered at TIFF later that week.
Shorter, who was warm and friendly, spoke about how he worked with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp to come up with the African-inspired music for the Peter Jackson-produced film.
“Neill had an exact idea (of what he wanted),” Shorter said about the District 9 project, which took him three months to compose.
[attach]759[/attach] “A lot of the African instruments are quite small (and) the music is generally quite positive … so we had to take a lot of liberties just to make it more edgy, more aggressive,” said Shorter, who used a combo of synthesizers, orchestra and vocals to produce the soundtrack.
As for Cole, the coming-of-age drama, directed by B.C.’s Carl Bessai, Shorter created a guitar-based score to work alongside songs by The Deadly Snakes, Jason Collett and Broken Social Scene.
Friday, Sept. 11 – Day 2
Andrew Richard Designs
[email=kgadzala@mytowncrier.ca]Kelly Gadzala[/email]
[url=http://www.hatsonforawareness.com]The Hats on For Awareness[/url] party on Adelaide St. East was a heady experience.
More than 500 people donned their fanciest headgear to attend the fundraising event to help raise money for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
I showed up at the event wearing a retro-inspired feather “fascinator” hat designed by Toronto artisan Victoria Feistner of [url=http://www.pamopro.com/tee]The Emporium Esoterica[/url].
I’d heard there were awards for the top three hats. I was determined to win so my gal pal could get some recognition.
The party is in full swing by the time I arrive at 10 p.m. Supermodel Cheryl Tiegs was welcoming guests on the red carpet while Miss Universe Canada, Mariana Valente, mingled with the crowd. I chatted with Valente for a few moments and snapped a quick pic of Tiegs after she wrapped up the live auction, no doubt on her way to another festival fete.
I got in a quick hello and snapped a pic of Rick Green just as he was leaving the event. Green was the 2009 recipient of the Transforming Lives Award for his work with attention deficit disorder and the documentary ADD & Loving It.
HGTV’s [url=http://www.hgtv.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=207634]Ambrose Price[/url], who hosted the event, wore a hilarious, brightly hued headdress festooned with feathers that reminded me of the Cat in the Hat. A fun and gracious host, Ambrose singled me out and said I was to be one of the three who would strut her stuff onstage as a hat finalist!
[attach]760[/attach] Alas, the live auction took so long they had to condense the ceremonies, so my pal Victoria and I missed our chance in the spotlight. A woman with an amazing bright green feathered hat and matching green dress was crowned the winner — well, in spirit anyway, as she already had a hat on.
After the cheque presentation ceremony announcing the night’s proceeds — over $40,000 — singer Amanda Morra performed two songs from her new album and donated the hat from her video shoot for the evening. She and her troop of 12 dancers from the Art and Soul Dance Company were smokin’ on that dance floor.
They certainly inspired me and my pal Parmjit Parmar, who volunteered to help with the publicity for the event, to shake our bodies down to the ground.
This was the first such gala for CAMH and event co-chair Enza Checchia, founder of [url=http://www.decorenza.com]Decorenza[/url], who lost her father to depression over 20 years ago, said this year is just the beginning.
I’ll raise my hat to that.
Friday, Sept. 11 — Day 2
First Canadian Place
[email=bbaker@mytowncrier.ca]Brian Baker[/email]
As I gallantly waltzed my way through the front doors of the Toronto Board of Trade, I spied the paparazzi stirring at my presence.
Entering to the soundtrack of shuttering lenses and magnesium flashing, the soul-stealers made me feel like somebody of importance, perhaps a movie star or a high-rolling producer.
By the elevator bank, I grabbed my press pass, a complimentary Ghostbuster cocktail, complete with Stay Puft marshmallow, and was escorted to the fourth floor of Bay-Adelaide’s First Canadian Place.
[attach]761[/attach]Upon entering the shadowy but spacious lounge amid a scarlet hue, I noticed photo ops where cocktail attendees could get their photos in three iconic Hollywood backdrops: Ghostbusters, The Wizard of Oz and Saturday Night Fever.
The gracious hosts, developers Daniels Corporation and the Reitman family, including directors [url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0718645/]Ivan[/url] (Ghostbusters) and son [url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0718646/]Jason[/url] (Juno), greeted guests and spoke about TIFF with the media.
Ivan Reitman told me the festival was a spectacular time, but was coy about his overall impression.
“It’s too early to tell but it seems very good so far,” he said. “It’s particularly good for our family because, you know, we have a bunch of movies here.
“So between Chloe and Up In The Air, it’s a very special moment, and Jason also has Jennifer’s Body.”
Monday, Sept. 14 – Day 5
Empire Lounge
[email=ldegiorgio@mytowncrier.ca]Lorianna De Giorgio[/email]
That PR Thing’s [url=http://www.thatprthing.com]Danielle Iversen[/url] knows the key ingredients of a hot film fest soiree: girls in biker shorts at the entrance, a top Canadian model making a surprise visit, and an ’80s rocker belting out catchy hits while writhing on the club’s floor.
Throw in an electric violinist – [url=http://www.alchemyentertainment.ca]Dr. Eugene Draw[/url] – performing with his band atop a truck-turned-stage outside the club and proceeds from the night going to cancer research, and you’ve got a steamy schmooze fest fit for PR royalty.
Such was the case on Day 5 of TIFF as media moguls, industry people and the women who love them came together for a Monday night fete put on by PR doyenne Iversen and hairstylist Jie.
[attach]762[/attach]When Draw and co. weren’t entertaining onlookers in the street, DJs spun Top 40 tracks as the movers and shakers literally shook themselves on the dance floor.
Canada’s Next Top Model judge and high-profile model Yasmin Warsame stopped by around 10 p.m. or so to feast on some of Empire’s food.
Yes, models do eat.
If that wasn’t enough, Mickey Rourke look-alike (a la The Wrestler) [url=http://www.parisblack.com]Paris Black[/url] took to the Empire’s basement stage shortly after 11 p.m.
Clad in leather pants and enough crucifixes to make Madonna in her “Like a Prayer” days jealous, Black jumped up and rocked out with his band as his fans — women, mostly — danced and cooed.
When his set came to an end, the now-sweaty Black adjusted his long, platinum blonde extensions — think Fabio but with much better hair — smiled for the cameras and chatted with reporters about a new album being released later this year.
Wednesday, Sept. 16 — Day 7
Windsor Arms Hotel
[email=bbaker@mytowncrier.ca]Brian Baker[/email]
Tucked away from the prying eyes of teenaged girls camped outside the Four Seasons and far from the vulture-like fans lazing about Yorkville for a chance star encounter, the Windsor Arms Hotel was abuzz with celebrities: namely Formula One racers.
Ferraris pulled up along the curb and dropped off leggy models who out-towered their smaller dates.
Inside, there was more eye candy than a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.
Put on by Toyota F1 driver [url=http://www.jarnotrulli.com/]Jarno Trulli’s[/url] foundation, Abruzzo in the Heart, the party was dedicated to auctioning off memorabilia signed by those athletes who live in the fast lane.
The money raised will provide aid in the aftermath of the April 6 earthquake that rocked Abruzzo, Italy.
Auction host Ben Mulroney, of eTalk Daily, said TIFF has been rewarding in terms of the coverage — everything from movies to red carpet galas to behind-the-scenes parties.
“I haven’t seen a lot of the movies but in terms of some of the exposure I’ve had to them, we’ve got a really great, comprehensive cross-section of films this year,” he told me. “I’ve been very impressed with both how the city seems to be dealing with the festival this year and with how my show has been dealing with the pressure of all of this work.”
For 29-year-old model-actress [url=http://www.myspace.com/taliarusso]Talia Russo[/url], it’s also been a busy TIFF.
“So far, so good,” she said. “I’ve been going to all the different parties. The Hyatt was probably my favourite.”
It was there where she had her TIFF highlight moment: seeing Hollywood starlet Megan Fox.
My highlight: crossing paths with Irish actor Colin Farrell as I left the Windsor Arms.
Wednesday, Sept. 16 – Day 7
MaRS Discovery District
[email=ldegiorgio@mytowncrier.ca]Lorianna De Giorgio[/email]
I learned two things tonight.
The first: the Italian film elite know how to throw a good party. Such was evident at the annual Italian Gala, celebrating the bella paese’s contribution of six films and 13 co-productions at this year’s TIFF.
The night was a successful follow-up to past Italian galas, which have been staged in some crazy spots, like Lower Bay Station two years back and aboard a tall ship at Harbourfront last year.
The second thing I learned: Double-sided tape works wonders.
Wanting to fit in with the beautiful people who would no doubt be at the beautiful event at College St.’s MaRS building — lovely Scottish actress Tilda Swinton was expected to attend — I ransacked my wardrobe for the beautiful, perfect black dress.
[attach]763[/attach] Unfortunately, my perfect dress wasn’t: too revealing in spots (I didn’t want scare away the filmmakers I’d be interviewing that night) and the bottom hem was coming apart.
Classy.
A quick jaunt to my local Shoppers and I found my saving grace: double-sided tape. And boy does it work wonders.
Taped up and ready to schmooze, my equally chic friend and I made it to MaRS shortly before 9 p.m. The building’s atrium was awash in blue lighting, waiters served delicious Italian canapés, and Prosecco and Campari soda flowed generously.
Media and industry types partied with some of Italy’s heavy hitters in the film biz, including actors Filippo Timi (Vincere and La Doppia Ora) and Franceso Scianna (Baaria), and directors Giuseppe Piccioni (Giulia Doesn’t Date at Night), Giuseppe Capotondi (La Doppia Ora) and Oscar-winner Giuseppe Tornatore (Baaria).
As the most expensive Italian film ever made — roughly around US$40-million — [url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1081935/]Baaria[/url] follows three generations of a Sicilian family from the 1930s through to today.
The epic, which opened this month’s Venice Film Festival, took Tornatore three years to complete from writing to post-production. He did use 35,000 extras and filmed in Sicily and Tunisia, after all.
A trench coat-clad Tornatore described the process of making Baaria as “complex and long”.
“It’s about one century throughout three generations of this family … (Baaria) follows their dreams, loves,” said the Sicilian-born director, who won the 1989 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for Nuovo Cinema Paradiso.
Tornatore chose two unknown actors — Francesco Scianna and Margareth Made — to play the leads. He wanted actors who spoke in the Sicilian dialect and who could epitomize his protagonists, Peppino and his love interest (played by Made).
Sadly, Tilda Swinton was a no-show, but her non-appearance was almost forgotten when Made, a model and actress, graced the gala shortly after 10:30 p.m.
As the muse for the epic, Made described her first time acting — alongside Scianna and under the wing of director Tornatore — as “an extraordinary, wonderful and unique experience”.
“I could take years telling you how wonderful it was to be part of this project,” the beautiful Made said with the help of a translator.
Made added Tornatore made her entrance into acting easy.
“Tornatore is a true master of cinema. It was very hard work but he was always my guide … my light,” said Made, who plans to continue with her acting career.
Until next year…
