The Toronto International Film Festival
TIFF is celebrating 40 years! If you’re a Torontonian, or perhaps visiting during this iconic festival, please make it a priority to partake. Besides a wonderfully curated selection of films, there are also concerts, art exhibits, and also parties (my favourite part!). This year, the festival is September 10 - 20. If tickets are all sold out for the movie you wanted to watch, then just visit a restaurant on King West or in Yorkville and get ready to see some celebrities…
Instead of writing a little blurb about what the festival is, how important it is, and which films you should go see, I thought I’d share some personal memories I have of past TIFFs!
My favourite TIFF experiences:
During a TIFF many years ago, my family and I decided to go for brunch at Le Sélect. This is one of my dad’s favourite restaurants, and it turns out it’s also a favourite for many visiting celebs during the festival. While exiting the restaurant, I had a TOTAL starstruck freak out moment when HUGH DANCY held the door open for me. Yes, super cute Hugh Dancy of The Jane Austen Book Club, which I absolutely adore (main female character’s name is Jocelyn just FYI). I passed by him and also Claire Danes, his wife, standing behind him. Not only is Claire talented, she is TINY. Celebrities are way smaller in real life.
In 2013 I went to see the film Third Person, with my friend Kalyn. It’s directed by Paul Haggis, the same director of Crash. The movie itself was very cool, but I left the theatre feeling like I needed to watch it at least twice more before I could fully understand it. Mr. Haggis actually came on stage to introduce the film, and stayed for a Q&A afterward, where he expressed those same sentiments. He suggested that many viewers would feel the need to rewatch, to catch clues and piece the intertwining storylines together. Adrien Brody also made an appearance during the Q&A - I liked his character best, so it was a treat to hear him speak about the role.
When I was still a young whippersnapper, I participated in a Toronto Improv event during TIFF with my friend Ash. Toronto Improv shut down a popular stretch of Bloor Street just outside Yorkville (where many celebrities hang out during TIFF), and laid out a fake red carpet. Then myself, and a bunch of improv actors pretended to be famous movie stars. We had fake paparazzi come and snap pictures of us posing on the "red carpet", and it was a blast. Tons of pedestrians actually ran over and asked for autographs, despite having NO idea who we could be! It was hilarious and a lot of fun :)
This current TIFF, although only a few days in, has been fun as well! I was fortunate enough to attend the party hosted by Hugo Boss at The Four Seasons, which was featuring a mini-exhibit for the short film “The Man Who Shot Hollywood”. The party was hosted by Shinan Govani, who I think is a very talented writer. The director, Barry Avrich, was also there to explain the inspiration behind the short film. I think that may be my favourite part of the festival - hearing why the directors were inspired, or what drew the actors to the roles.And for all you celeb-addicts, I did not see any movie stars this time but I did see Mayor John Tory! Who knew he was a fan of Boss?
image of Errol Flynn and Lily Damita by Jack Pashkovsky (photographer, and inspiration behind The Man Who Shot Hollywood)