It’s here: jam-packed days, sleepless nights (facilitated by the 4am last call) and Toronto in its finest form.
Of course, we’re talking about the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). And each day we are going to bring you 3 of the most notable things from the day and night before.
So, about last night…
The stars:
Well, they’ve definitely arrived. And are definitely ready to party. Our star radar was on overdrive last night at three separate talent-packed parties. We first hit Michael’s to celebrate the film Still Alice. Apparently not up for mingling was Kate Bosworth, who remained tucked away in the back room in a booth with others (despite the not-so-discreet fishbowl effect of lingering people waiting for her to do something exciting). Apparently co-star Julianne Moore also stopped by, but sadly, we missed her. Fellow media friends did confirm she was literally flawless in real life—and proved it by posting untouched, unfiltered pictures. As that party wound down, across the street at Soho House another Grey Goose-filled party kicked-off to celebrate John Stewart’s directorial debut for his feature film Rosewater. Lead actor Gael García Bernal and journalist Maziar Bahari joined Stewart. Catching some air upstairs on the terrace turned out to be a good idea (we bumped into John Cusack on the way up, who was typing away on a chair in the corridor) when we ended up within arm’s reach of a table that housed the stunning Kiera Knightley her The Imitation Game co-star Benedict Cumberbatch. We also caught a glimpse of Edward Norton strolling the terrace. On the way out, we practically brushed against Robert Pattinson (total babe) on the stairs. A texting friend told us we just missed Reese Witherspoon. Our next stop was the packed America Restaurant in the Trump Hotel, where 99 Homes stars Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon and Laura Dern toasted the film with Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktails.
The film:
TIFF 2014 double hitter Reese Witherspoon was at Roy Thompson Hall for the premiere of her film Wild. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and featuring Laura Dern (also a TIFF double hitter), the film’s based on the real life journey of Cheryl Strayed and her solo life-altering 94-day hike on the Pacific Coast Trail in the wake of destructive personal struggles and family tragedy. The moving film showcases Witherspoon in her rawest form yet (it was shot entirely makeup-free, sans mirrors in the trailers) in a fowl-mouthed, rough-around-the-edges yet endearing performance that, once again, proves she’s far from the bubbly Elle Woods. Stay tuned to hear what Laura Dern and Jean-Marc Vallee told us about the film. And then watch it yourself.
The entertainment:
A refreshing break from the film parties last night was Festival Music House, conveniently located a short walk away from Soho House at Adelaide Hall. The two-day concert is designed to showcase Canadian music talent to filmmakers, producers, directors, music supervisors and TIFF delegates to introduce them to new music they might use in an upcoming project. Last night was definitely the busier of the two nights and was packed on both floors for the Lowell performance and even busier when The Operators took the stage at 10pm. Both nights, performances began every hour, on the hour from 8 p.m. to midnight and featured Canadian talent like Paper Lions, Bobby Bazini, DIANA, Justin Nozuka, BADBADNOTGOOD, We Are The City, Sloan and A Tribe Called Red.
Stay tuned for all the films, fun and fashion that is #TIFF14
#NOTABLE
Images: 99Homes, tiff.net, Emma McIntyre
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