While the 2020 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS didn’t see a clean sweep for any particular Film, what made it most unique was the split of awards among deserving titles which may have been overseen on other circuits. Taking home top honours at this year’s Awards, held once again at Santa Monica Pier, was Lulu Wang‘s THE FAREWELL. The Film won Best Feature and Best Supporting Actress with Zhao Shuzhen, who sadly was unable to celebrate due to the Coronavirus situation in China. Wang‘s partner Barry Jenkins was with her to support her, showing his pride backstage.
UNCUT GEMS which surprisingly for many failed to garner an Academy Award nomination, performed very well at the Spirit Awards, rewarding Best Director to Co-Directors The Safdie Brothers and also Best Male Lead (Adam Sandler). Sandler gave a spirited speech delivered completely as a different character, before thanking his family, while the Safdie Brothers both delivered a comical speech which saw them talking over one another.
Much like the rest of Awards Season, Renée Zellweger took home Best Female Lead for her work in JUDY, marking her first Spirit Award win after three nominations. Returning Host Aubrey Plaza delivered an opening number, a version of Judy Garland‘s Get Happy with hilarious lyrics, delivering the chuckles once again.
Watch it here:
MARRIAGE STORY also saw recognition with the Film’s team being awarded the Robert Altman Award, along with its Director/Writer Noah Baumbach who was also awarded Best Screenplay. Baumbach gave thanks to his partner Greta Gerwig, telling the audience “Even though she made a Movie (Little Women) too expensive to be here, she is just as independent as any of us.”. This was Baumbach‘s first Spirit Award.
Watch Film Independent’s YouTube Channel for more clips and speeches here.
We were thrilled once again to partner with Hollywood Suite, exclusive Canadian Broadcaster of the Awards!
See some of our star-studded Snaps. Navigate Albums by selecting the right arrow.
So happy to be here with the Team from @hollywoodsuite: @camfess and Alicia Fletcher! The Blue Carpet starts soon and broadcast 5 PM ET. #SpiritAwards pic.twitter.com/1ovx6iUoSu
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) February 8, 2020
While Awards Season is about to conclude with the Academy Awards taking place tomorrow, we’ll look back at this year’s Spirit Awards as an unforgettable one!
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Film Independent)
This year’s Oscars nominations were unveiled this morning, hosted by John Cho and Issa Rae. Coming out on-top is Todd Phillips’ JOKER leading the class of 2020 with 11 nods including Best Picture, Director and Lead Actor. It is followed closely by a three-way tie with 10 nominations each between Martin Scorsese‘s THE IRISHMAN, Quentin Tarantino‘s ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD and Sam Mendes’ 1917.
While Films up for Best Picture largely centered on the male perspective, Greta Gerwig‘s LITTLE WOMEN still managed to get a nod despite she not being up for her directorial work.
The largest snubs this year is the omission of Films like The Safdie Brothers’ UNCUT GEMS and Lulu Wang‘s THE FAREWELL, which were critical darlings. The latter especially, which saw Awkwafina win Best Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy last weekend at the Golden Globes. Both she and the Film failed to garner nominations. The same applies to ROCKETMAN star Taron Egerton who won last week for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy. Jennifer Lopez also failed to get recognition in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in HUSTLERS.
Complete list of nominees are below:
Best Picture
“Ford v Ferrari” (Disney/Fox)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox Searchlight)
“Joker” (Warner Bros.)
“Little Women” (Sony)
“Marriage Story” (Netflix)
“1917” (Universal)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
“Parasite” (Neon)
Best Director
Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”)
Todd Phillips (“Joker”)
Sam Mendes (“1917”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”)
Best Actor
Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”
Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Saorise Ronan (“Little Women”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renee Zellweger (“Judy”)
Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Florence Pugh (“Little Women”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)
Adapted Screenplay
Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Steve Zaillian (“The Irishman”)
Anthony McCarten (“The Two Popes”)
Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”)
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (“Joker”)
Best Original Screenplay
Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”)
Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”)
Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won (“Parasite”)
Animated Feature
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World””
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”
International Feature Film
“Corpus Christi”
“Honeyland”
“Les Miserables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”
Best Documentary
“American Factory”
“The Cave”
“Edge of Democracy”
“For Sama”
“Honeyland”
Best Cinematography
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“The Lighthouse”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Best Costume Design
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Film Editing
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Parasite”
Makeup and Hairstyling
“Bombshell”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”
Original Score
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Original Song
I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”
Production Design
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”
Sound Editing
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’
Sound Mixing
“Ad Astra”
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Visual Effects
“Avengers: Endgame”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Documentary (Short Subject)
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone If You’re a Girl”
“Life Overtakes Me”
“St. Louis Superman”
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”
Short Film (Animated)
“Daughter”
“Hair Love”
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Sister”
Short Film (Live Action)
“Brotherhood”
“Nefta Football Club”
“The Neighbor’s Window”
“Saria”
“A Sister”
The Oscars air Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 8 PM ET on ABC.
(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)
It’s officially Awards Season! Nominees for the Golden Globes were just announced earlier today. The Awards voted upon by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, are to be televised Sunday, January 5, 2020 on NBC, celebrate the year’s best in Television and Cinema. Ricky Gervais returns as host.
In the Film categories, we see JOKER, THE IRISHMAN, MARRIAGE STORY and ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD… leading the way, while the Television categories we see THE MORNING SHOW, SUCCESSION, FLEABAG, THE CROWN and BIG LITTLE LIES on-top.
The Golden Globes are never without surprises. Many are shocked not to see IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD up for Best Motion Picture, same for FORD V FERRARI. TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner JOJO RABBIT only sees two nods and Director Taika Waiti isn’t among those included. While there was a bit of buzz for Greta Gerwig‘s Little Women, the Film only would see nominations for Score and Lead Actress, Saoirse Ronan. While it garnered lots of critical acclaim, Drama WAVES failed to garner any attention by the HFPA.
Complete list of nominees below:
Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Irishman
Joker
The Two Popes
Marriage Story
1917
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Knives Out
Dolemite Is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Rocketman
Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
The Farewell
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Les Misérables
Best Director – Motion Picture
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, Parasite
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart
Ana de Armas, Knives Out
Emma Thompson, Late Night
Cate Blanchett, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
Daniel Craig, Knives Out
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Annette Bening, The Report
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Best Motion Picture – Animated
Frozen 2
Toy Story 4
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Missing Link
The Lion King
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Thomas Newman, 1917
Hildur Guonadottir, Joker
Randy Newman, Marriage Story
Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Daniel Pemberton, Motherless Brooklyn
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman
“Spirit,” The Lion King
“Into the Unknown,” Frozen 2
“Stand Up,” Harriet
“Beautiful Ghosts,” Cats
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Barry
The Politician
Fleabag
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Television Series – Drama
The Crown
The Morning Show
Succession
Big Little Lies
Killing Eve
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Brian Cox, Succession
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Billy Porter, Pose
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Ben Platt, The Politician
Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Loudest Voice
Chernobyl
Unbelievable
Fosse/Verdon
Catch-22
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon
Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
Jared Harris, Chernobyl
Christopher Abbott, Catch-22
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Spy
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
Merritt Weaver, Unbelievable
Kaitlyn Dever, Unbelievable
Joey King, The Act
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Toni Colette, Unbelievable
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Patricia Arquette, The Act
Emily Watson, Chernobyl
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Henry Winkler, Barry
Andrew Scott, Fleabag
Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl
The Critics have spoken! Every year we look forward to what our friends at the Toronto Film Critics Association have deemed their 2019 Best-ofs and today, several of their selections including Best Picture have been decided. Top honours goes to Bong Joon-Ho‘s brilliant PARASITE taking both Best Picture, Director and Foreign-Language Film. The quirky, genre-bending Thriller placed runner-up for Screenplay.
For the first time ever, all three Finalists for Best First Feature are films by female Filmmakers.
See additional winners and Finalists for the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, a $100,000 prize below.
BEST PICTURE
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
The Irishman (Netflix)
Marriage Story (Netflix)
BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (Netflix)
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)
BEST ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Universal)
Runners-up
Renée Zellweger, Judy (eOne)
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Runners-up
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (VVS Films)
Joe Pesci, The Irishman (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up
Florence Pugh, Little Women (Sony)
Julia Fox, Uncut Gems (Netflix)
BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (Netflix)
BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
The Irishman by Steven Zaillian from the book by Charles Brandt (Netflix)
Runners-up
Parasite by Bong Joon-ho (MK2)
Marriage Story by Noah Baumbach (Netflix)
BEST FIRST FEATURE
Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde (eOne)
Runners-up
Atlantics directed by Mati Diop (Netflix)
Queen & Slim directed by Melina Matsoukas (eOne)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Missing Link (Laika)
Runners-up
Toy Story 4 (Disney/Pixar)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal)
Frozen 2 (Disney)
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up
Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (MK2)
ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD
American Factory (Netflix)
Runners-up
Apollo 11 (Elevation Pictures)
The Cave (Mongrel Media)
ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (levelFilm)
Antigone directed by Sophie Deraspe (Maison 4:3)
Firecrackers directed by Jasmin Mozaffari (levelFilm)
Additional winners to be announced January 8, 2020.
(Photo credit: MK2)
TIFF x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see TIFF ’19 selection, MARRIAGE STORY.
Synopsis:
Revisiting some of the themes that made his Oscar-nominated TIFF 2005 selection The Squid and the Whale so resonant, writer-director Noah Baumbach digs deep into divorce with Marriage Story. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver some of their richest work as a couple whose once enviable union crumbles under the weight of mounting resentments and divergent needs.
Charlie (Driver) is a playwright who wants to stay in New York. Nicole (Johansson) is an actor who’s landed a coveted television role that requires her to relocate to Los Angeles. Their geographical dispute tests an already strained relationship. As Marriage Story begins, the couple’s divorce is already underway, with each enlisting legal squads deploying various tactics.
Yet Baumbach’s elegant narrative goes back and forth through time, showing how Charlie and Nicole fell in love and built a life together alongside a detailed, blow-by-blow chronicle of their marital dismantling.
Baumbach‘s wise script goes from Bergmanesque drama, to dark comedy, to surges of suspense, and is complemented by the intimate 35mm camerawork of Robbie Ryan (who also shot Baumbach‘s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)), and by the precise, lived-in performances not only of Driver and Johansson, but also of Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta.
Marriage Story may have an ironic title, but its divorce proceedings double as a moving post-mortem. Sometimes our most profound life choices begin to cohere only in retrospect.
See a Trailer:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook.
Contest rules and regulations here.
MARRIAGE STORY opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox Friday, November 22, 2019.
(Photo credit: Netflix)
We weren’t planning to visit New York City for a bit but temptation got to us. We really should be resting after a draining TIFF and what seemed like an endless series of weddings. Rest can always wait as NYC was the place to be this weekend with New York Comic Con, Paley Fest, New York Film Fest, Taylor Swift on Saturday Night Live and more going on in tandem. We don’t know how New Yorkers even function with all that excitement going on!
We came with no real agenda but came out exceedingly-pleased about our weekend! It was beyond amazing. We keep doting on it, but 2019 will go down as our best year yet.
Wait till you see our sightings!
We, like the rest of Toronto, cannot wait for the arrival of EATALY, an upscale Italian grocer/eatery and all-around Foodie Heaven. New Yorkers are blessed with two locations and it was a joy having our morning coffee and pastries there.
This was our first visit ever to New York Comic Con, held at Jacob Javits Center, which was endless energy… it was amazing seeing how precise some of the Cosplay was! We are overjoyed finally to meet Marvel Cinematic Universe stars and acting veterans, Paul Rudd and Benedict Wong! They were beyond nice and we love seeing Rudd back with his signature hair again.
This year marks the 57th edition of the New York Film Festival and while many of the films screening there had done the rounds at TIFF ’19, it was so cool see New Yorkers get excited about them too. Films like Marriage Story and Parasite came out with raves just like in Toronto and they were lucky to see some Cast we didn’t get to see last month. Our highlight was getting to see ScarJo and having her throw you guys a wave! 👋 So cool Greta Gerwig came too to support Baumbach! We have a feeling this power couple will have competing Oscar contenders this Award season, she with Little Women. Just a reminder, these embedded albums can be scrolled-through by hovering right them and tapping on the arrow.
#NYFF: Hi! 👋 From #ScarlettJohansson and me. #MarriageStory pic.twitter.com/Tdh4VZx1bQ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) October 5, 2019
We adore Mary-Louise Parker and she is getting lots of acclaim for her work on Broadway in The Sound Inside. Loved getting to meet her finally!
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Paley Fest celebrates Television, giving fans a chance to attend some intimate panels. We were lucky enough to catch the stars of AMC‘s The Walking Dead attending their panel.
It isn’t a New York visit without Saturday Night Live and this weekend’s taping was extra special with a star-studded list of guests seeing Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge host with musical guest, Taylor Swift! You won’t believe who came out to watch!
View this post on Instagram
About as close as I could get to #TaylorSwift x #JoeAlwyn, #Lovers! #NYC #SNL #SaturdayNightLive
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We couldn’t resist a visit to scenic Belmont Park! We are so happy to have found a gap in our day to see their star-studded card of racing including the Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and Champagne Stakes too!
Guess where I am?? @TheNYRA pic.twitter.com/zNRpjxjVIE
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) October 5, 2019
We love always trying new things and BIBBLE AND SIP stamped itself a new favourite and we cannot wait to go back for their Hong Kong-inspired pastries and superb coffee.
…and Shake Shack, you need to come to Canada, already!
Never a letdown. pic.twitter.com/vNGgGzDD5v
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) October 4, 2019
TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!
See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:
1. Renée Zellweger
2. Meryl Streep
3. Tom Hanks
4. Jennifer Lopez
5. Kristen Stewart
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#TIFF19: #KristenStewart winning raves for her work in #Seberg. #TIFF #KStew #HuaweiP30Pro
6. Joaquin Phoenix
#TIFF19: #JoaquinPhoenix at the #TIFF Premiere of #Joker. pic.twitter.com/uha0WlQXbc
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
7. Eddie Murphy
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#TIFF19: Comedy legend #EddieMurphy at #TIFF with #DolemiteismyName! #HuaweiP30Pro
8. Bruce Springsteen
9. Taika Waititi
10. The Cast of Knives Out
Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.
See all our sightings and reviews here.
A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.
CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.
ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall. Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart! Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.
Proud to call the gorgeous and flashy #AcuraTLX Elite my vehicle of choice for #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/xQLNVOXJLJ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 4, 2019
HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.
H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie, he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails. Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!
Bruce Springsteen spotted at Weslodge in advance of his Western Stars Premiere. Toldja it would be a hotspot #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/adRFFJyH34
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 12, 2019
STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!
DUFFLET PASTRIES – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!
Always got time for @duffletpastries. RT for a chance to #win a free cake! #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/NXjpP0DGmt
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!
CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!
Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!
TIFF19: We love you guys and appreciate all your support these past ten years so much!! Congrats to Mike, who won our #TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition! pic.twitter.com/bVYOB9r3Fn
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
As Theatre Director Charlie (Adam Driver) and Actress Nicole’s (Scarlett Johansson) marriage begins to fall apart, they try to find ways to keep their family together.
Director-Writer Noah Baumbach has made his masterpiece. This is a Film that will have a substantial impact on anyone who has been in love and will stay with you for years. Baumbach’s Script is written to perfection timed evenly between characters, so audience members get a balanced view on divorce. We simply sit back and watch this once loving couple completely unravel through their separation. This artistic couple is brought to life through the incredible talent of Driver and Johansson. Driver is meticulous as the straight-forward and quick-witted Charlie. And Johansson is exceptional as the passionate and self-discovering Nicole.
Marriage Story screens at TIFF on Sun, Sep 8 at Winter Garden Theatre at 5:30 PM, Mon, Sep 9 at Princess of Wales at 11:30 AM, Fri, Sep 13 at Princess of Wales at 6 PM, and Sat, Sep 14 at Princess of Wales at 2:45 PM.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com