Happy Pride! Kicking-off celebrations this year is STARRY NIGHT at The 519 Centre‘s Green Space Festival brought to us by TD. A who’s-who in Drag came out to put on a seven-hour spectacle, highighted by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 champion NYMPHIA WIND, who has the distinction of being the first ever winner in the Franchise of East Asian descent. The Drag star, L.A.-born Leo Tsao, hails proudly from Taiwan, where he moved to when he was six. The student of Fashion would go on to incorporate their technical know-how to prevail week after week in challenges on RuPaul’s Drag Race, wowing audiences and judges. Tsao after a long flight delay, might it right in time to Toronto meeting fans before a performance at Starry Night.

Other Drag Stars to appear were VENUS, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Canada Season Four. AURORA MATRIX, first runner-up RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Four, and also DENIM who tied for third that season. RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Nine winner SASHA VELOUR also graced the stage, among many others.

A highlight reel:

More on Starry Night and The 519 Centre which the event benefits, here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Happy Pride!! So much fun again this year at Pride Toronto, including the Saturday night main event, DRAG BALL featuring a who’s-who in Drag including Headliner SASHA COLBY, Season 15 RuPaul’s Drag Race winnner. The Drag Ball took place at Nathan Phillips Square, a five-hour celebration of Drag that filled the outside of City Hall.

Earlier in the week also was annual fixture Starry Night, taking place as part of the Green Space Festival at The 519 Centre, also a huge draw. Like the Drag Ball this featured the hottest names in Drag, both north and south of the Border, a tour-de-force four-hour-long showcase!

What was unique about this year’s edition of Starry Night was that all three headliners: Gottmik, Kerri Colby and Gigi Goode are transgender. Absolutely historic!

Toronto got so lucky this year. A pure joy finally getting to some of my favourite beloved Drag Queens including all-time fave, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 champion Willow Pill who headlined Disco Disco Thursday night. She is a genius.

So much respect for Drag Queens and the amount of skill, devotion and innovation that goes into their Art. Hope your Pride is amazing! 🌈❤️

See our Snaps:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

After a two-year hiatus, the Green Space Festival is back at Barbara Hall Park, just outside the 519 Centre. The event runs June 23-26, 2022 and is one of the marquee events of Pride Toronto every year, the three-day long Festival draws top talent out to the outdoor affair.

Though two of the top acts to be featured at last night’s STARRY NIGHT, Drag Queens Willow Pill and Angeria Paris Van Michaels, had cancelled due to unforseen circumstances, this did not stop a huge queue from forming down Church Street. The queue still went on with several trying to get in even right up to the end of the Show at midnight, only to be turned away. Those who were lucky enough to get in after queuening all afternoon for a spot, were able to see RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 Alumni like Bosco, and last-minute addition Lady Camden perform. The former did a Gwen Stefani tribute Medley, while the latter reprised her rendition of Queen‘s “I Want to Break Free” which brought the house down.

The Show also showcased some top local talent and stars of Canada’s Drag Race including Scarlett Bobo, Tynomi Banks, Boa, Pythia and Icesis Couture, plus Contestants on the upcoming third season of the Series like Kimmy Couture, Jada Shada Hudson, Miss Fiercalicious and more. Host-Judge Brooke Lynn Hytes even showed-up, remaining low-key.

So happy to get a glimpse of some of the performances from afar and seeing some of these talented Drag Queens up-close with beanie!

The fun continues through Sunday and legendary House Music DJ David Morales, who has remixed several classics for the likes of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, plays Sunday 9-12 PM at the Festival!

Canada’s Drag Race Season Three premieres on Crave July 14, 2022.

Learn more about the Green Space Festival here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

In celebration of Pride month, Netflix presents season two of acclaimed Series FEEL GOOD, starring Toronto’s own Mae Martin.

Synopsis:

The first season of FEEL GOOD premiered in March 2020 to widespread praise and a perfect 100% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the dark and uncertain times at the beginning of the pandemic, FEEL GOOD was able to bring joy to viewers for its cinematic look and the earnest, sincere depiction of a queer love story. The first season also won the C21 Drama Award for “Comedy Drama Series,” the MIPCOM Diversity TV Excellence Award for “Representation of LGBTQ+ Scripted,” and the Edinburgh TV Award for “Best Comedy Series” with an additional nomination for Mae for “Breakthrough Talent.” With this being the final season, Mae brings all the stories, themes, and milestone moments full circle to properly end a pivotal chapter of Mae’s creative journey.

See the Trailer:

S2 of FEEL GOOD arrives on Netflix Friday, June 4, 2021.

In case you’re looking for programming with LGBTQ2+ storylines, here’s a list of Series and Films available now on Netflix for you to celebrate your Pride!

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

PRIDE month is going strong in Toronto and the spirit reached feverish heights this weekend with the 38th annual Pride Parade.  The celebration of diversity is known as one of the biggest cultural festivals in North America, spanning 22 blocks and bringing-in an estimated 1 million people to the City.  Entertainment always is a highlight of Pride and providing that are several prominent community DJs and Drag Performers. RuPaul’s Drag Race stars like Bendelacreme also graced the stages and coming to town this year were a star-studded line-up including SWV, Kehlani and Brandy, the latter who headlined at Yonge & Dundas Square tonight.

GRAMMY-winning, 40 million album-selling superstar BRANDY is a star of TV, Film, Theatre and Music, dominating the airwaves in the ’90s through early 2000s with smash hits like The Boy is Mine (alongside Monica), Full Moon, I Wanna Be Down, Sittin’ Up in My Room and Top of the World. She has shown her love for the LGBT community, performing also at Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis last night, prior to arriving in the City for her eagerly-awaited set.

We spotted Brandy earlier and while her handler tried intercepting, she was amazingly nice and came over for a Selfie and some autographs. We love her braids and glasses, and it’s as if she hasn’t aged a day!  Toronto is extremely lucky to have her this year and we can’t wait to see who’ll be here next year!

See our Snap:

R&B star #Brandy in #Toronto for #Pride! #torontopride #pridetoronto #loveislove

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 24, 2018 at 10:53am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Celebrating #PrideTO with a special screening of #MeanGirls with #DanielFranzese (Damian), #KyPham (Trang Pak) and #OlympiaLukis (Jessica Lopez)! #YouCanSitWithUs

A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 22, 2016 at 8:19pm PDT

Love #DanielFranzese!!! So thrilled we have him here for #PrideTO!! #MeanGirls (@whatsupdanny)

A video posted by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Jun 22, 2016 at 8:22pm PDT

Based on the Stephen King Novel about a Time Traveler who goes back in time to try and stop the assassination for Robert J. Kennedy, 11-22-63 has been filming in the Greater Toronto Area this Summer under the guidance of  Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland), starring James Franco. In recent weeks, filming has moved to Hamilton and Guelph.

We spotted one of its stars, George MacKay out and about this weekend and although he might be unfamiliar to many, Film Lovers will recognize him from TIFF ’14 Selection, PRIDE which played to a standing ovation. He tells me that he unfortunately couldn’t make it for the Festival last September, while most of his Co-Stars did, but meeting him randomly more than makes up for his absence!

11-22-63 films here through October, so expect to see some its Cast out and about come TIFF! Hulu will be streaming the exciting new Series.

See our Snap:

With #GeorgeMacKay, star of #112263, directed by #JamesFranco. He also starred in #TIFF14 Selection, #PrideMovie.

A photo posted by Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Jun 27, 2015 at 12:32am PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Remstar Films)

Cinema Lovers were inundated with fantastic Selections at the Movies in 2014.  Although there isn’t quite a definitive Standout, there were many, many outstanding Films released.  Dare we say, one of the strongest years in recent memory? This  certainly makes the race for dominance this Awards Season a rather curious one.

We rely regularly on the opinions of our resident Contributors: Jonathan Godfrey (now with us a third year!), David Baldwin, Justin Waldman and our newest Team addition George Kozera, to keep us informed on what to watch and asked them what their Favourites of 2014 were.  We’re not professional Film Critics by any measure, but we love Film passionately and if you ever want a Friend’s opinion, we are happy to share! The voice of the Fan always should matter most and we are Fans just like YOU!

As you will see, the choices are eclectic, a reflection of the offerings this year…

JONATHAN GODFREY

1. Interstellar
2. Lucy
3. The Tale of Princess Kaguya
4. Nymphomaniac
5. John Wick
6. Maps to the Stars
7. Wild
8. Mood Indigo
9. Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 1
10. Bjork: Biophilia Live

Every year of my life has been cinematically-splendid, and 2014 was no different. Numerous Films from diverse Genres excited my eyes and elevated my mind-state. None more so than Nolan’s Interstellar. Having seen it four times in the theatre it still doesn’t feel like enough. That said, it wasn’t the only slice of Sci-Fi I gobbled up. Lucy also satiated my appetite for Techno-Fantasy. Then there was the outright Fantasy of Studio Ghibli’s breathtaking tale about a Bamboo Princess, Lars Von Triers four-hour dive into sexual addiction, Keanu’s kick-ass Escapade, Cronenberg’s Olympian Tragedy, Witherspoon’s awe-inspiring performance, Michel Gondry’s take on a cult novel that finally made its way to Canadian screens, and Katniss Everdeen… the Icon who continues to inspire me. Last, but most definitely not least, Björk released her incredible Concert Film which combined technological advances with her love for nature. Maybe 2014 was a little different after all, it was grippingly- cinematic, but with a touch of the divine.

DAVE BALDWIN

Looking back, I think 2014 was one hell of a year for Film. There were some truly awful and sub-par Films released this year too. But there were just as many good, and even a few truly-great Films released as well. It was a mixed bag, but the quality and ambition of some of this year’s crop of Films was truly extraordinary. While Franchise/Comic Book Film fatigue is starting to become quite evident, some pretty huge and experimental gambles paid off brilliantly (did anyone ever expect The LEGO Movie to be as wildly enjoyable as it was?). The Box Office stats in North America may not suggest it, but it was a truly memorable year. And if this is what we have to expect in 2015, I am immediately excited for some of its prospects — and for some time to re-watch some of this year’s best Films again!

1. Whiplash
2. Nightcrawler
3. Birdman
4. Boyhood
5. Life Itself
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
7. The Imitation Game
8. Gone Girl
9. How To Train Your Dragon 2
10. Guardians of the Galaxy

(Potential top Films not seen before end of 2014: Big Eyes, American Sniper, A Most Violent Year)

JUSTIN WALDMAN

It is New Year’s Eve and that means that we are supposed to look back at the year and discuss the best things we have seen and witnessed this year. This year brought a ton of great Films that were released throughout the entire year, most of which came out in the second half of the year but some came out earlier on. With so many great Films that came out this past year and one Title that comes out in February, here are the best Films of 2014 with a few extra Titles. In absolutely no particular order:

1. Snowpiercer
2. Big Hero 6
3. Whiplash
4. Nightcrawler
5. Foxcatcher
6. The F Word
7. Pride
8. Dear White People
9. Calvary
10. Guardians of the Galaxy

Now that the best 10 Movies of the year I saw are out there, here is a few of the other Titles that did not make the Top 10 but deserve recognition, at least in my mind. Into the Woods, Big Eyes, Theory of Everything, Interstellar, Birdman, Gone Girl, Locke and Life Itself. 2014 was an excellent year of Film, 2015 has a tough year to compete against but BRING IT ON!

GEORGE KOZERA

For the first time in years, I struggled with whittling down the Movies I saw that were eligible for my Top 10 Movies of 2014. That in itself is a strong indication how many great movies were released this year! So it is with great apologies to the following Movies that WOULD have made the list in a weaker movie year (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wild, Gone Girl, The Lego Movie, The F Word, Locke & The Babadook), I submit my Top 10 that made the biggest impact on me in 2014.

1. Boyhood
2. Foxcatcher
3. The Theory of Everything
4. Birdman
5. Ida
6. The Immigrant
7. The Imitation Game
8. Mommy
9. Nightcrawler
10. Whiplash

My 2014 in review, including my Best-Of?  Click here for that.

Stick with us once again in 2015 for the most exciting Canadian Advance Screening Giveaways, Prizes, Star-Spottings and Reviews!

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures/Mongrel Media/Elevation Pictures/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)

Everyone loves The Village People! The six-member Disco group with the catalogue of hits forever have impacted parties on Dancefloors across the World. YMCA, In the Navy, Macho Man need no introduction as they are instantly lift spirits.

Currently in Toronto for World Pride celebrations, the Group are set to take the stage Friday night at The Phoenix Concert Hall as part of 103.9 PROUD FM’s DISCOS & DIVAS Party.

Although their Lineup has changed over the past 30-plus years, remaining members Ray Simpson, Alex Briley and Felipe  Rose still tour. New members Jim Newman and Bill Whitefield are recent additions to the Band.

To promote their appearance at Pride, members Newman, Whitefield  and Rose stopped by at Global Television’s The Morning Show (National Edition) in costume. I basically freaked out seeing them in-person! The Village People also appear tomorrow on CITY’s Breakfast Television where they are doing an exclusive performance. Don’t forget to tune in!

Also, while we are at it, here’s a chance to win a Digital Download on iTunes (available now!) of their Cult Classic Can’t Stop the Music: The Village People Film! To enter, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook!

See a Clip below:

See our Snap:

(Photo/video credit: The Village People/Mr. Will Wong)

In just over a year, Netflix Original Series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK quickly has taken over the World by storm. The ever-popular craze of Bingewatching not only has Fans under house arrest, but quickly it is making Stars out of up-and-coming Actors equally.

Transgender Actress Laverne Cox plays Sophia Burset on the Series, perhaps my favourite of many likeable Characters in the Cast. Just appearing on the cover of TIME Magazine earlier this month – with the distinction of being the first-ever Transgender person to do so – she is in town to appear tonight at an In Conversation With at TIFF Bell Lightbox as part of the World Pride Festivities taking over the City this week. More here.

In addition to acting and looking fabulous always, Cox writes occasionally for The Huffington Post and is an ardent Advocate of Transgender Rights.

Cox graced the Morning Show circuit this morning, appearing bright and early at KISS 92.5‘s The Roz & Mocha Show where Fans were moved to tears by her inspiring words. Shortly after, she made her way to Global Television’s The Morning Show (National Edition). Fans were left disappointed though as Cox opted for Loading Docks and Underground Garages. We were lucky enough to catch-up with an on-the-go Cox who made an exception for one Fan Photo. We are on cloud nine that Billy and I got to meet her.

Netflix streams both Season One and Two of ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, available now!

See our Snap:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Netflix)