It’s that time of the year again and we couldn’t be more thrilled with this initial batch of Films announced as part of the TIFF ’15 (aka #TIFF40, now in its 40th year) Lineup. The annual unveiling took place at TIFF Bell Lightbox as Filmlovers and Industry types awaited eagerly as titles were announced at 10:00 AM.
Although the Celebrity and Filmmaker Guest List is still to come, thus far we can expect A-Listers like Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Helen Mirren, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Sandra Bullock, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Emily Blunt, Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain and several, several, more.
In addition, there will be several exciting Documentaries including Davis Guggenheim‘s latest, He Called Me Malala and two about Horse Racing, Being Ap and Dark Horse.
DEMOLITION has been announced as the Opening Night Gala, from Canadian Director Jean–Marc Vallée, who has brought us delights WILD and DALLAS BUYERS CLUB in recent years. And it would appear once again we have eclectic mix of Films from all around the World, ranging from The Danish Girl from Oscar-winning Director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) which sees Oscar Winner Eddie Redmayne in a transgender role, to gritty Dramas like BLACK MASS starring Johnny Depp as Gangster Whitey Bulger and highly-buzzed SICARIO from Canadian Director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners) about an FBI Agent caught in a dangerous Mexican cross-border sting. Emily Blunt is getting tons of Oscar buzz for her performance in this and this will mark a pivotal moment in her campaign trail at the TIFF.
Closing Night Gala looks to end on a light-hearted note with Paco Gazeba‘s MR. RIGHT starring Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell.
London also has been chosen as the city of focus in this year’s City to City Programme with Films starring Nicholas Hoult and Tom Hardy being featured.
Also just announced is an opening night Charity Soirée with Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman where she talks about her successful career and upcoming work. Tickets range from $350 to $650. Details here.
As part of TIFF‘s new Primetime Programme, showcasing Television for the first time, we learned that NBC‘s Toronto-filmed HEROES: REBORN will be premiering its first episode in its two-hour entirety at the Festival.
Whether it be part of Documentaries, Special Presentations or Gala Presentations, here are some of the highlights to rock the City this September.
45 YEARS (Andrew Haigh)
ABOUT RAY (Gaby Dellal)
BEASTS OF NO NATION (Cary Fukunaga)
BEEBA BOYS (Deepa Mehta)
BEING AP (Anthony Wonke)
BEING CHARLIE (Rob Reiner)
BLACK MASS (Scott Cooper)
BORN TO BE BLUE (Robert Budreau)
BOXING (Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley)
BROOKLYN (John Crowley)
COLONIA (Florian Gallenberger)
THE DANISH GIRL (Tom Hooper)
DARK HORSE (Louise Osmond)
THE DAUGHTER (Simon Stone)
DISORDER (Alice Winocour)
DEMOLITION (Jean-Marc Vallée)
THE DRESSMAKER (Jocelyn Moorhose)
EQUALS (Drake Doremus)
EYE IN THE SKY (Gavin Hood)
THE FINAL GIRLS (Todd Strauss-Schulson)
FREEHELD (Peter Sollett)
THE FAMILY FANG (Jason Bateman)
FORSAKEN (Jon Cassar)
THE GIRL IN PHOTOGRAPHS (Nick Simon)
GREEN ROOM (Nick Saulnier)
HE NAMED ME MALALA (Davis Guggenheim)
HIGH-RISE (Ben Wheatley)
HYENA ROAD (Paul Gross)
I SAW THE LIGHT (Marc Abraham)
I SMILE BACK (Adam Salky)
IT’S NOT YOU (Don McKellar)
JANIS: BLUE LITTLE GIRL (Amy Berg)
JE SUIS CHARLIE (Daniel Leconte, Emmanuel Leconte)
KILL YOUR FRIENDS (Owen Harris)
KILO TWO BRAVO (Paul Katis)
THE LADY IN THE VAN (Nicolas Hynter)
LEGEND (Brian Helgeland)
LEN AND COMPANY (Tim Godsall)
THE LOBSTER (Yorgos Lanthimos)
LOLO (Julie Delpy)
LONDON FIELDS (Matthew Cullen)
LONDON ROAD (Rufus Norris)
LOUDER THAN BOMBS (Joachim Trier)
MAGGIE’S PLAN (Rebecca Miller)
MAN DOWN (Dito Montiel)
THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY (Matthew Brown)
THE MARTIAN (Ridley Scott)
THE MEDDLER (Lorraine Scafaria)
MISS SHARON JONES! (Barbara Kopple)
MISSISSIPPI GRIND (Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden)
MISS YOU ALREADY (Catherine Hardwicke)
MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART (Jia Zhang-ke)
MR. RIGHT (Paco Gazeba) – Closing Night Gala
OFFICE (Johnnie To)
THE ONES BELOW (David Farr)
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS (David Gordon Green)
THE PROGRAM (Stephen Frears)
THE REFLEKTOR TAPES (Kahlil Joseph)
REMEMBER (Atom Egoyan)
ROOM (Lenny Abrahamson)
SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ (Wayne Blair)
SICARIO (Denis Villeneuve)
SPOTLIGHT (Tom McCarthy) – didn’t Rachel McAdams hint at us first it would be at TIFF?
STONEWALL (Roland Emmerich)
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS (Natalie Portman)
A TALE OF THREE CITIES (Mabel Cheung)
TRUMBO (Jay Roach)
TRUTH (James Vanderbilt)
UN PLUS UNE (Claude Lelouch)
WHERE TO INVADE NEXT (Michael Moore)
THE WITCH (Robert Eggers)
WOMEN HE’S DRESSED (Gillian Armstrong)
YOUTH (Paolo Sorrentino) – NSFW Trailer
Complete list of Titles complete Synopses announced thus far here.
Just 14 more days to go! Final titles to be announced in a week.
(Photo credit: eOne Films/Warner Bros./Studio Canal/Majestic Filmproduktion/20th Century Fox)
By Justin Waldman
The 2015 TriBeCa Film Festival ran from April 15-26, 2015 in beautiful Tribeca, New York and I attended for the first time ever! What originally drew me into travelling for 10 days to New York City for this incredible Film Festival co-founded by Robert DeNiro to bring people back downtown New York after the tragedies of 9/11, were the conversations, or Tribeca Talks: Director Series that was announced in the middle of March, just a mere month before the Festival. The booking and scouring to look-up Films, allow time to line up and travel, and build a schedule with no backups had begun.
The Tribeca Talks: Director Series that was just aforementioned including one hour Conversations with George Lucas moderated by Stephen Colbert, Christopher Nolan moderated by Bennett Miller, Cary Fukunaga moderated by James Schumer, and last not certainly not least, Brad Bird moderated by Janeane Garofalo. These Talks were not only incredible for their insight, but they were beyond entertaining and masterful. The 60 minutes flew-by in what felt like seconds, but the entire time was surreal, something that words cannot merely describe.
As well, the selection of seemingly endless Movies was unfathomable. There were so many great choices, and promising options, most of which turned out to be extremely fun and enjoyable while others fell short of that standard. Some of the highlights were: Leslye Headland’s Sleeping with Other People starring Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis. This Movie was absolutely hysterical as it steered from the typical Romantic Comedy norms and clichés, and provided new laughs and nuances that truly made this RomCom stand-out from the crowd. Hopefully it gets a Canadian release, and if it unfortunately does not it will be released on VOD 90 days after its opening in Cinemas. Other standouts included Man Up from Director Ben Palmer which paired Simon Pegg and Lake Bell together in an unseeingly-perfect Romantic Comedy as well. I swear I did not just see Romcoms at TriBeCa. Ashby from Director Tony McNamara is another extremely funny, brilliant, Dark Comedy featuring Mickey Rourke, Nat Wolff and Emma Roberts. The Film focuses on Wolff and Rourke who is a former Assassin and how the manage to enrich one another’s life.
The TriBeCa Film Festival also features an after the Movie discussion for certain Titles, not that the new Movies don’t have Q&As but rather they take older Movies and bring back Cast and Crew for a 45 minute discussion about the Movie and some insider information regarding the Project. The one that I was lucky enough to attend was Gus Van Sant’s brilliant Good Will Hunting. Minnie Driver, Gus Van Sant and Stellan Skarsgård were in attendance for this post movie talk and included a lot of information about Robin Williams on the set. This moved most of the Audience to laughter and tears. Some of the most memorable moments were when Skarsgård revealed that the first take of the scene between Williams and Skarsgård in the bar, Robin did the entire Role in his Nicholson impersonation. Another memorable tidbit was from Driver who reveled that the focus puller was terrible and could not be fired because he was related to someone high up so he referred to him as Helen… Keller. Moments like these unknown facts are what make for great memories.
TriBeCa was an incredible experience, which offered a ton of excitement in an array of events geared to true Film Lovers. These separate ticketed events are something that would be classified as once in a lifetime. Events such as Mary J. Blige’s Documentary The London Sessions, followed by her performing a live Concert, or a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail followed by a Talk with Monty Python. However, the Closing Night Film was the piece DE résistance. Goodfellas’ 25th Anniversary Screening in the new 4K restoration with a post-Screening Discussion with Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino, moderated by Jon Stewart. That was a memory never to be duplicated.
TriBeCa was a delight to attend, and a Festival I cannot wait to experience again next year!
Audio from this year’s Director Series below:
(Photo credit: Justin Waldman)
Everybody at TIFF ’14 was talking about TOP FIVE, seen by many as Chris Rock’s big comeback. Paramount Pictures Canada and Mr. Will want to take Readers in Montreal and Toronto to see the Comedy directed, produced by and starring the Funnyman, before it hits theatres! Screenings take place in Toronto on Monday, December 8, 2014 at 7:00 PM and Montreal on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 7:30 PM.
Synopsis:
Pulsing with the rhythm of his greatest stand-up, Chris Rock’s TOP FIVE takes things to the next level, reveling in the high and the low, and blending a star-studded comedic romp with an irresistible romance. TOP FIVE digs under the surface of show business, politics, rap, and the exigencies of being black and famous today—holding it all up to the light in the way only Chris Rock can. Mingling echoes of Woody Allen and Dick Gregory with the energy of Kanye West and Jay Z, TOP FIVE is an original and radically new kind of American movie.
TOP FIVE stars Rosario Dawson, Gabrielle Union, J.B. Smoove, Sherri Shepherd, Cedric the Entertainer, Kevin Hart, Jay Pharoah and several other surprise turns!
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook.Indicate for me which City you’re from. For an extra chance, share this Post from Facebook with your Friends or Re-Tweet the below:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/topfive @MRWILLW wants us to #win Passes to see #TOPFIVE in #Toronto + #Montreal. Out 12/12!
Good luck, Willionaire$!
See the Trailer below:
Official Artwork:
Mr. Will + The Cast of TOP FIVE in Toronto:
Paramount Pictures Canada release TOP FIVE on Friday, December 12, 2014!
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada/Mr. Will Wong)
Now in its 39th year, TIFF ’14 kicked-off with an Opening Night Gala at none other than TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX. Ringing-in the celebrations was Acting Icon Al Pacino who did a Q&A with George Stroumboulopoulos, discussing everything from his childhood to what he looks for in a project now. The Godfather Star says without ever a doubt he always knew he would be a Movie Star, encouraged by a Grade School Teacher who noted to his Grandmother his talent at a young age. “I feel like I am doing Films I feel are reflective of where I am in my life.”, states Pacino.
The New York-born-Los Angeles Transplant is at TIFF ’14 with two new Films, The Humbling and Manglehorn. Arriving on the Red Carpet tonight with his Girlfriend Lucia Sola, Pacino admits the former is subject close to him. The Film is about a suicidal Actor and a younger Woman’s sexual relationship. “Manglehorn challenged me to do something different”, he says about the other Drama which seems him starring as a Locksmith in a small town, never quite getting over the love of his life.
The Star got candid about his childhood and relationship with his estranged Father whom had married five times. Although he didn’t get to know his Father Sal well as a Child, he recalls distinctly understanding what it felt like for the first time feeling his Father’s spirit covering him after his death. He remembers feeling so moved that he had been stopped in his tracks.
In addition, an Auction was held for the charitable Organization afterward, one prize including a shadowing opportunity with TIFF‘s Chief Executive Officer Piers Handling. Among those ringing-in the festivities tonight were a Who’s-Who of Canadian Talent including Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy), Sarah Gadon (Maps to the Stars), Gabriel Macht (Suits), Don McKellar (Sensitive Skin), Colm Feore (The Borgias), Eric Johnson (Rookie Blue), Gregory Smith (Rookie Blue) and Newlyweds Zachary Levi (Chuck) and Missy Peregrym (Rookie Blue); Peregrym looked dazzling head-to-toe in Intermix.
TIFF ’14 has finally arrived, running Thursday, September 4, 2014 through Sunday September 14, 2014!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
While we’re still waiting on a final list of Films and Celebrities to grace our City for TIFF ’14, Mr. Will‘s Dream Team had the chance to catch-up over Dinner tonight to share our excitement about our favourite Festival! Running Wednesday, September 4 – Sunday, September 14, 2014, you can expect us to be front-row and center with unparalleled access to the Films and Stars which make TIFF basically, the greatest Festival on Earth!
We must take a moment to thank our Friends Jonathan Godfrey, Justin Waldman and David Baldwin who have played an instrumental role this past year delivering Fan-friendly Reviews of the latest Movies to hit theatres. Without them, how else would we know what to take a chance on at the Box Office? Together, we give you a snapshot of what’s worth your time, whether it be Indie Films to 3-D Blockbusters.
For the past five years, Mr. Will Wong has developed from a humble Blogspot Page to a real online experience for our Readers. We love engaging you Willionaire$, taking you to the hottest Advance Screenings throughout the Country and taking you along for a ride through our journeys spotting Stars around the City. Earlier this year we even took you to Los Angeles and New York City! This TIFF, we want to be your #1 Go-To in helping you pick-out the Award-worthy Films and give you unparalleled intimate access to the Stars with our Snaps! These past five years have been an amazing ride and we look forward to another amazing ride this TIFF!
Whether it be Jon’s obsession with Kristen Stewart, Dave‘s quest to be Miles Teller‘s BFF or Justin‘s Michael Shannon meltdown, we’re all truly Fans of Cinema and the Stars underneath it all and we hope you’re just as thrilled as we are!
Without further a do, here are our Picks for TIFF ’14:
Based on the best-selling Memoir, WILD is set to make a splash this forthcoming Awards season. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée who brought us Academy Award-winning DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, the Film is a chronicle of one woman, Cheryl Strayed, and her 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe.
Expect this to be at TIFF ’14. Will this be the Film to get Witherspoon her second Oscar?
Official Artwork:
Watch the official brand-new Trailer here.
Fox Searclight release WILD this Fall.
(Photo/video credit: Fox Searclight)
“I did not kill my Wife. I am not a Murderer.”
The first official Teaser Trailer for David Fincher‘s GONE GIRL at long last has surfaced and if this doesn’t say Awards Season, then I don’t know what does! Set to Elvis Costello‘s She (covered by Richard Butler of The Psychadelic Furs), this intriguing Trailer leaves much to the imagination, capturing perfectly the chaos surrounding the speculation that Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) has murdered his Wife of five years (Rosamund Pike).
Based on Gillian Flynn‘s Best-selling Thriller, GONE GIRL stars both Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris and Rosamund Pike.
Watch the Trailer:
20th Century Fox release GONE GIRL on Friday, October 3, 2014. TIFF Punters would say this is angled perfectly for a TIFF ’14 Premiere. What do you say?
(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)
It was a memorable year indeed! Join me as I recall some of 2013’s brightest moments in Celebrity, Film and Music with a Toronto twist! As a true Connoisseur of Pop Culture, I certainly was spoiled with several delights this year on all three fronts. Toronto witnessed what could well be the strongest years this City ever has seen in terms of Star Power. Also, as an experienced Digital Photographer of sorts, I am sharing some of my favourite Snaps taken around the City this year too. If you’re a #NOFILTER kinda Guy or Gal, I apologize! A few of them are Horse-related, spending many of my weekends at scenic Woodbine Racetrack, my fave Place since Childhood to escape and recharge from the City. Come Wongsters, let us walk down this luminous Memory Lane together!
TOP TEN SONGS OF 2013
2013 was solid for Pop Music and I was thrilled to hear a return to great, strong melodies. What a year it was for Miley Cyrus who not only wowed us with We Can’t Stop, but slayed us hard with Wrecking Ball! Coming in like a Wrecking Ball she managed to turn all eyes her way in a year which saw Albums released from some Marquee names like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more. Lana Del Rey put us in a state of euphoria this Spring with her chilling Ballad for The Great Gatsby, Young & Beautiful. Flawless and timeless. Mariah Carey and Miguel provided much of the Soundtrack for my early Summer with their gorgeous Collabo #Beautiful, while Robin Thicke undisputedly had the Song of Summer 2013 with Blurred Lines. His Album of the same name easily is my favourite Disc of 2013.
1. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
2. Lana Del Rey – Young & Beautitul
3. Mariah Carey ft. Miguel – #Beautiful
4. Justin Timberlake – Mirrors
5. Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
6. Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell & T.I. – Blurred Lines
7. Capital Cities – Safe and Sound
8. Katy Perry – Roar
9. Icona Pop – I Love It
10. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Same Love
Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
TOP TEN FILMS OF 2013
I don’t recall a year in recent memory where the Films were quite as strong as this year. It is as if Filmmakers have studied critiques, knew precisely what to avoid and owned it. Time after time I’d make it out to the morning Media Screenings and just when I thought I’d seen my favourite Film of 2013, another would come along and usurp the throne. In all, AIDS Drama Dallas Buyers Club would leave the strongest imprint with Jared Leto touching the core of my soul with his phenomenal performance. 12 Years a Slave left me shaken and speechless and made it really tough to decide a Fave. Saving Mr. Banks truly affected and inspired me, moving me to tears and I could never forget Cate Blanchett‘s empathic portrayal of a Woman battling her own demons in Woody Allen‘s Blue Jasmine. And yes, I really loved Spring Breakers. James Franco is just on another level.
1. Dallas Buyers Club
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. American Hustle
4. Blue Jasmine
5. Saving Mr. Banks
6. Gravity
7. 42
8. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
9. Enough Said
10. Spring Breakers
Watch the Trailer for Dallas Buyers Club below:
TOP CELEBRITY MOMENTS
It was a good bloody amazing year. My experience in New York City seeing the Met Gala is unforgettable, as a revolving door of Celebrities came my direction. I didn’t even know which way to go or who to ask first for a Photo! TIFF ’13 brought me several amazing memories finally getting to meeting one of my favourite Actresses, Nicole Kidman – not to mention getting to meeting personal Heroes Seth McFarlane, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Baz Luhrmann and several more throughout the year. My ultimate Highlight however was finally after 15 tries, getting my Lady Gaga moment in November!
As seen top to bottom, left to right in the above Collage are:
Supermodel Cara Delevingne, Shoe Visionary Christian Louboutin, Actress Mia Wasikowska, Actor Jesse Eisenberg, Actor Kit Harington, Astronaut Chris Hadfield, Singer/Songwriter Lorde, Singer/Songwriter Robin Thicke, Television Personality/Actress Kelly Ripa, Domestic Goddess Martha Stewart.
Director Baz Luhrmann, Actress Emma Thompson, Singer/Actress Ariana Grande, Actress Léa Seydoux, Actress Adèle Exarchopoulos, Actress Toni Collette, Singer/Songwriter Lady Gaga, Singer Kylie Minogue, Actress Nicole Kidman, Actress/Singer Selena Gomez.
Writer/Actor Mike Myers, Comedian, Writer/Actor Seth MacFarlane, Writer/Actor Seth Meyers, Writer/Actor Jim Carrey, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actress Taylor Schilling, Singer/Songwriter/Fashion Mogul Pharrell, Television Personality/Actress Rosie O’Donnell, Kentucky Derby-winning Jockey Joel Rosario, Breeders Cup Classic-winning Jockey/Actor Gary Stevens.
Spice Girl/Actress Mel B., Actor Armie Hammer, Actress Kerry Washington, Actor Sam Rockwell, Actor Nicholas Hoult, Actor Tom Hiddleston, Actor Adam Driver, Actor Josh Brolin, Actor Daniel Radcliffe, Actress Dakota Fanning, Actor Sam Claflin, Actress Jena Malone.
TOP SNAPS
And now the ten best Photos of 2013 snapped through my lenses (Samsung Galaxy S2, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Olympus E-PL5):
I truly am blessed and can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for us here in this sight-filled City of Tastemakers!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
We forever will love Cory Monteith, and that is why we are particularly eager to see All the Wrong Reasons, one of his final Films. After premiering to an emotional response at TIFF ’13, Pacific Northwest Pictures and Mr. Will Wong are proud to give Readers a chance to win Run of Engagement Passes to see All the Wrong Reasons.
The Drama-Comedy centers around four young Adults who deal with the aftermath of Trauma. Directed and written by Gia Milani, the Film stars a talented and distinctly Canadian Cast which includes Kevin Zegers, Karine Vanasse, Emily Hampshire and of course, Cory Monteith.
Watch the Trailer below:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook. Increase your chances by sharing this Post with your Friends on Facebook or Re-Tweeting the below:
http://www.mrwillwong.com/allthewrongreasons @MRWILLW wants us to #win Run of Engagement Passes to see #CoryMonteith in #AllTheWrongReasons. In theatres 11/1.
See Mr. Will and some of the Stars of All the Wrong Reasons:
Myriad Pictures releases All the Wrong Reasons in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto on Friday, November 1, 2013. It opens in additional Cities in the following weeks.
(Photo/video credit: Pacific Northwest Pictures)
Following-up on the success of his 2009 Film Defendor, which also premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Canadian Director Peter Stebbings is set to unveil his latest, Empire of Dirt at TIFF ’13!
Official Synopsis:
Lena Mahikan (Cara Gee), a former Addict and Model, is now a single mother struggling to make ends meet in Toronto. True to her last name — which means “wolf” in Cree — if Lena senses danger, her instinct is to run. So, when her troubled and headstrong thirteen-year-old daughter Peeka (Shay Eyre) overdoses, attracting the attention of child services, Lena packs them both up and flees to her hometown in rural Ontario. There, reunited with her estranged mother Minnie (Jennifer Podemski, who also co-produced the Film), she is forced to face a past she has desperately tried to ignore.
See the official new Poster below:
Mongrel Media releases Empire of Dirt on November 22, 2013 in Canada. Those hoping to see it at TIFF, have two chances:
Friday, September 6, 2013 at 9:45 PM – Scotiabank 2
Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 9:15 AM – Scotiabank 14
(Photo credit: Mongrel Media)
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