tiff
#TIFF19: GALAS + SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2019 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
By Amanda Gilmore, David Baldwin and Mr. Will Wong
Running Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 15, 2019, the Toronto International Film Festival soon is before us. The first wave of announcements were made today out of Festival Headquarters, TIFF Bell Lightbox, for its Special Presentations and Gala Programmes and we can expect once again very star-studded precursor to what and who will be the key players this Awards Season.
333 Films will screen at the Festival, 245 of which are Features, 82 which are Shorts and six which are Series. Of these, 133 are World Premieres, 25 are International Premieres and 71 are North American Premieres. 35% of Titles are directed, co-directed or created by women and 21 are LGBTQ+ stories! 280,000 visitors are expected to visit Festival Street!
Previously announced, Daniel Roher‘s Documentary ONCE WERE BROTHERS: ROBBIE ROBERTSON AND THE BAND follows the Canadian Music icon Robertson’s earlier days on a reserve and in Toronto to the rise of his Roots-Rock group, The Band. Martin Scorcese, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer produce the Film.
Highlighting TIFF ’19’s lineup are highly-buzzed Films like JUDY, FORD V FERRARI, A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, JOKER, CLEMENCY, THE LIGHTHOUSE, THE REPORT, PAIN AND GLORY, THE GOLDFINCH, BAD EDUCATION, KNIVES OUT, JOJO RABBIT, HUSTLERS, ABONIMABLE, AMERICAN WOMAN and more.
We can expect to see big stars like Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver in town, the latter two whom each have two Films at the Festival!
GALAS
The Galas at this years Toronto International Film Festival are shooting for the stars. To start we are getting A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD starring the one and only Tom Hanks. The Film follows Fred Rodgers, played by Hanks, and the importance he had on generations. Hopefully, Hanks travels North and we can all catch a glimpse of “Hollywood’s Nicest Star”.
On the roll with the star-power is FORD V FERRARI starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It depicts the 1966 “24 Hours of Le Mans” endurance race between the American automotive engineers and Ferrari. Both are regulars at TIFF and we expect to see them once again this year.
We are also getting HUSTLERS starring Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Constance Wu and Julia Stiles. The film follows the four women who are former strippers and come together to turn the tables on Wall Street. This is going to be one carpet everyone will be having their eyes on.
If the star-power isn’t enough for TIFF they are also bringing some Films who are looking like early awards contenders since the drop of their trailers. THE GOLDFINCH starring Nicole Kidman and Ansel Elgort, tells the story of a boys life is changed forever after a terrorist attack at an art museum. There is HARRIET, starring Cynthia Erivo, who plays Harriet Tubman. The Trailer was released earlier today and it’s safe to say that all eyes should be on Erivo this TIFF. CLEMENCY was also announced today as a Gala Film which won the top prize at Sundance earlier this year. It follows a death-row prison warden (Alfre Woodard) who is coming to terms with the psychological effects of her job. As someone who has seen it, I can confirm that it should be at the top of everyone’s Must-See list for the Festival.
There were two Films announced today that stuck out because they aren’t genres typically picked for the Gala Programme. The one that stands out the most is JOKER starring Joaquin Phoenix. I could not be happier to hear that a comic book film is getting its premiere at TIFF, one of the biggest platforms for Film in North America. The other pick in the Programme is ABONIMABLE. Usually, an animated Film would be chosen in the Kids Programme, but not this year. Since these two films have made it into one of the more prestigious Programmes at the Festival, we need to keep our eyes on them.
Some Trailers from the Gala Porgramme:
Abominable (dir. Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (dir. Marielle Heller)
Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
The Goldfinch (dir. John Crowley)
Hustlers (dir. Lorene Scafaria)
Joker (dir. Todd Phillips)
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
If those first Gala films were not exciting enough, than the list of Special Presentations are practically swoon-worthy!
The Special Presenations Programme will kick off with the World Premiere of Unjoo Moon’s I AM WOMAN, a Biopic about Australian singer Helen Reddy. Among other World Premieres, we’re excited for the fact-based Dramedy BAD EDUCATION starring Hugh Jackman, Ray Romano and Oscar-winner Allison Janney; Rudy Ray Moore Biopic Dolemite Is My Name starring Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Craig Robinson and Keegan-Michael Key; Drake Doremus’ love-triangle romance ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS with Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan and Jamie Dornan; Taika Waititi’s Nazi satire JOJO RABBIT starring Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson and Rebel Wilson; the coming-of-age HOW TO BUILD A GIRL starring Beanie Feldstein, Chris O’Dowd and Emma Thompson; Armando Iannucci’s THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, High Laurie and Ben Whishaw; as well as Rian Johnson’s absolutely star-studded whodunit caper KNIVES OUT featuring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon.
And among the North American and International Premieres, we have Renee Zellweger’s turn as Judy Garland in JUDY; the Safdie Brothers’ highly anticipated UNCUT GEMS starring Adam Sandler in a rare dramatic role; Steven Soderbergh’s latest THE LAUNDROMAT starring Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman; Scott Z. Burns’ searing political thriller THE REPORT starring Adam Driver; the semi-autobiographical HONEY BOY starring Shia LaBeouf; Noah Baumbach’s divorce Drama MARRIAGE STORY starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson; Edward Norton’s long-gestating thriller MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN; as well as critically acclaimed Festival hits like Pedro Almodóvar’s PAIN AND GLORY starring Antonio Banderas; Robert Eggers’ THE LIGHTHOUSE starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or-winning PARASITE.
Some Trailers from the Special Presenations Programme:
Lucy in the Sky (dir. Noah Hawley)
The Lighthouse (dir. Robert Eggers)
Jojo Rabbit (dir. Taika Waititi)
Pain and Glory (dir. Pedro Almodóvar)
Judy (dir. Rupert Goold)
Knives Out (dir. Rian Johnson)
UPDATE – 7/31/19 CANADIAN FILMS ADDED
Today TIFF released the Films joining the festival line-up made by Canadian Filmmakers. This year they don’t fall short in representing their homegrown talent with placing 26 Canadian Features in various Programmes.
Previously announced Canadian Features The Song of Names, American Woman and Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band were placed in the Gala Programme, Guest of Honour in Special Presentations Directed by Atom Egoyan and David Foster: Off the Record was announced yesterday as a Special Event. But after today’s announcement, there is a prominent Canadian presence in nearly all programmes.
The opening Midnight Madness Programme film is the Canadian Blood Quantum directed by Jeff Barnaby about zombies who have taken over the world but an isolated Mi’gmaq community is immune to the plague. In Special Presentations there is Clifton Hill which stars iconic Filmmaker David Cronenberg and Hannah Gross about a girl who returns to Niagara Falls and remembers a kidnapping from her childhood. In Contemporary World Cinema there is Castle in the Ground starring Alex Wolff, Imogen Poots, Neve Campbell and Tom Cullen about opioid addiction. In the TIFF Docs Programme, there are three Canadian Features: Coppers directed by Alan Zweig, This Is Not A Movie directed by Yung Change and There’s Something in the Water directed by Ellen Page and Ian Daniel.
Not only were the movies announced but also the four TIFF Canadian Rising Stars. Kacey Rohl will star in White Lies in the CWC Programme about a girl who becomes a celebrity after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Mikhail Ahooja will be in the Midnight Madness selection The Twentieth Century which is a gonzo history film about William Lyon Mackenzie King’s abject humiliations. Nahéma Ricci will be in Sophie Deraspe’s Antigone which is a reigning of the Greek tragedy. And Shamier Anderson who will be in the Shailene Woodley, Jamie Dornan and Sebastian Stan starring Endings, Beginnings.
UPDATE: 8/7/19 – PLATFORM PROGRAMME
A new week brings a new round of TIFF ’19 announcements! Today, we found out what the Platform Programme will bring us this September. Now in its fifth year at the Festival, the competitive Programme will bring together World Premiere films from across the world – each one competing for a $20,000 Canadian prize. This year’s jury includes Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian, Film Critic Jessica Kiang, and Filmmaker Athina Rachel Tsangari. 40% of this year’s slate is directed by women.
The Programme will open with ROCKS, directed by acclaimed British Filmmaker Sarah Gavron and revolves around a teenage girl struggling to care for herself and her younger brother. Other films included in the Programme are Julie Delpy’s suspenseful drama MY ZOE starring Delpy, Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton and Richard Armitage; Darius Marder’s debut SOUND OF METAL starring Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke; the Astronaut Drama PROXIMA starring Eva Green and Matt Dillon; Anthony Chen’s highly-anticipated second feature WET SEASON regarding the special bond between a teacher and a student at the Singapore high school; the Spanish Thriller THE MONEYCHANGER set in the world of currency buying and selling; Family Drama THE SLEEPWALKERS from Argentina/Uruguay; Mexico’s class-conscious Drama WORKFORCE and the Canadian made ANNE AT 13,000 FEET about the everyday challenges faced by a young woman. The Programme will conclude with Pietro Marcello’s MARTIN EDEN concerning a sailor trying to remake himself as a Writer.
UPDATE 8/8/19 – DOCUMENTARIES
There were big announcements for the TIFF ’19 today, including the Docs Programme. There were 25 Documentaries announced including 18 World Premieres with representation from 18 countries.Pr The Films in this year’s programme have themes of artistic achievement, the power of journalism, immigration, global politics, and resistance against corrupt leaders.
The opening Doc will be THE CAVE from Oscar-nominated Director Feras Fayyad. It follows a female doctor in war-torn Syria and the underground hospital she leads. For fans of the brilliant True Crime Author Truman Capote, you can catch THE CAPOTE TAPES created by first-time Director Ebs Burnough who previously worked under the Obama Administration. And for political fans, prominent Documentarian Alex Gibney is coming to TIFF with CITIZEN K profiling Mikail Khodorkovsky, who turned against Vladimir Putin.
If you are looking to catch some stars during TIFF this year, look no further than the TIFF Docs Programme. Leonardo DiCaprio is a Producer on AND WE GO GREEN, about racers in the Formula E competition for electric cars. Bryce Dallas Howard will be making her first Documentary with DADS, which explores fatherhood with leading comedians and her own father, Ron Howard. And Rap Superstars Drake and Future are Executive Producers on READY FOR WAR, which tells the important and heartbreaking story of immigrants who served in the US military only to be deported.
UPDATE 8/8/18 – MIDNIGHT MADNESS PROGRAMME
The midnight hour is close at hand TIFFgoers! After giving us a taste of things to come at last week’s Canadian film announcement, TIFF has released their full Midnight Madness lineup – and it looks like we are in for ten days of wild insanity.
Among those announced today are Richard Stanley’s COLOR OUT OF SPACE starring Midnight Madness royalty and spirit animal to many, Nicolas Cage. The Film is an adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft Horror Short about what happens to a New England family after a meteor lands on their property. Maestro Takashi Miike also returns with FIRST LOVE, about a boxer and a drug addict caught in the middle of two gangs at war. Also among today’s announcements are dystopian nightmare THE PLATFORM about prisoners in a high-tech prison, Psychological Thriller SAINT MAUD about a nurse obsessed with saving her dying patient, Indonesian superhero epic GUNDALA; spooky overnight watch Thriller THE VIGIL and the Sci-Fi Thriller THE VAST OF NIGHT, which won the Best Narrative Feature prize at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival. The Programme will conclude with the Ugandan action thriller CRAZY WORLD about child-snatching mobsters who kidnap pint-sized Kung Fu masters. Every single film sounds absolutely bonkers, and we cannot wait to see them all!
UPDATE 8/13/19 ADDITIONAL GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
We are still a week out from the final schedule, but TIFF has added a handful of exciting titles to their already incredible slate of films coming this September.
Two films were added to the Gala Programme: the North American Premiere of THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY about a greedy art dealer and his crumbling plan around stealing a rare painting, starring Elizabeth Debicki, Donald Sutherland and Mick Jagger; and the Canadian Premiere of the hot air balloon epic THE AERONAUTS, reuniting The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Hopefully we will get the opportunity to see it in its native IMAX format!
And some of the highlights of the 16 films added to the Special Presentations Programme include the World Premieres of Astronaut Thriller LUCY IN THE SKY, starring Natalie Portman, Dan Stevens and Jon Hamm; the film adaptation of AMERICAN SON, starring Kerry Washington in the role she originated on Broadway; Sci-Fi Video Game Thriller GUNS AKIMBO starring Daniel Radcliffe; Australian Romance DIRT MUSIC starring Kelly MacDonald and Garrett Hedlund; Family Drama HUMAN CAPITAL, starring Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei, Peter Sarsgaard and Stranger Things breakout Maya Hawke; as well as Boxing Drama JUNGLELAND, starring Charlie Hunnam and Jack O’Connell; and Benson and Moorhead’s genre-bending SYNCHRONIC, starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan. Other highlights include Jean Seberg Biopic SEBERG starring Kristen Stewart; Young Athlete Drama WAVES, starring Sterling K. Brown and Lucas Hedges; acclaimed Director Olivier Assayas’ latest WASP NETWORK starring Edgar Ramirez, Penelope Cruz and Gael Garcia Bernal; and Cult Director Quentin Dupieux’s DEERSKIN, starring Oscar-winner Jean Dujardin, about a man’s strange relationship with a deerskin jacket.
UPDATE 8/20/19 SCHEDULE RELEASED AND IN-CONVERSATIONS ANNOUNCED:
Great news, the official TIFF ’19 schedule has been release. Visit here to start planning your Festival: https://tiff.net/films.
Also confirmed are some great In-Conversations with Michael B. Jordan & Jamie Foxx, Antonio Banderas, Allison Janney and Kerry Washington.
Public single tickets go on sale Monday, September 2, 2019, while several packages are on-sale now here.
Complete list of Films announced here.
(Photo/video credit: Pathe Films/Sony Pictures/Warner Bros./Universal Pictures)
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN ADVANCE PASSES TO SEE “HUSTLERS”
Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win Advance Passes to see TIFF ’19 selection HUSTLERS! Screenings take place Wednesday, September 11, 2019 in Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Halifax, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
Synopsis:
HUSTLERS follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. The film was inspired by the article published by New York Magazine entitled “The Hustlers at Scores” written by Jessica Pressler.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!
Elevation Pictures release HUSTLERS Friday, September 13, 2019.
(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)
#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “DOLEMITE IS MY NAME”
Premiering at TIFF ’19, check-out the new Trailer for DOLEMITE IS MY NAME with an all-star Cast including Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes and Keegan-Michael Key.
Synopsis:
Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play. Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.
See the Trailer:
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME streams this Fall on Netflix.
(Photo/video credit: Netflix)
#INTERVIEW: TOM HARPER, NICOLE TAYLOR + JESSIE BUCKLEY ON “WILD ROSE”
By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Wild Rose follows Glasgow born and raised Rose-Lynn (Jessie Buckley) who dreams of escaping to Nashville to become a country music star. It had its World Premiere in the Special Presentations Programme at TIFF ’18. In case you missed it the Film is set to release on February 8, 2019 in the UK and May 10, 2019 in the USA. As of right now there is no Canadian release date but the Film is bought by eOne Films. We were lucky enough to sit down with the star of the Film, Jessie Buckley, along with the Director Tom Harper and Writer Nicole Taylor while they were in Toronto for the Festival.
Q: Glasgow and Rose-Lynn are gritty on the outside but very colourful on the inside. How important was it to write the duality of the two and then make that duality visual?
TAYLOR: Because I’m from there it’s so hard to have any perspective on it. I have not lived there for a very long time, but it’s almost like the longer I live away from it the more respect I have for it. Just as you say, Glasgow has this reputation for being this hard-ass place but the people are so warm, and they chat away whether you want them to or not. Its like the biggest move cliche to say that the city is like a character in the Movie but this is a love letter to Glasgow. And everything I love about Glasgow, the lack as sentimentality, the humour, the way that Rose-Lynn’s mom played by Julie Waters — people just get on with it, they just isn’t no chat. I just love the city.
HARPER: For me it’s like I didn’t know much about Glasgow but obviously I have spent a lot of now for the Film. With the lead up, the locations and the casting and pre-production. It [Glasgow] was amazingly welcoming. You know when you go somewhere and make something somewhere there is always a danger, or you have this fear, that people might not want to, they might question why if you aren’t from somewhere why you would want to be there. But actually what I felt was that there was a great welcoming, like they were saying, “look at our culture, be apart of that culture, tell the stories.” And I think also because people we worked with who read the script were so warming to the Script, and loved it so much that it was sort of easy. That’s one side of it, but the other side is that the Film even though it couldn’t be set anywhere else there are a set of themes. Thematically it resonates with, I think it could be anybody anywhere. So even though in some ways it’s very specific, thematically it’s quite universal. And I think that, having been to Glasgow only a couple of time before reading the script, it didn’t stop me from immediately falling in love with Rose-Lynn and the character and identifying or empathizing with her, particularly with her struggles and hardships.
TAYLOR: You know that thing in Film where its got to be super particular but then also be universal, this couldn’t be more particular it was bloody autobiographical. I had to write this Film about this girl who couldn’t wait to leave this place. But it was so useful to have somebody who didn’t have that relationship with Glasgow, who could find and express that universal energy. Because it’s about someone who just doesn’t belong really to where they come from.
HARPER: That’s a nice way to describe our collaborative working relationship.
Q: Jessie, you have played a lot of authentic characters throughout your career what sets Rose-Lynn apart from the others?
BUCKLEY: She is just herself. With Beast or War and Peace they all have their own little mission, you know? They all have their own little thing they are trying to get something out of their life. And for Rose-Lynn it’s her courage to grab her dream. Even when she knows that the consequences of what that might be for everybody else. And it’s not only destructive to them but also to her. That bold journey of identity where she thinks she needs to go far away from who she is in order to find herself, and at the end she realizes that you can’t do that because it’s who you are is the boldest part of your dream.
eOne Films release WILD ROSE as follows:
June 21, 2019 – Toronto
July 5, 2019 – Vancouver, Montreal
July 12, 2019 – Expands
#TFCA: “ROMA” AND “ANTHROPOCENE” TAKE TOP HONOURS AT THE 2018 TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS
As Awards Season kicks into high gear, the 2018 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards were held tonight, honouring the year’s best in Cinema as decided by that esteemed Association. Taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel, the site of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association‘s InStyle Magazine Bash at TIFF, Film Critics and industry celebrated what was a stellar year both critically and commercially in Film, seeing a record $11.8 billion grossed at the Box Office in North America last year.
Honoured tonight were the best in Canadian and International Cinema with previous winner Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier’s ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH winning the Association’s Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. Given a hefty prize of $100k, the Duo decided spontaneously to split the money with runners-up MAISON DU BONHEUR Director Sofia Bohdanowicz and AVA Director Sadaf Forough, whom also received $5,000 from Rogers Communications.
Other winners announced tonight include Director Molly McGlynn who won the $10,000 Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an Emerging Artist for her debut, MARY GOES ROUND which premiered at TIFF ’18 to raves.
Native Canadian Trailblazer Tantoo Cardinal also was awarded the $50,000 Technicolor Clyde Gilmour Award for her achievements in Canadian Cinema, presented by fellow First Nations Actress Tanaya Beatty (The Twilight Saga). Cardinal chose to donate the funds to First Nations Filmmaker Darlene Naponse, who directed FALLS AROUND HER in which Cardinal stars.
Director Morgan Neville was given the $5,000 RBC Allan King Documentary Film Award for Mr. Rogers Pic, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?.
Genevieve Citron was named recipient of the inaugural TFCA Emerging Critic Award, a $1,000 prize.
Announced earlier were double Golden Globe-winning ROMA for Best Picture and Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), plus Ethan Hawke for Best Actor in First Reformed and Olivia Colman for Best Actress in The Favourite. Regina King won Best Supporting Actress for her work in If Beale Street Could Talk, doubling-up with her Golden Globes success this past weekend and Steve Yeun won Best Supporting Actor for his work in Best Foreign-Language Film winner, BURNING.
More winners here.
TIFF Creative Director Cameron Bailey filled hosting duties this year and Presenters included Don McKellar, Traci Melchor, Rick Mercer and more.
It was our first time ever attending the TFCA Awards, courtesy of our friends at Hollywood Suite and GAB Communications, and we are so honoured to celebrated with our peers and idols.
See some Snaps:
Alfonso Cuarón
Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier
Tantoo Cardinal
Darlene Naponse
Rick Mercer
Don McKellar
Cameron Bailey
Molly McGlynn
Genevieve Citron
Traci Melchor
Richard Crouse
George Pimentel
Some faces of the TFCA including President Peter Howell and Vice President/Secretary Johanna Schneller
Our hardworking friends in the Film industry get a night out!
Our friends at GAB Communications and Hollywood Suite:
All photos taken on the NIKON D3400.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#TIFF: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: THE CINEMA OF STEVEN SPIELBERG RETROSPECTIVE
By Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
To celebrate TIFF’s forthcoming retrospective on the cinema of Spielberg, a group of Cinephiles were invited to an evening of trivia and celluloid magic. Despite being familiar with the works of Steven Spielberg, being quizzed on his accomplishments was no easy feat. Luckily, sitting back to enjoy an original 35MM print of Jurassic Park was.
And for anyone in Toronto from December 21st – January 10th, TIFF will be screening 28 films from the incomparable director’s catalog. From Jaws to Amistad there is a bevy of beautiful films being exhumed from the archives and showcased on the silver screen. So be sure to stop by the TIFF Bell Lightbox Theatre for a holiday dosage of nostalgia ultra. After all, nothing says Christmas like the movies.
More on TIFF‘s Close Encounters: The Cinema of Steven Spielberg Retrospective here.
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN A $200 GIFTCARD TO WESLODGE
Described both as rugged and refined, WESLODGE was one of our official partners of TIFF ’18! The King Street West hotspot in Toronto from premier hospitality group ICONINK, has hosted several stars during the Festival including this year, Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe.
Executive Chef Ben Heaton delivers a sophisticated spin on Canadian classics. Open for brunch and dinner, plus a late night menu, Weslodge has been a fixture in the City and for good reason!
Favourites include:
Nashville Hot Chicken
Wagyu Beef Footlong
Burgers
Striploin Steaks
Buffalo Fried Chicken
The Full Weslodge Brunch
We are giving our Toronto readers a chance to experience the star treatment at Weslodge with a $200 Gift Card which should be more than enough for a fabulous dinner for two!
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Be following and “like” this Post on our Instagram @mrwillwong for an extra chance. Tag a friend in the comments there!
You also may click “share” on this Post from Facebook too for another chance! Be sure to follow WESLODGE also!
Weslodge is located at 480 King St W Toronto, ON M5V 1L7
Weslodge.com for more.
(Photo credit: ICONINK)
#GIVEAWAY: ENTER TO WIN ADVANCE PASSES TO SEE “FIRST MAN”
CRITICS ARE CALLING FIRST MAN “SPECTACULAR,” “A CINEMATIC TRIUMPH” AND “THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR.” UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING DIRECTOR DAMIEN CHAZELLE INVITE YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY TO THE MOON. RYAN GOSLING AND CLAIRE FOY STAR IN FIRST MAN. IN THEATRES AND IMAX OCTOBER 12TH.
Mr. Will x Universal Pictures Canada want to give Readers a chance to attend an Advance Screening of TIFF ’18 selection, FIRST MAN.
Screenings take place as follows:
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10TH
TORONTO SCOTIABANK THEATRE TORONTO 7:30 PM
VANCOUVER CINEPLEX CINEMAS MARINE GATEWAY 7:00 PM
MONTREAL CINEPLEX MONTREAL FORUM 7:00 PM
CALGARY LANDMARK SHAWNESSY 7:00 PM
EDMONTON CINEPLEX SOUTH COMMONS 7:00 PM
Synopsis:
On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning smash, La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost—on Armstrong and on the nation—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and tell us what you would say to Ryan Gosling if you were stuck together on a rocket to the moon. Also please indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.
Universal Pictures Canada release FIRST MAN Friday, October 12, 2018.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
#TIFF18: HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
By Mr. Will Wong
And in a blink of an eye, another TIFF has passed and this one had us working right to the finish line! It’s only after the fact that we have a moment to take it all in how much we went through. We estimate double our average in Celebrity Snaps this year. That’s how star-studded TIFF ’18 was. It was that kind of a year!
We had the pleasure of previewing several of this year’s Awards Season contenders and we are waiting with baited breath to see A STAR IS BORN and GREEN BOOK, both outstanding, duke it out for Oscars glory in coming months. We loved both, are thrilled the latter was honoured with the People’s Choice Award at the Festival, but something about the former makes our heart sing. We cannot stop thinking about it or its Soundtrack. It takes a magical Film to do that.
Let’s relive some of my favourite star-studded moments of the Festival, as lensed through the Nikon D3400. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without this amazing camera which worked amazingly-well with our Blackberry Key 2 in terms of file transmission to ensure we were able to get our photos uploaded and edited within moments for you all to enjoy! The clarity of these snaps speak for themselves.
A STAR IS BORN Press Conference
Lady Gaga
We will never stop taking our signature Celebrity Selfies and TIFF ’18 was unforgettable even if we saw many returning faces. We wouldn’t have been camera-ready without the right gear and depending on each scenario, sometimes the Blackberry Key 2 worked best for those Selfies, sometimes the Nikon D3400 worked better. What matters is that more often than not, we got the snap! And many we did.
Here’s some of our faves!
Alexander Skarsgård
Amandla Stenberg
Amber Heard
Anthony Ramos
Boyd Holbrook
Cara Delevingne
Chris Pine
Claire Foy
Daniel Kaluuya
Elizabeth Debicki
Gwendoline Christie
Hari Nef
Jacob Tremblay
Jamie Dornan
Jamie Lee Curtis
John David Washington
Julianne Moore
Kelly Marie Tran
Lady Gaga
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Margaret Qualley
Olivia Munn
Parker Sevak
Peter Sarsgaard
Quincy Jones
Riz Ahmed
Ryan Gosling
Steve Carell
Steven Yeun
Timothée Chalamet
Trevante Rhodes
Troye Sivan
Zhang Yimou
In case you missed our Television appearances during TIFF ’18 this is our first year hitting-up the three big media giants: Global, CITY and CP24 (Bell Media). Thrilled! Our brand continues to thrive as a Festival go-to and we are so happy for the recognition.
CP24 with George Lagogianes
Breakfast Television with Winston Sih
Until next year. We’re already ready!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
#PRODUCTWATCH: 2018 ACURA ILX
If you were in and around Roy Thomson Hall TIFF ’18, you could not avoid Acura‘s presence at the Festival. We had the pure joy of test-driving the 2018 Acura ILX this TIFF. Sleek, stylish and sophisicated, we wouldn’t have endured those late nights and early mornings without the ILX. It was our MVP, no doubt.
We felt sheer confidence owning the road, empowered by its 2.4-litre, 16-valve, DOHC, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. The ILX operates at an impressive 201 horsepower, with engine torque of 180 lb.-ft. @ 3600 rpm.
Above this, we are reminded frequently of its safety features including a Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system, Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system, Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Blind Spot Information system (BSI) and Road Departure Mitigation (RDM™) system. We’ll admit that those 4 AM drives home having slept an hour the night before during TIFF, can be a test of endurance. These features helped keep is safe and aware.
Parking in those tight, testy downtown parking lots is a challenge but the ILX’s Multi-angle rearview camera with guidelines made it all so easy!
With television appearances, screenings are star sightings around town to tend to, we cannot stress how crucial it was to stay connected with multiple USB charging ports, HandsFreeLink™-Bluetooth® capability and an 8-inch LED backlit VGA display. We love that Acura still believes in CD players in addition to an array of options to stream music off our phone, plus Sirius XM. We just wish there was a way to hear Google Maps through car’s sound system while listening to Sirius XM, the radio or CDs.
We admit being more tired than ever keeping-up with the Festival’s frantic pacing, that’s why we found real comfort retreating to our ILX for the occasional powernap. Its 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat and 2-position memory were our bed away from home and we loved being able to stare up through its moonroof and collect our thoughts and plan our next steps.
The ILX is a bit of a ‘gas guzzler’ with City/Hwy/Combined fuel economy of
9.4/6.8/8.2 litres/100 km. In some instances we found half a tank of gas gone after a day of driving and perhaps this is where Acura could take notes from its sister, Honda which has mastered fuel economy with its popular ECON mode option.
That being said, the 2018 Acura ILX is a statement of class, prestige and luxury. We will never forget the memories we made TIFF ’18 with it!
More on it here.
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