#TIFF24: OFFICIAL MR. WILL WONG PARTNERS FOR 2024 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | FESTIVAL PREVIEW

We are so excited at all the possibilities the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival might hold. This is after all our first full-capacity TIFF in some time and some huge A-Listers and exciting emerging names will be here! We’ve seen all the roadblocks these past few years and it feels so good to know that nothing is standing in our way this time. This will be the TIFF that we all deserve!

We are delighted to announce to return of some of our longtime partners and new ones this year. TIFF ’24 runs September 4-14, 2024. The Team (David Baldwin, Nicholas Porteous and Amanda Gilmore) and I are thrilled to bring you our best coverage yet! New this year for us will be one-minute immediate reactions to some of the Festival’s key titles!

Team Mr. Will round-up their most-anticipated films of TIFF ’24. In what will finally be the TIFF we all deserve after many setbacks these past few years, it almost is a little tough to choose from a pool of so many great films!

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)

1. THE SUBSTANCE
2. ANORA
3. MEGALOPOLIS
4. SATURDAY NIGHT
5. QUEER

TIFF ’24 is here and I am positively pumped for the 11 days of Cinema ahead of us. My top five must-sees are films I have not stopped thinking about since they were announced and can barely hide my excitement for finally being able to have them blasted into my eyeballs. Even looking past those titles, there is so much to see at this year’s Festival that even if they somehow miss the mark, I know there are dozens more that are going to outdo every single one of my expectations. This year’s crop of films is shaping up to be an all-timer, so get ready for the best time of the year. Fingers and toes crossed that the Scotiabank Escalator does not fail us!

NICHOLAS PORTEOUS (@PICOLAS)

1. MEGALOPOLIS
2. FRIENDSHIP
3. THE LIFE OF CHUCK
4. THE BRUTALIST
5. UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

I’m thrilled for TIFF ’24 to be my first as an accredited member of the press, because it offers a MASSIVE trove of potential cinematic goodness. If I had to narrow my list of most anticipated movies down to five, and I do, I would start by giving a shout out to Matthew Rankin‘s Universal Language. After experiencing his absolutely cuckoo bananas debut, Mackenzie King “biopic” The Twentieth Century in IMAX at TIFF ’19, I’m ready to see absolutely anything with his name on it. Next up, Andrew Deyoung‘s Friendship. I’m a fan of Deyoung‘s short-form collaborations with Kate Berlant and John Early (check out “555” on Vimeo). On top of that, I cannot resist the potentially explosive comic chemistry between Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd. Although The Life of Chuck is another Stephen King adaptation from Mike Flanagan, it may represent a fun tonal departure for the two masters of terror, as Tom Hiddleston tumbles backwards through his life. The Brutalist is Brady Corbet‘s followup to his relatively unseen debut gem Vox Lux, which included one of Natalie Portman‘s best performances. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour period piece featuring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones as Laszlo and Erzsébet Toth, who escape the Holocaust to make their way in America. Finally, Megalopolis is a long, long, longgggg gestating project of Francis Ford Coppola that he financed with his own (roughly) $135 million. Though word of mouth isn’t exceptionally positive, it promises to be a singular and completely unrestrained vision from a legendary Filmmaker. You will not find big swings like this every year.

AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)

(in alphabetical order only)

ANORA
BABYGIRL
THE BRUTALIST
HERETIC
SATURDAY NIGHT

It’s already that time of year again! TIFFmas has arrived and this year packs a punch! After the strikes in Hollywood last year, TIFF just wasn’t the same. But this year, it will be in full swing and the films selected reflect it! There are so many names both behind and in front of the camera that’s making me anticipate a slew of great films. It’s been hard to narrow it down to only five. But below are my five most anticipated of this year’s Fest. I chose them because the talent involved and the stories being told are all unique from the next yet have gripped me since hearing about them!

MR. WILL (@mrwillwong)

1. ANORA
2. QUEER
3. SATURDAY NIGHT
4. NIGHTBITCH
5. BABYGIRL

We’ve already had the joy of seeing one of TIFF ’24‘s hottest tickets following all the buzz of its Palme d’Or victory at Cannes. ANORA is masterful storytelling, with a sublime breakthrough performance from its star Mikey Madison. Luca Guadagnino can do no wrong in my books, hence I am ecstatic that his latest, QUEER will be at the Festival. Addes bonus that it stars Daniel Craig. Anyone who knows me, knows that I adore SNL, so it should come as no shock I’m ecstatic Jason Reitman‘s telling of the late night staple gets its own origins story! And will this finally be Amy Adams‘ year? The six-time Oscar nominee is back after a hiatus with NIGHTBITCH, which has her convinced she is turning into a dog. Here for this. BABYGIRL received tons of praise in Venice, propelling it up my list with queen Nicole Kidman doing what she does best, embodying complex women and their intimate struggles.

Bookmark this link and check daily for exciting contests, reviews and star sightings!

Announcing Mr. Will Wong‘s official TIFF partners for TIFF ’24

We would like to thank your supporters and partners for the Festival this year! What a star-studded group!

HONDA CANADA – We are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with our friends at HONDA CANADA, allowing us to travel in style this TIFF! We will be piloting the Passport Trail Sport – a gorgeous five-seater midsize SUV with an amazing combined fuel economy of 11.3 litres/100 km, running on a 3.5-litre, 24-valve, Direct Injection, SOHC, i-VTEC® V6 engine, at 280 horsepower. Fit for the fall, its seating is a black leather orange contrast!

STARBUCKS CANADA – Starbucks Canada have been there for us for several TIFFs and the Festival in a way for us has always been synonymous with their main character, a warm Pumpkin Spice Latte. But have you tried their Apple Crisp Nondairy Chai, Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte, Baked Apple Croissant and endearing Raccoon Cake Pop? Readers and followers will get a chance to win some Gift Cards throughout the Festival. Be following our channels for more!

CP24 – For a 15th year in-a-row, we will be a subject matter expert on films and star sightings at TIFF. Stay tuned for our upcoming appearances on Southern Ontario’s most-widely watched news station! It streams worldwide for free on their website CP24.com. For now, we are appearing Labour Day in the 11 AM timeslot and Thursday, September 5, 2024 in the 8 AM timeslot!

NIKON CANADA – We are thrilled to be using the Nikon Z-30, a superb compact mirrorless camera with a range of lens options, made especially for creators, vloggers and streamers want. Crisp, clean 4K video will make our content pop more than ever! Can’t wait to show you our captures!

OEB BREAKFAST CO. – This is one of our favourite Brunch spots in the City and simply, our lives are better since they’ve come out east! Now with two locations in Toronto, their new partnership with TIFF as an official hospitality sponsor, also comes timed with new Fall menu items exclusive to Toronto for now, with additional cities to follow. More here.

MINAMI TORONTO – Situated right across from the excitement at TIFF Lightbox, this is a refined Japanese dining experience, chic and ambient for lunch or dinner. And their cocktails are sublime! You must try their world-famous Aburi (torched) Sushi and they just recently launched Sunday Afternoon AYCE Japanese BBQ. Book your tickets now here. Minami are an official TIFF Hospitality partner.

LITTLE SISTER – With two beautiful locations in Toronto – one within walking distance from all thr star-studded action on Portland St. – this very popular hotspot showcases a marriage of Dutch and Indonesian cuisine, with a phenomenal drink list. Dishes are made with authentic, imported herbs and spices. The perfect spot for an intimate dinner or casual drinks. More here.

SANDBANKS WINERY – Located in scenic Prince Edward County, Sandbanks Winery are a huge success story having launched in 2003 – just as I was a sorta newbie at TIFF – and very quickly have propelled to the upper echelon of Canadian wineries with offerings now readily available at LCBOs, a part of the ARTERRA Wines family. More here.

ETIKET – Everyone has different beauty needs and Etiket‘s goal is to provide everyone with a personalized, educational and friendly experience offering results oriented skin care and treatment services, niche fragrances, and luxury beauty products. In addition to an oustanding selection of products, Spa services also are available at their Toronto The Well location, now open. Etiket will be keeping our face fresh throughout the Festival and helping curating an olfactory experience for us.

UNIQLO CANADA – Not only are we a huge fan of Uniqlo‘s style, comfort and quality, this is our first TIFF collaborating with the globally-adored Japanese clothier. Fall is our favourite season and we cannot wait to wear some pieces from their latest collection at some of our appearances and snaps with the stars! Their round quilted shoulder bag is touted as the must-have accessory of the season! It stores everything!

Now for the even more exciting stuff! Keeping with our annual tradition, one lucky follower will be getting our amazing TIFF ’24 Survival Pack which includes:

-$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
-$50 Gift Card to OEB Breakfast Co.
-$100 Gift Card to MINAMI Toronto
-$100 Gift Card to LITTLE SISTER Portland St.
-3 bottles of Sandbanks Winery wines
-1 Uniqlo Quilted Shoulder Bag

Value: $400 CAN

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL WONG on Facebook, X or IG! Tag a friend in the comments you’ll share some of your goodies with! Enter as many times as you wish! Let’s blow this up! Winner must be available to meet in the Greater Toronto area.

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Happy TIFF!  We are so grateful for the support of the Team, our partners and you. Couldn’t do it with YOU!

Mr. Will