Taking place between Thursday, May 26 and June 5, 2016, the 26th edition of INSIDE OUT Toronto LGBT Film Festival kicked off tonight at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Brought to us in part by RBC and CTV, the Festival shines a light on Feature and Short Films with issues impacting the LGBT community.
Toronto Mayor John Tory came out to express his full support at the party and gala!
The #Toronto Mayor @JohnTory visited us tonight at @InsideOutTO ! #InsideOut #InsideOut16 #LGBT #FilmFest pic.twitter.com/0m9gXOUi70
— TouchwoodPR (@TouchwoodPR) May 27, 2016
Films from both emerging and established heroes locally and internationally are front and center at this year’s Festival, with highlights including opening night gala OTHER PEOPLE, THE INTERVENTION, STRIKE A POSE featuring Madonna‘s backup dancers, LITTLE MEN, DEPARTURE, CLOSET MONSTER, ALMOST ADULTS, ESTEROS and more.
We had the pleasure of attending one of the year’s best bashes at TIFF Lightbox Malaparte with amazing tunes spun by DJs Nino Brown, Sammy Royale of Yes Yes Y’all and Business Woman’s Special Infamy.
Some sights from the Bash:
A complete list of Guests attending this year’s INSIDE OUT Festival.
GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE – FEATURES:
•   ALMOST ADULTS: Sarah Rotella (director), Elise Bauman (actor), Winny Clark (actor), Justin Friesan (actor), Mark Matechuk (actor), Pujaa Pandey (actor), Adrianna DiLonardo (writer) Rebecca Swift (producer)
•   AND STILL WE RISE: Nancy Nicol (co-director), Sizwe Alexandre Inkingi (community member)
•   CLOSET MONSTER: Stephen Dunn (director/writer), Kevin Krikst (producer)
•   ESTEROS: Papu Curotto (director)
•   FIRST GIRL I LOVED: Dylan Gelula (actor), Kerem Sanga (writer/director)
•   FRONT COVER: Raymond Yeung (director), Stan Guingon (co-producer)
•   HEARTLAND:  Maura Anderson (director), Velinda Godfrey (writer/producer)
•   HURRICANE BIANCA: Ray Haylock as Bianca Del Rio  (actor), Matt Kugelman (director), Ash Christian (producer)
•   I LOVE YOU BOTH: Kristin Archibald (actor/writer), Lucas Neff (actor)
•   KIKI: Gia Love (subject), Christopher Waldorf (subject)
•   LAST MEN STANDING: Tim Hussin (co-director,) Erin Brethauer (co-director)
•   LIEBMANN: Jules Herrmann (director/producer)
•   LITTLE MEN: Ira Sachs (director)
•   MAJOR!: Major Griffin-Gracy (subject), Annalise Ophelian (director/producer)
•   MEMORIES OF A PENITENT HEART: Cecilia Aldarondo (director)
•   MILES: Nathan Adolff (director/co-writer), Ash Christian (producer)
•   NORTH MOUNTAIN: Bretten Hannam (director)
•   OUT RUN: S. Leo Chiang (co-director/co-producer), Johnny Symons (co-director/co-producer)
•   PARIS 05:59: THEO & HUGO: Olivier Ducastel (co-director), Geoffrey Couët (actor)
•   RE:ORIENTATIONS: Richard Fung (director)
•   SAME DIFFERENCE: Kyle Wentzel (co-director)
•   SPA NIGHT: Andrew Ahn (writer/director)
•   SUICIDE KALE: Brittani Nichols (producer/writer)
•   THE SAME DIFFERENCE: Nneka Onuorah (director)
•   THE SLIPPERS: Morgan White (director/producer)
•   TWO SOFT THINGS, TWO HARD THINGS: Mark Woods (co-director/producer), Michael Yerxa (co-director/producer)
•   WHERE ARE YOU GOING, HABIBI?: Susanna Duellmann (producer)
GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE – SHORTS:
•   AIDOS: Robert Gray (director)
•   AN EVENING: Søren Green (director)
•   AT HOME: Dinaly Tran (director)
•   BEATERS: Ian McAndrew (director)
•   BENJAMIN: Sherren Lee (director)
•   BETWEEN YOU AND ME: Chase Joynt (director)
•   BOOTWMN: Sam McWilliams (co-director/producer), Paige Gratland (co-director/producer),
•   BREAKING FAST: Mike Mosallam (director/writer), Sarah Bazzi (producer)
•   BUDDY: Niels Bourgonje (director)
•   CECIL & CARL: Andrew Peek (producer)
•   CLOSING: Chase Casanova (director), Tracy Brown (executive producer)
•   CRAZY HOUSE: Aaron Mirkin (director)
•   DINNER WITH JEFFREY: Sam Greisman (director/writer)
•   ECSTASY: Kyle Reaume (director)
•   FAMOUS DIAMONDS: Daniel McIntyre (director),
•   FIRST NIGHT OUT: Julianne Saltalamacchia (actor), Will Mayo (director)
•   GAYSIANS: Vicky Du (co-director),
•   GUIDANCE: Josh Wolff (director/writer), Bryn Packard (actor)
•   HAZE: James Resendes (writer/director)
•   HELLO TITTY: Skyler Braeden Fox (co-director)
•   JACKIE: James Fanizza (director)
•   JIMMY DOES DATING: Sunny Drake (actor, writer)
•   JOHNNY: Micah Stuart (director), Brandon Crowder (actor/writer)
•   LAST VESTIGES: Seth Poulin (director)
•   LEFT HOOK: Sue Johnson (producer)
•   MAPOU: Giovana Olmos (director)
•   OCCUPY ME: Adam Fitzgerald (director)
•   OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS: Michael Agnew (director)
•   PAINT IT WHITE: Bessie Cheng (director)
•   PYOTR495: Blake Mawson (director/writer)
•   RIBBONS: Brandon Cordeiro (director)
•   SCENES FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE: Erik Anderson (director)
•   SHEBANG: Jon Simon (director), Brenna Coates (actor)
•   SPUNKLE: Lisa Donato (director)
•   STAKE: Alyssa Pankiw (director/writer)
•   SUMMER HAZE: Alex Peace (writer/producer)
•   THE FIRST SESSION: Fawzia Mirza (actor/producer)
•   THE FUTURE PERFECT: Nick Citton (director)
•   ULTRA BLEU: Nick Neon (director/writer)
•   UNTITLED (ELEVEN YEARS): Scott Miller Berry (director)
•   WEDLOCKED: Puppett (director/editor)
(Photo credit: Touchwood PR/Mr. Will Wong)
Review by George Kozera for Mr. Will Wong
At around the Âľ mark of FOREVER PLAID, they do a three minute and 11 second homage to the Ed Sullivan Show. The first time I saw this Musical (oh so many years ago) and that particular piece of theatrical brilliance, I laughed so hard I literally fell off my seat and landed in the aisle. Not wishing to repeat that rather embarrassing moment and firmly ensconced in my aisle seat for the long awaited return of this show to Toronto, playing for a limited engagement at the same venue where it first triumphed, the Panasonic Theatre, I had forgotten just how good and entertaining and joyous and wholesome this show is before and after that still hysterically funny bit.
Whereas Elvis may have been King in the late 50s, music on the radio and television variety shows were still dominated by four-part guy groups, harmonizing songs that every mom and grandma would sing along too. FOREVER PLAID is a musical about Sparky, Smudge, Jinx and Frankie: four lads who meet up in high school, form a group, and perform regularly at supermarket openings and proms. On the night they finally get their big break to perform at the Airport Hilton cocktail bar, the 4 are tragically killed in a car accident. This musical is all about the show they would have given had they survived.
Vocally, the actors on the stage are above reproach. The harmonies are text book perfection. As Jinx, Dora award-winning actor for playing Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, Jeff Madden’s hypnotic soprano soars. Jonathan Cullen (Frankie) and Matt Cassidy (Smudge) encompass their roles with joie de vivre, finesse and gusto. I was completely mesmerized by Scott Beaudin’s portrayal of Sparky. From the snapping of his fingers or stomping his foot to the beat of a song to his vocal chops and swaying dance movements, it’s a transformative, deceptively natural and a beautifully modulated performance.
FOREVER PLAID will melt the heart of even the most hardened audience member and put a silly grin on their face to boot. For those of us of a certain age who actually remember watching the Perry Como show with the family or the lyrics to Catch a Falling Star or Topo Gigio, it’s a MUST SEE!!!
FOREVER PLAID runs through June 12, 2016 at Panasonic Theatre. Click here to learn more.
Universal Pictures Canada + Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win an awesome WARCRAFT Prize Pack!
Synopsis:
From Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures comes Warcraft, an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon.
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.
So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.
Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and written by Charles Leavitt and Jones, the film starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu is a Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment production.
See the Trailer:
Artwork:
Prize Pack (Billy not included):
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. For an extra chance, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM. Â Indicate for us what size T-Shirt you are requesting also.
G’luck, Willionaire$!
Universal Pictures Canada release WARCRAFT on Friday, June 10, 2016 in RealD 3D and IMAX.
(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)
You must see this new Trailer for the intriguing THE SPACE BETWEEN US starring Asa Butterfield and Britt Robertson, out this Summer!
Synopsis:
In this interplanetary adventure, a space shuttle embarks on the first mission to colonize Mars, only to discover after takeoff that one of the astronauts is pregnant. Shortly after landing, she dies from complications while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet – never revealing who the father is. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield) – an inquisitive, highly intelligent boy who reaches the age of 16 having only met 14 people in his very unconventional upbringing. While searching for clues about his father, and the home planet he’s never known, Gardner begins an online friendship with a street smart girl in Colorado named Tulsa (Britt Robertson). When he finally gets a chance to go to Earth, he’s eager to experience all of the wonders he could only read about on Mars – from the most simple to the extraordinary. But once his explorations begin, scientists discover that Gardner’s organs can’t withstand Earth’s atmosphere. Eager to find his father, Gardner escapes the team of scientists and joins with Tulsa on a race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be, and where he belongs in the universe.
See the Trailer:
VVS Films release THE SPACE BETWEEN US Friday, December 21, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)
Out in less than a month, FINDING DORY s one of this summer’s most awaited moments! Check out this cute new Trailer!
Synopsis:
Disney•Pixar‘s “Finding Dory” reunites everyone’s favourite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?
See the new Trailer:
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release FINDING DORY Friday, June 17, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
Brought to us by the Canadian Picture Pioneers, providing fellowship and assistance to those in the Canadian Motion Picture industry, the CANADIAN PICTURE PIONEERS SOCIAL is set to take place Thursday, June 9, 2016 at SAME NIGHTCLUB in Toronto!
This one night brings together people in the motion picture, television, print and broadcasting industries and is a fantastic networking opportunity and fun night out! The is an evening of great music provided by vinyl DJ Humble Mike from Record Collective and classic rock covers by Toronto’s own Hot Wax.
We’d like to give away five pairs of tickets for you to attend this year’s PIONEERS SOCIAL! Â To enter, simply click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK!
Good luck. Â Learn more about the event here.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Canada, we’re giving Readers across Canada a chance to win an official signed THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE poster, featuring autographs from its stars Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Maya Rudolph!
Synopsis:
The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis, We’re the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since Frozen), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride, This is the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.
Trailer:
To enter to win this ultra-rare collector’s piece, click “like” on this Post over at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK! Click “share” from there for an extra chance!
Contest is open to Readers across Canada only.
G’luck, Willionaire$!
Sony Pictures Canada release THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE on Friday, May 20, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Canada)
Although this doesn’t really reveal much, this first Teaser for Disney‘s live-action adaptation of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will have to whet our tea thirst for now!
Synopsis:
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; six-time Tony Award® winner Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, the wardrobe; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
See the Teaser:
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada release BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Friday, March 17, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Canada)
You know you’ve been waiting for this! Right in time for the long weekend comes this brand new Trailer for STAR TREK BEYOND!
Synopsis:
“Star Trek Beyond,” the highly anticipated next installment in the globally popular Star Trek franchise, created by Gene Roddenberry and reintroduced by J.J. Abrams in 2009, returns with director Justin Lin (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise) at the helm of this epic voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her intrepid crew. In “Beyond,” the Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.
See the Teaser:
Paramount Pictures release STAR TREK BEYOND Friday, July 22, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
Paramount Pictures Canada + Mr. Will want to take Readers in Toronto to see TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS! The screening takes place Tuesday, May 24, 2016. And guess what? Stephen Amell will be there!
Synopsis:
Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
Watch the Trailer:
Artwork:
To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK.
G’luck, Willionaire$!
Can’t take a chance? You can buy tickets to tomorrow night’s screening here!
Paramount Pictures Canada release TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Friday, June 3, 2016.
(Photo/video credit: Paramount Pictures Canada)
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