It was a great honour, courtesy of Hollywood Suite, to celebrate the Toronto Film Critics’ Association Awards tonight. The Awards Gala taking place for the first time ever at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel, brought together Toronto’s tight-knit group of industry insiders, honouring the Association’s best selections in Cinema this past year. Guests dined on a sumptuous meal from the renowned establishment which has hosted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, The Beatles, Helen Mirren and several more.

Host Cameron Bailey of TIFF, began the evening paying tribute to those who lost their lives in yesterday’s Boeing 737 plane crash in Iran, 138 who were Toronto-bound. The audience paused for a moment of silence. Bailey asked the audience, “Who will tell their stories, who will speak?”.

While several winners and runners-up were unveiled back in December, much anticipation was built around the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, a $100,000 prize going to a Canadian Filmmaker as a testament to the organization’s commitment to nurturing homegrown talent. Literary icon Margaret Atwood was on-hand to present the Award.

Finalists were:

The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open directed by Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (levelFilm)
Antigone directed by Sophie Deraspe (Maison 4:3)
Firecrackers directed by Jasmin Mozaffari (levelFilm)

The Award was won by The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, co-directed by the Vancouver Duo of Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. Tailfeathers tells the audience, “The rate of indigenous women being murdered (seven times as great as non-indigenous women)  isn’t changing and the Film is about two women who live with that reality every day. Despite that, they find love and strength.”. She adds, “The beautiful reviews we received from Critics, particularly female Critics,  made the audience want to come see the Film. Canadians care about the Story and the Film.”.

Other winners announced previously:

BEST PICTURE
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
The Irishman (Netflix)
Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems (Netflix)
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)

BEST ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o, Us (Universal)
Runners-up:
Renée Zellweger, Judy (eOne)
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Runners-up:
Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse (VVS Films)
Joe Pesci, The Irishman (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern, Marriage Story (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Florence Pugh, Little Women (Sony)
Julia Fox, Uncut Gems (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman (Netflix)
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story (Netflix)

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL
The Irishman by Steven Zaillian from the book by Charles Brandt (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Parasite by Bong Joon-ho (MK2)
Marriage Story by Noah Baumbach (Netflix)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Booksmart directed by Olivia Wilde (eOne)
Runners-up:
Atlantics directed by Mati Diop (Netflix)
Queen & Slim directed by Melina Matsoukas (eOne)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Missing Link (Laika)
Runners-up:
Toy Story 4 (Disney/Pixar)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal)
Frozen 2 (Disney)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite (MK2)
Runners-up:
Pain and Glory (Mongrel Media)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (MK2)

ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD
American Factory (Netflix)
Runners-up:
Apollo 11 (Elevation Pictures)
The Cave (Mongrel Media)

See some Snaps from the night:

Kathleen Hepburn x Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Co-Directors – The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

Chris Butler, Director – Missing Link

Margaret Atwood, Presenter

Cameron Bailey, Host

Amanda Brugel, Presenter

Lina Rodriguez, Recipient of $50,000 grant from Techniolor Clyde Gilmour Award recipient Michèle Maheux

Deragh Campbell with the $10,000 Stella Artois Jay Scott Prize for an Emerging Artist

Victor Stiff, RBC TFCA Emerging Critic Award Winner

Team Touchwood PR including: Shima Madjpour, Betty Dang, Chelsea Cabello, Keira Hunt, Lauren DeRush, Alma Parvizian, Hayley Graham, Judy Lung, Susan Smythe-Bishop, Andréa Grau x Jennifer Rashwan

Team Taro PR (Tamar Gibbert, Brianna Hurley x Robyn Mogil) with Critic Bonnie Laufer Krebs

Team Warner Bros. Canada (Akasha Di Tomasso, Tracy McGowan x Anna Perelman)

Carrie Wolfe, Kate Parkes (Elevation Pictures) x Claire Peace-McConnell (VVS Films)

Natalie Petozzi (eOne Films) x Cat Simmonds (Elevation Pictures)

Team Allied Integrated (Trista Tsuke, Matthew Celestial x Shane Jackpaul)

Team Disney (Katya Kwiatkowski, Charlotte Cuttle)

Sofia Piwosz, Film Critic Radheyan Simonpillai x Victoria Gormley (Rock-it Promotions)

Jen Mcneely (She Does the City) x Jen Kirsch (Freelance Writer- Toronto Star, Hello Canada)

David Voigt (In the Seats)

Hollywood Suite’s Alicia Fletcher, Cameron Maitland x Julie Kumaria

Hollywood Suite’s Ellen Baine x Julie Kumaria

Hollywood Suite’s David Kines x Photographer George Pimentel

Ally La Mere (Route 504 PR)

Awards Season culminates in the Academy Awards, which take place Sunday, February 9, 2020, airing 8 PM ET on ABC. Nominees will be unveiled Monday, January 13, 2020.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Sony Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers across Canada a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see FANTASY ISLAND. One lucky winner gets a $50 Cineplex Gift Card!

Synopsis:
In BLUMHOUSE’S FANTASY ISLAND, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.

See the Trailer:

To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and indicate your City. Re-Tweet this Contest Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance.

Rules and regulations here.

Sony Pictures Canada release FANTASY ISLAND Friday, February 14, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Katie Holmes! Check-out this new Trailer for Doll Horror, BRAHMS: THE BOY II!

Synopsis:
Unaware of the terrifying history of Heelshire Mansion, a young family moves into a guesthouse on the estate where their young son soon makes an unsettling new friend, an eerilylife-like doll he calls Brahms.

See the Trailer:

Elevation Pictures release BRAHMS: THE BOY II February 21, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

Filmed right here in Toronto, LOCKE & KEY is set to premiere next month on Netflix!

Synopsis:
Based on the best-selling graphic novels, Locke & Key follows 3 siblings who, after the murder of their father, move to their ancestral home only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities.

See the Trailer:

LOCKE & KEY Season 1 premieres on Netflix Friday, February 7, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Netflix)

One thing’s clear. After all this time, fans still are crazy about BREAKING BAD! Sony Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES on Blu-ray! The Collection is a $110 CAN value and one lucky Reader will win it all!

Synopsis:
Breaking Bad follows protagonist Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife (Anna Gunn) and teenage son (RJ Mitte) who has cerebral palsy. White is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of two years left to live. With a new sense of fearlessness based on his medical prognosis, and a desire to secure his family’s financial security, White chooses to enter a dangerous world of drugs and crime and ascends to power in the world. The series explores how a fatal diagnosis such as White‘s releases a typical man from the daily concerns and constraints of normal society and follows his transformation from mild family man to a kingpin of the drug trade.

Trailer:

Official Product:

To enter to win this amazing prize, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. You can double-up your chances by clicking “share” on this Post via @mrwillw on Twitter. You must be following on both channels.

Rules and regulations here.

BREAKING BAD: THE COMPLETE SERIES is now in stores.

Buy it here.

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

After garnering much acclaim out of TIFF ’19, Destin Daniel Cretton‘s JUST MERCY is soon to hit theatres. The powerful Drama based on a true story about one man’s wrongful conviction and the lawyer who went to battle for him in a history-making fight for justice. The Film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson.

See the Trailer:

For a limited time only, Toronto will get a chance to witness the #JustMercyNOW Experience courtesy of Warner Bros. Canada and Innocence Canada. The latter since its inception has successfully exonerated 23 innocent people put who were imprisoned.

The installation gives us a peak what it’s like to be in an inmate visitation area, while hearing true stories of wrongful conviction told by the brilliant Cast of Just Mercy and advocate George Stroumboulopoulos.

WHEN: Open to the public from January 7 to 9 from 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Brookfield Place (concourse level)

See some Snaps of the #JustMercyNOW Experience:

Can’t make it out? Listen to some of these powerful stories:

Michael B. Jordan

Brie Larson

Jamie Foxx

JUST MERCY is in theatres everywhere Friday, January 10, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Warner Bros. Canada)

Check-out the brand-new Trailer for THE NEW MUTANTS, a new Horror-Thriller starring Maisie Williams and Anya Taylor-Joy, directed by Josh Boone.

Synopsis:
Twentieth Century Fox in association with Marvel Entertainment presents “The New Mutants,” an original Horror Thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.

See the Trailer:

20th Century Fox Canada release #NewMutants Friday, April 2, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox Canada)

The Golden Globe Awards took place tonight at the Beverly Hilton, honouring together the best in Television and Cinema in one star-studded affair. The Awards for the first-time ever, served guests an all-vegan menu with Climate Change being front and center in discussion. Funnyman Ricky Gervais hosted a fifth and final time and once again nobody was spared of his biting humour, whether it be Leonardo DiCaprio being teased for his young girlfriends, The Irishman being too long or everyone as a whole being sent-off for the evening to go enjoy their booze and drugs, which failed to be caught by NBC Censors.

ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD  took home three scores including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Best Motion Picture Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino) and Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Brad Pitt).

Sam Mendes’ 1917 would win Best Director in a Motion Picture and also Best Motion Picture – Drama. The Film gets a wide release next week.

JOKER would be awarded Best Original Score in a Motion Picture, in addition to heavy favourite Joaquin Phoenix winning for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Renée Zellweger as predicted, would take Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama after a 17-year absence from the ceremony.

In a couple surprises, ROCKETMAN also took home two Golden Globes, for Best Song with (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical (Taron Egerton). For Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, Awkwafina would pull-off the upset winning for her performance in universally-acclaimed The Farewell.

HBO‘s SUCCESSION and Amazon‘s FLEABAG were both the big winners in the Television categories. The former took Best TV Series Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series Drama (Brian Cox). The latter took Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy and Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). In addition to starring in Flebag, Waller-Bridge also wrote the Series, based on her one-woman Play.

Saturday Night Live‘s Kate McKinnon presented Ellen DeGeneres the Carol Burnett Award and reflected on how DeGeneres paved the way for her as a gay woman in Entertainment. “She risked her entire life to tell the truth. If I hadn’t seen her, I wouldn’t be on TV.”. DeGeneres when accepting her Award told the audience, “The real power in Television is not that people watch my Show, but that people watch my show and are inspired to put some of that into their own lives.”.

Charlize Theron presented the Cecil B. DeMille Award to screen veteran Tom Hanks to a standing ovation, recounting how he gave her one of her first big breaks auditioning for 1996’s That Thing You Do and giving her a second chance with a five minute break after being what she called “a sweaty mess”. A tearful Hanks gave thanks to his wife Rita Wilson and five children, stating “They are a loving group of people who put-up me with me being away months and months at a time. I can’t tell you what your love means to me.”. He credits his peers, stating “You’re a dope if you don’t steal from the ones you work with – I’ve worked with many who are known by one name like Meryl, Denzel and Antonio“.  He shares a bit of advice based on his years of experience, saying “Showing-up on-time is one of the greatest liberating acts you can give others in a Movie, because when the time comes you have to hit all the marks and go there.”.

There were several winning looks on the Red Carpet including a glamorous red Vera Wang dress donned by Scarlett Johannson. Nicole Kidman also came in red, appearing every bit a Movie Star in Versace. Rising Star Ana de Armas sparkled like a sapphire in Ralph & Russo at her first-ever Globes appearance.  Jennifer Lopez drew a lot of divided opinions on Social Media with her gold bow dress by Valentino.

Complete list of winners here.

The Oscars air Sunday, February 9, 2020, 8 PM EST on ABC. Nominees will be announced Monday, January 13, 2020.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

In advance of his new Docu-Series on YouTube, SEASONS comes Justin Bieber‘s new Single, YUMMY. We actually like the vibe of this. Looking forward to this new chapter!

Listen here:

(Photo/video credit: Universal Music)

For a third straight week it’s all about STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER with a take of $37 million from 4,406 theatres for Disney. This brings its run in North America to $454 million.

In second is JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL with $24.5 million from 4,134 theatres for Sony Pictures.

Third goes to THE GRUDGE with $13 million from 2,642 theatres also for Sony Pictures. The Reboot gets an F CinemaScore and 19% on the Tomatometer. Franchise best still goes to 2004’s original with $39.1 million and a #1 debut.

Fourth is LITTLE WOMEN with $12 million, a healthy $58 million over two weeks domestically for Sony Pictures.

UNCUT GEMS gets eighth spot with $5.8 million from 2,686 theatres for A24/Netflix.

CATS is at the bottom of the Top Ten with $2.5 million for Universal Pictures in its second week out.