#CSA: JACOB TREMBLAY, EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI, EUGENE LEVY, CATHERINE O’HARA, LYRIQ BENT, ADAM BEACH + MORE STARS IN BEVERLY HILLS FOR “AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS”

Now in its third thriving year, AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS was held last night at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.  Leading into the Academy Awards and Canadian Screen Week, the Gala honours Canadian accomplishments in Cinema during Awards Season and if any year, this was the year to celebrate. The Gala is brought to us by Telefilm Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles.

Canada notched over 20 nominations at the Academy Awards this year and one Technical Achievement Award! This also marks the first time ever Canada has had two Films in the running for Best Picture, with Canadian Co-Productions ROOM and BROOKLYN both being nominated.

It was an at-capacity crowd as Canadian talent and notables filled the venue.  Being honoured with the Academy‘s Legacy Award are two iconic Canadian screen veterans, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy, whom after making us laugh many years on SCTV, still continue to do so on CBC Series, Schitt’s Creek.  Both walked the Carpet tonight with their loved ones before taking the stage to accept their honours.

The fashion was bold and elegant on the Red Carpet with presenter Emmanuelle Chriqui in a gorgeous red and white floral print dress making a subtle Canadian statement.  Amanda Brugel was a vision in wavy white, reminding us again what a triumph she was in ROOM as a quick thinking police officer who helps save the day.  Laura Vandervoort simply never disappoints and chose a fashion-forward pink lace number. Katie Boland was a stunner in a magenta dress, looking classic and chic. Missy Peregrym continues to rock our world with her amazing choices including a dyed pixie cut and short black dress shirt-like number.  Academy Award-nominated Shoreh Aghdashloo was effortlessly chic in simple, flattering red. Stealing the entire show though was dapper Jacob Tremblay, star of ROOM in a perfectly-tailored and patriotic red suit which had us both jealous and in “awww”.  Did we mention his swoon-worthy police detective dad Jason was there too? Effortlessly cool in a non-stagedad way.

Why don’t you be the judge of that?  Let’s gawk at some of that Canadian beauty which the World can’t seem to get enough of:

Presenters Lyriq Bent + Emmanuelle Chriqui

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Lyriq Bent

Legacy Award honourees Catherine O’Hara + Eugene Levy

Catherine O’Hara + Guest

Eugene Levy

Jacob Tremblay + Amanda Brugel

Adam Beach

Missy Peregrym

Amanda Brugel

Toronto Mayor John Tory + Guests

Sarah Blackwood of Walk Off the Earth

David Sutcliffe

Dustin Milligan

George Stroumboulopoulous with Air Canada‘s Bambina Marcello + Robert Trudeau

Katie Boland

Meaghan Rath

Olivia Cheng

Martin Katz, Academy Chair

Aaron Poole

Sophie Tweed-Simmons

Laura Vandervoort

Ben Mulroney

Dan Levy

Stephan Moccio (co-wrote “Earned It” by The Weeknd for Fifty Shades of Grey)

Shoreh Aghdashloo

Co-Presenter  (and Canadian Screen Award Nominee) Lyriq Bent sums-up the spirit of An Evening with Canada’s Stars best by telling the room “We’ve got to show the world what we’re all about because that’s what it takes to be great. We need to understand ourselves before we need others to understand us.”. After he and Chriqui called to stage all Canadian Academy Award Nominees this year, last but not least was the brilliant young star of ROOM himself, Tremblay. “I need you all to understand – this is the future generation. This is why when we see talent, we need to embrace talent, not just tell him how great he is, but to show this young man what it is to be a good man. That’s our responsibility in this industry.”.

Suicide Squad star Adam Beach, who also presented, had a two or thing to say about Tremblay too!

See the Video:

So everybody was trying to crash this Party!

Canadian Screen Week runs Monday, March 7 through Sunday, March 13, 2016, the night of the Canadian Screen Awards.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

#EDITORSNOTE: MR. WILL AT AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS!

Willionaire$!  I’m thrilled to announce that for a second time, I have the great honour of being invited to Beverly Hills, California to attend AN EVENING WITH CANADA’S STARS!  The Gala pays tribute to Canadian accomplishments in Awards Season and Honorees, Winners and Nominees will be in attendance. It is now in its third year, brought to us by Telefilm Canada, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles.

We can all agree that Canada’s had a phenomenal year.  Did you know that Academy Award Best Picture Nominees ROOM and BROOKLYN are Co-Canadian productions?  Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada points out that this is the first time Canada ever has had two productions in-the-running for Best Picture. ROOM was filmed entirely in our City, also premiering in our City at TIFF ’15 to People’s Choice Award success at the Festival, propelling Writer Emma Donoughue, Director Lenny Abrahamson, Actor Jacob Tremblay and Actress Brie Larson onto a massively-successful Awards Season trail. Let us not forget Toronto’s The Weeknd who is up for Best Original Song for Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) and also our Rachel McAdams’ Supporting Actress nomination for Toronto-filmed SPOTLIGHT – seen widely as a frontrunner for Best Picture.  Canada plays a more pivotal role in Hollywood and the international stage than one might think.

James Villeneuve, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles says, “Canada’s talent—on screen and behind the scenes—is a sign of the strength of the entire range of Canadian creative industries. It’s a great moment to celebrate our filmmakers’ achievements and keep building on the momentum of our successful partnerships in the US and elsewhere.”

Taking place at the prestigious Four Seasons on Thursday, February 25, 2016 4-7 PM PST, the affair promises to be a star-studded one.  Expected this year are the likes of: Amanda Crew, Tricia Helfer, Greyston Holt, Jonathan Keltz, Brett Dier, Amanda Plummer, Sarah Rafferty, Maxim Roy, Jacob Tremblay, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Anna Silk, David Sutcliffe and Laura Vandervoort. Lyriq Bent, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Adam Beach, who will soon be seen in Suicide Squad, will be presenting.

Both Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara will be honoured that night with an Academy Legacy Award.

Past attendees include Eric McCormack, Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Suzanne Somers, Kathleen Robertson, Wendy Crewson, Lyndie Greenwood, Norm Jewison, Jason Priestley and Academy Award winner Craig Mann (whom I was classmates with in Music Keyboarding back at St. Mary!).

While this is our second time ever visiting Hollywood, we are thrilled to appear on SIRIUS XM as radio veteran Todd Shapiro brings THE TODD SHAPIRO SHOW show to Los Angeles through March, discussing Awards Season. Stay tuned for times as we’d love it if you tuned-in!

An Evening with Canada’s Stars takes place in advance of Canadian Screen Week festivities, running Monday, March 7, culminating in the Canadian Screen Awards Sunday, March 13, 2016.  We’ll definitely be there! More here.

Stay tuned for all the Red Carpet excitement!

Mr. Will