It’s Will Wong season, everyone! We are delighted to be back and at it in our thriving season as tiff50 is before us! We are so grateful for your many years of support. Having a loyal, passionate readership and following makes it all so worthwhile and we promise not to let you down! Team Mr. Will is ready to go, ready to deliver you reviews of all the hottest films to present at the Festival, and also stars, big and emerging to visit for the Festival!

Be sure to follow for all the updates:

Dave Baldwin (@dmabaldwin)

Amanda Gilmore (@gilmoreamanda)

Justin Waldman (@dubsreviews)

Nicholas Porteous (@picolas)

Mr. Will (@mrwillwong)

We are thrilled to present to you our amazing official partners for the Festival this year. We wouldn’t be able to bring you the Festival at the scale we do without their generosity and support. And there just might be something in it for you guys too! That’s why you need to be following on FB, IG and X.

CP24 – This will mark our 16th year contributing to CP24’s TIFF coverage. Stay tuned to Southwestern Ontario’s leading news channel for our exclusive sightings and updates, and as always we will be appearing live throughout the Festival. There may even be a beanie sighting! We’ll be on multiple times, starting with appearances on August 31, 2025 on Live at 5, September 4, 2025 and September 9, 2025 in the morning.

GOOGLE PIXEL & GEMINI LIVE – Google Pixel is an official partner of TIFF ’25 and we are thrilled also to using this wonderphone for our TIFF coverage, including those “world famous selfies”! Together with its Circle Search to see what celebs are wearing (and hence, finding affordable dupes) and also Magic Editor to remove unwanted distractions from photos, this is the perfect phone for us! The star of the show will be Gemini Live on our phone, will help us quickly whip together a schedule for TIFF, plus which films suit our personal preferences!

HONDA CANADA – We are teaming-up with our friends at Honda Canada to drive a 2025 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid this year at TIFF. Where will our chariot take us? We soon will see! The midsize luxury sedan with a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, 16-Valve DOHC with Dual Variable Timing Control (VTC) engine, Luxury and purpose, a perfect drive for our every day and hectic lifestyle. Incredible fuel economy at 5.0/5.7/5.3 litres/100 km and a litany of active and passive safety features.

STARBUCKS CANADA – We are proud to partner once again with our longtime supporters once again. TIFF and PSL Season are synonymous with one another! The PSL is back for its 22nd year at Starbucks, while TIFF is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Fun fact – The PSL is the #1 limited-time offering in Starbucks history. New to the Fall menu this year are the Pecan Oat Cortado & Mini Everything Bagels!

HARBOUR SIXTY – This Toronto icon is known as THE SPOT that stars go to while in the City, to enjoy the creations of Chef Solomon Mason and team. After a gorgeous renovation and the introduction of new event spaces and superb Italian by Ariana, this icon is reborn and better than ever! Exceptional beef, ambience, and a top-tier dining experience.

FICOA – Situated in the heart of Little Italy, FICOA is re-defining Latin cuisine with an inspired flare under Chef Esau Garcia (Madrina Bar y Tapas), who is known for his Michelin-recognized work. Brunch, A la Carte and Tasting Menus are available, with a strong focus on their outstanding cocktails.

RADICI PROJECT – Also in Little Italy and founded by culinary power couple Chef Emiliano Del Frate (Don Alfonso) and Kayo Ito (Nobu), this beautiful spot fuses Italian and Japanese influences together for exquisite tasing experiences and more!

HELLO NORI – This sensation from BC quickly have made a splash in Toronto since arriving earlier this year, expanding already to a third location in the bustling downtown core. They are one of our favourites for delicious, elevated and fuss-free dining. We will never turn down a hand roll and nobody is doing it better than them! Their house Sake and Draft Matcha also are luscious.

OEB BREAKFAST CO. – The Brunch authority from Calgary has found a welcome home in Toronto, with two thriving locations in the City already. In addition, they are a returning official TIFF hospitality partner again this year. Hands down, our favourite spot to brunch at with the most drool-worthy poutines, blue plates, benedicts, and more.

ETIKET – After some amazing results last TIFF, we are delighted to partner again with this amazing results-driven skincare spa and boutique, selling rare and hard-to-find beauty products and fragrances. Proudly hailing from Montreal, and located at Toronto’s THE WELL, this is an experience unlike no other. Being able to go into the Festival with a fresh face gives us rejuvenation and confidence to approach this very hectic time.

SHEIN – This marks our first time collaborating with this online fashion giant, which has propelled to the forefront these past few years. Even before collaborating with them, I could not resist their chic designs and inclusive sizing. beanie even sports SHEIN. We look forward to showing-off some of our TIFF ’25 looks for you.

PALM SUNDAY – Combining technology, innovation and artistry, this hair salon on Harbord Street delivers not just a look, but a statement! They offer scalp assessments for individual scalp care, transformational hair cuts and colouring.

MANDY’S – The salad queens from Montreal continue to revolutionize the way Torontonians are eating, and well they are eating. Now serving breakfast, and also starring Smoothies, Bowls, and the best cookies too! Three very popular locations in Toronto, and two more to come!

Our top tips to surviving TIFF50!

We told you there’d be something it it for everyone! One lucky reader will walk away a grand prize winner. Not only will we hand-deliver your prize to you during the Festival, you will win:

-$200 The Radici Project Gift Card
-$150 Ficoa Gift Card
-$100 Hello Nori Gift Card
-A VIP Brunch for 2 at OEB Breakfast Co.
-$25 Mandy’s Salads Gift Card
-$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
-Oversize Tote Bag from SHEIN

A value of over $650 CAN!

Throughout the Festival, stay tuned to our social media as there will be additional opportunities to win a $250 gift card at Harbour Sixty, $25 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards, and an OEB Breakfast Co. VIP Brunch as well! You won’t want to miss this!

To enter to win MR. WILL’S TIFF ’25 SURVIVAL PACK, “like” this post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, IG or X. Tag a friend in the comments you’ll share some of the goodies with. Multiple entries permitted. You MUST be following on Social Media.

You must be in the Greater Toronto Area or willing to coordinate a visit to pick-up your prize. You must be following on these channels.

Rules and regulations here.

It’s little wonder why it was selected 2025 North American Car of the Year. The 2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid is a masterclass in fuel-efficiency, packing so much versatility and purpose in its compact size. Make no mistake though, fuel efficiency doesn’t mean you are getting any less power here. It is all about sporty performance as well! We had the chance to test drive this in a classic Solar Silver Metallic.

Summer 2025 will be known as our busiest event season yet. We were so fortunate to have this as our sidekick through it all. Before we know it, TIFF will be here and we we truly wonder where our Summer went!

This front-wheel drive Civic features a two-motor hybrid system, producing combined 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque, paired with an eCVT (electro-Continuously Variable Transmission). It has a 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder engine with 16-Valve DOHC with Dual Variable Timing Control (VTC).

The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring‘s feels like a premium vehicle despite its focus on economy, giving plenty of value for the dollar. It comes with four driving modes: ECON / Normal / Sport / Individual, with a dream fuel economy of 4.7/5.1/4.9 L/100 km. We could get used to this as our everyday ride!

It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and we were lucky to get them in machine finish, available for Sport Touring only. In keeping a consistent aesthetic, headlamp garnish and front lower spoiler are body-coloured.

We didn’t mind the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid‘s synthetic leather/fabric seat material. It has a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and sport pedals. Absent though were seat coolers and heaters which trust me, are things we missed after experiencing them in other models.

We do love its one-touch power moonroof and in keeping with Honda’s care for the passenger, dual-zone automatic climate control is available in this model, which is just perfect. We enjoy the look of its interior honeycomb grille.

This sedan has you covered with multiple airbags, blind spot information, cross traffic monitor, rear seat reminder, Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, plus Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control, a must here in Ontario as we get all the extremes here. One cool feature is its smart entry system. So say for example, you place your keys in your trunk. The trunk door will refuse to close so long as the key is in the trunk. This is innovation!

Connecting to Bluetooth is a breeze as the Civic Sport Touring Hybrid is enabled for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are many charging options (USB-C), plus also super-handy wireless charging. Audio system is complete in this model with 12 speakers, including subwoofer. And we could totally hear the difference via HD Radio.

This is designed for our every day, and probably has propelled-up to one of our new favourites from the Honda family.

Some highlights from our Test Drive:

The 2025 Honda Civic Sport Touring Hybrid starts at $40,562 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It was a celebratory week and we are thrilled the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid was our test drive partner, proving again why this compact SUV Crossover continues to be a topseller. We celebrated Pride, Canada Day and the Fourth of July supporting businesses, attending socials and we may have seen a few famous faces along the way! Upon picking-up our partner, we were thrilled to see Honda Canada celebrating Pride month with a CR-V decked-out in all colours of the rainbow at their corporate office. It means so much to be seen by partners we value so much.

Powered by a 1.5-litre inline 4-cylinder engine with Turbocharge, including16-Valve DOHC with Dual Variable Timing Control (VTC), and Direct Injection, the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid is fuss-free, perfect for every driving and tasks. It is major power at 190 combined horsepower, while feeling firm. The CR-V is true versatility and it is little wonder why it continues to be a topseller for Honda.

Not only is it performance, it is economical with idle stop and a fuel economy of 8.4/7.1/7.8 litres/100 km on front-wheel drive, and also 9.1/7.6/8.4 litres/100 km on all-wheel drive. While it has four driving modes: NORMAL/SPORTS/SNOW/ECON, the latter really ensures you get plenty of bang for your dollar. There’s also Eco Assist™ too!

The CR-V is loaded with premium fixtures and luxuries which give it added value beyond its price point. Whether it be its one-touch power moonroof, seat warmers (heated steering wheel too!), dual-climate control with air-filtration system, and also vents for second row passengers, Honda continuously shows that little things are actually big things once you realize others don’t have them! The Driver gets cozy 8-way power seat adjustment, including 2-way power lumbar support, while front passenger gets 4 ways to adjust, manually. The ventilation system was actually quite powerful, coming in super-handy during this heatwave on our road trip. We know that because miss beanie got the AC in the back row – not a pant to be heard along our drive!

Coming with a proximity key entry system with pushbutton start, remote engine start, walk-away door lock might seem like an afterthought when buying a car, but they are things that enhance your day, giving you less to ponder and worry about. It even has Driver Attention Monitor in case you yourself need a little steering! We’ve all been there!

The CR-V Hybrid comes with a handy Maintenance Minder™ system, illuminated steering wheel-mounted controls, and the ever-important multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines. The latter making just about anyone a pro-parallel parker. Its 9″ touchscreen display makes it all so easy and what we enjoyed about this test drive is when reversing for example, the view of the camera didn’t overlay the entire screen. You could still see other pertinent details with a part of the screen showing your view reversing. This is something new!

HD Radio™, SiriusXM™, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto are all available as well, ensuring you stay connected and are entertained during your drive, through its four speakers. That might be less than some of the others we’ve test-driven for Honda, but it was more than enough! We love an abundance of charging options, especially a car that still has USB-A ports! The CR-V Hybrid also gives you and your passengers wireless charging, USB-C as well.

Safety is a major priority and you get exactly that here with passive safety features like: 3-point seat belts at all seating positions, Childproof rear door locks, Driver’s and front passenger’s advanced front airbags (SRS), Rear outboard passengers’ side airbags, Seat belt reminder for all seating positions, and Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor.

Active safety features in the CRV-Hybrid include: 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System3 (ABS), Brake Assist, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist3 (VSA®) with Traction Control, Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, Driver’s and front passenger’s knee airbags (SRS), Driver’s and front passenger’s front side airbags, Front and outboard rear 3-point seat belts with automatic tensioning system, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH): Lower Anchors (2nd-row outboard), Tether Anchors (2nd-row all), Rear Seat Reminder4 (RSR), HondaLink™ Assist Automatic Emergency Response System, Rear privacy-tinted glass, and theft immobilizer.

Re-live our Pride, Canada Day, and Fourth of July adventures in the 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid with us!

The 2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid starts at $40,111 CAN, hitting all the marks for that incredible price point!

More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It’s hard to believe it was just a few years back we were sitting at home in isolation, dreaming of being out in the real world again. That time is now definitely here and we have been busier than ever, hence a perfect time to partner up with the 2025 HONDA PILOT BLACK EDITION as a sidekick for a wondrous test drive!

It has felt like back to back events in the City with Daylight Savings Time in effect and longer days giving everyone a reason to celebrate and be more social. Whether it be premieres, openings, the Disney Snow White Exhibit at Casa Loma, Toronto Comicon, or even a luxurious weekend getaway, the Pilot is truly just as versatile as we are.

What defines a Black Edition? Most of its characteristics are aesthetic: The Honda Black Edition is a trim level, primarily for the Pilot, that features a blacked-out exterior with gloss black accents, along with a red-accented interior with perforated leather seats and red stitching.

We were paired with a very eye-catching Pilot in Radiant Red Metallic II, and while this certainly wasn’t our first time driving one, it certainly felt like even more spacious than ever with a cargo of 3175 L first row, 1702 L second, and the option of a third row with 635 L. This midsize SUV is ready for any haul, large or small. Everything about the Pilot is BIG, starting with its horsepower at 285 @ 6100, and 24-valve DOHC with Dual Variable Timing Control (VTC) engine, which includes Eco Assist™ system, Idle-stop, operating on just REGULAR fuel. Strength needs a bit more fuel, but its fuel economy 12.7/9.4/11.2 L/100 km is quite reasonable. And let’s not forget its litany of different driving modes: Sport, Normal, Econ, Snow, Tow, Trail, Sand! All this at the touch of a pushbutton start.

Everything about the Pilot exudes an elevated experience, starting with its ambient tinted panoramic moonroof. It comes with a BOSE® Premium Sound System with 12 speakers including subwoofer; a 9″ touchscreen display; ready for SiriusXM, easily connectable with Bluetooth; enabled for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; plus many charging options including wireless charging and 1x USB-A & 1x USB-C (Front) 2x USB-C (2nd row) 2x USB-C (3rd row). We found the configuration of the sound system a bit bassy, so had to bring out the treble a bit more to our taste. But like we said, everything about the Pilot is BIG so obviously more bass. We hear you, we see you Honda.

It also comes with 20″ aluminum-alloy, Gloss Black wheels, which look sophisticated, and P255/50 R20 105H All-Season tires. The Driver’s seat has 10-way power adjustment including power lumbar support, and front passenger gets 4-way adjustment. Seating is leather-trimmed, perforated with red stitch and everyone in the front row gets the option of heating or cooling seats, a must in extreme Canadian weather.

The Pilot is incredibly thoughtful, keeping in mind Driver and passenger convenience with many nice-to-haves. It is blessed with an Acoustic windshield, plus Acoustic glass (front doors); Active Noise Cancellation (ANC); Ambient lighting (also in a striking red); Auto-dimming rearview mirror; Body-coloured front and rear parking sensors; a CabinTalk in-car PA system (through speakers); Steering-wheel (which is heated by the way) mounted controls – illuminated nonetheless;  Immobilizer theft-deterrent system; Maintenance Minder system; Multi-angle review camera with dynamic guidelines (you can even see an birdseye view as you reverse out of a parking spot!); rear camera washer; Multi-view camera system with front and rear camera washer (handy especially in the winter); and Smart Entry with Walk-Away Auto Lock.

With the option of a third row of passengers, the Pilot extends its care to everyone with Tri-zone automatic climate control with humidity control and an air-filtration system so that everyone is comfortable.

Driver Assist options with the Pilot include: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (HS*); Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) (HS*); Blind Spot Information (BSI) system; Hill Descent Control; Hill Start Assist; Rear Cross Traffic Monitor system; Traffic sign recognition (handy in strictly-monitored areas with schools and steep fines); and Traffic Jam Assist. It’s always nice to have a friend look-out for you even when you are driving alone.

Active Safety features with the Pilot include: 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist; Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS®) (HS*); Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system (HS*); Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system (HS*); Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system (HS*); Rear seat reminder (can’t forget our little beanie or that bag of groceries in the back!); Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with tire fill assist; Trailer Stability Assist; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control. Honda‘s level of detail and preparation for your safety are unmatched.

Just in case you’re not convinced, the Pilot‘s Passive Safety features are highlighted by: Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE™) body structure; Advanced front airbags; HondaLink Assist Automatic Emergency Response System; SmartVent side airbags; Driver’s and passenger’s side knee airbag; and a three-row side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system.

A top of its class midsize SUV ready for anything life throws your way!

Some highlights from our Test Drive in the 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition:

The 2025 Honda Pilot Black Edition starts at $68,236 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It was a birthday week to remember, test driving the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport. It’s no mystery that the Accord is one of our beloved favourites in the Honda family. This midsize Sedan is the perfect drive, the perfect median between luxury and economy without ever sacrificing style. Our test ride was am ever-eyecatching Radiant Red Metallic.

The biggest selling point of all here is an unparalleled Fuel Economy 5.0/5.7/5.3 l/100 km (City/Highway/Combined). We were so pleasantly surprised not only how smooth and quiet our drives were, but also how little they cost! One day during our test drive we decided to cross the border to Buffalo from Toronto’s east end on a full tank of gas, only paying $17 US to fill our tank on the way back! That was incredible!

The Accord Hybrid Sport operates on a 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC with dual variable timing control (VTC) 4-cylinder engine and runs at a combined 204 total horsepower. The Driver gets a multitude of options to drive in: ECON, Normal, Sport and Individual drive toggle modes.

One new unique thing I noticed here was the traffic sign recognition. While this feature is nothing new, an upgrade has been done in this generation where when you are crossing the US border, the speedometer converts for you the American speed limit with a red marking, making it easier than ever to ensure you are driving at a safe speed and within parameters.

Above this, the Accord Hybrid Sport is filled to the brim with features we love.  The moonroof makes our daily drivers that much better. But simple and subtle things like assisted opening trunk, proximity entry, pushbutton start, multi-angle rearview camera, Maintenance Minder™,  driver attention monitor (it let me know a couple times when I was getting fatigued on the long drives!) and dual-zone automatic climate control with air-filtration system have gone from nice-to-haves to must-haves today for us.

Entertainment wise, the ride boasts a gorgeous 12.3-inch colour touchscreen Display Audio System with 8 speakers. This looks rather superb and we love the new split-screen option when using Android Auto, making it easy to toggle between playlists on Spotify, while navigating with Google Maps all at once. Genius! Another new update is that we love that when we input a destination on Google Maps using Android Auto, right away there is an indicator that tells us how much fuel you are saving using ECON mode when you input your destination. Also, it also will tell you ahead what parking avails in the area surroudning your destination are like, i.e. EASY or DIFFICULT. Throughout your drives, you’ll notice how much more interactive they are, with notifications popping-up asking you if there are stalled vehicles, slowdowns, etc. are still impacting your routes. This can be good for some, but foreseeably a nuisance if you are trying to stay focussed on driving.

There are some minor downsides that we must highlight with the Accord Hybrid Sport. We were a little baffled at the lack of USB charging ports, this latest model preferring USB-C charging ports only, meaning you have to purchase new cables to charge if you don’t have this type already. This, and no wireless charging option was available as well. This model has no driver’s seat memory position – which though not a dealbreaker, can be a bit of a hurdle for some. The Driver does get 8-way power adjustment with lumbar support still and heated seating is available in the front row.

We definitely missed having automatic lock when walking away from the vehicle here, and there were a lack of beverage holders (things got a little messy with a hot coffee!) and charging ports for our backseat passengers. This was a little uncharacteristic of the care and intuition that Honda usually shows our passengers’ needs. Seats also are in sport fabric versus the usual leather trim – again not a huge deal but might not be ideal for some.

One thing Honda doesn’t sacrifice here though is its thorough safety features. Passive Safety features here include: 3-point front seat belts with automatic tensioning system; Front knee airbags (SRS); Rear side airbags; HondaLink™ Assist Automatic Emergency Response System; Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system; SmartVent™ side airbags; Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH); Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; and Childproof rear door locks.

Actve Safety features here include: 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); Auto high beam headlights Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®);  Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system; Hill Start Assist; Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system; Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system2; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control; and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

More highlights from our Birthday Week Test Drive:

In all an amazing ride that more than ever focuses on smoothness and economy and we’re here for it! The 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport starts at $43,400 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

And that’s a wrap! What a wonderful TIFF this was! We’re quickly going to drop a line to say thank you to all of you for your amazing support, and also the generosity of our partners at the Festival who make it all possible for us! Also so grateful to our Team of Contributors: David Baldwin, Amanda Gilmore and Nicholas Porteous for their awesome reviews.

We’re crawling past the finish line and straight to the sauna for some overdue rest and relaxation. We were at it every single day of the Fest.

Our Official Partners

CP24 – For a 15th year in-a-row, we were a subject matter expert on films and star sightings at TIFF at the widely-watched news network, which also streams worldwide for free on their website CP24.com. In case you missed it, here’s a couple appearances we did:

HONDA CANADA – We were thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with our friends at HONDA CANADA, allowing us to travel in style this TIFF in the 2024 Passport Trail Sport. In addition to getting us there every day safe and efficiently, it also served as a quiet oasis for us to take a quick nap, collect our thoughts and do our posts privately. So grateful for this powerful machine.

STARBUCKS CANADA – Starbucks Canada has been there for us for several TIFFs. So grateful to be fuelled by their Fall Menu selections, keeping us awake! While our fave always will be the Pumpkin Spice Latte, their Apple Crisp Nondairy Chai, Iced Caramel Apple Cream Latte, Baked Apple Croissant and Raccoon Cake Pops also are must-tries! Thrilled to give away gift cards to our Readers and Followers this TIFF, who were following our journey.

NIKON CANADA – We were thrilled to use the Nikon Z-30, a superb compact mirrorless camera with a range of lens options. We shot with a 50-250mm lens, helping us reach that bit closer to the stars. While we shoot on the go a lot on our phone, nothing beats the clarity and precision of actual camera on the red carpet!

OEB BREAKFAST CO. – Hands down, one of our favourite Brunch spots in the City, with two locations in Toronto. Two of our lucky Readers and Followers got to win gift cards to enjoy for themselves their greatness! They also now are an offcial TIFF Hospitality Partner too.

MINAMI TORONTO – Minami are an official TIFF Hospitality partner and did you know our queen Cate Blanchett was spotted there having lunch? There is no higher endorsement for their elevated, sophisticated Japanese fare. One of our Readers and Followers won a $100 gift card to enjoy a meal here.

LITTLE SISTER – With two beautiful locations in Toronto, this marriage of Dutch and Indonesian cuisine, with a phenomenal drink list is pure innovation. One of our Readers and Followers also won a $100 gift card to enjoy a meal.

SANDBANKS WINERY – Hailling from Prince Edward County, Sandbanks Winery  were a perfect way to wind down after this feverish dream of a Festival. Their Sparkling Rosé is perfect for evenings and this time of year I find myself gravitating to a nice sweet Riesling!

ETIKET – The goal of this luxurious beauty and wellness boutique 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. We got to enjoy a freshening right before the Festival and also near the end. While we’re a little sleepy on the inside, you cannot deny that we LOOK rejuvenated!

UNIQLO CANADA – We are a huge fan of Uniqlo‘s style, comfort and quality, so it made perfect sense to partner with them. For all our TV appearances, we sported Uniqlo and Uniqlo only. Clothing that makes our lives better.

Congratulations to Ashley Smart who won our TIFF ’24 Surival Pack, featuring goodies from our partners!

-$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

Be following us! We’re here year-round with reviews, star-sightings, giveaways and so much more!

IG: mrwillwong
X: mrwillw
FB: mrwillwongblog
TikTok: mrwillwong

Till next TIFF!

Mr. Will

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.

Rules and regulations here.

Be following us:

IG: mrwillwong
X: mrwillw
FB: mrwillwongblog
TikTok: mrwillwong

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

Mr. Will

Always a pleasure getting to test drive a Civic, which continues to be one of the country’s best-selling cars for good reason! We got to try out the 2024 Honda Civic 4D Touring, which true to brand, is heavy on value and economy, yet very much a sophisticated, attractive-looking Sedan.

Powered by a 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, turbocharged 4-cylinder, engine, the Civic 4D Touring operates at 180 horsepower, with exceptional fuel economy tallying in at 7.6 litres/100 km in the city and 6.1 liters/100 km on the highway.

The 2024 Civic 4D Touring is packed with elevated features and functions, including an 8-way power adjustment for the Driver; seats leather-trimmed and heated. Navigation is at the touch of your fingertips with a large 9″ touchscreen display and an updated array of options to stay connected, including: Google Automotive Services (GAS) – Google Built-In, Amazon Alexa Built-In, Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. Sound is refined with BOSE® Premium Sound System with 12 speakers including subwoofer. You also get HD Radio and Drivers also are protected by speed-sensitive Volume Control (SVC).

Honda is mindful of the need to stay charged, and we love that back and front passengers get charging ports for their devices, and there also is a wireless charger on the frontside. This, and automatic climate control with air-filtration system – temperature customizable between Driver and Passenger.

Aesthetic details service purpose, including LED Daytime Running Lights, LED taillights and a one-touch power moonroof. Never underestimate the power of an ambient drive! It does wonders for the spirit.

The Civic 4D Touring comes with an easy to view 10.2″ colour TFT full digital driver meter display. It is highly-intuitive with its theft-deterrent security system, parking sensors, a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines – all this and a Maintenance Minder™ system. Who doesn’t love proximity key entry system and a pushbutton start? You can walk away with peace of mind, with its walkaway door lock function, keeping your care safe and secured always – even when you forget to lock!

Active Safety has always been a priority with Honda. This Civic includes a 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist and a Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control – very much needed for a Toronto range of climates.

Passive Safety gives reassurance and the Civic 4D Touring includes: Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure, Driver’s and front passenger’s advanced front airbags (SRS), Driver’s and front passenger’s knee airbags (SRS), Driver’s and front passenger’s front side airbags, Rear outboard passengers’ side airbags and Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor. Loved ones are protected with Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH), Lower Anchors (second-row outboard), Tether Anchors (second-row all), Seat belt reminder for all seating positions, Childproof rear door locks, plus Rear Seat Reminder. Loved ones and goods never get left behind.

We had a very star-studded adventure in the 2024 Honda Civic 4D Sport. Relive the thrills!

The 2024 Honda Civic 4D Sport starts at $36,466 CAN. More here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It was all about catching-up with family and fun in our test drive with the 2024 Honda Civic Sport in a classic Crystal Black Pearl. There are reasons why the Civic continues to be one of the Top Ten-selling cars in Canada. It offers exceptional value and all the essentials you need for your daily drives and whatever occasions life throws your way. What that hatchback, you know you’ve got that bit of extra cargo space for one!

The 2024 Honda Civic Sport is powered by a 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Port Injection, DOHC, i-VTEC® 4-cylinder, 158 horsepower engine, giving you added value and idle-stop, ECON mode button and Eco Assist. All starting with the push of a button to start. The Civic is great for the wallet and the world we live in. Overall, you get 7.59 L/100km with the Civic Sport.

The Civic Sport comes with Black Combi seats (synthetic leather/fabric) and the front seats are heated, with a steering wheel that is wrapped in leather and also heated when needed. Menu, settings and entertainment are controlled by a 7″ colour touchscreen and the Civic Sport comes with an AM/FM audio system with 8 speakers (navigated by actual push buttons). It’s enabled for Bluetooth® Streaming Audio, plus Apple CarPlay®/ Android Auto™ helping you stay connected while on the road, and also letting you sync to your favourite playlists and podcasts on your phone.

It was a real scorcher during our test drive, and we cannot state enough the importance of having a dual-zone automatic climate control with air-filtration system. I need that A/C cranked-up, however others in the car might be a bit more sensitive to that. It is moonroof season and that one touch power moonroof is perfect for those drives after sunset in the Summer!

Active and Passive Safety Features with the 2024 Honda Civic Sport include: Blind Spot Information (BSI) system, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system (HS), Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®) (HS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system (HS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) (HS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system (HS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (HS), Traffic Sign Recognition, 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD),Vehicle Stability Assist* (VSA®) with Traction Control Advanced Compatibility Engineering™, (ACE™) body structure, Airbag system (front), Side airbags, Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH), Hill Start Assist and LED daytime running lights. That’s a lot of safety for your dollar.

We cannot state enough the convenience of driving with a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines, whether you’re just reversing out of a parking spot or navigating parallel parking, this is a must-have.

The 2024 Honda Civic Sport starts at $32,716.00 CAN. More here. 2025 models are now available.

More on our Test Drive here:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

The 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid continues to be everything we need in a car, so when we had the chance to test drive it – in our fave colour Urban Grey Pearl nonetheless – we knew we’d be in great hands! We’ve driven a number of SUVs in the Honda family of late, so this was a refreshing reminder of this midsize Sedan’s great versatility and agility.

It was a week of celebration with parties, Pride and Canada Day giving us the perfect reason to drive around town in style!

The 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC with dual variable timing control (VTC) 4-cylinder engine, running at a combined total 204 horsepower, including Eco-Assist for maximum fuel efficiency. In terms of Fuel Economy, you get 5.0/5.7/5.3 L/100 km (city/highway/combined) and an array of options with ECON, Normal, Sport and Individual mode drive toggle. We will say this, we’ve driven many Honda vehicles, but this gives you the most mileage on the least gas. It was jawdropping seeing little we paid for gas and how much we got out of a tank.

Aesthtically, the Accord Touring Hybrid boasts a beautiful uniform look with body-coloured door handles, folding door mirrors, heated power door mirrors that are body-coloured, with reverse gear tilt-down (passenger side). We love that one-touch power moonroof and rain-sensing windshield wipers – this is the only build in the 2024 Accord series that has this. Believe us, we got plenty use of both with this erratic hot/humid and wet Toronto Summer.

The Accord Touring Hybrid sits a tad lower, but seating is comfortable. The Driver’s seat comes with 8-way power adjustment, including 2-way power lumbar support, while the front passenger’s seat has 4-way power adjustment. We appreciate its dual-zone automatic climate control with air-filtration system because while we love it cool and breezy, our passengers don’t always feel the same. Getting into the car is easy with proximity key entry, and walking away is easy as well with a walk-away door lock. We did report some issues opening the trunk altogether during our test drive, but the Accord Touring Hybrid does feature assisted opening trunk.

The Accord Touring Hybrid has the largest display of all in the series – a gorgeous 12.3-inch colour touchscreen display. For you Audiophiles, you are gifted a BOSE® Premium Sound System with 12 speakers, with the most options in connectivity yet: Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa Built-In, Google Built-In and HondaLink. We can never have enough charging options and here we get a wireless charger in the front, plus a front USB charging port with data connectivity, a rear USB charging port and Wi-Fi tethering.

We depend a lot on that multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines as we do drive downtown, parallel park and park in underground lots often. The Accord Touring Hybrid‘s camera has a fisheye-like view which gives you even more visibility than ever.

We also have nothing by praise for the ease of navigating with the MAPS option on the menu. Simply input your destination and START! No more struggling to glance over at your phone screen to see where you’re going.

If you live in Toronto, you’ve probably noticed an increasing focus on speed limit enforcement around schools. The Accord Touring Hybrid with its traffic sign recognition feature, has been updated to display a school zone icon to alert you, which is super-handy not only to keep the kids safe, but also because fines have increased. This is telling of Honda‘s commitment to looking after its Drivers and their interests. We did also notice some speed limit discrepancies between the display and actual road signage on occasion as well, so this might be something still to iron-out.

I appreciate the Maintenance Minder, a big selling feature for me and also the Accord Touring Hybrid‘s P235/40 R19 96V All-Season Tires and 19″ aluminum-alloy wheels. It also comes ready with a Tire Repair Kit. Anyone who’s ever experienced a flat knows the value of this.

Did you know the Honda Accord once again has been awarded Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)? You’ll see exactly why in 2024 the Accord received this a fourth time.

For Active Safety and Driver Assisted technologies, you get 4-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); Auto high beam headlights; Collision Mitigation Braking System™ (CMBS®); Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD); Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system; Hill Start Assist; Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system; Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS); Blind Spot Information (BSI) system; Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system; Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control; and Rear Cross Traffic Monitor system.

Passive Safety features in the Accord Touring Hybrid include: 3-point front seat belts with automatic tensioning system; Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure; Childproof rear door locks; Front knee airbags (SRS); Rear side airbags; HondaLink™ Assist Automatic Emergency Response System; Side curtain airbags with rollover sensor system; SmartVent™ side airbags; Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH).

In today’s climate, every ounce of assurance helps. The Accord Touring Hybrid is protected by an Immobilizer theft-deterrent system (Stolen Vehicle Locator/Remote Immobilizer) and also Find My Car/Vehicle Locator.

The 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid nails all the marks for us, other than a couple very minor glitches, and still is the car for us! It starts at $46,961.50 CAN. More here.

Join us on our adventures in the 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid:

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)