You’ve heard us going on about them during TIFF ’22 and now’s your chance to experience the magic that is INK Entertainment all for yourself! INK Entertainment x Mr. Will are giving our Readers a chance to win a $70 Gift Card to Bisha Hotel or any of its establishments: Kōst, Akira Back, French Made or Mister C.
The stunning Bisha Hotel was an official TIFF ’22 Hospitality Partner and hosted various official afterparties this year, plus the official Getty Images lounge, where several of the A-List talent in town were hosted.
Located in the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, the glamourous Bisha Hotel welcomes some of the world’s trendiest guests each year during TIFF. Known as a celebrity hotspot, Bisha is preparing for the return of the glitz and glamour to the city, with incredible events, and premiere parties lined up throughout the Festival.
This year, the hotel will be home to Getty Images’ Portrait Studio, with many A-list celebrities expected to stop by for their stunning close-ups throughout TIFF.
Stars spotted in the past include: Bryce Dallas Howard, Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Riz Ahmed, Sarah Paulson, Susan Sarandon, Antonio Bandaras, Eddie Redmayne, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Wesley Snipes, Cynthia Erivo, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Elle Fanning, Ben Stiller, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Carrell, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya, Lenny Kravitz and Olivia Munn.
The Bisha Hotel’s cozy and avante-garde lobby bar, complete with velvet walls and a seductive atmosphere, has been home to many pre and after parties for TIFF films. Stars spotted in the past include Julianne Moore, Jake Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney and Greta Gerwig.
Located on the second floor of the Bisha Hotel is Michelin-Starred Chef Akira Back’s first Canadian namesake restaurant, featuring a unique blend of modern Japanese cuisine and authentic Korean flavours, within a glamorous setting. Designed by the award-winning Studio Munge, the restaurant’s glamorous gold staircase, black and charcoal tones and lavish materials, make this a celeb favourite for dining out. Most recently, Arnold Schwarzenegger was seen enjoying dinner with his son and even took some photos with the staff.
On the 44th floor of The Bisha Hotel sits one of Toronto’s most Instagrammable restaurants and late-night bars, with unparalleled panoramic views of Toronto and a fantastic open-air patio that has been a popular location for many TIFF parties and events, with celebs such as Julia Roberts, Siena Miller, Christina Hendricks, Halle Berry, Geena Davis and Martin Short making an appearance in the past.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post on MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM or MR. WILL ON TWITTER. Tag a friend and comment there which Bisha Hotel establishment you’d want to check-out! You must be following.
They were most certainly bustling #TIFF22 and we want our Readers and Followers to have a chance to enjoy a $70 Gift Card to any dining establishment including Kōst, Akira Back, French Made or Mister C at the gorgeous BISHA HOTEL in Toronto!
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 29, 2022
Details: https://t.co/u0c7AsigBj pic.twitter.com/dnrvRRPjpv
Rules and regulations here.
Good luck!
(Photo credit: INK Entertainment)
Some girls just have it all! Gorgeous Kim Lee brought Toronto back out to the clubs tonight as Ontario has removed capacity limits on indoor events in this latest stage of our re-opening. The Model, DJ and star of hit Netflix Reality Series BLING EMPIRE, headlined at Rebel Night Club on the City’s Waterfront. The Series absolutely saved us during the Pandemic!
Lee currently is playing a weekly gig at the Wynn in Las Vegas and amidst her busy schedule, made this her first appearance ever in Toronto! And she Tweeted that she loves it here!
Damn I’m lovin it here in Toronto 😍
— ᴋɪᴍ ʟᴇᴇ (@OfficialKimlee) March 5, 2022
She was able to fit-in a super quick visit at Z1035 studios as well after arriving!
Lee was met on-stage with a drumming band and cheerleaders!
We were so drawn to Lee after learning about her story on BLING EMPIRE, and were so touched by her journey searching for her father. We just can’t wait to see more in Season Two which is said to be coming soon!
It was amazing getting to meet Lee quickly, exchanging our love for another! So beautiful inside and out♥️
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Netflix)
As businesses begin to navigate the new normal, here’s a new entertainment option for us in the City! INK Entertainment presents CITYVIEW DRIVE-IN will host movie nights, entertainment and unique events.
The venue at 20 Polston Street, is designed to host 200+ vehicles in reserved parking spots a minimum of seven feet apart. Guests can enjoy live entertainment from the 238-foot stage and three large LED screens supplied by Apex Sound & Light from the comfort of their own car. For a completely contactless experience, tickets are to be purchased in advance online and will be scanned at front gate via a touchless system.
Guests can tune-in with a designated FM radio frequency without having to lower their windows and also concessions and merchandise can be delivered via contactless delivery.
More on this and upcoming concerts here.
(Photo credit: INK Entertainment)
TIFF ’19 was one for the books and we dare you to disagree! Meryl, Tom, Natalie, J-Lo, Constance, Renée, Joaquin. Toronto played host to an explosive mass of starpower at the Toronto International Film Festival and we were right there! We celebrated our tenth anniversary, which happened to coincide with TIFF ’19 and fittingly it was our biggest year yet! It was amazing seeing so many of your friendly faces and taking Selfies with many of you in our travels and adventures and we love that Mr. Will has made a difference in your day for the past decade. We have always been about sharing our excitement with you and it touches us you are experiencing this with us! A huge thanks to Dave Baldwin and Amanda Gilmore on our Team who delivered us all the hits with their reviews, keeping savvy Festival Goers informed!
See the stars we spotted. Our favourite moments:
1. Renée Zellweger
2. Meryl Streep
3. Tom Hanks
4. Jennifer Lopez
5. Kristen Stewart
View this post on Instagram
#TIFF19: #KristenStewart winning raves for her work in #Seberg. #TIFF #KStew #HuaweiP30Pro
6. Joaquin Phoenix
#TIFF19: #JoaquinPhoenix at the #TIFF Premiere of #Joker. pic.twitter.com/uha0WlQXbc
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
7. Eddie Murphy
View this post on Instagram
#TIFF19: Comedy legend #EddieMurphy at #TIFF with #DolemiteismyName! #HuaweiP30Pro
8. Bruce Springsteen
9. Taika Waititi
10. The Cast of Knives Out
Our Dave Baldwin had the honour of reviewing the official TIFF ’19 People’s Choice Award winner, JOJO RABBIT. Read his thoughts here.
See all our sightings and reviews here.
A huge thank you goes out to our official partners whom we couldn’t do it without.
CP24 – we loved being paired with our new BFF, Kelly Linehan in our contributions to CP24 this TIFF! We know you tuned in because more than ever so many of you shouted at me, “You’re the guy on TV! Good job!”.
ACURA CANADA – We adored our 2019 Acura TLX Elite in Performance Red Pearl which had us travelling in luxury and style this TIFF. Acura also happens to be an official sponsor, with a set-up at Roy Thomson Hall. Drives were smooth and anyone who does the Festival like us will know the importance of mobility. We are in love with its gorgeous interior and spacious interior. Its superb audio system and array of charging options (including a wireless plate), plus the fact that it has a CD player says that this is a car after my heart! Seat heaters and warmers are perfect for unpredictable Toronto weather and let’s not forget its array of safety features like lane departure and a hyper-aware collision warning and parking assist (which was a mega-help in all those underground parking lots). We love the array of displays you can scroll through on its steering wheel, including also a tire pressure monitor which tells you to a T exactly what your tire pressure is at. For anyone who’s ever had a flat tire, you will appreciate the value in this. We drove assured and enlightened. It was like driving a race car with its fast acceleration, but also like a luxury Sedan in one.
Proud to call the gorgeous and flashy #AcuraTLX Elite my vehicle of choice for #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/xQLNVOXJLJ
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 4, 2019
HUAWEI CANADA – The Huawei P30 Pro was our MVP this TIFF! 32MP photos, 256GB memory and an amazing Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! Our snaps speak for themselves. And its efficiency enabled us to blog, edit content on-the-go and share our photos with viewers right away. This put several hours back into our day and we are grateful for the best phone in the market.
H&M CANADA – We got many compliments about our H&M Fall/Winter Collection 2019 looks. In Shia LaBeouf‘s own words when we took our Selfie, he proclaimed “Dude, you are style as f*ck!”.
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s classic and inspired Canadian fare and cocktails. Several names like Bruce Springsteen, Dev Patel and Hugh Laurie enjoyed the amazing grub and drink here TIFF ’19. We told you it was gonna be a hotspot, and it did not disappoint!
Bruce Springsteen spotted at Weslodge in advance of his Western Stars Premiere. Toldja it would be a hotspot #TIFF19! pic.twitter.com/adRFFJyH34
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 12, 2019
STARBUCKS CANADA – We need our Americanos TIFF badly and we may have had a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes as a treat. The beverage has become synonymous with the Festival and Fall for us. And we loved giving our Readers a chance to win $20 Starbucks Canada Gift Cards too!
DUFFLET PASTRIES – The Queen of Cake’s® Queen Street location is the perfect spot for a treat between movies during TIFF and yes, I stopped by more than once because cake is necessary always. We loved rewarding one of our Readers with a free cake as well!
Always got time for @duffletpastries. RT for a chance to #win a free cake! #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/NXjpP0DGmt
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
MARY BROWN’S – Celebrating their 50th anniversary, with locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is a legend. With all this craze about chicken sandwiches of late, let the Big Mary silence the competition!
CHATIME CANADA – The Bubble Tea giant’s Queen Street location is right in the heart of TIFF and we loved popping by for a refreshing midday treat and also giving our Readers a chance to win some free drinks as well!
Congrats to Mike who won our Tenth Anniversary Prize Pack, loaded with goodies from our partners and more!
TIFF19: We love you guys and appreciate all your support these past ten years so much!! Congrats to Mike, who won our #TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition! pic.twitter.com/bVYOB9r3Fn
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) September 10, 2019
(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)
There’s no doubt about it, it’s our favourite time of the year! The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival runs from Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 14, 2019 and you’d better bet we’re stoked!
The Festival also marks our tenth anniversary as a Blogger. We remember not knowing which direction we’d go when we posted our first Blog Post and if anyone even cared what we thought! Looking back, it’s been an amazing journey – the experiences we’ve had and the people we’ve met along the way. We created the site originally as a platform to share all the awesome snaps we got during TIFF and to share our thoughts on what we saw since we loved the Festival so much. One thing led to another and who knew we’d be around kicking still today and that we’d be an accredited outlet? We don’t know how we’ve gotten here, but we’re touched deeply by your support all these years! We owe it all to you and the amazing contributors who have kept Mr. Will Wong afloat: Amanda Gilmore, Justin Waldman, Siobhán Rich, George Kozera, David Baldwin and Jon Godfrey! This ride has been magical.
See us talk about our tenth anniversary and our TIFF ’19 picks!
TIFF ’19 we’re doing it bigger and better than ever. It’s our tenth anniversary and we want you to celebrate in all our joy. This is will be one of the best Festivals in recent memory with bigger names and the biggest Films set to premiere in our City. We want to thank you partners, new and returning for helping us celebrate the occasion!
A huge thank you goes out to:
CP24 – With over 3.1 million viewers a week, we are thrilled to partner again with the definitive choice in breaking news coverage, CP24 for a TENTH year! We’ll be teaming-up with Kelly Linehan to deliver you some celeb scoop and the Films getting all the buzz at the Fest!
HUAWEI CANADA – I’ve never gotten as many raves on my Social Media about my photographs as when I tested-out the Huawei P30 Pro. We are overjoyed that this will be our official new phone in gorgeous burnt orange (just released) beginning TIFF ’19! We can’t go wrong with its 32MP photos, 256GB memory and incredible Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! We can’t wait to show you all our snaps and Selfies from the Festival from the phone, which will serve as our communication hub, keeping you all up-to-date on the excitement!
ACURA CANADA – we’ll be cruising in style TIFF ’19 in the 2019 ACURA TLX, And how super-fitting is it that Acura Canada is one of the official sponsors of the Festival? This car is gorgeous, sleek and luxurious, true to Acura form and we look forward to all these star-filled adventures the ride will take us on!
HUAWEI CANADA – I’ve never gotten as many raves on my Social Media about my photographs as when I tested-out the Huawei P30 Pro. We are overjoyed that this will be our official new phone in gorgeous burnt orange (just released) beginning TIFF ’19! We can’t go wrong with its 32MP photos, 256GB memory and incredible Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor! We can’t wait to show you all our snaps and Selfies from the Festival from the phone, which will serve as our communication hub, keeping you all up-to-date on the excitement!
H&M CANADA – H&M continue to keep us on-trend and we can’t wait to show you some of the pieces we’ll be wearing TIFF ’19. We always have fun with it and hope you enjoy the looks!
WESLODGE SALOON – Celebs can’t get enough of this TIFF go-to’s Canadian fare and cocktails and we love it! You must try their Southern Fried Chicken, Steaks and Fish & Chips. Also their Mac & Cheese is superb! Several stars like Isabelle Huppert, Richard Gere, Chelsea Handler, Chloë Moretz and more have been spotted here and we expect to see more this year.
STARBUCKS CANADA – TIFF means the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back and you know we love our PSLs! We look forward every fall to those early morning screenings, waiting in line in that cool, crisp air to get into our screenings and then getting a warm hug from the PSL inside the cool, dark theatre as we try to stay awake! The PSL is back in stores now only at Starbucks.
DUFFLET PASTRIES – We love our treats and Dufflet has and always will be the Queen of Cake®! We always make time for a bit of relaxation towards the end of TIFF, and can’t wait to indulge in a slice of Black Forest or Raspberry Vanilla Charlotte! Their Queen Street location isn’t too far from all the Festival excitement.
MARY BROWN’S – We recently got reacquainted with Mary and it was all for the better! We have so many fond memories of Mary Brown’s famous Chicken and Taters as a child and they are better than ever, celebrating their 50th anniversary! With locations allover the GTA including Mississauga, Pickering, North York, Scarborough and more, Mary Brown’s is WORTH. THE. DRIVE. Get on this.
CHATIME CANADA – I confess my Bubble Tea addiction still rages on. With more and more locations popping-up throughout the Greater Toronto Area, we can’t wait for you to discover our favourite cold beverage. Try the Wintermelon Iced Tea or Grapefruit Iced Tea – my favourites!
We hate leaving you guys out, so in celebration of our tenth anniversary, we’re giving you guys a chance to win our TIFF ’19 Survival Pack – Tenth Anniversary Edition, which includes:
$100 Gift Card to WESLODGE SALOON or any INK Entertainment dining establishment in Toronto including TIFF hotspots Figo, Byblos, Estia, Kōst, Patria, Sofia, La Société, Mister C., Akira Back and more.
Ten select Blu-rays/DVDs including current blockbuster hits and past TIFF selections
$150 Chatime Prize Pack including T-Shirt
$30 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
$25 Mary Brown’s Gift Card
Two Martini Glasses
One cake at Dufflet Pastries
One pair of headphones
A value of $700 CAN!
*Winner must be able to pick-up the Survival Pack from me in the downtown core during the Festival.
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM or MR. WILL ON TWITTER. Tell us in the comments your favourite memory of being a Mr. Will Reader all these years! In the comment, tag two friends for an extra chance.
Even if you don’t win the Prize Pack be following us on our adventures as we’ll be doing giveaways on our Social Media through TIFF ’19!
Don’t forget to follow us here on our TIFF ’19 adventures:
Mr. Will [Instagram] | [Twitter] | [Facebook]
Amanda Gilmore [Twitter]
David Baldwin [Twitter]
George Kozera [Twitter]
Siobhan Rich [Twitter]
Justin Waldman [Twitter]
Jon Godfrey [Instagram]
A very special thank you to Jensen Lee who customized a special 10th anniversary logo just for us!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Described both as rugged and refined, WESLODGE was one of our official partners of TIFF ’18! The King Street West hotspot in Toronto from premier hospitality group ICONINK, has hosted several stars during the Festival including this year, Isabelle Huppert, Chloë Grace Moretz and Maika Monroe.
Executive Chef Ben Heaton delivers a sophisticated spin on Canadian classics. Open for brunch and dinner, plus a late night menu, Weslodge has been a fixture in the City and for good reason!
Favourites include:
Nashville Hot Chicken
Wagyu Beef Footlong
Burgers
Striploin Steaks
Buffalo Fried Chicken
The Full Weslodge Brunch
We are giving our Toronto readers a chance to experience the star treatment at Weslodge with a $200 Gift Card which should be more than enough for a fabulous dinner for two!
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Be following and “like” this Post on our Instagram @mrwillwong for an extra chance. Tag a friend in the comments there!
You also may click “share” on this Post from Facebook too for another chance! Be sure to follow WESLODGE also!
Weslodge is located at 480 King St W Toronto, ON M5V 1L7
Weslodge.com for more.
(Photo credit: ICONINK)
With TIFF ’18 being just a week away, we’re super-excited to present to you some of our official partners of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival! We live for TIFF and are thrilled as a team to be accredited to the Festival and also bring you as always unparalleled intimate access to the stars and Films of the Festival!
We’re thrilled to give our Readers a chance to be just as stoked as us and we give you a chance to win our TIFF SURVIVAL PRIZE PACK, which is bigger and better than ever!
We’d like to thank the following parnters:
DUFFLET PASTRIES – Toronto’s reigning Queen of Cake® still is going strong with an uptown and down location. When there’s a celebration, it’s always been about Dufflet Pastries’ cakes and pastries for us. TIFF is no exception. There are two locations: 787 Queen Street West and 2638 Yonge Street. Did you know the Queen Street West location offers High Tea on Sundays? Learn more at http://dufflet.com.
ESTIA is just one of several TIFF hotspots owned by popular restauranteur, hotelier and night club owner Charles Khabouth. Known for its acclaimed Mediterranean cuisine, Estia situated at 90 Avenue Road, is a must-try this TIFF. More at http://estiatoronto.com.
WESLODGE owned also by Charles Khabouth, for years has been a hotspot for the stars during the Festival. Known for its classic cocktails and Canadian fare, this vintage tavern at 480 King Street West, has and will continue to host several stars TIFF ’18. We hear the Fried Chicken is superb! More at http://weslodge.com.
STARBUCKS CANADA – TIFF is about the coming of fall and nothing says autumn comfort like Starbucks‘ signature PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE, now back in stores! We have fond memories of warming-up in many a cold line-up at TIFF with this fan favourite and can’t wait to get reacquainted this TIFF! More at http://starbucks.ca.
BLACKBERRY CANADA – We can’t wait to show you all the celebrity selfies and up-close star sightings at TIFF ’18. This year our official smartphone will be the super-sleek and functional Blackberry Key2. Learn all about this reborn icon at https://blackberrymobile.com/ca/product/blackberry-key2.
BRITBOX CANADA – We can’t wait for a bit of downtime post-TIFF and what better way to relax than to catch-up with some of our favourite British programming from BBC and iTV? Britbox Canada is brought to us by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, and ITV, bringing home iconic favorites, exclusive premieres, and current series and soaps. Learn more about their latest programming options: https://www.britbox.com/ca/collection/premieres.
ACURA CANADA – Mobility is so important for us during TIFF and once again we’ll be partnering with Acura Canada and driving the 2018 Acura ILX. Acura Canada will be front and center at TIFF this year as a major sponsor and we’re thrilled to experience some of that starpower! Sleek, compact and stylish, we’ll be travelling in style in this beauty! More here: https://www.acura.ca/ilx.
KANDLE ARTISTIQUE – Purveyor of luxurious candles, you now can make your own candles at their gorgeous Yorkville location at 88 Avenue Road in Toronto. More here.
NIKON CANADA – We can’t wait to show you our photos, taken on none other than the state-of-the-art Nikon D850, shooting at 45.7 megapixels, with 4k and 8K video options! More here.
H&M CANADA – We love H&M and are thrilled to be donning H&M and H&M only at TIFF ’18. Can’t wait to show you some pieces from their Fall/Winter 2018 Collection. More at http://hm.com.
CHATIME CANADA – We’ll never get sick of Bubble Tea and to us there’s only Chatime! With various locations across Canada we can’t wait for too to discover the refreshment! Our fave midday beverage? Grapefruit Green Tea (half-sweet, less ice) is our perfect afternoon pick-me-up! Discover your new favourite. More here: http://chatime.com
CP24 – For the past 10 years, we’ve been a contributor at this popular news network and can’t wait to reunite this TIFF ’18 to deliver you the scoop and sightings, plus all the buzz on the hottest Films at TIFF! Don’t forget to tune in as we kick it all off tomorrow, Wednesday, September 5 in the 12 o’clock hour on Live at Noon with George Lagogianes!
Now for the fun stuff! We want to give Readers to win our TIFF ’18 Survival Pack which is bigger and more delicious than ever! Contents include:
One free six-month Britbox Canada membership
$25 Starbucks Canada Gift Card
A Dufflet Pastries Gift Card for one cake
A $200 Estia Gift Card
H&M Canada VIP Card
Two Chatime Canada Vouchers
One Kandle Artistique Candle
Stay tuned to our Social Media throughout TIFF ’18 as we give away
A $200 Weslodge Gift Card
Chatime Canada Drink Vouchers
Starbucks Canada Gift Cards
Britbox Canada Six-Month Memberships
To enter to win, click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will on Facebook. Click “share” on this Post or Re-Tweet this Tweet from @mrwillw for an extra chance!
Don’t forget to join us on our TIFF ’18 adventures and be following on Social Media for real-time updates! You won’t regret it!
Twitter: @mrwillw
Instagram: @mrwillwong
Facebook: http://facebook.com/mrwillwongblog
Don’t forget to be following Team Mr. Will also:
Dave Baldwin: @davemabaldwin
Amanda Gilmore: @gilmoreamanda
George Kozera: @partyg
Siobhan Rich: @typo_eh
Justin Waldman: @dubsreviews
Jonathan Godfrey: @skot_somers
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com