By Mr. Will Wong

The time has arrived. We waited every year with baited breath for those Toronto International Film Festival guest announcements and finally they have been announced!  While several marquee titles like Beautiful Boy, First Man, Destroyer, Wildlife, High Life, A Star is Born, If Beale Street Could Talk and Ben is Back embark on their Awards Season trails, Toronto once again readies itself for the massive onslaught of starpower and talent set to shut down the City post-Labour Day.

With multiple titles at the Festival, stars like Jake Gyllenhaal, Dev Patel, Amanda Steinberg, Lucas Hedges and Nicole Kidman are set to make the best of the Fest!

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mahershala Ali and Hilary Swank also will be having In-Conversations-With! More on that here.

Toronto’s own Drake also will introduced highly-buzzed MONSTERS AND MEN, Jason Reitman is back with fan favourite Live Read of The Breakfast Club and THE FIRST MAN will be presented at Ontario Place‘s Cinesphere!

Announced to attend TIFF ’18 earlier today are:

Who are you most excited to see?

Our Team are prepping feverishly for this our biggest and best year yet at TIFF as we get ready to bring you the buzz on all the biggest stars and Films of the Festival.

More on some of TIFF ’18’s most-talked-about titles here.

In the meantime, start planning your Festival, who and what you’ll see right here.

(Photo/video credit: TIFF)

By Amanda Gilmore, David Baldwin + Mr. Will Wong

Running Thursday, September 6, 2018 through Sunday, September 16, 2018, the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival is just around the corner. Bringing together Film lovers from all around the world, TIFF is once again set to draw some major talent to our City and Films and their connections get a leg-up on the Awards Season trail. Year after year, the Festival has been a powerful predictor of power-players at the Oscars and this year is no different. In light of recent tragic events in Toronto, a Press Conference was decided against this year with a press release announcing this year’s first round of Films. And just like us, we know you’ll be thrilled at some of the Films to grace the screens this September in the City!

17 Galas and 30 Special Presentations were announced including 21 World Premieres and TIFF always delivers! We’re thrilled that among the hotly-buzzed Films we’ve been longing to see, A STAR IS BORN (Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper), BEAUTIFUL BOY (Timothée Chalamet, Steve Carell), LIFE ITSELF (Olivia Wilde, Oscar Isaac), FIRST MAN (Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy), WILDLIFE (Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan) and THE HATE U GIVE (Amandla Stenberg).

See some Trailers:

Fans can expect this to be a big year with acclaimed Filmmakers like Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and Damien Chazelle (La La Land) all returning with eagerly-awaited followups. Jake Gyllenhaal also will have a high profile at the Festival with two eagerly-awaited Films in WILDLIFE and THE SISTERS BROTHERS. The same  applies to Dev Patel who should be here for HOTEL MUMBAI and THE WEDDING GUEST.

Diversity, inclusion and gender equity continue to be a focus for the Festival. TIFF‘s mission to “share her journey” by giving a voice to females who are underrepresented as a whole in the filmmaking community in-front and behind the camera is more pronounced than ever. 13 of this year’s Features in fact are made by women. Learn more about TIFF’s five-year initiative here.

Some highlights from today’s TIFF ’18 announcements:

GALAS
Hotly-anticipated Galas at TIFF ’18 are highlighted by BEAUTIFUL BOY starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet; and WIDOWS, Oscar-winner Steve McQueen’s follow-up to 12 Years A Slave starring Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Liam Neeson, Jacki Weaver, Colin Farrell and Michelle Rodriguez. The Film is written by Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn and is sure to be one of the biggest Films of the Festival.

Other World Premieres announced today are HIGH LIFE, the Sci-Fi Drama and English-language debut of legendary French Director Claire Denis starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche and Mia Goth; HUSBAND MATERIAL from prolific Indian Director Anurag Kashyap; the latest from Nicole Holofcener, THE LAND OF STEADY HABITS, starring Ben Mendelsohn and Edie Falco; the multi-generational Drama LIFE ITSELF, from This is Us Creator Dan Fogelman, starring Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Annette Bening and Antonio Banderas; THE PUBLIC, from Emilio Estevez, starring Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, Gabrielle Union and Michael K. Williams; the Period Drama RED JOAN, starring Judi Dench; as well as Director George Tillman Jr.’s highly-anticipated Adaptation of THE HATE U GIVE starring Amandla Stenberg.

But that’s not all. Other hotly-anticipated Films announced today that have already or will be premiering at other festivals include Oscar-winner and TIFF darling Damien Chazelle’s FIRST MAN starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy; Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A STAR IS BORN starring Lady Gaga; Sundance hits THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Elizabeth Chomko’s WHAT THEY HAD starring Hilary Swank, Blythe Danner and Michael Shannon; Zhang Yimou’s Chinese epic SHADOW; and GALVESTON, the English feature directorial debut of Actress Mélanie Laurent, starring Ben Foster and Elle Fanning.

We are waiting with baited breath on news of this year’s Opening and Closing Night Galas.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Some of the Films in the Special Presentations Programme with the most buzz this year include IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK by Director Barry Jenkins and ROMA by Director Alfonso Cuarón.

TIFF ’18 will be showing a lot of due love for Canadian Filmmakers. The opening night Special Presentation goes to MOUTHPIECE Directed by Patricia Rozema, who was here a three years ago with her Film Into The Forest. Jason Reitman will be back again with THE FRONT RUNNER, starring Hugh Jackman. We will also be getting the latest work from Canadian Directors Kim Nguyen, with THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT, and Don McKellar, with the Adaptation to the beloved Canadian Novel Through Black Spruce.

Female empowerment is front and center at TIFF ’18. One of the biggest Films to showcase this at the Festival is Colette staring Keira Knightley. The Film is about a woman who agreed to become a Ghostwriter for her husband. After the Novel received much success, she fights for creative ownership while overcoming the societal constraints of early 20th century. There are also many Films directed by females within the Special Presentations Programme.

CANADIAN PROGRAMME (Updated: 8/1/18 4:00 PM)

Canadian World Premieres announced today include environmental conservation documentary ANTHROPOCENE from Directors Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky; Miranda de Pencier’s THE GRIZZLIES, a true story about Inuit youth; Barry Avrich’s Documentary PROSECUTING EVIL: THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF BEN FERENCZ, chronicling the life of the last surviving Nuremberg Trial prosecutor; Akash Sherman’s Sci-Fi Drama CLARA starring Suits’ Patrick J. Adams; Jasmin Mozaffari’s FIRECRACKERS, about two young women and their attempt to leave the misogyny in their small town behind; Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s psychological Sci-Fi thriller FREAKS starring Emile Hirsch; Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown’s EDGE OF THE KNIFE, the first feature-length film made in the endangered Haida language; Darlene Naponse’s FALLS AROUND HER, starring Tantoo Cardinal as a world-famous Anishinaabe musician; Maxime Giroux’s absurdist allegory THE GREAT DARKENED DAYS; and Renée Beaulieu’s Drama LES SALOPES OR THE NATURALLY WANTON PLEASURE OF SKIN, about a wife and mother facing the consequences of her secret life.

Of the 19 feature-length titles announced today, nearly 50% are directed by women.

TIFF will additionally host the Toronto premiere of THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE, directed by Oscar-winning Canadian Director Denys Arcand, and the Special Event World Premiere of SHARKWATER EXTINCTION, the final Documentary made by Rob Stewart. The late intrepid Filmmaker and Documentarian passed away early last year during filming.

See the Trailer for Sharkwater Extinction:

TIFF also announced their Rising Stars for 2018 today. Those selected stars are Devery Jacobs (Kahnawà:ke Mohawk born Actor and Filmmaker), Lamar Johnson (Gala World Premiere THE HATE U GIVE), Michaela Kurimsky (World Premiere FIRECRACKERS) and Jess Salgueiro (World Premiere and Special Presentations’ Opening Night Film MOUTHPIECE).

And in a surprise announcement at this afternoon’s Press Conference, Writer/Director Xavier Dolan‘s (currently in Toronto filming IT: CHAPTER TWO) highly-anticipated THE DEATH AND LIFE OF JOHN F. DONOVAN was announced as a World Premiere in the Special Presentations Programme. The long awaited Film stars Kit Harington, Natalie Portman, Jacob Tremblay, Thandie Newton, Sarah Gadon and Bella Thorne and is destined to be one of the hottest tickets at this year’s Festival.

Still no word on the Opening or Closing Night films, but some over-eager film fans may have gotten a taste of what’s to come later this month. And if the rumours are to be believed, we are in for some very exciting announcements over the next few weeks!

PLATFORM PROGRAMME (Updated: 8/8/18 11:45 AM)

The Platform Programme quite literally its namesake, a platform for Directors who are unique, bold and unafraid to tackle any subject matter. In previous years, films such as Moonlight and Sweet Country were a part of the Programme and even won the coveted Platform prize, which is worth $25,000 CAD. This year’s Programme shows no signs of slowing down and is gifting us with some risk-taking films..

Out of the 12 Films that were announce, four are directed or co-directed by women, while seven feature powerful female leading roles. Two Films featuring strong female leads that already have people talking are Destroyer and Her Smell. Destroyer is directed by Karyn Kusama and stars Nicole Kidman as a Los Angeles police detective who is forced to face her personal demons. Her Smell is the newest Film from Director Alex Ross Perry (Listen Up Philip) and stars Elisabeth Moss as a talented but self-destructive musician.

Out of the 12 Films there are 10 having their World Premiere at this year’s Festival, which includes the opening and closing night Platform films. The Opening Night Platform selection is Donnybrook which is the fourth-feature Film for Writer-Director Tim Sutton (Dark Night). It stars Jamie Bell and Frank Grillo as two men who are determined to compete in a bare-knuckle brawl with a cash prize. The Closing Night selection is Jessica Forever which is the Feature debut for Co-Directors Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel. The Film takes place in a dystopian world where violent misfits reign supreme, but one woman and her family are fighting for peace.

DOCUMENTARIES (Updated: 8/9/18 1:30 PM)

This year TIFF is bringing 27 feature Documentaries from 19 different countries to Toronto audiences. Out of all those films, one-third of them are directed or co-directed by women. There are a few documentaries that examine the topic of women creators and the #MeToo movement. Some of the Documentaries on those topics are: the World Premiere of Alexis Bloom’s Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, which documents the Fox News Creator who was ousted for allegations of sexual harassment; the World Premiere of Tom Donahue’s This Changes Everything which is an examination of gender dynamics in Hollywood and is executive produced by Geena Davis; and Mark Cousins’ Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema which explores international cinema through the lens of women directors.

Politics is another topic getting a lot of attention in the TIFF Docs Programme. To name a few there is Vitaly Mansky’s Putin’s Witnesses, which focuses on the Russian President, and Errol Morris’ American Dharma, which looks at Trump’s previous strategist Steve Bannon. However, TIFF has decided to start the TIFF Docs Programme off with a bang with the World Premiere of Michael Moore’s newest Doc Fahrenheit 11/9, which is a radical and humorous look at the United States under the Trump administration.

And for those who enjoy a doc about artists you love there are some for you to check-out. The first is the World Premiere of Quincy which is co-directed by Quincy Jones’s daughter Rashida Jones and Allan Hicks. It follows the labours and legacies of the legendary Music Producer. Then there is the TIFF Docs Closing Night Film, Searching for Ingmar Bergman which is Directed by Margareth von Trotta and follows the groundbreaking Director and his impact on filmmaking.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS (Updated: 8/9/18 1:30 PM)

TIFF unleashed their Midnight Madness line-up today and it looks to be one of their strongest in years. THE PREDATOR, Writer/Director Shane Black’s star-studded reinvention of the legendary Series, will act as the Programme’s World Premiere Opening Night Film. The highly-anticipated HALLOWEEN Sequel, starring ‘Scream Queen’ Jamie Lee Curtis and written by Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and Jeff Fradley, will also see its World Premiere at TIFF ’18. Other World Premieres include Peter Strickland’s IN FABRIC, telling the tale of a cursed dress and the poor souls who come into contact with it; Kiah Roache-Turner’s Social Media-infused Horror film NEKROTRONIC starring Monica Bellucci; Henry Dunham’s all too relevant thriller THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK, regarding a neighbourhood militia’s involvement in a mass shooting; Emma Tammi’s horror on the American frontier THE WIND and Vasan Bala’s Bollywood Action-Thriller THE MAN WHO FEELS NO PAIN (the first Indian film at Midnight Madness!). Sundance hits ASSASSINATION NATION and CLIMAX, as well as Cannes favourite and Closing Night selection DIAMANTINO, will also be screening during the Programme.

GALAS, SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS + MASTERS PROGRAMME (Updated 8/14/18 3:00 PM)
Within one week, TIFF added a whopping 115 films to its slate today, including the announcements of the Opening and Closing Night Films.

David Mackenzie’s OUTLAW KING will open the Festival on Thursday, September 6. The Period Drama about the rise of 14th century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce stars Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Lady MacBeth’s Florence Pugh. The Film hails from Netflix, which alongside numerous other titles appearing at the Festival, suggests a very sharp divide between this Festival and the illustrious Cannes Film Festival, which banned such titles from competition this past May. TIFF’s Closing Night Film is JEREMIAH TERMINATOR LEROY, a true story about the enigmatic literary artist. It stars Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart. Plan your red carpet campouts accordingly.

Additional World Premiere Galas announced today include Peter Farrelly’s first Drama, GREEN BOOK, starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali; as well as Thriller THE LIE, from Toronto-born Writer/Director Veena Sud, starring Peter Sarsgaard, Mireille Enos and Joey King. Some of the World Premieres announced as Special Presentations include Jonah Hill’s directorial debut MID90S; Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation of A MILLION LITTLE PIECES starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton and Charlie Hunnam; Jeremy Saulnier’s Thriller HOLD THE DARK starring Alexander Skarsgård, Riley Keough and Jeffrey Wright; Max Minghella’s directorial debut TEEN SPIRIT starring Elle Fanning and Rebecca Hall; Annabel Jankel’s postwar-Drama TELL IT TO THE BEES starring Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger; and Chanya Button’s VITA & VIRGINIA starring Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki as Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. Other highlights include Paul Greengrass’ 22 JULY, the true story about the aftermath of Norway’s deadliest terrorist attack; Nick Hamm’s DRIVEN, the star-studded true life tale about the rise and fall of John Delorean; and the International Premiere of Joel Edgerton’s highly-anticipated BOY ERASED starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Lucas Hedges.

And in the Masters section, TIFF announced 11 films including Jafar Panahi’s 3 FACES; Hong Sang-soo’s HOTEL BY THE RIVER, Paolo Sorrentino’s LORO; Mike Leigh’s PETERLOO; Jean-Luc Godard’s THE IMAGE BOOK and the North American Premiere of Jia Zhang-ke’s Thriller ASH IS PUREST WHITE.

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS (Updated 8/21/18 10:00 AM)

A couple high-profile additions to the TIFF ’18 line-up have been announced including VOX LUX from Director Brady Corbett and starring Natalie Portman as a woman overcoming a tragic childhood to a life of fame and fortune. GRETA from Director Neil Jordan is about a young woman Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her unlikely friendship with Greta (Isabelle Huppert).

TIFF’ 18 hot on the heels of CRAZY RICH ASIANS’ success, will pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of THE JOY LUCK CLUB with some of the original Cast in attendance including Kieu Chinh and Tamlyn Tomita, plus a chat moderated by Lainey Lui.

THE OFFICIAL TIFF ’18 SCHEDULE NOW IS UP HERE!

_____________________________

We’re thrilled also to announce that David Baldwin (@davemabaldwin), Amanda Gilmore (@gilmoreamanda) and Mr. Will for the first time ever, are doing TIFF as accredited journalists. Our Team members Siobhán Rich (@typo_eh), George Kozera (@partyg) and Justin Waldman (@dubsreviews) also will be contributing as we screen some titles in advance of the Festival as in previous years. We look forward to teaming-up together to bring you a fresh, balanced perspective highlighting the massive starpower and quality of Cinema the Festival has to offer.

 More Film announcements to come soon.

Guest announcements usually come late August, so let’s start speculating, shall we?

Will we see Julia Roberts here for  BEN IS BACK? Robert Redford for THE OLD MAN & THE GUN? Or how about Matthew McConaughey for WHITE BOY RICK?

TIFF ’18 Packages are on-sale now till August 13, 2018. The Schedule goes live August 21, 2018 and single public tickets are on-sale on September 3, 2018 for non-package buyers.

More info here.

(Photo credit: TIFF)

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

In 2015, we were blown away by Ex Machina from Screenwriter and first-time Director Alex Garland. The Film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards and won Best Visual Effects. Zip-forward three years, and Garland has delivered another mind-blowing piece of Science Fiction in Annihiliation. Garland was present for the first Canadian screening of the highly-anticipated Film at TIFF Bell Lightbox tonight, followed by a Q&A with TIFF’s Artistic Director Cameron Bailey.

The Film centers around Lena (Natalie Portman), a Biologist who joins a team of scientists and researchers who venture into a classified area known as “The Shimmer” to uncover its secrets. The less you know about the plot of Annihilation, the better. But suffice it to say, Garland’s Film will leave you breathless and begging to discuss each and every twist.

On the subject of casting, Garland said each actor was cast traditionally and “kind of pushed against each other in a good way. They had very different energies.” He praised the Ensemble, along with those behind-the-scenes he referred to as the “Collective”. After Garland writes his Screenplays, he hands them off to his Production Designers and other members of his crew – some of which he has been working with for 20 years! – and they help shape the Film from the ground up through “conversations”.

“It’s an abstract Novel,” Garland said when asked about adapting the first chapter in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy. He “tried to do an adaptation of what it’s like to read the Book”, and explained that the Screenplay was written more as a “memory of the Book” as opposed to a direct adaptation. Without spoiling too much, Garland suggests “The Film is about self-destruction,” and that by playing within the realm of Genre Filmmaking, he was given a “free gift in what you can subvert,” allowing the Film to take on multiple tones, styles and genres.

Garland spoke at length about his take on Auteurism (he prefers working as a team), how he writes female versus male characters (he writes them the same way), and his feelings on adapting the rest of VanderMeer’s Trilogy (sequels are “not my scene”), but received the biggest audience response when he asked if his friend Rob was in the audience. He had never met the Toronto native, but the two have been playing PS4 games online for a number of years. Garland invited his gaming buddy out for a drink after the Q&A, much to the delight of the audience.

While it was a fun and enlightening event, the last question of the night finally addressed the elephant in the room – Netflix. Annihiliation’s distributor Paramount Pictues recently sold international streaming rights to the Company, and will only give the Film a traditional theatrical release in the US, Canada and China. All other foreign territories will see the Film released exclusively on Netflix (much like the surprise post Super Bowl release of Paramount’s The Cloverfield Paradox). “I don’t have a problem with the small screen at all,” Garland said, noting his next project was an 8-part Series for FX. But he added, “This Film was designed for theatres. The immersive experience that we collectively hope happens at the end is not going to happen on a laptop.”

We’ll have more on Annihilation in our review next week, but for our Toronto and Montreal fans, be sure to enter our contest now to win passes to an Advanced Scteening of the Film here.

Paramount Pictures Canada release ANNIHILIATION on Friday, February 23, 2018.

(Photo credit: David Baldwin)

Premiering at TIFF’s NEXT WAVE Film Festival next month, LOVE, SIMON is setting Twitter on-fire we are told. Check out the Trailer for the Coming-of-Age story starring up-and-comer Nick Robinson. We’re getting total The Edge of Seventeen vibes.

Synopsis:
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Brothers & Sisters), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.

See the Trailer:

More details on the Premiere here.

20th Century Fox Canada release LOVE, SIMON Friday, March 16, 2018.

(Photo/video credit: 20th Century Fox)

Hot off its four Oscar nominations today including Best Picture, Luca Guadagnino‘s Call Me By Your Name continues to be a fan favourite for many including ours, and we were fortunate to have it Premiere here at TIFF ’17. Right in time for that important announcement Author and Professor André Aciman who wrote the Novel on which the Film is based, is in Toronto.

Appearing last night at a Book signing preceded by an In-Conversation-With at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Aciman did the rounds earlier today.including The Morning Show (National Edition).

Aciman had several interesting things about his acclaimed Novel and revealed he didn’t have enough courage to submit the “dirty story with a peach” to his agent. What makes Call Me By Your Name unlike other Films centering on same-sex love is that the two central characters are not oppressed. He tells the Audience, “I’m usually ahistorical. I hate realism. I wanted the love of two men to exist as it should: outside of disease, outside of prejudice, outside of bullying, outside of danger.”.

We were lucky to get a Snap with Aciman on his way out:

Hot off its four #AcademyAwards nominations today, #AndreAciman, Professor and Author of #CallMeByYourName in #Toronto for a timely visit.

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 🏮 (@mrwillwong) on Jan 23, 2018 at 8:13am PST

Mongrel Media release CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, now playing.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Mongrel Media)

Elevation Pictures x Mr. Will want to give Readers want to give Readers a chance to win Run-of-Engagement Passes to see THE FLORIDA PROJECT. The Film premiered at TIFF ’17 to rousing reception and has a tremendous amount of Awards Season buzz!

Synopsis:
Warm, winning, and gloriously alive, Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a deeply moving and unforgettably poignant look at childhood. Set on a stretch of highway just outside the imagined utopia of Disney World, The Florida Project follows six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince in a stunning breakout turn) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, another major discovery) over the course of a single summer. The two live week to week at “The Magic Castle,” a budget motel managed by Bobby (a career-best Willem Dafoe), whose stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion. Despite her harsh surroundings, the precocious and ebullient Moonee has no trouble making each day a celebration of life, her endless afternoons overflowing with mischief and grand adventure as she and her ragtag playmates—including Jancey, a new arrival to the area who quickly becomes Moonee’s best friend—fearlessly explore the utterly unique world into which they’ve been thrown. Unbeknownst to Moonee, however, her delicate fantasy is supported by the toil and sacrifice of Halley, who is forced to explore increasingly dangerous possibilities in order to provide for her daughter.

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Valeria Cotto, Bria Vinaite, Mela Murder and Christopher Rivera

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

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

Elevation Pictures release THE FLORIDA PROJECT Friday, October 13, 2017 in Toronto, Friday, October 20, 2017 in Vancouver, Friday, October 27, 2017 nationwide.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

This TIFF we were so blessed to be able to test drive the 2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING. Compact, fuel-efficient with breathtaking style, this vehicle is an exceptional value which in Rallye Red, gave us that lift of confidence to absolutely ‘own it’ this Festival. Check-out our coverage TIFF ’17 here. You won’t wanna miss this!

We’ve driven many cars from the HONDA family over the years but the 2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING stands out as being among the best. It straddles the line perfectly between luxury and utility, being exactly the car we need at this point in our lives.  Its leather seats are sizey with a heated option (front and back) and driving through the City with majestic skyscrapers peering down at us from its moonroof is something of awe.

Hover left and right to navigate slideshows:

(Swipe left!) #TIFF17: Views from the Honda Civic 5D Sport Touring! Would not have been able to navigate the Festival without this beauty. Parking downtown is a breeze with its intuitive parking assist and rearview camera. #HondaCivic #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF #TIFF2017

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2017 at 7:06pm PDT

Its spacious hatchback trunk was more than enough to transport luggage and various gifts we were given at lounges this Festival, plus also our own luggage travelling downtown to our hotel, the Novotel Toronto Centre. Above this, we could fit even Billy‘s cushy jumbo bed into that trunk space, which popped-open with the easy click of our remote.

Performance wise, it comes with a 180-hp, 1.5-litre, 16-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.

It also has a dual centre exhaust with a sharp, distinctive look that helps you stand out on the road. Truly this car is something remarkable outside and in.

This sexy beast! Thrilled to drive to the stars in this #TIFF17 with the 2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING! In love with its leather interior, wireless phone charger, fuel economy and sleek engineering. Thanks Honda Canada!

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 5, 2017 at 6:03pm PDT

The ECON fuel option helps us get the most for our dollar in a conscious manner. In fact we survived TIFF on a half-tank of gas!

The 2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING‘s rear-view camera and parking assist made navigating those tight parking spots in Entertainment District a real breeze. Above this, highway driving also is made simple even in our zombie-like state with lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and road departure mitigation.

It is incredibly intuitive with collision mitigation braking and forward collision warnings, so you can drive with that piece of mind that this car has your back. Visibility is not an issue in our unpredictable weather, climate controls is ultra-powered to defog those windows and there also are rear-window wipers which is a must for us.

We are all about the sound and the car’s 542-watt AM/FM Premium Audio System with 12 speakers is nothing short of glorious. We adore Sirius XM Hits the way it was meant to be enjoyed in a sound system this wonderful. We also loved how easily the car connected with our Android device and that wireless charging plate that kept us connected always to you with updates throughout TIFF ’17!

#TIFF17: Staying woke with a Starbucks Cold Brew run via drive-thru in the 2017 Honda Civic 5D Sport Touring! #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #Woke #Starbucks #HondaCivic

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Sep 15, 2017 at 7:54am PDT

More on the 2017 HONDA CIVIC 5D SPORT TOURING here.

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

We are racing to the finish line of TIFF ’17 but still have some exciting stuff to show you! Premiering tonight at Roy Thomson Hall was THREE CHRISTS starring Richard Gere and Walton Goggins. While stars Peter Dinklage and Bradley Whitford too were confirmed to come originally, unfortunately they couldn’t make it to town – a common occurrence late in the Festival.

Gere was spotted with none other than his father Homer whom he helped out of their SUV upon arrival of their celebration at Weslodge.   While he wasn’t keen on photos with fans, Gere was giving with autographs. Goggins, whom you known from Quentin Tarantino‘s The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained, was a class act to fans.  We were surprised to see Jason Isaacs out celebrating with Gere. The star of upcoming Star Trek: Discovery is filming currently in Toronto.

#TIFF17: #RichardGere and his dad Homer, here at #TIFF2017 with #ThreeChrists. They fêted at Weslodge prior. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2017 at 6:26pm PDT

#TIFF17: Giving #RichardGere some serious side-eye. 😒 #TIFF2017 #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2017 at 6:33pm PDT

#TIFF17: #WaltonGoggins at #TIFF2017 with #ThreeChrists. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2017 at 6:31pm PDT

#TIFF17: #JasonIsaacs celebrating the Premiere of #ThreeChrists with his friend #RichardGere earlier at Weslodge. He is in-town filming #StarTrekDiscovery. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 14, 2017 at 6:28pm PDT

We have one more day of spotting tomorrow. Try not to miss this when we’re done! We look forward to a bit of rest!

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

After gaining tons of buzz at TIFF ’17 with raves abound, Guillermo del Toro‘s Toronto-filmed THE SHAPE OF WATER has a new Red-Band Trailer which just surfaced today.

Synopsis:
From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER – an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.

See the new Red-Band Trailer:

Fox Searchlight release THE SHAPE OF WATER Friday, December 8, 2017.

(Photo/video credit: Fox Searchlight)

TIFF ’17 very much continues to be alive and kicking at its halfway point. We admit it, we’re drained but we look forward to the pace calming down tomorrow.

The Birks Diamond Tribute honouring the accomplishments of Canadian Women in Film. Held on the scenic rooftop of the Spoke Club, the gathering brought to us by Maison Birks and Telefilm Canada was a who’s-who and who’s next in the industry. Diverse honourees this year include Ellen Wong, Amanda Brugel, Mina Shum, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon and Sherry White.  We are so honoured to have been one of 27 selected jurors across Canada! Hover left and right to navigate the slideshow.

(Swipe left!) #TIFF17: Lovely time celebrating the accomplishments of our Canadian sisters in Film at the #BirksTribute tonight. 💎 Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada tells us, it is important these Canadian women be “visible, recognized and that we champion them when they succeed. They need to be seen. This is a call for diversity and representation in the industry. We still have a lot to do.”. 2017 honourees are actresses Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk), Ashley McKenzie (Werewolf), Catherine Bainbridge (Rumble), Chloé Leriche (Before the Streets), and Mina Shum (Meditation Park); actors Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ellen Wong (GLOW), Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (Rhymes for Young Ghouls), Mylène Mackay (Nelly), and Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (The Book of Negroes); and screenwriters Joanne Arseneau (19-2) and Sherry White (Maudie). #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF2017 #BirksTIFF17

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 6:05pm PDT

Annette Bening and Jamie Bell are getting praise for their performances in Professor Marston and the Wonder Women. We spotted the pair who play lovers in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. We spotted them out earlier doing the rounds and both were gracious to stop for fans! Huge fan of Bening!

#TIFF17: With the phenomenal #AnnetteBening, at #TIFF2017 for #FilmStarsDontDieinLiverpool. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:38am PDT

#TIFF17: #JamieBell at #TIFF2017 for #FilmStarsDontDieinLiverpool. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:37am PDT

Luke Evans‘ star continues to rise especially with his fantastic work in Beauty and the Beast. He is at TIFF ’17 with Professor Marston and the Wonder Women tonight, a timely Film which comes off the recent Box Office record-setting success of the superhero on which it centers. Australian Actress Bella Heathcote also is here for the Film and looked lovely for her Premiere!

#TIFF17: #LukeEvans at #TIFF2017 with #ProfessorMarstonandtheWonderWomen. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 1:37pm PDT

#TIFF17: With Australian beauty #BellaHeathcote, who is at #TIFF2017 with #ProfessorMarstonandtheWonderWomen. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 2:26pm PDT

Javier Bardem continues to be amazing TIFF ’17 with starring roles in mother! and Loving Pablo, plus an In-Conversation slated.

#TIFF17: #JavierBardem at #TIFF2017 for #LovingPablo and an in-Conversation. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 11:43am PDT

Lean on Pete is the one Horse Racing Film of TIFF ’17. Buzz came out of Telluride Film Festival for its star Charlie Plummer who finds himself in a quarter horse. Chloë Sevigny plays a jockey in the Drama. Both stars were kind to stop despite Sevigny joking that nobody knew who she was!

#TIFF17: #ChloeSevigny at #TIFF2017 with #HorseRacing Drama, #LeanOnPete. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

#TIFF17: #CharliePlumner getting acclaim for his performance in #HorseRacing Drama #LeanOnPete #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 11:47am PDT

THE ESCAPE stars a talented duo of Gemma Arterton and Dominic Cooper and premiered tonight TIFF ’17!

#TIFF17: #DominicCooper at #TIFF2017 with #TheEscape. #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival #TIFF

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 5:45pm PDT

#TIFF17: #GemmaArterton at #TIFF2017 with #TheEscape. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 5:41pm PDT

We love the international component of TIFF in that we get to see stars who normally aren’t based stateside here. Adele Exarchopoulos (Blue is the Warmest Colour) and Matthias Schoenaerts graced the Red Carpet at Ryerson Theatre tonight for Racer and the Jailbird and despite being late, they introduced their Film and came back out to greet fans one-by-one. Amaze!

#TIFF17: #MatthiasSchoenaerts at #TIFF2017 with #RacerandtheJailbird. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 5:38pm PDT

#TIFF17: #AdeleExarchopoulos at #TIFF2017 with #RacerandtheJailbird. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 5:40pm PDT

While they weren’t really ones for Selfies, Don Johnson and Vince Vaughn were at Ryerson Theatre tonight for BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99.

#TIFF17: #VinceVaughn at #TIFF2017 with #BrawlinCellBlock99. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 10:14pm PDT

#TIFF17: #DonJohnson at #TIFF2017 with #BrawlinCellBlock99. #TIFF #TorontoInternationalFilmFestival

A post shared by Mr. Will Wong 📸 (@mrwillwong) on Sep 12, 2017 at 10:16pm PDT

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)