Everything Noteworthy that’s happened at TIFF 2018 Parties
The calendars of Toronto’s movers and shakers are always packed in the first few weeks of September.
Written by Ross Dias
The season is more packed than ever before, with surprise visits from the Prime Minister, and the launch of some highly-regarded films. Here’s everything that happened behind closed doors so far at TIFF events this year.
Friday, September 7th
Kicking off the start of Toronto International Film Festival, Hugo Boss and Amazon Studios celebrated the Canadian premiere of “Beautiful Boy,” starring Steve Carrell and Timothée Chalamet, at Toronto’s Soho House. The addiction drama is based on the best-selling memoirs of father and son duo, David and Nic Sheff. Chalamet, dressed in Haider Ackermann, arrived in Toronto following a whirlwind year with parts in two Oscar-nominated films.
In between sips of Grey Goose cocktails, guests snacked on Korean Fried Chicken and salted caramel ganache tarts, while mingling throughout the night with other notable guests Amber Heard, Chalamet’s “Call Me By Your Name” co-star Armie Hammer, Dan Levy, Hari Nef and more.
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Photo credit: George Pimentel
Sunday, September 9
Lady Gaga has won over the festival audience, both with her dramatic outfit reveal on the red carpet, and with her performance in “A Star is Born,” directed by Bradley Cooper. Here, she fetes the film’s warm reception with co-star Cooper at a post-screening bash presented by British jewllery brand Links of London and Audi Canada.
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Photo credit: George Pimentel/Getty Images
Monday, September 10
Xavier Dolan, the Canadian darling of the Cannes film festival, prepared for his first-ever North American premiere and English language debut, “The Death and Life of John F. Donovan,” during the Coffee with Creators event presented by Deadline and hosted by Nespresso and RBC. Dolan was joined by some of the film’s star-studded cast: Thandie Newton, Kit Harrington, and Canadian actors Sarah Gadon and Emily Hampshire.
During the panel, Dolan said he chose Toronto to premiere the film because he saw it as a tribute to blockbuster films he adored as a child, including Titanic, Jumanji and The Secret Garden. Hampshire spoke about how she’s always wanted to work with Dolan, having worked together as actors in the past, but her command of French was never strong enough. Dolan’s previous work in front of the camera, Hampshire says, was a huge help on set. Filming with Dolan was “like a dance,” Gadon added.
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Photo credit: Eric Charbonneau
Later in the day, for the premiere of “Driven,” stars Jason Sudeikis and Lee Pace were joined by a vintage DeLorean on the red carpet, a nod to the film. Inside the party at RBC House, the cocktails were also themed to the film. Once inside, Sudeikis mingled with guests and made his way around the room, while Judy Greer entered and made her way straight to the bar for a refreshing cocktail.
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Photo credit: Sonia Recchia, Getty Images
It’s not a real party until the prime minister shows up. After a speaking engagement at the annual Women in the World summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by the “First Man” premiere party hosted by Nespresso and Audi at Patria, throwing the crowd into a complete frenzy. Trudeau did not take any pictures, but did make sure he shook everyone’s hand on the way out. Also present were cast members Ryan Gosling, who arrived with his family, Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, and director Damien Chazelle.
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