1. “Ben Affleck on coaching actors to act Canadian: ‘I just told them to be twice as nice as you actually are.’” – @TorontoStandard

2. “Crossing my fingers that my dresses get to Toronto when I do! Because the alternative would really suck…” – @ninadobrev, Nina Dobrev, actress

3. “I love Bill Murray: Bill Murray parties at Bovine Sex Club, seen following attractive woman out the door.”- @Pfro, Paula Froelich, journalis

4. “Dear traffic in Toronto, Seriously?” – @NathanFillion, actor

5. “Brian De Palma texts in #TIFF screenings. Friends, the battle is truly lost.” – @SamuelAAdams, Sam Adams, film/music writer

6. “Sauna time! Joshua Jackson spotted – in Trump slippers, no less – on his way into the Quartz Crystal Spa in the Toronto Trump. #TIFF12.” – @shinangovani, Shinan Govani, National Post columnist

7. “Malick’s wife introducing TO THE WONDER. ‘We thought about becoming Canadian citizens after 9/11.’” – @erickohn, Eric Kohn, film critic, Indiewire.com

8. “Hey, Toronto; Nice job on the renovated Bloor. I wish L.A. had a theater this cool and pedestrian-friendly. #tiff12 #ohcanada” – @jamesrocchi, James Rocchi, film writer

9. “THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE AMAZING STANDING OVATION!!!!! #ARTIFACT #TIFF12″ – @jaredleto, Jared Leto, actor/musician

10. “And to the Malick-bashers I say: [runs through field, the camera following; twirls]” – @SamuelAAdams, Sam Adams, film/music writer

Charlotte and Tatiana at the Tastemakers Lounge during TIFF 2012. Photography by Central Image Agency.

The thing about a rising star is that while dazzling its way to the top, there’s a whole lot of bright lights and big dreams on display for the ride. And that’s just what the Toronto International Film Festival is nurturing into reality with its Rising Stars initiative, now in its second year of showcasing Canadian actors throughout the 10-day festival (ELLE Canada’s October cover girl Sarah Gadon emerged from last year’s crop).

We caught up with the two leading ladies of this year’s batch of homegrown talent—Toronto-born Charlotte Sullivan and Regina-native Tatiana Maslany (fellow Canucks Charlie Carrick and Connor Jessup round out the docket)— to chat about how talent, hard work and a touch of cosmic alignment helped shape their star-studded TIFF experience this year.

Read on about Charlotte and Tatiana’s rise to stardom!

Read the rest of this entry

Actress Lily Collin’s at the TIFF premiere of Writers at Ryerson Theatre on September 9. Image courtesy of Brill Communications.

When it comes to getting celebs ready for the red carpet, Victoria’s Secret know best. We chatted with Beau Nelson, the celebrity makeup artist who, along with the reigning lingerie giant’s cosmetic line, created Lily Collins’ glowing look for the red carpet premiere of her latest flick, Josh Boone’s touching family drama Writers, at TIFF this year.

How do you determine a red carpet beauty look?

“When I am working with someone I take into account every bit of information I can. I like to know about them, and what they do and do not like, but also what they want to feel like that evening. It’s that feeling more than anything that I go with and try to create a look based on that, that works with the person’s age, personality, dress, hair and jewellery to allow them to put that part of their personality on display.”

How do you apply makeup so that it lasts throughout the night?

“I like to start with a primer, like VS Pro Airbrush FX Illuminating primer, which helps makeup last all day, and I finish by setting makeup with a powder like VS Pro Illuminating Face Powder, which has two sides – a matte side and an illuminating side – so I can control the shine where needed and let the glow come out where I want it.”

Read on for more of Lily’s red carpet beauty look!

Read the rest of this entry

Image courtesy of Park Hyatt Toronto Stillwater Spa.

The beauty about the Toronto International Film Festival is that it spans ten days for us all – but that’s where the collective experience ends. And since there are infinite ways to celebrate the festival within a finite period of celebration time, we mapped out your best bet for a surefire red carpet, celeb-filled experience in only 12 hours. Godspeed!

1 P.M. Roll out of bed (or if you’re lucky, your crystal-covered suite) and head to Suits Lobby Lounge at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto for their pop-up Creperie. Indulge in a truffled burrata with artisanal prosciutto, arugula, pepperoncini (for lunch) or sweet options like baked apple with cinnamon sugar and ricotta (for dessert, or a TIFF-style breakfast). Served daily throughout the fest from 7 A.M. to 2 P.M. Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, 325 Bay Street.

Read on for best ways to TIFF in only 12 hours!

Read the rest of this entry

Day 10: I Heart a Day at the Spa

1 screening, and 1 party to go…and then 24 hours of much needed sleep; but first, a spurt of rejuvenation to bring my skin back to life for the final festival lap courtesy of The Spa at the Hazelton.

A favourite amongst stargazers, The Hazelton is a celebrity-preferred festival home away from home (not to mention nighttime hangout) where stars including Madonna and Bono stayed this TIFF. Today, it’s where I (like many a celeb before me this festival) turn for a time out and a much needed signature Valmont facial from one of the hotel spa’s expert technicians. And like magic, the Valmont Purifying Pack mask with its Kaolin clay, Pink algae extract and Burdock extract smoothes out my pores while calming my skin before the technician rolls out a cool 100% collagen mask over my face, treating me to a scalp and hand massage while the mask does its work. The result: I no longer need the aid of 5 pounds of concealer to get ready for the evening’s events. Thank you Valmont for bringing this tired festival-goer back to life, or at least making her look alive.

Magic moment of the day: Falling asleep 10 minutes into the facial with tired, zombie-esque skin and waking up less than an hour later refreshed with a bright dewy complexion.

Day 9: I Heart Winnie

Finally, a full 5 hours of sleep seems possible will many of the red carpets rolled up and tucked away as the city is emptied of visiting celebrities. But luckily, there is still one very long red carpet welcoming guests to Roy Thompson Hall where Winne saw its gala world premiere on Friday before a packed theatre.

Director Darrell Roodt and lead actor Terrance Howard, who plays the charismatic Nelson Mandela, were amongst the cast present to introduce the film, the actor taking time to first credit TIFF to be the home of his “cinematic birth,” it being the festival where Paul Haggis first screened Crash. Howard is magnetic on screen as the former South African President silencing and moving the audience with speeches taken directly from history. Playing opposite him in the film’s title role is Jennifer Hudson, as his wife Winne Mandela. Together, the two capture a monumental period in world history, dramatizing events with care and precision, creating a heartfelt picture of Nelson and Winnie Mandela never seen before.

Most Sentimental Moment of the Evening: The closing song of Winnie performed by Jennifer Hudson heard through the sound of sniffles in an otherwise silent theatre.

Miss Day One through Day Eight? Click here for the full report.

Day 8: I heart Canadian Talent

Music is to cinema what peanut butter is to chocolate — a necessity. It’s no wonder, that only in its second year running, the Festival Music House (FMH) should become the “it” spot for all those looking for an alternative to red carpets and flutes of champagne.

Featuring an impressive musical lineup of Canada’s best over the course of three days, including band of the moment The Sheepdogs (check out their Rolling Stones cover) and homegrown favourite, Sam Roberts Band, FMH makes you feel proud to be a local at TIFF.

With 2 days left to go and FMH packed away till next year, this festival goer — still fatigued from TIFF’s hectic first weekend — plans to play the takeaway FMH CD on repeat to keep her eyes open while walking to and from the last of the festival’s screenings.

Highlight of the festival: Staring out into a crowd of dancing people singing along to Sam Roberts Eileen.

Day 7: I Heart a Good Scare

With Halloween well over a month away, audiences hungry for the gory and the ghoulish turn to TIFF’s Midnight Madness to tide them over till October when the nation’s theatre’s are taken over by fright night flicks. And while the dramatization of spilled blood in a Midnight Madness film is about as revolutionary as spilled tears in a British period drama, this year director Ed Sanchez (best know as the co-director of The Blair Witch Project) gifts the festival with the psychological drama Lovely Molly, a film that revitalizes the genre with a fresh take on first person horror, just as The Blair Witch Project did before it. “I wanted to make something that lingered,” says Sanchez of Lovely Molly, and linger — the uncertain terror — does.

To kick off their festival, Sanchez, along with cast and crew including leads Alexandra Holden, Gretchen Lodge and Johnny Lewis gathered for an intimate pre-screening cocktail reception at Malena restaurant in Yorkville. Seeming to be totally relaxed as he joined in the many toasts for the film that evening, the director admits to having pre-screening jitters, saying “I would have more fun if it wasn’t my party.”

Gauging from the excited and satisfied gasps of the audience at the premiere that night, Sanchez has once again proven himself the horror genre’s cowboy director, inventing the rules as he goes — injecting fear all the way.

Tip of the day: Always bring flats in your bag when going to a party, suggests Lovely Molly star Alexandra Holden as she changes into a pair herself while at the cocktail party.

Day 6: I Heart Actress Carrie MacLemore

Actress Carrie MacLemore might not be on your radar yet, but after the glowing response to the premiere of TIFF Special Presentation, Damsels in Distress by cinema icon, director Whit Stillman (Last Days of Disco) last night, it’s safe to say MacLemore — a lead in the feature — is soon to be a familiar face in the pages of your favouite glossies.

A film heavy with style (think Audrey Hepburn) and light with wit (British in its undertone), Damsels in Distress is well-worth the thirteen-year wait between it and Stillman’s last film. Set on the campus of a privileged East Coast university, this quirky story weaves its way though the lives of four young women, as they navigate through the treacherous terrain of college, love and self-identity.Petit and sugary sweet in demeanor, MacLemore is instantly engaging in person as much as on screen as Heather, the Type-A friend in the  group who states the obvious, as MacLemore puts it. This being the actress’s first red carpet appearance, she is both excited and nervous  to slip into the silver blue Dior number she’s selected for the  evening. An admirer of ìclassic Dior (not to mention Prada), it’s no wonder with such style sensibility that Grace Kelly should be the  demur MacLemoreís fashion icon. And like Kelly before her, MacLemore  has a timeless quality, an immediate warm charm and naturalness on  screen that audiences can’t help but adore, making this damsel one to watch.

Beauty tip of the day: Carrie MacLemoreís considers a good moisturizer a girl’s best friend. Her pick: a special mixture by her New York  dermatologist Dr. Alison Gruen, MD.

Day 5: I Heart the Hidden Gems

In the rush of screenings and red carpet madness that is TIFF, to find a quiet film that acts as a temporary escape and a contemplative log to rest one’s head is a priceless sanctuary.

Experimental director’s Julia Loktev (Day Night Day) latest feature film, The Loneliest Planet — part of TIFF’s Vision’s programme — is exactly that: an all-absorbing piece of intelligent and nuanced cinema that audiences carry with them out the theatre. The story of young couple — Alex (Gael García Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg) — The Loneliest Planet tracks the events that unfold between the pair while on a hiking trip in Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains, and an unexpected “incident” that unravels the couple’s view of themselves, each other and their wider view of the world. A slower paced film, characterized by unconventional extended silences, star Gael García Bernal thinks that this quiet feature will still be able to appeal to wider audiences, “I think they’ll get something out of it,” adding, “I don’t like film to have a niche.” Completely free of restrictive genre constraints, The Loneliest Planet, is not a film to be missed by any cinema lover in need of a bit of a shakeup.

Refreshing moment of the day: Co-stars Gael García Bernal and Hani Furstenberg, unwinding and catching up over cookies and tea before our interview.

Last screening:
Sunday September 18
Isabel Bader Theatre
10:00am