And That’s a wrap! The 36th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival closes bigger and better than ever

Well, that’s a wrap on another highly successful Toronto International Film Festival. It was a thrill again to ride with Cadillac and cover what has become one of the busiest film festivals in the world. We hope you enjoyed Cadillac Festival Insider coverage as we took you inside TIFF – the press conferences, red carpets, parties, and more!

TIFF seemed to grow again this year as much of the movie-goer action emerged along King street in Toronto. We saw the official home of TIFF – the Bell Lightbox open fully and be a hub of activity. The Festival also utilized a new theatre opening weekend – the beautiful and spacious Princess Of Wales.

But alas, even the best parties have to end. So, the TIFF Cadillacs have been cleaned up and put away for another year. But like us Festival Insiders, we’ll all be back to do it again next year. Enjoy some of our highlights of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival:

- The Biggest Band in the world kicks-off TIFF’11
- Festival Insider Skye has dreams come true at Hello! Canada party
- Madonna makes a Gala red carpet appearance to the delight of fans.
- “Brangelina” is the number one power-couple of TIFF
- infamous street-artist Mr. Brainwash all over TIFF

and don’t forget, all the Cadillac Festival Insider photographs are permanently archived on our Flickr feed.

Who Wore It Well? 12 Best Dressed Ladies at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

The films are not the only things critiqued and talked about during the Toronto International Film Festival – so too are the red carpet fashions. We had some top-tier star style on display during the 36th edition of TIFF. So who caught our eye (and camera lens) in Toronto? Keira Knightley, Megan Fox, Anna Feris, Angelina Jolie, Sarah Gadon, Emily Blunt, Michelle Monaghan, Rebecca Hall, Wendy Crewson, Ashley Greene, Jennifer Garner and Madonna. (George Pimentel photos)

(more…)

[VIDEO] “Where Do We Go Now?” earns the Cadillac People’s Choice Award for favourite film of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

[VIDEO] In a slight upset, a foreign language film set in war-torn Lebanon emerged as the people’s choice favourite of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. “Where Do We Go Now?” from Lebanese-Canadian director and actor Nadine Labaki won the 2011 Cadillac People’s Choice Award – an accolade that usually signals more recognition is to come for the film. Labaki’s film has already been announced as Lebanon’s official entry into Oscar consideration for best foreign language film. The TIFF award should further help it make the coveted short-list of Academy Award considerations once the nominations are announced early next year.

The Cadillac People’s Choice award also includes a $15,000 cash prize. Festival programmer Rasha Salti, accepted the award on the director’s behalf, who was in the process of flying back to Lebanon. “I’m thrilled, I’m happy, I’m ecstatic, I’m excited… I’m running around jumping up and down at the Frankfurt airport. Tomorrow we’ll be screening ‘Where Do We Go Now?’ for the first time in Lebanon and I will be proud and happy to announce the news in front of my crew, my family and the Lebanese audience.” Labaki said in a statement emailed to TIFF.

“The Island President” won the Cadillac People’s Choice Award for favorite documentary. Thom Powers, documentary programmer for TIFF accepted the award on the filmmaker’s behalf. Said Powers, “The President came here from the Maldives . He was watching the film for the first time along with the audience. There was something so exciting about that experience, it translated to the audience and elevated the film to the People’s Choice Award.” The TIFF premiere also marked the first time a sitting President in power had ever visited the Festival.

“The Raid” was voted favourite Midnight Madness feature and writer-director Gareth Evans, along with stars Iko Uwais and Joe Taslim were on hand at the awards brunch to accept their Cadillac People’s Choice Award.
M.J. Comeau, VP of Sales for GM Canada presents the Cadillac People’s Choice Awards to the winning films. (photos: George Pimentel. video/editing: Mike Edge.)

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were the number one Power Couple of TIFF’11

There is no shortage of star power when the Toronto International Film Festival is on. But when celebrity super-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrived at the Gala TIFF premiere for “Moneyball,” you witnessed celebrity on a whole other level. The fans went crazy. Photographer’s shutters didn’t stop. The appearance of Brangelina was the big story early in the Festival and they were the number one power couple at TIFF. (George Pimentel photos)

[VIDEO] Woody Harrelson’s “Rampart” premieres in a new TIFF theatre – The Princess Of Wales on King street

Full use of the TIFF Bell Lightbox on King street wasn’t the only new theatre to see action during the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. This year also marked the first time the Festival used the famous Princess Of Wales theatre, located just down the street from the Lightbox.

The Princess Of Wales has primarily been used for Toronto theatrical productions. Named for Diana, the late Princess Of Wales, the theatre opened to the public during 1993 with the musical Miss Saigon. Designed by award-winning Architect Peter Smith, the theatre features a horseshoe-shaped, two-balcony seating plan connected to the proscenium by box seats. With seating on three levels – orchestra, dress circle and balcony – the Princess of Wales is surprisingly intimate for a theatre that seats 2,000. The Toronto International Film Festival consulted on the installation of a new state-of-the-art theatre sound system – optimized for movie viewing in the Princess Of Wales so expect this theatre to see plenty of TIFF action in the years to come.

[VIDEO] Cadillac Festival Insider SKYE reports from a busy King street outside the Princess Of Wales theatre just as Woody Harrelson and the cast of “Rampart” make a 2011 TIFF debut. (photos: Richard Budman. video/editing: Mike Edge.) Cadillac Festival Insider SKYE is wearing designs by Stephan Caras and jewelry by Psalms 91:1

Nicolas Cage in Toronto to premiere “Trespass” says he lived through similar home invasion nightmare

Under the file of ‘truth meets fiction” we have the new movie, Trespass which director Joel Schumacher and Nicolas Cage brought to the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Seems the home invasion story hit very close to home for Cage who said during the films press conference his family had actually lived through a similar nightmare in real life.

“It was two in the morning. I was living in Orange County at the time and was asleep with my wife. My two-year old at the time was in another room. I opened my eyes and there was a naked man wearing my leather jacket eating a Fudgesicle in front of my bed,” Cage told reporters ahead of the films TIFF premiere. “I know it sounds funny … but it was horrifying.”

Hundreds of party goers kicked off TIFF opening weekend at The Artists For Peace And Justice fundraiser

Hundreds of party goers kicked-off the opening weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival in fine style at the Artists For Peace And Justice fundraiser held at Ame. Guests mingled with the likes of Gerard Butler (in Toronto to support two films during TIFF,) Paul Haggis, Jason Reitman and Toronto’s own George Stroumboulopoulos came out to show their support of APJ and the worthy work it’s doing.

“This event was really unique,” said Haggis, Academy Award-winning director (Crash, Million Dollar Baby) and founder of APJ, which supports health, education and dignity initiatives in Haiti. “While many film festival events are restricted to film industry professionals and sponsors, this year TORO After Dark provided an opportunity for APJ to generate awareness and engage a new audience in a relaxed setting, while providing the opportunity to meet some of Hollywood’s biggest personalities.” Since 2009, events held during the Toronto film festival benefiting APJ have raised over $300,000, with a 100% of proceeds going directly to Haiti.

(Richard Budman photos) Cadillac Festival Insider SKYE is wearing designs by Stephan Caras and jewelry by Psalms 91:1 at the Artists For Peace And Justice fundraiser.

TIFF Cadillac People’s Choice Awards often predict greater things to come for Audience favorite films

Curious to what films might be front-runners to garner awards attention come Oscar season? Paying attention to the Toronto International Film Festivals Cadillac People’s Choice Awards when handed out on the final Sunday is good place to start.

Toronto audiences have become renowned for their good taste in movies and TIFF audience picks have increasingly gone on to greater acclaim – especially during Oscar season. Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech, and Precious are all among Cadillac People’s Choice Winners at TIFF that went on to scoop-up many more critical awards.

“Over the last decade, we’ve been a bellwether for not just best picture wins, but many other of the other awards too – acting awards in particular.” – says Piers Handling, co-director of the Festival. “So many of the films that have Oscar potential, Golden Globe potential, awards potential, actually do platform in Toronto.”

TIFF Cadillac People’s Choice Award is presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the Festival going public. Movie-goers are distributed ballots after every TIFF screening with the chance to rate the film. Votes are tallied at the end of the Festival and an audience favorite is determined. The winning filmmaker is further awarded $15,000 in prize money. In recent years, Cadillac People’s Choice has added categories recognizing favorite Documentary and Midnight Madness features.

So what films did you vote for this TIFF as favorites? What’s going to be the people’s choice when the awards are handed out this Sunday, September 18th?

A Dangerous Method, Moneyball, or maybe, The Artist?

(George Pimentel photos) Freida Pinto accepts the 2008 Cadillac People’s Choice Award on behalf of “Slumdog Millionaire.” The film would go on to capture the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Cadillac Festival Insider talks TIFF with Norman Jewison at the annual Canadian Film Centre barbecue

The Canadian Film Centre has been a place to celebrate excellence in Canadian film and television production for more than a quarter-century. The annual barbecue, traditionally held on the first Sunday afternoon during the Toronto International Film Festival is always a great time when most of the Canadian production industry comes together to network and indulge in delicious food and drinks.

Cadillac Festival Insider was happy to catch up with the man who had the original vision for the CFC – filmmaker Norman Jewison. Jewison reflects on how the Toronto International Film Festival has grown up through the years to become the largest public festival in the world now.

Cadillac Festival Insider is on the official TIFF red carpet with the cast of Killer Joe and Oscar-winning director William Friedkin

[VIDEO] Cadillac Festival Insider takes you on an official TIFF red carpet tonight for the premiere of “Killer Joe” directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker William Friedkin. We chatted with the cast – Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, and Juno Temple about performance – and what it takes to achieve your best one. (photos: Richard Budman video/editing: Mike Edge.) Cadillac Festival Insider SKYE is wearing on the TIFF red carpet designs by Stephan Caras and jewelry by Psalms 91:1.

Atom Egoyan enjoys TIFF much more as fan, than filmmaker

Cadillac Festival Insider spotted celebrated Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan at Bell Lightbox a few times this week as he was just quietly taking in films. We asked Egoyan one day, “Do you enjoy TIFF better when you have a film in the Festival or not?” Egoyan quickly replied, “without a doubt, NOT.”

We’ve got weekend screening tickets to give away for some great TIFF movies – Tweet to us to win

Cadillac Festival Insider has got a few pairs of regular screening tickets up for grabs on Twitter. Just tweet to us at @FestivalInsider which screening tickets you would like and we’ll start randomly giving them away on Thursday, September 15th. It’s a great chance to catch a screening of Festival films that won’t necessarily be back in Toronto anytime soon.

[WON] HICK – Friday, September 16th – 2:30pm – VISA SCREENING ROOM AT ELGIN

[WON] THE AWAKENING – Saturday, September 17th – 9:00am – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 1

[WON] WINNIE – Saturday, September 17th – 12:00pm – TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1

[WON] FIRST POSITION – Saturday, September 17th – 12:30pm – TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 2

RANDOM – Saturday, September 17th – 1:00pm – AGO JACKMAN HALL

[WON] DEATH FOR SALE – Sunday, September 18th – 9:30am – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 3

[WON] PINA – Sunday, September 18th – 12:00pm – TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1

[WON] CENTURY OF BIRTHING – Sunday, September 18th – 12:30pm AMC YONGE DUNDAS

[WON] DARK GIRLS – Sunday, September 18th – 4:00pm – AMC YONGE DUNDAS 24

Pick-up your TIFF screening tickets at the Cadillac display, on the south side of King st. just outside Roy Thomson Hall.

[VIDEO] Inside the Sales and Industry centre at the Toronto International Film Festival

Cadillac Festival Insider takes you inside another important part of TIFF – The Sales & Industry Office which is committed to facilitating relationships between accredited buyers, sales agents and filmmakers with films in the Festival. This is the place where the deals go down.

Madonna makes a Gala red carpet appearance at Roy Thomson Hall in support of her film, W.E. Also joining her were actors Andrea Riseborough and Abbie Cornish

(George Pimentel photos)Madonna makes a Gala red carpet appearance at Roy Thomson Hall in support of her film, W.E. Also joining her were actors Andrea Riseborough and Abbie Cornish.

WANT TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF TIFF’S RED CARPET? CHECK OUR FLICKR FEED

Hello! Canada celebrates Hollywood Style at Ritz Carlton hotel during the 2011 Toronto Film Festival

(September 10, 2011) Cadillac Festival Insider was at the grand new Ritz Carlton Hotel in Toronto as Hello! Canada magazine celebrates Hollywood Style. Held during the opening weekend of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival the event brought out the best in Canadian media talent and an international star or two, including Backstreet Boys’ Howie D. Festival insider reporter SKYE even had her dreams come true when she got to duet with Howie.

Cadillac Festival Insider SKYE is wearing designs by Stephan Caras and jewelry by Psalms 91:1 at the Hello Canada! celebrates Hollywood at the Ritz Carlton hotel.

Casually dressed Robert Deniro joins co-stars Clive Owen and Jason Statham for Gala premiere of ‘Killer Elite’ – and then right back to New York

(George Pimentel photo)

It’s been a question on media’s mind for weeks leading up to the 36th edition of the Festival – would Robert Deniro make a third consecutive appearance on a TIFF red carpet when his film, ‘Killer Elite” also starring Clive Owen and Jason Statham had a Gala screening at Roy Thomson Hall.

And Mr. Deniro didn’t disappoint and emerged to a thunderous ovation on the red carpet to join his co-stars. It was a pretty casual Deniro who wore blue jeans, a work shirt, and crumpled jacket. Perhaps there wasn’t much time to change because Deniro spent practically no time in Toronto.

A private jet landed in the afternoon with a car waiting to whisk Mr. Deniro into the downtown Toronto core. He joined his co-stars on the carpet for photo ops and limited interviews, and headed straight back to the airport immediately following the screening for a flight back to New York.

Freida Pinto arrives to ‘Trishna’ red carpet premiere with Dev Patel at Princess of Wales theatre

Pandemonium ensued when Freida Pinto arrived at the Princess Of Wales theatre on Friday night for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of Trishna. When Freida emerged from the vehicle holding hands with boyfriend Dev Patel both sides of King st. outside the theatre exploded in cheers.

Cadillac Festival Insider fondly remembers three years ago at the Festival when a little film Pinto and Patel were starring in, Slumdog Millionaire, came out of the Festival to critical acclaim and the 2008 Cadillac People’s Choice Award as fan favorite film. (an award Freida accepted on behalf of the film.) Slumdog would go on to capture the Best Picture Oscar. Also along the way, loved boomed between young stars Pinto and Patel. It’s nice to see the couple celebrating the 2011 edition of the Festival together.

(Richard Budman photos)

[Video] Cadillac Festival Insider gets ready for the TIFF red carpets at the gifting suites

[VIDEO] Cadillac Festival Insider got a taste of what the celebrities and VIP’s of the Toronto International Film Festival get to experience – a visit to the two top gifting suites that happen during every TIFF – The Tastemakers Lounge and the IT Lounge. The insiders came away pampered, ready for the red carpets and parties, and, with a big bag of swag!

Thank you!

Megan Fox lights up the TIFF Red Carpet at the ‘Friends with Kids’ Premiere

Megan Fox ravishes in red at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival premiere “Friends With Kids” at the Ryerson Theatre on Friday, September 9th.

The actress was joined by husband Brian Austin Green for the red carpet screening.

WANT TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF TIFF’S RED CARPET? CHECK OUR FLICKR FEED

(George Pimentel photos)

[PHOTOS] Opening Night of TIFF – U2′s Bono and Edge at the Gala premiere of From The Sky Down

The Toronto International Film Festival opened with a bang last night as two members of the world’s biggest band – Bono and Edge of U2 made a highly anticipated visit to the Gala premiere of, From The Sky Down. Directed by Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim, the documentary looks at a key time in the band’s history twenty years ago when they recorded the landmark album, Achtung Baby.

A big crowd of fans assembled early near the Roy Thomson Hall red carpet hoping for a chance to get up-close and personal to the band. And they didn’t disappoint. As soon as the TIFF Cadillac Escalades arrived and Bono and Edge emerged, they walked right over to the fans, greeting them and signing lots of autographs.

WANT TO SEE MORE PHOTOS OF TIFF’S OPENING NIGHT? CHECK OUR FLICKR FEED

Infamous street-artist Mr. Brainwash creates new installation for TIFF (Brad Pitt and Madonna are collectors)

The Toronto International Film Festival has proven the last few years to not just be about films. TIFF has shown it’s about music with attracting to the Festival some of the biggest pop acts in the world (Bruce Springsteen, U2.) The Festival has also very much shown it’s about art. In the case of the 2011 edition – TIFF is embracing a street-art style with commissioning none other than Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, to install works around Gala red carpets.

In celebration of the installation, Gallery One in Yorkville opens an exhibition to the public of Mr. Brainwash original works the day TIFF starts and running through to the end of the Festival (September 18th.)

The elusive street-artist Guetta even made an appearance at the private opening on September 7th. Guetta works in the same street-art style as masters in the field like Shepard Fairey – the artist behind the iconic Obama “Hope” poster, and of course, the infamous Banksy, the British star street-artist who pioneered the explosive interest in their types of works. Banksy directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop last year which featured Mr. Brainwash at work.

The Gallery One exhibition is sure to attract some TIFF celebrities. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Madonna are all known to actively collect the works of Mr. Guetta.

At the exhibition opening, prices for some of Guetta’s pieces exceeded $25,000 – and they were selling. Mr. Brainwash art has been described in the past as “throwing modern cultural icons into a blender and turning it up to eleven.”

(more…)

[POSTER] The era of the silent film returns – The Artist premieres at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

It seems a silent film is set to get people talking during the 2011 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The Artist premiered to enthusiastic audiences back at May’s Cannes Film Festival – where star Jean Dujardin was named best actor. The Weinstein Company, sensing a beautifully lensed, black and white movie that captures “old Hollywood” could make a serious run come awards season, snapped up rights to the Michel Hazanavicius film.

The Artist will continue to play at festivals this fall before opening to the public, in limited release, starting in late November. The poster for the film features a striking black and white image of stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. See the official trailer for The Artist here.

[VIDEO] Film Critic Richard Crouse shares his TOP 10 #TIFF11 picks with Cadillac Festival Insider

Our friend, esteemed film critic Richard Crouse was kind enough to sit down with Cadillac Festival Insider at the Bell Lightbox a few days before the Toronto International Film Festival is set to kick off. Crouse shares quick thoughts on 10 movies that will premiere during #TIFF11 that WILL BE worth seeing. Richard has nice words so far for; Drive, 50 /50, The Artist, The Skin I Live In, Take Shelter, Melancholia, Machine Gun Preacher, Take This Waltz, Afghan Luke, and Breakaway. [VIDEO]

Are we ready to add David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen to list of all-time great director / actor collaborators?

The working relationship between lead actor and director of a movie is one of the most special in Hollywood. When it goes well, the results can be magical and truly special films are born. Just think of the output some of these actor – director pairings produced: Deniro and Scorcese. Depp and Burton. DiCaprio and Scorcese. And perhaps the time is coming to add David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen to the list of all-time great film collaborators.

When A Dangerous Method premieres during the Toronto International Film Festival this year – it will officially be the third collaboration between Cronenberg and Mortensen. They had successfully teamed up in the past, to critical acclaim, in the films A History Of Violence (2005) and Eastern Promises (2008).

The Cadillac Festival Insider had the chance to chat with Cronenberg during TIFF last year (when he was in the midst of shooting A Dangerous Method) and asked him why the continued collaborations with Viggo, “It’s a love affair. It’s a marriage.” replied a half-serious Cronenberg. “Viggo and I have similar senses of humour. It helps you get through long production days.”

A fourth teaming of the actor – director pair will almost certainly happen as a rumored sequel to Eastern Promises has already been given the go-ahead.