FESTIVAL INSIDER » The Art of Movies

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

Richard Budman — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:14:47 +0000

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.”

Atom Egoyan enjoys TIFF much more as fan, than filmmaker

Richard Budman — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:50:34 +0000

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.”

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

Richard Budman — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:49:47 +0000

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.”

Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash, at his Gallery One exhibition opening.

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

Richard Budman — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:52:10 +0000

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

Richard Budman — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:35:50 +0000

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?

Richard Budman — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:05:12 +0000

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.

TIFF insiders night with the Festival programmers and their best picks

Richard Budman — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:26:22 +0000

The Toronto International Film Festival held its annual TIFF Insiders night where the TIFF team of programmers all come together and share some of their favorite picks of the Festival. After all, it is this group of people that screen thousands of films each year – rejecting about 90% – to eventually arrive at the 300+ films that make up the 36th edition of TIFF.

So a crowded room of TIFF sponsors, donors, and other festival friends got a chance to meet the programmers and hear about some of the films that really stand out in their minds.

It didn’t take long for the first few programmers to talk about a documentary that seems to make an impact on whoever has seen it, Pink Ribbons, Inc. Léa Pool’s investigative film about the industry and “culture” around breast cancer.

Programmer Jane Schoettle’s highlighted the performance of Matthew Goode in Burning Man as must-see. A personal favorite of Schoettle’s is Pariah with director Dee Rees as a talent to watch out for. We’re already hearing the company behind Pariah is planning a push to get it noticed by Oscar voters.

Another two titles we heard talked about in the room that night; The Hunter with Willem Defoe playing a mercenary and Juan Of The Dead and its funny trailer.

A personal fave of TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes is You’re Next by the director and writer of last year’s Festival indie hit, A Horrible Way To Die. Geddes gem of the Festival is a “Die Hard” type of action film, Sleepless Night (Nuit Blanche.)

Drive, starring a stunt-driving Ryan Gosling was called out a few times as a fun one to see. The film earned the director, Nicolas Winding Refn an award at Cannes this year. (We were then reminded that Drive will open up wide in theatres the week after TIFF, so perhaps look for films at the Festival that are harder to find playing later.)

Real To Reel programmer Thom Powers wasted no time in calling Paradise Lost 3 – Purgatory his gem of the festival. The filmmakers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky started their quest almost twenty years ago with the first Paradise Lost. It was just a few weeks ago when the featured protagonists of the films, were in the news, as the final twist in their two decade legal odysssy was finally written.

A hot pick of veteran TIFF Programmer Michèle Maheux is We Need To Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly. Maheux’s favorite was The Artist – shot entirely in black and white, without dialogue and in a traditional 1.33 aspect ratio, the film excited someone in the audience who previously saw it so much she blurted out, “(The Artist) is most fun you’ll have at the film festival this year.”

Cameron Bailey cited Rampart starring Woody Harrelson as a very hot pick of the Festival. Bailey calls Harrelson’s performance of a dirty cop in LA one that is sure, “to get noticed by the Oscar voters this year.” Cameron’s gem and “one of the most gripping” films of the festival is Guilty. Vincent Garenq’s disturbing drama from France investigates the corrupt judicial system and false accusations of pedophilia. The TIFF co-director was quick to call Elles starring Juliette Binoche his not-to-miss of the Festival.

Piers Handling’s favorite pick was the french film Rebellion (L’ordre et la morale) – Handling called it simply, “the french Apocalypse Now.”

What’s on the Cadillac Festival Insider’s not-to-miss list? Branwen Okpako’s The Education of Auma Obama. A documentary on the U.S. President’s older half-sister. Festival programmer Rasha Salti was so happy to find this film and bring it to TIFF. Salti describes Auma as having many of the same passionate characteristics as her powerful brother.

Harvey Weinstein has a very busy TIFF’10 – Barry Avrich’s untitled documentary sells to IFC

Richard Budman — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 08:42:38 +0000

The legend of Harvey Weinstein only grows larger after TIFF’10. Besides Harvey having a very active Toronto festival – his new company Weinsteiin Co. acquired three high-profile films, each acquisition in the seven figure range.

The name “Harvey Weinstein” made news in Toronto for another reason too. A long time in the making documentary by Barry Avrich was acquired by IFC in a deal that saw worldwide rights sold to Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project. The doc is narrated by Peter Fonda.

The Cadillac Festival Insider spotted Mr. Avrich at an August TIFF press event and we asked Barry about the status of his Weinstein documentary and whether we could maybe see a Toronto Film Festival premiere? Avrich said he didn’t have time to get it ready for Toronto but the doc was finished and would be released sometime in 2011. Guess Barry wasn’t too busy to still take in enough of TIFF this year to get his film sold.

“I believe that great stories must be told. Harvey and Bob Weinstein, without a question, redefined so many rules of Hollywood marketing, distribution and filmmaking that you simply can’t ignore their impact on history. Many of their business principles and strategies also redefined other industry practices and quite frankly, other industries. Without Hollywood’s ‘Last Bully’, there would be no Pulp Fiction, no one would have known about that English patient, Rob Marshall would still be a chorus boy and Quentin would be recommending Bruce Lee’s greatest hits in some video store. IFC Films is a great home for my film and I am thrilled that it will be receiving such a prominent release.” – BARRY AVRICH

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TIFF’10 GALA: The Town – director Ben Affleck bringing an all-star cast to Toronto

Festival Insiders — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:26:30 +0000

One of the most anticipated Gala premieres at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival is for director Ben Affleck’s THE TOWN. In Affleck’s sophomore directorial effort, Ben has managed to assemble a powerhouse cast. From the A-list actor-turned-director to Oscar nominees, and even a Gossip Girl star. This Roy Thomson Hall Gala is sure to be a centre of attention that night in Toronto.

Because one Cadillac Festival Insider can’t be everywhere during TIFF – there really are just TOO many events going on some evenings. We’ve enlisted some help from a few people who will share their Cadillac Festival Insider experiences.

Toronto PR girl, and The A List Blogger Alanna Glicksman will be attending THE TOWN’s Gala premiere screeening and will share her experiences later in the week. Alanna blogs today on The A List;

The star-studded TIFF gala premiere of The Town is one of this year’s hot ticket shows. With Ben Affleck, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall set to grace the red carpet with their presence, the paparazzi will have lots of tabloid-worthy pictures to sell. Sure to dazzle is the lovely Blake, who is famous for her baring all on the red carpet, and dashing Ben, who like a fine wine only gets better with age.

The rumor mill is buzzing about possible red carpet appearances from significant others Penn Badgley and Jennifer Garner, but my money’s on a Penn appearance. The Gossip Girl couple aren’t shy about flaunting their love, while Ben and Jen tend to avoid walking the red carpet together.

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FIRST LOOK VIDEO – THE PROMISE: Making of Darkness On The Edge Of Town documentary brings Bruce Springsteen to TIFF for Gala premiere and interview

Festival Insiders — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:12:49 +0000

When THE BOSS himself, Bruce Springsteen steps onto the red carpet for the TIFF Gala world premiere of THE PROMISE: Making of Darkness On The Edge Of Town it will continue a tradition of the Toronto festival being able to attract not just the biggest movie actors in the world – but also in recent years, some huge icons from the music world too.

During the 2008 Toronto festival guitar gods Jack White, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and The Edge (U2) all came to Toronto in support of the documentary, IT MIGHT GET LOUD. Last year, we saw U2′s Bono and Edge turn up on a TIFF red carpet in support of fellow Irish director Neil Jordan’s new film.

And It won’t just be at the Roy Thomson Hall Gala on September 14th where we’ll see Springsteen. Earlier in the day, Bruce will sit down with actor / friend Ed Norton for a rare in-depth live interview at the new Bell Lightbox building.

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