A very intimate affair, the Nespresso Coffee With Creators chat was one of my personal highlights of the festival. The event started bright and early on a Saturday morning, but thankfully, Nespresso took great care of us, with plenty of delicious java on offer. Jason Segel, who was the first cast member to arrive, made a beeline for the coffee area, introduced himself to the Nespresso baristas, and requested a “medium coffee with a splash of cream”. As a fan of Segel’s work ever since Freaks and Geeks, I was delighted to see how friendly and personable the actor was with everyone he interacted with, introducing himself with a smile, appearing relaxed and in good spirits.

The morning’s conversation was held in support of the world premiere of Gabriela Cowperthwaite-directed film The Friend, starring Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel, based on a true story about a husband dealing with his wife’s terminal cancer, and the couple’s best friend who moves into the family’s home to help out. The director and the stars were joined by Matthew Teague, the real-life husband whose story the film was based on, screenwriter Brad Ingelsby, and producer Michael Pruss. From the challenges of playing a “real” person, to the fun ways the stars got to shake off the difficult subject matter after a day of shooting, the conversation proved to be both insightful and entertaining, making the time fly by. And while I didn’t catch the film during the festival, it’s definitely on my list now.

It’s always a pleasure and a privilege, to watch the cast and crew share intimate insights about their work, and this year Nespresso (the official coffee sponsor of TIFF) and the Coffee With Creators panel series focused on supporting local, up-and-coming filmmakers, as well as established talent like Dakota Johnson and Jason Segel. If you’re curious, you can watch the chat on Deadline’s website, and if you’d like to read the heartbreaking 2015 Esquire article the film was based on, you can read it here.

More photos after the jump!
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