TIFF Soiree | Style Blog | Canadian Fashion and Lifestyle News

TIFF 2017: Favourite Moments

10 September, 2017 Nelia 1 Comment

TIFF is arguably one of the most exciting times to be in Toronto, and this year’s festival has not disappointed so far. Here are some of my fave TIFF 2017 moments, from fundraisers to celeb sightings.

1. Priyanka Chopra at TIFF Soiree
While I wasn’t able to make it to the TIFF Soiree this year, I followed the fancy affair on Twitter. Priyanka Chopra was this year’s guest of honor, in town to promote Pahuna: The Little Visitors, a film she produced with her mother, screening at this year’s festival. Chopra’s Soiree appearance was in service of TIFF’s Share Her Journey campaign aimed to promote and empower female voices behind and in front of the camera.

“One-third of the films selected for the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival are directed by women, with an even higher number of female-identified short filmmakers at Festival (42.4%) and the director-driven Platform programme at gender parity. Films by women at Festival this year include the solo directorial debuts of actors Greta Gerwig, Brie Larson, and Molly Parker, as well as new work by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Dee Rees, and documentarians Alanis Obomsawin, Agnès Varda, and Jennifer Baichwal.” If you’d like to support women in film, you can donate here: http://www.tiff.net/shareherjourney/

2. Call Me By Your Name Premiere and After-party
My Day 1 of TIFF began in the best way possible – with tickets to the premiere of Call Me By Your Name, a Luca Guadagnino film starring the impossibly handsome Armie Hammer and newcomer Timothee Chalamet. Going in I had no idea who Chalamet was, but after watching the film I am now in awe of this talented young New Yorker and his magnetic screen presence. The movie was a stunningly filmed coming-of-age love story set in a small town in Italy; it captured the angst, the pain, and the joy that comes with that first love. And while it was a two-hour long affair, I wanted to watch it all over again once the credits started rolling.After listening to the director and the leading men give thoughtful and eloquent answers during the Q&A, le bf and I hightailed it to the film’s swanky after-party at STK Yorkville. I had the chance to congratulate Armie and Timothee on the film, and got le bf to snap a photo of Armie and I…which he sadly bungled. Thankfully the in-house photog captured our mini photo-fail and I still ended up with a memento of my brief Armie moment.

3. Julianne Moore VIP Reception with L’Oreal Paris
Celeb encounters are always an exciting part of TIFF, and this year I was lucky to have been invited to an intimate Julianne Moore reception hosted by L’Oreal Paris. Julianne arrived looking as stunning as ever, and shared a few thoughts on her favourite red carpet moments from prior years. She stressed that every red carpet moment is a result of a “professional collaboration”, and that if left to her own devices, she’s actually not that great at blowing out her own hair. When asked about her top beauty tips, Moore shared that she wears moisturizers with SPF since she was 23 years old, she pays regular visits to Joanna Vargas for facials in NYC, and that “sleep helps”. She also revealed that she owns the same pair of Givenchy heels in every colour because of how stable they are, even if they don’t look it.

4. Mongrel House
One of the liveliest places to be during TIFF is Mongrel House, with nightly parties that have everything from table tennis to live karaoke to free poutine. This year we spotted Stellan Skarsgård, having a great time, laughing and chatting with the attendees. Shia LaBeouf and Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov also made an appearance. With a lengthy list of Mongrel Media movies screening at TIFF this year, there’s a good chance more celebs will be stopping by in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled if you find yourself near the beautiful Campbell House at night.

5. Papillon Grey Goose After-party at STK
STK Yorkville is playing host to several film parties during TIFF this year, sponsored by Grey Goose and Nordstrom. One of the first parties held at the fancy steakhouse was for Michael Noer’s remake of Papillon, with star Charlie Hunnam in attendance. The handsome actor happily posed for photos, taking selfies with everyone brave enough to ask. A selection of delicious Grey Goose libations was on offer, but the coffee-based Star of Film Noir cocktail was my fave (Grey Goose vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur…yum!), and gave me a much-needed boost of caffeine for TIFF.

More TIFF moments are coming to the website soon! Including Jake Gyllenhaal in Stronger, and brunch with Benedict Cumberbatch!

Photo Credits: 2 – GP Images WireImage courtesy of TIFF, 2 and 5 – Lu Chau // Photagonist.ca, 3 – Ryan Emberley, 4 – Mongrel Media

TIFF 2016: TIFF Soirée with Michael Fassbender

10 September, 2016 Nelia 1 Comment

After weeks of anticipation, it finally happened – TIFF Soirée with guest of honour Michael Fassbender. Fundraising for year-round initiatives like Pocket Fund, Special Delivery, and Reel Comfort, the gala kicked off with a fascinating on-stage conversation between TIFF Artistic Director, Cameron Bailey, and ~~the love of my life~~ Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender.

Looking dapper (and a little jet-lagged) in his blue Gucci suit, Fassbender was generous with his answers, and delved deep into the things that make him tick. One quote that seems to have gotten the most attention was the one about Michael’s performance as Magneto in X-Men. Despite the numerous reports claiming that he was embarrassed by his portrayal of Magneto, it sounded like he was only referring to the scene shown during the conversation, and as Fassbender described it was “just like some dude shouting”.

I wish I’d recorded the entire conversation, but I didn’t want to disturb my seatmates with the bright light of my phone, so here’s what I remember about the rest of the on-stage conversation.

Liam Cunningham moved in with Michael Fassbender for a couple of weeks to prepare for the infamous 23-minute and 27-page long one-take scene in Hunger, where Fassbender has a lengthy dialogue with Liam Cunningham’s character. “We got up every morning, cooked porridge, and we started rehearsing,” says Fassbender. “We did it every day for 11 days and had people bring lunch to us. The goal was to do it ten to 15 times a day and then Steve would come in in the evening and watch us, give us some notes, next day same thing.” Obviously, Magneto and Ser Davos were great roomies, since they only had to do 4 takes during filming.
In real life, Magneto’s superpower is power-napping. “I’m a great power napper. Having been a mutant with superhero powers, that is my real superhero power. I could do it now. I could just lie down on the stage, if it goes that way. There is the downside to it, when I get tired, I have to sleep. I can’t keep awake.”
When talking about his physicality in acting, we learned that shoes (or lack thereof) is one of the most important parts of Fassbender’s wardrobe, as choice of footwear grounds him “from the feet up”.
When asked about which film was the most personal to him, Hunger was his answer, “because I was hungry…to act, and quite literally”.
In a moment of self-deprecation, Fassbender admitted that he didn’t make a great first impression on Director Steve McQueen. “I think he said I was arrogant? I guess maybe I was a little defensive. I hadn’t been working a lot, and I don’t know how I came across in the room. I thought I came across well, but that just goes to show how much I know.”
If you were wondering about what turns him on, it seems that watching his movies for the first time with a live audience does the trick. “I get off on it a little bit. It’s nice when the sort of nerves and excitement are at maximum and you get to experience it with a very passionate audience and they’re usually very honest as well, so you get the full effect, as it were.”
A self-described “slow-learner”, Fassbender went into a bit of a panic when he received the “mountainous” script for Steve Jobs. “In rehearsals I was trying to find a way to get out of the job,” he said. “I remember telling my driver, ‘If I put my arm in the door, you should slam it. It should cause a break and it should get me out of this gig.'” Luckily, Michael kept his limbs clear of car doors, and ended up with an Oscar nomination as a result. Not bad for a slow-learner!
After being asked about working with Director Quentin Tarantino, Fassbender revealed that when he was 18, he directed and starred as Mr. Pink in a stage version of Reservoir Dogs. As such, being directed by Tarantino in Inglorious Basterds was “pretty special”.

After the interview, we headed upstairs to Malaparte for the cocktail party, where to my surprise, Fassbender was making the rounds, chatting with people and taking photos. I felt a little bad about stalking him around the room, but not bad enough to stop – I was too excited.

Michael looked great in person, with warm eyes and smile, and had a welcoming energy about him. He laughed often and when it was finally my turn to have a brief conversation with the man of the hour, I am embarrassed to say that I froze up a bit, and could only mumble something about my love of his acting and my appreciation of his performance in Fish Tank. Looking back, I wish I’d asked one of the many questions that were swirling in my head, but hopefully next time. After our brief chat, my friend Anita and I were lucky enough to actually get a photo with Fassy thanks to Nick from Best of Toronto. Giddy like schoolgirls, we let his handler lead him away to the next group of admirers, while we stood around, unable to believe our luck.

And while TIFF has only just begun, without a doubt in my mind, the TIFF Soirée was the best part of the festival for me – even if it happened before the official Day 1. Stay tuned for more TIFF coverage as the festival continues.

More photos after the jump!
[Read more…]

You Are Invited: TIFF Soirée with Michael Fassbender

30 August, 2016 Nelia Leave a Comment

TIFF time is the best time to be in Toronto, and what better way to kick off the festival than at TIFF Soirée on September 7th with actor extraordinaire Michael Fassbender as the guest of honour?! In case you’re not familiar with what TIFF Soirée is all about, I asked maxine bailey, the Vice-President of Advancement for TIFF, to share her thoughts on what to wear to this gala and why TIFF Soirée is a not-to-be-missed event this September.

Q: What is your inspiration for this year’s TIFF Soirée Outfit?
A: Comfortable Glamour. Is that a thing? If it is, I’m going for it. TIFF Soirée is ALL about dressing up, but making sure my feet comfortably make it through the following 11 days. Lashes, big hair, sparkles and glitter, AND, comfy shoes. After all, this is the launch of our 41st Toronto International Film Festival and a fundraising gala to support our year-round outreach activities the other 354 days.
Q: Does the choice of a special guest influence your style decisions for the event?
A: I believe, most of the men and women in attendance, will be dressing for our fabulous guest of honour, Mr. Michael Fassbender. I mean, who wouldn’t. Mr. Fassbender makes you want to up the ante!

Q: What makes TIFF Soirée one of the best galas of the festival?
A: It’s a fantastic kick-off to the Festival, it gives you a sense of all that is to come for the next 11 days! And, much more importantly, funds raised from this event enable TIFF to reach out to youth in under-served communities and provide access to high-quality opportunities to learn about and engage with film, bringing film screenings, director discussions and workshops to community partners across the city FREE of charge through our outreach programmes. Our core outreach programs (Pocket Fund, Special Delivery, Reel Comfort) emphasize access, inclusion and diversity.
Q: Is it important for you to incorporate Canadian-designed clothes into your TIFF Soirée look?
A: Absolutely. For the 7th year in a row, I’m working closely with my lovely co-designer, Susan Dicks, who makes the bulk of my Festival clothing. It’s important for me to feel and look good as we race through those 11 action-packed days so leading up to the Festival, I scour fabric stores and land on the doorstep of Susan’s studio with ideas, Pinterest pics, and tons of ambition.

And there you have it, if you love Michael Fassbender, would like to contribute to future TIFF initiatives, and can’t wait to dress up to celebrate the 41st Toronto International Film Festival, then you should definitely attend the TIFF Soirée on September 7th. The evening will start with an exclusive onstage conversation at TIFF Bell Lightbox, followed by a rooftop cocktail party…and of course, Michael Fassbender will be there too. Tickets are still available and can be purchased HERE. See you there?

More photos from past TIFF Soirées after the jump!
[Read more…]