My Toronto International Film Festival experience kicked off yesterday with the eTalk Film Festival party that took place from the 299 Queen Street Building. I grabbed my pal Laura (actually, a more appropriate way to put it would be that my pal Laura picked me up) and we headed to what would undoubtedly be an evening of delight and debauchery.
The exclusive event featured a performance by Diddy and a DJ set by critically-acclaimed Samantha Ronson (yes, Lindsay’s Samantha Ronson).
The Toronto festival is known for bringing out Hollywood A-Listers and the eTalk bash was no exception.
On the red carpet, I managed to talk to many celebrities and the first to walk my way was Canada’s best basketball player, Phonix Suns point guard Steve Nash. When I asked him what he enjoyed more, film festival parties or basketball, it was no surprised that he chose the sport that he is so passionate. He also revealed that after TIFF, he would immediately head home to start getting back into shape for the upcoming NBA season.
Next on the docket were my pals from Canadian Idol. I know that I have written about the fact that there was such a disparity between the number of guys to girls this season and this point could not have been made any clearer than on the red carpet where it honestly just seemed like a swarm of guys, flanked by Amberly Thiessen and Katherine St-Laurent. When I jokingly asked the guys who won the draw to say that the girls were their dates, Earl Stevenson immediately piped up and said that he “brought both of them.” Mark Day mused that he was supposed to bring Katherine, but that Earl stole her from him. Day also said that he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was most looking forward to seeing Mariah Carey perform on the finale, but Mookie Morris disagreed and said that he wanted to see John Legend.
One of the most anticipated premieres at the Festival was the debut of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. The film’s screenplay writer, Lorene Scafaria talked to me about that movie, which she said she has been working on since receiving the book four years ago (the film is an adaptation).
“It’s not your typical teen movie, I think it’s a throwback to old John Hughes movies that I grew up on in the 80’s and hopefully reminds people of Say Anything and it’s a real feeling of nostalgia,” she said. “It’s about real young love rather than just kind of slapstick humor.”
Scafaria said that she wasn’t intimidated by the film’s premiere happening on Canada’s biggest platform.
“It’s a big stage but we at least have distribution so we’re not sweating that out too much which is certainly a common feeling. It’s definitely high-stakes. Reviews are just starting to roll in so it’s going to happen very shortly.”
The stars from the most-anticipated reality show of all-time in Canada were next as the cast of So You Think Can Dance Canada paraded out. The first to talk to the world’s foremost reality television expert was judge Jean-Marc Genereux.
Genereux said that there were a lot of similarities between the northern edition and its U.S. counterpart.
“Canada, there’s a humbleness to it. When it comes to dancing, you have nothing to hide. Maybe they are not going to laugh as loud, maybe they are not going to cry as deep because dancing is one language and they all speak the same one.”
With regard to Joshua winning the U.S. show, the judge said that it was the right result.
“I think the final result was probably the right one because Joshua had this amazing diversity to him. He elevates every piece to the next level which is very unusual for a dancer.”
Host Leah Miller disagreed.
“I loved Twitch. I wanted Twitch to win. He’s 27. Josh was younger. He was 19, not that age matters, it’s just that Joshua just has so much more time ahead of him,” Miller said. “I liked Twitch but I guess you can’t really control who the public votes.”
I talked to Miller at greath length and she spoke at length about her appreciating for the plum hosting gig she landed.
“One of the best experiences that I have had so far in my career. It’s a dream job. I am such a huge fan of the American show and I was so upset when the season ended. When I first heard that they were making the show and they were looking for hosts, I knew that I wanted the job so badly,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t get what you want, and I auditioned and I got it and I cried and honestly, it’s unbelievable. The dancers are so good and I am just not saying that because I am hosting it.”
Miller hyped the Thursday premiere as well.
“I can’t wait for people to see it when it premieres next week. They’re better than the American dancers. Honestly, I am not joking. I don’t know how they picked the Top 20.”
Next up were last year’s Idol lovebirds, Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo and Tara Oram. I was particularly interested in talking to Oram since we both have new reality shows. I asked the Newfoundlander how she made her “Tara Diaries” program happen.
“Basically it started from online blogging and from there, CMT approached me about doing my own reality show based upon the blogs,” she said. “I had just signed a record deal so they wanted to focus on that, so I figured ‘hey, why not.'”
Oram said that the series was primarily shot in Toronto, with a couple of episodes in Nashville. The series will reair on CMT in October and she is waiting to hear about a second season as well as possible U.S. availability.
Melo said that he appreciated the experience of being on his girlfriend’s show.
“Being a part of Tara’s show, it was very magical. What you see is kind of what you get with the two of us,” he said. “It was just us being wacky and our goofy selves.”
The pair said that opening their relationship up to the camera wasn’t a big problem or concern.
“It wasn’t really a fear. We kept it to a minimum on TV. The makeouts and stuff on TV,” Oram said. “We kept it pretty PG. It was fun to just do it together. Not do “it” together!”
As for the upcoming Idol finale, the duo were on opposite sides of the fence.
“We’re kind of against each other,” Melo said. “I am a Theo fan. She’s a Mitch fan. I think the one thing Mitch has going for him that other Idols don’t, is his unique tone. Where he really shines is when he starts doing that folky kind of acoustic stuff.”
There is no question that my favorite moment of the evening was when my good friend, regular Murtzfest attendee and actress Katie Boland made a surprise appearance in support of her new film.
“I am here for my new movie Adoration that is directed by Atom Egoyan,” Boland exclaimed. “Will you be my date Murtz Jaffer?”
She said that was very proud of the new project.
“It’s a great movie… it will be even more fun with Murtz Jaffer my boyfriend.”
When I saw one of the hosts of The Hills After-Show, I immediately knew that we had to talked. I ushered Jessi Cruickshank over and asked her what the most shocking moment of the new season has been so far. She said that it was definitely Heidi’s “transformation.”
Many people have questioned whether or not The Hills is scripted and I asked Jessi for her opinion on the matter. She was quick to point out its legitimacy.
“I know the girls well. We’ve hung out and Lauren and Heidi will literally not be in the same room together,” she said. “They require two hours between when one will leave the location and the other one arrives. If you’re the person waiting to interview them, you just have to kind of wait and do them separately.”
When I asked what the perfect ending to this season would be and if it would be a Lauren/Heidi reunion, she said that definitely didn’t seem possible.
“Last season, I was all about them becoming friends again but now I think people have kind of given up on Heidi. Her and Spencer have gone to another level and I don’t think anybody knows what planet they are on, including Lauren. A perfect ending would be for Lauren to find the right guy and maybe get serious with him.”
I suggested that Lauren’s perfect mate might still be Stephen Colletti (from Laguna Beach) and Cruickshank laughed.
“Perfect ending would be a wedding between Lauren and Stephen, I am putting it out there!”
I briefly had a chance to talk to Chantal Kreviazuk. She is friends with one of my cousins (who she met on a flight) and was surprised to learn of our relation.
My final chat was with Rockstar INXS’ Suzie McNeil who talked about her new record which comes out on October 21st. McNeil promised that it would have a harder edge than her last and that it featured more “quirky pop rock.” She wrote all the songs on it.
I asked her if it was hard to be taken seriously following a stint on a reality show like Rockstar, American or Canadian Idol.
“I think absolutely as those shows are getting their legs and growing, people are sort of skeptics of them. I have to say the media environment, the way it is today, it’s a lot easier. I am glad to see the opportunity that those shows bring and then the fact that these people are taken as real artists and accepted. I have to say it is up to the individual,” she said. “You have to conquer that stereotype. Look at Hedley. I think that we are as a society that we are more accepting of them.”
After the red carpet, it was time to soak in some of the fun.
What’s next on the docket for the media icon Murtz Jaffer? The Virgin Music Festival looms…
