TIFF PARTY: The festival’s opening-night party featured tacos (but no dark liquor) and a venue change
TIFF PARTY: The festival’s opening-night party featured tacos (but no dark liquor) and a venue change
What could be more Canadian than Canada’s biggest film event hosting its opening party at a hockey arena? We guess TIFF could’ve launched the fest with a Canadian film. Or at least served rye. But still! We’ll take the Air Canada Centre for now. Bathed in purple light and gently throbbing house remixes of that song from Café de Flore, the festival’s opening-night bash offered a change from tradition. For the first time in more than a decade, the party moved downtown after a long run at the Liberty Grand at Exhibition Place. The new venue didn’t attracted A-list guests, and, sure, the bar wasn’t stocked with any dark liquor (unless beer counts, which it doesn’t), but there was plenty of Skyy vodka—and a taco bar, which probably means haute Mexican food has officially jumped the shark. Oh, well. At least now there might be a table available at Grand Electric.
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- The lighting scheme matched the CN Tower, which was lit up orange for the festival’s opening night
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- Organizers were expecting 3,000 guests at Maple Leaf Square—the first time the space has been part of TIFF festivities
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- The red carpet
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- Inside the party
- (Image: Jag Gundu/Getty Images Entertainment)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- <em>Looper</em> stars Emily Blunt and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- (Image: Jag Gundu/Getty Images Entertainment)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- Actress Emily Hampshire
- (Image: Jag Gundu/Getty Images Entertainment)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- Gossip queen Lainey Lui
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- The outdoor section of the party featured several massive video screens. (Thankfully, the weather was dry)
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- The media area was directly in front of the Air Canada Centre
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- Waiting for the next celebrity. Bruce Willis and John Krasinski stopped by before heading to the <em>Looper</em> afterparty at Soho House
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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- The new venue also allowed members of the public to check out the red carpet
- (Image: Erin Seaman)
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
- TIFF PARTY: Festival Opening Night
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 and a venue change&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-opening-party-intro-624x395.jpg&description=
By John Semley | Photography by Erin Seaman
What could be more Canadian than Canada’s biggest film event hosting its opening party at a hockey arena? We guess TIFF could’ve launched the fest with a Canadian film. Or at least served rye. But still! We’ll take the Air Canada Centre for now. Bathed in purple light and gently throbbing house remixes of that song from Café de Flore, the festival’s opening-night bash offered a change from tradition. For the first time in more than a decade, the party moved downtown after a long run at the Liberty Grand at Exhibition Place. The new venue didn’t attracted A-list guests, and, sure, the bar wasn’t stocked with any dark liquor (unless beer counts, which it doesn’t), but there was plenty of Skyy vodka—and a taco bar, which probably means haute Mexican food has officially jumped the shark. Oh, well. At least now there might be a table available at Grand Electric.
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