TIFF Party: James Franco proves he’s just as well-rounded as he seems at a fête for The Director

Basement parties were the height of luxury last night as Gucci fêted the James Franco-produced documentary The Director in the lower level of the Thompson Hotel. The film is about Gucci’s creative director Frida Gianni; accordingly the party drew a host of Toronto’s society and fashion fixtures, including Galen Jr. and Alexandra Weston, Galen Sr. and Hilary Weston, Holt Renfrew’s Lisa Tant and Gucci North America CEO Christophe De Pous. And then, of course, there was Franco himself, utterly gorgeous in head-to-toe Gucci.

Franco only made a brief appearance at the pre-cocktail, but stuck around to introduce the film, which shows 16 months of Gianni’s life through the lens of cinematographer Christina Voros. During a brief chat, Franco gamely covered a range of topics, from his lack of Instagram prowess (he’s seeking out a cropping app at the behest of his followers) to the influence of his Yale mentor, queer theorist Michael Warner (Franco now sees queer theory at work in everything from his art to the roles he plays). Turns out the the actor, author,  professional student and producer actually lives up to his Renaissance man rep.