Toronto

Last night was a big night for Geoffrey Fletcher, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire." To a sold out crowd at the Visa Screening Room in Toronto, Fletcher world premiered his first directorial effort, "Violet & Daisy," an oddball tale about two teenage assassins dead set on vanquishing their latest target (James Gandolfini) to afford new dresses. It also marked a big night for Alexis Bledel, Violet to Saoirse Ronan's Daisy. Ronan proved her action chops in "Hanna." Apart from a brief appearance in "Sin City," Bledel's stuck mostly to girly teenage fare since wrapping her stint on TV's "Gilmore Girls." Her brazen turn as Violet might change all that. "It takes a lot for someone to see something different in me because I have to prove it," Bledel told indieWIRE at the film's afterparty. "I was always resistant to kind of accept that challenge. I'm pretty stubborn. So I didn't step up to the plate for many years. Now I enjoy it. You have to apply yourself to the job if you want to do good work. Now, I'm kind of addicted. I want to see what else I can do." [Photo by Nigel M. Smith]

French actor Louis Garrel at a small dinner hosted by IFC Films/Sundance Selects in Toronto this week. Garrel stars in Christophe Honoré's "Beloved" (Les bien-aimés), which is screening as a Gala at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Milos Forman, Ludivine Sagnier, Garrel, Paul Schneider and Michel Delpech, the film is a story about two generations of women and their lovers spanning the '60s to the 21st century.

"As you know I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, so I almost feel Canadian," Madonna said as she introduced her "W.E." to the crowd at Roy Thompson Hall. She probably felt an even closer connection afterwards, when the Canuck crowd gave her film a brief standing ovation. [Photo by Earl Simpson]

Director David Cronenberg posed with SPC co-presidents Michael Barker and Tom Bernard along with actor Viggo Mortensen a the Toronto Film Festival.

"Miss Bala" breakout actress Stephanie Sigman reunited with one of the film's executive producer's Gael Garcia Bernal last night at the after party for the world premiere of Lynn Shelton's "Your Sister's Sister." Bernal is also here with "The Loneliest Planet," which he stars in. He will be stopping by the Filmmaker's Lounge at 4:20pm today to talk about "Planet" with indieWIRE. Come on by if you're in town! [Photo by Nigel M. Smith]

Director-writer Lynn Shelton was all smiles last night at the world premiere of her follow-up to the indie hit "Humpday," with one of the film's stars, Emily Blunt, by her side. Blunt's co-star Mark Duplass was also on hand. Before the screening, all three took part in a discussion with indieWIRE at the Filmmaker's Lounge where they talked about the freedom of improvisation and the tight shooting schedule. Go here for Eric Kohn's review on indieWIRE. [Photo by Nigel M. Smith]

Directors Gus Van Sant and Bruce LaBruce arrive at the dinner for Sony Pictures Classics in Toronto over the weekend. Van Sant's "Restless" is screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Enjoying some pre-drinks ahead of Sony Classics' annual press dinner in Toronto, "In Darkness" director Agnieszka Holland (middle) along with Robert Wieckiewicz (left), and composer Antoni Komasa-Lazarkiewicz pose with SPC co-president Michael Barker. Their film centers on one man's rescue of Jewish refugees in the Nazi-occupied Polish city of Lvov.

Actors Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen joke around while setting up for pictures at a dinner hosted by Sony Pictures Classics over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. Mortensen plopped on a "hat" for photos and also put it on Knightley who wore it for a few seconds (Morensen then fixed her hair while everyone had a laugh - you probably had to be there). Their film, "A Dangerous Method" by David Cronenberg is screening in the festival.

Oscar-nominated doc filmmakers Morgan Spurlock and Lucy Walker check in at the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend in the Industry lounge at the downtown Hyatt, a hub of activity throughout the day for TIFFers in between screenings. Adjacent to the Industry lounge, indieWIRE hosted daily chats with filmmakers and cast of various films playing at the festival, including Spurlock for his latest, "Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope." Walker attended TIFF with her documentary short, "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom."

Bono, the Edge and director Davis Guggenheim launched the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival Thursday night with a screening of the doc, "From the Sky Down," bringing down the house with their rock star panache. The film explores how the band has survived through the - gulp - decades. [Photo by SLA]

Twenty years after Thelma and Louise took their fateful dive, the actors who immortalized the BFFs, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, stopped by the TIFF Bell Lightbox to chat about their landmark film two decades after its release. [Photo courtesy: George Pimentel/Getty Images]

International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) founder and director Ally Derks in Toronto yesterday where she accepted the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival's annual Mogal Award. Photo courtesy Hot Docs/Joseph Michael.

Whitney Dow at Hot Docs Monday night with the fest's executive director Chris McDonald during Q&A for his film "When The Drum Is Beating." The doc explores Haiti’s complex past and challenging present through the music of its most beloved band, Orchestre Septentrional. Photo courtesy Sami Siva/Hot Docs

"Kumare" director Vikram Gandhi took the stage at Hot Docs Saturday night for the Canadian debut of his film, in which Gandhi plays the titular character, a guru from a fictional village in India who travels to Arizona to spread the gospel of his own brand of yoga that includes a special “blue light” ritual that doesn’t exist beyond Gandhi’s creation of it for the film. Pictured alongside festival programmer Lynne Crocker and "Kumare" producers Bryan Carmel and Brendan Colthurst, Gandhi greeted a very warm response from the packed Toronto audience. Check out indieWIRE's interview with the director here. Photo courtesy Hot Docs/Sami Siva.

The massive team behind the "National Parks Project" took the stage after its premiere at the Hot Docs International Canadian Documentary Festival in Toronto this weekend. The project is a film, music and new media creation that looks at the way the wilderness has shaped the Canadian imagination. Thirteen filmmakers came together explore Canada’s national parks with a group of musicians and composers, and the result is 13 high-definition documentaries set in Gwaii Haanas, Gros Morne, Nahanni and 10 other national parks across Canada. Photo courtesy Hot Docs/Sami Siva.

The two stars of "Rabbit Hole," Aaron Eckhart (left) and Nicole Kidman pose with the film's director John Cameron Mitchell (right) during a press conference for the film at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This particular visit to TIFF marks a milestone in Kidman's career. For "Rabbit Hole," which had its world premiere at the festival, Kidman dons two hats: lead star and producer. "I feel very exposed, very nervous," she said. "It’s a whole different ballgame. It’s so personal when you’re in a film, but you’re not responsible for a film. I’m responsible for this film - so it’s a big weight. But I’m so glad we made it." [Photo by Nigel M. Smith/indieWIRE]

"I've been asked about ambition before and I don't feel that ambitious because I started so young and because it was very fun," Winona Ryder said at the press conference for "Black Swan" this morning. Ryder and co-star Natalie Portman had been asked about the pressures they felt by being in the public eye since they were children, a pressure that is mirrored in "Swan," which debuted in Toronto last night. "But to be looked at and judged and read something about yourself and you think 'okay, that's who I am and that's who I should be.' It gets very confusing and it could drive a person crazy." Check out video form the press conference here.

From left, David Poland of Movie City News, Roger Ebert, indieWIRE's lead critic Eric Kohn, actor Rainn Wilson, RogerEbert.com contributor Grace Wang, and Scott Tobias of The Onion A/V Club pose after Roger Ebert's Twitter Showdown today at the Filmmaker Lounge. Contestants were given one minute to tweet responses to Ebert's pre-written statements. Audiences were asked to vote on their favorite tweets by the contenders, while MTV's Dan Levy moderated the competition and tallied up the votes. Wilson took first place, with Kohn pulling in a close second by winning the final vote. Participant Eric Kohn writes up the event here. Photo by Shade Rupe.

In anticipation of the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, iPOP is taking a look back at some highlights from last year’s event… Alan Lennick, Sari Lennick (co star of film), Joel Coen One of the nicest parties of the Toronto International Film Festival (and there were a few others despite this mother fucker recession), Focus Features had a great party last week for the Coen brothers ' "A Serious Man." We were happy to get a pic: Alan Lennick, Sari Lennick (co star of film), Joel Coen, Sheila Wagner. The word on the street was that the movie is really good and it almost seemed like the knives were out for it - but apparently it's good.

Atop the Citipark Cumberland Parking Garage in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, a sold-out audience gathered for the first in a series that finds Rooftop Films collaborating with the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Appropriately, the film was Meghan Eckman's "The Parking Lot Movie," which takes a look at parking lot attendants. Photo courtesy of Hot Docs/Joseph Michael.

The Toronto Documentary Forum - the largest event of its kind in North America - kicked off yesterday as part of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. The two-day event is held on the campus of the University of Toronto and will see 28 projects presented to over 150 key international broadcasters and financiers from Europe, Australia, Japan, the USA and Canada, as well as to a gallery of accredited observers. Photo credit: Joseph Michael.

"Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg take the stage at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto this weekend, presenting their film to a packed audience. Photo Credit: Joseph Michael.

More from TIFF '09: Hanging out at the New York Times party last week, "Bright Star" actor Paul Schneider with the film's producer, Jan Chapman. Schneider plays poet John Keats' best friend, Brown, in the film by Oscar-winner Jane Campion. The film, which screened at TIFF and is now in release through Apparition, centers on the close relationship the early 19th century poet had with Fanny Brawne. Schneider and Chapman joined the hordes at the party at the Royal Ontario Museum. [Photo by Eugene Hernandez]

More from TIFF '09: The New York Times hosted an early evening bash at the stately Royal Ontario Museum, which naturally brought out a cross-section of who's who in town for the festival last week. British actors Bill Nighy (who stars in Stephen Poliakoff's pre-WWII drama "Glorious 39") and Michael Sheen (who stars in Tom Hooper's "The Damned United") were among the Brits who attended. [Photo by Eugene Hernandez]

More from TIFF '09: For those who didn't get a chance to catch the film in Cannes, Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan has a winner with his beautifully crafted "I Killed My Mother," which had great audience response after a packed screening. Dolan (center) got all dolled up for the screening and lively Q&A afterward. here Films will release the film in the U.S. - though we're not exactly sure when that will be. Dolan is seen here with the distributor's Jonathon Aubry and Mark Reinhart.

"Trash Humpers" director Harmony Korine joins the crowd at IFC Films' dinner during the Toronto International Film Festival this week. The director (center) told indieWIRE his latest was inspired from "artifacts found in an attic or a videotape buried in a ditch." Hanging with Korine as people were getting seated were Charles-Marie Anthonioz (part of the producer's team), his wife Rachel and IFC Films' Ryan Werner.

Actors Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfriend join director Atom Egoyan at Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall to celebrate the world premiere of their collaboration, "Chloe." Photo courtesy of WireImage.

"Whip It!" director Drew Barrymore and star Ellen Page celebrate the film's premiere at an after-party at Toronto's Tattoo Rock Parlor. The film - Barrymore's directorial debut - was met with a warm response at the festival, and is being released by Fox Searchlight this October. Photo courtesy of WireImage.

"A Single Man" director Tom Ford (center) with Clive Owen and Julianne Moore at the party for Ford's film in Toronto. Definitely one of the most stylish (of course) parties of the festival, Ford used a large in a gallery that's across the street from the Royal Ontario Museum, but apparently had the entire room transformed. So the rumor goes, he had the walls painted and carpet brought in to reflect his black and white motif - and even if this isn't all true, it makes for a good story - but we're not making it up. The crowd was good looking and stylish, and mostly dressed up. We heard the next day that some calls were made to some guests admonishing them for showing up in casual wear, but it was probably just a joke. Even better dressed, was the staff, who clearly just happened to be in town for an Abercrombie & Fitch shoot, and just happened to fall into coats & ties for the Ford party... Anyway, it was too much! (But in a good way).

Alan Lennick, Sari Lennick (co star of film), Joel Coen, Sheila Wagner One of the nicest parties of the Toronto International Film Festival (and there were a few others despite this mother fucker recession), Focus Features had a great party last week for the Coen brothers ' "A Serious Man." We were happy to get a pic: Alan Lennick, Sari Lennick (co star of film), Joel Coen, Sheila Wagner. The word on the street was that the movie is really good and it almost seemed like the knives were out for it - but apparently it's good.

The SXSW Film Festival hosted a nice soiree complete with karaoke (hosted by Film Sales Company's Michael Lerman who ran a tight ship) in Toronto Tuesday night. Fest attendees picked songs ranging from classic punk (so weird to use 'classic' and 'punk' in the same context, but there you go) to country, metal, pop and '80s alterna - which was the choice of director/actress Samantha Morton, who attended the festivities with pal, producer Ben Barenholtz. Morton went for Tears for Fears, but pretty much did her own thing while on stage as the music played. She attended TIFF with her directorial debut, "The Unloved," screening in the festival's Discovery section. The film is inspired by her own childhood which was spent in the care of social services for most of her childhood until she was eighteen.

IFC Films hosted their annual dinner for their filmmakers and friends in Toronto Monday night, with a great turnout as usual. Before sitting to dinner, invitees schmoozed and chatted (same thing?) over wine and good times. Among the crowd were "Vincere" actor Filippo Timi (he plays Benito Mussolini in the Marco Bellocchio directed film about the Italian dictator and their son) hanging out with Sundance documentary programmer, David Courier.

Danny Boyle and Tilda Swinton participated in the fourth day of the Toronto International Film Festival's Talent Lab. Boyle served as a "governor" at the lab, interacting with and teaching the 25 workshop participants from around the world. Swinton - in Toronto promoting her film "I Am Love" - stopped in as a guest speaker. [Image courtesy of WireImage.]

Mariah Carey in Toronto for a pre-screening cocktail party for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" in which she plays a decidedly un-glam part as a social worker. And might we add, did a great job. When we first saw the film in Sundance (where it won multiple awards) we didn't immediately recognize her minus all the pop star trappings. Director Lee Daniels must be a good friends with the singer, because she's definitely transformed in this film. She along with Mary J. Blige were in Canada in support of the film, and even skipped the MTV Video Music Awards in New York the same evening.

Mary J. Blige was in Toronto Sunday along with the other big stars (both present and future - hopefully) with Lee Daniels' "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." Blige joined Daniels and others from the film at the Royal Ontario Museum prior to the film's screening Sunday night. The rumor (well one of them anyway) was that Blige is set to write a new song for the film...

It's probably a bit of a challenge to break out with your own personality under the bright lights when you're in the same project with the likes of Oprah, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige not to mention Sundance best actress winner Mo'Nique (who plays - beautifully - the biggest bitch mother to hit the screen in ages), but Gabourey Sidibe truly holds her own in the film - in fact, did a bang up job. Here she is on the red carpet Sunday evening for a pre-gala screening cocktail party at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto in celebration of "Precious", directed by Lee Daniels.

Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh discuss their film "The Informant!" at a press conference at the Toronto International Film Festival. Check out indieWIRE's review of the film, which opens in theaters this Friday. [Photo courtesy of WireImage.]

This weekend in Toronto a packed audience at the Ryerson Theater took in the North American premiere of Joe Dante's 3-D "The Hole." The film - about a pair of brothers whole stumble upon a mysterious hole in their basement - has yet to find distribution stateside. [Photo courtesy of WireImage.]

"Get Low" stars Robert Duvall, Bill Murray and Mitch Glazer celebrate their film's world premiere at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. The film - directed by Aaron Schneider - is generating some decent Oscar buzz at the festival, particularly for Duvall's performance. It has yet to be acquired for North American distribution. Image courtesy of WireImage.

Actor Michael Sheen (center) joins the New York Times VP Lou Fabrizio, as well as Times staff Barbara Jackson, Roberta Nordman and Entertainment Editor Lorne Manley at a Cocktail Party at C5 Restaurant earlier this week in Toronto.

"Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire" director Lee Daniels with author Sapphire herself tonight (Sunday) at a cocktail party at the Royal Ontario Museum prior to the film's screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Mariah Carey, actress Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Mary J. Blige and Sherri Shepherd were among the attendees at the soiree, though some seemed disappointed Oprah was a no show, though she did show up at the press conference early morning at the Four Seasons Hotel. But all's good, the cocktail party was very nice and done well. Cheers! See you at the NYFF premiere - oh and more photos from this party tomorrow... [Photo by Eugene Hernandez]

Can you say, "Haaawwwwwwtt??" French actors Jeremie Renier and Gaspard Ulliel found themselves in a production of New Zealand director Niki Caro's ("Wale Rider") latest, "The Vintner's Luck," which is screening in the Special Presentations section of TIFF. OK, the film is set in France. Ulliel plays an Angel who sort of "guides" Renier's character, a struggling wine grower in early 19th century rural France. Their relationship is complicated, and at one point their quasi-sexual (the one has wings being an Angel and all...) fly-around didn't quite give the full money shot, but it was still nice to see all the same. The two are pictured here over the weekend at a party hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission.

French director Jacques Audiard's (center) "A Prophet" was one of our favorite films in Cannes this past May. And quite honestly, we were a bit shocked it didn't make this year's New York Film Festival line up... The clever hard-nosed gangster film set in a French prison blew away audiences there and even won won the festival's Grand Prix prize and attendees compared it constantly to Scorsese's "Goodfellas." Oh well, NYFF's loss is TIFF's gain we suppose. Pictured with Audiard is the film's star, splendidly played by Tahar Rahim (left) and writer, Thomas Bidegain.

Sony Classics hosted its annual dinner in Toronto celebrating their TIFF entries Friday night. SPC's co-president Michael Barker (pictured) worked the crowd, along with his fellow co-prexy (to be Varietyish about it) Tom Bernard, greeting filmmakers and their accompanying celebs. Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig joined the evening. Her film, "An Education" - about a young promising student (Carey Mulligan) who aspires to attend Oxford until a romance with an older gentleman (played by Peter Saarsgard) threatens to turn her life upside down - is screening in TIFF's Special Presentations section.

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" director Terry Gilliam was joined by his daughter Amy Gilliam at a dinner in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood this weekend. Gilliam's latest film - featuring Heath Ledger's final performance - is having its North American premiere at the festival this Friday, September 18th. [Photo by Brian Brooks].

"An Education" screenwriter Nick Hornby (center) celebrates with the film's producers Amanda Posey (left) and Finola Dwyer (right) at a dinner thrown by Sony Pictures Classics in Toronto his weekend. [Photo by Brian Brooks]

Celebs turned out as is tradition for Sony Pictures Classics' dinner celebrating their films screening in Toronto. Penelope Cruz ("Broken Embraces") did an extended drive-by Friday night since she was heading to the airport, and met up with fellow actors Michael Sheen from "The Damned United," Carey Mulligan ("An Education") and Peter Sarsgaard, also from "An Education." (Not pictured are Cruz's cool flaring out bellbottoms).

Actor Willem Dafoe with IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring Thursday night in Toronto attended the after-party following the North American premiere of Lars Von Trier's controversial "Antichrist." The moody, dark thriller offered an interesting contrast to the party (for those who actually went to the screening then to the party) with the sponsored venue's upbeat club thump-a-thump music, scantily clad attendees and offers of free samples of various make up etc. for women (at least that seemed the intention). Dafoe hung out with IFCers and other guests in a roped off area in the VIP, then came out for a round of photos with Sehring when leaving. Friday morning he showed up early for a Q&A with Von Trier via satellite from Copenhagen. The Danish director was quite giddy and cracked jokes during the 50 minute chat with journalists and film fans in downtown Toronto.

After last year's war-themed (complete with tanks from the Canadian military) opening night party for "Passchendaele," it was unknown whether the Toronto Film Festival would try to paint a theme around a film like Jon Amiel's "Creation" - which takes on the story of Charles Darwin. Would there be folks dressed up as monkeys? In the end, it turned out the fest went with creation over evolution- and even made it sexy - by sprinkling the party at Toronto's Liberty Grand with variety of hard body-painted Adam and Eves (pictured). Photo by Alex Knegt.

[To get you in the mood for the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, indieWIRE will publish a selection of photos from previous Toronto fests with the following caption written at the time. For more TIFF photos, click here.] Actor Danny Glover seemed to surprise former President Jimmy Carter on the red carpet inside Toronto's Elgin Theater where he was attending the premiere of Jonathan Demme's "Man from Plains," which follows his tumultuous book tour following the release of his controversial book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The two greeted each other like old friends and later posed for pics, but we liked this animated one after Glover surprised the prez. Glover is attending the Toronto International Film Festival with John Sayles' "Honeydripper," screening as a Special Presentation at the fest.

[To get you in the mood for the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, indieWIRE will publish a selection of photos from last year's fest with the following caption written at the time. For more TIFF photos, click here.] Director Richard Linklater and actor Zac Efron held court at their party for "Me and Orson Welles," screening as a Special Presentation in Toronto. The party was surprisingly low key considering the "High School Musical" star as well as co-star Claire Danes were around at the "Hollywood House" venue. In today's Critics Notebook, Anthony Kaufman described "Welles" "a portrait of New York 1937 in broad strokes, brilliant flourishes and a boyish, buoyant outlook." Our favorite part of the quick photo was Linklater "schooling" Efron on what iW is...

[To get you in the mood for the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, indieWIRE will publish a selection of photos from last year's fest with the following caption written at the time. For more TIFF photos, click here] Anne Hathaway, Jonathan Demme and Jenny Lumet were just having a good old time at the Sony Pictures Classics dinner over the weekend, flashing their pearly whites. The trio were in Toronto for the gala premiere of their film, "Rachel Getting Married," which the TIFF catalog describes as capturing "the considerable highs and crushing lows of a complicated American family."

Yesterday in Toronto, Sheila Nevins accepted Hot Docs' Doc Mogul Award at a luncheon at the Sutton Place Hotel’s Stop 33 Rooftop Ballroom. The luncheon was hosted by the BBC’s Nick Fraser, last year’s Doc Mogul recipient. Check out indieWIRE's latest dispatch from Hot Docs here. (photo credit: Christian Pena)

"Burma VJ" director Andres Høgsbro Østergaard, who won a big award last night enjoys his film's film festival journal Tuesday night at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto, where "Burma" was screening as part of Hot Docs. Check out indieWIRE's latest dispatch from Hot Docs here. (photo credit: Sami Siva)

Jennifer Baichwal (second from left) joined Hot Docs Executive Director Chris MacDonald (far left) on stage at the Winter Garden Theater in Toronto Thursday night for a presentation of her doc "Act of God." "God" marks the first opening night film of the Hot Docs International Canadian Documentary Festival directed by a Canadian. Joining them on stage was "God" producer Nick de Pencier (right of Baichwal) and two of the subjects of the film, which explores the metaphysical effects of being struck by lightning. It does so by telling seven stories from around the world that raise and respond to these questions, while keeping the sky and what comes out of it as a central visual metaphor and thread. "God" was recently picked up by Zeitgeist for U.S. release. Hot Docs continues through this week, and indieWIRE will be on the scene. (photo credit: Sami Siva).

Directors Arnaud Desplechin and Olivier Assayas were a part of this year's French at the Toronto International Film Festival. Desplechin's "Un Conte de Noel" (A Christmas Tale), which screened in competition at this year's Festival de Cannes and will screen at the upcoming New York Film Festival stars Catherine Deneuve about a family in the throws of breakdown during Christmas. Assayas' "L'Heure d'ete" (Summer Hours) invokes, what TIFF describes as "ideas of family heritage using a house and a garden as a metaphor for cultural memory..." The two hung out in Toronto together with their U.S. distributor, IFC Films, along with former Unifrance (NY) head Catherine Verret- Vimont earlier this week.

The first screening for "Valentino: The Last Emperor" received a rapturous applause for Italian designer Valentino who attended the screening. Director Matt Tyrnauer (pictured here in Toronto at the Four Seasons Hotel with his friend, the bamboo plant) followed Valentino Garavani and his partner of almost 50 years Giancarlo Giametti over a period of time leading up to Garavani's dazzling 45th anniversary celebration in Rome. During a Q&A at a later screening, Tyrnauer admitted filming was not always easy with the sometimes moody Valentino, and he often scuffles with him during the film when the 70 year-old designer wants the camera to go away. To read more comments from Tyrnauer and Valentino, check out our recent Toronto Dispatch.

Director Atom Egoyan is a natural darling of the Toronto International Film Festival -- perhaps having some home court advantage can't hurt afterall... This year, he is in TIFF with "Adoration," screening as a Special Presentation. The Sony Pictures Classics release (Stateside) is described by TIFF's co-director Cameron Bailey in the festival catalog as showing Egoyan "grappling with how to live amidst fear and uncertainty," and praises the feature as "among is very best work." Two of the film's stars, Rachel Blanchard and Devon Bostick were a cute red and black contrast at an even hosted by SPC earlier in the fest.

TIFF documentary programmer Thom Powers joined director Chai Vasarhelyi at a post-screening bash for her doc "Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love." The film turns the spotlight on one of Africa's most prominent musicians, tenor Youssou Ndour, whose string of internationally popular tracks including collaborations with Peter Gabriel and Neneh Cherry have given him global recognition beyond his native Senegal. His work on poverty and human rights also earned the star a spot in Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

At the Toronto fest earlier this year, Rian Johnson (right) director of "The Brothers Bloom," with the film's producer Ram Bergman. Johnson's follow-up to "Brick" -- starring Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, and Mark Ruffalo -- made news nearly a year ago when Summit made a major deal for North American rights to the unfinished sophomore feature based on just a script and two minutes of footage.

South Korean director Kim Jee-woon's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" screened at the Toronto International Film Festival as a Gala this week. The festival describes it as a re-invention of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" with "a kimchi twist." Also a little trivia: "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" is Korea's biggest-budget film to date and is a big success at home... Anyway, Kim joined his U.S. distributor's chief Jonathan Sehring (middle) and Blockbuster's director of content, Keith Leopard who co-hosted a dinner to fete IFC Films' Toronto line up.

Stars of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden's "Sugar" joined other Sony Classics Toronto line up attendees at Michelle's earlier in the festival. Their second feature since "Half Nelson," the film, which debuted earlier this year at Sundance, is the story of a group of baseball players from the Dominican Republic who travel to the U.S. playing in the minor leagues hoping to be catapulted to major league fame and fortune and their personal traumas along the way...

Unifrance hosted their annual lunch spotlighting French film at the Toronto International Film Festivalthis week, which always brings out a large cross-section of French and non-Gaul. TIFF's new co-director Cameron Bailey (right) joined in on the fun along with director Gilles Bourdos whose film "Afterwards" (TIFF Vanguard section) is described by the fest as a "stylish thriller," starring John Malkovich. And in the middle is Marc Missionnier of Fidelite Films, producer of "Afterwards" and "Kabuli Kid" (directed by Barmak Akram, Discovery section).

Actors Geoffrey Rush and Christian McKay having a bit of a chat at the party for Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles" at a party early-on during the Toronto International Film Festival. In his critics notebook earlier in the festival, iW's Anthony Kaufman said "Me and Orson Welles" "paints a portrait of New York 1937 in broad strokes, brilliant flourishes and a boyish, buoyant outlook."

Danish director Ole Christian Madsen (green jacket) and actor Thure Lindhardt were in between engagements hanging out in the lobby at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, which is an HQ of sorts for the festival. Their film, "Flame & Citron" (Flammen & Citronen) screening in TIFF's Contemporary World Cinema section, is described by the festival as a "sprawling WWII epic about the Danish resistance against Nazi occupation.

Oscar-winning actors Ellen Burstyn and Martin Landau are all smiles on Sunday afternoon following an industry screening of their new film, "Lovely, Still." Directed by Nik Fackler, "Lovely, Still" tells the sweet story of a romance between a lonely elderly man and his neighbor while also hinting that something is amiss in the 24 year-old's directorial debut. indieWIRE offers more on the people behind the film here.

sugar

IFC's "Medicine for Melancholy" crew were just one of the film's representing at Monday night's dinner hosted by the distributor and Blockbuster. The feature, screening in TIFF's Discovery section, is a favorite among the film's we've seen at the festival. The story goes beyond the walk of shame and takes a one night stand further into a 24-hour fling between two people living in San Francisco. Along the way, the city's character, race and political issues interweave themselves as the duo indulge in each other's company... Check it out! Posing are director Barry Jenkins, actress Tracey Heggins and producer Justin Barber.

Producer Scott Mosier, actor Jason Mewes, Director Kevin Smith, and real life porn star and actress Katie Morgan celebrate at a lovely dinner at Trevor Kitchen and Bar before the Toronto premiere of their new film, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." The raunchy film follows two childhood friends (Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks) as they try to make a porno that they can sell on the internet. The film has already generated controversy with the original poster being banned by the MPAA. (You can see the full poster here.)

OK, a secret... You heard it here first... An iW insider happened to see Wong Kar-wai take off his glasses so he could read the menu at Sunday night's Sony Pictures Classics dinner. While nobody dared take a pic, we did manage this nice one with SPC co-prez Tom Bernard and director Bent Hamer who is attending this year's TIFF with his Contemporary World Cinema feature, "O' Horten." Wong is in Toronto with "Ashes of Time Redux."

Musicians Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes) offer up their tremendous contribution to the world of the electric guitar in Davis Guggenheim's new documentary, "It Might Get Loud," which takes a look at the creative process behind the pop music created by the three ground-breaking guitarists. Guggenheim struck a different note with his audiences with his last film, the Oscar Award winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."

A noticeably nervous Jonathan Demme took the stage at Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall for the Gala screening of his "Rachel Getting Married." Demme was joined on stage by a group of women, including screenwriter Jenny Lumet and actresses Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt and Debra Winger. Demme introduced everyone by their home state, and saved Winger for last, who he introduced by announcing, "That's right, she's in my movie!" The film received a standing ovation, and Demme was later seen celebrating at the afterparty at the Brant House (pictured). With Demme is DeWitt and Sony Pictures Classics Co-Presidents Michael Barker (left) and Tom Bernard.

Mega African tenor Youssou Ndour probably played one of the smallest venues he's done in years Saturday night in Toronto following the debut of "Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love" by Chai Vasarhelyi. Ndour hung out with friends, fans and family including and executive producer Kathryn Tucker (left) who kindly ushered us in the door when we arrived at the popular party...

Protestors punctuated last night's premiere of Larry Charles and Bill Maher's "Religulous," which is set to open soon from Lions Gate. But were they hired by Maher or someone involved with the film? A Google search for the apparent organization - Canadian Coalition for Organized Religion -- yielded no results. Asked -- during a post-screening press Q & A session -- whether he staged the protest, Maher (pictured, right) responded, "It wouldn't have been so lame if I'd hired them." He also had some choice words (via Screen Rush) for new Republican VP pick Sarah Palin, saying, "You just look at this woman and she gets knocked up. Doesn't anyone in this Republican Party know how to pull out?"

"I'm not even sure it's an undertone," joked Ethan Coen at the press conference of "Burn After Reading" at Toronto's Park Hyatt Hotel this morning. Half of the film's writing, directing and producing duo had been asked by a Toronto reporter about "Burn"'s "dark undertones," particularly as portrayed through its characters. "They are pretty terrible [people]," he said. The film -- which is having a generally warm but occasionally confused reception in Toronto -- premiered last night. Ethan Coen (left) is pictured at the film's post-screening party with the film's co-star Tilda Swinton and distributor Focus Features' John Lyons. Swinton was also at the press conference, and remarked on her recent tendency to work with two of "Burn"'s leading men. "I'm working on having George Clooney in every contract," Swinton joked. "It's tough - but I'm trying. But I have the consolation prize of having Brad Pitt in two different films." Speaking on their upcoming "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Pitt responded: "I'm working on stealing Tilda away from George."

Kat Denning and Michael Cera strike a pose at Toronto for their new film, "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," which indieWIRE blogger Eric Kohn calls "an irresistibly cute, disarmingly smart depiction of a couple disaffected teens hanging out in NYC over the course of a single, booze-fueled night." "Nick and Norah" is Director Peter Sollett's followup to his 2002 indie hit, "Raising Victor Vargas," another film that explored NYC teenage romance and launched the careers of Victor Rasuk and Melonie Diaz.

"Treeless Mountain" premiered in Toronto Friday night as part of the Contemporary World Cinema program. indieWIRE's Anthony Kaufman called the film "superbly realized" in is first Critic's Notebook. "Treeless"'s director and producers celebrated the warm response at Ben Wick's Pub in Toronto's Cabbagetown neighborhood last night. Pictured from left: Producers Ben Howe, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, director So Yong Kim and producer Bradley Rust Gray.

SXSW founder Louis Black and its new producer Janet Pierson were among the party goers at the soiree for Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles" in Toronto Friday night. The party at "Hollywood House" had quite a who's who there with Disney powerhouse Zac Efron and Claire Danes were among the "Orson" stars hanging at the party.

Hundreds of guests came out once again for the Toronto International Film Festival's opening night party to fete Paul Gross' "Passchendaele." If the popcorn didn't cut the mustard during the screening, there was plenty of food to be had at the party -- from meatloaf to spring rolls. And of course plenty of libation for those doing a liquid dinner. Taking part in all the festivities, German Films' Oliver Mahrdt, the Florida Film Festival's Matthew Curtis and Shannon Larimer and Nancy Collet from the Middle East Film Festival.

Hanging out at the Bravo!FACT(Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) brunch honouring the directors of all the short films screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival are "The Workout" director Sami Khan and writer Christian Magalhaes. The film is playing in the Short Cuts Canada program.

At a ThinkFilm dinner late in the festival, the company's head of U.S. distribution Mark Urman (left) poses for iPOP with actress Lauren Bacall and director Paul Schrader. Bacall stars in Schrader's "The Walker," which debuted earlier this year at the Berlinale and will be released by Think. At the Sotto Sotto gathering, ThinkFilm toasted "The Walker" and also celebrated the Toronto International Film Festival debut of Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," which will screen soon at the New York Film Festival. Actors Ethan Hawke and Marisa Tomei joined the initimate gathering and as the meal continued, word emerged that the company had acquired Stuart Townsend's "Battle in Seattle" in Toronto. Earlier in the week they nabbed Helen Hunt's "Then She Found Me."

"Joy Division was sort of magic in Holland," said director Anton Corbijn to iW early on in TIFF, and pictured here at the premiere party for his film, "Control" about the band's ill-fated lead singer, Ian Curtis (played marvelously by Sam Riley). "Music had a great influence on me and I moved to England because of it..." The director went on to direct videos for Joy Division as well as U2, David Bowie and Depeche Mode. "Control" is his first feature. "As an inexperienced filmmaker, I needed an emotional connection," said Corbijn about why he wanted to tell the story of Curtis. "He's a mythical figure and there aren't any interview tapes [to draw from]." Looking forward post-"Control," Corbijn comment about his future filmmaking, "I learned a lot from this film and I don't need an emotional connection next time."

The Weinstein Company hosted a nice afternoon soiree downtown Toronto for Todd Haynes' TIFF acclaimed film, "I'm Not There..." The film, directed by Todd Haynes, recalls the life and events (and subsequently American history) of Bob Dylan through seven 'Bob Dylans' by six different actors? Sound a bit confusing? Well, it's damn good, so figure it out yourself. The first "Bob Dylan", Marcus Carl Franklin (who does an amazing job by the way) and fellow co-star, Kim Roberts who was also terrific in her small role.

Israeli director Eran Kolirin's (right) debut feature "The Band's Visit" revolves around an Egyptian band who finds themselves temporarily homeless after their hosts from an Israeli cultural center are nowhere to be found after they arrive at the airport. Stranded in a tiny Israeli desert town, the band reluctantly decides to stay the night until a bus can pick them up the next morning. While there, however, they encounter a self assured and witty cafe owner who challenges their ideas about womanhood and cultural assumptions on the part of both the band and village are shaken. Producer Ehud Bleiberg (left) and star Ronit Elkabetz (who plays the self-assured woman) and producer Eilon Ratzkovsky joined Kolirin earlier in the fest in Toronto for Sony Classics' annual dinner in honor of their TIFF slate.

French director Catherine Breillat kept the conversation going with IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring at a downtown Toronto restaurant earlier this week. Her film, "Une vieille maitresse" (The Last Mistress) took eight months to shoot and cost as much as all of her other films combined according to the TIFF catalog. Based on the novel of the same name by Jules Barbey, the film centers on Vellini (Asia Argento) who tries to intervene in her lover's attempts to marry a pillar of the French aristocracy. The film screened in TIFF's Contemporary World Cinema section.

Director Ken Loach's "It's a Free World..." takes on the subject of immigrants who are used as cheap labor--this time in the European Union. The film revolves around Angie (Kierston Wareing) who is layed off from a recruiting company and persuades her flatmate to begin their own business luring migrants from Eastern Europe. Her company flourishes and they operate on the 'margins of legality.' "I hope people come away with a sense of what's happening and the way we're allowing the world economy to develop," said Loach in Toronto to iW. "Abuse is built into the system. They're used as cheap labor and it's complete hypocrisy."

An image of wounded Iraq war veteran turned anti-war activist Tomas Young overlooking Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan opens Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's "Body of War," the outspoken new documentary that debuted on 9/11 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Young (center) shares his story in sometimes brutal detail in the passion project, which is seeking distribution at the festival. Snapped at pre-screening private dinner, Tomas Young posed with the film's co-director Donahue (left) and musician Eddie Vedder (right) who wrote a pair of powerful new songs for the film. It was on September 13, 2001 that Tomas Young was inspired to enlist in the U.S. military, moved by President Bush's speech at Ground Zero and determined to join soldiers in a battle against the Taliban & Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Instead, he was sent to Iraq where five days into his tour he was nearly killed, surviving an attack that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Now, Young has become an outspoken veteran against the war whose own story moved Tuesday's Toronto audience to give him three standing ovations after the film's first public screening. After a brief Q & A, Vedder took the stage to belt out his pair of songs for the movie and told the audience that Sire Records has signed on to release a collection of songs to support Young and his cause. [Eugene Hernandez]

Monday night in Toronto, IFC Films hosted a dinner for their TIFF '07 films, which brought out quite a cadre of "celebretage" including "Paranoid Park" director Gus Van Sant, and "Into the Wild" star Jena Malone who also came along to show her support (and her cool little hairdo). As an aside, apparently Van Sant will direct Sean Penn who helmed "Into the Wild" in a new pic about slain '70s San Francisco politician Harvey Milk... And, also joining the mix was Gael Garcia Bernal, who is in town with three films, "El Pasado" by Hector Babenco (which he stars in), "Deficit," which he directed, and "Cochochi," which he executive produced with pal Diego Luna. Whew... He's been busy.

Artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel demonstrated his talents as we snapped this photo last night at the Toronto International Film Festival. While iPOP captured (left to right) Marie-Josee Croze, Olatz Lopez Garmendia, and Emmanuelle Seigner -- the women from from his new film "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- Schnabel playfully took charge to direct the shoot, insisting on more and more shots until he himself popped in for some of the action. The impromptu, private photo call played out on Tuesday night at Miramax's cozy, friendly dinner at Toronto's uberhip Drake Hotel celebrating Schnabel's Cannes award-winner. Based on Jean Dominique Bauby's 1997 book "Le Scaphandre et la Papillon," Schnabel's French-language film of the same name -- translated as "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- looks at Bauby's life. A noted journalist from France, Bauby was the editor-in-chief of the French magazine, Elle before suffering a severe stroke which left him mute and paralysed. Unable to speak or write, he composed his autobiography entirely by dictation through a series of blinks and some grunts, dying in France three days after the book was published. Schnabel is also here in Toronto with a documentary, "Lou Reed's Berlin" about the recent tour for Reed's much maligned 1973 album which is now regarded as a classic.

Director Harmony Korine and actor Diego Luna milling around at a downtown Toronto restaurant this week, hosted by IFC Films. Korine's "Mister Lonely," stars Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien") in the film screening in TIFF's Vanguard section. Luna and pal Gael Garcia Bernal had to duck out before the actual dinner to do a Q&A for Discovery film, "Cochochi" which the two executive produced (and directed by Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman).

Director Werner Herzog (right) and Toronto International Film Festival doc programmer Thom Powers survey the crowd (and photographers) at the Discovery soiree over the weekend. Herzog's "Encounters at the End of the World," playing in TIFF's Real to Reel section, is a South Pole exploration of both nature and human. The party itself was a hit, augmented by the good food. One guest though joked, "well there are dead animals being served here, but I guess none coming from temperatures below 32 degrees" (Fahrenheit that is... or zero degrees Centigrade).

Joe Wright's much-anticipated "Atonement" premiered in Toronto last night at downtown's Elgin Theatre. Walking backward onto the stage dressed in all white, Wright joked to the crowd: "I am actually a little bit sweaty tonight." Wright acknowledged that there is no better place to see the world film community's best work than in Toronto, and gave a shout out to the people of the city to uproarious cheers from the audience. Introducing actors Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, he exclaimed, "you know I love them, I know you love them," before giving a particular compliment to the "head of [his] acting department," Knightley, who he deemed "a great friend and collaborator." The screening was followed by a lavish party at Toronto's Rosewater Supper Club, where members of the cast (including McAvoy, pictured right) were joined by the likes of Jessica Alba, Harvey Weinstein and U.K. producer Steven Woolly (left), here promoting Anand Tucker's "And When Did You Last See Your Father," premiering later this week.

Director Jessica Yu's (third from right) "Ping Pong Playa" is the story of a son who reluctantly finds himself working for the family's ping pong business. While passing time unenthusiastically in the job, he falls in love with a girl and decides to try his hand at winning a ping pong championship to win her over... The film is currently playing in TIFF's Vanguard section, and the group threw themselves an afternoon party in Toronto to celebrate... Left to right: actors Scott Lowell and Smith Cho, producer Anne Clements and Yu, as well as producer Joan Huang and the film's main star (and co-writer), Jimmy Tsai.

Actors Jimmy Smits and Maria Bello strike a pose at the Sony Pictures Classics dinner Saturday night in Toronto. The two star in Robin Swicord's "The Jane Austen Book Club," which is screening at TIFF as a gala. The annual SPC dinner brings together almost all the directors and a good amount of cast of the distributor's films at the festival and is quite a spectacle for onlookers.

"The Orphanage" director Juan Antonio Bayona with the film's star Belen Rueda sitting down to dinner over the weekend ahead of their film's premiere in Toronto. Bayona's first feature (executive produced by Guillermo del Toro) is likened to "Pan's Labyrinth" in the TIFF catalog saying it "plays with Victorian ideas of fantasy and moral punishment." Picturehouse will be releasing the film in the U.S.

Toronto International Film Festival co-director Noah Cowan (left) stopped by Prego restaurant for a dinner hosted by Picturehouse for their film, "Mongol," directed by Sergei Bodrov. The film follows the early years of Genghis Khan to just prior to his infamous conquests. Picturehouse chief Bob Berney (right) chatted with Cowan who was making his evenig round of events.

"A Jihad For Love" producer Sandi Dubowski (in the middle getting some straight smooches) sprinkled a bit of his magic dust on the happy couple giving the kissy-poos in the busy Sutton Place hotel lobby where all the wheelin' and dealin' goes down. Finance this? Buy what? Meet who? Who cares everybody! Just Kiss damnit! OK, anyway... "My Kid Could Paint That" director Amir Bar-Lev and his fiancee Jennifer Bleyer give a little thanks to Dubowski for introducing the couple who will be getting married. (Gays are always good for a set-up y'all). And, what a year for Bar-Lev... a film that Sony Classics will be opening and a new wife! What's next? "A Jihad for Love" and "My Kid Could Paint That" are screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Director John Crowley (left) stands with Andrew Garfield, the young star of "Boy A," at restaurant Pangaea in Toronto on Saturday night. Crowley, most known for his well-received 2003 film, "Intermission," celebrated both the world premiere of his latest film as well as its purchase by The Weinstein Company earlier in the week. The film details the story of Jack (played by Garfield), a young man who is released from prison after serving years for a murder he committed as a child. Re-entering society under an assumed identity, he meets Terry (Peter Mullan), his social worker, who becomes obsessed with Jack's salvation.

Actor Michael Cera added some star-wattage at the Fox Searchlight party in downtown Toronto Saturday night. 20 year-old Cera (the drinking age is 19 in Ontario) is in town for Jason Reitman's "Juno," which is screening as a Special Presentation at TIFF. For this photo, perhaps Cera was going for 'The Thinker.' Or maybe even contemplating the fact that his other '07 gig, "Superbad" topped $100 million over the weekend.

These sporty gentlemen, wearing brightly colored track shorts and retro head bands, passed out Tic Tacs (you have to see the movie to get it) to build up hype for the first press and industry screening of Jason Reitman's much buzzed about "Juno" here at the Toronto International Film Festival. The screening generated a hearty applause for Fox Searchlight's December release, hinting at perhaps a redux of the success of Reitman's last film, "Thank You for Smoking." Starring Ellen Page and Michael Cera, the film offers super witty dialogue and an indiepop packed score to tell the story of a sixteen-year old girl who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. [James Israel]

"I was in a rut before doing this... always lazy and doing shit jobs. But doing this [film] gave me direction and I loved getting up in the morning. I couldn't believe my luck!" said actor Sam Riley pictured here outside the party for his film "Control," directed by Anton Corbijn Friday night with co-star Alexandra Maria Lara. Getting the gig wasn't the only benefit for the 27 year-old actor, art met reality with Lara whom he met and fell for during production. "When I saw her walk in the room, that was it..." The British actor has now taken up residence in Lara's hometown, Berlin. iW can't wait to see more of him.

In the great tradition of THINKFilm's "Lie With Me" party two years ago (iPOP fans might remember the two topless women getting it on on stage (we were threatened as a result of that photo by the way), the company hosted a fine little to-do at a Toronto swingers' venue called Wicked Club. Three levels of booze, chicks and dudes indulging their inner ID, celebrated Martin Gero's "Young People Fucking." Chatting with indieWIRE, the morning after the bash at the ThinkFilm breakfast, Gero (left) and producer Steven Hoban (right) quipped that the party was even more fun than their movie! On the third level (the most crowded) partygoers on Thursday night watched as some nudes (of the non-Picasso variety) splish-spalshed in a few of the jacuzzis, while others went behind curtains into the "private" bedrooms. "It's not sleazy, it's decadent," said a shirtless, shaved head, pectoral jacked gentleman who was working the party to educate folks about Wicked's scene when the regulars come out and the venue isn't taken over by film industryites. Even Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley was hanging out with friends at the bash... Also adding to the fun was the swing -- this one with some nice leather straps. Although quite honestly, we were hoping for a little more Hollywood Babylonin'. [Brian Brooks and James Israel]

Waiting so patiently in the front row of the press conference room for the others from their film, TIFF opening night gala "Fugitive Pieces" by Jeremy Podeswa, Robbie Kay and Nina Dobrev were spotted by the determined throng of photographers who turned to flash away...

TIFF has a splendid party right off Lake Ontario for opening night, but some non-Toronto fest programmers (and such) decided to sit this one out and go French at Pastis in Toronto's Midtown. One of iW's favorite cuties in the middle (you guess which one) organized the dinner, and the restaurant kept the wine flowing (non-gratis mind you!) Left to right: A&E Indie's Molly Thompson, Submarine's Harry Geller and the company's head, Josh Braun, iW co-founder Mark Rabinowitz (at TIFF for AOL U.K.), A&E Indie's Ryan Harrington, Silverdoc's Skye Sitney, director Amir Bar-Lev (at TIFF with "My Kid Could Paint That"), the Sarasota Film Festival's Holly Herrick and Jen Weiss and programming guru Tom Hall, True/False Film Festival co-founder David Wilson, NewFest's head bitch Basil Tsiokos, Variety's newbee Mike Jones (and oh he's missed here at iW), and Toronto producer Kathleen Maitland-Carter... whew! what an I.D. job! Anyway, we hope this is a new pre-festival tradition, but for those of us without expense accounts maybe we can just bring it down a notch? Whatever, good times!

More from Toronto '06: Despite having a party for his film, "This Filthy World," directed by Jeff Garlin, toward the end of the fest, a large crowd of industry and fans turned up to hang with John Waters, pictured here with along with two pairs of friendly eyes looking on. Waters also participated in an onstage "Maverick" series discussion with "Shortbus" filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell two days prior.

More from Toronto '06: "Amazing Grace" director Michael Apted following the closing night Gala screening of his film last weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film, starring Ioan Gruffudd, looks at 19th century British MP William Wilberforce's move to abolish slavery in Britain. "It seemed to me to this story [was] an opportunity to say something positive about politics because nothing positive about politics has ever been said," Apted told indieWIRE, at the festival's crowded closing night party. "I was always looking for for contemporary stories and a way to [talk about politics], but frankly any contemporary story is so laden with baggage." (To read more about Apted's comments, please go to the article.]

More from Toronto '06: "Volver" star Penelope Cruz was one of many guests at the Sony Pictures Classics dinner early on in the festival. Cruz, not surprisingly, made a splash in many of the local papers, gracing covers after the premiere of the film, directed by Pedro Almodovar. Next up, the Centerpiece at the upcoming New York Film Festival. Pictured with Cruz are Sony Classics co-presidents Tom Bernard and Michael Barker.

"The Wind that Shakes the Barley" star Cillian Murphy just woke up from a nap for an interview with indieWIRE at the Intercontinental Hotel early on in the festival. He brought the Cannes Palme d'Or winner to TIFF, which had its North American premiere. He told iW he was happy to act in a film that takes place in his hometown in Ireland, and was excited to be directed by Ken Loach.

At a Toronto International Film Festival dinner to celebrate the premiere of "Pan's Labryinth" are (left to right) Picturehouse president Bob Berney, New Line's co-chairman and co-CEO Michael Lynne, the film's star Ivana Baquero, the film's director Guillermo del Toro and his wife.

The Sarasota Film Festival hosted a nice friendly bash at Sassafraz over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. Left to right Jody Kielbasa, Keri Nakamoto and actor William H. Macy, who appears in Emilio Estevez's "Bobby," which was a Gala at this year's TIFF. Macy is also currently working with Nakamoto (a Sarasota board member) on a film called "The Deal," directed by Steven Schachter.

Socializing during the cocktail hour at a dinner for their film "Fay Grim" (Hal Hartley), which screened as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, actor Parker Posey and producer Joana Vicente flash a pair of pretty smiles.

French director Patrice Leconte ("L'Homme du train") was one of many directors working the room at the Unifrance lunch in Toronto. Acclaimed actors Juliette Binoche and Emmanuelle Beart were also present, though one photographer got a dramatic dismissive: "Non non non non non..! No pictures of Emmanuelle Beart!" by a dutiful handler as he waived his hand in front of her face to block any renegade snaps. Leconte and actor Dany Boon (right) were much more user friendly though (since this was afterall a press lunch) who were attending TIFF for their film "Mon meilleur ami" (My Best Friend), which screened as a Gala at the festival.

Attening the Unifrance lunch spotlighting French film at the Toronto International Film Festival, "Renaissance" director Christian Volckman gave iPOP a warm greeting at the very busy event. His film, screening in the TIFF's Vanguard section is set in Paris in 2054 and is described by the TIFF catalog as paying "homage to the futuristic noir vision of 'Metropolis' and 'Blade Runner,' marrying science fiction with extraordinary digital animation to present a world beyond imagination."

Posing for a group shot following their press conference earlier in the week at the Toronto International Film Festival, actors Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, director Kevin Macdonald, and actor James McAvoy in town for their film "The Last King of Scotland," which is an account set in Idi Amin's Uganda in the 1970s. Washington said that during filming in Uganda, a crowd of local extras were mesmerized by Whitaker's portrayal of Idi Amin in one scene in which he made a public speech. The crowd, without prompting, erupted in cheers as he spoke to the crowd.. a la Amin.

Stage Dive! "Shortbus" director John Cameron Mitchell hosted a concert as a party for his film Sunday night in Toronto. He played some old favs from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and music from the new film also took center stage. Mitchell lept into the crowd, which came out to pay homage at Phoenix in downtown Toronto (no, we don't mean the Phoenix in the East Village by the way.)

Magnolia Pictures' Eammon Bowles, director Hal Hartley and producer Ted Hope at a dinner for Hartley's latest film, "Fay Grim," starring Parker Posey and Jeff Goldblum, which is screening as a Special Presentation at this year's TIFF. Hope executive produced the film along with Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban.

Sidetrack Films' Jared Moshe (left), AJ Schnack, director of Real to Reel doc "Kurt Cobain About a Son" and producer Shirley Moyers at the very fun party for their film Sunday night in Toronto. The film is a heart-tugging look at the life of Kurt Cobain via a series of audiotaped interviews with the late Nirvana frontman recorded in 1992 and '93 for Michael Azerrad's book, Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana.

Actor Jeff Goldblum and legendary documentary director Al Maysles hanging upstairs at the Premier Lounge in Toronto during the party for HDNet Films Monday night. Goldblum stars in Hal Hartley's "Fay Grim," which is screening as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival. Also pictured is Yoomee Park, who is working on a project with Maysles in Korea.

Michael Moore gave a candid interview and, aside from some technical snafus, showed footage of his upcoming film doc "Sicko," which turns the spotlight this time on America's health care system. The interview in Toronto was part of the festival's Maverick series, and was given by Larry Charles, pictued with Moore on stage. Charles is also in Toronto for his comedy, "Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (Midnight Madness). Moore revealed that he only has a few more ideas for docs after "Sicko," and will then pursue narrative projects, which he has been writing.

Director Phillip Noyce sharing a chat with director Camelia Frieberg at the Focus Features party Sunday night in Toronto. Noyce is in Toronto for his film, "Catch a Fire" starring Tim Robbins, which is screening as a Special Presentation. Frieberg's film, "A Stone's Throw" is screening in the festival's Canada First! section. The party was held at a surprisingly chill Lobby off Bloor.

"Catch a Fire" star Tim Robbins hung out at party venue Lobby for a Focus Features reception on a very busy Sunday night packed full of parties and events. Toronto International Film Festival Group head Piers Handling dropped by and shared a chat with Robbins. "Catch a Fire," by Phillip Noyce, is a Special Presentation at this year's festival.