2 Weeks to Toronto Film Festival
It is only 13 days until the Toronto Film Festival kicks off and I can't wait. After a summer of decent popcorn movies and a lot of junk food cinema, it is time to feed my brain more challenging flick fare. Toronto is the place where tons of Hollywood folk and international stars come to promote their more serious fall films. Thanks to the success of the TIFF as a launching pad for such films as American Beauty, Ray, Bend It Like Beckham and Whale Rider, the Hollywood presence has been increasing each year.
This will be my 18th trip to the Great White North to cover the festival. Off the top of my head, here are a few of the celebs who have attended over the years: Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington, Kevin Spacey, Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Diane Keaton, Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman etc. According to a news release from the TIFF Web site, there are 500 international stars and special guests scheduled this year. They include: Adrian Grenier (Entourage), Sir Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, the Dixie Chicks, Christian Bale, Danny Glover, J-Lo, Michael Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Sandra Bullock, Spike Lee, Zach Braff and Sigourney Weaver. I have a picture taken of me interviewing Sigourney Weaver at the press junket for Alien back in 1979. I can't believe that was 27 years ago! I'm hoping she will autograph it for me, this moment in time when we were both starting out our careers.
So, from Sept. 7-15, I'll be watching movies (about 25 to 30 in ten days), interviewing celebs, and going to a few parties. Check my blog site for updates live from T.O. For more info on the Festival here's a link to the official site