Attending a movie Gala premier in Toronto
Cities really come alive when a festival is on. It's probably why there are so many great festivals in cities around the world but there's few more glamorous yet accessible than the Toronto International Film Festival. Its a public film festival unlike the exclusive Cannes festival, you can easily buy tickets online and attend some big Gala premiers too!
Elgin Theatre
I had the privilege and the pleasure to attend not just any Gala premier at TIFF but the opening night Gala. The city buzz was definitely taken up a notch and pulling up outside the Elgin Theatre was like jumping in the deep end of hollywood crazy. Huge queues in either direction filled the sidewalk next to the theatre, a 2000 capacity audience for this show. On the other side of the road were thousands of what can only be described as "stalker fans". Some even with banners but mostly armed with cameras to hopefully get a blurry snapshot of someone famous.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
That "someone famous" tonight was Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Once the slightly wimpy kid from the US TV sitcom "Third Rock from the Sun", now a hollywood acclaimed actor and co-producer on the Gala movie
"Looper", a gangster filled time-travel movie also starring Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. I knew little of the movie other than rumours it was "pretty good".
We poured in to the theatre and admired the decor. The Elgin is one of 2 grand Edwardian theatres stacked one on top of the other. The "Winter Gardens" above and our theatre downstairs are now used as a cinema and its without doubt the grandest cinema I've ever been in. A world away from the sticky floors and bland walls of your local multiplex.
The gala show
Before the film we had speeches from the director Rian Johnson and one of the most popular men in town this week, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Thankfully their speeches were brief but their presence and words really got the audience excited about the movie.
We were told the movie would be "loud, bold and fast" which is definitely accurate. I won't spoil your enjoyment of the film if you do go to see it, there is synopsis and reviews online if that's your thing. I was very impressed though, the storyline is original, rich in detail and very well acted, especially Gordon-Levitt and Blunt. If you liked Inception or even the Matrix you'll love Looper.
In a very un-british way I joined in the clapping as the credits rolled. Something that doesn't happen in the UK. It seems more appropriate when the director and some of the stars of the film are in the house. After all this project has been in the making for 7 years.
The atmosphere continued after the show and the streets were busy with opening night parties, celebrities and celeb spotters, media and industry professionals. For a couple of weeks in September it really does transform the city and the world's media take notice. Its a very interesting time to be in Toronto and there's nothing quite like a festival to bring a city to life!
With thanks
Thanks to Tourism Toronto for their hospitality in Toronto during TIFF. For more details on what to do in Toronto check out the official tourism website at seetorontonow.com.
