Free Party @ TIFF Bell Lightbox- September 12

To celebrate the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, a free block party will be held September 12, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, with an array of programming in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district, including a concert line-up, free pastries and a movie star look-alike contest.

Following the official ribbon cutting, TIFF will offer free admission to the building @ Reitman Square, welcoming visitors to experience special screenings, film-based artworks from artists/filmmakers and the 'Essential Cinema' exhibition.

After negotiating with filmmaker Ivan Reitman ("Ghostbusters"), whose family owns the land, TIFF Bell Lightbox was constructed as a five-storey complex, designed by architecture firm KPMB, with support by sponsors Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the King and John Festival Corporation (the Reitman family and Daniels Corporation), RBC, BlackBerry, the Copyright Collective of Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, The Daniels Corporation, NBC Universal Canada, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the Harbinger Foundation, Mackenzie Financial, CIBC and BMO...

TIFF 2010 Guest List

The following is a partial list of actors/celebrity guests expected to attend the 35th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), September 9-19.

Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin, Amanda Plummer, Amber Heard, Amy Madigan, Barry Pepper, Bill Gates, Bill Murray, Bill Pullman, Blake Lively, Bob Hoskins, Bruce Greenwood, Bruce Springsteen, Carey Mulligan, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Christopher Plummer, Clive Owen, Colin Firth, David Suzuki, Dwight Yoakam, Edward Norton, Ellen Page, Emma Roberts, Emma Stone, Fisher Stevens, Geoffrey Rush, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Hilary Swank, James Caan, James Franco, Jason Jones, Javier Bardem, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Renner, Jill Hennessy, Jon Hamm, Jon Lovitz, Keanu Reeves, Kelly Preston, Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Liv Tyler, Malin Akerman, Maria Bello, Marion Cotillard, Martin Sheen, Mary Steenburgen, Matt Damon, Megan Fox, Mélanie Laurent, Michael C. Hall, Michael Moore, Michael Stevens, Mickey Rourke, Milla Jovovich, Minnie Driver, Miranda Richardson, Molly Parker, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Olivia Newton-John, Paul Giamatti, Rachel Weisz, Rachelle Lefevre, Rainn Wilson, Ray Winstone, Robert De Niro, Ron Perlman, Rosamund Pike, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Phillippe, Ryan Reynolds, Sam Rockwell, Sarah Silverman, Scott Speedman, Thomas Haden Church, Tracy Lawrence, Uma Thurman, Vera Farmiga, Vincent Cassel, Will Ferrell, William B. Davis, William H. Macy and Woody Harrelson.

The following is a partial list of filmmakers expected to attend TIFF:

Ben Affleck, Clint Eastwood, Danny Boyle, Darren Aronofsky, David Schwimmer, George Hickenlooper, Guy Maddin, Ingrid Veninger, Jacob Tierney, James Gunn, James Wan, John Cameron Mitchell, John Carpenter, John Sayles, Mike Leigh, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Redford, Stephen Frears, Sturla Gunnarsson, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Grenier, Werner Herzog and Woody Allen.

Confirmed screenings include:

Robert Redford's "The Conspirator"

Guillaume Canet's "Little White Lies"

Barry Blaustein's "Peep World"

Andy De Emmony's "West Is West"

Emilio Estevez' "The Way"

Steven Silver's "The Bang Bang Club"

George Hickenlooper's "Casino Jack"

David M. Rosenthal's "Janie Jones."

Richard J. Lewis' "Barney's Version"

Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan"

John Madden's "The Debt"

Im Sang-Soo's "The Housemaid"

Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech"

Francois Ozon's "Potiche"

Ben Affleck's "The Town."

Raul Ruiz' "Mysteries of Lisbon"

Mike Leigh's "Another Year"

Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger"

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Biutiful"

Julian Schnabel's "Miral"

Stephen Frears' "Tamara Drewe"

Sylvain Chomet's "The Illusionist"

Kim Jee-woon's "I Saw the Devil"

Andrew Lau's "The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen"

Tran Anh Hung's "Norwegian Wood"

Rachid Bouchareb's "Outside the Law"

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's "A Screaming Man"

Anurag Kashyap's "That Girl in Yellow Boots"

Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go"

Mike Mills' "Beginners"

John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole"

John Curran's "Stone"

Richard Ayoade's "Submarine"

Michael Winterbottom's "The Trip"

Nigel Cole's "Made In Dagenham"

Eric Lartigau's "The Big Picture"

Rowan Joffe's "Brighton Rock"

Tony Goldwyn's "Conviction"

Kiran Rao's "Dhobi Ghat"

Will Gluck's "Easy A"

Malcolm Venville's "Henry's Crime"

Ryan Fleck's/Anna Bolden's "It's Kind Of A Funny Story"

Pierre Thoretton's "L'Amour Fou"

Andrucha Waddington's "Lope"

David Schwimmer's "Trust."

Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Jack Goes Boating"

Danis Tanovic's "Cirkus Columbia"

Susanne Bier's "In a Better World"

Alain Corneau's "Love Crime"

Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine"

Rodrigo Cortes' "Buried"

Michael McGowan's "Score: A Hockey Musical"

Toronto Measures Up With Syfy's "Three Inches"

The new Syfy superhero TV pilot "Three Inches", from Fox television Studios and Landscape Entertainment, starts lensing in Toronto, August 30.

"Three Inches" stars Noah Reid. James Marsters, Andrea Martin, Stephanie Jacobsen, Antony Del Rio, Naoko Mori, Kyle Schmid and Brandon Jay McLaren. Alona Tal, Craig Eldridge and Julian Richings will guest star in the pilot episode.

"...In 'Three Inches', professional daydreamer and underachiever, 'Walter Spackman' (Reid) is struck by lightning, and develops a unique 'super' power -- the ability to move any object using just his mind... but only a distance of three inches. He's soon recruited by a covert team of superheroes each gifted with their own extraordinarily ordinary abilities. Together, the unlikely band of heroes proves that 'super' is simply a state of mind..."

Jace Alexander directs the pilot from a screenplay by Harley Peyton.

Marsters is 'Troy Hamilton', a former government agent who takes Walter into his own team of heroes who fight evil wherever they find it. He is a father figure to Walter; Martin is 'Belinda Spackman', Walter's mother, a 'brutally honest', comically cynical force of nature that loves her son more than words can say and will do anything to protect him; Jacobsen is 'Watts', a beautiful hero who has the ability to shape the emotions of anyone she meets at close range; Del Rio will portray 'The Human Smell', an adventurous, often irritating teenager who is able to emit a pungent gas through his pores that disables anyone nearby; Mori will play 'Annika', a woman who can duplicate and broadcast any sound she hears; Schmid is 'Brandon', the team leader with all the cockiness and strength of a true action hero, minus the superpowers. He is the opposite of Walter and sees most of the team as freaks; McLaren plays 'Macklin Sportello', Walter's best friend, a big talker with not a lot to back it up. His relationship is tested when Walter begins to change, but he's the friend that will always be there for him.

Click the images to enlarge...

"Victoria's Secret" Slips Into Toronto

"Victoria’s Secret", the lingerie brand noted for its sexy catalogues, provided top models Adriana Lima, Chanel Iman and Erin Heatherton for a live appearance, during the grand opening of the first Victoria’s Secret store in Toronto, August 25, @ Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

"Victoria's Secret is completely different than any other lingerie store because it's a complete experience," said Heatherton.

"A lot of women aren't even wearing the right bra size, so to have someone to show you what will work for you, is very special."

Click the images to enlarge...

Showcase Mounts "Lost Girl" - September 12

Sneak Peek the latest key art supporting the Toronto-lensed 'fantasy-noir' TV series "Lost Girl", debuting September 12 on Canada's Showcase network.

Produced by Prodigy Pictures, in association with Canwest Broadcasting, "Lost Girl" filmed 13 one-hour episodes in Toronto and Hamilton.

"'Lost Girl' follows supernatural seductress 'Bo' (Anna Silk), a 'Succubus' who feeds on the sexual energy of mortals. Growing up with human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door – until she drained her boyfriend to death in their first sexual encounter. Now she has hit the road alone and afraid. She discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them in secret, as they have for millennia. Relieved yet horrified to find out that she is not alone, Bo decides to take the middle path between the humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin.

"Bo's succubus nature tangles her in a sexy, romantic love-triangle with 'Dyson' (Kris Holden-Reid), a shape-shifting homicide detective, and 'Lauren' (Zoie Palmer), a human doctor who has found a way through science to help give Bo the sexual self-control she's been aching for. Navigating this complicated life with Bo is her human confidante and street-smart survivor, 'Kenzi' (Ksenia Solo)."

A companion website for the series is being produced and will launch with the show to give viewers "an unprecedented, interactive experience".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Lost Girl"...

USA Aims For More "Covert Affairs"

The USA network reports that the Toronto-lensed 'spy' TV series "Covert Affairs" has been renewed for a second season. Debuting July 13, "Covert Affairs" stars Piper Perabo as a rookie CIA agent, Christopher Gorham as a blind data analyst and Peter Gallagher as her husband and colleague.

"...A young CIA trainee, 'Annie Walker' (Perabo), is mysteriously sent out into the field, to capture her ex-boyfriend, with 'Auggie Anderson' (Gorham), a blind officer, acting as the new guide in her new life..."

Other cast characters include 'Conrad Sheehan III' (Eric Lively), a senior CIA officer and 'womanizer' who enjoys a spicy rapport with Annie, 'Jai Wilcox' (Sendhil Ramamurthy, a CIA officer, 'Danielle' (Anne Dudek), Annie's older sister, unaware of Annie's real career, 'Ben Mercer' (Eion Bailey), Annie's ex-boyfriend, targeted by the CIA and 'Arthur Campbell' (Peter Gallagher), the CIA director of 'Clandestine Services'.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Covert Affairs"...

Sneak Peek Millar's "CLiNT"

Sneak Peek a new teaser trailer supporting "Kick-Ass" comic book creator Mark Millar's UK-based magazine "CLiNT".

The magazine launch to be attended by Millar will be held in London UK @ the WH Smith, Victoria train station store, Thursday, September 2nd.

CLiNT magazine will debut the "Kick-Ass" sequel "Kick Ass 2: Balls To The Wall" from Millar and illustrator John Romita Jr.

"Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall" is also the title of the sequel to the feature "Kick-Ass", a 'counter-point' to the first film, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn, currently prepping to direct "X-Men: First Class".

"...When 'Dave Lizewski' put on his mask and became 'Kick-Ass', he never imagined things would go this far. Now Dave comes face-to-face with a world he helped bring about, as his dreams of a world of superheroes come true...but will those dreams turn to nightmares...?"

The new "Kick-Ass" feature will follow the continuing adventures of 'Mindy Macready' aka 'Hit-Girl' (Chloe Moretz), 'Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) and 'Chris D'Amico' aka the villain 'Red Mist' (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who plots his revenge.

Also in the "CLiNT" debut issue will be the reprint serialization of "Turf", from Jonathan Ross/Tommy Lee Edwards and Frankie Boyle’s "Rex Royd".

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "CLiNT"...

"Kick-Ass" DVD Debuts @ Number 1

Lionsgate reports that the Toronto/UK-lensed feature "Kick-Ass" has debuted at number one on DVD sales charts. The Blu-ray combo pack of the film (three discs- including Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy), also debuted at number one.

In addition, the release came out of its first weekend as the top movie download on the iTunes store, Zune and Sony/Playstation and achieved the biggest digital week performance ever by a Lionsgate title.

"Kick-Ass", which grossed nearly $50 million in North America and $100 million worldwide during its theatrical run, also achieved the highest box office-to-DVD conversion rate for all major DVD releases this quarter, helping Lionsgate to maintain industry leadership in box office-to-DVD conversion.

"'Kick-Ass' is truly one of the most unique, entertaining, and action-packed movies of the year," said Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate General Manager and Executive Vice President. "With its strong word-of-mouth, we felt confident that it would have a powerful home entertainment debut and are particularly pleased with the success of the Blu-ray combo pack, which accounted for 42% of week one sell-through revenue."

Co-written and directed by Matthew Vaughn, "Kick-Ass" stars Aaron Johnson ("Nowhere Boy"), Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("Superbad") and Mark Strong ("Sherlock Holmes"), along with Chloe Grace Moretz ("Let Me In") and Nicolas Cage ("National Treasure").

Based on the comic book series written by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr., the story follows 'Dave Lizewski' (Johnson), an ordinary teenager who goes unnoticed in high school until he dons a mask to become 'Kick-Ass', a costumed, vigilante crime fighter. Bruised and beaten and without any real super powers, he is saved by a father-daughter duo, 'Big Daddy' and 'Hit-Girl', who have been fighting their own battle against a vicious crime figure.After a firestorm of publicity, Kick-Ass becomes the target of the crime lord.

Meanwhile, the new "Hit-Girl" 12-inch action figure will be released September 2010, based on the 11-year old costumed vigilante character, starring in "Kick-Ass", the movie.

"...She may be cute, but she's got a filthy mouth! 'Hit-Girl', a.k.a. 'Mindy McCready' is an 11-year-old, pigtail-wearing waif with the fighting skills of a ninja. And the little superhero has proven that she has some real kick-ass skills! This highly detailed Hit Girl Action Figure stands approximately 12-inches tall, features multiple points of articulation, and includes her signature plaid cloth skirt, purple wig, and cape. Armed with a pair of butterfly knives and her double Gitano-bladed Mindy Stick, Hit-Girl is ready for action!

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Kick-Ass"...

Toronto Gets Under MTV's "Skins"

Further to our exclusive "Skins" casting call November 19, 2009, MTV reports that the new North American version of the sexy, UK teen soap series "Skins" will start lensing the first of 10 one-hour episodes in Toronto this month.

Created by father and son team Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Stormdog Films, "Skins" will feature an ensemble cast "...as they navigate complex relationships, the politics of friendship and difficulties of daily life in their formative years..."

In 2009, MTV secured the rights to create a North American version of the original UK "Skins" series, now in its 5th season, with 'unknown' teenagers cast in lead roles and 'real' teens contributing to the creative structure of each episode.

The UK series, airing on E4 won the 2009 'BAFTA Audience Award' and 'Best Drama Series' @ the 2008 Broadcast Awards.

"Skins" is co-produced by E1 Entertainment and Company Pictures, a division of ALL3MEDIA, the same company that produces the Channel 4 series in the UK. Elsley will Executive Produce the series, along with Laszlo Barna and Michael Rosenberg from E1 and Charlie Pattinson and George Faber of Company Pictures. Chris Clough served as an executive producer on the pilot for Company Pictures.

Click the images to enlarge...

UK's "Empire" Supports Toronto's "Scott Pilgrim"

Sneak Peek the latest cover of "Empire" Magazine, featuring actor Michael Cera, supporting the Toronto-lensed Universal monsters feature, "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", based on the Oni Press comic book series by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

"...Get The Hot Girl. Defeat her Evil Exes. Hit Love Where It Hurts"

"...Meet charming and jobless 'Scott Pilgrim' (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for totally average garage band 'Sex Bob-omb', the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams…literally. The only catch to winning 'Ramona Flowers' (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him.

"Scott has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It’s getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart’s ass—and now is back in town—to the teenage distraction he’s trying to shake when Ramona rollerblades into his world, love hasn’t been easy.

"He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes control her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor. As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues’ gallery from her past—from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsome identical twins. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over..."

"Scott Pilgrim" is directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright with Michael Bacall.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World"

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Toronto Rises For London's "Burning Daylight"

The Toronto-lensed feature "Burning Daylight", directed by Sanzhar Sultanov, is based on two short stories and one novel by author Jack London.

The 3-part anthology is set against the backdrop of 1920’s New York:

"...Part I depicts the lives of two low-life thieves enjoying a post-heist euphoria while developing a subtle rivalry. Part II is an intricate dance between a manipulative, wealthy woman and a seemingly inane, destitute thief. Part III features a duel between a legendary, self-made, Klondike Gold millionaire and the masterminds of a Wall Street scam..."

"Burning Daylight" stars Robert Knepper ("Heroes"), Paul Calderon ("Four Rooms"), Sultanov, Christopher DeMeo, and Adrian Cowan.

Click the image to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Burning Daylight"...

35th Toronto International Film Festival- September 9-19

This year, the 35th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) runs from Sept. 9-19.

Confirmed screenings, so far include:

Robert Redford's "The Conspirator"

Guillaume Canet's "Little White Lies"

Barry Blaustein's "Peep World"

Andy De Emmony's "West Is West"

Emilio Estevez' "The Way"

Steven Silver's "The Bang Bang Club"

George Hickenlooper's "Casino Jack"

David M. Rosenthal's "Janie Jones."

Richard J. Lewis' "Barney's Version"

Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan"

John Madden's "The Debt"

Im Sang-Soo's "The Housemaid"

Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech"

Francois Ozon's "Potiche"

Ben Affleck's "The Town."

Raul Ruiz' "Mysteries of Lisbon"

Mike Leigh's "Another Year"

Woody Allen's "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger"

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Biutiful"

Julian Schnabel's "Miral"

Stephen Frears' "Tamara Drewe"

Sylvain Chomet's "The Illusionist"

Kim Jee-woon's "I Saw the Devil"

Andrew Lau's "The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen"

Tran Anh Hung's "Norwegian Wood"

Rachid Bouchareb's "Outside the Law"

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's "A Screaming Man"

Anurag Kashyap's "That Girl in Yellow Boots"

Mark Romanek's "Never Let Me Go"

Mike Mills' "Beginners"

John Cameron Mitchell's "Rabbit Hole"

John Curran's "Stone"

Richard Ayoade's "Submarine"

Michael Winterbottom's "The Trip"

Nigel Cole's "Made In Dagenham"

Eric Lartigau's "The Big Picture"

Rowan Joffe's "Brighton Rock"

Tony Goldwyn's "Conviction"

Kiran Rao's "Dhobi Ghat"

Will Gluck's "Easy A"

Malcolm Venville's "Henry's Crime"

Ryan Fleck's/Anna Bolden's "It's Kind Of A Funny Story"

Pierre Thoretton's "L'Amour Fou"

Andrucha Waddington's "Lope"

David Schwimmer's "Trust."

Philip Seymour Hoffman's "Jack Goes Boating"

Danis Tanovic's "Cirkus Columbia"

Susanne Bier's "In a Better World"

Alain Corneau's "Love Crime"

Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine"

Rodrigo Cortes' "Buried"

Michael McGowan's "Score: A Hockey Musical"

Stay Tuned for a whole lot more...