[IMG:L]Highly profiled and publicized, the Toronto International Film Festival is acknowledged as one of the most prestigious media events around the world. Next to Cannes, it attracts and showcases stars and industry moguls of the highest caliber. And from paparazzi magnet Brad Pitt to proven box-office babe, Jodie Foster, this year’s festival boasted a wide array of talent.
For us media hounds, getting behind-the-scenes coverage at Toronto essentially presents the same chaotic frenzy generated at other high-profile fests. It’s a media race to screen buzz films, interview distinguished stars, squeeze into packed press conferences, vie for the best freeze frames–and inevitably pray for a coveted spot on the infamous red carpets, graced by A-list celebs.
Having tackled a wall of festival pandemonium at Tribeca and Cannes ‘07, I felt confident about facing the requisite hardships at Toronto in exchange for nabbing our exclusive coverage. For the most part, the screenings and celeb interviews that I covered more than whet my appetite.
However, the red carpet events, or a lack of opportunity thereof, left me feeling rather deprived … and hungering for more. Whereas a standard red carpet premiere is typically organized, with a confirmed list of attendants and guaranteed spots on the red carpet–this was not the case in Toronto. In fact, I was surprised to discover alternate regulations at the Canadian hotspot. Presumably resulting from an overwhelming number of festival participants, the committee only granted ‘reserved’ red carpet spots on a first come, first serve basis to accredited press members. Translation for press? Show up early or else… and early could mean more than 10 hours prior.
[IMG:R]Here’s a secret: It was widely rumored that some interns from prominent TV outlets were sent to stand on line ahead, in their reporter’s proxy, and hold spots at the Jesse James red carpet from 7 a.m.–for the 9 p.m. premiere! The competition was so fierce to get a glimpse of Brad that a high profile Canadian TV station, allegedly, offered a young woman $1000 for the spot she had been saving on the red carpet!! What transpired next, I couldn’t’t say…but this perfectly illustrates the desperado situation created at TIFF to snag hot premiere coverage!
I much prefer the norm: wherein the studio provides claustrophobic, allotted spaces, in which we journalists are squeezed into respective mini-feeding stations upon our designated call time. With much else going on, there also was no time in my day to ‘squeeze in’ a several-hour wait for George Clooney‘s Michael Clayton red carpet romp [sigh], smitten as I am with the headliner. But those weren’t the only premieres with buzz.
[IMG:L]For several nights, the spotlight shone brightly throughout the greater downtown Toronto district with various theaters hosting lavish red carpets. I had the privilege of attending the premiere for the Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello starrer Nothing Is Private. Based on Alicia Erian’s novel Towelhead, the story revolves around an out-of-control, 13-year-old girl who is sent to live with her oppressive Lebanese father, after her mother learns of her inappropriate behavior. In turn, the teen accepts and secretly seeks attention from men to compensate for the lack of love and attention from her parents–and becomes dangerously entangled with a bigoted Army reservist.
I arrived on the scene early enough to snag a spot on the red carpet, while patiently awaiting for the stars to arrive. Fans were lined-up in every direction outside of the Ryerson Theatre, equipped with cameras, pens, paper and a curious array of ‘autographing tools’. Despite the constant, chilly Canadian breeze, they were real troopers–and besides, die-hard fans will wait under any type of condition, for celebrity contact. I, meanwhile, did a quick mental review of my questions.
Glowing with pride that her work was actually adapted into a film, novelist Alicia Erian arrived first on the scene and expressed surprise that, “something like this happened, especially with this book. It’s sexually graphic–and involves a young child. Nobody thought this [film] would happen. It was astonishing and serendipitous.”
The very charming writer-director, Alan Ball strolled down the carpet next, and stopped to chitchat about this latest work. The executive producer of one time cult show Six Feet Under proclaimed his initial fascination with the novel, saying he loved that the tale didn’t present the young protagonist “as a victim. At the end of the story you didn’t feel like she was destroyed … she was stronger; and it has a powerful humanist message about fundamental human potential to survive traumatic experiences.”
The young and beautiful star of the film, Summer Bishil glided in, looking stunning in a champagne-colored, shantung halter dress. Making her acting debut in Nothing Is Private, she beamed while describing how she “went through the roof…was shocked…excited and scared!” when landing the part. Her co-stars showed nothing but respect and admiration for the newcomer, especially Aaron Eckhart. Dashingly handsome as always, the Golden Globe nominee, Eckhart arrived on the scene in a streamlined navy suit and baby blue shirt–perfectly complimentary to his eyes. He proudly confessed that viewers would be “knocked out by the heroine, Summer, in this movie. She takes it over and runs with it.” When asked how he picks and chooses his parts, he went on to explain that it’s “how I’m feeling at that particular time in my life. Right now I’m feeling pretty good, and like I just want to go out and have fun.”
[IMG:R]The final star to grace the red carpet was the beautiful and hyper talented Maria Bello, who had also costarred with Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking. Stunning, she floated by in a almond-hued dress, with a tweed tank for its bodice, and boldly accented with feathers from the waist down. Amidst a whirlwind of flashing bulbs and screaming fans, she described the stirring movie as “thought-provoking … and a film she needed to be part of.” With that, she turned on her heels, and vanished into the night.
Although Nothing Is Private was my singular red carpet covered at the TIFF, it was memorable and glamorous, nonetheless. With overwhelming red carpet first come, first serve rules and 12-hour-plus waits, I had to draw the line somewhere within my limited time there. But who can complain about waiting around a little bit to have an up-close meeting with pure eye candy: Monsieur Eckhart? Not I.
That’s all from the red carpet at Toronto’s 2007 International Film Fest!
