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TIFF 2011 Roundup: How to be Don Draper (er, Jon Hamm)

Jon Hamm at the George Stroumboulopoulos Hazel Hotel Takevoer party (Image: JJ Thompson)

One of the many A-list celebrities to grace Toronto’s streets last week for TIFF 2011 was none other than Jon Hamm himself—or as he’s perhaps better known, Don Draper, the enigmatic ad executive he plays on the television show Mad Men. Hamm was a class act throughout TIFF: he took in Toronto sights, went to all the right parties and, of course, looked devastatingly handsome while doing it. Based on Hamm’s short but sweet stay in the Big Smoke, we’ve distilled four rules on how to be a gentlemen—Mad Men style—whilst in Toronto, after the jump.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 15, 2011 | 12:23 pm

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POLL: Whose beard is the best at TIFF 2011?

Beards are among the most fickle trends, but now that the summer heat has come and gone, some men have returned to the hirsute fold, opting for something a bit more rugged for fall and winter. We spotted four beards at various stages of growth at TIFF 2011: Gerard Butler’s unkempt facial hair at George Stroumboulopoulos’s Hazelton Hotel party, Michael Fassbender’s new and prickly ginger growth at the premiere of Shame, Hugh Dancy’s almost too-perfect beard at the Vanity Fair party, and Dave Matthews with his patchy fuzz, um, everywhere. Who wore it best, and who should shave it off already?

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 12, 2011 | 11:43 am

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TIFF Weekend Roundup: the five splashiest parties

It girl in the making Elizabeth Olson is introduced to perennial it man George Clooney. (Image: Jeff Vespa/WireImage/Getty Images Entertainment)

The first weekend of TIFF is basically one big long party, with a non-stop crush of big premieres, boldface names and tremendous amounts of running around (sleep is usually not involved). In case you missed it, here are last weekend’s five splashiest parties:

If you haven’t already heard, the party for A Dangerous Method at Greg Goose Soho House was pretty much the best party ever. In attendance: David Cronenberg, George Clooney, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Bono, Keira Knightley, Evan Rachel Wood, Emily Blunt, Adam Scott, Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, Anna Faris, Jon Hamm, Alexander Skarsgård and many more. Read our recap »
As usual, the Vanity Fair party had all the markers of a successful TIFF bash: happy (drunken) partygoers and a stack of celebrities sticking around for more than 10 minutes (Bono, George Clooney, Elizabeth Olsen, Alexander Skarsgård and more). It also featured some rather provocative posing by The Oranges’ Allison Janney. Read our recap »
George Stroumboulopoulos once again took over the Hazelton Hotel for his trademark mix of big stars, CBC television personalities and gawkers. We particularly enjoyed seeing Jon Hamm in full-on shaggy-hair mode (compared with Don Draper, at least). Read our recap »
There’s something about tall, Scandinavian vampires that sets the fan girls wild, which is exactly what happened at the Melancholia party when Alexander Skarsgård (Eric Northman from True Blood) showed up. Kirsten Dunst had the good sense to smile politely and stand aside. Read our recap »
A rather more genteel time was had at the annual luncheon thrown by famed Hollywood reporter George Christy at the Four Seasons. In attendance: Kathleen Turner, Geoffrey Rush, Norman Jewison, Atom Egoyan and assorted Mulroneys. Read our recap »

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2011 | 4:28 pm

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Jon Hamm, Paul Haggis, Morgan Spurlock and more came out to George Strombo’s Hazelton Hotel fete

Strombo and Hamm are the best of friends (Image: J.J. Thompson)

The CBC George Stroumboulopoulos Takeover at the Hazelton Hotel is always a mixed bag: big-name celebs mingle with more commonplace TIFF partygoers, like the stars of CBC programming (duh), television hosts and countless gawkers. Last night was more of the same, with Jon Hamm (yes, he’s just as dreamy in real life), Gerard Butler (also hot), directors Paul Haggis and Jason Reitman, Kiefer Sutherland, Rob Lowe, Sloan’s Chris Murphy, director Morgan Spurlock, Traci Melchor, Sarah Slean, Being Erica stars Erin Karpluk and Adam Fergus and Little Mosque on the Prairie’s Zaib Shaikh all stopping in to enjoy the free booze and pre–after party snacks.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2011 | 4:15 pm

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SPOTTED: Jon Hamm at Strombo’s Hazelton Takeover party at One restaurant at the Hazelton Hotel

We saw Don Draper last night—with our own eyes! That’s right, Jon Hamm in the flesh. Only, rather strangely, Hamm was looking decidedly un–Don Draper–like in a blazer that was almost too small, a colourful tie and with his hair rather dishevelled (at least, compared to his typical Mad Men coif) at George Stroumboulopoulos’s Hazelton Takeover party at One restaurant at the Hazelton Hotel.

Find this story on our Star Spotting Map, where we plot the locations of celebrities spotted around Toronto.

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2011 | 12:47 pm

1 Comment

SPOTTED: Paul Haggis kibitzing with fans at The Hazelton

Paul Haggis (Image: Kevin Naulls)

We spotted three A-listers at George Stroumboulopoulos’s Hazelton Takeover last night, two of whom kept strictly to themselves. Award-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis on the other hand, took time to chat with everyone—the Crash director was surprisingly friendly, mingling with non-celebs and conversing with partygoers as if he weren’t, well, famous.

Find this story on our Star Spotting Map, where we plot the locations of celebrities spotted around Toronto.

The Hype

Awards Season

September 1, 2011 | 1:23 pm

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The 2011 Gemini Awards’ celebrity guests are but a whisper to TIFF 2011’s mighty roar

Jason Priestley will attend the 26th annual Gemini Awards (Image: Alan Knight)

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off September 8, but the night before marks the anniversary of another Canadian film and television event: the 26th annual Gemini Awards. The CanCon-friendly celebration will air on CBC in a one-hour broadcast starting at 8 p.m., but while TIFF brings in the big guns from all over the world, the Geminis are, unsurprisingly, nearly A-list-free. This year’s host is one of Brampton’s finest, Russell Peters, and we’re told to expect appearances by Hugh Dillon from Durham County and Flashpoint, George Stroumboulopoulos and Brandon Walsh Jason Priestley. More of the exciting lineup after the jump.

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The Informer

Election Whoas

April 14, 2011 | 4:05 pm

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Reaction Roundup: what is the international press saying about the Canadian election?

Canada’s affairs rarely arouse excitement in the media outside of our own borders—Michael Kinsley famously declared the most boring headline ever to be “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative”—but that usually changes when we decide to join a war or hold an election. Then we can usually reply on the foreign press to pay attention for at least a little while. That being the case, we set out to see what the international media is saying about Canada’s 41^st election. Turns out, not much.

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The Hype

Prime Time

March 16, 2011 | 10:59 am

2 Comments

George Stroumboulopoulos goes the full Angelina, named World Food Programme ambassador

George-Stroumboulopoulos-with-Stephen-Lewis

Stephen Lewis, George Stroumboulopoulos and WFP spokesperson Bettina Luescher at last night’s announcement (Image: John Michael McGrath)

The World Food Programme—an enormous international aid program that feeds 90 million people a year—has named George Stroumboulopoulos as its first Canadian Ambassador Against Hunger, putting the former MuchMusic VJ on the same list as people such as Sean Connery, Drew Barrymore and Penélope Cruz. The CBC also announced after the taping of his show last night that there will be an April 1 special about Stroumboulopoulos’s recent travel to Pakistan, where the CBC host toured the WFP sites and saw the devastation that remains after last year’s floods.

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The Hype

Cinemania

November 2, 2010 | 10:04 am

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Before he discovered drugs, Danny Boyle almost became a priest

But he didn’t! The director went to a religious school and was going to pursue the priesthood, he divulged to George Stroumboulopoulos, until “fun things” like “music, cigarettes, girls, cars, drugs” got in the way. And thank the film gods for that, because without him we’d have no Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire or 127 Hours. Strombo’s full interview with Danny Boyle will air tonight on CBC.

• Danny Boyle on why he opted out of the priesthood [YouTube]

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 16, 2010 | 4:08 pm

1 Comment

The TIFFing point: last night, the film fest ended in spirit, if not in fact

We regret to announce that the TIFF bacchanal is over. Not officially, of course—that’s not until Sunday—but we’ve reached the TIFFing point: that moment that comes midway through every film festival, when the city suddenly realizes that most of the A-listers have gone back to Hollywood and that most of the free champagne has dried up.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 11, 2010 | 11:43 am

2 Comments

Clive Owen, Steve Nash and Juliette Lewis celebrate Strombo at the Hazelton Takeover party

The man of the (half-) hour (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

The plebs swarmed Yorkville last night in droves, and the red carpet and photographers stationed outside the Hazelton Hotel acted as a honing beacon for star-seeking hopefuls. “Is that a celebrity? Who is that everyone’s looking at? That’s that model–she’s famous in Canada and internationally.” That would be Stacey McKenzie, sometime Top Model guest and Toronto party scenester, who had to push through a thick group of onlookers to get inside for the CBC’s Hazelton Takeover party, a bash for George Stroumboulopoulos’s new half-hour show, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight.

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The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2010 | 4:38 pm

1 Comment

TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: David Schwimmer, Strombo and Ron McLean on the red carpet for the official TIFF opening night party

Cast members from So You Think You Can Dance Canada at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

By all accounts, the official TIFF opening night party was a Canad-a-thon, mostly featuring TV actors, singers, filmmakers and movie stars from the Great White North. Our red carpet gallery captures the mood of the opening night of the festival as the party-goes arrive for their night at the Liberty Grand.

See the gallery below.

: Actress Olivia Newton-John from Score: A Hockey Musical and her husband, John Easterling, at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from So You Think You Can Dance Canada at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Erin Karpluk from Being Erica at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast from Being Erica at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Noah Reid and director Michael McGowan from Score: A Hockey Musical at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actors John Pyper-Ferguson and Noah Reid (with a family member) from Score: A Hockey Musical at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Rapper Kardinal Offishall at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Former CFL great Damon Allen at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Allie MacDonald from Score: A Hockey Musical at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Allie MacDonald and George Stroumboulopoulos from Score: A Hockey Musical at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Director Kiran Rao and actor Aamir Khan from the film Dhobi Ghat at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Director Ondi Timoner from the documentary Cool It at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis and his wife Violet Chang at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Three-quarters of Metric at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Flashpoint at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Kim Bubbs from Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey glad-hands director David Schwimmer from Trust at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey and director David Schwimmer from Trust at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast from Dragons’ Den at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast from Good Dog at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast from Repeaters at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Lost Girl at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Jennifer Fleury and her husband, former NHL star Theo Fleury, at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician Keyshia Cole at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Ron MacLean clearly enjoying himself (or attempting to crush heads like a sixth member of Kids in the Hall) at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Ron Maclean sneaks into this picture of director David Schwimmer from Trust at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Weeds at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Ron MacLean clearly enjoying himself (or attempting to crush heads like a sixth member of Kids in the Hall) at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Young People Fucking at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Noah Reid from Score: A Hockey Musical and family at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Lost Girl at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: John Easterling and his wife, actress Olivia Newton-John from Score: A Hockey Musical, at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Elena Semikina, a.k.a. Miss Canada, at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey with director Kiran Rao and actor Aamir Khan from the film Dhobi Ghat at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Amanda Crew from Repeaters at the TIFF opening party at Liberty Grand (Image: Karon Liu)

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2010 | 1:08 pm

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TIFF PHOTO GALLERY: Olivia Newton-John, Nelly Furtado and the rest of the cast walk the red carpet at the Score gala

Actress Allie MacDonald walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

Reaction to the movie itself may have been mixed, but excitement was universal as TIFF kicked off with the gala premiere of Score: A Hockey Musical. We were there to catch shots of the diverse guest list: Olivia Newton-John, Nelly Furtado, Hawksley Workman and many more.

See our gallery below.

: Sportscaster Ron MacLean attends the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: George Stroumboulopoulos, who plays an announcer in Score: A Hockey Musical, with ET Canada’s Rick Campanelli on the red carpet at the musical’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: George Stroumboulopoulos, who plays an announcer in Score: A Hockey Musical, with ET Canada’s Rick Campanelli on the red carpet at the musical’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: George Stroumboulopoulos, who plays an announcer in Score: A Hockey Musical, on the red carpet at the musical’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: Former hockey star Theo Fleury, who has a cameo in Score: A Hockey Musical, with actor Noah Reid on the red carpet at the musical’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: Jennifer Fleury and her husband, former hockey star Theo Fleury (who has a cameo in Score: A Hockey Musical), walk the red carpet at the musical’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Olivia Newton-John walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Olivia Newton-John walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Olivia Newton John at the Score: A Hockey Musical premiere gives her screaming fans some love (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

: Actress Olivia Newton-John and her husband, John Easterling, walk the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Olivia Newton-John’s daughter Chloe arrives at Roy Thomson Hall for the Score gala (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

: Actress Allie MacDonald walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Allie MacDonald walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Allie MacDonald walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actress Allie MacDonald walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Director Michael McGowan walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Journalist Evan Soloman, who has a cameo in Score: A Hockey Musical, walks the red carpet with his wife, Tammy Quinn, at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for the film (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician Hawksley Workman, who sings in the film, on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician Hawksley Workman, who sings in the film, on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Noah Reid on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Noah Reid on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Walter Gretzky, father of hockey icon Wayne, on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Walter Gretzky, father of hockey icon Wayne, on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Walter Gretzky, father of hockey icon Wayne, on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: TIFF co-director Cameron Bailey walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Stephen McHattie walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Stephen McHattie walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor John Pyper-Ferguson walks the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician John McDermott, who sings the national anthem in Score: The Hockey Musical, walks the red carpet at the film’s press gala at Roy Thomson Hall (Image: Karon Liu)

: Cast members from Battle of the Blades pose with sportscaster Ron MacLean on the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Actor Marc Jordan with his family walk the red carpet at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Walter Gretzky, actresses Olivia Newton-John and Allie MacDonald, and lead actor Noah Reid at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical. Wayne Gretzky’s pop has a cameo in the musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Walter Gretzky, actresses Olivia Newton-John and Allie MacDonald, and lead actor Noah Reid at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical. Wayne Gretzky’s pop has a cameo in the musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician Nelly Furtado, who sings in the film, attends the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musician Nelly Furtado, who sings in the film, attends the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Musicians John McDermott and Nelly Furtado, along with director Michael McGowan and others, at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore gives a speech at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: Director Michael McGowan gives a speech at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

: TIFF co-director Piers Handling at the press gala at Roy Thomson Hall for Score: A Hockey Musical (Image: Karon Liu)

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 10, 2010 | 12:23 pm

2 Comments

Surprise musical guest at Bell Lightbox block party revealed

Nelly Furtado at the premiere of Score last night (Image: Stefania Yarhi)

We hear that the surprise musical guest at Sunday’s TIFF Lightbox free block party is Score: A Hockey Musical puck bunny Nelly Furtado. The concert will begin at 3 p.m., with an introduction by George Stroumboulopoulos. Karkwa, The Sadies, Radio Radio and Fefe Dobson will also perform.

(UPDATE: Furtado will not be performing, K’Naan will instead.)

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