Oscar buzz, vodka and stalking advice doled out at the Hazelton Hotel

Oscar buzz, vodka and stalking advice doled out at the Hazelton Hotel

To be Blunt: early rumblings suggest Young Victoria could be Emily Blunt's big break (Photo by chloe004)

With two weeks left until the opening gala of the Toronto International Film Festival, reporters gathered at the Hazelton Hotel to get a rundown on the buzziest films (Precious), parties (One X One), possible Oscar contenders (Mo’Nique, the woman from Soul Plane) and TIFF-inspired cocktails (Skyy vodka for all).

CTV film critic Richard Crouse said the Oprah-backed film Precious could mean a possible Oscar nomination for Mo’Nique, while co-star Mariah Carey can finally shake off the tarnished glitter from, well, Glitter. Closing film Young Victoria also got a thumbs-up and was predicted to be Emily Blunt’s big break. But the most intriguing film tidbit (and a brilliant marketing move to boot) was that everyone who went to the pre-screening of Heath Ledger’s last film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, had to sign a waiver that forbid them from talking about it.

We were also given a celebrity-stalking cheat sheet listing some of the parties celebrities are expected to attend:

September 10
Party: Year of the Carnivore
Venue: Rolly’s Garage
Who: Performances by Buck 65 and Sook Yin Lee

September 11
Party: Windsor Arms 10th anniversary celebration in support of Artists for Peace and Justice
Venue: Windsor Arms Hotel
Who: Paul Haggis, Olivia Wilde

Party: The Trotsky premiere
Venue: Pravda Vodka Bar
Who: Jay Baruchel, Colm Feore, Jessica Pare

September 12
Party: Hello! Magazine
Venue: Birks
Who (invited but not confirmed): Ryan Lochte, Mary Louise Parker, Jane McLean, Michael Douglas, Woody Harrelson

Party: One X One concert
Venue: Koolhaus
Who: Performance by Mary J. Blige

September 13
Party: Norman Jewison’s annual Canadian Film Centre barbecue
Venue: Canadian Film Centre
Who: Canadians

Party: Cairo Time premiere
Venue: Spice Route
Who: Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig

Party: Good Hair premiere
Venue: One King West Grand Banking Hall
Who: Chris Rock

September 14
Party: Mother and Child pre-screen and cocktail party
Venue: Fairmont Royal York
Who: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Samuel L. Jackson

September 15
Party: InStyle Magazine party
Venue: Windsor Arms Hotel
Who (invited but not confirmed): Naomi Watts, Keanu Reeves, Michael Cera

Party: Cinema Against AIDS Toronto benefit for Amfar
Venue: The Carlu
Who: Performance by Sarah McLachlan, dinner prepared by Jamie Kennedy

September 16
Party: Cooking With Stella premiere
Venue: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen
Who: Lisa Ray, Don McKellar, Deepa Mehta, Dilip Mehta