Toronto prepares to put on its party shoes
Many new venues prepped to toast talent before and after their big nights
The shift in the TIFF party universe that is sending the opening-night bash to Maple Leaf Square is part of an everchanging social scene that brackets the 11 days of the Toronto International Film Festival.
What was hot last year may have cooled and new locations are luring stars and industry insiders. But one thing never changes, laughs Barbara Hershenhorn, president of Party Barbara Co. and organizer of the hot-ticket opening bash, among other events. “Can the Toronto restaurants and bars and LCBO keep enough Champagne in stock? Will it dry up before TIFF is over?”
Hershenhorn says moving the post-opening-gala party away from the Liberty Grand at Exhibition Place, where it has been since 2001, will make it an easier destination for festival partiers to reach. The bash has a guest list that tops 3,000.
But that’s just one party. And with more than 300 movies on TIFF’s slate, including 20 galas, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate movie premieres and fete stars and filmmakers with before- or after-parties.
The always-evolving hospitality scene in Toronto, Hershenhorn says, means there are new players as well as returning favourites to host parties and dinners for the luminaries and those lucky enough to be “on the list.”
The Sept. 6 pre-gala opening-night cocktail party, also organized by Hershenhorn’s company, will be at the Ritz-Carlton on Wellington St. W.
Among the other locations Hershenhorn says are on the party radar this year are the new Soho House at 192 Adelaide St. W., Michael’s on Simcoe St., The Shore Club on Wellington St., the newly relaunched Arcadian Court in the Simpson Tower at The Bay on Bay St., Brassaii Restaurant and Lounge on King St. W., the Spoke Club just down the street from it, and Malaparte, the event space on the sixth floor at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Charles Khabouth’s INK Entertainment, whose Cube on Queen St. W. (formerly Ultra) will be a popular entertainment spot for TIFF, just announced new openings to make the most of the festival’s party mood. Storys is a new event space on Duncan St. that will host private events prior to its October opening, as well as Patria, a Spanish tapas restaurant at 480 King St. W. in the same building as Weslodge, the modern-day saloon Khabouth recently opened with restaurateur Hanif Harji. It’s also destined to be a hot TIFF spot.
Bloor St. W. bistro La Société will also be a major party destination, said Karen Gruson of INK — “more for private parties and dinners, a lot of functions for TIFF.”
And while the new Four Seasons at 60 Yorkville Ave. may not be ready yet for guests, it is up for a party, says Hershenhorn. It will be used for Hollywood columnist George Christy’s annual star-studded luncheon. Meanwhile, the brand new Shangri-La Hotel on University Ave. will host the Asian Film Summit.
Lauren Rivietz of Canadian publicist Natasha Koifman’s shop NKPR says parties at private residences are also big this year, including Paul Haggis’s Artists for Peace and Justice brunch where the Canadian director will host A-listers and a surprise guest performer at a Rosedale home.
Ann Layton, president of Siren Communications, says beach party entertainment purveyors Nikki Beach will make the vibe St. Tropez for the Sept. 6-11 private party cycle on the rooftop patio of The Spoke Club on King St. W. The action will start at noon and go until the wee hours.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” said Layton, adding the company is “shipping everything from St. Tropez, including the bartender, deejay, the waiters and doorman.”
Siren is also helping organize the postgala screening party for Canadian director Ruba Nadda’s Inescapable at Blowfish on Bay on Sept. 11 with the chic Gansevoort Hotel Group, to be called “Inescapable Gansevoort.”
Don’t count Yorkville out now that TIFF action has moved to the area around the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The glassed-in jewel box-like Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor St. W. will remain a popular party spot. So will the rooftop bar at the Park Hyatt Hotel and One at the Hazelton Hotel. And of course, the hot ticket for stargazers remains the In Style magazine party at the Windsor Arms Hotel.
“There are a lot of smaller parties this year and that trend started several years ago,” added Hershenhorn. “Those are the parties people are dying to get into. It’s a tougher ticket.”
She said private dinners will be going on “everywhere at the tried and true restaurants that aren’t downtown, like Sotto Sotto, Opus, Note Bene, Lotus. Buca will be jammed. So will Scarpetta (at Thompson Toronto).”
Heading west, the Drake Hotel is never short of TIFF action, said Hershenhorn.
As for the au courant look for parties, the trends for TIFF 2012 are mirroring fashion trends, said Hershenhorn. So look for “embellishments” like crystals, ribbon and foil treatments. Brights are out; jewel and earth tones such as plum, burgundy, deep green and, of course, black and white, are in.
And in keeping with the times, green is where it’s at with e-vites and the end of plastic: think recycling. Everything but party ideas, that is.
Don’t count Yorkville out now that the festival action has moved farther downtown