American Film Institute Party At Club W

Monday, September 10---------Toronto, like any major film festival on the circuit, is as much about the parties as it is the films. Parties are, after all, the place to meet up and schmooze, seen and be seen, and, one might argue, are the perks after a day of slogging between screening rooms. While it is physically impossible to attend every event  (or even get an invitation to them all), I try and do my share. 

   The US distributors give some of this town's most stellar soirees, with outstanding bashes this past weekend by Fox Searchlight and Sony Pictures Classics among the biggest and most difficult to get into. Sony Pictures Classics was celebrating eight films in Toronto, including PERSEPOLIS, THE BAND'S VISIT, JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB, THE COUNTERFEITERS, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT, SLEUTH, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER and JIMMY CARTER, MAN FROM PLAINS.  Focus Features was in a party mood, celebrating the win of its film LUST, CAUTION at the Venice Film Festival. The Weinstein Company was also feeling giddy after the positive response to the premiere of its film CONTROL. Miramax also joined the soiree circuit, with a dinner to celebrate NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, the Coen Brothers' latest, with cast members Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin,Kelly Macdonald, and Woody Harrelson in the spotlight. 

   On Saturday evening, the American Film Institute hosted a "do" at Club W, to promote the upcoming AFI Los Angeles Film Festival, as well as the AFI/Discovery Silverdocs Festival, devoted to documentary film, and the newest kid on the block, the AFI Dallas Film Festival, which will reprise for its second stanza in "the Big D" in late March 2008.  Sunday saw the annual crowded bash by the European Film Promotion organization, toasting the dozens of European titles in all sections of the Festival. The event, traditionally held at Bistro 99, brought out distributors, programmers and filmmakers. It is one of the friendliest and most buzzy events of the Festival. It was followed by a private party given by Film Finders/Without A Box dynamic duo Sydney Levine and Peter Belsito, to celebrate their 19th wedding anniverary. 

   Tonight's busy party circuit calendar includes bashes by the International Film Festival Summit, the Caribbean International Film Festival, the Sarasota Film Festival and the Gen Art Film Festival (and those are only the ones I know about). Toronto continues to party hearty into its final week.