Toronto International Film Festival 2016 - Day 0, 1 and 2 of my TIFF16

Day 0 of TIFF started for me a tad slow. I missed pretty much every connection getting out of Hamilton that I could. This caused me to not get out to Toronto till after 2 PM.

The first autographs I managed to get would be from  Chris Pratt.  This was the 2nd time that I had got the Guardians Of The Galaxy star at TIFF. A few years ago he came to promote Moneyball. Back then he was one of the nicest celebs around. Times have changed, and now the Mr.Pratt we were welcomed to this year was more at the level of “tolerant” of meeting with people. His body language was nothing short of “I’d rather not be doing this” and his actions of not once, but twice throwing someones pen on the ground when he was done signing suggested he wasn’t too concerned with leaving people there with a very good impression. I managed a couple autographs from him, but I was legitimately disappointed to see one of the few “nice guys” turn so anti-social.

A bit later came a disappointment for me of a different type. Asian star Zhang Ziyi came thru. I was not prepared for her coming thru, as I had her film premiere scheduled for much later in the festival. Turns out shes also a judge at this years fest, thus why she was in so early. I had to just stand back and watch with disappointment as she willingly signed for everyone that had stuff for her after she got her toddler safely into the transportation vehicle.

After that came Luke Grimes. He came in while I was gone for a couple minutes checking on something. Shortly after that came Greys Anatomy star Sandra Oh who I managed to get and asked her how she was doing which she replied with a gripe about how hot it was in Toronto. She wasn’t wrong. It was an unwelcoming 35C at the time.

The Flash guest star Robbie Amell came thru. I had nothing for him so I watched as others got photos with and autographs. Shortly after that I managed to notice Michael Smiley from Luther come thru and no one else knew who it was…. So I grabbed my photo went and got him and that was the end of my day 0 TIFF.

A Zhang Ziyi
B+ Robbie Amell
B+ Michael Smiley
C+ Chris Pratt
C- Sandra Oh

Total autographs for day 0 – 4

Day 1 of TIFF started with me making a quick trip out to the airport to check on some early arrivals. I didn’t spend a lot of time there, but enough time to fluke into a Dakota Fanning and a Parker Posey autograph. Neither of whom came across as terribly happy to be seen by fans. Also saw a former media sensation as Amanda Knox came into town for her film.

After that I used the UP train to get downtown quickly and stand in the mosh pit that is the TIFF press conferences thanks to the imbeciles in the mainstream media who troll for click views on their site by posting the entire list of press conferences to the generally unknowing public. What used to attract 5-20 people in the jknow now never has less than 100 people at it, and has devolved into a panicked frenzy. I know some in the TIFF security team want to blame that on autograph hounds... but point the finger at the REAL culprits, the media. THEY are the ones telling 100s of people where it is & when.... not us.

The press conference for The Magnificent Seven started late. That’s pathetic considering it was their 1st event of the day, hell of the Fest. On the way into the presser, despite being late, Haley Bennett signed for some people and I managed to get one there. I missed Peter Sarsgaard unfortunately, who was my top want of this premiere, and the fest. They were the only ones to sign before the presser. After the presser I managed to get Chris Pratt AND Peter Sarsgaard FINALLY on my season 3 cast signed The Killing promo. Biggest disappointment was of course NOT getting Denzel Washington whom last year refused to sign autographs, thus wasting my front row spot for him then. Sure enough he signed this year though, and I had a decent spot for him, but he stopped signing 3 people before he got to me. Why couldn’t he have done that last time instead?

Shortly after that, at the back of Princess Of Wales I managed to get Bennett again, along with Ethan Hawke. Chris Pratt Also came over, but stopped signing after 1 or 2 signatures because of someone pushing from behind. Its rare where I hear that statement come from someone and its legitimate…but in this case, it was and the celeb punished everyone else for it. Vincent D’Onofrio also came over but he signed at one end while Hawke signed at my end.

I then made it over to Elgin for Message From The King with Chadwick Boseman and Teresa Palmer. Luckily they had a Q&A that took a while. It gave me a chance to get there and snag 1 from each of them. After that,I had a quick Chipotle break…. Then I headed over to Ryerson to be disappointed at the Midnight Madness crowds.

Midnight Madness premiere for Free Fire was much much worse than you might expect for a Midnight film. With a cast that included Enzo Cilente and Noah Taylor from Game Of Thrones, as well as Michael Smiley from Luther, along with Armie Hammer, Sam Riley and Sharlto Copley, there was a lot of decent enough names for cagey veterans of a TIFF to be inspired for. UNFORTUNATELY the film also dragged in the buzz name of 2015/16 Brie Larson, so instead of having 30 or so people at the midnight screening of this film, it had about 150 and 27 spots for press. OF COURSE, Larson, a notorious non-signer didn’t do anything for the fans, snubbing all requests including a piece of paper from a younger girl. What her unneeded appearance DID do was made it difficult for those smart enough to know the rest of the cast to get to that cast as the 100 or so people that came thinking they would get Brie clogged up space for the others as well as got “selfies” with people they had never heard of till that minute. Despite Brie trying to ruin the hopes of the knowledgeable fans who wanted to get the other cast, I still managed to get everyone that came, and even managed a couple from some of them. But it was far far far more effort than it really should have been.

A+ Enzo Cilente
A+ Michael Smiley
A Sam Riley
A Noah Taylor
A-  Haley Bennett
B+ Chris Pratt
B+ Chadwick Boseman
B+ Sharlto Copley
B+ Teresa Palmer
B Ethan Hawke
B  Peter Sarsgaard
C+ Armie Hammer
C- Denzel Washington
D+ Vincent D'Onofrio
D  Byeong Lee
F  Brie Larson

Total autographs for Day 1 – 18
Total for TIFF so far - 22

Day  2 started with me missing the arrivals for Carrie Pilby premiere at Ryerson.

I waited around for the departures, I managed William Mosely and a scribble that’s supposed to be Vanessa Bayer. However Bel Powley sped by & signed for few people leaving, I missed her because I patiently waited for Vanessa who was busy spending far too much time taking selfies.... especially considering how shitty her autograph is.

I then waited around for the premiere of Catfight with Sandra Oh and Anne Heche. I was honestly hoping moreso that another co-star Alicia Silverstone would make an appearance.

Unfortunately, the only people to show up where Sandra, who came over to the fans BRIEFLY to do a couple selfies before going to do media, and Anne who showed up so late that (20 mins after the movie started) she didnt even stop to do anything with anyone, and I am not even sure if she did any media. Needless to say, up till this point, this is the WORST cast of TIFF.

The Catfight premiere ruined my plans for other premieres. So I moved on to 1 of my top targets at The Birth Of A Nation, Jackie Earle Haley.  Unfortunately I was the victim of "new changes" that TIFF had made at many venues this year. Elgin changes saw the side that we used to wait for everyone at now become the further away side, and the other side now be the closer side. Unfortunately, this was info I would get too late as the stars of the film arrived & constantly went to the "other" side, and didnt come over to the side I was on, despite acknowledging me & the others first. I had to sit by and watch as Gabrielle Union, Nate Parker, Mark Boone Jr, and others all went and signed for the other side and refused to walk the 40 ft over to our side.

I headed back to Ryerson for the 3rd time of the day hoping for SOME type of success there. Colossal with Tim Blake Nelson, Jason Sudekis and Anne Hathaway was there. Of course the majority of people were only there for Anne. I was more excited for TBN after his role on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Sure enough Tim was 1st to show up & I got him on my UKS photo and told him I loved his role on there which he thanked me for and then said "what is that from?". You know youve worked a lot when you cant remember something you filmed 2 or 3 years ago. I then got Sudekis and headed towards the mosh pit of people trying to get Hathaway. I quickly decided my chances of getting her were slim & focused instead on getting my other TBN done, and didnt even try getting her. She signed quite a bit, but I found the insanity for her wasnt worth the effort.

After that I went back to Elgin to get the Birth cast leaving. I managed to FINALLY get someone from there as I nabbed Jackie Earle Haley and Colman Domingo.

I ended the night going to the Midnight Madness premiere of Headshot. I got there in time to see Iko Uwais from Star Wars The Force Awakens on the carpet already, and got him to sign my photos within 3 minutes of getting there and then went home.

A Jackie Earle Haley
A Tim Blake Nelson
A Iko Uwais
A- Jason Sudekis
B+ Peneleope Ann Miller
B+ Colman Domingo
B+ William Mosely
B- Anne Hathaway
C Vanessa Bayer
C- Gabrielle Union
C- Nate Parker
C- Mark Boone Jr.
D Bel Powley
F Sandra Oh
F Anne Heche

Total autographs - 12
TOTAL for TIFF 2016 - 34