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TIFF’s hot spots

I think my stand out star spotting moment of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival may have come and gone already.

It happened last week at an early screening of Hyde Park on Hudson at the Lightbox. As a lobby full of film critics waited for the theatre doors to open and the anti-piracy officers to take their places watching over us from the aisles, Canada’s most notorious press man Conrad Black appeared out of the elevator and began his walk up the ramp that leads to cinemas one, two and three.

His approach seemed to happen in slow motion and by the time the Franklin Delano Roosevelt biographer arrived at the sign-in desk to put down his name for the screening, so many journalist jaws in the room had dropped that you would have thought the ghost of FDR himself had arrived to critique Bill Murray’s portrayal of America’s 32 president in the film.

He hadn’t of course. It was just Conrad Black but the overreaction did signal that it is, once again, scene season in Toronto.

So what hotel should you stake out, restaurant should you crash, nightclub back door should you loiter around to watch others fawn over celebrities or snap a photo of a favourite screen star of your own? Here are some of tips:

Celebrity inn: Shangri-La

There’s no doubt the stars will still stay at A-lister friendly staples like The Hazelton Hotel and the Soho Met but there’s no denying that the new Shangri-La is stealing all the boldface buzz this year. Rumour has it the entire entertainer lineup for Sunday’s Fashion Cares gala (including Elton John, Janelle Monae and The Scissor Sisters) are calling it their home away from home this weekend.

Star clubbing: Soho House

You won’t find a single glow stick or LED-lit cocktail tray in the city’s newest club and that’s why you’ll likely find a heavy star turnout at Soho House instead. If we had to guess who’s on the weekend guest list, we’d say Helen Hunt, Gemma Arterton, Ewan McGregor and (brace yourself Downton devotees) maybe even Maggie Smith.

Festival Central

Soho House’s 2012 TIFF space on Duncan has been taken over by AMC and Virgin Mobile to host an abundance of bashes this festival. On Friday night, watch for Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell celebrating What Maise Knew. Close proximity to Roy Thomson Hall’s gala red carpet will keep this spot busy all weekend.

House party: Vitamin Water venue

Vitamin Water and its brother bevvy Smart Water have hosted some of TIFF’s more memorable parties from the Men Who Stare At Goats bash with George Clooney and a petting pen of real goats on the Bridle Path in 2009 to last year’s extra private dinner for Moneyball’s Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill at the Burroughes Building. They’re keeping the location of 2012’s party house under wraps for now but we hear Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Nina Dobrev and Kate Walsh will be warming it this weekend.

For more TIFF sightings, watch this space or follow us on Twitter @NOWLifeStyle.

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