You can’t beat a big studio bash like Saturday night’s Vanity Fair party at the Thompson Hotel for boldface concentration (Carry Mulligan, Hilary Swank and Peter Fond, oh my!).
But on a sunny TIFF Sunday afternoon, nothing beats the Canadian Film Centre’s barbecue.
Launched in 1988, the annual reunion of film centre alumnae, homecoming Hollywood talent and Canadian industry players is one of the few remaining old-school film festival scene traditions, outlasting celebrity spotting outside Bistro 990 and acting surprised by stars smoking indoors.
While a style of speed partying (red carpet pose, a quick lap of the room glad handing sponsors, quick Towncar escape, repeat) dominates most festival fetes, the barbecue has always had a more easy-going vibe.
“At the 1989 picnic, I remember looking down the garden path and underneath the crabapple trees were Sean Penn and Helena Bonham Carter, having a little picnic and a lovely chat,” says the CFC’s Jacqueline Mackey. “It was a very relaxed and idyllic moment.”
Sunday’s event drew 1500 guests, including director Paul Haggis and actress Emily Hampshire, uptown to the centre’s Windfields Estate for Licks burgers and a performance by Tokyo Police Club. Founder Norman Jewison reminisced about the original CFC parties held on his farm and rejoiced that the rain had finally held out after a few years of drizzly Sundays.
We’ll have photos of this year’s barbecue in our StarWatch spread but since it’s the festival’s 35th anniversary and retrospectives are all the rage, the CFC collected some great archival shots of BBQs past for us. Click through them above.
