TIFF 2018: An Exclusive Inside look at Day 3 of VIP afterparties, awards dinners and events — and Olivia Munn breaking her silence!

Day three of TIFF down, theres still more from where that came from!

For drivers, the city was quite honestly at a NYC gridlock type situation — particularly in the TIFF surrounding area, especially Adelaide St. People were literally hoping out of Ubers in the middle of the road because it was faster to walk then to drive. The street closures definitely don’t help either.

From Vanity Fair Cocktails, to the APJ festival gala, Spotlight awards dinner, Variety widows cocktail party, the famed InStyle Foreign Press Party and numerous premiere parties all across the city — there was a tone of overlap. When TIFF trailblazer, Natasha Koifman, of NKPR, said in a recent interview with our editor-in-chief, “you really have to pick the events you really want to be and focus on those, because you really can’t be everywhere,” she wasn’t kidding. The challenge is, how do you choose? I mean they all sound amazing, right?

When they say that TIFF season is like bee hive, it’s true. Theres a TIFF buzz and it’s so invigorating — and the crowds out on the street yesterday were crazy AF. But it’s all worth it!

But guess what, last night we had the privilege of an exclusive inside view of the full 2018 Spotlight Awards Dinner hosted by The Creative Coalition at the House of Aurora. Lets just say things got really DEEP. Mandy Patinkin set the stage with quite the moving words, and the gorgeous Olivia Munn opened up and broke her silence with a moving and emotional speech following the controversy she stirred around her new film Predator that just premiered at TIFF. Read on below for the full breakdown down of the night.

The Front Runner afterparty, at Soho House Toronto

Last night, Grey Goose vodka and Soho House Toronto celebrated the international premiere of The Front Runner, a biopic about the downfall of US Senator Gary Hart’s 1988 presidential campaign.

Director Jason Reitman was joined at the afterparty by his ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Kaitlyn Dever, Steve Zissis, Mark O’Brien, Chris Coy, Sara Paxton, Ari Graynor, Tommy Dewey, Molly Ephraim, Bill Burr, Josh Brener and TIFF ’17 Rising Star, Mamoudou Athie. Also in attendance were writers, Matt Bai, Jay Carson and producer, Helen Estabrook. Hugh Jackman arrived shortly after the party kicked off, and was spotted mingling with guests and posing for a number of photos before departing. Him and the rest of the cast were spotted having a great time, gathered together in the library celebrating and toasting a successful premiere screening.

Party guests enjoyed a selection of cinema-inspired Grey Goose cocktails including the ‘Magic Hour’, a fresh and playful sip made with Grey Goose L’Orange flavoured vodka, vanilla syrup, fresh orange juice and unsweetened coconut milk. Guests also enjoyed other cocktails including the Grey Goose Le Fizz, Box Office, Le Premier and The Sequel.

Unbroken: The Snowboard Life of Mark McMorris RBCxMusic afterparty, at RBC House with Diageo.

Last Night RBC House played host to the party for Unbroken: The Snowboard Life of Mark McMorris with star and RBC Olympian Mark McMorris. Also on hand to celebrate the decorated Canadian athlete was his parents Don and Cindy, brother Craig, fellow Olympians Adam van Koeverden and Rosie MacLennan. As well as Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Mitch Marner and actors Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung.

DJ Skratch Bastid made sure to play all of Mark’s favourite songs including Drake, Ja Rule and The Notorious B.I.G. Guests did not leave the dance floor but they did pause for moments to take selfies with Mark who was the most gracious host. Also on the dance floor, were Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung who had an epic dance off. As for the Olympians in attendance, they were so proud to support Mark. Their excitement was truly contagious.

Everybody Knows premiere afterparty, at RBC House with Diageo

Last night RBC House also hosted the premiere party of Everybody Knows, starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem. The stars along with director Asghar Farhadi spent the evening tucked in their corner booth catching up over latin inspired tequila based cocktails. While listening to live Spanish music, transporting the entire party to the set of the film — the perfect Latin vibes to set the mood.

There also definitely was a notable outpour of press paparazzi and fans waiting just outside to try and catch a glimpse of Penelope on her way out.

Farming premiere afterparty, at RBC House with Diageo

Later in the evening, the cast of Farming, starring Kate Beckinsale and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje celebrated inside RBC House with an energetic and excited crowd. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and his band, whose songs are featured on the film’s soundtrack, performed for the crowd and everyone rushed to the dance floor and spent the rest of the evening singing and dancing.

The vibe in the room was quite magical.

Ben is Back premiere afterparty, at The Chase rooftop hosted by Nespresso and Audi

Last night Nespresso and Audi hosted the Ben is Back premiere afterparty at The Chase Rooftop, with cast members Kathryn Newton, Courtney B. Vance and director Peter Hedges all in attendance.

Fairmont Loves Film Exhibition Exclusive Launch, at the Fairmont Royal York

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts hosted Fairmont Loves Film Ambassador Gia Coppola, Director Cuba Tornado Scott, and Artistic Director & Co-Head of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Cameron Bailey at the official world premiere of the Fairmont Loves Film exhibition yesterday evening at the Fairmont Royal York. The VIP event which provided guests with an exclusive sneak peek of the Fairmont Loves Film event series – which consists of pop-up events, multi-media retrospectives, cinema-inspired experiences, and more.

In addition to viewing the exhibit prior to public opening and before it embarks upon a global tour to London and Shanghai, guests also got to enjoy cocktails in the limited time only Gatsby-inspired speakeasy pop-up bar at in the space formerly known as York Station at the Fairmont Royal York during TIFF.

The event also featured the global premiere screening of Cuba Tornado Scott’s short film inspired by Fairmont’s history with film-making, titled 9 1/2 Years.

The Fairmont Loves Film exhibition at Fairmont Royal York is open to the public through September 15th. Film lovers can celebrate the brand’s storied history with cinema, as Fairmont Hotels has served as the backdrop to many iconic movies, such as The Great Gatsby (1971 and 2013), Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Sleepless in Seattle, and many more.

Other notable attendees were: Christina Hendricks, Barbara Somerville, Chris Soos, Rhea Scott, Jake Scott, Christina Hendricks, and Rivington Starchild.

The Sisters Brothers post-screening party, at Patria hosted by Audi Canada and Diageo World Class

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars were spotted at ICONINK’s Patria on King St West last tonight to celebrate the North American premiere of The Sisters Brothers. Directed by Jacques Audiard, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly in this 1850s western based on the adaptation of Patrick deWitt’s award-winning novel about an infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers.

After a screening at the Princess of Wales Theatre, the cast including Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly, Riz Ahmed, Rebecca Root, Carol Kane and Creed Bratton and guests were seen enjoying Spanish tapas food, churros with dulce de leche and a signature Bulleit Bourbon cocktail.

Celebrating the Visionaries of Indie Films, at Mongrel House

A-listers and industry insiders enjoyed live music from Clara Venice and St. Lucia. Maggie Gyllenhaal enjoyed the secret garden and Martha Wainwright’s performance took guests away to a different time and place. Billy Zane was amused by party goers singing Shania Twain in the live Karaoke room while Jesse Williams charmed guests in the speakeasy bar.

Notable guests included: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jesse Williams, Martha Wainwright, Xavier de Guzman, London Brown, Billy Zane, Makita Samba, Ross Clark, Nick Paul, Jean Philip Grobler, Patti Beranek, Dustin Kaufman, the band “St. Lucia,” eTalk’s Lainey Lui and Danielle Graham, Kate Drummond, Clara Venice, and Miss Universe Canada, Camilla Gonzalez.

Wild Rose premiere afterparty, at House of Aurora hosted by eOne

House of Aurora hosted eOne’s premiere afterparty for their movie, Wild Rose, last night. The party featured a live acoustic performance by Jessie Buckley. Cast of the film Jessie Buckley, Julie Walter and Sophie Okonedo, along with actors Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson came out to show support as well.

Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen are the poster children for Couples Goals. The duo attended the premiere and party for the film because Steenburgen, who’s said she began writing songs in her 50s, wrote a song for the film.

The screening ran late and the couple arrived at 12:15am – and it’s arguable who had the better suit. Following photos on the red carpet they were taken to a table and Danson bee-lined for the bar. After walking away empty-handed a minute later he told someone he was hoping they had tequila because “Mary and I rarely drink, but when we do we want it to be worth it.” They ended up going with two of the evening’s signature cocktails, a TNT: Tanqueray No TEN, Tonic and Lime and after Ted asked, “What goes well with vodka?” and ordered a Celebrate with Ciroc: Ciroc Ultra Premium, Lemonade and Ginger.

The pair stayed close on the couch chatting with friends until Jessie Buckley’s performance at 12:45am when they stood up and watched from there seats – Ted affectionately massaging Mary’s shoulders as Mary proudly watched the performance with a perma-grin. Near the end of Jessie’s 8-song set the couple made their way through the crowd for a closer view. When the set ended around 1:15am Ted went back to the bar and they stayed and mingled. Few couples glow like these two who looked and acted newly in love – although they’ve been married 23 years – and radiated a warm, happy energy. In real life, Ted Danson is definitely in “The Good Place.”

2018 Spotlight Awards Dinner, at House of Aurora hosted by The Creative Coalition

Last night, the Creative Coalition honoured Maura Tierney, Olivia Munn, Dan Fogelman, and Mandy Patinkin during their 2018 Spotlight Awards Dinner at the House of Aurora on Bay St.

Mandy Patinkin got the evening off to an amazing start with a passionate acceptance speech about how his life went from wanting to be famous to wanting to give back, now a main focal point of his life, after being presented with a Spotlight Initiative Award. The 90 plus guests gave Patinkin a standing ovation!

The dinner honoured Munn along with Mandy Patinkin (Life Itself, “Homeland”) and Dan Fogelman (Life Itself, “This Is Us”).

Jason Isaacs (Hotel Mumbai, “Star Trek: Discovery”) hosted the evening along with presenters Pablo Schreiber (First Man, “American Gods”), Lawrence O’Donnell, host of The Last Word on MSNBC, and Robin Bonk, CEO of the Creative Coalition.

Olivia Munn broke her silence with a moving and emotional speech following the controversy she stirred around her new film Predator that just premiered at TIFF. During her 12- minute speech, Munn addressed the controversy, taking aim at the director, the cast and Hollywood for not supporting her.

“That [story] came out on Thursday and the interesting thing is not one of my cast members reached out to me to say ‘are you OK?’ or ‘thanks’ or anything,” Munn told the audience.

“At the premiere that night I look over and the other five cast members are giving the director a standing ovation, but they didn’t even give me a call that day,” she continued. “I keep pushing forward and keep going knowing that at least you did the right thing, even if you’re not getting that support.”

She continued: “The only reason I’m talking about this publicly when usually I wouldn’t talk about something so personal is because today, in the middle of an interview, a cast member walked out and refused to do anymore interviews with me because they said questioning when they’re with Olivia is too draining for them.”

Holding back tears, Munn added: “I’m trying not to cry. I’m not crying because I’m sad, it’s a very frustrating feeling to be treated like you’re the one who went to jail for a crime against a child when all I did was the right thing.”

She also revealed she had had been asked to keep her mouth shut about the controversy, but refused. “This movie is premiering and it’s a big blockbuster movie and I’ve been told from the top down to shut up. But I didn’t do it,” she said. ‘I’m just trying to do what’s right and I think that’s more inspiring and I think helps the film if you want to go to the bottom line. It would help the film more, don’t you think? But, people don’t like to be uncomfortable. Unfortunately my job isn’t to make people feel comfortable, my job is to tell the truth, and I think that’s what we all do as actors.”

10th Artists for Peace and Justice Festival Gala, at the Windsor Arms Hotel presented by BOVET

Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon, Jackson Browne, Drew and Jonathan Scott, Yannick and Shantelle Bisson, Paul Beaubrun and more came together to celebrate a decade of supporting communities in Haiti by providing access to education.

An impressive 1.4 million dollars was raised at the tenth annual Artist for Peace and Justice (APJ) Festival Gala. Co-chaired by Natasha Koifman and Suzanne Boyd, the event was co-hosted by an influential team, including APJ board co-chairs Ben Stiller and Susan Sarandon, along with Jackson Browne, George Stroumboulopoulos, Yannick and Shantelle Bisson.

The event kicked off with a live-art “red” carpet led by acclaimed New York-based pop artist Peter Tunney. Inspired by the arrivals moment that the artist created at the inaugural event in the same location in 2009, Peter encouraged high-profile guests to dip their feet in blue paint to transform a canvas with a stencil that read “Grattitude.” The sentiment behind this piece celebrates the deep appreciation for those who have helped APJ flourish and the unwavering positive attitude they brought to support communities in Haiti over the past ten years. Those who dipped their feet include London Brown, Alan Cumming, Paul Beaubrun, Drew and Jonathan Scott, and Fefe Dobson.

Awards throughout the night included the Canadian Changemaker Award presented by Birks, given by Alan Cumming to Kate and David Daniels, who have demonstrated that social responsibility goes beyond the corporate boardroom and must extend into our personal lives. David Daniels accepted the award by highlighting that change was one part of the equation, “If the people in this room are changemakers, then the people on the ground are heroes.”

Previously given to individuals such as Sean Penn and Helen Mirren, the Peace and Justice Award, was presented by Ben Stiller and Susan Sarandon to Drew and Jonathan Scott.

Finally, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to prolific and iconic actor and activist Harry Belafonte, who over his lifetime has been committed to fighting injustice.

This Changes Everything world premiere party, at KOST rooftop hosted by Vanity Fair

Check back soon for details and photos.

The Hummingbird Project post-screening party, at Cactus Club hosted by Audi Canada

Last night Cactus Club Cafe hosted a private party in partnership with Audi and Ketel One Vodka for the world premiere of the film The Hummingbird Project. Written and directed by Academy Award-nominated, Montreal-born Kim Nguyen, the film stars Salma Hayek, Alexander Skarsgård, Jesse Eisenberg and Michael Mando in this thriller which sees two scheming cousins try to build a tunnel from Kansas to New Jersey in an effort to gain a one-millisecond edge on transactions at the New York Stock Exchange.

Academy Award-nominated director Kim Nguyen celebrated the premiere of The Hummingbird Project on the Cactus Club Cafe Rooftop Deck. He was joined by cast members Salma Hayek, Alexander Skarsgård, Jesse Eisenberg, Michael Mando and Erika Rosenbaum. Guests sipped custom cocktails by Ketel One Vodka and enjoyed fare from Chef Rob Feenie’s signature Cactus Club Cafe menu, including Baja Fish Tacos, signature Prawn Ravioli, mini-chicken lettuce wraps and mini-tuna stacks.

Salma Hayek was spotted at her VIP booth dancing with Director Kim Nguyen’s baby girl in her arms – notably the cutest moment from the night. While escorted to his VIP booth, Jesse Eisenberg asked staff to give the booth away so that he could mingle with guests — talk about being humble!

Alexander Skarsgård stayed well past the party’s end time, enjoying Cactus Club Cafe’s menu and the energetic atmosphere with friends.

InStyle Hollywood Foreign Press Party, at Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville

Easily TIFF’s most star-studded event, the party moved this year from the Windsor Arms to the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville. Check back soon for details and photos.

Widows cocktail party, at Momofuku hosted by Variety and AT&T

Variety and AT&T toasted “Widows” with stars Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Kaluuya, and Brian Tyree Henry last night, as well as director Steve McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn. More details and photos to follow.

Shatterbox Films party, at TIFF Bell Lightbox hosted by Refinery29 and TNT

Refinery29 and TNT toast Shatterbox directors, tunes by DJ Chippy Nonstop. Check back soon for details and photos.

Life Itself premiere afterparty, at Montecito hosted by Amazon

Check back soon for details and photos.