More than 100 actors, directors and other film industry VIPs will be walking through the doors of the Tastemakers Lounge in the Intercontinental Hotel during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival to have their pick of carefully selected gifts.
“The criteria when choosing the items is to look for something guests will get excited about,” says Leesa Butler, vice-president of operations, perched under a gigantic mobile of white paper doves created by Croma Design. “This is a Canadian event, so we wanted to showcase Canadian talents … it’s gift-giving with a conscience.”
Peace, Love and Film is the lounge’s theme this year, and with that in mind, they’ll be making a donation to War Child, a charity that helps educate and support children in war-torn countries.
Photojournalist Rosie Levine will also be in the lounge, hoping to add to her collection of 140 images of celebrities waving the peace sign for her upcoming book, Celebrity Encounter of the Peace-ful Kind. All profits will go directly to War Child.
“The more people flash the peace sign, the more positive vibes are sent out there,” says Levine, while clicking through her images of Justin Timberlake, Katie Couric and Dakota Fanning on a laptop. “This year, more than ever, it’s about giving back.”
What’s in the bag?
If VIPs take one of each item, the grand total of loot would be more than $600.
1. DVD box sets of Mad Men, Season 2, and Breaking Bad, Season 1, AMC, www.amctv.com.
2. Reusable bag, Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB), www.bringyourownbag.ca.
3. Five D&G Fragrances, www.dandgfragrances.com.
4. Ceramic popcorn bowl sets and personal water filter bottles, PC Home, home.pc.ca.
5. Sexy Spices and Sexy Sweets Pretzel Nuggitz, Sexy Gourmet Food Company, www.sexygourmetfood.com.
6. $25 off dinner at Didier, www.restaurantdidier.com.
7. On-site hair-styling by Chiggy’s Touch using Rowenta Beauty hair tools, www.chiggysonline.com and www.rowentabeauty.ca.
8. Lounge guests will be invited to test-drive makeup by Joe Fresh Beauty with on-site makeup artist Simone Otis. Her favourite? The matte lipsticks! Joe Fresh Beauty, www.joe.ca/en/beauty.
9. All the factories used to make Guats active lifestyle clothing line, from fabric weaving to garment assembly, are within a five-minute drive of each other in Toronto, www.guats.com.
10. With the resurgence of games nights, Mattel’s Apples to Apples, Pictionary Man and Blokus card and board games are right on trend, www.mattelgameon.ca.
