STAR GAZING

A night on the TIFF party circuit with a By Stephen Puddisterphotographer in tow.

CELL PHONE, TAXI CHITS, credit card and media passes in hand, I headed out for a star-studded night of events at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10.

First stop, Premiere Magazine’s exclusive lounge party for editors and media darlings at the W Studio. I meet Joico’s Kevyn Martell, the exclusive dispenser of hair care advice to the famous and not-so-famous.

From there we hail a cab to the red-carpet rush at Roy Thomson Hall for the gala screening of All the King’s Men. We try and get a shot of the gorgeous Kate Winslet, a smoking Sean Penn, a devilish Jude Law or the dashing Sir Anthony Hopkins. After hoisting the photographer in my arms over the heads of thousands of breathless, screaming fans in an attempt to get a decent shot, we quickly dash into Big Daddy’s restaurant, grab a bite and a pint and take stock of who we’ve photographed so far.

To round out the night, or more like the wee hours of the morning, we jump into another cab and head for the F*** Me I’m Famous! event at The Guvernment nightclub in the Koolhouse room. This was Parisian DJ star David Guetta’s first F*** Me I’m Famous! party here in Canada. According to many who attended it was as crazy and glamorous as the evenings Guetta and his wife Cathy organize each summer in Ibiza, Spain. Hip-hop singer Wyclef Jean made a late-night appearance and performed a couple of numbers for the high-energy partiers. Redken 5th Avenue NYC was one of the collaborators for the event, contributing lots of colour to the evening. S

Penélope Cruz

Giovanni Ribisi Mena Suvari

Melisa Gill Pedro Almodóvar and Donna-Lee Langton,

Wyclef Jean Jude Law Whitney Able