The Hot Docs film festival has come to a close, leaving documentary lovers full up on some of the best films that the genre has to offer. I was invited to a rooftop screening of the film Beauty Day – before there was Jackass, there was Cap’n Video and the lunacy of Ralph Zavadil. Read More
Photographer: Jessica Milan
‘Support something new’, urges Plaid Magazine‘s website. But you won’t have to try very hard to support this Toronto based online magazine because Plaid is invested, heart-deep, in style culture. Featuring local and international talent in fashion, art, photography, music, design and more, Plaid has an eye for not only trends but timeless investment pieces as well.
Toronto is beginning to feel like it’s under martial law as hundreds of police officers file into the city, helicopters fly overhead and secure barriers go up in the downtown core. The G20 Summit is transforming the city and the general consensus is that Torontonians aren’t happy about it. Read More
There are many smaller events and independent art shows going on around town this month that are worth closer inspection.
Chef Lynn Crawford
It seems Toronto is not immune the cult of the TV Chef and that’s only been reinforced by the spectacular attention paid to Lynn Crawford’s recently opened place, Ruby Watch Co.
Amanda Seigfried as Chloe at Cafe Diplomatico
Even though it’s one of the largest television and film production centres in North America, Toronto rarely plays itself on the big screen and instead often plays a lower budget stand in for New York or Chicago. But the stylish new film, Chloe, from Canadian filmmaker Atom Agoyan attempts to change all that.
Daniel Barrow, Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry - Performed at Images Festival 2009
A sure sign spring has arrived in Toronto is the annual Images Festival which starts April 1st. The month long event showcases film, video, new media and installation artwork, as well as artist talks on contemporary media art. The festival is unique in the breath of work it features in diverse venues across the city – everything from independent theatres and artist-run/public/private galleries to community centres and the halls of academia.
The local beer brewing industry is getting more competitive which can only mean one thing: better beer for all! First Steam Whistle and Mill Street, and now the new kid on the block – Duggan’s Brewery.
It’s the off-season for Toronto’s major film festivals, however, three of our biggest are still holding special screenings around town to keep the locals happy.
The annual Toronto International Film Festival starts in early September. This year there are some great Canadian films I look forward to seeing. I am a big fan of Peter Mettler’s work and I look forward his latest documentary “Petropolis.” It’s about the dangerous environmental impact of extracting oil from the Alberta tar sands and is shot almost entirely from a helicopter. Read More
After a recent trip to Berlin, I realized Toronto has some of the best and most affordable vintage clothing in North America. You see this a lot on the city streets. Still hot are early 90s inspired parachute pants and 80s neon. Bungalow and Courage my Love in Kensington Market are always a good bet, as are I Miss You and Badlands on Ossington Avenue.
I hate to say this but people planning solely through Facebook continues, with no signs of slowing. So much of what’s going on is ONLY on Facebook so it’s apparent some resisters are feeling pressure from their fellow Torontonians to get in there.
But for what’s happening locally with food, art, music, fashion and nightlife blogTO is better. It’s mostly user generated content so it is constantly refreshed.
Toronto artists and vintage retailers are using Etsy a lot more to get their goods to the world, especially compared to past favorites ebay and Craigslist. Read More
Blame it on the shitty weather, but most Torontonians are still a little obsessed with the Canadian Food Network. We watch the usual imports from the US network, but equally popular are local shows like French Food at Home, Chuck’s Day Off and Glutton for Punishment.
Everybody’s mad for Mad Men. Thank god season 3 has started. It’s hard knowing what’s more popular: the storylines or the mid-century furnishings!! The new season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada is also big as we like our homegrown version of the US show.
The growing trend in Toronto’s restaurant industry are top chef’s who open smaller, community based, more affordable restaurants, bars and cafés. Chef Jamie Kennedy was the first when he opened Gilead Café earlier this year. Gilead is hidden down a small alleyway in a still rough, but slowly gentrifying, Toronto neighborhood, Corktown. Way cheaper than Kennedy’s successful ‘Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar’. Read More
