Tag: Ontario

Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2026. Five Essential Top Picks and The ScareScore Experiment! Do We Really Need It?

For those folks able to attend Toronto After Dark Film Festival, it’s time to power up those smartwatches!

Toronto After Dark Film FestivalToronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF) officially announced its lineup for its 19th year. And although Casey Walker’s films (Home Bodies and Ithaqua) are suspiciously missing from this year’s lineup, there’s no need to be concerned. His work will be playing somewhere as the cold chill strikes Canada. In this case, though, what will befall Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre (259 Richmond St W) and CineCycle (129 Spadina Ave)? The event takes place from October 14 to 18, 2026, and this year’s event is unique, which I will talk about later.

What has my attention this year are works that showcase what Austin Abrams can truly do rather than simply running around and doing nothing. The festival kicks off with the Canadian Premiere of Brian Duffield’s Whalefall. A tense and emotionally charged survival thriller starring Austin Abrams (Resident Evil) and Josh Brolin (Weapons), the film depicts the harrowing story of a scuba diver (Abrams) who finds himself swallowed whole by a sperm whale and trapped inside the animal’s stomach. With a dwindling supply of oxygen in his tank, the young man turns to the nautical and life lessons his father passed on to him in a desperate bid to survive. Jonah’s Whale this tale is not, and honestly, who doesn’t want to check this out?

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TVO & The Toronto Star to Livestream New Year’s Eve Celebrations!

The show’s spectacular opening number from the Princes’ Gates in Toronto, will have an extraordinary and diverse group of performers from legendary stars to new artists, who take us on an incredible journey making their way to a sensational stage which will feature a showstopping launch to the show, choreographed by Clarence Ford with Akeel Henry as Musical Director. 

New Year

FREE TO VIEW!

On New Year’s Eve, Thursday December 31st, 2020, at 10:30 pm ET, From Ontario With Love: A Celebration of Hope will showcase a powerful, heartfelt 90 minute special event on TVO and the TVO YouTube Channel, as well as Facebook livestream at  thestar.com. Featuring incredible performances, storytelling, and fireworks, with our cast and crew from Ontario. Witness some of Ontario’s greatest emerging stars and legendary talent including: Avril Lavigne, The Halluci Nation (Formerly known as A Tribe called Red), AllyDice, Barenaked Ladies, Broadways Chilina Kennedy, CZN, Divine Brown, Jully Black, Measha Brueggergosman, LOONY, Award winning DJ duo Loud Luxury, NOTIFI, Roy Woods, Ryhan Douglas, Sean Jones, Steele, The Tenors, Wali Shah and America’s Got Talent Finalist Roberta Battaglia with the Award winning Windsor Symphony Orchestra.

The celebration will also feature powerful Front Line Workers across Ontario. The evening will be hosted by Kim’s Convenience star Andrew Phung and Canadian television and radio personality Arisa Cox with award winning DJ duo Loud Luxury, live from Windsor’s Capitol Theatre, which will be celebrating its 100th birthday on New Years Eve.

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The Deets on Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. coming to Canada Nov 20th!

The Yorkdale Shopping Centre will host the multi-room exhibition and Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. retail store.

New YearPaquin Entertainment Group, Victory Hill Exhibitions and the Yorkdale Shopping Centre are proud to announce the CANADIAN PREMIERE of Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.: The Experience.

The award-winning immersive exhibition will thrill the City of Toronto for a limited engagement, running from Nov 20, 2020 until Jan 31, 2021.

Guests at Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., the Scientific Training And Tactical Intelligence Operative Network, journey through an advanced, multi-room training facility, where they receive unprecedented access to the most sensitive intelligence and cutting-edge science behind the Avengers. After completing their training, they become integral members of the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.

“The Avengers movies were game changers, and this exhibition will give everyone a chance to extend and personalize their experience with this iconic franchise” says Gilles Paquin, CEO of Paquin Entertainment Group. “With our 25,000 square foot venue, you will be able to safely explore the exhibit in a socially-distanced setting.”

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — Don’t Poké Park and Drive

pokemonBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

One of the many purposes of Pokémon Go is to get players out of the house, enjoy the weather and make new friends. The release of this game could not be any better. It arrived in the dog days of summer and for the most part, fans of this game have come out of their shelters to enjoy this product. One issue that bugs me are those who behave like Kakunas — they lock themselves in their vehicle and play the game there during the evening hours. I think there’s something wrong with those folks. Chances are hit and miss to chat with those walking around (I’ve seen some wearing headphones, indicating they want to tune out the real world), but for the most part, everyone has been friendly — even during Poké Gym battles.

In the past two weeks, I’ve literally knocked at the window of those players’ vehicles (thankfully they were parked safely on the side of the street) and said hi. A few are surprised by my move — especially when they are playing beside my home next to a park, where a Poké Gym is — and at other places, it’s all about fellow gamers chillin’ and having a good time. Up on Mt. Tolmie, we tried to figure out where that Charizard appeared for one player. Either he had an incense going or that was pure luck. That group also set up the lure there, so I went to do the friendly thing and thanked them.

I’m just a player who wants to socialize and not hide behind a screen. Some gamers do enough of that at home with certain video games, and this habit should not be repeated outdoors.

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National Film Board of Canada Releases BAM for Toronto’s UNITY Festival

1-BAM_02_861360_300dpiBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The National Film Board of Canada has made BAM, an animated short, available for free public viewing. This piece made its premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Animated Short at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards. But not everyone can make it to this show, and with it now available online, I can see why it’s a modern take on the myth of Hercules. We are not necessarily talking about the twelve labours here, but instead, this film explores the psychological side of this unnamed animated character. This hard-boiled piece begins with a look at his life while at a subway. As reserved as he is in one moment, at another he suddenly goes postal for nearly no reason at all. The violence is hidden as a train roars by, and the fallout is at the core of this short where he silently questions everything about himself. Where does his rage come from?

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