Let the GamesTV Begin at Annual Hollywood Suite TIFF50 Bash

TIFF’s annual unofficial launch party, the Hollywood Suite breakfast, took place Friday in Toronto. This year, the venue was changed from the Omni King Edward to the Fairmount Royal York Hotel. The verdict: more elbow room, as well as better bacon and eggs, inside the Royal York’s one time Gino Empry emporium, the Imperial Room.

Sartorially toned down President David Kines (above) welcomed guests to the new and improved Hollywood Suite. Friday’s was the first annual TIFF gathering since the movie-packed streaming service was acquired by Leonard Asper’s Anthem Sports and Entertainment. One of that media company’s previous holdings, Game TV (home to recent reruns of The Price is Right, The Masked Singer, Survivor and several golden oldies gamers from their “Retro Vault”), is in the Top 15 of all Canadian specialty channels according to Kines.

See the full article here from Brioux TV.

Anthem CEO Leonard Asper followed up with praise for Hollywood Suite, expressing regret that he didn’t buy the service a few years earlier when the late Jay Switzer started shopping it to him. Waiting a few years “cost me more,” he admitted to nods from Kines.

Caught up with several press pals in the crowded room including two former Michael Power-St. Joesph’s High School alumni, Deb Yeo from The Toronto Star and podcaster Mike Boon (“Toronto Mike’d). Entertainment Media’s Rudy Blair was also in the house.

Kines introduced me to lawyer and Citytv co-founder Jerry Grafstein. Also said hi to award-winning documentary filmmaker Peter Raymount.

Everyone young and old works TIFF, many in hopes of breaking through the clutter with hopes of landing distribution deals. One such relative newcomer was Paul Almeida, producer/director/actor on The Dressing Room, a Leo-nominated Canadian mockumentary, Think The Office but backstage at a musical. With Season One made independently, Paul is looking for the right home for Season Two, which boasts Eric McCormack, Andrea Bang and Josh Ramsay among the guest stars.

Other content buyers were at the Hollywood Suite bash, including friendly faces from two of my other streaming service sponsors here at brioux.tv: Kimberly Ball, Chief Content & Communications Officer at Super Channel, and Laura Heath Potter, Head of Communications at Paramount+ Canada.

An indication as to how media services are teaming up on content these days is that both Anthem and Paramount+ will provide windows to an upcoming six-episode Canadian original. Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, will feature Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4) as the disgraced sprinter. Made by New Metric Media and commissioned by GameTV, the series is loosely based on a book by Toronto-based sportswriter Mary Ormsby. Mark McKinney, Karen Robinson, Enis Esmer and Andrew Bachelor (aka King Bach) are also in the cast.

Ben Johnson was also at the TIFF event but ran out of there before I could get to him in 9.83 seconds.