<🎧 Song Recommendation: Memories and Echoes by Griffin Tyler>

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[After-Lockdown TIFF: All You Need to Know and Our Handpicked "Big Three"]

[The Toronto International Film Festival has always been one of the most prestigious launching pads in the film industry, often serving as the true predictor for the Oscars. But this year is completely different.

This year, TIFF isn’t just a festival; it’s a global celebration.

For the first time in nearly eight months, humanity is stepping out of its collective shadow.

The global lockdown is officially over, and the hunger for cinema, red carpets, and pure entertainment is at an all-time high.

It is only natural that this year’s festival has evolved into the most chaotic, highly anticipated, and important event in modern Hollywood history.

But that’s not all. Because of the pandemic delays, every major studio is desperately scrambling to secure distribution for the incredibly lucrative November and December holiday box-office window.

That desperation has resulted in a stacked, heavyweight lineup.

Of course, one of the most mentioned cases in the live-action animation genre is [When The Grinch Became Santa].

Their live-action crossover last year might have failed to live up to expectations, but Daisy Studios has promised that their new indie release is bound to deliver the perfect holiday experience for families finally returning to theaters.

Speaking of animation, we must also talk about Pixar. Known for blending brilliant storytelling with cutting-edge visuals, they are premiering their newest blockbuster here.

It is no surprise we’ve grouped them as the first arm of our "Big Three." They possess a massive, fiercely loyal fanbase, and their project is already generating intense Oscar buzz.

If you are wondering what the second arm of the Big Three is, it is, of course, none other than [Blood Money] starring Rayan West.

Rayan’s son, Julian West, will be looking to make his highly-publicized debut into the film industry alongside his father.

What better way to do that than by securing the lead role in a massive, $100-million crime thriller? But the real story here is the supporting cast.

A-list actor Sammy Howkins, who recently abandoned a project that was allegedly doomed to fail, has signed on to play the main villain in Blood Money.

Playing a ruthless antagonist is completely against Sammy’s usual "saint-like" image, but industry insiders suggest this is his calculated master plan to secure a Best Supporting Actor Oscar next year. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

To do that, the Blood Money camp has deemed it an absolute must to win the People’s Choice Award at TIFF this week.

While [Blood Money] and Pixar are the complete favorites to sweep the awards, the situation won’t be a bed of roses for them.

Not when we look at the most unexpected duo in Hollywood: Leviathan and Marcus Burglewater teaming up as production partners to adapt a beloved romance trilogy.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it right. [Perfect Ruins] completes our list of "The Big Three."

This is a highly controversial opinion, considering the absolute production hell this indie film has gone through.

They have entirely lost the support of the original book’s massive fanbase. This backlash started when the production decided to keep the actor playing the male lead a complete secret.

The outrage only grew worse when leaks confirmed the secret actor had collapsed on set, halting production and bleeding the budget.

None of us are aware of his identity yet, but it is very obvious that it isn’t a seasoned A-list star.

That is why the book fans have already started an online petition to cancel the movie before it even premieres.

Griffin Tyler, the author of the original trilogy, hasn’t said anything publicly regarding this, but it is heavily believed that she is just as upset about the adaptation.

But all of these controversies aren’t quite enough to completely write off [Perfect Ruins].

When a director as experienced as Marcus is behind the camera, you pay attention.

More importantly, the movie’s lead soundtrack, One Dance, is currently the undisputed No. 1 song in the world. With that level of unprecedented musical hype backing it, who knows? Maybe they might actually deliver something special.

Aside from those behind the camera, the entire cast seems to be lacking true mainstream stardom.

However, Chloe Martin, Leviathan’s niece and the Sundance 2019 breakthrough actress, is absolutely someone to watch out for. As a wrap, this movie could either be a hit or a miss.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is our Big Three.

Of course, we have other fantastic indie movies premiering this week like [Stuck In Snow], [Girls Night], and [The Forest Library], but the three mentioned above are the absolute favorites to sweep the awards.

It is going to be a really fun festival, probably the best one ever hosted. May the best film win.]

Many online commentators didn’t entirely agree with the article. But despite the arguments in the comment sections, the article did a fantastic job of explaining exactly what was about to happen.

Now, all they had to do was wait.

Just like that, the global festival kicked off with massive fanfare. And just a few days in, it was finally time for [Perfect Ruins] to hold its official premiere.

The venue was the prestigious Elgin Theatre, a stunning, historic building in downtown Toronto that could hold over fifteen hundred people.

It was one of the premier venues for the festival, and Leviathan had managed to secure it largely as a result of his deep-rooted hometown connections and the explosive success of the soundtrack.

However, it still wasn’t the biggest venue available. That absolute honor, the massive Roy Thomson Hall, had been reserved for Rayan West and [Blood Money].

A massive crowd of reporters, bloggers, and entertainment journalists were currently waiting outside the Elgin Theatre, completely pressed against the velvet ropes lining the red carpet.

They were eager to bombard the crew with questions and, most importantly, finally see who the mysterious male lead was for themselves.

Among the screaming crowd of journalists was Harvey.

He was looking much less like a cynical, chain-smoking blogger and much more like a polished professional.

He wore a neat blazer, held a microphone with his outlet’s logo, and had a dedicated cameraman standing right behind him, ready to catch the action.

But inwardly, Harvey’s heart was thudding against his ribs.

’What if Marvin was right? What if Von is actually starring?’

He couldn’t even imagine having to permanently stop smoking. He quickly shook his head, trying to clear the ridiculous thought.

’No, it’s not possible. He’s not even an actor. They can’t be that careless with a major book adaptation.’

Harvey comforted himself with a smile, gripping his microphone as multiple sleek, black luxury cars finally pulled over at the start of the carpet.

The doors opened, and the [Perfect Ruins] crew stepped out.

It was a relatively small entourage consisting of Chloe, Kerry, Marcus, and one other figure.

But the final person was completely unrecognizable. He was dressed in a hoodie that severely contested with the highly formal, black-tie setting of the festival, keeping his head down as he walked.

Some of the reporters were visibly disappointed that Leviathan hadn’t arrived with them to command the spotlight, but they didn’t resist the opportunity to start taking rapid clicks and shouting questions as the cast walked the red carpet.

"Kerry! We got info that you’re playing Aiden? Can you please confirm that?"

"Marcus, is it true that the movie is getting canceled already?"

"Marcus, I heard you and Leviathan had a massive fallout over the budget, and that’s why he’s not here tonight! Can you explain?"

"Miss Chloe, how was it to work with Kerry? Did he confess his feelings to you on set?"

All of them were trained not to react to the baiting questions. Their answers could easily make unwanted headlines before the movie even played.

They were allowed to answer a few tame questions, but they preferred to wait for the official press release inside the venue where they had more control.

But since the reporters were only interested in stirring up negative drama and probing, they were entirely ignored.

Von found the desperate shouting ridiculous himself. He just kept his head down, walking quietly behind Chloe while casually texting on his phone.

When suddenly, a very specific shout cut through the noise.

"Von!"

Harvey was shaking in his boots as he stared directly at the hooded figure.

Usually, Harvey wouldn’t have suspected a thing. He would have assumed it was just a shy producer or an edgy fashion choice.

But his high-stakes bet with Marvin made him daring. He had to know. Even the other reporters standing next to him looked at Harvey like he was completely out of his mind. Von Varley? The musician? Here?

"Von Varley, are you the one playing Aiden, please?!" Harvey shouted again, his heart racing at a million miles an hour.

’Please don’t be him! Please don’t be him,’ Harvey begged internally.

Von simply smiled and took off his hoodie cap before removing the sunglasses and pulling down his face mask with a smirk.

"Yes. I’m the one."

The exact moment those words left his mouth, everyone went bonkers.