InfoAnda - Toronto film fest boss stays cool under pressure

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

French minister under fire for gay sex tourism | International | | 8 October 2009
Italy blocks sale of luxury yachts to NKorea: report | 23 July 2009
Zsa Zsa Gabor hospitalized after surgery | 15 August 2010

Oil closes in on Florida, BP saw snags on pipe | 3 June 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Toronto film fest boss stays cool under pressure

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Asia Pacific World Toronto film fest boss stays cool under pressure Reuters - Friday, September 3 Send IM Story Print By Etan Vlessing TORONTO - The famously unflappable Cameron Bailey is looking a touch puzzled, and has for weeks. The Toronto International Film Festival co-director is standing in his Carlton Street office, studying a giant film schedule as if it were an abstract gallery painting. Toronto might land the cream of the crop of studio awards players and indie acquisition titles, but Bailey and his team have wrestled for weeks with how to schedule 247 star-driven films -- 112 of them world premieres -- over an 11-day movie marathon beginning September 9. Bailey tilts his head from side to side to make sure he sees each film's possible permutations: dates, running times, age ratings, Hollywood star power , house sizes. It's a film festival chess board for one of the world's most well-attended events, and Bailey and his team are attempting to think five steps ahead. His dedicated assistants scribble on pads in an effort to help him resolve an immediate challenge: Removing a third public screening for a U.S. indie drama, and adding one more for a star-driven Midnight Madness title. "Can we do a clean switch?" he asks. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, an aide offers the unfortunate reality: Not at this hour. It's crunch time. Toronto's final movie lineup is hours away from going online -- along with news of another 102 studio and indie titles -- to be picked up by news outlets worldwide. What's more, the festival catalog -- 300 pages by 18 writers -- is hot off the presses, the TIFF box office will start selling tickets the next day at 7 a.m. and Toronto is set to showcase Bell Lightbox, its new year-round headquarters that has been in the works for eight years at a cost of almost $200 million. So how does the man at the center of the storm deal with the pressure? For Bailey the answer is simple: Smile and don't panic. Spend even a short amount of time with Bailey and it becomes abundantly clear that his preternatural calm is a key to his success. As the pressure mounts, Bailey somehow manages to become increasingly focused yet remain totally at ease. And he does it all with an ever-present smile that is the perfect counterpoint to the barely contained chaos swirling all around him. Still staring at the imposing schedule from behind his desk, the 46-year-old Bailey is silent for what feels like an eternity. Everyone in the room simply waits. "What would it be up against at 2 p.m.?" he finally asks. Turns out the movie has a clear shot at the buyers of another U.S. indie also being shopped in Toronto that won't screen for press and industry until late afternoon. "As long as we go Sunday, midmorning, they're fine," he says, careful not to leave a Hollywood titan's nose out of joint. Finally, Bailey leans forward like a poker player who senses a winning hand and e-mails the U.S. sales agent two options for a new screening. "It's tricky," he says with his trademark grin. "As soon as anyone knows the first inkling about where and when they might be scheduled, they become very attached to it, however tentative we are." Bailey has much to smile about these days. When festival programing head Piers Handling offered him the job of co-director two years ago, he was coming off a long apprenticeship at TIFF while simultaneously trying his hand at a variety of other disciplines. In addition to programing Canadian titles in Toronto during the 1990s, Bailey also worked as a film critic, a broadcaster and a screenwriter on the 1997 film "The Planet of Junior Brown," directed by Clement Virgo. He even tried his hand at filmmaking with the video essay "Hotel Saudade," which bowed at Toronto in 2004. "None of the jobs provided enough for me to live on," he says with a shrug while en route to Bell Lightbox. He shudders now as he remembers the day Handling offered him a fest programer job in 1989. "I said no. I really didn't think I was qualified. I was really young," he recalls. Eight years later Handling would offer him the fest director position, but this time he accepted, driven by one of his passions: Supporting indie titles he felt needed to reach a global audience. The vehicle he would use to attain that dream was Planet Africa, a showcase of films from Africa and the African diaspora that Bailey first launched in 1995. Two years later, he was on hand one late night at the Bellair Cafe in Yorkville when in walked Harvey Weinstein. With a fat cigar in hand, the then-Miramax boss made a bee-line for Christopher Scott Cherot, a young director whose quirky debut had recently screened in the Planet Africa sidebar. "Weinstein had his arm round Cherot, who came back with a big smile on his face," Bailey recounts. Before the night was over, Miramax had acquired Cherot's low-budget romantic comedy "Hav Plenty" for a reported $1.5 million. "Those kind of deals don't get made anymore," Bailey sighs. To be sure, however, Toronto remains a juggernaut. Hollywood A-listers will descend on the festival and footage will end up on TV screens and newspapers worldwide. But as a place to do business, TIFF has seen better days. Asked whether Toronto will see a repeat of last year, when a slew of acquisition titles came into Toronto and went home empty-handed, Bailey, in typical fashion, isn't tipping his hand. "It might be a little quicker this year, or that may just be the new reality. It's hard to say," he ventures. To be fair, Bailey's tenure began just as the 2008 financial meltdown ushered in a new era of austerity within the global film community, forcing studios and indie producers to cut back on travel and party budgets. "All of the studios have felt the need to contract what they spend on promotion, prints and advertising," he says. "That hasn't affected us so much. People still see us as an important launch pad." While that might be true for well-funded, star-driven releases, Bailey concedes that government cutbacks for certain national cinemas have impacted the number of films Toronto programmers received this year. "We have found the economy maybe gives us fewer films in some cases from certain countries, as their economies shrink, and also smaller budget films in some cases as well," he says. On his ascension to the top at TIFF, Bailey inherited other challenges, including a need to close a funding gap to launch Bell Lightbox, which saw Initial construction costs of $120 million balloon to $196 million. Pulling up to the new structure, Bailey leaves his taxi on King Street to greet his programing team, which is assembled inside for a pre-festival tour. He takes a moment to look up and down the bustling street at adjoining restaurants, shops and theaters, all of which expect Bell Lightbox to become a lucrative entertainment destination for the locals. Once inside, Bailey scans the year-round headquarters' five stories, which until recently remained hidden behind boarding and scaffolding. "We can enter from the back of the stage," Bailey says minutes later, standing in a 550-seat theater, looking to shepherd nervous filmmakers and preening stars from the green room to be introduced to appreciative Toronto audiences. He leads his beaming, enthusiastic programmers through four more theaters which will soon screen a host of arthouse films and new prints of classics like Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless." His interaction with everyone is effortless and effective. He has a knack for making other people feel relaxed and good about themselves, and does so with the air of a career diplomat. It's how he controls the conversation when talking to the media, festival donors or staff. "You're screening one of your films in here," he asks a programer in a smaller, 80-seat theater. He moves from programer to programer, encouraging, advising with small tips. Always smiling. Back on the street in front of Bell Lightbox, Bailey is aware that much is riding on the new structure. He also knows that if it doesn't work, he'll likely take the heat. But again, you wouldn't know it to look at him. Certain that TIFF's new home will provide a long-sought hub for the festival, he appears equally thrilled with idea that it will contribute something to the city itself. "The new thing this year is the festival neighborhood, the fact that we will be in our own building, with a new hotel next door, with all the press conferences there," he says proudly as he gazes up at the building. "People will bump into each other in a way that they haven't been able to for a long time." He looks like the happiest man in Toronto. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - 1 hour 58 minutes ago Stranded actor Paul Hogan in Australia tax deal Reuters - 1 hour 25 minutes ago Vivid Entertainment: A new business model for porn Reuters - 1 hour 58 minutes ago Fishburne's porn-star daughter avoiding dark side Reuters - 2 hours 15 minutes ago Martin Short revives Cat in the Hat for PBS series Reuters - Friday, September 3 News Search Top Stories US policy under spotlight as unemployment set to rise Davydenko joins seeded scrap heap at US Open Oil rig blast forces 13 workers into Gulf of Mexico No sign of oil leak after Gulf of Mexico rig blast: company Disasters show 'screaming' need for action - climate chief More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Oil rig blast forces 13 workers into Gulf of Mexico 'Prostitute' Carla Bruni deserves death: Iran media 'Animal' Blair's memoirs risk opening old wounds Exercise cuts genetic obesity risk by 40 percent: study Diabetes drug fights lung cancer in mice: study More Most Viewed » Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero Earth's upper atmosphere shrinking, scientists say Tiger's ex breaks her silence on sex scandal Most US students think Beethoven is a dog Unchecked migration would see Singapore swell, Haiti halve More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Friday, 3 September 2010
Israelis and Palestinians agree to more peace meetings
AOL renews search deal with Google
Only stable Bosnia can ensure Balkan peace
Oil rig blast forces 13 workers into Gulf of Mexico
Afghanistan assures bank customers amid graft fears |
Nokia to discontinue remote file-sharing service
Afghan govt says bank safe amid rush for withdrawals
No sign of oil leak after Gulf of Mexico rig blast: company
HP tops Dell with new bid for 3PAR
Iran opposition figure's house attacked: website |
Afghan president says airstrike killed civilians
Disasters show 'screaming' need for action
Kings Of Leon Announce New Single "Radioactive"
"Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" Picked Up For Second Season
Gates: Afghans should lead corruption fight
AOL renews Google search agreement
ECB extends emergency funding, ups growth forecast
Despite embargo, Cuba a haven for pirated U.S. goods |
Earl Downgraded To Category 3
ECB hikes growth, inflation forecasts
Sudan referendum body agrees post to end deadlock |
Jane Lynch Guest Stars As Sam's Mom On "iCarly"
2 US troops, dozens of Afghan insurgents killed
Ralph Lauren To Celebrate Fashion's Night Out
Gen. Petraeus calls relationship with Karzai sound
Drug gangs prey on migrants in risky Mexico journey |
US-TECH Summary
Massachusetts Snuffs Novelty Lighters
Samsung to challenge Apple's iPad with own tablet
Oil Rig Explodes Off Louisiana Coast; 1 Worker Injured
18 Canadian Cities In List Of North America's Worst Speed Traps
Nokia to discontinue remote file-sharing service
Eminem And Rihanna Keep Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" From #1 On Billboard Hot 100
Don Omar Joins Nelly Furtado For Terra Music Fest
France's Cassel vies for US stardom as gangster 'Mesrine'
Apple and Google to clash in music space by Christmas |
Samsung to challenge Apple's iPad with own tablet |
Apple TV could help Netflix growth |
Verizon unveils prepaid option for smartphones |
HP wins 3PAR for $2.4 billion as Dell drops out |
Panasonic aiming for half of Europe's 3D TV market |
Chrome update marks Web browser's second birthday
NASA launches iPad application
Natalie Portman earns early awards buzz for ballet drama |
US-TECH Summary
Eminem and Katy Perry lead U.S. singles chart |
Film brings lives of Palestinian women to Venice |
Samsung to challenge Apple's iPad with own tablet
Letterman extortionist released from NY jail |
Panasonic aiming for half of Europe's 3D TV market
Twitter launches iPad application
AFP boss aims to target news direct to web users
French IT giant buys into Brazilian market
Iran opposition figure's house attacked
Pakistan Taliban take responsibility for bombings |
Russian fires start up again: ministry
Video lambasting Google on privacy hits Times Square
Drug shootout with army kills 25 in Mexico |
Sudan referendum body agrees post to end deadlock
Davydenko joins seeded scrap heap at US Open
Afghan president says airstrike killed civilians
BOJ to stand pat next week, eyes easing next month |
Music labels eager for Google-Apple battle
Southwestern Afghanistan Winning On Corruption, Insurgency Fronts
Swing-vote Australia MP hints at possible Labor deal |
Sundance Channel To Premiere Full Frontal Fashion September 8
Villagers flee as Indonesia volcano erupts again |
Gates: Afghans should lead corruption fight
Tucker For Target The Next GO International Collection
Middle East Peace Talks Begin With Two-Week Meeting Pledge
HP Wins 3Par Bidding War Against Dell
Verdict due in high-profile Portuguese abuse case |
Apple TV could help Netflix growth
Mexico media czar's cousin briefly kidnapped: reports |
Ivory Coast commission produces final voter list |
Stocks Extend Gains Ahead Of Friday’s Job Report
Verizon unveils prepaid option for smartphones
Cisco buying smart grid specialty firm Arch Rock
Australian man's face mauled by shark in Solomons
India's Maoists spark hostage drama
Japan imposes additional sanctions on Iran
US-TECH Summary
South Korea typhoon death toll grows to five
Hurricane Earl menaces US East Coast
Villagers flee as Indonesia volcano erupts again
Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic
Chinese officials suppressed tainted oil recall
N.Zealand PM downplays foreign ownership race row
French 'Spiderman' denies risking lives in Sydney stunt
Manila siege police gave up chances to kill gunman
Zsa Zsa Gabor out of hospital
Pakistan Taliban take responsibility for bombings
HP wins 3PAR for $2.4 billion as Dell drops out |
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Irish crowd pelt Gun N' Roses after lengthy wait
TV chef Anthony Bourdain skewers cooking rivals
Toronto film fest boss stays cool under pressure
Tran presents 'Norwegian Wood' at Venice film festival
Seoul shares open higher led by tech issues
S.Korean economy grew revised 1.4 pct in Q2: central bank
Brendan Fraser heads to Broadway with "Elling"
Afghan govt declares bank safe amid rush for withdrawals
Zsa Zsa Gabor out of hospital
Ford sees surging sales in China, India
Young US women learn, earn more than men: study
China's Chery mulling auto plant in Spain: officials
Telluride festival unveils film lineup
Japan PM's rival urges yen intervention
US court says 'Ladies Night' promos not discriminatory
Brendan Fraser heads to Broadway with Elling |
IMF to give Pakistan $450 mln in flood aid
Fishburne's porn-star daughter avoiding dark side |
Mitsubishi 'mulling electric car plant' in Spain
Vivid Entertainment: A new business model for porn |
Russia targets S.Korea's LG in piracy probe
Stranded actor Paul Hogan in Australia tax deal |
Toronto film fest boss stays cool under pressure |
Rapper T.I. arrested for drug possession in LA |
Irish crowd pelt Gun N' Roses after lengthy wait |
Telluride festival unveils film lineup |
Martin Short revives Cat in the Hat for PBS series |
Iran's Ahmadinejad calls on Palestinians to fight on
France, UK scuttle talk of pooling aircraft carriers
Eight die as wildfires consume Russian villages |
Malaysia to monitor Internet for 'harmful' blogs
US posts better-than-expected jobs data
Gates meets US troops in Afghan Taliban heartland
Britain, France dismiss talks of sharing warships
Rebels say dozens killed in raid in Sudan's Darfur |
Israeli researchers develop promising new HIV treatment
Cuba's Fidel Castro makes first public speech in 4 years |
Eminem And Rihanna Keep Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" From #1 On Billboard Hot 100
Iran Guards stop opposition leader from joining mass rally
U.N. refugee agency blasts Europe for deporting Iraqis
BP oil spill costs surge to $8 bln
Venezuela's rife crime political peril for Chavez |
Iran says to strike Israel nuclear site if attacked
Zeta-Jones 'furious' at late cancer diagnosis for Douglas
Gates says Pakistan havens still threaten Afghanistan |
U.N. atom chief invited Israel to mull joining NPT
Iran's Ahmadinejad calls on Palestinians to fight on |
Gates sees progress in tour of Afghan war zone
U.S. and Israel spying behind BlackBerry woe: Dubai police |
Gates visits US forces in southern Afghanistan
S.Africa gov't and strikers brace for new wage talks |
Japan approves economic sanctions against Iran
Pakistan suicide bombing 'kills 42'
Suicide blast rips through Pakistan city, 43 dead
Vulture numbers take flight in Cambodia: group
British police quiz Pakistan bowler in probe
At least 26 killed in vehicle accidents in China
Flood victims' protests hamper Pakistan aid efforts
New coach Zaccheroni to push Japan's World Cup bid
U.S. and Israel spying behind BlackBerry woe: Dubai police |
Suspected arms dealer's extradition to US delayed
Bangkok raises security to high alert after blasts
US, SKorea to hold further naval drills
'Lizard King' admits to smuggling 95 live snakes
Samsung to challenge Apple's iPad with own tablet |
Kentucky's Yarmuth In Tough Fight For Third Term
Miami airport evacuated when suspicious item found
AFI Fest Announces David Lynch As First-Ever Guest Artistic Director
Katharine McPhee, Sara Paxton To Star In "Shark Night 3D"
FBI: 6 accused in forced labor of 400 Thai workers
Workers Paying More For Their Health Coverage
Weakened Earl Racing Up U.S. East Coast
Middle East Peace To Resume In Two Weeks
VH1 Reveals “100 Greatest Artists Of All Time” Starting September 6
Panasonic aiming for half of Europe's 3D TV market |
Suspicious Package Causes Evacuation At Miami International Airport
"Transformers 3" Shut Down Production After Extra Suffers Serious Injury
Scientists Know More About Why Fish Oil Reduces Inflammation
Q+A-What does the $450 mln IMF flood aid mean for Pakistan?
CORRECTED-S.Korea may cut FX market fund in longer term
Eleven Indonesian police arrested over riot deaths
WRAPUP 7-Suicide blast rips through Pakistan city, 43 dead
Fears for villagers as Indonesian volcano erupts again
Seoul shares up 0.2 pct on techs; Shinhan falls
Seoul shares rise 0.2 pct on techs;Shinhan falls
Pakistan fishermen struggling a month after floods
Pakistani c.bank buys 74.3 bln rupees of govt paper
EU presses China to step up fight against fakes
PAKISTAN
S.Korea BOK head advocates bigger anti-crisis role
Hollywood updates Facebook in lineup of fall movies |
Venice festival honors Chinese director John Woo |
Brendan Fraser heads to Broadway with Elling |
Sofia Coppola takes insider's look at Hollywood A-lister |
Divers Discover 230-Year-Old Champagne Near Baltic Sea
Natalie Portman earns early awards buzz for ballet drama |
HP Wins 3Par Bidding War Against Dell
Gravity, Not God, Can Create Universe, Says Hawking
Explosions Rock Propane Shop In PA Town, Neighborhood Evacuated
Police Lock Down Maryland Building In Standoff With Gunman
Pakistani Military Cancels Meet With DoD After Airport Humiliation
Inter-Faith Group Denounces International Burn the Quran Day
Man Survives Suicide Leap From 400 Feet
No Official Charges Yet For Suspected Yemen Terrorists
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01