Industry types paint the town rouge
Movie Notes By Craig Takeuchi
Publish Date: July 19, 2007
A who's who of the local film industry will transform the Robson Square skating rink into a major networking event. The fifth annual installment of Rouge will feature a bevy of hosts, including actors Babz Chula, Jay Brazeau, Joely Collins, Suleka Mathew, and Gabrielle Miller; creative director Helen duToit and Canadian Images programmer Terry McEvoy from the Vancouver International Film Festival; Whistler Film Festival director Shauna Hardy Mishaw; Brightlight Pictures producers Stephen Hegyes and Shawn Williamson; BC Film Commissioner Susan Croome; Insight Film Studios CEO Kirk Shaw; Leo Awards president Walter Daroshin; media personality Terry David Mulligan; Urban Rush hosts Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbes; and numerous other producers, directors, writers, and industry figures.
I wonder where the press get their attendee lists? Not that I was really looking, but I did not see over half of the people mentioned above....I know for a fact Babz was at her soon to be daughter-in-laws/my good friends engagement party in Montreal...although Gabrielle did look fetching in her gold mini dress and Joely looked equally fab in her new bob and engagement ring...my "date" who was there to network, see and be seen, introduced us.
Now don't get me wrong, I was a teeny bit excited to see Will from Will and Grace, but really - does a Eric McCormack sighting make up for the fact that the dj was worse than a MuchMusic highschool dance party circa 1988, (Please lord, tell me there was some mix up or last minute replacement because no self-respecting Celebrities dj -as advertised-would have spun out the schlock we had to hear before the final hour when a tired but danceable top 40 line-up finally hit the airwaves) the balloon arches reminded my friend of a 1980s wedding he attended and the canapes looked as tired as the bar staff? They were generally overwhelmed and unable to deal with the meandering undulating line-up of desperate party-goers hungry for something to make their surroundings look better - myself included. And those teeny-tiny plastic wine cups? Seriously???? come on...this is the creme de la creme of the Vancouver film scene right? and we can't rent glassware??? or at least have nice throw-away cups? There may be people here from elsewhere - LA....or gasp! - Toronto! and this is what we got to give? That....and a really lame slide show of Rouge years past flashing before us on giant screens in the corners...the couches looked old...and the bathrooms - I suppose those could not be helped due to venue...but more could have been done...Although I love, love, loved the hoola-hoop girl - she was working it - shout out!!!!
Gotta say for $10 less, the All-White Party I attended in June had better food, better music, a better venue and better glassware!!! http://www.jetsetcrew.com/ and they didn't start out as real career-minded party planners...some of those organizers were there - wonder what they thought?
Thing is, I have heard nothing but great things about the event planners Richards and Chan - http://www.richardsandchan.com/ who certainly look they they put on good parties, are respected in their field and I am all about the fellow sistahs as entrepreneurs....so I blame the rain....something must have short circuited the party...lines were crossed, colour combos were replaced...dj's were temporarily 'auditorally' challenged....and noone was told that they should not show up to the party as they would otherwise show up to set --- i.e. in runners, dirty t-shirt and jeans - really - would it kill you to dress up once - it is night time-huh?
Thank god for being there with a group of people I enjoy most heartilly as that can make any situation fun...even the one that begins with "So?....what are you doing now?"...at times a painful and soul-searching question for the used to be full-time, now very part-time actor....but I had an A-list comeback...."Actually, soon I'm opening my own gallery - hope to see you there!" (insert giant Hollywood smile here ;-)
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