The Toronto International Film Festival‘s 50th edition kicked off with CHANEL and Variety‘s annual Women in Film Dinner at Soho House Toronto. This intimate enclave brought together top industry talent, including actresses Shailene Woodley, Jessie Buckley, Imogen Poots; actors Ethan Hawke, Michael Shannon; directors Alice Winocour, Chandler Levack; musician Little Simz; TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, and others.
Celebrating CHANEL’s deep-rooted connection to cinema, the event spotlighted the CHANEL Women Creators’ Network. Established in 2020, this alumnae program extends from the TIFF Share Her Journey initiative and the TIFF Writers’ Studio to unlock a community of mentors and peers that empowers emerging professionals to accelerate their careers as storytellers.
This year, the participants of the CHANEL Women Creators’ Network included Astor Kim-Stark, Nara Normande, Carol Nguyen, and Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers.
CHANEL is also proud to have supported three films presented at TIFF, including Couture by Alice Winocour, Nouvelle Vague by Richard Linklater, and Arco by Ugo Bienvenu.
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen, who’s in the final stages of completing a feature documentary, shares. “I am honoured to be a part of this network alongside the other fellows in my lab cohort.” For Nguyen, it unlocked the opportunity to take her ‘screenplay to the next level’; since she was surrounded by mentors and peers who could see her work’s potential and ask the right questions to push it forward.
Astor Kim-Stark, a film director, writer, and producer, added, “This industry can often feel lonely, and it is no secret that it is a difficult one to break into. I feel grateful that CHANEL is championing the voices of women and investing in furthering our careers, so that we can continue to create change and tell the stories we love.”
Candid photographs captured attendees as they sauntered through the evening, revealing a celebration filled with conversation and a vibrant love for the art of film, echoing softly beneath the festivities of TIFF.
Feature image by Myles Hendrik, courtesy of CHANEL.
