Welcome to BellaNaijaStyle.com’s official TIFF diary! This year, our Editor at Large Isoken Ogiemwonyi and Aderonke, Features Editor of BellaNaija.com, will be reporting live from some of Toronto International Film Festival’s most au courant events.
Natasha Koifman’s leading Toronto, New York and Los Angeles-based agency NKPR at the forefront of marquee film festival initiatives including landmark destination IT House x Producers Ball co-hosted with Scott Brothers Entertainment’s Drew and Jonathan Scott, Artists for Peace and Justice Gala, ShopNK and more
In September 2019, during the Toronto Film Festival, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles-based agency NKPR, led by president Natasha Koifman is excited to announce its role in several marquee events and initiatives. Building on the success of past years, the 2019 festival season will include the return of film festival hotspot the IT House x Producers Ball in collaboration with Drew and Jonathan Scott, hosts of HGTV’s Property Brothers, and executive producers and founders of Scott Brothers Entertainment, the annual star-studded Artists for Peace and Justice Festival Gala and the launch of ShopNK – a socially-conscious e-commerce platform that will offer a curated selection of limited-edition products in support of various local and international charities.
“Canada is having a moment right now! From winning the NBA finals to twenty-six Canadian feature films being announced as part of this year’s film festival lineup and homegrown names like Robbie Robertson and Ellen Pagetaking centre stage – the talent in this country is being recognized and celebrated now more than ever before,” says Natasha Koifman, President, NKPR. “For almost fifteen years, we have been committed to celebrating the culture, talent and liveliness that the film festival brings to the city of Toronto. This year, through our continued partnership with Drew and Jonathan Scott as well as Rolling Stone, we are excited to highlight the incredible people and organizations making waves in the industry while evolving our programming even further to engage with consumers, celebrities and industry leaders alike.”
“This is easily one of the most exciting times of the year in Toronto and we’re thrilled to once again partner with NKPR to bring the Producers Ball to the most talented members of the film, TV, and content community on the planet,” says Jonathan Scott. “Having Rolling Stone Magazine join us on-site again to capture the most iconic faces in entertainment, really speaks volumes to the relevance of this event in TIFF’s rich history.
Adds Drew Scott, “From being fans of entertainment, to having the great fortune of hosting a show with global appeal, we absolutely love every facet of this industry. Some of the most gratifying work we do is as executive producers, and the Producers Ball has always been our way to celebrate the people who work tirelessly to bring us the very best in stories and entertainment.”
NKPR’S ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL COUNTDOWN
On Wednesday, August 21, NKPR will once again host the most HIGH-ly-anticipated event to kick-off the Toronto film festival season – Festival Countdown. Held at a private residence, this year’s event will bring together industry leaders and tastemakers from across the country and beyond to toast Hollywood North and begin the fifteen-day countdown to the 2019 film festival. In its eleventh year, NKPR has partnered with socially-conscious cannabis brand house, TREC Brands Inc. to educate guests on this new and exciting category with the company’s premium cannabis brands WINK and Blissed.
IT HOUSE x PRODUCERS BALL
Kicking off on September 5th and running through September 8th, in collaboration with Scott Brothers Entertainment, NKPR will co-create annual landmark destination, the IT House x Producers Ball. Through thought leadership, unique programming and experiential activations, the IT House will bring together local and global partners to celebrate the incredible films, talent and brands that are making waves in the industry, with the help of brand partners Swarovski,Hounds Vodka, OGX Beauty, Sleep Envie, ShopNK and more.
This year’s IT House x Producers Ball will be headquartered out of The Purman Building on Adelaide Street West – a historical 7,000 square foot loft-style space in the heart of film festival activities and just steps away from the Bell Lightbox. Past visitors have included Mila Kunis, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Dev Patel, Natalie Portman, Elizabeth Olsen, Donald Glover, Jared Leto, Adrien Brody, Daniel Radcliffe and many more.
Rolling Stone, a leading voice of music, art, politics and popular culture for over 50 years, will return to this year’s IT House x Producers Ball with a celebrity portrait studio where renowned NYC-based photographer Leeor Wild will be snapping talent from the festival’s most anticipated films. Leeor has shot celebrities that include George Clooney, Emily Ratajkowski, Halle Berry and Finn Wolfhard to name a few.
On the evening of Friday, September 6th, the IT House will present the eagerly anticipated Producers Ball Gala. In its ninth year, hosted by Drew and Jonathan Scott and Natasha Koifman, the gala invites producers, talent, and directors to celebrate accomplishments within the TV, film and digital media production industry. Special performances and red carpet times to be announced shortly.
11TH ANNUAL ARTISTS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE FESTIVAL GALA
Natasha Koifman, alongside Zoomer Magazine Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Boyd, will co-chair this year the Labatt Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) Gala on Saturday, September 7th. The almost sold-out event will return to the Windsor Arms Hotel; and event co-hosts include Susan Sarandon, Gisella Marengo, George Stroumboulopoulos, Yannick & Shantelle Bisson and more. This year, the organization that has raised over $32M to support education in Haiti, will be giving three special awards:
- Peace and Justice Award, honouree(s) to be announced shortly! Past honourees include Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Jackson Browne and Arcade Fire
- Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring Norman Jewison
- APJ Canadian Changemaker Award, honouring Diane Bald & Michael Budman
APJ is an organization that provides life-changing educational opportunities for children and youth in Haiti, working in direct partnership with communities in Haiti and around the world to create pathways out of poverty by expanding access to education and providing training in creative industries. Generous sponsors for this year’s event to-date include Presenting Sponsor Labatt Breweries of Canada, Official Airline Sponsor Air Canada, Audi and the Windsor Arms Hotel.
SHOPNK
Natasha Koifman is thrilled to announce the launch of ShopNK – an agency operated e-commerce platform that will offer a curated selection of limited-edition products throughout the year with a portion of all proceeds going back to various local and global charities.
In an effort to inspire and empower the younger generation to give back, guests of the online shop will have the opportunity to choose one of five charities at check-out, fostering a sense of connection to where their money is going. The charities will include APJ, Best Buddies, Dog Tails Rescue and Sanctuary, G(irls)20, and St. Felix Centre – all important causes to NKPR.
An extension of both Natasha and the NKPR brand, ShopNK.ca will feature shoppable editorial content in the areas of fashion, beauty and entertainment. Brand collaborations for the first release, titled DROP 001, include LINE Knitwear, Pusateri’s Fine Foods, Watier, Thirty-Six Knots, Ciao Sea, NAMESAKE and more, including items created in collaboration with Natasha herself such as a custom #NKAllBlackEverything bespoke blazer. As another mechanism to motivate consumers to think more philanthropically, guests will also be able to purchase mentorship time with Natasha with 100% of the proceeds going back to a partnering organization of their choice.
ShopNK.ca will officially launch during the Toronto Film Festival with a 4-day physical pop-up at the IT House x Producers Ball. The website will live online permanently at ShopNK.ca with various drops being released throughout the year where consumers will be able to purchase products across North America.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
NKPR will be sharing further details shortly, but other key events and initiatives that the agency will support include events at the Thompson Toronto Hotel, Broadview Hotel, Pick 6ix Sports, Bloor-Yorkville, and more.
Follow @natashankpr and #NKPRIT19 for more exciting announcements and updates to come.
Stay tuned for event coverage and behind-the-scenes scoop!
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