BKonthescene

TIFF50 Dialogues –  Modern Whore: From Book to Screen held at Glen Gould Studio in CBC Building on Front Street moderated by Lauren Clarke.

Andrea Werhun and Nicole Bazuin discuss toxic misconceptions about sex work and sex workers with great audacity and high style. Nicole Bazuin  is a photographer and documentary filmmaker who, during the talk, shared her creative collaborations with Andrea Werhun. Bazuin first became widely known for her photographic illustrations in Werhun’s book Modern Whore which is a memoir of Werhun’s time as sex worker.

She then collaborated with Werhun on the short films Modern Whore and Last Night at the Strip Club, which further documented Werhun’s sex work. During the talk, Andrea Werhun discusses how she portrays her past real life roles (in film shown at TIFF) as escort Mary Ann, stripper Sophia, and her OnlyFans presence – all part of her Toronto sex work journey.

A film clarifying the assumptions, misconceptions and misrepresentations that surround sex work and sex workers.  Modern Whore is a film about the oldest profession. Very interesting and informative talk.

We were at Ballad and then Private Life red carpet at TIFF, which was pure fun from the first flash. Shooting arrivals for A Private Life and Ballad of a Small Player felt like stepping into a whirlwind of energy, glamour, and anticipation.

Fans pressed against the barricades, cheering as talent arrived, while publicists orchestrated every move with ballet-like precision. The challenge—and thrill—was finding the perfect angle in the chaos: catching a genuine laugh between poses, a subtle gesture, a shared glance that told a story. Each frame felt like a tiny piece of festival magic. The lights, the soundtrack of shutters snapping, and the buzz of excitement made it one of those nights where being behind the lens was exactly where I wanted to be.

 Out Standing film World Premiere screening at Scotiabank Cinema with actor Nina Kiri,  director Mélanie Charbonneau and Sandra Perron in attendance.

The real story of Sandra Perron, Canada’s first woman infantry officer, is a compelling drama, based on real Canadian history, depicting the unbelievable way Sandra Perron paved the way for women in Canada’s military. 

Raised in a military family, Perron pursued her own dream of serving her country after joining the Canadian Forces in 1984. However, when she began her training to become Canada’s first woman infantry officer, she faced challenges far beyond the gruelling physical demands. Perron received constant harassment and abuse.

As written in her 2017 memoir, Out Standing in the Field, it was the institutional sexism that surrounded her in the Canadian military that caused her so much grief.  As in Perron’s acclaimed book, director Mélanie Charbonneau’s film adaptation clearly depicts an inequitable and frequently hostile system and environment for women.  Out Standing is a riveting portrait of tenacity with anger and vulnerability shown in the film with remarkable force by Nina Kiri.

We recognize all the doors she has opened for female soldiers, those she has inspired and for the institution she has changed forever. It  is a brilliant and moving film.

Red Carpet photography at TIFF Lightbox for Canadian series WAYWARD by Director Cole Galvin with Australian actress Toni Collette, looking radiant in a beautiful, flowing dress. Along with actors Mae Martin, Ryan Scott, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, Brandon Jay McLaren, Tattiawna Jones, Patrick Adams, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Mark McKinney and producers and Netflix executives.

Series Description: A bucolic small town, a correctional school for troubled teens, and a mysterious headmistress (Toni Collette) are all much more than meets the eye in this new limited series from creator Mae Martin (Feel Good).