Film Fest Blog: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006

(andPOP) - Ladies and gentlemen, I not only found J.Lo but I interviewed her too.

Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony are at the Film Fest to promote their movie "El Cantante," a bio-pic about legendary salsa singer Hector Lavoe. She produced it; they both star in it.

Time Magazine hosted the after-party at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District. I almost did not go for two reasons:
-the arrival time was supposed to be near 11 p.m., yet I was at a movie screening till 11:20;
-and more importantly, it was raining.

The press release said to be there early because there was limited room on the red carpet, another reason to skip it, but come on, it's J.Lo. Worth a shot.

I was the last media dude to show up and joined about 10 other journalists (mostly television) and 10 photographers on the carpet. Everyone except me was smart and had umbrellas. Two kind photographers shooting for Time let me join them under their massive umbrella. There was even room for another two people; the thing was huge. I don't know why people would need such a big umbrella or where they would buy one. I can only assume it was custom made.

I had a hunch that showing up at 11 p.m. would have been pointless for one reason: nobody is ever on time for these things. Anthony and Lopez arrived at 12:30. So I didn't have the umbrella, but at least I spent the least amount of time in the rain. The power couple was being hustled in very quickly but I still yelled out a question hoping they would stop.

And they did.

"Why are you so passionate about this project?" I asked. I figured they'd only stop if I asked them about the movie, and gave them the chance to gush over it. Score.

Anthony started talking and talking and talking about how much he loves Lavoe's music. I was almost afraid J.Lo wouldn't say anything, and that all I would be able to say is I got to interview Marc Anthony, which is not nearly as notable. But after he finished, she said a few words, which you'll be able to read in a future article I write sometime next week about their movie.

They took a few steps forward and I asked them a better question.

"Were you hesitant at all to work together?" I assume this was clearly in reference to her former beaus. She did a movie with Ben Affleck and we know how that relationship (and film) turned out. She danced with Cris Judd, another failed romance. She even worked with her other husband, Ojani Noa, in a way. She was a waitress in his restaurant.

With that bio out of the way, they both laughed and said they were not hesitant to work together. And then they went into the party, where cameras of all sorts (digital, camerphones, etc.) were forbidden by the guests. When I left the red carpet, I heard that eye contact with J.Lo was still allowed, but the party is still going on as I write this so it could have changed.

So to conclude: two questions, yes I know it's not a lot, but by definition, that is still an interview.

I'll also note that I shared a moment with Lopez. The rain was coming down hard and I was getting wet. My glasses were soaked with raindrops, which I think she noticed, because she smirked at me. Or maybe it was a nervous smile because I was staring at her while her husband was talking (and talking and talking). Either way, I hope he isn't jealous.

That's how I ended the night… now to quickly rewind.

11:30 a.m. interview at Intercontinental with the cast and director of "Fay Grim." First spoke with the ravishing Parker Posey (admittedly high on paid meds) and director Hal Hartley together. The man is a genius.

Right after that, interviewed Saffron Burrows, who was impressed by my digital recorder. Then I explained how I had two because one ran out during a day of interviews last week, but then realized she was impressed by the technology but didn't care to hear about my recorder collection.

After that, in one of those "someone made a mistake, I shouldn't be here" moments, talked with the nicest man in the world, Jeff Goldblum. I even slipped in a question about SNL's Celebrity Jeopardy. Yes, he's fine with them making fun of him, and yes, he enjoys watching it.

Then it was over to the Rivoli, home to the Canadian Music Cafe for three days, to watch a performance by dbClifford, who will be playing at Toronto's Supermarket for the next four Wednesdays. His album, "Recyclable," should be out next year. Catch this guy before he starts selling out arenas. He's a mix between every artist imaginable. Watching him perform though reminded me of Remy Shand, though a bit cooler and with a better voice. I also started to wonder where Remy Shand went and I hope he is ok.

Right back over to the Intercontinental to speak with the director of "A Stone's Throw." Camelia Frieberg, and the film's star, Kristen Holden-Ried. I'm not going to sum up 30 minutes of interviews into a couple blog paragraphs, so as always, come back soon to read more about it. I promise, I'll tell you everything you need to know, just be patient.

Amazingly after that, I went home and had three hours to do absolutely nothing. First time all week. I used the time to do research on upcoming interviews, but I was actually home while the sun was setting. Incredible.

Of course, it was back to work soon after. I caught a screening of "Bella," in advance of an upcoming interview with director Alejandro Gomez Monteverde and actors Eduardo Verastegui, Tammy Blanchard and Ali Landry.

When the movie ended… well, read from the top to find out where I went after that.

One more note, for the record: I interviewed Jennifer Lopez, but was told Carrie-Anne Moss did not have time for a chat. Read that back. And I interviewed Matt Damon and Jeff Goldblum, yet couldn't set anything up with Bobcat Goldthwait. Yes, read that back again. Amazing how the biz works sometimes.

Random thoughts from the film fest:

-Nicest washroom: Second floor of the 4 Seasons. Always clean and you'll run into someone who looks familiar in the lobby. Chances are they aren't who you think they are, but even if you spot nobody, it's worth it just to go to a nice washroom.
-There are fans camped outside of the Intercontinental 24 hours a day.
-If you can find a film's after party, chances are you will get in. This does not include parties thrown at Chanel, Holt Renfrew, or pretty much anywhere on Bloor near Yorkville. It's tricky to find one but they're around.
-There seem to be professional partiers. Quite the job; not sure how they make money.
-Person who has shown up to the most parties (the Cuba Gooding Jr. Award): (tie) Samuel L. Jackson and Lance Bass. To explain, Cuba Gooding Jr. showed up at just about every party last year.
-Times I've spotted Penelope Cruz: twice. Brad Pitt: once. Borat: none.
-Times I've dropped my camera: none. Cell phone: twice.