It took an appearance by likely Oscar contender Taylor Swift for the Toronto International Film Festival to create a rock-concert mood among all the flashy premieres and eagerly awaited art-house fare.
Fans spent hours waiting in line to catch a peek of their favorite actress at TIFF to discuss “All Too Well: The Short Film” and watch it in 35mm.
When she eventually hit the stage at the TIFF Lightbox, she did not disappoint. Sadie Sink, the star of the short film, embellished the dress and made it seem stunning.
“Hi, I’m Taylor,” she greeted the crowd, which included jaded film critics, seasoned festival attendees, and vocally ebullient “Swifties,” to an ecstatic cry of approval.
Taylor Swift Wants An Oscar And Went To TIFF:
When the mini-movie debuted in November last year, it made quite the pop-culture splash. Google searches for “Taylor Swift scarf” increased dramatically. Dionne Warwick demanded Jake Gyllenhaal, the song’s ex-boyfriend, return the scarf that was immortalized in the lyrics to her. Taylor Swift tweeted, “Box it up and I will pay the cost of mail, Jake.” Even BTS jumped in, suggesting during the AMAs that she might already have “a million” scarves and doesn’t need them back.
Despite not being made available as a single, the song from Taylor’s album “Red” was streamed in its entirety (10 minutes), and the re-recorded version, “Red (Taylor’s Version),” went gold.
Following the screening, Swift and the moderator, CEO of the festival Cameron Bailey, discussed specifics like the meanings of the title cards in short and the colors used in the film.
What was the importance of the difference between warm and cool lighting, Bailey queried in response to a tweet from a fan? Swift elaborated on the chilly blues she envisioned for the boyfriend’s house, how they contrasted with the warm tones of the couple together when they first fell in love, and how the cool returned to the lead character throughout the breakup.
