We first met Demián Bichir four years ago, when he was in New York with his then-girlfriend, who we were photographing for our premiere issue of Corduroy. Though he is a major movie and television star in his native Mexico, Bichir was happy to stay on the sidelines that day four years ago, preferring to let his girlfriend be the focus of the shoot. Still, we were charmed by his charismatic personality and genuineness, and — without knowing much about his career — asked to also snap a few quick portraits of him later that day. He happily obliged.

Fast forward to 2012 and Bichir is earning raves for his role in last year’s Chris Weitz-directed, “A Better Life” – a film that follows an undocumented immigrant as he struggles to provide for his son amongst the harsh realities of day-to-day life in East L.A. The highlight for Bichir came when he was nominated for a SAG Award, alongside George Clooney, Leonard DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. As he told The Los Angeles Times recently, “This is my fellow peers voting, and that makes me immensely proud.”

We’re thrilled for him too and will be rooting for the underdog when the SAG Awards are presented later this month. In the meantime, we thought it would be nice to look back at our interview with Bichir, which we ran after we caught up with him for Issue #5 of Corduroy…

In his native Mexico, Demián Bichir is a superstar. With films like the record-breaking, Sex, Shame and Tears under his belt, his household-name-status among Mexicans hasn’t quelled his desire to establish himself as a creative force North of the border. With a high profile role in the cult-smash Weeds, and a blistering turn as polarizing icon Fidel Castro in Steven Soderbegh’s guerilla epic CHE, Bichir is on the road to ensuring that his status as a superstar won’t be contained by mere georgraphy.

Built like a leading man, with a grecian frame, smouldering eyes, and raw masculinity oozing from his fingertips, it would be easy for Bichir to rely solely on his looks. Instead, it’s a delicate sensitivity and passion for his craft, that drives him forward. Having grown up in a family where the arts–and especially the theatre–were always front and center, the actor discovered his destiny at an early age. “It helped a lot that my parents were in love with theater,” he says. “My father was a theater director and my mother an actress, and we spoke about that always at home. The fact that they loved art in general, that goes to the genes. Even if you don’t want it, it’s there.”

Like most teenage boys growing up in Mexico, Bichir harboured aspirations of playing soccer for the national team – aspirations that quickly melted away under the hot lights of the theater. “I realized everytime I stepped onto the stage that it was just a great feeling–like scoring a goal,” he says. “It was like a drug. You’re there forever, you’re hooked.”

That’s not to say that Bichir discriminates. After holding is own opposite Benicio Del Toro in CHE, his film career is in full swing. But like many actors, it’s not about the medium for Bichir; It’s about the project. It’s about the director, the cast, the script and most importantly–the character. And whether he’s working in Mexico, the United States, Spain, or China, it is his artistic sensibilities that guide him. According to Bichir, it’s our innate ability to feel emotion through art that makes us unique. “As humans, we’re always in touch with that part of ourselves,” he muses. “It’s everywhere. It’s in us.”

- Daniel Barna

(originally published in Corduroy Issue #5 / photograph by Peter Ash Lee)

And while we weren’t able to go to every screening or make it to every party (blame it on a small staff and a self-imposed curfew that seems earlier and earlier each year), we did our best to gauge the generally festive festival atmosphere. Here are our picks for the best and worst TIFF 2010 moments we experienced outisde a movie theatre.

BEST

TIFF-inspired cocktails at Grey Goose’s Soho House
The best place to spot celebrities after all the curtains closed was Grey Goose and Soho House’s collaborative pop-up venue at a nondescript church-turned-late-night-booze-den. Grey Goose’s global ambassadors and resident mixologists Ludovic Miazga and Dimitri Lezinska were on hand to discuss their luxurious TIFF-themed cocktails  (The Torontonian,” “Canada Goose,” and “Hollywood North Martini”), which were enjoyed all-fest-long by the likes of Josh Brolin, Blake Lively, Marion Cotillard, Josh Hartnett, James McAvoy, and pretty much every other A-lister that made the trip to Toronto.

NKPR’s IT Lounge
This year NKPR moved their annual IT Celebrity Gift lounge from the lush confines of The Windsor Arms Hotel to their more modern offices further south, following the festival’s much-publicized migration towards Toronto’s downtown core. The converted space featured displays and giveaways by the likes of Stila Cosmetics, Morrocanoil, Esprit, Sharpie, Kobo eReader, Fiji Water, and Baker Street Desserts, all of whom made contributions to Paul Haggis’ Haiti relief initiative Artists For Peace and Justice. Plus, who doesn’t like finding a fresh-baked apple pie and pack of Sharpies in their gift bag?!

Rock-It Promo’s Tastemakers Lounge
In another example of PR firms and gifting lounges doing good, Ryan Phillippe, Ryan Gosling and Abigail Breslin were among the celebs who signed a Mattel board game to be auctioned off in support of SickKids Foundation. (Click HERE for all the details). Actors also took a moment to sign the Tastemakers’ RBC guest board, which will go to SickKids Foundation along with a $10,000-donation from RBC, after the festival.

Blake Lively. The Movie Star.
With established screen sirens Natalie Portman, Hilary Swank, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, and a slew of others in attendance this year, it was actually a small-screen queen that stole the show. When Blake Lively walked the red carpet at The Town premiere in a red sequined mini-dress, we couldn’t help but feel like we were watching the birth of a movie star.

Golf Carts and Parking Garages
We kicked TIFF off with a bang, speeding through a parking garage at breakneck speed on golf carts, en route to Absolut Vodka’s rooftop party celebrating art and music. Now if only we had our very own golf cart for the rest of the fest.

WORST

Score: A Hockey Musical Opens TIFF
When we first heard a fellow journalist mention that a musical based on Canada’s beloved sport would open the Film Festival, we thought it was her snide attempt at post-patriotic snark. We wish we were right.

Rain Rain Go Away
The first Saturday of TIFF is notoriously its most action-packed, and this year was no different. With half our team at Hayden Christensen’s party at Ultra, and the other half at the James Franco-hosted APJ fundraiser, the only thing that could ruin our night was a torrential downpour. Lo and behold, that’s exactly what we got. Though it didn’t exactly kill the evening, it sure did put a damper on artist Peter Tunney’s interactive red carpet at the APJ fundraiser, and made the general festivities at Ultra a little more, well, wet.

Ace of Base Performs at The amFAR Gala
In case you haven’t noticed, we love “Where Are They Now” pieces more than anyone, but Ace of Base’s performance at the amFAR’s glitzy black tie fundraiser for Cinema Against Aids seemed oddly out of place.

Autograph Hounds in Front of The InterContinental Hotel
We love celebrities as much as anyone, but even we were a bit confused by the 12 hour celebrity stakeouts happening outside press junket central, The InterContinental hotel. We understand the pandemonium when the likes of Keanu Reeves or Will Ferrell walked through the revolving doors, but for child actor Kodi Smit-Mcphee? Now that’s over doing it.

-Daniel Barna

The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival is officially a wrap, and a large handful of films have emerged victorious. Usually a trustworthy barometer for upcoming award show glory, TIFF once again has annointed a roster of stellar candidates as this year’s chosen ones. Here are the ten films that stood out for us; though some are destined for Oscar gold, and others are still searching for distribution deals, they’re all must-sees.

Read on for a list of our favorite films from the week…

Black Swan: Darren Aronofsky’s ballet thriller was the most buzzed-about film of the fest and with good reason. Natalie Portman shines as a ballerina on the brink in this twisted Polanskian psychodrama.

Biutiful: Acclaimed Mexican director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu forgoes his trademark temporal trickery (Babel, 21 Grams) for a straightforward tale about a morally conflicted man trying to raise his children in an economically unforgiving Barcelona. Oh, and he’s dying of cancer. Javier Bardem is virtually assured a third Oscar nomination.

Ceremony: With Hollywood’s newest golden boy Jason Reitman serving as executive producer and Uma Thurman starring in this witty tale of unrequited love, dont expect Max Winkler’s assured feature directorial debut to remain sans-distributor for long. One of the most pleasant surprises of the festival.

Blue Valentine: We tend to fall for anything Ryan Gosling does, but this tumultuous look at the disintegration of a marriage (Michelle Williams plays the other half) may be our fellow Canadian’s best work yet. Absolutely dripping with Oscar buzz.

The King’s Speech: No other film was as unanimously lauded as The Audience Award winner that features Colin Firth (photo at right) as a king trying to overcome his stutter. Past Audience Award winners include Precious, Slumdog Millionaire, and American Beauty, making Tom Hooper’s touching story an automatic Oscar frontrunner.

Never Let Me Go: Mark Romanek’s poetic and tragic look at the lives of a trio of teenagers (Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, and Andrew Garfield) growing up in a dystopian Britain was one of the fest’s biggest weepers. If you missed it, fear not, Never Let Me Go will be in select theaters just in time for awards season.

Rabbit Hole: This nuanced look at parents (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart) trying to cope with the loss of their son manages to avoid the many cliches we’ve come to expect in such dramas. Director John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig And The Angry Inch, Shortbus) shows a surprisingly deft hand.

Incendies: We spoke to one of the heads of TIFF’s Canadian programming committee, who told us that each year, over 200 Canadian features are submitted, and just over twenty get selected. This year, Denis Villeneuve’s harrowing saga of a set of twins who embark on an epic journey to The Middle East to untangle their roots, was the best of Canada’s especially strong showing.

Brighton Rock: First-time director Rowan Joffe has taken one of Graham Greene’s most polarizing novels and turned it into a masterful and moody study of behaviour, violence, and religion, set in the noir world of gang-infested 1960′s Brighton, England. Sam Riley is spellbinding as the sadistic street thug Pinkie.

The Illusionist: We still haven’t been able to shake Sylvain Chomet’s phantasmagorical animated feature Triplets of Belleville, and the French master has done it again with his beautiful tale of an aging magician who befriends a young Scottish peasant girl. The almost dialogue-free film isn’t for everyone, but it’s sheer beauty is entrancing.

- Daniel Barna

Moscot @ The Moscot Gallery: Our favorite eyewear designers will welcome world-renowned recording artist and DJ Theophilus Monk to The Moscot Gallery (118 Orchard Street) where all Moscot originals will be available for 15% off. House Jams Wine will be providing free refreshments making this event the perfect starting point for your epic FNO journey.

Patty Smyth @ Bulgari: Though this may be one of the higher profile events, the opportunity to see an American rock legend play two sets (for free!) at the luxury goods retailer’s 5th Avenue outpost is simply a can’t-miss. Expect a crowd.

“Non Fashion People’s” Fashion Night Out @ Partner & Spade: The always avant-garde retail space is once again pushing the limits with its showcase of non-designer’s designs. A police officer, a toddler, a farmer, and Vena Cava designer Lisa Mayock’s father will all be featuring original pieces. This one’s for the sartorially adventurous.

Sonic Youth does FNO @ Sportmax: Rock renaissance couple Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame will be teaming up for this indie extravaganza at Maxmara’s affordable West Broadway atelier. Kim will be unveiling her new collection “Carte Blanche” while hubby Moore DJ’s.

Sweet Treat @ Odin: When the sun starts to rise and you think you’re all shopped out, head to Odin to re-fuel. Designers Sam Shipley and Jeff Halmos will be serving up Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale and Honey ice cream creates sepcifically for FNO. Yum!

-Daniel Barna

-Daniel Barna