tiff 24 ICK World Premiere Zeke Jones Interview with Robert Aaron Mitchell

 

The first Saturday is very special during the Toronto International Film Festival. King street is closed for festival street. There are a lot of food trucks, film related vendors, music fills the air. The hot humid late Toronto summer gives way to a brisk evening. The sun sets, the city glows and around The Royal Alexandria the buzz of the audience making their way to midnight movie can be heard. This year the buzz was palpable as Joseph Kahn returned to the Midnight Madness programme with his latest film, Ick. A creature feature, much different then his underground hip hop battle movie, Bodied - which was a huge hit in 2017 at tiff. Joseph assured me that the audience would have a different yet equal amazing film experience. At the red carpet world premiere I was able to talk with actor Zeke Jones who plays Griffin in the movie Ick. Here is our conversation. 

tiff 24 ICK World Premiere Interview Harrison Cone with Robert Aaron Mitchell

 

Excitement was definitely in the air surrounding The Royal Alexandria theatre as the first Saturday of the Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival was nearing the midnight hour. Anticipation was high as Joseph Kahn's new film Ick was set to have it's World Premiere. Kahn's previous film Bodied also received it's World Premiere at Midnight Madness. That screening was one of the all time great premieres of the programme. Ick is Kahn's take on the creature feature. As he said to me he wanted to make a film that he watched as a kid in the 1980s. I spoke with actor Harrison Cone who plays quarterback Dylan on the red carpet

tiff 24 DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY 鬼才之道 World Premiere John Hsu & Gingle Wang interviews with Robert Aaron Mitchell

 

For a movie to be premiere during the first Friday at the Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival you know it has to be special. John Hsu's Dead Talents Society is a film made with a lot of love and heart. The story itself is infused with a lot of love, heart and found family. 

In the world of Dead Talents Society when one has passed away and entered the realm of the newly dead the person has to start scary the living or in 30 days they will cease to exist all together. Gingle Wang plays The Rookie, a teen who has suddenly passed away. She must start to scare people to acquire a hunter's license to stave off complete non-existence. There is only one giant, glaring problem, The Rookie does not posses any talent to scare anyone. 

Having failed spectacularly in front of a jury of specters. The Rookie meets Makato (Bo-lin Chen) who is sympathetic to her dilemma. He introduces her to his crew. Most notably, Catherine (Sandrine Pinna) and a hilarious side kick played by Soso Tseng. 

Here is my conversation with director/writer John Hsu and actor Gingle Wang:

tiff 24 ICK World Premiere Mena Suvari interview with Robert Aaron Mitchell

 

The last time I saw Mena Suvari in Toronto was in 2007 when she was at the Midnight Madness World Premiere of Stuart Gordon's Stuck. It was great to speak with her ahead of the World Premiere of Joseph Kahn's new creature feature, Ick. Always a delight, smart, funny and insightful. Here is Mena and I's conversation on the Midnight Madness red carpet at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

tiff 24 ICK World Premiere Brandon Routh interview with Robert Aaron Mitchell

 

The excitement was very present the first Saturday of Midnight Madness at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. As present as the mysterious substance that is everywhere in Joseph Kahn's new creature feature, ICK. The ick is around doing not much, until it is doing something...trying to consume everyone in it's path. Leading the stellar cast is Brandon Routh. Brandon plays Hank a guy who had it all, quarterback, the girl Staci (Mena Suvari) and then it's all gone like a Mellencamp song. He starts working at the high school as a janitor and becomes a science teacher. He is still in contact with Staci and her husband Peter (Ted Kim) As the ick begins to threaten the town Brandon leads the town in a heroic charge against the mysterious substance. In person, Brandon is a delight, charming, charismatic and possessing great sense of humor. Here is our conversation.

tiff 24 DANIELA FOREVER World Premiere Interview with Bèatrice Grannô

 

Nacho Vigalondo's Daniela Forever received it's World Premiere at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The film played in the prestigious Platform section. I was on the red carpet and spoke with actor Bèatrice Grannô who plays the title role Daniela.

tiff 24 DANIELA FOREVER World Premiere Interview with Henry Golding

 

 

Nacho Vigalondo's latest film Daniela Forever received it's World Premiere in the prestigious Platform section at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. I was on the red carpet for the premiere and spoke with actor Henry Golding about his acting process, grief and working with Nacho Vigalondo.

tiff 24 DANIELA FOREVER World Premiere Interview with Nacho Vigalondo

 

 

Nacho Vigalondo's latest film Daniela Forever received it's World Premiere at the 49th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was in the prestigious Platform section of the festival. I was on hand and was able to talk about the movie, dreams, grief, the internal struggles of being an artist. The first time I interviewed Nacho was in 2011 when one of his short films was included in ABC's of Death which also had a world premiere at tiff in the Midnight Madness programme.

THE BOBBY DIAMONDS STORY North American Premiere at The Toronto Smartphone Film Festival

 

                     Robert Aaron Mitchell on the red carpet at The Toronto Smartphone Film Festival 

                    With Executive Producer Sarah Dillard Mitchell

                                                    Director Robert Aaron Mitchell

Here is the post-screening Q&A

REVENGE World Premiere Interviews with Director/Writer Coralie Fargeat & Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz

                        Coralie Fargeat & Matilda Lutz share a laugh with Robert Mitchell

One of the most anticipated films the 2017 Midnight Madness lineup at the Toronto International Film Festival was the feature length film debut of writer & director Coralie Fargeat. The plot of the film revolves around three married men one of the guys Richard (Keven Janssens) takes his mistress on an annual hunting trip. It is a trip that will have irreparable actions and dire consequences. Here is Robert Mitchell's interview with Coralie and Matilda.


Here is the complete Midnight Madness post-screening Q&A

BODIED World Premiere Interviews Joseph Kahn, Dizaster, Alex Larsen aka Kid Twist, Charlamagne Tha God

                Dizaster speaking with Robert Mitchell at the world premiere of Bodied.

Bodied, the new film directed by Joseph Kahn and written by Alex Larsen aka Kid Twist was the opening movie of the 2017 Midnight Madness programme at the Toronto International Film Festival and it rocked the Ryerson Theatre. Robert Mitchell was on the red carpet and spoke with director Joseph Kahn, writer/actor Alex Larsen, Dizaster, Charlamagne Tha God, Calum Worthy and Rory Uphold.