With sixteen of E1’s films at TIFF this year, we aren’t actually sure how Charlene manages. Before the festival she is furiously organizing pre-screenings for the media, arranging interviews, managing the impending arrival of international celebrities – not to mention the organization that goes into E1’s party, and the subsequent film after parties that are scattered throughout the maniacal ten days. During TIFF? Charlene will be bouncing from screenings to junkets to cocktails. 

Remember that goodwill story when Collin Farrel helped a homeless man? Charlene dishes about past festival moments, how Cold F/X will get her through 2010 and why, despite the demanding hours, she loves her job.

How are you preparing for TIFF right now? Lots of coffee for when I’m tired, chocolate for when I’m anxious, and Cold F/X.

During TIFF, where would we most likely find you at 2PM? At 2AM?
2PM – in the halls of a hotel, trying to salvage our press schedule.
2AM – either at an after party with talent or in the office preparing the next day’s talent schedule.

What has been your most memorable TIFF party to date? Why? 
I can’t say the film, for risk of disclosing the talent, but everything that could have gone wrong, did and no-one was the wiser. I will say it involved a good-looking actor, a very talented director and way too much celebration! Best part? They still showed up for the 9am press junket the next day.

What’s your celebrity story, or moment, that gets rehashed most at dinner parties?
You are asking me to disclose my best stories publicly!

Top two best moments:
1 – When Colin Farrel re-routed our car on the way to a junket to help a homeless man with cash and life supplies; it renewed my faith in celebrities.
2 – When a boy from Brazil waited in line for hours at a red carpet to meet his idol – a director at last year’s festival. We pulled him out of the barriers and had him pose on the red carpet with the director and while on the carpet, the director offered to put the boy in his next film! We have that promise on camera so I hope he delivers that promise one day.

What are three things you need to survive during TIFF?
1. A fashionable pair of heels you can wear for fourteen hours.
2. A purse filled with everything you can possibly imagine a talent asking you for.
3. The best support team of publicists to get through it together! I’m very lucky to have the team that I do.

What film are you looking forward to most this year? Are you kidding? We don’t have time to see films during TIFF. I hear the line-up is great this year.

What party are you most excited about this year? Our eOne Corporate party as many of our talent will be on the red carpet together – one location, one great photo opportunity!

If you could pick the brain of one filmmaker, who would it be? There are so many. My favourite part of my job is the time I  have been able to spend with some of the most iconic directors of our time. I have been very lucky. Two on my list that I would have loved to have met: Cecil B. DeMille or John Huston.

If you could grab a drink with one celeb who is attending TIFF this year, who would you choose? Is Robert Redford coming?

What’s the first thing you’ll do once TIFF is over? Sleep. It’s not an original answer, but it’s the truth.