The boutique PR agency, that recently moved to swanky new digs on Adelaide and nearly doubled in size, is not only behind some of TIFF’s hottest parties but Natasha is also the founder of the IT Lounge and sits on the Advisory Board for Artists for Peace and Justice. This year the star-studded fundraiser has moved from the Windsor Arms to Pears on the Avenue and director Paul Haggis will once again host but will be joined this year by James Franco and Anna Lynne McCord. Natasha has been instrumental in growing this charity, that is committed to changing the lives of children in Haiti. 

Although Natasha will most certainly be working around the clock, she always looks effortlessly polished, poised and ready for whatever crazy scenario TIFF unleashes. For all of you budding publicists, Natasha offers terrific insight into the biz, but more importantly shows us how forming strong relationships can lead to global positive action and change, which certainly debunks the myth that PR is ‘fluff.’ 

How are you preparing for TIFF right now? I’m putting in 16-hour days, seven days a week right now, so it’s pretty crazy! The stress can pile up, so a few times a week I put on my Brooks shoes and squeeze in a run. (I’m training for a half-marathon, so that helps keep me motivated!) Plus, I have the most amazing team working with me on all of our festival-timed projects. The hours are long but we laugh the whole time, so it doesn’t actually feel like work. Also, since so many of the parties and events are downtown and uptown, the excitement surrounding this year is pretty energizing.

During TIFF, where would we most likely find you at 2pm? At 2 am? At 2 p.m., I’ll be at the IT Lounge, which is our celebrity gifting suite. (It’s being held at our offices at 312 Adelaide St. W.) And since it’s a downtown and an uptown thing this year, at 2 a.m. you can find me at TORO After Dark at Avenue and Davenport. It’s an industry-insider lounge presented by TOROmagazine.com, but we’re also hosting some really exciting events in this space, including a fundraiser for Artists for Peace and Justice and a preview exhibition of the NY Times Canadian Photo Archive.

What has been your most memorable TIFF party to date? Why? Definitely the fundraiser for Artists for Peace and Justice that we hosted in 2009. Aside from the money and the awareness that was raised for the children of Haiti, the red carpet was one of the most incredible that I’ve ever seen! Celebrities like Paul Haggis (who founded the charity), Olivia Wilde and Colin Farrell—who were formally dressed, by the way—had no qualms about dipping their feet in red paint as a symbol for creating change “one step at a time.” It was an unforgettable night. We set the bar high with that one, but this year’s September 11 fundraiser is going to be just as amazing!

What’s your celeb story or moment that gets re-hashed most at dinner parties? I love this story because it has not one, but three happy endings! Paul Haggis came into the IT Lounge in 2007 and he fell in love with one of the brands we featured, Heart Chocolate. A few weeks later, he sent me an email asking where he could buy it. Soon after that, he became a shareholder in the company, we became close friends and now I sit on the advisory board of Artists for Peace and Justice. I never get tired of telling that one. 

What are three things you need to survive during TIFF? I drink loads of FIJI Water to stay hydrated. I get my sugar fix with Baker Street. (They have these mini apple pies that are to die for!) I pretend to look rested by using Abyssine Eye Cream from Kiehl’s Since 1851—the caffeine in it keeps my eyes from getting puffy. (Oh, and caffeine in general is a must! I’ll take it any way I can get it—eye cream, pop, coffee, IV…) TIFF lasts nearly two weeks so I have to sneak in one more! I fill my closet with black dresses and accessories because you cannot go wrong with black. It’s my fashion staple all year round but it really simplifies my life during the festival.  

What film are you most looking forward to this year? There are so many good ones, but I think Blue Valentine is my pick. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are supposed to be amazing. Plus, I read that the writer/director spent 12 years in pre-production and wrote 67 drafts before the film finally got made. I’m so curious to see what all that work produced.

What party are you most excited about this year? That’s like asking someone to choose a favourite child! I have to name three—I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I didn’t.

1. The NY Times Canadian Photo Archive preview at TORO After Dark on September 9 is at the top of my list. Caitlin Cronenberg is curating it and her interpretation of the photos is completely breathtaking. People are going to be blown away.
2. Of course, the Artists for Peace and Justice fundraiser. It’s on September 11 and Paul Haggis, James Franco and AnnaLynne McCord are co-hosting. We’re going to raise a lot of money for the children of Haiti.
3. And who doesn’t love the InStyle party? It gets better every year. Can’t wait to see what they do this time! It’s on September 14.

If you could pick the brain of one filmmaker, who would it be? I’ve already picked the brain of my favourite: Paul Haggis. But I wouldn’t mind picking it again! I mean Crash and Million Dollar Baby? It feels weird saying this because he’s my friend, but wow—he’s a genius.

If you could grab a drink with one TIFF celeb, who would you choose? Natalie Portman. I think she’s so real and intelligent. She doesn’t get caught up in the whole Hollywood scene and she took time away from her career to study psychology… and at Harvard of all places! She even shaved her head for a role! She’s definitely the kind of person I’d have a drink with—a SKYY Vodka on ice because it’s vegan (her) and low cal (me). (I am training for a half-marathon, after all.)

What’s the first thing you’ll do once TIFF is over? I’ll be getting on a plane for New York Fashion Week. After that, I’ll probably go into hiding. I’ll stay in my house and hang out in my pajamas for three or four days, catch up on sleep and maybe eat some more of that Baker Street pie! What? The vodka was low cal and a girl’s got to eat.