Actually, I’m back from TO and home sweet home in NYC but thoroughly rocked out to TIFF11! I absolutely loved every minute of the five days I was there, including highlights: Talking to Madonna at the press conference on Monday for W.E. (on the best career advice she’d ever been given); listened to Francis Ford Coppola at a presser say he “failed my way upward” (Really?!) and oh-so-much-more!
Apparently it took 30 years for his movies to catch on and become a hit. Oh, Friday was a real hoot with the Moneyball presser as well as Ides of March…(so yes, Brad Pitt and George Clooney were present! Needless to say, adrenalin was pumping and by 8 p.m. I was exhausted!)…this is in addition to the super intensely fun red carpet ride!
Ah, so much fun! Also, loved hearing Gerard Butler saying how he looks at new projects in terms of how he can venture outside the comfort zone. Yet more career prowess we can learn from celebs who risked it all. Seriously, at one point or another most of them were starving artists and believed in themselves to the ends of the earth to pursue their dreams!
Fabulous! Just fabulous. Can’t wait to go back next year now that I’ve learned the ins and outs of the fest and press lounge, etc. So sparkly. MWUAH!
ps. Did I mention I asked Madonna a career-related question?! 
Vicki Salemi is a vivacious media personality, author, journalist and die-hard Yankees fan!
