Jaunted

Where to Stay:
The Fairmont Royal York has been a mainstay for celebrities and industry hot shots in town for TIFF. In honor of the festival, they are offering a special TIFF and the City package, which includes one night’s accommodation in a Fairmont Gold Room, deluxe continental breakfast in the Fairmont Gold Lounge, evening hors d’ oeuvres in the Fairmont Gold Lounge, two martinis in the Library Bar, one in-room On-Command movie, two Film Passes (up to 5 regular screenings each), TIFF guest swag bag, 2009 Program Book, the 2009 Official Film Schedule and two CN Tower Passes, all of which is presented to you by a private concierge upon your arrival. The package starts at $389—such a steal for all of this!

Where to Eat:
Pangaea Restaurant is one of the city's celebrity hot spots during the festival; Bono and Diane Keaton have both been spotted here during recent fests. This posh restaurant has an incredible selection of teas from around the world and an equally impressive wine list, but their specialties are inventive entrees like the Ontario Lamb, a roasted loin of lamb with sautéed turnips, radish pods, baby carrots and fondant potatoes for $38.95, or the Wild Striped Bass served with ven roasted, braised pearl onion, sautéed fava beans, sweet peas, fennel and fresh herb beurre blanc which is also $38.95.

What Else To Do:
Its easy to get burned out on films during the festival with over 300 movies being screened at this year's fest, ranging from local fare to big-name blockbusters. It's therefore a great idea to have something else planned while in Toronto that has nothing to do with cinema. Through January 3rd, the Royal Ontario Museum is featuring a special exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls that includes 17 scrolls, four of which have never been displayed before. The museum is open from 11am to 5:30pm on weekdays and between 10am and 5:30pm on weekends. You can buy advanced tickets online for $28.00.

Related Stories:
· TIFF [Official Site]
· TIFF Itinerary: Where to Shop, Eat and Spot the Stars [Toronto.com]
· George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Mariah Carey among stars to shine at Toronto Film Festival [L.A. Times]
· Film Festivals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Fest 21]