FILM | Toronto International Film Festival 2012
With cinephile hearts pounding in anticipation, today marks the first day of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Running until September 16th, this year's festival boasts over 300 films in every genre from over 60 countries. Check out our lists of Top 10 Movies to Watch and 10 Movies Getting The Most Advance Buzz for the best of this year's festival. If you're in it just for the celebrity sightings, head down to festival central in the King West neighbourhood and try not to be too creepy. Tickets are available through the TIFF website and at the Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West).
Various theatres 9AM ticket prices may vary

FASHION | Fashion's Night Out
Finally, Fashion's Night Out arrives in Toronto, taking over boutiques, retail stores and shopping centres for five hours tonight to drive local consumerism in an effort to ensure we're all well dressed. Happening worldwide tonight at 6PM, this initiative that originated in New York City will feature events happening across Toronto in high-end stores like Holt Renfrew as well as fast fashion shops like H&M but we'd recommend trying out local boutiques like RAC's Bazaar at The Burroughes and Comrags collaborative event with Plaid Magazine. For more info, check out our full preview post.
Various locations 6PM Free

ART | WE ARE LIGHT RAYS
Film and photography converge in this projection by multimedia artist Sook-Yin Lee, where a sequence of unlinked photographs is projected to create a narrative. Curated by Rafi Ghanaghounian and presented with the Toronto International Film Festival Future Projections, Lee's work is both stunning and mysterious in how it connects images of solitary humans into a film. WE ARE LIGHT RAYS opens at Oz Studios tonight with an Q&A between Lee and painter Margaux Williamson happening at the gallery on Saturday at 3PM. It will remain on display until September 16th.
Oz Studios (134 Ossington Avenue) 7PM Free

PHOTOGRAPHY | Close
In close proximity to loved ones, comfort exists. This is the thesis behind Michelle Louise Wilson's Close, a photography exhibit featuring her friends and acquaintances with their loved ones to portray the meaning of closeness. The opening reception happens tonight at Campbell House Museum, where Wilson's photography will examine the unpenetrated world that exists between two human beings who are close with one another. The exhibit closes October 5th.
Campbell House Museum (160 Queen Street West) 5PM Free

ILLUSTRATION | "It's An Illustration Show!"
When it comes to making art entertaining, #Hashtag Gallery never fails and tonight's presentation of Sketch Motel's illustrations will not disappoint. The international sketch group gathers this evening for a display of commercial artwork from artists like Anna Shipside, Charlene Chua, Jack Dylan and 10 others whose client lists include companies like Rolling Stones, Coca-Cola, Google and National Geographic. Join #Hashtag for the opening reception tonight but be sure to catch the exhibit before it packs its bags on the 21st.
#Hashtag Gallery (801 Dundas Street West) 7PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• Book Launch: "Warrior Nation: Rebranding Canada in an Age of Anxiety" by Ian McKay and Jamie Swift
• THE HUNT
• Social Media Debate - Don Tapscott & Andrew Keen
• Sheer Agony, Freelove Fenner and Isla Craig
• FASHION ON FILM

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by Oscar Tosso in the blogTO Flickr pool