Pop on a pair of shades because Toronto is officially in the spotlight for the next 10 days. The 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the world’s most illustrious film festivals, kicks off today.  Each day we’ll bring you a compilation of the swankiest gala premiers, must-see films and posh parties throughout the city.

Gala Presentation: The Fifth Estate
TIFF opens with one of the year’s most anticipated conversation pieces, a thriller about the rise of WikiLeaks and the consequences of exposing high-level abuses of power.
Details: VISA Screening Room (Elgin Theatre), 6:30 pm; Roy Thomson Hall, 8 pm
Star Power: Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl.

Throwback: The Big Chill 30^th Anniversary
The Big Chill was like TheBreakfast Club for baby boomers, first exploring an ensemble of characters that defined (then dashed) a generation’s hopes and dreams. Now 30 years after its festival-defining screening at TIFF 1983, The Big Chill is back – and so are its mega-watt stars.
Details: Princess of Wales, 6 pm
Star Power: Glenn Close, Tom Berenger, Meg Tilly, Mary Kay Place, JoBeth Williams

Must-See Film: Only Lovers Left Alive
While ‘tweens are still bleeding love for vampire mania, American indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch brings a decidedly more adult tale about an undead underground musician, his wife and her rambunctious sister.
Details: Ryerson Theatre, 9 pm to 11 pm
Star Power: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin

Tonight’s Best Parties:

TIFF Official Opening Party
The big kick-off, also an after-party for The Fifth Estate’s gala screening, goes down tonight at Maple Leaf Square, where jugglers and graffiti set the tone for thousands of attendees.

Grey Goose Soho House
The members-only club will be shrouding some of the swankest celebs within its dimly lit walls all week as they unwind between premiers and interviews. Stars like Keira Knightley and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have sipped Soho cocktails for years, but the club’s three-storey Adelaide & University digs are still relatively new.

Down The Line Launch Party
Keep it casual at The Drake Hotel’s opening bash, a down-and-dirty hotel-wide event with Keys N Krates on the turntables (plus a surprise guest!) and a tattoo parlour for more impulsive attendees. Budweiser offers a special malt brewed on-site, but the Jameson, Beefeater and Stella will also be flowing.

Nikki Beach Party
There are sure to be fewer yachts on the horizon, but Saint-Tropez’s Nikki Beach pop-up brings all the swagger of France’s famed beach club to Toronto for another year. The festival’s finest will be sipping Avion Tequila and Elyx Vodka on the roof.