Penn Film Brings Alaskan Wild to the Hyatt

Paramount Vantage, distributor of the Sean Penn-directed film Into the Wild, looked no further than the film’s lush depictions of Alaska’s rugged landscape for inspiration in creating a post-premiere celebration that would become one of the stand-out events of the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. Paramount worked with Designing Trendz to transform the Roof II Lounge of the Park Hyatt Hotel into a glacial wilderness, replete with illuminated white sofas and pillows, ice sculptures, and frosty blue lighting. Crystal candelabra and white rose flower arrangements supported the icy colour palette, while dark onyx beverage bars, inscribed with lyrics from the Cat Stevens anti-civilization anthem “Miles from Nowhere,” provided contrast.

“Our goal was to capture the essence of the film in a classy, discreet, and perfectly set environment,” said Elizabeth Tramontozzi, with Paramount Vantage, adding “I wanted to create an atmosphere that was comfortable and fun for our guests, but still unique to the film.”A series of signature cocktails and a meticulously-timed menu of edibles kept the A-list crowd fuelled into the early hours of Monday morning. Timing was of the essence, considering the exclusive gathering began at midnight. Guests sipped cocktails with themes such as Arctic Mojitos and dined on a diverse menu inspired by the places the film’s protagonist, Christopher McCandless, visited on his journey to Alaska. The courses included South of the Border smoked hen enchilada and queso mancheo stuffed jalapenos; From the Badlands spiced venison skewers and crumb crusted whitefish cakes; and From the Mountains mushroom sticks with spicy plum sauce. But From the Cities, a comfort food course served from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., was the culinary delight that made the papers the next day. This decadent offering included silver-dollar pancakes with maple syrup, petite pots of mac ‘n’ cheese, and root beer floats.

Celebrity guests in attendance included Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Harvey Weinstein, Catherine Keener, and of course, Sean Penn. When they departed, guests received parting gift bags containing perfumes and colognes such as Gwen Stefani’s L, a L.A.M.B. and Calvin Klein’s Euphoria Men from event sponsor Coty.