Canada will host Designing 007 - 50 Years of Bond Style exhibition

In celebration of James Bond's monumental 50th anniversary, Piers Handling, CEO and Director, TIFF, and Noah Cowan, Artistic Director, TIFF Bell Lightbox, announced details for the North American premiere of Designing 007 - Fifty Years of Bond Style. This exhibition is currently on display in the Barbican in London, UK. From October 26, 2012 to January 20, 2013, this innovative exhibition will move to TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Canada and focus on the distinctly British luxuriance of the world's most iconic movie brand and its influence on art, music, lifestyle, automotive design, travel, technology and fashion over the course of five decades. Designing 007 - Fifty Years of Bond Style is curated by the Barbican Centre, with guest-curation by fashion historian Bronwyn Cosgrave and Academy Award®–winning costume designer Lindy Hemming, and designed by Ab Rogers. TIFF’s exhibition will feature a series of accompanying film programmes to be announced at a later date. The exhibition is organized by Barbican Centre, London, in partnership with EON Productions.

Previously unseen costumes, lavish recreated sets, iconic gadgets, props, original photographs and concept drawings are set to thrill audiences in celebration of half a century of the most charming and sophisticated of secret agents

“After 50 years of popularity the James Bond franchise continues to entertain and intrigue audiences around the world,” said Handling. “We are delighted to have collaborated with one of Europe’s most prestigious institutions to bring this unique exhibition to TIFF Bell Lightbox for its first North American stop.”

Designing 007 - Fifty Years of Bond Style is a natural progression for TIFF Bell Lightbox,” said Cowan. “This in-depth examination of one of the most significant film and cultural icons of all time will offer new and familiar visitors an unprecedented look at the cutting-edge design and décor of the Bond legacy, charting its influence on contemporary society and on the actiongenre as a whole.”

Highlights confirmed to date include the steel teeth worn by Richard “Jaws” Kiel in The Spy Who Loved Me (1997); storyboards for Diamonds are Forever (1971); the Anthony Sinclair overcoat worn by Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962); the poker table from Casino Royale (2006); multiple gadgets from Q Branch including the attaché case given to Bond in From Russia With Love (1963); and the 1961 United Artists/Eon Productions contract to produce the James Bond film series.

Announcements with further details will be made in the coming months, check the Bond Lifestyle event page for updates.

About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

About Eon Productions
EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with MGM, the copyright in the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films as well as all worldwide merchandising. EON Productions, an affiliate of Danjaq, is the UK based production company which makes the James Bond films. The 007 franchise is the longest running in film history with twenty-two films produced since 1962. Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. They are currently producing the 23rd film, SkyFall.

TIFF is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L'Oréal Paris, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.