Variety and Chanel rolled out the red carpet on Saturday night for their annual Women in Film Dinner during the Toronto Film Festival. Shailene Woodley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ethan Hawke, Jessie Buckley, Zachary Quinto and Edgar Ramirez were among the VIP attendees to converge at Soho House for the posh event hosted by Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh.
Guests in town with TIFF film, including Bob Odenkirk (“Normal”), James McAvoy (“California Schemin’”) and Ben Foster (“Christy”) nibbled on salmon crudo, shogun maitake and branzino as they toasted this year’s recipients of Chanel’s Women Writers’ Network. The year-round program was created to kickstart the careers of women and non-binary alumni of the TIFF Writers’ Studio.
Setoodeh, along with TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Chanel Canada CEO Gregoire Collignon, addressed the revelers with speeches that underscored the strides being made by women behind the camera.
Guest, Anna Diop at the CHANEL & Variety Women in Film dinner during the Toronto International Film Festival held at the Soho House Toronto on September 06, 2025 in Toronto, Canada.
Michelle Quance
“We understand the importance of representation. Everyone who goes to the movies wants to see themselves reflected on the big screen,” Setoodeh said. “So this is really critical work by Chanel. In the six years that we’ve done this event, we have seen first-time screenwriters meet some of the industry’s biggest actors and directors. We’ve seen producers get to know upcoming talent, and we’ve seen connections at this dinner fuel year-round collaborations.”
For Bailey, whose festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary, men must play a role in inclusion efforts in order for them to succeed.
Added Bailey: “Yes, you’re three dudes up here talking about supporting women. But if men don’t support women in film, change does not happen. So we are here because we are committed to the goals of this program. … We are in a celebratory mood. There’s a lot to celebrate over the last five decades of what we do. And part of it is the change that we have made. The evolution we have made in terms of representation. … We are committed to ensure that women and non-binary creators are empowered to lead the future of cinema.”
Woodley, Mbatha-Raw and Buckley are all Chanel brand ambassadors, as were others in attendance like “Couture” director Alice Winocour and stars Anyier Anei and Ella Rumpf, as well as “Franz” actress Katharina Stark and London Rapper Little Simz.
Cary Elwes, Guest at the CHANEL & Variety Women in Film dinner during the Toronto International Film Festival held at the Soho House Toronto on September 06, 2025 in Toronto, Canada.
Michelle Quance
Odenkirk — who was accompanied by his wife, manager Naomi Odenkirk — talked about how he plans to show his “Fargo”-esque dark comedy “Normal” to the law enforcement community. The film, which sees Odenkirk playing a small-town sheriff, will spark conversations about inclusivity. “I know a lot of cops, and I want them to see this movie. It’s important for them to see this type of representation onscreen.”