In 2009, Canadian director Paul Haggis founded Artists for Peace and Justice, a non-profit organization supporting communities in Haiti through programs in education, health and dignity. The Academy Award winner chose TIFF to launch APJ, and he’s been holding events at the festival ever since. Last night, he hosted, along with the CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos and NKPR president Natasha Koifman, a cocktail party at La Societe restaurant and today, there’s the APJ lunch, co-hosted by Jude Law and Trudie Styler, members of Arcade Fire, Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk in the backyard of the University of Toronto President’s Estate.
We caught up with Haggis and APJ’s CEO David Bell at the IT Lounge yesterday to find out more about the organization and what the director is currently working on.