The History of the Toronto International Film Festival

Thornhill, Ontario, resident Ricardo Mashregi draws on an accomplished history in US and Canadian securities trading to perform duties as president and owner of KNC Ticker Group, Inc., which he launched in 2010. Outside of his demanding career, Ricardo Mashregi enjoys a number of hobbies, including watching new and classic movies and attending film festivals. A film buff, he has attended the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) annually for the last 15 years.

Founded in 1976 as the Festival of Festivals, TIFF quickly distinguished itself as a world-class film festival. In 2012, more than 400,000 people attended TIFF to watch in excess of 370 films from 72 countries. For many major film directors and creators, TIFF provided an important setting to reach receptive audiences. Michael Moore, John Woo, and David Cronenberg all premiered films at TIFF early in their careers.

While TIFF occurs once a year, the affiliated TIFF Bell Lightbox centre encourages film appreciation and organizes exhibitions year-round in the heart of Toronto. Furthermore, several smaller programmes support TIFF’s central mission. These initiatives include the TIFF Kids International Film Festival and TIFF Cinematheque.

Ricardo Mashregi – History of the Toronto International Film Festival

The president of KNC Ticker Group, Inc., Ricardo Mashregi engages in proprietary trading of Canadian and United States securities. During his spare time, Ricardo Mashregi enjoys the cinema and watches approximately 70 movies each year. He has attended the Toronto International Film Festival for the past 15 years.

One of the world’s most popular attractions for cinephiles, the Toronto International Film Festival started in 1976. Created by Bill Marshall, Henk Van der Kolk, and Dusty Cohl, the event originally billed itself as “The Festival of Festivals.” Its goal focused on bringing the best works from other film festivals to Canadian audiences. The inaugural event welcomed 35,000 film fans who watched 127 movies from 30 countries. Its most notable offerings included a retrospective on German cinema with features from Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders, among others.

Over the next 35 years, the Toronto International Film Festival continued to grow in prestige. Several famous directors, including David Cronenberg, Michael Moore, and John Woo, credit the event for kick starting their careers by introducing their creations to wider audiences. The Toronto International Film Festival hosted more than 400,000 visitors for the 2012 festivities. For information about future events, visit www.tiff.net.

Ricardo Mashregi – Basic Steps to Making Wine

As president of Toronto-based KNC Ticker Group, Inc., Ricardo Mashregi is responsible for trading equities in the United States and Canada. Prior to his current position, Mr. Mashregi held posts as a trader with large brokerages such as Merrill Lynch Canada and the Friedberg Mercantile Group. When not on the trading floor, Ricardo Mashregi is an avid moviegoer and wine enthusiast who enjoys and possesses extensive knowledge of fine wines. Here are a few of the basic steps involved in winemaking. Harvesting the grapes – In August or September when the grapes ripen, winemakers harvest the grapes and send them to the winery to be crushed. The seeds and skin are kept intact for red wines, but both are removed for white wines when crushed. Fermenting the wine – Fermentation of the wine can occur naturally, or winemakers can encourage fermentation by adding a yeast culture to the juice. The process of fermentation occurs when the yeast begins to process the sugars found in the juice. Aging the wine – After fermentation, the wine is stored in tanks or oak barrels to begin the aging process. Wines should be allowed to age for a period of three months to a few years.

Toronto International Film Festival to Host David Cronenberg Exhibit

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Ricardo Mashregi currently serves as owner and president of the KNC Ticker Group, Inc., based in Toronto. In his spare time, Ricardo Mashregi enjoys fine wines and good movies, viewing approximately 70 movies annually. As an avid moviegoer, Mr. Mashregi is a frequent attendee of the Toronto International Film Festival, having participated in the festival for the past 15 years.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is preparing to host an exhibition featuring the works of renowned Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg. The exhibition, entitled “David Cronenberg: Evolution,” can be seen November 1, 2013, through January 19, 2014, in the HSBC Gallery’s TIFF Bell Lightbox. As a retrospective on the works of this filmmaker, the exhibition will explore the various themes that define his movies. It will also feature props from popular films, such as a helmet from the horror/science fiction movie Videodrome; surgical tools that were used by twin brother gynecologists in the film Dead Ringers; and the typewriters used in the drama Naked Lunch.

Recognized as one of the world’s most prominent film festivals, second only to Cannes, the TIFF has successfully launched some of the most important films to come out of Hollywood, Canada, and the world. Established in 1976, when 35,000 moviegoers watched 127 films, the TIFF now boasts more than 400,000 attendees, who watch 372 movies from more than 70 countries worldwide.

Ricardo Mashregi: The Market Maker

The owner and president of KNC Ticker Group, Inc., Ricardo Mashregi spent several years as a market maker for such firms as Merrill Lynch Canada and Desjardins Securities Inc.

In most stock markets, individual investors assume that on any given day they can either buy or sell any listed security. When a buyer enters a bid, as soon as it is matched to a seller’s offer price, a deal is struck. With the vast quantities of equities transactions being executed daily, it is easy to take for granted the idea that the number of shares purchased will equal the number offered for sale. This is not the case, however. There always exist imbalances between shares offered for sale and purchase bids. These imbalances are addressed by market makers.

A market maker is a company or individual who maintains an inventory of a specific security or securities and quotes both a purchase and sale price for those issues. When there is an imbalance in the market, such as an offer to sell unmatched by an offer to buy, the market maker will purchase the securities if the seller’s asking price matches the market maker’s purchase price. On the digital trading floor, the decision to send an unmatched trade to a market maker can take mere seconds. The market maker promotes market stability and investor confidence, both of which would be severely undermined if investors, once they made the decision to buy or sell a stock, could not find a matching buy or sell offer.

Cinema

Each Friday I attend new movie releases not as an expert but a lover of the cinema. I will share my thoughts and ratings of the films that I view.