The first hybrid (a mix of in-person and digital screenings) festival, where attendees had to either show their proof of vaccination at a screening or a negative COVID test, showcased over 100 films and had more than 600 screenings at various venues across Toronto. The organizers of the 46th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) managed to pull off a pretty successful event this year – in spite of being held under the cloud of the COVID-19 Delta variant. While she'd love to plan more parties in the future, Danica said she's now prepared to turn her full attention to studying medicine at university when she starts in September.This year’s hybrid version of TIFF had stand-out immigrant talent who brought forth timely and evocative stories that spoke to familiar themes of loneliness, isolation and the power of community. 'I had so much help building my debut to be perfect and I wouldn't change a single thing looking back on it. 'We don't really do sweet sixteens here, and an 18th is the most important birthday because its when you're of legal age,' she said. She said her father, a civil engineer with his own business in the Philippines, was particularly overcome with emotion throughout the night, and that the party was the first of that scale she'd ever had. I used to always tell them about it growing up and they really wanted me to be able to experience it.' 'My parents and I have always spoken about throwing a big party. I used to always tell them about it growing up and they really wanted me to be able to experience it,' she saidĭanica said she'd been planning the 18th of her dreams since she was a little girl. Traditionally, the debutante wears a grand ball gown and is surrounded by family and friends throughout a program that includes a rehearsed cotillion by the entourage, an '18 roses' segment, where the important men in the debutante’s life present her with a rose and invite her to dance, and an '18 candles' segment, where the important women in her life give individual speeches and well wishes. Over the years it has become less marriage-oriented and more of a celebration of the debutante’s life and entry to adulthood.įor many Filipino parents with daughters, the debut is a serious consideration, and one they long plan and save up for. Of course today, the age of marriage is notably higher than in the past, but the Filipino debut lives on. Several generations ago in the Philippines, debuts were also a way of introducing a young lady to society as a woman - one then eligible for marriage at the age of 18. In the Philippines, an 18th birthday - known as a 'the debut' - is one of the biggest events of a woman's life.

Filipino debut checklist