The Toronto Urban Film festival (TUFF) is back for its second year. TUFF screens one minute films on the TTC video screens throughout Toronto's subway system for one week each September. This year the festival takes places between the 5th and the 12th.

blogTO is a sponsor of TUFF this year and we want to see as many of you as possible get your videos included in the festival. For details on submission rules and processes check the TUFF web site. The submission deadline is July 1st.

Related: Check out the photos currently screening as part of Contacting Toronto.

Photo by Sevennine from the blogTO Flickr Pool

Las Vegas band Panic at the Disco is in Toronto Wednesday night for a gig at the Sound Academy. You can bet they'll be playing songs from their new album, Pretty. Odd, including That Green Gentlemen (video below).



Thanks to Warner Music we have two tickets plus a prize pack to give away to the show. Want to go? Keep reading for contest details.

Noon Restaurant has entered the Deadpool - our new section dedicated to chronicling, celebrating or otherwise remembering some of our favourite (or not so favourite) Toronto places that are no longer with us.

Noon was popular for their Build Your Own Breakfast, a great concept I expect to catch on at other spots in the city. It was busy for brunch on weekends but sadly couldn't bring the business it needed during those slow Mondays and Tuesdays. In a message posted a while ago to their web site, the owner had lamented they were having problems but would seek to turn things around come the Spring and Summer.

Extreme Fitness loves their direct mail. Every month or so another one of their flyers shows up in my mailbox. They all say the same thing: No Annual Contract! Only $8 month. Offer ends [insert revolving date here].

Marketing such as this has become a hallmark of the fitness industry. As consumers, we have become so conditioned to assume that there will be hidden fees, contracts we can't get out of and a variety of deceptive practices that the new marketing tactics many clubs now employ are designed specifically to address these concerns.

Red Bull 381 Projects is a sweet space. Set up by those energy drink people, the two-story gallery meets chill-out lounge is upstairs from the GAP at the corner of Queen and Peter.

Functioning as both an office for Red Bull Canada as well an an ongoing exhibition space for local artists and creative initiatives, Red Bull 381 Projects is currently host to CONTACT's portfolio reviews and exhibition. It's also home to the HP Gallery where anyone can bring in digital photos and get them printed for free on an armada of high-end HP printers.

Grace Restaurant serves its first dinners tonight. The space on College formerly known as Xacutti has been idle for some time, but after a recent makeover at the hands of owner Lesle Gibson, Grace is ready to introduce the concept of modern farmhouse to Little Italy.

Stepping inside the restaurant for a preview last night, the first thing I notice are the two plush, white banquets on the right hand side of the room. Comfortably seating eight, these are definitely the spots to secure if dining with a larger group. Further inside, smaller tables dot the 60 seat dining room followed by an intimate outside space (pictured above) perfect for a summer's meal for two.