The Circuit

They may be hard to spot this year, but gifting lounges are at most every major Toronto festival hotel. 

They are the bane of Sundance, which fights back in part by handing out "Focus on Film" buttons.  In Toronto, the rooms take every advantage of the talent clutter to push product. 

There's heated competition between them. "Gifting vomit," as one organizer described a competitor's goods just down the hall. 

Unlike Sundance, the rooms are located within the hotel for easy access.  Certain celebs need not even visit -- their suite is already lined with goods and gift certificates.  Brad Pitt got a Wii, Sofia Bush hauled out stuff from French Connection, ACE is here with gifts of "man-sized" grooming instruments ("37% more grip!"), and Maxwell House is pushing something called "Maxiccino" -- a cappuccino powder that froths when hot water is added.  No machine needed.

"It's chemistry," explained the rep.  Chemistry, indeed.

Many suites have charities attached to whom the talent can "re-gift" their stuff, illustrating a more bizarre (and effective) form of reverse psychology.

Pictured, Petra Nemcova visits the WildAid Lounge.  The Wii, signed also by Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson, will be auctioned for charity.  Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage.com.