Okay, so we scoffed. We said the pre-festival party thrown by former Paragon Entertainment president Richard Borchiver and his new partner Paul Wynn would be lame compared to sparkly things happening over the next two weeks. After all, when the pr contact dangles the promise of Sylvester Stallone to get you there, you’re pretty much convinced it’ll be an early night.

Actually, not really.

Borchiver and Wynn, who formed production company Annex Entertainment in Toronto’s west end after Paragon Entertainment went belly-up this summer, threw their inaugural bash at The News Cafe, drawing lots of industry types chomping at the bit to enter the festival party gauntlet.

Citytv president Moses Znaimer entered with an entourage as Global president Kevin Shea and CanWest’s director of regulatory affairs Charlotte Bell left the building. History Television’s Norm Bolen mingled, as did Yuk Yuk’s ceo Mark Breslin. The effervescent Ingrid Hamilton from ctv’s pr department was everywhere all the time, except those few minutes when the bouncer took her for an Annex tour on the back of his Harley.

Former Paragon staffers surfaced, including Natalie Kovacs and Anne O’Hagan. O’Hagan is enjoying her freedom while the ever-vivacious Kovacs, along with director/writer/producer Albert Nuremberg, just finished Trailervision, a half-hour special for City and Space.

Described as ‘trailers for movies that do not exist,’ Kovacs takes a producer credit on the comedic spoof of Hollywood cliches, while Nerenberg coproduced, directed, wrote and starred. Among the nine satirical trailers of fictional films is f.a.r.k. (Female Android Robot Killers), The Moon Attack 2000, The Man With No Head, Girls Rule and Sexmasters. Kovacs says she hopes to procure some interest in the project from u.s. and British broadcasters to help finance a 13-episode comedy series based on the Trailervision special.

As for Borchiver, who brought his daughters and his parents to the party, business is good and the development and production slate packed.

Shooting has wrapped in Winnipeg on the first feature, the $5-million Woman Wanted starring Kiefer Sutherland, Holly Hunter and Michael Moriarty. Three tv projects are slated for production in spring ’99 including Merlin: The Quest Begins, a fantasy series, and 26 half-hours of Micronauts, an animated series based on the Marvel Comics.

Rumors that Annex is looking to build a $45-million studio in Winnipeg along with a u.s. partner are jumping the gun, says Borchiver. Annex is considering the possibility of setting up studio services in Manitoba but the plan is only in the ‘looking at options’ stage.

For the record, Stallone was a no show. Apparently he’s not in town until next week to join the promotion machine surrounding Antz.

Moovie staars may be more plentiful at the Rogers Communications bash tonight. Rogers is hosting the gala screening of Without Limits. Robert Towne (director), Billy Crudup (actor) and Tom Cruise (producer) are expected to make an appearance and maybe even join the short list of broadcasting and regulatory types in attendance.

City’s Festival Schmooze: Perspective Canada will follow, complete with the lion’s load of stars from both sides of the border. But things might be more intimate and interactive at an Odeon Films bash where Ashley MacIsaac is rumored to be the entertainment.