The 29th Toronto Film Festival

[arsaib4]

The festival will run from the 9th of September to the 18th. I plan to attend it for a third year in a row. In the past i've attended NY and Venice festivals but undoubtedly Toronto is most accessable for film fans.

Here are some of the films announced so far by the organizers:

Zhang Yimou's HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

Jean-Luc Godard's NOTRE MUSIQUE

Benoit Jacquot's A TOUTE DE SUITE

Patricio Guzman's SALVADOR ALLENDE

Chantal Akerman's DEMAIN ON DEMENAGE

Lukas Moodyson's A HOLE IN MY HEART

Lisandro Alonso's THE DEAD

Taylor Hackfor's RAY

Jonathan Caouette's TARNATION

John Sayles's SILVER CITY

Dylan Kidd's P.S.

Todd Solondz PALINDROMES

Lucrecia Martel's THE HOLY GIRL

Olivier Assayas's CLEAN

...full list will be announced on the 24th of Aug. Has any one from here been to the festival and/or plans to go this year.

[oscar jubis]

Toronto's is the best film fest I've ever attended, mostly due to variety, ability to purchase tickets from out-of-town, and ability to walk from venue to venue. Not going this year. Saving for a trip to Spain before year's end. Please post comments regarding other films being shown and personal experiences therein.

[Johann]

I've been busy planning a trip to Toronto or New York for some time now.

I've settled on New York, and I'll be "on the ground" and "on-line" for the whole experience- it should be the biggest contribution I make to this website. I'm well prepared for a great festival and I plan on seeing everything I can.

October 1 is approaching fast and I can't wait. New York is second only to Cannes in terms of prestige in my view. It's my first "real" festival. Calgary and Vancouver were great, but New York? Fuggeddaboutit.

No brainer decision on my part.

[arsaib4]

It's good that you've been planning for a while especially when it comes to NYFF, there are only 25 or so films there and those tickets go mighty fast. This is where Toronto has a distinct advantage as there are always enough films to see.

[arsaib4]

few more additions.....

David Russel's I HEART HUCKABEES

John Duigan's HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

Alexander Payne's SIDEWAYS

and North American premiere of

Niels Mueller's THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON

[Johann]

arsaib4, you've only been on this site for a short time, but I already have great respect.

Please do post your thoughts on Toronto.
You're our eyes and ears, man!
You will provide a great service to film buffs if you give us an idea of what's going down. Since pmw posted Nathan Lee's writings on Cannes I've been thinking about how important having knowledgable film people comment on festivals really is.
I'll do my part for sure in New York.

These films have been announced for the 42nd annual NYFF:

Opening film: Agnes Jaoui's Look at Me

Closing film: Alexander Payne's Sideways

Centrepiece: Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education

[arsaib4]

Thanks Johann, i truly appreciate your kind words. I may not have responded to some of your posts but i feel the same way about you, especially about your passionate views on the current political situation and Micheal Moore.

I'll definetely post my views and thoughts on the festival and the films i end up seeing. Looking forward to reading yours. One reason i don't always read festival reports too carefully is because some of our critics end up watching anywhere between 3-5 films per day for about 2 weeks or so and their initial reaction to a certain film usually end up being a response to all the films they saw that day and the most they get to write is a sentence or two about the film itself, not enough. Later on when they write a proper review, they may not totally change their postion but they get more of an opportunily to discuss the postives or the negatives, whatever the case might be.

[Johann]

Great stuff man. Looking very forward to your comments and it's so true about those festival critics. They seem to be chickens with their heads cut off and I will definitely try to avoid that (Although if I happen to see Martin Scorsese I might get hysterical).

Looking forward to your reports from T.O.

[arsaib4]

Some interesting films from the 'visions' section of the festival were announced today, the films in this sections are described as ones using "unconventional approaches to storytelling, or employing new technologies in distinctive ways," among them:

Michael Winterbottom's higly controversial, NINE SONGS

Catherine Breillat's latest, ANATOMY OF HELL

Claire Denis' L' INTRIUS

Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Prix de Jury winning TROPICAL MALADY

and

David Gordon Green's UNDERTOW.

[pmw]

Very much looking forward to the Weerasethakul movie. As several users of the site know, Blissfully Yours blew me away. I think this one is coming to NYFF as well...
P

[arsaib4]

'Blissfully Yours' is one of my favorites also (it topped the Village Voice poll for the best undistributed film of 2002). Joe's debut 'Mysterious Objects at Noon' is just as challenging and is available from plexifilm.

[Chris Knipp]

It'll be great to read all your comments on New York and Toronto. I can't be either place but it's something to think about for future times. I second Johann, arsaib4, your're making a great contribution to FilmWurld. Welcome.

[arsaib4]

Johann, you'll be glad to hear that this year NYFF isn't just recycling old Cannes and Berlin films, but they have gone after some films looked over by both (some i mentioned in the Venice lineup). I'll let you start your thread but i want to mention that the lineup includes films by Ingmar Bergman, David Gordon Green, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Jia Zhangke, Pablo Trapero, Mike Leigh, just to mention a few who weren't part of Cannes, but offcourse the best films from Cannes are also there, it's a strong lineup.

[Johann]

Well, that's great but unfortunately I won't be attending the festival.

My employer won't grant me a 3-week leave of absence so I can't go until next year. Too bad, really.

But on the upside, Brice and I are making a 22 min. short in Oct. which just might win an oscar.... :)

[arsaib4]

Sorry to hear that Johann, I was looking forward to reading about it but definetely work comes first. Also, like you said it'll give you some more time on you project, goodluck!