48 replies to this topic

[Darren H]

Quote

The ELGIN and the RYERSON are huge as is Theater 1 in the Varsity.

Ken, did you read that the Varsity is no longer part of TIFF? I didn't have a single screening there last year but still made a nostalgic visit after seeing something at the Isabel Bader.

[Darrel Manson]

N.W. Douglas, on 02 August 2011 - 01:22 AM, said:

Darrel Manson, on 01 August 2011 - 09:26 PM, said:

I'm always a bit amazed no one ever talks about Montreal festival - I loved it. Good films and it's in Montreal!

Just curious, Darrel, which festival in particular? I think there are 2-3 semi-major ones running every year now.

Festival des Films du Monde is the one I made it to a few years ago. I think it's the only North American festival that has a SIGNIS/Interfilm Ecumenical Jury. The year I was there Interfilm was having a faith and film class (love going to festivals for continuing ed credit).

Edited by Darrel Manson, 02 August 2011 - 10:09 AM.

[kenmorefield]

Darren H, on 02 August 2011 - 10:00 AM, said:

Quote

The ELGIN and the RYERSON are huge as is Theater 1 in the Varsity.

Ken, did you read that the Varsity is no longer part of TIFF? I didn't have a single screening there last year but still made a nostalgic visit after seeing something at the Isabel Bader.

I had not heard that. (Could have sworn that's where I saw Beautiful Boy last year) but given the opening of the Lightbox, it doesn't surprise me.

Speaking of which, there is a lot of seating at Theaters 1 and 2 in the Lightbox but last year screenings at these venues were particularly prone to starting late. One hopes that having a year under their belt, they will be better at planning flow in and out, but be careful scheduling there if you are tight on time.

[Darren H]

There were a few screenings at the Varsity last year but it's now officially no longer part of the fest. I'll miss it.

[Darren H]

Deb, if you don't order tickets online, or if your schedule makes it difficult for you to make plans well in advance, you can also just drop by the public box office, which is at 225 King Street West this year. They have poster-sized film schedules that are constantly updated. So, for example, if you wanted to take in the festival for a day, you can stop by there and browse the list of what's playing later that day. (I'd recommend getting there early that morning.) Everything will be listed as "on sale" or "rush." TIFF usually sets aside a small number of tickets for people who arrive early and wait in the rush line at the theater where a particular film is playing. In my seven years, I've never not been able to get into a screening.

[Russ]

Trying to see if I can make it work. I'll only have vacation time left to cover a 5-day trip, including two weekend days, and unless I pay the $20 per ticket price, I can't get any ticket package smaller than the 30-film. I can't imagine being able to see 30 films in 5 days-- even 25-27 will be tough if I catch a few Midnight Madness screenings-- but I'ma little gunshy after last year's scaling back of daytime screenings. I saw somewhere a promise that there would be more daytime screenings this year, but I'm still going to look for some assurance I won't be burning more than 5 or 6 of my tickets.

Darren H, on 02 August 2011 - 11:46 AM, said:

In my seven years, I've never not been able to get into a screening.

I'm still smarting from being left out of THE COLONY; I was next in the rush line to get in.

[Darren H]

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I was next in the rush line to get in.

And that person who was in front of you got the seat beside me, which I'd been protecting at the risk of grave bodily harm. I'm still surprised Colony didn't find a bigger audience. Distribution is a fickle game.

I've also heard that they're scheduling more day films, but that probably won't be confirmed until the schedule is released. Another thing to consider: when you pre-order your 30-ticket package, you can double-book a couple timeslots and then sell the extras at face value to people in the rush line. Just remember to double-book for the same theater, preferably one with smaller rooms, like the AMC.

I'm glad to hear you might make it, even if for only a few days.

[Russ]

Darren H, on 10 August 2011 - 03:13 PM, said:

Another thing to consider: when you pre-order your 30-ticket package, you can double-book a couple timeslots and then sell the extras at face value to people in the rush line.

That's a really great suggestion.

[M. Leary]

This Future Projections item sounds great to me:

Quote

James Franco and Gus Van Sant: Memories of Idaho (1991; 2010 and 2011). In 1991, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho and its central performance by River Phoenix had an enormous cultural impact, not least on a budding young actor named James Franco (127 Hours, James Dean). Now Franco has collaborated with Van Sant to create Memories of Idaho, a meditation on the seminal film in multiple parts. At the work's core are two new films, projected sequentially, in a darkened, generic space. The first film, My Own Private River, is a feature-length chronological reassemblage of excised scenes and alternate takes from the original shoot, radically foregrounding Phoenix. The second film, Idaho, comes from one of three scripts Van Sant used to create the original film, its Super-8 texture meant to be a "ghost" of his original conception. Van Sant contributes ghosts of his own, large-format photographs of actual Portland street hustlers who appeared in, and provided inspiration and source material for, the film. Presented at TIFF Bell Lightbox Atrium, 350 King Street West. September 8 to 18. Note: The above image is a view of Franco and Van Sant's installation Unfinished, a precursor to Memories, which was at the Gagosian gallery in Los Angeles earlier this year. Joe Utichi reviewed the show for the Guardian.

[opus]

Just found out that the new Toshiaki Toyoda -- Monster's Club -- will be screening at TIFF 2011. One of his previous films, 9 Souls, is one of my favorite TIFF discoveries of all time.

Edited by opus, 16 August 2011 - 07:46 PM.

[Darren H]

With yesterday's title dump, I've officially hit that point where I throw my hands up in the air and admit that I'm just going to have to miss a lot of really great films. It happens every year but seems especially overwhelming this time around. Even now, before next week's announcement of the Masters program (Dardennes, Tarr, Sokurov, Dumont, Akerman, Kaurismaki, Ceylan, and Hong are all likely), I'm looking at a list of 40 films I'd love to see, one of which, the new one by Lav Diaz, is six hours long. I'll only be able to see 25-30 films, maybe even fewer if I get in a couple interviews. As another friend put it yesterday, there are so many must-see films by established filmmakers in this year's lineup, I won't have many opportunities to do much exploring.

[Darren H]

All of the directors I'd anticipated for Masters, except for Hong, are on the list. And they also added a new film by Kore-eda. This lineup is crazy.

[Ryan H.]

The lineup is pretty impressive.

I really, really wish I could get out there to see Sokurov's FAUST!

[Pair]

Darren H, on 17 August 2011 - 08:03 AM, said:

[...]Dardennes, Tarr, Sokurov, Dumont, Akerman, Kaurismaki, Ceylan, and Hong [...] the new one by Lav Diaz, is six hours long.

Gaaaaaadzooks. I'm nauseous with envy. I especially want to hear a detailed account on that Lav Diaz, I have to live vicariously through the people fortunate enough to see his films.

[Darren H]

I'm roughing out a first draft of my schedule, and the list of want-to-see-but-can't-see films this year is especially brutal. Tarr's Horse of Turin hurts the worst, but I also can't see Diaz, Dumont, Von Trier, Klotz, Naranjo, Hansen-Love, or Kaurismaki, all of which have or should have American distribution, and I'm going to have to make some more tough choices once I get there. Still, I'll be spending the 10th anniversary of 9/11 watching new films by Chantal Akerman, Philippe Garrel, Coppola or Stillman (one of those tough choices), and Nathaniel Dorsky, so I won't complain.

[Anders]

Darren H, on 24 August 2011 - 01:58 PM, said:

Still, I'll be spending the 10th anniversary of 9/11 watching new films by Chantal Akerman, Philippe Garrel, Coppola or Stillman (one of those tough choices), and Nathaniel Dorsky, so I won't complain.

10th anniversary of 9/11. Hard to believe. The 11th is also my wife's 30th birthday. Last year she got to see Colin Firth after THE KING'S SPEECH. Not sure what she'll think of ending the day with either new Davies or Sokurov.

[Darren H]

My schedule is starting to take shape. I've already put in a request to interview the Dardennes, and I'm also hoping to speak with Chantal Akerman and Philippe Garrel.

Thursday, 9/8
This is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi)
Elena (Andrey Zvyagintsev)
Play (Ruben Östlund)

Friday, 9/9
House of Tolerance (Bertrand Bonello)
A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg)
The Kid with a Bike (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne)
Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols) OR The River Used to Be a Man (Jan Zabeil)
Wavelengths 1: Analogue Arcadia

Saturday, 9/10
The Silver Cliff (Karim Aïnouz) OR Oslo, August 31st (Joachim Trier)
Keyhole (Guy Maddin)
Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
Wavelengths 2: Twenty Cigarettes (James Benning)
Wavelengths 3: Serial Rhythms

Sunday, 9/11
Almayer's Folly (Chantal Akerman)
That Summer (Philippe Garrel)
Twixt (Francis Ford Coppola)
Wavelengths 4: Space is the Place
Wavelengths 5: The Return/Aberration of Light

Monday, 9/12
Shame (Steve McQueen)
The Cardboard Village (Ermanno Olmi)
ALPS (Yorgos Lanthimos)
Mushrooms (Vimukthi Jayasundara)
Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin)

Tuesday, 9/13
Sleeping Beauty (Julia Leigh)
The Woman in the Fifth (Pawel Pawlikowski) OR Goodbye First Love (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Land of Oblivion (Michale Boganim)
Trishna (Michael Winterbottom)
The Invader (Nicolas Provost)

Wednesday, 9/14
Damsels in Distress (Whit Stillman)
CRAZY HORSE (Frederick Wiseman)
Faust (Alexander Sokurov)
Chicken with Plumbs (Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud)
The Student (Santiago Mitre)

Thursday, 9/15
Nuit #1 (Anne Emond) OR Invasion (Hugo Santiago)

Edited by Darren H, 26 August 2011 - 08:48 AM.

[Andrew]

Looks fantastic - I can't wait to see your reports (esp. on the Cronenberg and Olmi), and this inspires me to maybe work a bit of overtime and save my pennies for 2012.

[Darren H]

That's what I do, Andrew. I hate sitting back down at the computer at the end of a long day, but my trips are always funded by freelance work.

I hope you can make a return trip soon. It'd be good to see you again.

[Andrew]

Thanks, Darren - I'd love to meet up again with you and the other cineastes with whom I crossed paths in Toronto in 2007.