Film Festival Circuit 2006

[yoshimori]

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2006

Usually better than the AFI and the (IFP) LA fest put together.

I know I'll see Kobayashi's Bashing, Techine's Changing Times, Sasanatieng's Citizen Dog, Cantet's Heading South, the Dardennes' L'enfant, Makhmalbaf's Sex and Philosophy, Hou's Three Times, Puiu's Death of Mister Lazarescu, and Glawogger's Workingman's Death.

Any word from those who've seen any of the following? I'd like to avoid dogs and make sure I see what must be seen. You can use the above list as a taste reference. Thanks.

Rodriguez, 7 Virgins
Hu, Beauty Remains
Khoo, Be with Me
Nguyen, Buffalo Boy
Cordier, Cold Showers
Zhang Lu, Grain in Ear
Rouan, Housewarming
Mundroczo, Johanna
Watt, Look Both Ways
Hochausler, Low Profile [Falscher Bekenner]
Oliveira, Magic Mirror
Rodrigues, Odete
Zglinski, One Long Winter Without Fire
Wang, Shanghai Dreams
Troch, Someone Else's Happiness
Zakareishvili, Tbilisi-Tbilisi
Disney, Tempesta
Donford-May, U-Carmen

Others I missed?

[htdm]

From your list I've seen:

Be with me: I saw this at Telluride this year and liked it lot. It felt like a return to the "serious," socially conscious films he used to make (a la 12 Storeys, Mee Pok Man)
Grain in Ear: It reminded me of Failan in both theme and tempo. You can find a good review of it here.

...and I've heard only good things about both Shanghai Dreams and Buffalo Boy from several people whose opinions I respect so I look forward to seeing them.

[Doug Cummings]

I agree that PSIFF is by far the best festival in or around Los Angeles. I'll definitely be there myself this year. I was underwhelmed with Shanghai Dreams, but after Wang's Drifters, I had high expectations. But thumbs up on L'Enfant and Three Times. And I've heard nothing but raves for The Death of Mister Lazarescu.

[toiletduck!]

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a devastating two and a half hours, but well worth it. A definite recommendation.

Johanna is probably required viewing for opera or Joan of Arc buffs (neither of which applied to me) -- otherwise it's an interesting take on the story, but not a whole lot more.

-Toilet Dcuk

[iangj]

The Death of Mr Lazarescu: Put this at the top of your list. One of the best films of the year; absolutely gripping viewing.

[DDillaman]

LOOK BOTH WAYS is interesting and often really good, but the acting didn't really fly for me and kept it as a second tier title in my list of festival favorites this year. Add points for the integration of animation and live action and some nice, dead-pan bits of humor. Actually, bits of this remind me of what ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW might be like if it were made by someone who didn't have a concept of "quirky".

Titles not on your list that I've enjoyed: THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON (modulate on your patience for documentaries, but it's a damn good one, even if you don't like his music) and HIDDEN (CACHE), my #1 film of the year. And THE WAYWARD CLOUD blew my head wide open. Not for the easily offended, to understate things dramatically.

I've heard disheartening reports on HEADING SOUTH from Cantet fans, but they wouldn't keep me away from it after his first two films.

Other titles that catch my eye: AFTER INNOCENCE, BLOOD AND BONES, THE GRONHOLM METHOD (someone at Twitch was raving about this), THE HIDDEN BLADE, IRON ISLAND, LADY VENGEANCE (missing the sympathy? odd), and ZIZEK!

[yoshimori]

Should've said I'd seen Hidden, Lady Vengeance, Wayward Cloud, and Blood and Bones.

For others going to the fest I too would recommend the Haneke (though it's already in release here in LA so you can just go see it in the theater) and, with qualifications, the Tsai.

Thanks for the other advice, all.

[leo goldsmith]

I'd be particularly interested in Shanghai Dreams and Welcome to Dongmakgol (neither of which I've seen). The latter was one of the year's biggest hits in South Korea (maybe the biggest, actually) and seems, oddly enough, to be a feel-good comedy about the Korean War.

[toiletduck!]

Just to drive the point home, another hearty recommendation for The Wayward Cloud to anyone else attending!

-Toilet Dcuk

[carax09]

What about Citizen Dog? Tears of the Black Tiger was so much fun, and this one is supposed to be just as good, albeit in more of a contemporary Amelie-style vein.

[yoshimori]

What about Citizen Dog?

It's on my list in the very first post in this thread. I've actually seen it already, but without subtitles. Even so, having very little idea of the details of what was transpirng, I thought it was loads of fun. So, yes. A must see, I'd think.

[franco]

The Prince Contemplates His Soul is absolute crap. It's filled with affected cuteness and presents a world in which love is instantaneous, death is easy, everything is innocent. The worst part is one blatant continuity error. One doesn't need to listen to Stephen Prince on Ran to notice the discrepancy in facial expressions between the master shot and the close-up.

Beautiful actresses and anthropological curiosity hardly redeem this abomination.

[backstreetsbackalright]

The full schedule should be announced late next week, but in the meantime, hereis a list of films playing in SIFF's "Beyond The Dogma" Danish program:

1:1, directed by Annette Olesen
Adam's Apples, directed by Anders Thomas Jensen
Allegro, directed by Christoffer Boe
Chinaman, directed by Henrik Ruben Genz
Dark Horse, directed by Dagur Kári
Gambler, directed by Phie Ambo
Manslaughter, directed by Per Fly
Pusher Trilogy (I, II and III), directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Smiling in a Warzone, directed by Simone Aaberg Kaerns
A Soap, directed by Pernille Fischer
Terkel in Trouble, directed by Stefan Fjeldmark
We Shall Overcome, directed by Niels Arden Oplev

[Dylan]

A hell of a line-up if you ask me. Who's going?

[cdnchris]

Holy crap. I just realized I'm now only a half hour film festival! Wonder if the wife will let me go....

[backstreetsbackalright]

I'll unquestionably be hitting one of the two screenings of Chris Marker's Case of the Grinning Cat. I'm also eager to see Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Worldly Desires. There's a Bill Morrison short, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, and Old Joy. Archival films include Open City and Black Orpheus, both with new prints I believe. Among the numerous films showing that are already available on DVD in some form or other are Princess Raccoon, Road to Guantanamo, Three Times, and Perhaps Love.

I agree, it's not too bad a line-up. As always, a fair chunk of the program is almost redundant to anyone with a Scarecrow account, but the Marker film alone makes this the most adventurous SIFF I've seen in years.

I forgot a whole lot of films in the above post. Notable among them are the two lengthy Adam Curtis docs playing as part of the Emerging Masters series. I've seen both of those, and Power of Nightmares can be acquired here.

In addition to Curtis, the 2006 Emerging Masters selections are Phie Ambo, Nicolas Winding Refn, Andrucha Waddington, and Wang Xiaoshuai.

[mikeohhh]

I'm going to be visiting a friend in Seattle from the 1st through the 5th. What should I see? I'm planning on hitting up Open City the night I arrive and Destricted looks really cool. What else being shown between those dates is a must-see. I'll probably miss Prairie Home Companion on Friday but that'll be playing everywhere this summer. I'm not really familiar with a lot of the titles as it's still early in the film year. What are the "breakout" films of the festival this year (that will be screened between June 1st and 5th)?

[backstreetsbackalright]

I'm going to be visiting a friend in Seattle from the 1st through the 5th. What should I see?

I don't pretend to be able to guess what will be good, but here are a few that seem promising.

Old Joy got a lot of press at Sundance. Ryan Gosling got good write-ups at Sundance for his performance in Half Nelson. There's a documentary on Jack Smith that looks interesting. Two films from Xiaoshuai Wang are part of SIFF's sometimes-obvious, sometimes-iffy Emerging Masters series. And you can always start a Criterion fanboy fistfight at Seijun Suzuki's Princess Raccoon.

[zedz]

Old Joy got a lot of press at Sundance.

It's a lovely film. Don't expect much in the way of plot: more of a mood piece.

[Antoine Doinel]

August 08, 2006

For Immediate Release:

Alluring International Titles Set To
Attract Film Buyers From Around The Globe

Toronto - 20 films join the enticing roster of international titles already announced as part of the 31st Toronto International Film Festival. This global palette of filmic delicacies includes 15 world premieres and 5 international premieres. These films join a list of highly anticipated English and non-English language films primed to magnetize the attention of distributors, exhibitors, and industry insiders at this year's Festival. Festival Passes and Coupon Books are now on sale. For more information call 416-968-FILM or click, bell.ca/filmfest.

MASTERS

RESCUE DAWN Werner Herzog, USA
World Premiere
Written and directed by legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, this gripping new feature is based on the true story of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Dieter Dengler's (Christian Bale) death-defying escape from a Laos POW camp during the Vietnam War.

I AM THE OTHER WOMAN Margarethe von Trotta, Germany
World Premiere
An architect's decision to have a one-night stand with a mysterious lady in red sees him caught up in a web of dark secrets, sex, and death. Starring Armin Mueller-Stahl and Katja Riemann.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

FAY GRIM Hal Hartley, USA/Germany
World Premiere
This quasi-sequel to his 1997 film HENRY FOOL sees Fay (Parker Posey), a single mother preoccupied with raising her teenaged son, caught up in a rat race of international espionage while searching for her husband Henry - the most wanted man on earth.

THE FALL Tarsem Singh
World Premiere
Shot in 23 countries, this explosive visual epic reunites acclaimed moving image artist Tarsem Singh (THE CELL, R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" music video) with the realm of sinister, psychological fantasy. When a hospitalized paraplegic man tells a dark story to a young companion - a story that reflects his depressed state of mind - fantasy and reality begin to intermix, bleeding eerily into one another.

VINCE VAUGHN'S WILD WEST COMEDY SHOW Ari Sandel, USA
World Premiere
Gut-busting hilarity ensues on and off stage in this rare behind-the-scenes look into the complex psyche of stand-up comics. Director Ari Sandel chronicles the personal and professional journeys of four rising comedians as they traverse the country on a tour bus with Vaughn, unleashing their diverse comedic styles on large and appreciative audiences.

LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS Alek Keshishian, France/UK
World Premiere
"Jacks" (Brittany Murphy) - a sprightly American living in London and working at Vogue - plays cupid for her gay roommate Peter in this new comedy inspired by the wit and charm of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, from the director of TRUTH OR DARE.

THE DOG PROBLEM Scott Caan, USA
World Premiere
Contrary to his therapist's recommendation, a failing novelist discovers that his new puppy may not be the answer to his problems in this shaggy dog story starring Giovanni Ribisi, Mena Suvari and Don Cheadle.

THIS IS ENGLAND Shane Meadows, UK
World Premiere
Meadows, the king of young British cinema, returns with a funny and bittersweet take on a young boy running with the wrong crowd. After the death of his father, 12-year-old Shaun takes to grieving by shaving his head and embracing the local skinhead fraternity.

10 ITEMS OR LESS Brad Silberling, USA
World Premiere
An aging Hollywood icon with a dwindling career finds himself at the mercy of a young female checkout clerk in this film from writer/director Brad Silberling (MOONLIGHT MILE), starring Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega.

MON COLONEL Laurent Herbiet, France/Algeria/Belgium
World Premiere
Renowned filmmaker Costa-Gavras scripted and produced this harrowing tale of the colonial war between France and Algeria, chronicling the conflicted relationship between a no-nonsense colonel and a young French officer, as well as the divide between flag-waving French civilians and the intimidating, unlawful military.

L'HOMME DE SA VIE Zabou Breitman, France/Italy
World Premiere
The arrival of an intriguing male neighbour tests both Frédéric's marriage and his once static sexuality as a quiet summer vacation becomes a tumultuous challenge of the heart. Starring Charles Berling and Bernard Campan.

ALATRISTE Agustin Diaz Yanes, Spain
International Premiere
Based on the bestselling book series in Spain, Viggo Mortensen stars (and speaks Spanish!) in this moody, beautiful film about a swashbuckling 17th century captain, which takes its visual cues from the paintings of Velasquez.

THE BUBBLE Eytan Fox, Israel
International Premiere
The lives of three young Tel Aviv scenesters - ignorant of the conflict and political unrest around them - are turned upside-down when a gay romance blossoms between Noam, an Israeli, and Ashraf, a Palestinian. From the director of WALK ON WATER and YOSSI AND JAGGER.

UN CRIME Manuel Pradal, France
International Premiere
Vincent will not rest until his wife's murderer is arrested. In an effort to make him happy, his neighbour Alice invents a culprit to help him get the revenge he so desires. Starring Harvey Keitel, Emmanuelle Beart and Norman Reedus.

HANA Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan
International Premiere
Set in the past, Kore-eda's first-ever samurai film, and his first film since festival favourite NOBODY KNOWS, sees a young man torn between a path of vengeance and honour in an attempt to avenge his father's death.

VISIONS

THE BOOK OF REVELATION Ana Kokkinos, Australia
International Premiere
An accomplished dancer, mysteriously abducted by three hooded women, is thrown back into the world twelve days later. A broken man, he attempts to find the anonymous women who have stolen his life. From the director of HEAD ON, and starring Greta Scacchi and Tom Long.

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

HULA GIRLS Sang-il Lee, Japan
World Premiere
Based on a true story, this witty and intelligent comedy sees an ambitious man attempt to save his declining coal mining town by building Japan's first Hawaiian village, bringing in a troupe of coal miners' daughters to learn the heartwarming Hula dance.

OUTSOURCED John Jeffcoat, USA
World Premiere
Jeffcoat offers a hilarious look at business relations between America and India. After his entire department is outsourced, an American novelty products salesman (Josh Hamilton) heads to Gharapuri to train his replacement.

THE LAST WINTER Larry Fessenden USA/Iceland
World Premiere
In this chilling ghost story, after a member of their team is found dead, the barren landscape claims the sanity of a group of people on an oil expedition in the Northern Alaska tundra. Starring Ron Perlman, James Le Gros, Connie Britton and Kevin Corrigan.

WAITER Alex van Warmerdam, Netherlands
World Premiere
Warmerdam wrote, directed and stars in this film about a down-and-out waiter paying visits to the screenwriter who seems to control his life.

These films join three previously announced films, Michael Ian Black's THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY; Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker's THE PRISONER OR: HOW I PLANNED TO KILL TONY BLAIR; and Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr's CHACUN SA NUIT, as highly anticipated acquisition titles. Over 3000 industry professionals are expected to attend the Festival as delegates of S&I-06, this year's installment of the newly revamped Sales & Industry Office. S&I-06 services facilitate film sales at the Festival's OMDC Sales venue, fostering relationships between accredited buyers, sales agents, and filmmakers. Buyers and sales agents who wish to be accredited through S&I-06 should contact [email protected] or click, industry.tiffg.ca.

Masters is made possible through the generous support of BMO Nesbitt Burns. Visions is made possible through the generous support of SWAROVSKI. Contemporary World Cinema is made possible through the generous support of Sun Life Financial. The OMDC Sales venue is made possible through the generous support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation. Special thanks to our Major Industry Sponsor Bell and Major Government Supporters Telefilm Canada and the Government of Ontario.

[che-etienne]

so "Rescue Dawn" is seeing the light of day. This is good.

[Antoine Doinel]

News Releases

Toronto International Film Festival Announces Its Complete Line-Up of 352 Films From 61 Countries
Toronto - Organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival today announced final programming details, including the complete line-up of films for the 31st Festival running September 7 - 16, 2006. At this year's Festival, 352 films from 61 countries will screen, including 261 features, 91 per cent of which are world, international or North American premieres, and 62 of which are feature directorial debuts. Limited Festival Passes and Coupon Books are available until August 25, offering outstanding deals available to filmgoers of all ages. Advance tickets for Festival films are available September 6. For more information and to purchase tickets call 416-968-FILM, click bell.ca/filmfest or visit one of two Box Office locations: the Festival HQ Box Office, located on the Main Floor of Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor Street West (North Entrance) and, opening August 29, the Festival Box Office at College Park, 444 Yonge Street (South Entrance, market level). The Festival's programme book and Official Film Schedule are available August 29.

Today's announcements include eight Gala Presentations, including the world premiere of Michael Apted's AMAZING GRACE, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rufus Sewell, Youssou N'Dour, Ciaran Hinds, Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, and Albert Finney, as the Closing Night Film; Ridley Scott's A GOOD YEAR, a world premiere starring Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, and Abbie Cornish; Anthony Minghella's BREAKING AND ENTERING, a world premiere starring Jude Law, Martin Freeman, Juliette Binoche, Robin Wright Penn, and Rafi Gavron; Patrice Leconte's MON MEILLEUR AMI, a world premiere starring Daniel Auteuil, Dany Boon, and Julie Gayet; Douglas McGrath's INFAMOUS, a North American premiere starring Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Daniel Craig, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Isabella Rossellini, Juliet Stevenson, Sigourney Weaver, John Benjamin Hickey, and Lee Pace; Paul Verhoeven's BLACK BOOK, a North American premiere starring Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman and Halina Reijn; Feng Xiaogang's THE BANQUET, a North American premiere starring Ziyi Zhang and Daniel Wu; and Susanne Bier's AFTER THE WEDDING, a North American premiere starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sidse Babett Knudsen, and Rolf Lassgård. Gala tickets on sale Saturday, August 26 at 10 a.m.

A blockbuster Mavericks features up close and personal conversations with Michael Moore, John Waters, John Cameron Mitchell, Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, and Amitabh Bachchan. The Festival also announces five presentations in its Dialogues: Talking with Pictures programme. Presenters Bruce Weber, Albert Maysles, Perry Henzell, Costa Gavras, and Christine Vachon will showcase films that have inspired them or mark a significant period in their careers.

Wavelengths spotlights 27 films and videos in five programmes and features internationally renowned visual artists working in film and video - evidence of the persistent convergence between film and art. The programme features new work from such celebrated artists as Abbas Kiarostami, Mika Taanila, Jay Rosenblatt, Nathaniel Dorsky, Christoph Girardet, and Matthias Müller.

Thirteen titles, consisting of five world premieres and seven North American premieres, round out this year's edition of Masters, which will include Goran Paskaljevic's THE OPTIMISTS; Volker Schlöndorff's STRIKE; Alain Resnais' CÅ’URS; Benoît Jacquot's L'INTOUCHABLE; Gianni Amelio's THE MISSING STAR; and Robert Guédiguian's LE VOYAGE EN ARMÉNIE.

Fifteen films have been added to Visions for a complete line-up of 31 films from 25 countries, including Gabriel Range's D.O.A.P.; Jem Cohen's BUILDING A BROKEN MOUSETRAP, NYC WEIGHTS AND MEASURES and BLESSED ARE THE DREAMS OF MEN; Jay Anania's DAY ON FIRE; Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth's KHADAK; Manoel de Oliveira's BELLE TOUJOURS; Katsuhiro Otomo's BUGMASTER; Olivier Masset-Depasse's CAGES; Nuri Bilge Ceylan's CLIMATES; Pedro Costa's COLOSSAL YOUTH; Julia Loktev's DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT; Pavel Lounguine's THE ISLAND; Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's ZIDANE: UN PORTRAIT DU XXIème SIÈCLE; and So Yong Kim's IN BETWEEN DAYS.

With eleven titles announced today, the full Special Presentations line-up features 39 films from 15 countries, including Ann Hui's THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT; Mira Nair's THE NAMESAKE; Hong Sang-soo's WOMAN ON THE BEACH; Emanuele Crialese's GOLDEN DOOR; Todd Field's LITTLE CHILDREN; Johnnie To's EXILED; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's THE LIVES OF OTHERS; Joachim Lafosse's NUE PROPRIÉTÉ; PARIS JE T'AIME; Santiago Amigorena's QUELQUES JOURS EN SEPTEMBRE; and Marc Evans' SNOW CAKE.

Contemporary World Cinema features 60 titles, including 19 world, 4 international and 32 North American premieres from a total of 40 countries, including today's announcements of Alejandro Gomez Monteverde's BELLA; Mel Chionglo's TWILIGHT DANCERS; Dror Shaul's SWEET MUD; Cate Shortland's THE SILENCE; Jeffrey Jeturian's THE BET COLLECTOR; and Chris Kraus' FOUR MINUTES.

The North American premiere of THE HOTTEST STATE, written and directed by Ethan Hawke, joins the 12 films already announced in the new Festival programme, Vanguard.

Seven titles join Real to Reel for a complete programme featuring 34 titles from 18 countries, 28 of which will see a world, international or North American premiere, including James Stern and Adam Del Deo's …SO GOES THE NATION; Rob Stewart's SHARKWATER; Adrian Grenier's SHOT IN THE DARK; Jia Zhangke's DONG; Ron Mann's TALES OF THE RAT FINK; Amy Berg's DELIVER US FROM EVIL; and Sadik Ahmed's TANJU MIAH.

New this year, to ensure that audiences of all ages can be part of the Festival experience, TIFF has significantly increased the number of films submitted for classification. Film classifications appear in the Official Film Schedule on August 29 and will be updated on the Festival website. Additionally, the films in Sprockets Family Zone each have specific age recommendations, from age four to age 11. Films without classification are restricted to those 18 years and older.

In addition to these titles, two previously announced films - Alejandro González Iñárritu's BABEL, a North American premiere starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Gael García Bernal; and PENELOPE, a world premiere starring Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, Catherine O'Hara, Richard E. Grant, James McAvoy, and Peter Dinklage - will now screen as Gala Presentations.

The Closing Night Gala is made possible through the generous support of National Bank Financial.
Mavericks is generously sponsored by Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund with special thanks to the National Film Board of Canada.
Dialogues: Talking with Pictures is made possible through the generous support of Toronto Film School.
Wavelengths is possible through the generous support of the National Film Board of Canada.
Masters is made possible through the generous support of BMO Nesbitt Burns.
Visions is made possible through the generous support of SWAROVSKI.
Contemporary World Cinema is made possible through the generous support of Sun Life Financial.
Real to Reel is made possible through the generous support of Discovery Films.

-30-

For more information please contact the Press Office at 416-934-3200.

[franco]

The list is here.

I am very jealous and would be grateful if VIFF could get 1/3 of these. Didn't know Kiarostami has a new movie coming out. What a surprise!

[John Cope]

This one's for you, Franco

[franco]

Thanks for the article, John!

Jonathan Rosenbaum's eloquent language makes the movie sound very enticing. I wonder if people have to pay $15 (?) to see this 30-minute short.