Those who have attended the The EU Film Festival know that it's all about the movies. No red carpets. No pitch sessions. No industry conferences. Pretty novel, eh?

Toronto-based embassies, consulates and cultural centers put on this non-commercial event every year, simply to showcase the latest crop of acclaimed films coming out of Europe.

Eh!U Meet the Europeans Film Festival runs for a full two weeks from November 19 to December 3, 2009 and every night a new country will be in the spotlight with most screenings taking place at the Royal Cinema. Best of all, cultural export budgets are at work here, meaning there is no charge for admission!

The Reel Asian International Film Festival is due to hit Toronto screens in two days (from November 11th to 15th). Not so surprisingly, Reel Asian covers a large scope in its 13th annual run -- from a farming community in rural Thailand to a gay community in San Francisco.

Never knowing what to expect next, I was drawn into watching one preview DVD after another. And having voluntarily skipped the sunny weekend to screen Real Asian picks, I can confirm that there are definitely a few movies worth checking out in this year's lineup.

The KinoArt Film Festival, which runs from November 5th until November 8th, features new(ish) works from Russia. But it's not the only film fest on the horizon.

By the looks of things on the Toronto festival circuit, film buffs will have more flicks to choose from than time this month. The November movie blitz kicks off on Wednesday with the Regent Park Film Festival's annual community showcase, and some crazy tales will be on at the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival. But for Russophiles (such as myself) the KinoArt Festival is a priority.

Though this year's lineup is heavy on period pieces and literary adaptations, may I recommend a few mysterious and oddly compelling gems?

Will Jigsaw's grand plan finally be revealed? Saw VI opens today, and with The Stepfather, Zombieland, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, and Paranormal Activity still in theatres, it looks like cineplexes are well stocked with thrillers and chillers to set the mood for Halloween.

Having spent what seems like an eternity skimming through the local listings, I've dug up more on (and off) screen movie picks -- including mainstream, camp, and even some interactive stuff. It's a weeklong creepfest in Toronto... and the 2009 edition has lots and lots of zombies.

I won't be buying flowers anytime soon. I've just finished watching A Blooming Business, a one-hour doc screening this weekend at the Planet in Focus Film Festival. It follows Jane, a Kenyan flower farm employee exposed to chemicals and sexual harassment at work on a regular basis (not to mention less-than-fair wages and excessively long work days). While it's unlikely that Jane picked the flowers at my neighbourhood grocery store, her story sticks with me... as does the fact that I don't know where most of the stuff I buy really comes from.

And so to promote public awareness of environmental (and related social) issues, the Planet in Focus International Environmental Film & Video Festival runs from October 21st to 25th in Toronto. This 10th edition of PIF looks to the future of the movement with a spotlight called Fast Forward Toward a 20/20 Vision. But it's the docs that touch on more personal stories from underrepresented communities, like Jane's, that pack the most punch.

At 10 years and counting, imagineNATIVE is one of the more established specialty film festivals running in the city. The niche has grown leaps and bounds during the past decade, bringing with it a surge of new films to screen in Toronto every year.

With this in mind, imagineNATIVE will give itself a much deserved pat on the back starting on Wednesday, October 14th, with multiple parties and receptions, a retrospective and, of course, an anniversary lineup that will showcase 125 aboriginal film and art works from all over the world.

Read on for my movie picks, pans, and some trailers from the 5 day fete.