The top 10 Toronto documentaries of 2010 wasn't an easy one to put together, I tell ya. Experts were consulted (Hot Docs, NFB, a DOC discussion group), the stellar list of titles had to be tracked down, and then a somewhat biased judging panel consisting myself and a few blogTO writers and editors weighed in. Here are the best 2010 documentaries that tell a story about Toronto or Torontonians.

As 2010 comes to a close, in addition to looking back on the year in Toronto film, I'll be busy playing with my new Blu-ray player and Netflix subscription. So will this sweet home entertainment system keep me from going out to see films? Nah. For all the doom and gloom written about the inevitable end of movie theatres, the biggest news for Toronto cineastes this year is that a whole lot more unique and independent screens have opened than closed.

A 21-foot tall Balloon Boy with multiple eyeballs in the Lightbox's lobby can only mean one thing... Tim Burton is here. TIFF rolled out its proverbial red carpet yesterday to welcome the guy (plus 700 or so of his works) in a redesign of last year's hugely popular MoMA exhibit. After setting near-record numbers in New York City, followed by a stint in Australia, Tim Burton's show opens in Toronto this Friday, November 26.

So, is it worth shelling out $22.75 to get into this thing? In a nutshell, yes.

The Reel Asian Film Festival is fourteen years old and as fabulous as ever. Mark your calendars (November 9th to November 15th) because this year's lineup is gonna take ticket holders to scenes all over Asia and back, from a snowed-over Chinese bordertown, to the bustling streets of Taipei, to Toronto's west end.

It's been one of those "I'm staying in again tonight" weeks where I got to preview a pile of screeners to see what's on offer at this year's festival... and I'm delighted to say I haven't seen a bad film yet from the Reel Asian 2010 mix.

Today marks the end of this year's TIFF which means this will be the last round-up of film reviews we post from the 2010 festival. There were 339 films screening this year and as much as we tried to see them all, we only managed to view (and review) a fraction of them. Our previous reviews can be found here, here and here. Like our previous reviews, we've sorted this final batch into those we highly recommend, recommend or suggest avoiding.

I'm not saying anything surprising here, but a TIFF Press pass is pretty sweet. Sure, the industry screenings could do with a little glitz and guest appearances, but the trade-off is a swipe card that gets you into just about anything: screenings, front row on red carpets, press conferences, industry rooms at the Hyatt, and venues like the swanky new Filmmakers' Lounge.