This Year in Film: Favourite Toronto Moments

Happy holidays everyone! In lieu of the standard Top Ten lists currently proliferating across the entire filmic critical community, here's a snapshot of the best moments of the year in Toronto film:

Favourite moment: The overwhelming standing ovation for Juno at its premiere on September 8 at the Ryerson Theatre. It didn't hurt that the entire principal cast - all of them fabulous, but chaired by the tiny Canadian, Ellen Page, and my personal lifelong crush Allison Janney - was in attendance. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie get that much love all at once, and yes, backlash notwithstanding I'm still willing to call it one of the three best films of the year.

Runner up: The look of dazed stupefaction on the faces of audience members leaving Let's All Hate Toronto, one of this spring's hottest Hot Docs tickets, and the hardest to require. Who thought a film so insta-trendy would turn out to be so phenomenally underwhelming?

And a third: Accidentally riding my bike through one of The Incredible Hulk's smashed-up downtown exteriors... during a shot. Please, Hulk, don't smash me!

Take care everyone, and remember to enjoy responsibly.