TIFF Today: September 10, 2008

SugarThere was a point during the screening of Lymelife at the Toronto International Film Festival last night when I looked at Derick Martini (the film's director who happened to be sitting next to me) and saw a look in his eyes that seemed to say, "I made that, and people like it." That look has been one of the highlights of this year's festival for me.

We tend to forget too often — as press or as the movie-watching public — that for many filmmakers, showing at TIFF is not just something they have to do in order to get a distribution deal. For many filmmakers, the festival gives them an opportunity to see and understand the impact that their films have on people from around the world.

Okay, that's enough sentimentality from me for today. (And if you haven't seen Lymelife yet, check out one of its final two screenings. It's a gem.)

Looking for some more information about the festival today? Here are a few other TIFF headlines from around the web:

The stars are out in full force in Toronto. If you're deciding to skip the films and check out the celebs, here's a list of who's expecting to be arriving in town today:

  • Rachel McAdams
  • Vincent Cassel
  • Tim Robbins
  • Michael Pena

Finally, if you're looking to catch a screening some time today, here are three films that have been getting some good buzz but might have slipped under your radar. If you do decide to check any of them out, let us know what you think of them!

  • Sugar: Young boys in the Dominican Republic grow up wanting to baseball players too.
  • Kabuli Kid: Would you leave your kid in a cab in Kabul? In this movie, someone does.
  • Tears for Sale: Witchcraft, intrigue, and superstition in a dark, erotic, and magical comedy.

Happy festivaling! Keep checking blogTO over the next few days for continuous coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival.

(Photo: Still from Sugar.)

Reader Reviews and Comments

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I've seen Tim Robbins around the InterCon since the weekend. Man is he tall! I believe Micheal Pena is out of the mix though because his wife went into labour (we had an interview lined up and that's what they told us).

Posted by: Brian McKechnie at September 10, 2008 9:50 AM

Haha...you're right Brian. Tim has been in town for a bit, but he's "officially" in town as of today. =) Didn't hear about Michael Pena's news, thanks for the heads up!

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 10, 2008 9:58 AM

I have tickets to Medicine for Melancholy and Je Veux Voir.
but I can't go to both since they overlap.
Which one do you recommend?

Posted by: Munzz at September 10, 2008 10:26 AM

I haven't seen Je Veux Voir, but I definitely enjoyed Medicine for Melancholy. It's not perfect, but it's really humorous when it's not trying to be preachy. (It gets preachy for about 20% of the film.) The desaturated look does a lot for the film too. Nothing groundbreaking, or not remarkable cinema, but still a fun watch.

Then again, I haven't seen Je Veux Voir, so I can't really compare. Hopefully one of our readers can help out?

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 10, 2008 10:29 AM

I think I just decided to see Je Veux Voir.
so I now have a spare ticket to Medicine for Melancholy if anyone wants to see it. (for 15$).
its 20$ at the door.

Posted by: Munzz at September 10, 2008 11:05 AM

So Munzz...how was Je Veux Voir?

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 11, 2008 8:35 AM

I liked it a lot. It was a semi-documentary about a filmmaker visiting Lebanon after the 2006 war to make a film about it.
so the film she made was the one we were watching. it showed the reality of war in an effective way, no dead body no blood, just a mere statement of her Lebanese guide "I can't find my grand mother's house anymore because everything is bombed, I spent all my childhood there and now I don't even recognize it"

I also watched "Good". How many films do we have to watch about concentration camps and the Nazi's?


although it was very slow at times, it had a great ending and brought everything into prespective.

Posted by: Munzz at September 11, 2008 9:37 AM

The last line of my comment was not meant for this post.

Posted by: Munzz at September 11, 2008 9:39 AM

Nice, thanks Munzz. I'll be sure to check it out before it leaves town.

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 11, 2008 10:09 AM

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