TIFF 2012 Pressbooks

So if you liked my post on Cannes pressbooks, I’ve gathered some that look interesting from the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, which I’ll be attending for the, gulp, 18th year.

I’ve gone to the trouble of gathering not just these lovely images, but the PDFs themselves, for a number of films showing at this year’s festival. Feel free to click on the image to open up a PDF of the pressbook. And if you find any others, just point me to them and I’ll try to add to this gallery.

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Marley

Marley
eOne released Marley on DVD and Blu-ray in Canada on August 7, 2012. Help support Toronto Screen Shots by buying it on Amazon.ca.

Marley (Director: Kevin Macdonald): Toronto Screen Shots’ contributor Drew Kerr reviewed this towering documentary on the life of reggae superstar Bob Marley back in June and enthused:

[Macdonald’s] unpre­ced­ented access to such a wealth of pre­vi­ously untapped resources, and his judi­cious use of them…elevate this film to some­thing truly spe­cial. More than 60 people were inter­viewed for the pro­ject and as inform­ative as the con­tri­bu­tions are from Marley’s fellow musi­cians, it’s the inter­views with less obvious fig­ures, such as Peter Marley (his white second cousin), Constance Marley (his half sister), Dudley Sibley (a recording artist and studio jan­itor who lived with Marley for a couple of years), and Cindy Breakspeare (Miss World 1976 and one of Marley’s mis­tresses) that not­ably help to humanize someone whose per­sona has taken on legendary pro­por­tions. Add in that obvi­ously great musical cata­logue from which to draw and Marley emerges as a ver­it­able treasure trove for fans, as well as an important doc­u­ment of one of the 20th century’s most sig­ni­ficant musical figures.

Read his full review here.

The DVD/Blu-ray combo pack that Amazon is selling of the film contains numerous special features, including:

  • an extended interview with Bunny Wailer (18:52)
  • “Children’s Memories” in which some of Marley’s children share stories about their father (9:56)
  • “Listening to ‘I’m Loose'” is a scene of friends and family listening to a late recording session (3:41)
  • “Around the World” captures Marley’s influence on fans all over the globe (18:29)
  • concert footage from a 1975 performance at New York’s Manhattan Center, with the songs Natty Dread, Bend Down Low, and Them Belly Full (10:47)

This is a package that looks and, even more importantly, sounds great. If all you know of Marley is the greatest hits you’ve been hearing at Starbucks, you owe it to yourself to pick this up.


oehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHL1-VDJB34
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Fathers and Daughters: The Films of Mia Hansen-Løve at TIFF Bell Lightbox

Though I’ve only seen two of her three films, I’m tremendously excited that the smart folks at TIFF have seen fit to bring French director Mia Hansen-Løve to Toronto for a survey of her work so far. Just 31, Hansen-Løve began her career in the cinema as an actor, playing a small role in now-husband Olivier Assayas’ 1998 film Fin août, début septembre (Late August, Early September). After another collaboration, she gave up acting to become, like Assayas and a long line of other French filmmakers, a critic for influential magazine Cahiers du cinéma. But it was only when she decided to make a short film in 2004 that she discovered what she really wanted to do with her life.

Less than a decade later, she’s created a small but impressive body of work. Her films are intensely personal, and yet universal. They deal with the joys and sorrows of life, with grief and loss, and romantic yearning. Her characters feel deeply and her directorial style draws the audience into that depth. She makes documentaries of the heart. Like her husband’s films, there’s something about her work that resonated immediately with me. Come and discover an exciting young filmmaker, hopefully at just the beginning of her career.

Still from Tout est pardonné (All Is Forgiven)
Tout est pardonné (All Is Forgiven) (2007)

In her first feature, Hansen-Løve tells the story of a young woman attempting to reconnect with her long-absent father. Tout est pardonné (All Is Forgiven) will screen with an introduction from the director on Thursday August 23 at 6:30pm.

Still from Le père de mes enfants (The Father of My Children)
Le père de mes enfants (The Father of My Children) (2009)

In this 2009 feature, based on the life of a film producer influential in the director’s life, the charismatic Louis-Do de Lencquesaing juggles the demands of work and his loving family (including real-life daughter Alice) while struggling with despair. Le père de mes enfants (The Father of My Children) will screen with an introduction from Hansen-Løve on Friday August 24 at 6:15pm.

Still from Un Enfant dans la foule (A Child in the Crowd)
Un Enfant dans la foule (A Child in the Crowd) (1976)

Hansen-Løve’s “carte blanche” selection of another director’s work is this neglected classic by Gérard Blain, about a teenaged boy in the closing days of the Second World War who will do almost anything to gain the love of his distant parents. It sounds like an influence on her first film and it will be interesting to hear her introduce it. Un Enfant dans la foule (A Child in the Crowd) will screen on Friday August 24 at 9:00pm.

Still from Un amour de jeunesse (Goodbye First Love)
Un amour de jeunesse (Goodbye First Love) (2011)

Her most autobiographical work to date, this most recent feature covers a decade in the life of a young woman, from the first flush of adolescent love to the flowering of adulthood and adult relationships. Lola Creton, just 17 when the film was made, shows incredible range (and depth) in the role. Un amour de jeunesse (Goodbye First Love) screens with the director’s introduction on Saturday August 25 at 5:00pm.

More information on the series from the TIFF web site.

Tickets for all screenings are available through the TIFF web site or at the box office. I’ve got mine already. See you there!

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TIFF 2012 Preview: Tower

Continuing a tradition I began last year, I’d like to have a look at some of the films which will be screening at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival from September 6-16. The first film I’m anticipating is Kazik Radwanski’s Tower, a feature debut from a local filmmaker who has been widely recognized and awarded for his short film work. I first met Kaz (on the left in the image above) and his producer partner Dan Montgomery (right) about 18 months ago and have grown to like their work very much.

Through their company, Medium Density Fibreboard Films, they have made four shorts of their own and produced others for Vancouver filmmaker Antoine Bourges. What I’ve loved about Kaz’s short film work is the almost documentary style of the camerawork. It’s reminiscent of the Dardennes brothers, with the camera often following a character from behind, or featuring them in unflattering close-ups. The social realism extends to the subject matter, with often mundane details slowly knitting together to illustrate larger themes. Out in That Deep Blue Sea (2009) is an unflinching and deeply affecting portrait of midlife crisis. The main character’s powerlessness emerges through his flailing attempts to keep his real-estate business going, despite his lack of passion. His disconnection from the world is reinforced by the camera’s constant closeups and refusal to show any other character’s perspective.

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From what I’ve seen of Tower, we could be seeing the same character twenty or twenty-five years earlier. Derek (Derek Bogart) is a guy in his mid-thirties who is still living in his parents’ basement. He works at his uncle’s construction company part-time but dreams of a career as an animator. He’s disconnected from his parents and everyone else, but when he suddenly finds himself in an intimate relationship with a woman, he’s not sure what to do.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Kaz can do with a larger canvas and a few more resources. The film recently had its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, and the reviews have been largely positive.

Tower plays in the Discovery section of this year’s TIFF programme.


oehttp://vimeo.com/46739641
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Touch Me I’m Sick

Ever wanted to get close to a celebrity? The upcoming Toronto International Film Festival is prime hunting ground for celebrity stalkers in our city, and although it’s not really my thing, I have to acknowledge that the red carpets are crawling with famous people each September. Now you can take your obsession to the next level.

The Lucas Clinic is introducing “biomodification” treatments that let you get sick along with your favourite stars. Feel their symptoms! Share their pain! You may not be able to have their looks, their wealth, or their lifestyles, but now you know that you can at least have their cooties.


oehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HMClJjnyAM
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