I have been reading and hearing so much about what’s playing in Toronto - that I thought I should assemble my own BEST OF THE FEST listing, in trailer form… Below are some of my favorites, both indies and studio pictures…
The Coen Brother’s NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Andrew Wagner’s STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
Ang Lee’s LUST, CAUTION
Todd Haynes’ I’M NOT THERE
Sydney Lumet’s BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
The Toronto Film Festival opened this week and first night festivities included a screening of Fugitive Pieces, an adaptation of Anne Michaels’ Holocaust novel by Canadian writer-director Jeremy Podeswa. Although the film recieved mixed rewiews there are supposed to be stand-out perfomances by Stephen Dillane and Rade Serbedzija.
However, the hottest ticket at the festival seems to be Heavy Metal in Baghdad - an indie documentary about Baghdad’s first and only answer to Metallica (as pictured above).
If you happen to be in Toronto here is a list of screening times for H-M-I-B.
Also, here is a tribute to ACRASSICAUDA (the band from the doc) that I discovered on Youtube…
As an Indie Filmmaker, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the competition. And these days trends are as prevalent in the Indie world, as in mainstream Hollywood movies. Still, for every LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE that crosses over, there will be dozens more off-beat gems that won’t quite make that kind of splash. Searching them out on-line is great - but discovering them in a festival setting is even better. You might even meet the filmmakers behind these rough diamonds, maybe even hopefully swap some ideas on means, methods and technology.
Here are some festivals that might be worth a look in the coming weeks…
FILMINUTE 2007
On-line - September 5-9
I’m not usually a fan of one minute film festivals - especially the on-line variety. But this is just too good to miss and features the likes of Kevin Roberts and author Michael Ondaatje.
ROME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Rome, Georgia - September 6-9
The ’south’ is rarely known for its film festivals, but Rome 2007 has an interesting mandate - opening its doors to ‘working filmmakers’ from around the globe. This event is also tied-in with The First Annual
Southeastern Film Industry Expo (think: an Independent Feature Market [IFM] for the South).
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Toronto, Canada - September 6-15
All the big players from the industry hit Toronto. Expect, celebrities, big premieres and a host of unique movies. If you can afford the ticket - certainly worth dropping in.
SOUTH DAKOTA FILM FESTIVAL
Aberdeen, South Dakota - September 21-23
The South Dakota Film Festival’s emphasis is on films made by filmmakers from the Great Plains region (SD, MN, ND, IA, WY, and NE) or films shot in the Great Plains region. Undoubtedly you will find some unique voices if you visit Aberdeen for this one.
GREAT LAKES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
Erie, Pennsylvania - September 26 thru October 12
Notable, in some respects, because Guns N’ Roses’ super star Dizzy Reed will not only be attending the 2007 Great Lakes Independent Film Festival, but will also be performing on Saturday September 29, 2007. All joking aside, though - there is a lot of interesting international fare being screened at The GLIFF, this year. FYI - last year, one of the special guests was JESSE JANE- pictured above.
For an extensive listing of global film festivals you might want to visit IMDB’s weighty Film Festival page.
For those of you who loved A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and DIRTY PRETTY THINGS - you’re in for a rare treat with EASTERN PROMISES - the latest from David Cronenberg where he re-teams with Viggo Mortensen. This film is written by British scribe Steven Knight - the writer of Dirty Pretty Things. If the trailer is anything to go by - this is dark and gripping stuff. Okay - so it’s not technically isn’t an indie picture, but you can learn a lot from the sparseness of Knight’s writing and the immense style that Cronenberg brings to his more commercial fare.
EASTERN PROMISES will screen as the opening film at The San Sebastian Film Festivalon September 20th.
A synopsis from movies.com…
Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) belongs to one of London’s most feared organized crime families who meets a midwife (Naomi Watts) who unwittingly holds damaging information that could lead to unraveling the family’s criminal network. Nikolai must make sure this doesn’t happen without ruining the young woman’s life.
Getting into festivals can in some cases be a fast-track to distribution and dvd deals. Buyers are often trawling festivals to find the ‘hot’ new thing. But the festival circuit can be complex and expensive. You might want to sign-up for a service like Without A Box to simplify and manage your festival submissions. W-A-B has just upgraded their service too, offering distribution tools and even a way to set-up your own film festival.
Here are some interesting festivals that you might submit to with deadlines coming-up in August ‘07:
BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL (November 14, 2007 / November 17, 2007)
A celebration of independent filmmakers and screenwriters from across the country and around the world. Includes film screenings, special guests, networking parties, and awards ceremony. Takes place annually at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City.
Submission deadline - August 15th - VISIT the Official Site
BOULDER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (February 15, 2007 / February 18, 2007)
The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) is one of Colorado’s most celebrated film events and has developed international recognition as a showcase for the best new films by today’s most important new filmmakers and stars.
Submission deadline - August 15th - VISIT the Official Site
EXTREME FILMMAKER’S 48-HOUR FILM FESTIVAL (September 20, 2007 / September 20, 2007)
The 48-Hour Film Festival was started to motivate directors and remove the excuses that prevent people from becoming filmmakers. Actually finishing a film is a better credit than all of the plans and unfinished screenplays in Hollywood.
Submission deadline - August 31st - VISIT the Official Site
LA FEMME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (October 11, 2007 / October 14, 2007)
Premier International Film Festival focusing on films created by women Producers, Writers & Directors. Winners have achieved distribution internationally & domestically, Hallmark, Lifetime, HBO, Showtime.
Submission deadline - August 27th - VISIT the Official Site
SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL (January 17, 2008 / January 25, 2008)
Since’95. This year On the Road Screenings & we began a festival in Cologne, Germany supporting new European filmmaking talent. New $99 Specials, short dv films made for $99 by Slamdance alumni.Also screenplay comp., year-round online fest.
Submission deadline - August 27th - VISIT the Official Site
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