This week the acclaimed Israeli movie Footnote is competing for best foreign movie in the Oscars (It will also have a March 9th limited U.S release). The 2011 TV series Homeland, which is a remake of the Israeli TV series Prisoners of War, was the best TV series of the past year and won numerous Golden Globes. In Treatment, the American remake of the Israeli TV series In Therapy won awards both at the Emmy’s and the Golden Globes during its three year run. To celebrate the rise and rise of Israeli cinema and TV, we give you a review of its best contemporary titles sorted by themes and moods:

1. Emotional Family problems - Broken Wings (2002), Things Behind the Sun (2006)

Broken Wings – A Berlin Film Festival award winner, it is a compelling drama about a family traumatized by loss. It’s a beautiful human story about coping and moving on.

Things Behind the Sun – A story about a family in which each one of its members is facing an important crossroad in their life. It’s about the need for love and about the comfort we can get from our family in times of need.

2. Mind and soul in the Military – Waltz With Bashir (2008), Lebanon (2009)

Waltz With Bashir – An original concept – an animated war documentary in which filmmaker Ari Folman explores his own suppressed memories as a soldier during the 1982 Lebanon conflict.

Lebanon – A Golden Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival, it shows the suffering and the horror that all sides who participate in a war have to endure. Almost all the movie is shown from the insides of an Israeli tank.

3. Religion and Belief – Holy Guests (1999), Jerusalem Brew (2003)

Holy Guests – A devout Hasidic Jew is forced to come to terms with his criminal past when two old friends pay him a visit. It’s a heartwarming, and at times, comic movie about faith and humanism.

Jerusalem Brew - Deals with the life of a traditional Jewish family living in Jerusalem. While one son rebels against the father and becomes secular, the other takes the opposing side and becomes an ultra-orthodox Jew.

4. Feel good and Sentimental – Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (2003), Colombian Love (2004)

Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi – Shlomi is a young man who spends so much time caring for his dysfunctional family that he is unable to look after himself. But when he simultaneously falls in love and is declared a genius by the school principal, he must find a delicate balance between serving his own best interests without abandoning his needy family.

Colombian Love – A young couple in love decides to get married. When the preparations for the wedding begin, everything starts to spiral out of control.

5. Bleak Childhood – Intimate Grammar (2010), The Flood (2011)

Intimate Grammar – Winner in the Tokyo international film festival, this heartbreaking movie that takes place during the 1960s, focuses on an 11 year old kid who hasn’t grown a single inch during the last 3 years. He just needs some time and patience, but his dysfunctional family and especially his overbearing mother aren’t really helping.

The Flood – A poignant film that got a special mention at the Berlin Film Festival. It tells the story of Yoni, a 13 year old boy who’s having a tough time at school. Things only get tougher when his autistic brother returns home after being hidden away for years in a hostel that is now shut down.

6. Humorous Crimes – Asfur (2010), The Arbitrator (2007)

Asfur – This TV series that revolves around 4 buddies who keep getting themselves in and out of trouble, received a cult following in Israel. A U.S production company has already bought the rights for an American version. Imagine early-day Guy Ritchie deciding to make an Israeli TV series and combine it with some soap opera elements.

The Arbitrator – Another cult TV series, The Arbitrator (a person which criminals go to in order to sort their differences) is something like a parody version of many great crime films and TV shows, combined. The characters are extremely exaggerated and the plot twists are many – and that’s exactly what makes it so fun to watch.

7. Middle East Conflict/Getting along – Ajami (2009), The Band’s Visit (2007)

Ajami – Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood is a melting pot of cultures and conflicting views among Jews, Muslims and Christians. This rough and captivating movie that was nominated for an Oscar and won an award at the Cannes Film Festival captures the tensions of the neighborhood and of the entire Israeli society.

The Band’s Visit – A winner of the Cannes Film Festival, it’s a subtle and touching movie about a music band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force who arrive at the wrong town in Israel and have to rely on the kindness of the local Cafe owner, Dina.

8. Psychological and Clever – In Therapy (2005), Footnote (2011)

In Therapy – The show follows a psychologist during his weekly meetings with his patients, including his appointment with his own therapist. It got a very successful U.S remake – HBO’s In Treatment with Gabriel Byrne as the psychologist.

Footnote – Another Cannes winner, Footnote is a brilliant and stylized film that deals with the escalating tension between a father and his son, both eccentric professors who desire recognition for their work (but only one can get the ultimate recognition – the Israeli prize).

9. Humorous Buddies – Mesudarim (2006), A Matter of Size (2009)

Mesudarim – Some call it the Israeli version of Entourage (and ironically Mark Wahlberg was interested in buying the format and giving it a U.S remake called Loaded), Mesudarim means settled for life. It follows 4 friends who sell their gaming startup company to an American corporation for 217 million dollars, and deals with how the four very different, childhood friends deal with their new found wealth.

A Matter of Size – Made in the spirit of The Full Monty, and at least as good. It’s a light (despite the character’s weight), funny, moving, sentimental against the odds tale - a great formula that makes you leave the cinema with a big smile on your face. An American version helmed by Jon Turteltaub is in the making.

10. Haunted by the Past, Holocaust - The Debt (2007), Metallic Blues (2004)

The Debt – Three Mossad agents captured a Nazi war criminal, but he managed to escape. They cover it up and are regarded as heroes in Israel. 35 years later a local paper publishes an article that the criminal is alive, willing to admit his crimes. The aging agents have a chance to complete the job and save their reputation. An American remake with Helen Mirren came out last year and was a mild success.

Metallic Blues – In this emotional and very funny dramedy, a pair of used-car dealers drive a classic limo from Israel to Germany, putting their friendship onto a test as well as their feelings about the European country.

Technorati Tags: Footnote, best foreign movie, Oscars, Homeland, Golden Globes, In Treatment, Emmy’s, Emotional Family problems, Broken Wings, Things Behind the Sun, Broken Wings, Things Behind the Sun, Mind and soul in the Military, Waltz With Bashir, Lebanon, animated, war documentary, Golden Lion winner, Venice Film Festival, Religion and Belief, Holy Guests, Jerusalem Brew, Feel good and Sentimental, Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi, Colombian Love, vdysfunctional family, Bleak Childhood, Intimate Grammar, The Flood, Tokyo international film festival, Humorous Crimes, Asfur, The Arbitrator, cult following, Guy Ritchie, soap opera parody, Middle East Conflict, Getting along, Ajami, The Band’s Visit, Jaffa, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israeli society, Psychological and Clever, In Therapy, Footnote, HBO, In Treatment, Gabriel Byrne, escalating tension, Humorous Buddies, Mesudarim, A Matter of Size, Entourage, Mark Wahlberg, The Full Monty, Jon Turteltaub, Haunted by the Past, Holocaust - The Debt, Metallic Blues

Popularity: 3% [?]

Steven Soderbergh continues to zigzag between commercial, somewhat formulaic filmmaking and more art house oriented fair with his new film, Contagion, which opened the Venice film festival last weekend and opens in the United States this week.

Infected by some of the good reviews,  we’ve decided to take a look at some memorable plague related titles.

Outbreak

In this suspenseful thriller directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Dustin Hoffman doesn’t only have to race against time in order to save the entire population of the Untied States from being annihilated by the deadly Ebola-like virus, but also to fight the system and prevent many unnecessary deaths.

Survivors

A plague of apocalyptic magnitude is the starting point for this captivating British TV series which focuses on a group of survivors hoping to rebuild society. As it turns out, their main concern isn’t the disease but the worse aspects of human nature.

The Andromeda Strain

Outer space has dangers in many shapes and sizes, as evident in this sci-fi thriller by Robert Wise, where the deadly extra terrestrial visitors aren’t riding gigantic spaceships. On the contrary, they are microscopic, a fact that positions the battle against them in a secret underground laboratory.

The Crazies

Making a rare exception to his zombie oeuvre, filmmaker George A. Romero didn’t stray too far, as the main themes of chaos and mayhem remain intact. The source of the plague this time is an experiment gone awry, driving the infected citizens of a small town to extremely violent behavior.

Epidemic

In typical Lars Von Trier fashion, this experimental piece which follows a director and a screenwriter as they attempt to create a horror film gets weirder and weirder as the plot progresses, mixing a highly stylized film within film and a surprisingly violent final scene.

The Ten Commandments

Cecil B. DeMille’s historical epic drama is probably one of the few instances in filmic history where a plague is presented in a fairly positive way. Well, being caused by a miraculous event and helping an oppressed people get its freedom will improve your public image.

The Carrier

In the real world, preventing diseases from spreading isn’t exclusive to highly trained scientists in hazmat suits, as shown in this sincere documentary that depicts the hopes of young African woman to save her child from being infected by HIV.

The Seventh Seal

Plague stricken medieval Europe is the setting for Ingmar Bergman’s classic contemplative drama about belief and introspection, as it follows a knight in the midst of a religious crisis who encounters death.

Milla Jovovich Films

Possibly the most impervious actress working in Hollywood, Milla Jovovich has survived not only numerous virus infections in the Resident Evil film series, but also the future dystopia of Ultraviolet. It seems that audiences aren’t getting sick of the Jovovich vs. Virus story since most of these films achieve blockbuster status and a new one is in the works

Contagion

Multiple stories are intertwined when a deadly plague erupts, causing worldwide chaos. While a global effort is made to contain the virus and stop it from contaminating more and more cities, millions of lives are affected and conspiracy theories pop up on the internet, enhancing the panic. All this may sound a little familiar, but we’re hoping Soderbergh will inject the film with an antidote of unique cinematic sensibilities.

[tags/]Highly contagious titles, contagious, Steven Soderbergh, Venice Film Festival, plague, outbreak, survivors, the Andromeda strain, the crazies, epidemic, the ten commandments, the carrier, the seventh seal, milla jovovich, resident evil, ultraviolet, contagion[/tags]

Popularity: 1% [?]

We’re in the midst of festival season, and two of the most important festivals are about to open – in Venice and in Toronto. With recent winners like Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler (2008), Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain (2005) and distant past winners like Luis Buñuel’s essential Belle de jour (1967),you want to know what’s going on there. In Toronto there is no jury and no official competition, only a People’s Choice Award, but according to past winners (The King’s Speech, Precious, Slumdog Millionaire, Tsotsi, American Beauty and many more) this maybe the most accurate Oscar predictor we have. So without further adieu, I will look at the ten most intriguing movies of this year’s Venice and Toronto film festivals.

1. The Ides of March (2011) – George Clooney’s film will open this year’s festival. Clooney has already established himself as one of the top political directors/actors with Good Night and Good Luck, Syriana, Michael Clayton and now this drama about a staff member of a presidential candidate whose idealism is challenged and innocence lost during an electoral campaign. The cast is impressive with Ryan Gosling as the main character, Clooney as the candidate, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman and more.

2. A Dangerous Method (2011) – David Cronenberg’s period film boasts an equally impressive cast, with Viggo Mortensen (his regular), Keira Knightley, the ubiquitous Michael Fassbender, and Vincent Cassel. The story surrounds the two fathers of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Fassbender), when a mentally unstable Russian woman (Knightley) comes to Jung’s care. With Cronenberg we can expect a no holds bar kind of historical drama.

3. Alpeis (2011) – After Kynodontas received a surprising Academy Award nomination, and became a Cannes Festival winner, Giorgos Lanthimos is back with another bizarre tale. A group of people, led by a nurse, form a sort of therapy group for people in grief that impersonate the deceased, and by that (of course) help with the grieving process. It’s an unconventional method if I’ve ever heard of one. The director promises it’s more disturbing than his last movie (also more humorous), but I don’t know if that’s possible. In any case, be prepared for an offbeat experience.

4. Poulet aux prunes (2011) – Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud return after 2007’s Persepolis with another based on comics movie, only this time it’s a live action film. The story sounds pretty gloomy, a talented musician whose instrument is broken loses meaning in life, but as with Persepolis we can expect it to be a bit humorous and surreal.

5. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) – Tomas Alfredson’s period thriller is based on a TV series and based on a book by John Le Carré, and is set in 70s England. A former special agent is investigating a mole at the top of MI6. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and John Hurt headline this film by the promising Swedish director. After 2008’s amazing horror drama Let the Right One In, you expect a lot.

6. 360 (2011) – A Fernando Meirelles movie is always intriguing. The City of God director is back with a film based on a play by Arthur Schnitzer that spans the world for sexual relations between people of different social backgrounds. Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Foster and Eminem (?!) complete an interesting cast.

7. Le premier homme (2011) – Although Italian director Gianni Amelio has already received 9 awards at Venice, his new film will skip Italy and premier at the Toronto Film Festival. It’s his first French speaking feature, based on a book by Albert Camus, and featuring a great cast of French actors, Jacques Gamblin, up and comer Maya Sansa and the always excellent Denis Podalydès.

8. L’ordre et le morale (2011) – Matthieu Kassovitz wrote, directed and stars in this historical drama about an incident that happened in 1988 in the French colony of New Caledonia, where a group of Kanak separatists took some cops as hostages. Since 1995’s Hate, Kassovitz hasn’t done anything close to it, but this could be a return to form.

9. Trishna (2011) – Michael Winterbottom is always an intriguing director. His career has been mostly hits (Tristram Shandy, 24 Hour Party People), but he has had some misses (9 Songs, Code 46). This adaptation of a Thomas Hardy novel is set in India, starring the beautiful Freida Pinto, and tells the up and down relationship between two people of social differences.

10. Albert Nobbs (2011) – Oscar alert! Glenn Close plays a woman who disguises herself as a man and works as a butler for twenty years. Up and comer Mia Wasikowska, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Aaron Johnson co-star in Rodrigo Garcia’s period film. If that’s not worth an Oscar nomination, then I don’t know what is.

Technorati Tags: Toronto Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, The Ides of March, A Dangerous Method, Alpeis, Poulet aux prunes, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 360, Le Premier Homme, L’ordre et le morale, Trishna, Albert Nobbs

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Venice and Toronto film festivals are approaching. Once again we’re wondering: Which will be the best, stand-out films of the two festivals? We enlisted the help of the Movie Genome to choose the best titles of all time and predict the best titles for this year:

Venice Film Festival (September 1-11, 2010)

1.
In the Past: The Dancer Upstairs, a 2002 Venice entry by John Malkovich.

Upcoming: Black Swan, by Darren Aronofsky
John Malkovich’s first feature as a director was a tense, atmospheric, political, indie thriller, in which the main female lead was a ballet dancer. And what do you know, Aronofsky’s new entry is an atmospheric, tense, psychological thriller about ballerinas!!! Well, nothing is too strange when it comes to Aronofsky.

The impressive cast includes Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Winona Ryder, and the trailer reveals a world very different from the one we imagine when we think about ballet.

2.
In the Past: Lost in Translation, a 2003 Venice & Toronto entry by Sofia Coppola.

Upcoming: Somewhere, by Sofia Coppola
It’s not a big deal to recommend a new entry from a beloved director, but Sofia is also back in dealing with the themes of actors’ life and introspection. The trailer for Somewhere also tries to deliver an Lost in Translation-type atmospheric mood.

It seems you either love Sofia Coppola’s films or you highly dislike them. Personally, I really love them. But this time Sofia may have crafted a consensual movie (and not in a bad sense)… Somewhere tells the story of a typical womanizer – Hollywood actor, (Stephen Dorff) receiving an unexpected visit from his 11-year-old daughter, played by Elle Fanning (yes, the sister). (Will the Dakota siblings create a more quality dynasty then the Baldwins and the Culkins…?)

3.
In the past: Paradise Now, a 2005 Toronto entry, by Hany Abu-Assad.

Upcoming: Miral, by Julian Schnabel
Paradise now was a very controversial take on the Arab-Israeli conflict, made by a Palestinian director. Miral seems to be the same, only by a Jewish director.

After the exemplary The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the expectations for Schnabel’s next feature sky-rocketed. He chose to create a film that will no doubt arouse controversy, about a Palestinian girl in an orphanage at the beginning of the first Arab-Israeli uprising in the 80s. The fact that the Palestinian girl is played by Indian actress Freida Pinto also raised some brows… It will be interesting to see what comes of this sensitive subject.

4.
In the past: The Brothers Grimm, a 2005 Venice Entry, by Terry Gilliam

Upcoming: The Tempest, by Julie Taymor
The Brothers Grimm was a disappointing fantastic, stylized, offbeat tale involving wizards and myths. But since I like this combination of themes, one of the films I’ve personally waited the longest for was chosen as Venice’s closing film – Julie Taymor’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest.

Taymor has created amazingly stylized and rich-looking films in past years (for example Titus and Frida). Although a trailer has not yet been released, the few images combined with the rich imagination of Shakespeare’s play assure us this film won’t lower the standards.

5.
In the past: Walk the Line, a 2005 Toronto entry, by James Mangold

Upcoming: I’m still Here, by Casey Affleck
In October 2008, acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix gave a captivating performance as singer Jonny Cash in Walk the Line – then announced he was quitting acting to become a hip-hop artist. The film industry was puzzled: Was it an elaborate joke, or a mental breakdown? Or was it really his wish to explore different artistic directions?

Casey Affleck followed Phoenix for a year after this announcement and his new documentary (or maybe mockumentary?) promises to reveal the truth behind this intriguing actor.

Toronto Film Festival (September 9-19 2010):

1.
In the past: 3 Extremes, a 2004 Venice entry, by Fruit Chan, Park Chan-Wook and Takashi Miike

Upcoming: Hereafter, by Clint Eastwood
3 Extremes was a supernatural thriller-horror flick that contained 3 different segments, directed by some of Asia’s most acclaimed directors. Now we have a new movie by one of USA’s most acclaimed directors, Clint Eastwood. While this is always a source of interest, Hereafter is not the usual Eastwood material. It contains supernatural elements (of afterlife and spirituality) and is also a multiple stories thriller. Although in Eastwood’s case, the stories eventually connect and the mood will probably be much more atmospheric and less scary…

2.
In the past: Encounters at the End of the World, a 2007 Toronto entry, by Werner Herzog

Upcoming: 127 Hours, by Danny Boyle
Survival, isolation and forces of nature? Werner Herzog and Danny Boyle include plenty of these in the films mentioned, although Herzog’s film is a documentary and Boyle’s film is fictional (though based on a true story). 127 Hours tells the true story of a mountain climber trapped in an isolated canyon and his efforts to survive.

This is Danny Boyle’s first project after his amazing and unexpected success with Slumdog Millionaire – the big winner of the 2008 award season that picked up no less than 8 Academy Awards.

3.
In the past: The Son’s Room, a 2001 Toronto entry, by Nanni Moretti

Upcoming: Rabbit Hole, by John Cameron Mitchell
Moretti’s acclaimed film tells the story of a family learning to deal with the death of their son. Now an almost identical story comes to the screen, this time at the hands of a very different director. In 2001, John Cameron Mitchell directed what has become one of the greatest cult films of the 21st century – Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He gained many fans who have been waiting anxiously to see what he would create next… This was another small-scale indie production called Shortbus. Now for the first time Mitchell is undertaking a major feature with stars like Nicole Kidman (who passed up a role in the new Woody Allen film for this) and Aaron Eckhart. It will be interesting to see if, despite the big names, the low-budget, controversial spirit remains.

4.
In the past: North Country, a 2005 Toronto entry, by Niki Caro

Upcoming: Conviction, by Tony Goldwyn
Every year needs its story of lower-class people who decide to fight against the system and right wrongs: we had North Country, Erin Brockovich, Silkwood and so on. Here’s this year’s version (a rare case in which I find a film interesting not because of the director, but rather because of the cast): it includes Juliette Lewis, Sam Rockwell, Minnie Driver and above all Hilary Swank in a leading role that simply screams Oscar. The movie is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, an unemployed single mother who goes to law school in order to represent her brother, who is wrongfully accused of murder.

5.
In the past: Walk on Water, a 2004 Toronto entry by Eytan Fox

Upcoming: The Debt, by John Madden
The Debt is actually a remake of an Israeli movie from 2007 of the same name. This “upgraded” remake stars big names like Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson, and the trailer seems appropriately suspenseful and intriguing. It tells the story of 3 Mossad (secret service) agents on a mission to capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal - much like another successful Israeli feature of recent years, Walk on Water, which deals with the exact same issue albeit in a different tone.

If you have any other recommendations for these festivals, comment and let us know!

Technorati Tags: Toronto Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Black Swan, The Debt, Conviction, Rabbit Hole,  Hereafter, The Tempest, Somewhere, Miral, Clint Eastwood, John Madden, Tony Goldwyn, John Cameron Mitchell

Popularity: 3% [?]

Venice and Toronto: This odd couple of film festivals sits back-to-back each year, giving headaches to everyone from distributors to artistic directors.

The oldest major film festival (established 1932), picturesque Venice showcases movies from all over the world. The emphasis is on arthouse, European and Italian cinema, but major Hollywood stars also walk its red carpet. Like Cannes and Berlin, its formal selections include only films premiering at the festival.

Set downtown, Toronto is younger (established 1976) and hip. It’s the most attended North American film festival, emphasizing American titles, mainstream and Indie, as well as world cinema and documentaries. Considered a good platform to launch North American campaigns for movies, Toronto doesn’t require all showcased movies to be premiering or offer a prestigious prize like Venice’s Golden Lion, though it does offer a People’s Choice Award.

Which festival better reflects your tastes? Check the 5 highlights of each below before you decide – you might be surprised.

Venice: September 2-12 2009

1. What do Takeshi Kitano, Agnès Varda, Abbas Kiarostami and Sylvester Stallone have in common?

Nothing. But the festival has decided differently, and during the closing ceremony will honor Stallone with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award, previously awarded to the directors mentioned above.

The award is dedicated to a filmmaker who has made his/her mark on contemporary cinema. This event will highlight two of Stallone’s works. The festival will show first footage of the upcoming all-(B)-star-cast The Expendables, the new action thriller Stallone wrote, directs and stars in, alongside Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and… Dolph Lundgren!! If that’s not enough, it will also reveal Rambo – Director’s Cut. No, that’s not a joke…

2. The Road

One of the most intriguing films premiering at Venice this year (and also one of the contestants for the Golden Lion award) is John Hillcoat’s The Road. It’s already attracted a lot of Oscar talk, and no wonder when you look at some of the names involved. It’s based on a novel by Cormack McCarthy, who was also behind the 2007 Oscar winner No Country for Old Men. It stars the acclaimed Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings, History of Violence) alongside an all-star cast including Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall.

Take a look at the gloomy, lyrical trailer – will this one live up to expectations?

3. Metropia

The opening film of the International Critics’ Week is an intriguing Scandinavian production from director Tarik Saleh. With background in animation and short movies, and two documentaries under his belt, he brings to the screen an animated tale of future dystopia, four years in the works. Selah is not well-known outside Sweden, but the voices he cast contribute to the anticipation: Juliette Lewis and Vincent Gallo, both no strangers to original and experimental movies, Veterans Stellan Skarsgård and Udo Kier, and Alexander Skarsgård – the rising star of Generation Kill and True Blood, and soon the lead in the remake to Straw Dogs.

The story and teaser trailer promise a rather bizarre, unique take on the theme. Same for the animation style.

4. Capitalism: A Love Story

Another contender for the Golden Lion is Michael Moore’s new film, which has of course already created controversy. Dealing with the recent financial crisis and the government transition between Bush and Obama, the movie’s marketing tagline is “Capitalism is Evil.”

According to Moore, this will be his last documentary in the next couple of years, as he is now working on two feature films. So for all his documentary fans, this might be a last opportunity in a while. As for the (majority) others, they can sigh and say, Thank god! We’ve had just about enough of self-righteous, manipulative criticism, even if justified…

5. Another decision of the festival managers that might have surprised several people is granting the honorary lifetime achievements Golden Lion award to John Lasseter and the Pixar directors. Previous winners of this award include David Lynch, Clint Eastwood, Stanley Kubrick and Woody Allen. So there’s Venice’s answer to all those who still think animation is just for kids.

Get full line up and additional info here.

Toronto: September 10-19, 2009

1. TIFF is among the top 5 film festivals in the world, but this year it may have even greater importance.
The economical crisis has had a grave effect on film productions. According to Film Releases, 40% less films were produced for the upcoming awards season. Some movie distributors still have major gaps between film releases. Toronto might be a last chance for those distributors to fill their schedules.

Viewers and distributors alike should pay attention to relatively small, independent films. Last year, films like The Wrestler and Slumdog Millionaire screened at Toronto and eventually dominated the awards season.

2. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

TIFF features the North American premiere of a film that’s interesting for several reasons. It’s Terry Gilliam’s new feature, and even though this director was responsible for several disappointments in recent years (Tideland, The Brothers Grimm), his fans still hope he’ll return to the glory days of Twelve Monkeys and Brazil. Maybe this time he will.

Even more interesting, this is Heath Ledger’s last performance. He died during the shooting of the film, and Gilliam altered the script so several actors could play the same character. Ledger’s replacements are no less than Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law.

The trailer is mesmerizing, and taking into account how Ledger’s tragic death added to his previous film’s success, I think we can expect an interesting experience.

3. This year’s controversy surrounds TIFF’s new City to City program, which will present a tribute to a selected city each year. The first city in the program is Tel Aviv, in honor of its 100th birthday. The program includes 10 films, both old and contemporary, by Israeli masters like Uri Zohar and Assi Dayan.

But the program was quick to receive criticism and protests from filmmakers with anti-Israel politics, including Jane Fonda, Danny Glover and Naomi Klein. Several filmmakers announced that they would withdraw their films from the festival.

So far the TIFF management stands behind their decision. Cameron Bailey, programmer of City to City, said, “As a festival that values debate and the exchange of cultures, we will continue to screen the best films we can find from around the world. This is our contribution to expanding our audiences’ experience of this art form and the worlds it represents.”

It will be interesting to follow the controversy and see where it leads until the festival opens. It will be even more interesting to check out the movies in the program, at least for those who appreciate filmmaking, wherever it comes from.

4. Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

This film premiered at the last Sundance Film Festival and won three awards, including the Grand Jury Prize for best drama. But since then it’s remained quite out of the spotlight.

This could be a classic case of a small independent film that receives attention at Toronto, later becoming a leading candidate in the awards season and Oscar race. Although we admit it’s a rare case.

It’s based on the novel “Push,” about a black Harlem teenager impregnated by her father and abused by her mother. The incredibly harsh narrative - based on a true story - impressed many, and two dominant African-American entertainment figures, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, decided to give it promotional assistance.

The Toronto Film Festival gives extra value via a public reading with the author in an event hosted by the director.

5. Agora

Another intriguing film in its North American premiere is Alejandro Amenabar’s new feature. This acclaimed writer/director, who brought us Open Your Eyes (1997) and the Oscar-winning The Sea Inside (2004) returns to direct his first feature film since 2004. This time it’s a historical epic, set in Roman Egypt in 369 CE and dealing with the tension between paganism and Christianity as an impossible love triangle unfolds. Rachel Weisz stars as Hypatia, a legendary Philosopher and mathematician.

The trailer reveals a highly stylized film in which every minor detail is carefully mastered. Even if the film doesn’t rise to the level of Amenabar’s previous features, we can at least expect an eye-pleasing experience.

Get full line up and additional info here.

Want more? Search on Jinni for:

Prestigious Awards * Award Winner * Venice Festival Winner * Critically Acclaimed * Independent * Foreign * Tense * Thought Provoking * Uplifting * Captivating * Touching * Exciting * Atmospheric * Disturbing * Stylish * Ethnic * Contemporary * Bollywood

Technorati Tags: Toronto, TIFF, Venice, film festival

Popularity: 4% [?]