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Posted by editor@vimooz.com on September 20, 2009 under Toronto International Film Festival | 
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The 34th Toronto International Film Festival announced its awards and “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire” won the top award. The film, directed by Lee Daniels, is a gritty tale of the abuse and redemption of a teenage girl in Harlem.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on September 3, 2009 under Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
An open letter to the Toronto International Film Festival was published on the website rabble.ca protesting the festival’s decision to host a spotlight on Israel. According 
to the letter, in 2009, TIFF announced that it would inaugurate its new City to City program with a focus on Tel Aviv. The letter goes on to state that the signers do not protest the individual Israeli filmmakers included in City to City program, but object to the use of the festival in staging what they termed a propaganda campaign for an apartheid regime.
Cameron Bailey Co-Director, Toronto International Film Festival had responded to the controversy including directly addressing John Greyson withdrewing his film Covered from the Toronto International Film Festival as a protest.
The letter
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on July 25, 2009 under Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
The Toronto International Film Festival announces the addition of eight titles to its Special Presentations programming lineup for TIFF09, which runs September 10 to 19, 2009. These include works from Argentina, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. These new films join the nineteen previously announced Special Presentations.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on July 18, 2009 under Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
The 34th Toronto International Film Festival® opens September 10 with the world premiere Gala Presentation of Creation, directed by Jon Amiel (The Core, Entrapment, The Man Who Knew Too Little). Produced by Jeremy Thomas, the film tells the life story of Charles Darwin starring Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code, Wimbledon, A Beautiful Mind) as Darwin and Jennifer Connelly (He’s Just Not That Into You, The Day the Earth Stood Still, A Beautiful Mind) as his wife, Emma.
“The tension between faith and reason is prominent in contemporary culture and this intimate look at Darwin puts a human face on a man whose theory remains controversial to this day,” says Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF. “We are pleased to open the Festival with such an impassioned look at Charles Darwin, especially on the year marking the 200th anniversary of his birth.”
“We are honoured to open the Festival with Jon Amiel’s latest feature,” says Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. “By telling a story on many levels, weaving scenes from past and present, this depiction of Darwin promises to deeply move audiences by drawing them into the conflicted mind of a man who presented a concept that changed the world.”
Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, part heart-wrenching love story Creation is the story of Charles Darwin. His great, still controversial, book The Origin of Species depicts nature as a battleground. In Creation the battleground is a man’s heart. Torn between his love for his deeply religious wife and his own growing belief in a world where God has no place, Darwin finds himself caught in a struggle between faith and reason, love and truth.
The Darwin we meet in Creation is a young, vibrant father, husband and friend whose mental and physical health gradually buckles under the weight of guilt and grief for a lost child. Ultimately it is the ghost of Annie, his adored 10-year-old daughter, who leads him out of darkness and helps him reconnect with his wife and family. Only then is he able to write the book that changed the world.
Written by John Collee and based on the Randal Keynes biography of Darwin titled Annie’s Box, Creation was co-developed by Recorded Picture Company with BBC Films and the UK Film Council.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on September 16, 2008 under Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival recently announced its 2008 awards.
CADILLAC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
The Cadillac People’s Choice Award is voted on by Festival audiences. This year’s award goes to Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. From acclaimed director Danny Boyle comes a story about a kid with nothing, who has everything to lose. Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants to be A Millionaire?” Arrested on suspicion of cheating, he tells the police the amazing tale of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers? First runner-up is Kristopher Belman’s More Than A Game and the second runner-up is Cyrus Nowrasteh’s The Stoning of Soraya M. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Cadillac.
AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Chris Chong Chan Fui’s Block B. The film examines the lives of an expatriate Indian community weaving itself through the contradicting soundscapes of contemporary Malaysia. The jury notes: “simple, graphic, hypnotic - this is an achievement of bringing cinema to its bare essentials.” A special citation goes to Denis Villeneuve’s Next Floor. The short film jury members are filmmakers Louise Archambault and Min Sook Lee, and Rotterdam International Film Festival programmer Peter van Hoof. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize and is supported by the National Film Board of Canada.
CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu’s Before Tomorrow “for its arresting beauty, its humanist, innovative storytelling and its artistic integrity in capturing the narrative of a people through an intimate tale.” Based on the novel by acclaimed Danish author Jørn Riel, Before Tomorrow is a moving drama about a strong Inuit woman and her beloved grandson, who become trapped on a remote island as they face the ultimate challenge of survival. A special citation goes to Lyne Charlebois’ Borderline. Established by Citytv, the award carries a cash prize of $15,000.
CITY OF TORONTO-CITYTV AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Rodrigue Jean’s Lost Song. Elisabeth (Suzie LeBlanc), Pierre (Patrick Goyette) and their new-born baby move to a summer cottage in a remote area north of Montreal. Isolation and the difficulty of coping with her new situation and surroundings send Elisabeth into a spiral of depression. The jury described the film as “constantly surprising,” and “profound, masterful and devastatingly sad.” A special citation goes to Atom Egoyan’s Adoration. Generously co-sponsored by the City of Toronto and Citytv, the City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film carries a cash prize of $30,000.
CANADIAN FEATURE FILM AWARDS JURY
Winners of the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film and the City of Toronto-Citytv Award for Best Canadian Feature Film were selected by a jury of film industry professionals, consisting of filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming, filmmaker and actor Sarah Polley, programmer for the Locarno Film Festival Vincenzo Bugno, and producer Michael Burns.
DIESEL DISCOVERY AWARD
The Diesel Discovery award goes to Steve McQueen’s Hunger. The film follows Bobby Sands and the other political inmates of Northern Ireland’s Maze Prison in 1981 as they seek to gain special category status for republican prisoners. The Festival press corps, which consists of 1000 international media, voted on the Diesel Discovery Award. The award offers a $10,000 cash prize and a custom award sponsored by DIESEL Canada.
PRIZE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZE)
The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 17th consecutive year. This year’s jury was expanded and considered eligible films in the Discovery and Special Presentation programmes. The jury members consist of jury president Jonathan Rosenbaum (USA), Nick Roddick (United Kingdom), Elie Castiel (Canada), Ranjita Biswas (India), Kim Linekin (Canada) and Pablo Scholz (Argentina).
The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Discovery is awarded to Derick Martini’s Lymelife. From the filmmaking team behind Smiling Fish and Goat on Fire (TIFF 1999) comes an examination of first love, family dynamics and the American Dream in late 1970s Long Island, as seen through the innocent eyes of a 15-year-old. Scott Bartlett (Rory Culkin) is a gentle boy - a direct contrast to his blustery father, Mickey (Alec Baldwin). After an outbreak of Lyme disease hits their suburban community, the lives of the Bartletts and their neighbours begin to crumble in the wake of illness, confrontation and paranoia.
The Prize of the International Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Special Presentations is awarded to Steve Jacobs’ Disgrace. Professor David Lurie’s (John Malkovich) life falls apart after he has an impulsive affair with one of his students. Forced to resign from Cape Town University, he escapes to his daughter’s farm in the Eastern Cape. Their relationship is tested when they both become victims of a vicious attack. In order not to lose the love of his daughter, David stands by her as she accepts her tragic circumstances. She continues her life on the farm and their individual disgrace finally settles to an uneasy grace.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on September 2, 2008 under Telluride Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
Natalie Portman was also presented with the ‘Movie for Humanity Award’ at the Venice Film Festival.
British director Boyle’s new “Slumdog Millionaire” leads buzz at Telluride Film festival
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on August 20, 2008 under Battle Creek Film Festival, Landlocked Film Festival, Tilda Swinton, Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
From Thursday to Sunday at the Landlocked Film Festival, Iowa City area residents will have a chance to watch the work of dozens of independent filmmakers from throughout the world | Landlocked Film Festival
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on July 25, 2008 under Cervino International Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival, Gimli Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, Temecula Valley International Film & Music Festival, Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
The Gimli Film Festival kicks off today, Friday, in Gimli, Manitoba, with the main events to include “No Network,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” and “Paris Je T’aime.” The festival runs through July 29th. | Gimli Film Festival
From July 25th to August 3 Breuil-Cervinia and Valtournenche will host the XI Edition of the Cervino International Film Festival. | Cervino International Film Festival
Rome International Film Festival executive director resigns
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on July 18, 2008 under Durango Independent Film Festival, Media that Matters Film Festival, Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
Joanie Fraughton has been hired as the Festival director of the Durango Independent Film Festival.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on July 16, 2008 under Toronto International Film Festival | Be the First to Comment
Canadian programming at the 33rd Toronto International Film Festival celebrates the best of Canadian national cinema, bringing the country’s finest films and filmmakers to the attention of local, national and international audiences.
The Festival announces Michael McGowan’s One Week, starring Joshua Jackson, Liane Balaban and Campbell Scott, and Kari Skogland’s Fifty Dead Men Walking, starring Jim Sturgess, Sir Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan and Kevin Zegers. These titles join the previously announced Opening Night film, Passchendaele by Paul Gross, as Canadian Gala Presentations to date.
Special Presentations include Deepa Mehta’s Heaven on Earth, Fernando Meirelles’s Blindness and Philippe Falardeau’s C’est pas moi, je le jure! (It’s Not Me, I Swear !). These titles join Atom Egoyan’s previously announced Adoration. Read more of this article »