TIFF '07 - Wrap Up

Was it only a week ago today that we all woke up without a schedule of multiple films to see in one day? How quickly the time has passed. Here are some of my favourite moments and films for TIFF 07, after 10 days, 2 pens running out, 2 notebooks filled, multiple cups of tea and 41 films later.

Stand out Films:

Action: Chrysalis, SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, Flash Point

Drama: Boy A, Wolfsbergen, The Stone Angel, Contre toute espérance, Le Cèdre penché

Documentary: The Wild Horse Redemption

Unclassifiable artistic works of wonder: My Winnipeg, M

Favourite Program: Midnight Madness ties with Contemporary World Cinema in terms of proportionate enjoyment factor of the films I saw in each program overall which historically is consistent for me. The most surprizing to me is that program I tend to avoid, Vanguard, had a huge rate of success in terms of the films I as really impressed with (Boy A, Chrysalis), but it also included ones I wasn't as fond of.

Best Experience: The Midnight Madness Screening of SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, by far. There is really nothing like the crowd at these screenings, it's completely wild and fun (see footage of the intro here). I would highly consider reshifting my whole TIFF process to included going to the Midnight Madness films at midnight and then have no morning films. The only thing is - seating at the Ryerson, not my favourite thing especially if anything is subtitled. I guess I'll decide that next year.

Funnest collective experience: The mighty collective anti-piracy 'Arggggggg!'

Best Q&A's: Lee Myung-se for M and Dario Argento for The Mother of Tears (see footage here).

Weirdest repeated Q&A question: How much of the film was improv?

Still has me thinking:
Man of Cinema: Pierre Rissient - "It's not enough to like a film, you have to like it for the right reasons"
Nos vies privé / Our Private Lives - fascinating look at intimacy
Mongol - thought provoking issues involving power, responsibility, social dynamics and the right to choose

The weird and bizarre: Shadows, DAINIPPONJIN, Glory to the Filmmaker!

Most impressive first feature: Blood Brothers

Weirdest reoccurance: Canadian documentaries that aren't about Canada or Canadians, but still really great films and compelling issues: The Wild Horse Redemption and A Promise to the Dead: The Exile Journey of Ariel Dorfman.

Repeating themes: Social isolation

Fullest Screenings: SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, Encounters at the End of the World, Paranoid Park, DAINIPPONJIN

Wish I hadn't missed: Secret Sunshine

Thanks everyone for visiting over the amazing 10 days of TIFF and beyond! Please feel free to bookmark, blogline and return regularly as I will be posting reviews, TIFF Q&A's and more festivals in the future.

To see all of my posts on TIFF 07 click here.
To see the results of all of the polls posted on Movie Moxie for TIFF 07 click here.

Here are some great resources and sites to visit for more TIFF 07 info and commentary:
TIFF 07 (official site)
TIFF's Blogs
1st Thursday
TIFF Talk
Midnight Screenings
Movie Martyr at Tiff
TIFF Reviews
TOFilmfest.ca