Docs to Rock You! 26 Documentary Titles added to TIFF 08 Line up!

Today we have 26 more titles announced for the Toronto International Film Festival 2008 and it's all about getting real. Documentaries are the focus of the day and there sure are many to discuss from a wide range of subjects and locations from near and far. I used to shy away from documentaries but after seeing a fair few at TIFF in 2007 and attending Hot Docs in 2008 my eyes were opened to a fascinating new way to see the world around us. Here are some of the films that caught my eye, followed by the complete list of films by program.

Fashionistas, get out your red dresses to salute Valentino: The Last Emperor a celebration of Valentino and all things fashion. Interested in seeing more icons? It Might Get Loud by David Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) spends time with electric guitar players Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. Score.

Looking for inspiration? Check out the World Premiere of Yes Madam, Sir (dir: Megan Doneman) which tells the story of Karin Bedi, India's first woman police officer - talk about breaking the ice. How about getting to see a Canadian eco-warrior on a pirate-like voyage? At the Edge of the World with Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherd volunteers share their adventures on sea.

Documentary films about gaming seem to find there way into a lot of festivals these days, and as a gamer myself I'm always keen to check them out and I'm not alone. Just in the past while we've seen many types of gaming covered in film including classic arcade gaming with The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, MMORPGing (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) with Second Skin and even LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) with Darkon. Now we are getting old school with good 'ole D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) with The Dungeon Master. I'm so there. It's sure to be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Dice) event - mine are sparklie gold.

Another fascinating selection this year is The Real Shaolin which follows four students, two Chinese and two western, through a year of martial arts training at the Shaolin Temple. I know can't wait to see it!

For title skimmers and summary avoiders, please make note that focus American Swing is on swinging, not swing dancing. I don't think the two subjects have the same target audience.

Mavericks

A Time to Stir
Dir: Paul Cronin
USA
This 4 hour work in progress will be screened on the September 13, 2008 and will have a discussion with Mark Rudd (Students for a Democratic Society), Bill Sales (Student Afro-American Society) and Carolyn Eisenberg (Columbia University strike committe member from the student strike in 1968).

Special Presentations

Valentino: The Last Emperor
Dir: Matt Tyrnauer
USA

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love
Dir: Chai Vasarhelyi
USA

Masters

Les Plages d'Agnès
Dir: Agnès Varda
France

Real to Reel

After the Race
Dir: Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Austria

American Swing
Dir: Matthew Kaufman
USA

At the Edge of the World
Dir: Dan Stone
USA

The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World
Dir: Weijun Chen
China

Blood Trail
Dir: Richard Parry
UK

Citizen Juling
Dirs: Ing K, Kraisak Choonhavan and Manit Sriwanichpoom
Thailand

The Dungeon Master
Dir: Keven McAlester
USA

Food, Inc.
Dir: Robert Kenner
USA

From Mother to Daughter
Dir: Andrea Zambelli
Italy

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Dir: Kevin Rafferty
USA

It Might Get Loud
Dir: David Guggenheim
USA

Killing Kasztner
Dir: Gaylen Ross
USA

More Than a Game
Dir: Kristopher Belman
USA

Peace Mission
Dir: Dorothee Wenner
Germany

The Real Shaolin
Dir: Alexander Sebastien Lee
China/USA

Sea Point Days
Dir: François Verster
South Africa

Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies
Dir: Yulene Olaizola
Mexico

Soul Power
Dir: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
USA

Unmistaken Child
Dir: Nati Baratz
Israel

Upstream Battle
Dir: Ben Kempas
Germany

Witch Hunt
Dirs: Dana Nachman and Don Hardy
USA

Yes Madam, Sir
Dir: Megan Doneman
Australia/India

The Toronto International Film Festival 2008 runs from September 4-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.