Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008 Day 1 - Friday October 17, 2008

The curtain rises on the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival!

And it begins! Opening night of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival started off with a bang at the sold out screening of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. It was a very busy night as masses of people stood in various lines outside the theatre. I arrived around 6:20pm and the line already snaked around the corner and up the street, making it the longest line up I've personally been in at The Bloor! Both films of the night Let the Right One In (feature) and The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow (short) received enthusiastic responses from the crowd, many of which came out to the opening night party over at the Annex Wreck Room to celebrate the festival.


Festival Director & Founder Adam Lopez with Rodrigo Gudino and Vincent Marcone Directors of The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow

The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow
Dirs: Rodrigo Gudiño and Vincent Marcone
Canada, 2008
6 min

The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow is a fascinating short with a unique storytelling style that literally guides the viewer throughout the film. I found it compelling with how it played with perception and perspective in an unusual way and the tone continually shift, ranging from quiet drifting to a strong sense of urgency. It was like being in someone else's mind as they try to solve a puzzle. Brilliant.

Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in
Dir: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson
Sweden

After hearing so many rave reviews about Let the Right One In I am thrilled that I enjoyed it as much as I had hoped. A fantastic horror-drama vampire film it brings to light many topics such as unconventional relationships, disconnected relationships, bullying and of course, vampires. Now, imagine all of these things in a world of a 12 year old and you can see how this is not your ordinary vampire film. It plays with darkness, desire, destruction and revenge from numerous points of view which begs the question of when would you cross the line, and why? A beautiful genre blend of horror with a strong dramatic tone and narrative, I found this melded perfectly together especially in varying the levels of tension. Overall it was irresistible and a fantastic way to start off the festival!


The packed house on Opening Night - were you there?

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008 runs from October 17-24/08 at the Bloor Cinema, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.