Film Fan Fridays for Friday July 1, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday July 1, 2011 and a Happy Canada Day to All! Yes, North, South or side of the border I hope everyone has an awesome Canada Day weekend.

In limited release this week we have 4 films to choose from and starting things off patriotically we have a Canadian western, The Mountie which following relocated Mountie who comes to straighten things out after an innocent man is found dead. We also have the Cannes 2010 Critics Week winner Armadillo a documentary following Danish soldiers from an army base in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. On a bit of a lighter note we have The Trip starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon semi-as-themselves in a comedy/improvised tour reviewing restaurants in the North of England. Last up for limited releases is The Names of Love / Le nom des gens, a French romantic/political-comedy. That's a whole new genre!

In wide release this week we also have 4 releases to choose from starting with Monte Carlo, which follows a trio of girlfriends take a trip to Europe which goes awry and a course correction presents itself in the form of taking on mistaken identity of a British heiress - stars Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester (Country Strong), Katie Cassidy and Cory Montieth (Glee) and I think out of the wide releases this is the one I'd see. We also have Larry Crowne starring Tom Hanks (also director on this title) and Julie Roberts star in this romantic comedy about a man who goes to college after being downsized. Two Bollywood choices this week with Bbuddha...Hoga Tera Baap I love the description of this one which starts with the well-known premise of a retired hitman returning for one last job,.. and then the twist of 'Just don't call him "Buddah"' cracks me up and Delhi Belly which might be my favourite title of the year because it's just so much fun to say.

And already in release is Transformers: Dark of the Moon which technically came out on Wednesday June 29, 2011 although I know they had Tuesday night shows as well.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Special Screening

Fellini/ Felliniesque - Fellini Dream Double Bills
A fascinating concept of double bills hand picked by the internationally recognized film folk who put together dream double bills for a Fellini + non-Fellini-yet-Fellinieque film (see my thoughts on the selections here). Here are some of the selections:

• Fellini’s Roma and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil - July 3, 2010
• Fellini’s Casanova and Hal Ashby’s Shampoo on July 23, 2011
• Fellini’s La Strada and Jane Campion’s An Angel at My Table - July 30, 2011
• And a huge highlight will be this weekends Fellini’s Toby Dammit and Dario Argento’s Suspiria on July 2, 2011 which will have Guillermo Del Toro in attendance.

Fellini Dream Double Bills runs At TIFF Bell Lightbox from June 30 - August 26, 2011

Fellini: Spectacular Obsessions
An Exhibition exploring the obsessions in director Federico Fellini work presented at TIFF Bell Lightbox from June 30 - September 18, 2011

Free Screenings

Harbourfront Free Flicks presents City Flicks: Six int the City
Stars with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World at 9pm on Tuesday July 5, 2011 on the WestJet Stage
Harbourfront Free Flicks runs July 5 - August 9, 2011

TIFF in the Park: Classic Musicals
Starts with The Wizard of Oz at 9pm on Wednesday July 6, 2011 at at David Pecaut Square (formerly Metro Square, next to Roy Thomson Hall)
TIFF in the Park runs until July 6 - August 31, 2011

Free Dancing in the Dark Films at Yonge & Dundas Square
Stars with Beach Blanket Bingo at 9pm on Tuesday July 5, 2011 at Yonge & Dundas Square
Dancing in the Dark runs until August 30, 2011 and make sure to check showtimes carefully as some start before the hour and the double bills start earlier than singles.

Friday July 1, 2011 Releases

Armadillo
Dir: Janus Metz Pedersen - Feature Film Directorial Debut
Documentary
Denmark
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Bbuddha...Hoga Tera Baap
Dir: Puri Jagannath (Golimar, Neninthe)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Raveena Tandon
India
Official Film Site & Videos, IMDb Page

Delhi Belly
Dir: Abhinay Deo (Game (2011))
Cast: Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Imran Khan, Shenaz Treasury
India
Film Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

Larry Crowne
Dir: Tom Hanks (That Thing You Do!)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Julie Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Cedric The Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Pam Grier
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Monte Carlo (2011)
Dir: Thomas Bezucha (The Family Stone)
Cast: Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy, Cory Montieth, Luke Bracey, Andie MacDowell
USA/Hungary
Film Facebook Page, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Mountie
Dir: Wyeth Clarkson (Sk8 Life, deadend.com)
Cast: Andrew W. Walker, Jessica Paré, George Buza, Earl Pastko
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Names of Love / Le nom des gens
Dir: Michel Leclerc (J'invente rien)
Cast: Sara Forestier, Jacques Gamblin, Zinedine Soualem
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Trip
Dir: Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me, A Mighty Heart)
Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of July 1, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 24, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 24, 2011!

In limited release this week we have just two release this week starting with The Future is Now! which is a documentary-style film exploring the importance of art and it's connection to us and society through the eyes & journey of skeptic and we also have The Beginning of the Great Revival which boast having 150 stars in it (wow) and is a chronicle of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.

In wide release this week we have 2 releases this weekend with animated automotive sequel Cars 2 along with Bad Teacher which stars Cameron Diaz as a teacher who decides to save up for implants to snag a man to take care of her. We also have in wide release mid-next week revving up for the holiday weekend with Transformers: Dark of the Moon as a Wednesday release and it's the third film in this TV to film series adaptation about robots in disguise from director by Michael Bay.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Greek Film Retrospective
June 24 - 26, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

International Indian Film Festival
June 24 - 26, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada including the IIFA Awards on Saturday June 25, 2011 at Rogers Centre

Parkdale Film and Video Showcase
June 24 - 26, 2011 at various locations in Parkdale in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ReelHeART International Film Festival
The Filmmakers Film Festival
Continues until June 25, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday June 24, 2011 Releases

Bad Teacher
Dir: Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Orange County)
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, John Micheal Higgins
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Beginning of the Great Revival
Dirs: Sanping Han & Jianxin Huang (The Founding of a Republic)
Cast: John Woo, Andy Lau, Wei Tang, Daniel Wu, Liu Ye, Chang Chen, Chen Kun
China
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Cars 2
Dirs: John Lasseter (Cars, Toy Story) & Brad Lewis (feature film directorial debut)
Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Joe Montegna, Cheech Marin
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Future is Now!
Dir: Gary Burns & Jim Brown (Radiant City).
Cast: Paul Ahmarani, Liane Balaban
Canada
Limited Release
NFB Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Wednesday June 29, 2011

Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Dir: Michael Bay (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Pearl Harbour, The Island, Armageddon)
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Alan Tudyk, Hugo Weaving, Leonard Nimoy
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of June 24, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 17, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 17, 2011! Six new films to choose from hitting Toronto theatres this week and it's odd to say this but that feels like of light. Weird! Even so there are several out of the bunch that I want to see!

In limited release this week we have both emotions and epic choices. Pulling the emotion card we start with Beautiful Boy starring Michael Sheen and Maria Bello as the parents of a son is at the centre of a school tragedy. Then we have Beginners a comedy/drama starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic which has both whimsical and touching feel to it. I'm thinking both of them will be KR (kleenex required) films. If epic is more your pace than True Legend should be right up your alley, the trailer for this martial arts film had me at "Two brothers.... One destiny...". Yep. I'll be seeing that.

In wide release this week we have start with superhero comicness of Green Lantern (odd, I really thought it was 'The' Green Lantern, but it isn't...) which stars Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, a pilot whose given the responsibility through the power of an alien ring to help the safety of the universe. I'm a little skeptical on that one to be honest, even though I usually quite like Ryan Reynolds. We also have Mr. Poppers Penguins, which stars Jim Carrey and you guessed it ... lots of penguins. Last up for wide releases we have The Art of Getting By a sweet looking romance starring Freddie Highmore & Emma Roberts.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Luminato
Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity
Continues until June 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

North by Northeast Music and Film Festival & Conference (NXNE)
Continues until June 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ReelHeART International Film Festival
The Filmmakers Film Festival
June 20 - 25, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival
June 19, 2011 at Innis Town Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Special Screening Gekijouban Trigan: Badlands Rumble
Okay, I read a bunch about this animated film but still can't figure out much about it except that it sounds fans will be excited and it's a bit deal. It's showing Wednesday June 22, 2011 at various theatres including Scotiabank & Fairview (see listing here) and find our more by watching the trailer here.

Friday June 17, 2011 Releases

The Art of Getting By
Writer/Dir: Gavin Wiesen - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Beautiful Boy
Dir: Shawn Ku (The American Mall)
Cast: Michael Sheen, Maria Bello, Kyle Gallner, Alan Tudyk, Moon Bloodgood, Austin Nichols
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Beginners
Writer/Dir: Mike Mills (Thumbsucker)
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Green Lantern
Dir: Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye)
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Temuera Morrison
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Mr. Poppers Penguins
Dir: Mark Waters (Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Spiderwick Chronicles)
Cast: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

True Legend
Dir: Yuen Woo Ping (Iron Monkey)
Cast: Vincent Zhao , Zhou Xun , Andy On, Guo Xiaodong , Jay Chou, Michelle Yeoh, David Carradine, Gordon Liu, Cung Le
China
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of June 17, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 10, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 10, 2011!

In limited release this week we have 5 films in release including the highly-anticipated, Cannes Palme d'Or winning The Tree of Life from director Terrence Malick (The New World) and starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn. I had a chance to see The Tree of Life and it truly is extraordinary and I highly & widely recommend it. Note that it's long, it's experiential, it will make you think and make you feel and I know it will be one of the best films I'll see this year. We also have two Canadian films this week, starting with documentary Beauty Day which follows Ralph Zavadil aka local-access TV personality Cap'n Video and is the feature film directorial debut from Jay Cheel (The Goblin Man of Norway, and people way also know from the highly popular film podcast Film Junk) and Cell 213 a supernatural horror film starring Eric Balfour (Haven, Skyline), Michael Rooker and Bruce Greenwood, and those are two films I am really looking forward to. And rounding out the limited releases we have the coming of age film Submarine that's been winning people over left, right and centre and the Italian film Loose Cannons / Mine vaganti.

In wide release this week we have 2 films in release including Super 8 which has a great Sci Fi feel to it and strong Spielberg touch (he's producing it, and it's directed by J.J. Abrams), but I'm trying not to watch or hear to much about this because of the mystery element and am happy that now I can just go out and see it! We also have Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, which looks really cute and follows Judy Moody who in an effort to not have a boring summer to make up a game with a point system to encourage her and her friends and track adventure. I can't help but love the spirit of that!

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

The Disposable Film Festival
Screening as a part of NXNE
June 14, 2011 at the Toronto Underground in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Doc Now.ca Festival
Film, Photography & New Media
Continues until June 25 2010, at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
See screening information here

Luminato
Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity
June 10 - 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

North by Northeast Music and Film Festival & Conference (NXNE)
June 13 - 19, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday June 10, 2011 Releases

Beauty Day
Dir: Jay Cheel - feature film directorial debut
Documentary on Ralph Zavadil aka local-access TV personality Cap'n Video
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Cell 213
Dir: Stephen Kay (Boogeyman)
Cast: Eric Balfour, Michael Rooker, Bruce Greenwood, Deborah Valente
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
Dir: John Schultz (Aliens in the Attic)
Cast: Kathy Waugh, Megan McDonal, Heather Graham
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Loose Cannons / Mine vaganti
Dir: Ferzan Ozpetek (A Perfect Day, Saturno contro)
Cast: Riccardo Scamarcio, Nicole Grimaudo, Alessandro Preziosi, Ennio Fantastichini, Lunetta Savino
Italy
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Submarine
Writer/Dir: Richard Ayoade (Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo)
Cast: Craig Robert, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor, Paddy Considine
UK/USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Super 8
Writer/Dir: J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Trek)
Cast: Elle Fanning, Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney, Zach Mills
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Tree of Life
Dir: Terrence Malick (The New World, The Thin Red Line, Badlands)
Cast: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Sean Penn, Laramie Eppler, Tye Sheridan
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of June 10, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 3, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday June 3, 2011! It's so weird not to be in Toronto while chatting Friday releases, but I'm just about to embark in the World Domination Summit in Portland! Exciting times. When I come back I know I'll be looking forward to checking out some of this weeks release (*cough*cough*X-Men*cough*cough), that is if I don't somehow find myself at a theatre here!

In limited release this week we have a fantastic set of films to explore. I'm stoked to check out Good Neighbours which teams up writer/director Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) & Jay Baruchel together again for a crime/comedy/thriller set in an apartment complex in Montreal during the winter of 1995 where a string of murders terrorizing the community. I'm also quite looking forward to The Princess of Montpensier, a 16th century set historical romance with the one heck of a heated love triangle that plays with power, duty and passion; directed by Bertrand Tavernier. In limited release we also have the Italian drama Le Quattro Volte following a shephard, Chinese historical drama Empire of Silver / Baiyin diguo set in 1899 and Woody Allen's latest film Midnight in Paris starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen and Kathy Bates.

In wide release this week it's all about X-Men: First Class. Yep. Mutants for the win. I'm a big fan of X-Men back from the Phoenix Saga graphic novel and animated series days and have enjoyed most of the films immensely. I can't wait to see the early days of Xavier & Magneto, played by James McAvoy (Wanted & The Last Station) and Michael Fassbender (Jane Eyre (2011) & Fish Tank) respectively, and although it's a prequel so in-the-know-fans know where it's going, it will hopefully go there well. It also has a freaking impressive cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Bryne, January Jones, Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon and is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust, Layer Cake). I hope it's awesome. Also in wide release this week is Bollywood film Ready (2011).

I also highly recommend checking out the Worldwide Short Film Festival which runs until June 5, 2011 and has an amazing selection of short films to savour.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Worldwide Short Film Festival
Continues until June 5, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Subtle Technologies Festival
14th year of exploring questions and inspire work at the intersection of art, science and technology.
May 28 - June 5, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday June 3, 2011 Releases

Empire of Silver / Baiyin diguo
Dir: Christina Yao - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Lantian Chang, Zhicheng Ding, Lei Hao, Shih Chieh King, Jonathan Kos-Read
China/Taiwan/Hong Kong
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Good Neighbours
Writer/Dir: Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky)
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman, Emily Hampshire
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Midnight in Paris
Writer/Dir: Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Manhattan, Annie Hall)
Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates
Spain/USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Princess of Montpensier
Dir: Bertrand Tavernier (Ça commence aujourd'hui, In the Electric Mist)
Cast: Mélanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet
France/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Le Quattro Volte
Writer/Dir: Michelangelo Frammartino (Il dono)
Cast: Giuseppe Fuda, Bruno Timpano, Nazareno Timpano
Italy/Germany/Switzerland
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Ready (2011)
Dir: Anees Bazmee (Thank You, No Problem, Singh is Kinng)
Cast: Salman Khan, Asin, Deepika Padukone, Sanjay Dutt, Zarine Khan, Paresh Rawal
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

X-Men: First Class
Dir: Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust, Layer Cake)
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Bryne, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of June 3, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 27, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 27, 2011!

In limited release this week we start off with two documentaries with L'Amour Fou centred on on fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent and his ex-lover Pierre Berge and Bobby Fischer Against the World on the life of chess master bobby Fischer. We also have the end-of-world/survival horror The Collapsed, ensemble-cast friend comedy that also feels quite tragic Little White Lies / Les petits mouchoirs plus the Thursday May 26, 2011 release of The Invisible Eye / La mirada invisible.

In wide release this week we have starting things off early both releases of the week being Thursday May 26, 2011 and both are sequels: The Hangover Part II and Kung Fu Panda 2.

Be sure to check out my coverage of the World Wide Short Film Festival next week over at at Movie Moxie.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Inside Out
21st Annual Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
Continues until May 29, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Worldwide Short Film Festival
May 31 - June 5, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday May 26, 2011 Releases

The Hangover Part II
Dir: Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Due Date, Old School)
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Invisible Eye / La mirada invisible
Dir: Diego Lerman (Mientras tanto, Suddenly)
Cast: Julieta Zylberberg, Osmar Núñez, Marta Lubos
Argentina/France/Spain
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Kung Fu Panda 2
Dir: Jennifer Yuh - feature film directorial debut
Voices: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffm, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Friday May 27, 2011 Releases

L'Amour Fou
Dir: Pierre Thoretton - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Bobby Fischer Against the World
Dir: Liz Garbus (Girlhood)
Documentary
UK/USA/Iceland
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Collapsed
Dir: Justin McConnell (Working Class Rock Star)
Cast: John Fantasia, Steve Vieira, Anna Ross, Lise Moule, Vincent Thomas, Stéfano Gallo
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Little White Lies / Les petits mouchoirs
Writer/Dir: Guillaume Canet (Tell No One)
Cast: François Cluzet, Marion Cotillard, Benoît Magimel, Gilles Lellouche, Jean Dujardin, Laurent Lafitte, Valérie Bonneton, Véronique Cantara, Pascale Arbillot
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page, English subtitled Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 27, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 13, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Bit of a late post on the releases as Blogger was down for a bit, including Friday AM when Film Fan Fridays normally goes up, but it still is here for all to enjoy! We have a real mish mash of releases this week including 2 of my fave genres with both a dance film and a vampire film kicking about! Also have touching dramas, quirky comedies and more.

In limited releases this week we start with the highly acclaimed Meek's Cutoff which has a period-Winter's Bone feel too it following the tough life of settlers in 1845 and stars Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine) and directed by Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy). We also have The Strange Case of Angelica / O Estranho Caso de Angélica which has a bit of a morbid one-liner of "Set in the 1950s, a photographer is asked by hotel owners to take portraits of their recently deceased daughter.", but actually looks pretty charming. I'm curious to see Meet Monica Velour starring Kim Catrall and centred on an usual friendship between a porn star-now Mom and a teen fan and roudning out the limited releases is Potiche is a French comedy from director François Ozon based on the play of the same name by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy set in 1977 and stars Catherine Deneuve as a submissive wife aka the translated title of Trophy Wife.

Wide Releases this week include the long-time coming Priest (in 3D) from director Scott Charles Stewart (Legion and the upcoming The Mortal Instruments adaptation) which is based on the graphic novel and stars Paul Bettany as a priest in a world where vampires are real. Looks epic, but also looks very visually familiar but I can't help but still be curious about it. Also really looking forward to checking out Beat the World a Canadian dance film that's centred on an international competition and adds an element of parkour to the mix. I have to see it. Last up for wide releases is Bridesmaids being billed as 'from the people that brought you Knocked Up' and has a Hangover-for-women feel, at least from the marketing. I'll be curious to hear what women who see the film have to say about it.
Festival Watch

Inside Out
21st Annual Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
May 19 - 29, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ryerson University Film Festival
May 12 - 14, 2011 at The Royal in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Jewish Film Festival
Continues until May 15, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Russian Film Festival (TRFF)
May 11 - 15, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday May 13, 2011 Releases

Beat the World
Writer/Dir: Robert Adetuyi (Turn it Up)
Cast: Tyrone Brown, Mishael Morgan, Nikki Grant, Ray Johnson, Chase Armitage, Kristy Flores
Canada
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

Bridesmaids
Dir: Paul Feig (Unaccompanied Minors)
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Matt Lucas
USA
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

Meek's Cutoff
Dir: Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy, Old Joy)
Cast: Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, shirley Henderson, Will Patton
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

Meet Monica Velour
Writer/Dir: Keith Bearden - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Kim Cattrall, Dustin Ingram, Brian Dennehy, Keith David, Jee Young Han, Jamie Tisdale
USA
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

Potiche / Trophy Wife
Dir: François Ozon (8 Women, Swimming Pool, Angel)
Cast: Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godreche
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

Priest (2011)
Dir: Scott Charles Stewart (Legion)
Cast: Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Cam Gigandet, Lily Collins, Brad Dourif, Stephen Moyer
USA
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

The Strange Case of Angelica / O Estranho Caso de Angélica
Writer/Dir: Manoel de Oliveira (Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl, Belle toujours)
Cast: Pilar López de Ayala, Filipe Vargas, Ricardo Trêpa
Portugal/Spain/France/Brazil
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDB Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 13, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 6, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday May 6, 2011!

In limited release this week we have three releases, starting with POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold hot on the heels of being Hot Docs opening night film. We also have The Beaver directed by Jodie Foster and starring Mel Gibson as a man who communicates through a beaver hand puppet. Last up for limited releases is Even the Rain / También la lluvia a historical drama starring Gael García Bernal.

In wide release this week we have four releases to choose from and I know I'll first be setting my sights on Thor (#5 on my Most Anticipated Films of 2011) based on the comic book character and stars Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) and Natalie Portman, directed by Kenneth Branagh. We also have the The Bang Bang Club a historical film based on the true story of 4 photographers capture the final days of apartheid in South Africa, Jumping the Broom set around a wedding that merges two cross-town families of uptown & downtown. Our final wide release of the week is Something Borrowed, based on the book by Emily Giffin following a chronically single woman who falls for her best friends fiancé.

Be sure to also check out my Hot Docs coverage over at Movie Moxie which will continue throughout the festival.

Have a great Mother's Day weekend! Remember to call, see and hug your Mom!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Hot Docs
Canadian International Documentary Film Festival
Continues until May 8, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Jewish Film Festival
May 7 - 15, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Russian Film Festival (TRFF)
May 11 - 15, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday May 6, 2011 Releases

The Bang Bang Club
Writer/Dir: Steven Silver (Diameter of the Bomb, The Last Just Man)
Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Taylor Kitsch, Malin Akerman, Frank Rautenbach, Neels Van Jaarsveld, Russel Savadier
Canada/South Africa
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Beaver
Dir: Jodie Foster (Home for the Holidays, Little Man Tate)
Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Cherry Jones
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Even the Rain / También la lluvia
Dir: Icíar Bollaín (Mataharis, Take My Eyes, Hola, ¿estás sola?)
Cast: Gael García Bernal, Luis Tosar, Karra Elejalde
Spain/France/Mexico
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Jumping the Broom
Dir: Salim Akil - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Tasha Smith, Julie Bowen, Valarie Pettiford
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Dir: Morgan Spurlock (Super Size me)
Documentary
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Something Borrowed
Dir: Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door, The Animal)
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, Steve Howey, John Krasinski
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Thor
Dir: Kenneth Branagh (Sleuth (2007), Hamlet (1996), Henry V (1989), Dead Again)
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Skarsgård, Jaimie Alexander, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of May 6, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 29, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 29, 2011! It's a quiet week as we only 5 films in release, and and that used to be a pretty normal number of releases but this year it feels like it's usually in the 10 films range. So many films to choose from. We also have Hot Docs kicking in to gear, bringing us 199 documentary films to choose from over the next week and a bit. I'll be covering the festival at Movie Moxie, be sure to stop by and check it out.

In limited release this week we have just one release with The Conspirator, a dramatization of Mary Surratt (Robin Wright), a woman charged with conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. The film also stars James McAvoy and is directed by Robert Redford.

In wide release this week we have four films to choose from, starting with one that I'm actually a little embarrassed to admit it but I'm really looking forward to it: Fast Five. Yep. The fifth in the Fast and the Furious the series that features with fast cars, small clothing, a reprisal cast of Paul Walker, Vin Diesel and Jordana Brewster plus new addition of Dwayne Johnson (Faster). We also have the Disney film Prom (was I the only one that thought it was a doc? ), which seems like it shows the chastest prom ever, although looks very cute nonetheless. We also have animated sequel Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil and Bollywood release of Chalo Dilli.

Be sure to check out my Hot Docs previews (overview, reviews of Superheroes, Family Instinct, At Night They Dance and A Simply Rhythm, Imagining Emanuel and The Future is Now!) and swing on by Movie Moxie for coverage throughout the festival.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Hot Docs
Canadian International Documentary Film Festival
April 28 - May 8, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday April 29, 2011 Releases

Chalo Dilli
Dir: Shashant Shah (Dasvidaniya)
Cast: Lara Dutta, Yana Gupta, Akshay Kumar
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Conspirator
Dir: Robert Redford (Lions for Lambs, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Quiz Show)
Cast: Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexis Bledel, Johnny Simmons, Danny Huston
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Fast Five
Dir: Justin Lin (Finishing the Game)
Cast: Vin Diesel , Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
Dir: Mike Disa (Dead Space: Aftermath)
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Glenn Close, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, David Andy Dick, Brad Garrett, Patrick Warburton
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Prom
Dir: Joe Nussbaum (Sydney White)
Cast: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, De’Vaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell, Yin Chang, Kylie Bunbury, Nicholas Braun, Jared Kusnitz, Jonathan Keltz
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 29, 2011**

Film Fan Friday for Friday April 22, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 22, 2011! Happy Good Friday, Earth Day and upcoming Easter weekend! I'm surprized we don't have a family pick of the week but we still have lots to choose from!

In limited release this week we have including 4 Canadian films. 4! I think that is a record! I think I will say that one more time - 4 Canadian films out this week. Let's start with the CanCon! We have the science fiction/thriller Repeaters, social media romantic comedy of Textuality, Toronto-set/rave culture and immigrant story of Lost Journey and The High Cost of Living. We also have the documentary Bill Cunningham New York and big focus on history this week with a re-telling of Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in La Rafle and the Chinese drama/history film The Warring States.

In wide release this week we have the April Book to Film Club Selection of Water for Elephants, based on the book by Sara Gruen and follows a veterinary student (played by Robert Pattinson) who runs away with the traveling circus. I'm really looking forward to this one, even though I didn't super love the book. Water for Elephants also stars Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, & Hal Holbrook and is directed by Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend). Also out in wide release and Earth Day tie in is African Cats, a nature documentary centered on two cat families and how they teach their cubs the ways of the wild. We also have Tyler Perry's latest with Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family and Bollywood release of Dum Maaro Dum.

Have a great Easter & Earth Day weekend!

Shannon

Friday April 22,2011 Releases

African Cats
Dir: Alastair Fothergill (Earth) & Keith Scholey - feature film directorial debut
Documentary, Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer,

Bill Cunningham New York
Dir: Richard Press - feature film directorial debut
Documentary
USA/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Dum Maaro Dum
Dir: Rohan Sippy (Bluffmaster!, Kuch Naa Kaho)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha Basu
India
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The High Cost of Living
Dir: Deborah Chow - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Zach Braff, Isabelle Blaise, Patrick Labbe
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Lost Journey
Writer/Dir: Ant Horasanli - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Andy Madadian, Shiva Negar, Reza Sholeh, Pedram Ziaei, Hamid Savalanpour
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family
Writer/Dir: Tyler Perry (For Colored Girls, Why Did I Get Married Too?, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, Madea Goes to Jail)
Cast: Tyler Perry, Loretta Devine, Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, David Mann, Cassi Davis, Tamela Brown Mann, Lauren London, Isaiah Mustafa, Rodney Perry, Shannon Kane
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

La Rafle.
Writer/Dir: Rose Bosch (Animal)
Cast: Jean Reno, Mélanie Laurent, Gad Elmaleh, Raphaëlle Agogué, Hugo Leverdez, Joseph Weismann
France/Germany/Hungary
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Repeaters
Dir: Carl Bessai (Mothers&Daughters, Normal, Unnatural & Accidental)
Cast: Dustin Milligan, Amanda Crew, Richard de Klerk, Benjamin Ratner, Teach Grant, Alexia Fast, Anja Savcic
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Textuality
Dir: Warren P. Sonoda (Coopers' Camera, 5ive Girls, Ham & Cheese)
Cast: Jason Lewis, Carly Pope, Kristen Hager, Eric McCormack
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Warring States
Dir: Chen Jin (Mini, Love Story by Tea, Love in the Internet Generation)
Cast: Degang Guo, Huang Haibing, Wu Jiang
China
Limited Release
No Official Film Site Found, IMDb Page, Trailer

Water for Elephants
Dir: Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend)
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, James Frain, Hal Holbrook
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 22, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 15, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 15, 2011. It's quite amazing that it feels like a 'quiet' week when we 'only' have 6 films in release! I guess that's what happens when you hit several 10+ release weeks in a row! Let's see what the options we have for new releases this week.

In limited release this week we have 4 releases and I'm most excited to share that the Oscar winning film In a Better World from director Susanne Bier (After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet) is hitting theatres. It won this year for best foreign film, and I've been very partial to Susanne Bier's work in the past so I can't wait to see this one. We also have the Canadian film Daydream Nation starring Kat Dennings and documentaries American: The Bill Hicks Story and Good Food, Bad Food.

In wide release this week we have the return of the self-reflective horror film franchise Scream 4 which drums up cast from original films and promises to break some new rules this time. Last up we have the pretty cute looking animated adventure film Rio following 2 birds, one domestic and one wild who are together the last of their kind.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children and Youth
Continues until April 17, 2011 in various locations Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday April 15, 2011 Releases

American: The Bill Hicks Story
Dir: Matt Harlock & Paul Thomas - feature film directorial debuts
Documentary
UK
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Daydream Nation
Writer/Dir: Michael Goldbach - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Andie MacDowell, Rachel Blanchard, Josh Lucas
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Good Food, Bad Food / Solutions locales pour un désordre global
Dir: Coline Serreau (Saint-Jacques... La Mecque, 18 ans après, 3 hommes et un couffin)
Documentary
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

In a Better World / Hævnen
Dir: Susanne Bier (After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet, Brødre, The Things We Lost in the Fire)
Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, William Jøhnk Nielsen, Trine Dyrholm, Markus Rygaard, Wil Johnson, Ulrich Thomsen
Denmark/Sweden
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Rio
Dir: Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ice Age: The Meltdown)
Voices: Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Mann
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Scream 4
Dir: Wes Craven (Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, My Soul to Take, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Deadly Friend)
Cast: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, Hayden Panettiere
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 15, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 8, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 8, 2011! Another packed week of releases with 10 films hitting theatres including huge front runner for most anticipated April release: Hanna.

In limited release this week we have the festival sweetheart film Rubber, and believe you-me this one is not to be missed for genre film fans as it's smart, funny and knows it's audience. We have two Canadian releases this week with dramas The Bend and Son of the Sunshine, plus the highly acclaimed Littlerock and college-set sci-fi comedy Kaboom. Last up for limited releases is the documentary Born to Be Wild, which I was hesitant to include in the list as it's only 40 minutes and technically more like a short film than a feature... but it's playing daily in several theatres so for that, I'm keeping it on the list!

In wide release this week we have the highly anticipated Hanna starring Saoirse Ronan as a teen girl trained as an assassin and feels like quite the tonal change for director Joe Wright, who previously brought us the period piece Atonement. More fantastic femmeness with inspiring story/surfing biopic Soul Surfer starring AnnaSophia Robb. We also have a remake of the Dudley Moore film Arthur, which time starring Russell Brand in the title role and I have to admit it actually looks rather charming. Last up we have the Bollywood release Thank You - which has some scenes shot here in Toronto! And I almost forgot... well I did forget which might be a first -- we also have the period-set comedy Your Highness starring Danny McBride, James Franco and Natalie Portman - which continues the time honoured tradition of the first post-Oscar win film feeling like a really, really odd choice.

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Images Festival
24th Annual festival of independent film, video and other time-based media
Continues until April 9, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children and Youth
Continues until April 17, 2011 in various locations Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reel World Film Festival
11th annual festival celebrating diversity in film, video, and new media
Continues until April 10, 2011 in various locations Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Friday April 8, 2011 Releases

Arthur
Dir: Jason Winer ("Modern Family")
Cast: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Luis Guzman, Nick Nolte
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Bend
Writer/Dir: Jennifer Kierans - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Adam Butcher, Sophie Traub, Tommy Lioutas
Canada
Limited Release
No Official Film Site or Trailer found, IMDb Page

Born to Be Wild
Dir: David Lickley (Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees)
Narrator: Morgan Freeman
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Hanna
Dir: Joe Wright (Atonement)
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana
USA/UK/Germany
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Kaboom
Writer/Dir: Gregg Araki (Smiley Face, The Doom Generation)
Cast: Haley Bennett, Thomas Dekker, James Duval
USA/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Littlerock
Dir: Mike Ott (Analog Days)
Cast: Atsuko Okatsuka, Cory Zacharia, Rintaro Sawamoto, Roberto 'Sanz' Sanchez
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Rubber
Writer/Dir: Quentin Dupieux (Steak, Nonfilm)
Cast: Stephen Spinella, Thomas F. Duffy, Roxane Mesquida, Remy Thorne, Wings Hauser
France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Son of the Sunshine
Dir: Ryan Ward - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Ryan Ward, Rebecca McMahon, Shantelle Canzanese, JoAnn Nordstrom
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Soul Surfer
Dir: Sean McNamara (Bratz, Raise Your Voice)
Cast: AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Carrie Underwood
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Thank You
Dir: Anees Bazmee (No Problem, Singh Is Kinng)
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Sonam Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Irrfan Khan, Celina Jaitley, Rimi Sen
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Your Highness
Dir: David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, All the Real Girls, Snow Angels)
Cast: Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 8, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 1, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday April 1, 2011!

In limited release this week we have lots of films to choose from, 8 films in fact! And out of those we have a 3 feature film directorial debuts: Exit 67 / Sortie 67 from Bastien Jephté, HappyThankYouMorePlease from director Josh Radnor and Wrecked from director Michael Greenspan. We also have the comedy The Last Godfather starring Harvey Keitel, drama Monogamy starring Chris Messina & Rashida Jones, Italian film La Nostra Vita / Our Life and WWII set Dutch film Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter. Rounding out the limited releases is the Thursday March 31, 2011 release of Essential Killing starring Vincent Gallo.

In wide release this week we have four releases including the supernatural horror flick Insidious from Saw director James Wan, but the word is it's not a gore fest but scary tension-centric film and I know I'm going to see it although I fear the trailers have shown too much. I should make a macro to type that out for me, I write it far too often! We also science fiction thriller Source Code and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this second film from Duncan Jones is like, because I absolutely adored Moon and the fact that it stars Jake Gyllenhaal is icing on the cake. Also out in wide release is the combination live action & animated film Hop about a one-day-to-be Easter Bunny decides to think outside of the basket and look for adventure in life. Rounding out our wide releases is the Bollywood film Game. Wowzers. Another jam-packed week of film! How the heck to decide what to see?

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Cinéfranco
14th Annual Celebration of International Francophone Cinema
Continues until April 3, 2011 at TIFF Lightbox Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival
24th Annual festival of independent film, video and other time-based media
March 31 - April 9, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reel World Film Festival
11th annual festival celebrating diversity in film, video, and new media
April 6 - 10, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sprockets
Toronto International Film Festival for Children and Youth
April 5 - 17, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Silent Film Festival
Continues until April 7, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday March 31, 2011 Releases

Essential Killing
Dir: Jerzy Skolimowski (Four Nights with Anna, The Adventures of Gerard)
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle Seigner, Zach Cohen
Poland/Norway/Ireland/Hungary
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Friday April 1, 2011 Releases

Exit 67 / Sortie 67
Writer/Dir: Bastien Jephté - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Henri Pardo, Natacha Noël, Benz Antoine, Jacquy Bidjeck
Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Game
Dir: Abhinay Deo - feature film directorial debut
Cast: bhishek Bachchan, Sarah-Jane Dias, Shahana Goswami, Boman Irani, Gauhar Khan
India
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

HappyThankYouMorePlease
Writer/Dir: Josh Radnor - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Josh Radnor, Malin Akerman, Zoe Kazan, Kate Mara, Tony Hale, Pablo Schreiber, Richard Jenkins
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Hop
Director: Tim Hill (Alvin and the Chipmucks, Muppets from Space)
Cast: James Marsden, Kaley Cuoco, Elizabeth Perkins, Gary Cole, Chelsea Handler
Voices: Russell Brand, Hank Azaria, Hugh Laurie
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Insidious
Dir: James Wan (Saw)
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Andrew Astor, Leigh Whannell
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

The Last Godfather
Writer/Dir: Hyung-rae Shim (Reptile 2001, Dragon Tuka, Tirannoui baltob )
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Jason Mewes, Blake Clark, Hyung-rae Shim, Jon Polito, Jocelin Donahue
USA/South Korea
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Monogamy
Dir: Dana Adam Shapiro (Murderball)
Cast: Chris Messina, Rashida Jones, Meital Dohan
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

La Nostra Vita / Our Life
Dir: Daniele Luchetti (My Brother is an Only Child, Ginger and Cinnamon)
Cast: Elio Germano, Isabella Ragonese, Raoul Bova
Italy/France
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Source Code
Dir: Duncan Jones (Moon)
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Academy Award® nominee Vera Farmiga, Russell Peters, Jeffrey Wright
USA/France
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter
Dir: Martin Koolhoven (AmnesiA, Het schnitzelparadijs)
Cast: Martijn Lakemeier, Jamie Campbell Bower, Yorick van Wageningen
The Netherlands/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Wrecked
Dir: Michael Greenspan - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Adrien Brody, Caroline Dhavernas, Ryan Robbins
USA/Canada
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of April 1, 2011**

Film Fan Fridays for Friday March 25, 2011

Hello Film Fans and Fanatics!

Welcome to Film Fan Fridays for Friday March 25, 2011! Another huge week of releases with 11 films hitting theatres and 2 festivals making waves, and lots of CanCon kicking around and taking names. Wow. Busy times.

In limited release this week we start with the Thursday March 24, 2011 release of the amazing and inspiring documentary The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls on the lesbian, yodeling, twin sister singing act Lynda and Jools Topp and believe you-me, if you get a chance see this documentary because it's fantastic and I've kept it close to my heart ever since seeing it almost a year ago. Completely inspiring. Keeping it musical, and documentary to boot we have Music from the Big House from director Bruce McDonald (Trigger, Pontypool). We also have limited releases of the romance/drama Certified Copy / Copie conforme starring Juliet Binoche, an Israel sport comedy about sumo wrestlers A Matter of Size, Algerian historical drama Outside the Law / Hors-la-loi, 70's set crime film White Irish Drinkers and sport/inspiration Win Win from director Tom McCarthy (The Visitor, The Station Agent). Holy moly. What a week!

In wide release this week we have lots of extremeness, starting with the release of Hobo with a Shotgun from Treevenge director Jason Eisener and starring Rutger Hauer (Ladyhawke) as a hobo... with a shotgun. And continuing the extremeness with Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch which I'm continuing to be cautiously curious and it looks stylistically great but strongly has a vibe of that reminds me of female character in gaming worlds that women don't play (action-style butt kicking .... stocking & pigtails!), but I'll be happy to champion it if it's awesome and Zack Snyder has surprized me in the past with Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole & 300. We also have two sequels in release with West is West (sequel to the 1999 film East is East) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules (sequel to 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid).

Have a great weekend!

Shannon

Festival Watch

Cinéfranco
14th Annual Celebration of International Francophone Cinema
March 25 - April 3, 2011 at TIFF Lightbox Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto Silent Film Festival
March 30 - April 7, 2011 at various locations in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Thursday March 24, 2011 Release

The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Dir: Leanne Pooley
Documentary
New Zealand
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Friday March 25, 2011 Releases

Certified Copy / Copie conforme
Writer/Dir: Abbas Kiarostami (The Wind Will Carry Us, Through the Olive Trees)
Cast: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell
France/Italy/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules
Dir: David Bowers (Astro Boy)
Cast: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn
USA
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Hobo with a Shotgun
Dir: Jason Eisener (Treevenge)
Cast: Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Robb Wells, Molly Dunsworth
Canada/USA
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

A Matter of Size
Dir: Sharon Maymon & Erez Tadmor (Strangers)
Cast: Itzik Cohen, Dvir Benedek, Alon Dahan, Shmhulik Cohen
Israel/France/Germany
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Music from the Big House
Dir: Bruce McDonald (Highway 61, Hard Core Logo, Trigger, Pontypool)
Documentary
Canada/USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

Outside the Law / Hors-la-loi
Writer/Dir: Rachid Bouchareb (London River, Indigènes)
Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila
France/Algeria/Belgium
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

Sucker Punch
Dir: Zack Snyder (Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, 300)
Cast: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn, Oscar Isaac
USA/Canada
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

West is West
Dir: Andy DeEmmony
Cast: Aqib Khan, Om Puri, Linda Bassett
UK
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page

White Irish Drinkers
Writer/Dir: John Gray (The Glimmer Man)
Cast: Nick Thurston, Geoffrey Wigdor, Stephen Lang, Karen Allen, Peter Riegert, Leslie Murphy
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDb Page, Trailer

Win Win
Dir: Tom McCarthy (The Visitor, The Station Agent)
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Melanie Lynskey, Jeffrey Tambor, Bobby Cannavale
USA
Limited Release
Official Film Site, IMDb Page, Trailer

**please note this list of releases reflects first run film released in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as of March 25, 2011**