2008 Toronto International Film Festival Explained
| 2008 Toronto International Film Festival |
| Host: | Toronto International Film Festival Group |
| Number: | 312 films |
| Opening: | Passchendaele |
| Location: | Toronto, Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Date: | – |
The 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This 33rd annual festival was from September 4 to September 13, 2008. The opening night gala was the World War I romantic epic Passchendaele from Canadian director Paul Gross.[1] [2]
About the 2008 Festival
The 2008 festival was heavy on Canadian fare as well as featuring prominent indie films and worldwide as well as North American debuts including: Adoration directed by Canada's own Atom Egoyan, Appaloosa the second film from Ed Harris (who directed Pollock), Blindness from screenwriter-director, Fernando Meirelles, Iraq war thriller The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and veteran filmmaker Barbet Schroeder's Inju, la bête dans l'ombre.[3] [4] [5] Scheduled is The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (directed by Jodie Markell), based on a "rediscovered" Tennessee Williams screenplay. TIFF screened 312 films from 64 countries. These include 249 features, most of which were North American and/or world premieres.[6]
Neil Burger (director of The Illusionist) world premiered The Lucky Ones a character study of U.S. soldiers on an unplanned road trip, starring Tim Robbins.[6] [7]
Also featured was Me and Orson Welles helmed by American "slacker" Richard Linklater, the Spike Lee-directed World War II film, Miracle at St. Anna as well as the Jonathan Demme directed film Rachel Getting Married. Other festival highlights are screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's first film, Synecdoche, New York, a slice of experimental filmmaker James Benning's Americana RR was featured in the "Wavelengths" avant-garde showcase, the four-hour-long Steven Soderbergh epic Che (playing in two parts), as well as The Wrestler lensed by Darren Aronofsky. The Brits are also well represented with Happy-Go-Lucky directed by Mike Leigh and Slumdog Millionaire directed by Danny Boyle.[3] [4] [5]
Despite showing fewer films than last year, among the 249 features, 116 are premieres and 61 are first features.[6] [8] Films from as many as 64 countries were screened, with more than 340,000 admissions expected.[8]
"Canadian Open Vault", which always highlights a restored Canadian film, focused on Quebec filmmaker François Girard's 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould made in 1993.[2]
Actors Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Benicio del Toro, Ethan Hawke, Laura Linney and film directors Julian Schnabel, Kathryn Bigelow and Steven Soderbergh are among the celebs the festival has invited on its 500-plus guest list, thus completing its lineup.[7]
The festival closed on September 13, 2008 with the North American premiere of Stone of Destiny written and directed by Charles Martin Smith, the true story of four Glasgow university students who try to restore the 300-pound Stone of Scone to its rightful Scottish home.[9]
With the film Fifty Dead Men Walking, Rose McGowan expressed support for the cause of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), with the reports of her comments being released into the media on September 11, 2008. After starring in Fifty Dead Men Walking, she was quoted as saying "I imagine had I grown up in Belfast, I would 100% have been in the IRA. My heart just broke for the cause. Violence is not to be played out daily and provide an answer to problems, but I understand it." Her comments were attacked by the original author Martin McCartlend. McCartland had general objections against the film, but approved of an out of court settlement, believed to be in the region of £20,000 (US$35,000 in summer 2008).
Awards
Program
Gala Presentations
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| Burn After Reading | | United States |
| Dean Spanley | | United Kingdom |
| The Duchess | | France, Italy, United Kingdom, United States |
| Fifty Dead Men Walking | | Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland |
| The Girl from Monaco | La Fille de Monaco | | France |
| The Good, the Bad, the Weird | 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 | | South Korea |
| The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond | | United States |
| The Lucky Ones | | United States |
| Mesrine: Public Enemy No. One | | France |
| Nothing But the Truth | | United States |
| One Week | | Canada |
| The Other Man | | United Kingdom, United States |
| Passchendaele | | Canada |
| Pride and Glory | | Germany, United States |
| Rachel Getting Married | | United States |
| The Secret Life of Bees | | United States |
| Singh Is Kinng | | India |
| Stone of Destiny | | Canada, United Kingdom |
| Who Do You Love? | | United States |
| A Year Ago in Winter | Im Winter ein Jahr | | Germany | |
Special Presentations
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| 35 Shots of Rum | 35 Rhums | | France, Germany |
| Adoration | | Canada |
| Appaloosa | | United States |
| Ashes of Time Redux | | Hong Kong |
| Blindness | | Brazil, Canada, Japan |
| The Brothers Bloom | | United States |
| The Burning Plain | | United States |
| Che | | Spain, Germany, France, United States |
| A Christmas Tale | Un conte de Noël | | France |
| The Class | Entre les murs | | France |
| Disgrace | | Australia |
| Il Divo | | Italy, France |
| Easy Virtue | | United Kingdom |
| Empty Nest | El nido vacío | | Argentina, France, Italy, Spain |
| Every Little Step | James Stern, Adam Del Deo | United States |
| Flash of Genius | | United States |
| Genova | | United Kingdom |
| Ghost Town | | United States |
| Gomorrah | | Italy |
| Good | Vincente Amorim | United Kingdom, Germany, Hungary |
| Happy-Go-Lucky | | United Kingdom |
| Heaven on Earth | | Canada, India |
| The Hurt Locker | | United States |
| I've Loved You So Long | Il y a longtemps que je t'aime | | France, Germany |
| | Inju, la bête dans l'ombre | | France |
| Is Anybody There? | | United Kingdom |
| It's Not Me, I Swear! | C'est pas moi, je le jure! | | Canada |
| Kanchivaram | | India |
| Last Stop 174 | Última Parada 174 | | Brazil |
| Management | | United States |
| Me and Orson Welles | | United States |
| Miracle at St. Anna | | United States |
| New York, I Love You | | United States |
| Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist | | United States |
| Paris 36 | Faubourg 36 | | France |
| A Perfect Day | Un giorno perfetto | | Italy |
| Plastic City | Dangkou | | Brazil, Hong Kong, China, Japan |
| One Day You Will Understand | Plus tard, tu comprendras | | France, Germany |
| Religulous | | United States |
| RocknRolla | | United Kingdom, United States, France |
| The Sea Wall | Un Barrage contre le Pacifique | | France, Cambodia, Belgium |
| Séraphine | | France, Belgium |
| Slumdog Millionaire | | United Kingdom |
| Still Walking | Aruitemo aruitemo | | Japan |
| Synecdoche, New York | | United States |
| | | United States |
| Waltz with Bashir | Vals im Bashir | | Israel |
| With a Little Help from Myself | Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera | | France |
| A Woman in Berlin | Anonyma – Eine Frau in Berlin | | Germany, Poland |
| The Wrestler | | United States |
| | | United States |
| Zack and Miri Make a Porno | | United States | |
Contemporary World Cinema
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| 33 Scenes from Life | 33 sceny z życia | | Poland |
| Acne | Acné | | Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico, Spain |
| Adela | | Philippines |
| Adhen | Dernier maquis | Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche | France, Algeria |
| All Around Us | Gururi no koto | | Japan |
| The Blind Sunflowers | Los girasoles ciegos | | Spain |
| Cloud 9 | Wolke Neun | | Germany |
| The Country Teacher | Venkovský učitel | | Czechia |
| Country Wedding | Sveitabrúðkaup | | Iceland |
| Fear Me Not | Den du frygter | | Denmark |
| A Film with Me in It | | Ireland |
| Firaaq | | India |
| Five Dollars a Day | | United States |
| Flame & Citron | Flammen & Citronen | | Denmark |
| The Ghost | Domovoi | Karen Oganesyan | Russia |
| Goodbye Solo | | United States |
| El Greco | | Greece |
| Horn of Plenty | El cuerno de la abundancia | | Cuba, Spain |
| In the Shadow of the Naga | Nak prok | Phawat Panangkasiri | Thailand |
| Jerichow | | Germany |
| Katia's Sister | Het zusje van Katia | | Netherlands |
| Khamsa | | France, Germany, Tunisia |
| Knitting | Niú lán zhī nǔ | | China |
| Laila's Birthday | Eid Milad Laila | | Palestine, Tunisia, Netherlands |
| Linha de Passe | | Brazil |
| Lion's Den | Leonera | | Argentina, South Korea, Brazil, Spain |
| Lost Song | | Canada |
| Machan | | Italy, Sri Lanka |
| Mark of an Angel | L'Empreinte de l'ange | | France |
| Mommy Is at the Hairdresser's | Maman est chez le coiffeur | | Canada |
| Middle of Nowhere | | United States |
| Mothers & Daughters | | Canada |
| My Mother, My Bride and I | Die zweite Frau | | Germany |
| The Narrows | François Velle | United States |
| Native Dancer | Baksy | | Kazakhstan, Russia, France, Germany |
| A No-Hit No-Run Summer | Un été sans point ni coup sûr | | Canada |
| O' Horten | | Norway, France, Germany, Denmark |
| Once Upon a Time in Rio | Era uma Vez... | | Brazil |
| Pandora's Box | Pandora'nın Kutusu | | Turkey |
| Patrik, Age 1.5 | Patrik 1,5 | | Sweden |
| Pedro | Nicholas Oceano | United States |
| Radio Love | Leonardo de Armas | Spain |
| The Rest of the Night | Il Resto della notte | | Italy |
| Restless | | Israel, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium |
| Return to Hansala | Retorno a Hansala | | Spain |
| Revanche | | Austria |
| Skin | | South Africa, United Kingdom |
| Summer Hours | L'Heure d'été | | France |
| Sugar | | United States |
| Teza | | Ethiopia |
| Three Wise Men | Kolme viisasta miestä | | Finland |
| Toronto Stories | | Canada |
| Treeless Mountain | Namueopneun San | | South Korea |
| Two-legged Horse | Asbe du-pa | | Iran |
| Under the Tree | Di Bawah Pohon | | Indonesia |
| Wendy and Lucy | | United States |
| White Night Wedding | Brúðguminn | | Iceland |
| The Window | La Ventana | | Argentina, Spain | |
Discovery
Canada First
Real to Reel
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| 7915 KM | | Austria |
| American Swing | Mathew Kaufman | United States |
| At the Edge of the World | Dan Stone | United States |
| The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World | | United Kingdom, Denmark, Netherlands |
| Blind Loves | Slepe lásky | Juraj Lehotsky | Slovakia |
| Citizen Juling | Polamuang Juling | Kraisak Choonhavan, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Ing K | Thailand |
| The Dungeon Masters | Keven McAlester | United States |
| Examined Life | | Canada |
| Food, Inc. | | United States |
| From Mother to Daughter | Di madre in figlia | Andrea Zambelli | Italy |
| Harvard Beats Yale 29–29 | | United States |
| The Heart of Jenin | Das Herz von Jenin | | Germany |
| It Might Get Loud | | United States |
| Killing Kasztner | | United States |
| The Memories of Angels | La mémoire des anges | | Canada |
| More Than a Game | Kristopher Belman | United States |
| Paris, Not France | | United States |
| Peace Mission | | Germany |
| The Real Shaolin | | United States, China |
| Sea Point Days | | South Africa |
| Shakespeare and Victor Hugo's Intimacies | Intimidades de Shakespeare y Víctor Hugo | | Mexico |
| Shooting Robert King | | United Kingdom |
| Soul Power | | United States |
| Sounds Like Teen Spirit | Jamie Jay Johnson | United Kingdom |
| Under Rich Earth | Bajo Suelos Ricos | Malcolm Rogge | Canada |
| Unmistaken Child | Nati Baratz | Israel |
| Unwanted Witness | Sin Tregua | Juan José Lozano | Switzerland, France |
| Upstream Battle | Ben Kempas | Germany |
| Witch Hunt | Dana Nachman, Don Hardy | United States |
| Yes Madam, Sir | Megan Doneman | Australia, India | |
Masters
Mavericks
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| The People Speak | Howard Zinn, Chris Moore, Anthony Arnove | United States |
| Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies | | United States |
| A Time to Stir | Paul Cronin | United Kingdom, United States | |
Vanguard
Visions
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| 24 City | 二十四城记 | | China |
| Birdsong | El cant dels ocells | | Spain |
| I Want to See | Je veux voir | | France, Lebanon |
| Liverpool | Lisandro Alonso | Argentina, France, Netherlands, Germany, Spain |
| Milk | Süt | | Turkey |
| Salamander | Salamandra | | France, Germany |
| The Sky Crawlers | Sukai Kurora | | Japan |
| Uncertainty | | United States |
| Unspoken | Non-dit | | Belgium |
| Vinyan | | France, Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom | |
Midnight Madness
Short Cuts Canada
Sprockets Family Zone
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| Krabat | | Germany |
| Mia and the Migoo | Mia et le Migou | Jacques-Rémy Girerd | France, Italy |
| The Secret of Moonacre | | France, Australia, Hungary, United Kingdom, United States |
| Sunshine Barry & The Disco Worms | Disco ormene | Thomas Borch Nielsen | Denmark, Germany | |
Wavelengths
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| Artemis's Knee | Le Genou d'Artemide | | Italy, France |
| L'Atelier | Hannes Schüpbach | Switzerland |
| Black and White Trypps Number Three | | United States |
| Block B | | Canada, Malaysia |
| Dig | | United States |
| Encyclopaedia Britannica | John Latham | United Kingdom |
| Flash in the Metropolitan | Rosalind Nashashibi, Lucy Skaer | United Kingdom |
| Garden/ing | Eriko Sonoda | Japan |
| Horizontal Boundaries | Pat O'Neill | United States |
| How to Conduct a Love Affair | | United States |
| Lossless #2 | Rebecca Baron, Douglas Goodwin | United States |
| Mosaik Mécanique | Norbert Pfaffenbichler | Austria |
| Optra Field III-VI | T. Marie | United States |
| The Parable of the Tulip Painter and the Fly | Charlotte Pryce | United States |
| Paricutin | Erika Loic | Canada |
| Public Domain | Jim Jennings | United States |
| Refraction Series | Chris Gehman | Canada |
| Rodakis | Olaf Nikolai | Germany |
| RR | | United States |
| Sarabande | | United States |
| The Secret History of the Dividing Line | | United States |
| Suspension | Vanessa O'Neill | United States |
| Tell Me On Tuesday | Sag es mir Dienstag | Astrid Ofner | Austria |
| Trypps #5 (Dubai) | | United States |
| Tziporah | Abraham Ravett | United States |
| When It Was Blue | | United States, Iceland |
| Winter | | United States | |
Future Projections
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
|---|
| The Butcher's Shop | | United States |
| Cathedral | | Canada |
| The Death of Tom | | United States |
| I'm Feeling Lucky | Samuel Chow | Canada |
| Teenager Hamlet 2006 | | Canada |
| Utopia Suite | | Canada |
| When the Gods Came Down to Earth | | Canada | |
Yonge-Dundas Square
Free public events at Dundas Square, including outdoor film screenings and promotional tie-in concerts.
Canada's Top Ten
TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list, its national critics and festival programmers poll of the ten best feature and short films of the year, was released in December 2008.[11]
Feature films
Short films
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2008 Toronto International Film Festival Annual report. October 11, 2013. May 7, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120507164431/http://tiff.net/pdfs/TIFF2008AnnualReport.pdf. live.
- https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/toronto-unveils-canadian-selection-1117988985/ Brendan Kelly, Variety: "Toronto unveils Canadian selection" (July 15, 2008)
- Web site: "Toronto believes in Lee's 'Miracle'" Variety, by Jennie Punter, Jul. 2, 2008 . April 21, 2020 . September 22, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080922141511/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=2652&articleid=VR1117988411 . live .
- Web site: "Toronto film festival finds its Destiny" Aug 14, 2008 Reuters/Hollywood Reporter . June 30, 2017 . November 21, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201121164314/https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1450600220080814 . live .
- Web site: "Toronto Adds Premieres for 'Che', 'Porno', 'Bloom', 'Synecdoche', Others" Cinematical, by William Goss, Aug 13th 2008 . August 15, 2008 . August 14, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080814224625/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/13/toronto-adds-premieres-for-che-porno-bloom-synecdoche/ . live .
- Web site: "Toronto's dance card complete Sept. 4–13 festival includes 249 features" By Etan Vlessing, Hollywood Reporter, Aug 19, 2008 . April 21, 2020 . September 22, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080922222025/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i11533547aab0683e3b14f1a93a107cc9 . dead .
- Web site: Variety "Toronto Film Festival unveils lineup Event boasts 500-plus guest list", by Jennie Punter, Aug. 19, 2008 . April 21, 2020 . September 24, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080924023205/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990766.html?categoryId=19&cs=1 . live .
- Web site: "Toronto film festival promises lighter touch" Reuters, Aug 19, 2008 . June 30, 2017 . November 20, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201120221152/https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1928499520080819 . live .
- Web site: "Toronto fest adds 20 films to lineup" Variety, by Anne Thompson, Aug. 13, 2008 . April 21, 2020 . September 24, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080924023706/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=2652&articleid=VR1117990479 . live .
- http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/movies/awards-put-the-wrap-on-toronto-film-festival-410334/ "Awards put the wrap on Toronto Film Festival"
- "TIFF's Top Ten". Vancouver Sun, December 17, 2008.
