blog.TOfilmfest.ca

Friday, August 27, 2010

Film festival mobile phone website (alpha version)

The future is free.
TOfilmfest was specifically built on free software, back in 2005.
In fact, it was free advice that led to the website's re-design, and to various venues and sponsors who helped promote it.

This year, with increasing traffic costs, some small advertisements were added – to keep TOfilmfest free.

So, when the film festival announced it's mobile app would only be available for BlackBerry (a major sponsor), we wished for a free solution for all users of mobile devices.

Information wants to be free, so our database is available to other developers for collaboration on new projects.

Today, a new project is ready for testing!
TOfilmfest.ca/TIFFwidget
“a web-based app, optimized for iPhone – but should work with Android”


Since this project is considered an alpha version, it's announcement is being limited to this blog. Please do not spread the word just yet! It's being made available for those participating in the Advance Order process on Monday, August 30th.

A disclaimer from the developer:
IMPORTANT: Screening times listed are NOT official. There should be a high degree of accuracy, but the schedule can change at any time and this page is NOT maintained in real time. Use this form ONLY as a preliminary planning tool and be SURE to double-check a chosen movie’s screening times via the TIFF button.
Unfortunately short films are not included in the data.

Any feedback is welcome and appreciated!

We look forward to future versions of TIFFwidget to bring all the functionality of TOfilmfest to all mobile devices! :-)

Pick the best of the fest!
#TOfilmfest

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Films, tickets, scheduling, tips

Films
“MICROPHONE” (2010 feature film directed by Ahmad Abdalla)
This week marked the final announcement of film titles for the Toronto international film festival, and the release of the official film schedule. Over 100 new film titles were added to the following programs:“THE PLACE IN BETWEEN” (2010 feature film directed by Sarah Bouyain)
As well, the Short Cuts Canada program was organized into six screenings.

“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 1” (2010 short films directed by Nadia Litz, Greg Atkins, Kevan Funk, Michael Vass, Kaveh Nabatian, Sara St. Onge, Aaron Phelan)“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 2” (2010 short films directed by Brandon Cronenberg, Jeff Barnaby, Theodore Ushev, Liz Van Allen Cairns, Joe LoBianco, Anne Émond, Ky Nam Le Duc)“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 3” (2010 short films directed by Tao Gu, Dan Popa, Firas Momani, Brian D. Johnson, Caroline Monnet, Trevor Anderson)“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 4” (2010 short films directed by Nick Fox-Gieg, Claude Cloutier, Danis Goulet, Antoine Bourges, Isaac Cravit, Sophie Goyette, John Bolton)“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 5” (2010 short films directed by Kazik Radwanski, Halima Ouardiri, Cam Woykin, Hans Olson, Carla Susanto, Vincent Biron)“SHORT CUTS CANADA: PROGRAMME 6” (2010 short films directed by Kire Paputts, Emmanuel Shirinian, Russell Bennett, M. Rankin, Darragh McDonald, Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais, Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre, Martin Sokol)

Tickets

If you have questions on how to get tickets for the festival, we recommend visiting TIFFtalk. For years, Richard has put together the definitive guide on the process:
  • Part 1 – what type of tickets to buy
  • Part 2 – Advance Order procedure
  • Part 3 – selecting which films to see
  • Part 4 – buy tickets during the festival


Scheduling

Many people will be organizing their film schedule this weekend, and there are a few websites that aim to ease the process. The official tiff.net has a Login | Register at the bottom of their website; it allows you to build a film list. Our friends at tiffReviews have a one click addition to your Google Calendar or iCal (Apple). Last year tiffr appeared, but it's late again getting reliable data. We've tried all three — but every year ended up on the dining room table with Post-it notes and highlighters... ;-)

Tips

Finally, a friend we've met in ticket lines many times, Larry has put together a nice series of practical tips on attending the festival.

Updates

We're currently collecting reviews from press & industry screenings for TOfilmfest — here's how you can keep up to date with us:
Pick the best of the fest!
TOfilmfest
#TIFF10

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Friday, August 20, 2010

Doing the film fest for free

That's right, for free. Doing the film fest this year doesn't have to cost you a dime.

A single ticket during the film festival will cost
  • $24.75 — regular, single ticket order ($19.69 + HST + bldg fee + order fee)
  • $45.75 — premium, single ticket order ($38.27 + HST + bldg fee + order fee)
  • $17.00 — child, single ticket order ($12.83 + HST + bldg fee + order fee)
    [12 years and under, "Sprockets Family Zone" only]
— but that's not the only way to enjoy the festival...

You can watch films from past festivals, see some cinematic art, tour the new Lightbox centre, or find out how films are leading a new dialog in Turkish culture — you can even see the winner of the people's choice award for free!

Here's a list of what's free:
“AMERICAN BEAUTY” (1999 feature film directed by Sam Mendes)
TIFF for Free
2010 Future Projections
Also free, and open to the public at Lightbox, beginning September at 12pm, for the duration of the festival:
  • Essential Cinema – a journey through the Essential 100, a list of the most influential films of all time; costumes, film stills, posters, music samples and film clips, the exhibition charts these works – all 100 of them – that have played such a key role in defining film culture for more than a century

  • Special Commissions
    8½ Screens, Atom Egoyan – a key scene from Fellini’s masterpiece 8½, and a reversal of the customary relationship between the projector, the audience, and the screen
    E-100, James Andean & François Xavier Saint-Pierre – a sound installation in which key samples of film dialogue culled from the films in the Essential 100 list are heard in random variations, interweaving dialogue, environmental sounds and instrumental accompaniment
    Hauntings I, Guy Maddin – involves eleven projections in the main gallery space showing recreated fragments of lost or unrealized film masterpieces
    Hauntings II, Guy Maddin – illuminating the Lightbox fifth floor windows every night of the Festival, forming a ghostly curtain that will reveal a siren beckoning visitors to enter
    Essential Titles, Barr Gilmore – 5-minute looped motion graphic projection that isolates and recreates only the title and director's credit from the opening sequences of all of the films on the Essential 100 list — a visually stunning piece that will act as an environmental graphic at the entrance of the exhibition

Events“TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 101” (2010 presentation)
Pick the best of the fest!
#TOfilmfest

PS.

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2010 Sprockets Family Zone

In 1998, Jane Schoettle brought the first Sprockets — a film festival for children — to Toronto.“KARLA AND JONAS” (2010 feature film directed by Charlotte Sachs Bostrup) While it's been running each April on it's own, in 2003 the festival introduced a Sprockets Family Zone program to the main film festival in September.

Here's the line-up for this year:

2010 Sprockets Family Zone“LITTLE SISTER” (2010 feature film directed by Richard Bowen)Pick the best of the fest!“SAMMY'S ADVENTURES: THE SECRET PASSAGE” (2010 3-D animated feature film directed by Ben Stassen)
#TOfilmfest
TIFF10

PS. advance ticket packages are still on-sale...
  • Online (Visa only)
  • By Phone, Mon-Fri/10am-7pm
    at 416-968-3456 or 877-968-3456
  • New festival box-office opens at 363 King St W, Tue.24.Aug (10am-7pm)

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

2010 Midnight Madness schedule

The schedule for the 2010 Midnight Madness was released today:

“FUBAR II” (2010 feature film directed by Michael Dowse)
Thursday, September 9
Fubar II — Michael Dowse
Canada


Friday, September 10“SUPER” (2010 feature film directed by James Gunn)
Super — James Gunn
USA

“BUNRAKU” (2010 feature film directed by Guy Moshe)
Saturday, September 11
Bunraku — Guy Moshe
USA

Sunday September 12“VANISHING ON 7TH STREET” (2010 feature film directed by Brad Anderson)
Vanishing on 7th Street — Brad Anderson
USA


“THE WARD” (2010 feature film directed by John Carpenter)
Monday September 13
The Ward — John Carpenter
USA


Tuesday, September 14“INSIDIOUS” (2010 feature film directed by James Wan)
Insidious — James Wan
USA


“RED NIGHTS” (2010 feature film directed by Julien Carbon, Laurent Courtiaud)
Wednesday, September 15
Red Nights — Julien Carbon/Laurent Courtiaud
Hong Kong/China/France

Thursday, September 16“THE BUTCHER, THE CHEF AND THE SWORDSMAN” (2010 feature film directed by Wu Ershan)
The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman — Wu Ershan
Hong Kong/China


“STAKE LAND” (2010 feature film directed by Jim Mickle)
Friday, September 17
Stake Land — Jim Mickle
USA


Saturday, September 18“FIRE OF CONSCIENCE” (2010 feature film directed by Dante Lam)
Fire of Conscience — Dante Lam
Hong Kong/China

(All screenings take place at the Ryerson theatre — at midnight... ;-)

Pick the best of the fest!
#TOfilmfest

PPS.

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

2010 City to City: Istanbul

Although there was some speculation on which city would be chosen for the 2010 City to City program — Rio, Moscow, Edinburgh, and Shanghai were early guesses — the film festival Announced their choice of Istanbul, Turkey.








Here is an abbreviated version of the chronicle Cameron Bailey, co-director of the film fest, outlined via Twitter @cameron_tiff:
Sept-Oct 2009 – track back through debut Tel Aviv program for lessons learned

Oct 2009 – 5 city short list - Berlin, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Istanbul & Manila

Before Berlinale in Feb 2010 – focus narrows to Istanbul & Manila.
Turkish film wins Golden Bear. [Semih Kaplanoglu's Honey]

May 4, 2010 – Istanbul decided as City to City focus

May 31, 2010 – 8 Turkish nationals and 1 Turkish-American killed in Gaza flotilla raid

June 2010 – Pause. Reflect. Consult. Confirm. Go back to lessons learned.

August 2010 – Plan Sept. 16 symposium
The spotlight does arrive at a time when there seems to be a dialog between Turkish and Armenian filmmakers. The coordinator for the Armenia-Turkey Cinema Platform, Çiğdem Mater said,
“Recent years have seen an unprecedented enthusiasm for dialogue between Turkish and Armenian communities among civil society, which was sadly kick-started by the murder of Hrant Dink, the Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor, in 2007.”
Back in 2002, politics prevented Armenian-Canadian director Atom Egoyan's Ararat from release in Turkey. Now, eight years later, speaking from Yerevan, Armenia – just after the Golden Apricot Film Festival – Atom Egoyan wants to make a film in Turkey.

2010 City to City: IstanbulPick the best of the fest!
TOfilmfest
#TIFF10

PS. advance ticket packages are still on-sale...
  • Online (Visa only)
  • By Phone, Mon-Fri/10am-7pm
    at 416-968-3456 or 877-968-3456
  • At 2 Carlton St, West Mezzanine level, Mon – Fri, 10am-7pm, until Fri.20.Aug
    (the new festival box-office opens at 363 King St West, on Tue.24.Aug)

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More Gala and Special Presentations

Yesterday, the film festival announced more films for the Gala and Special Presentation programs.

Gala PresentationsSpecial PresentationsPick the best of the fest!
TOfilmfest
#TIFF

PS.
Also, Colin Geddes revealed the final two additions to Midnight Madness — both of which had been previously announced by other sources:




PPS.

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