TIFF 2007 BLOGS - Doc Blog

September 7, 2021

Posted By Heidy Morales At 11:44 PM

File under: Celebrities

Ryerson theatre was filled to capacity tonight for the premiere of Michael Moore's latest documentary Captain Mike Across America. The crowd received Moore with the utmost admiration, as reflected by the loud applause when he entered the theatre.

This film shows Moore's journey through 66 American cities just weeks before the 2004 presidential election. The energy throughout the film transfers to the viewer, as you get Moore's sense of urgency in electing a new president; someone who will bring the troops home from Iraq and who will make the necessary changes to make...

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August 22, 2021

Demme & Moore docs in Special Presentations!

Posted By Thom Powers At 10:44 AM

File under: Celebrities

Two filmmaking heavy hitters bring high profile docs to TIFF's Special Presentations section, annnounced today. Keep an eye on Doc Blog for further updates.

CAPTAIN MIKE ACROSS AMERICA Michael Moore, USA Special Presentation
CAPTAIN MIKE ACROSS AMERICA takes us back to the 2004 election, when the margin of polling difference between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. The film is made in the feisty spirit of independent media at a fraction of the budget of Moore's recent films. It captures Moore's activities as he set out...

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August 1, 2021

Yes, it's THAT Phil Donahue

Posted By Thom Powers At 12:07 PM

File under: , Celebrities, War & Conflict, Politics

As I talked to reporters yesterday about the Real to Reel line-up, I heard a recurring sense of surprise that the co-director of BODY OF WAR was the same Phil Donahue well-known as the venerable talk show host. Indeed it is. He teamed up with veteran doc maker Ellen Spiro to tell the story of Tomas Young, an Iraq war veteran who became a vocal opponent of the Bush administration. In the film, Donahue stays strictly behind the camera. But here he's pictured with Young, Spiro...

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September 15, 2021

Wyclef Plays at TIFF Party

Posted By doc blog reporter At 12:02 PM

File under: Celebrities, Music

Hip-hop superstar Wyclef Jean played to a pumped-up crowd at the Ghosts of Cité Soleil premiere after-party last Saturday. Jean helped write the score for Ghosts, a film based in his native Haiti. The film follows the story of 2pac and Bily, brothers who are two of many gang leaders reputedly hired by former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to dispose of his enemies. Director Asger Leth presents an intimate portrayal of these thugs, not just in their street lives, but also in their love lives as they both fall for the...

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September 12, 2021

Celebrities Exposed at Final Doc Talk

Posted By doc blog reporter At 6:32 PM

File under: Celebrities, Directors

If you are planning to make a doc on a celebrity, the top floor of the Sutton Place hotel would have been the perfect place to be today, as the final Doc Talk featured an diverse panel discussing their use of celebrity in film. The panel featured Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert's Guide to Cinema), AJ Schnack (Kurt Cobain About a Son), Sara Berstein (HBO Documentaries), and John Scheinfeld (The US vs. John Lennon). Moderator Thom Powers began by asking the panel about challenges making their films. “Our biggest obstacle was called ‘Yoko’”, said...

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September 8, 2021

Michael Moore is Back!

Posted By Thom Powers At 11:30 AM

File under: Celebrities

Michael Moore has been lying low the past couple years, avoiding television appearances and public speaking. But he's chosen Toronto as the place to re-emerge. Tonight in a special TIFF Mavericks presentation An Evening with Michael Moore he'll be showing sneak preview clips from two works-in-progress: Sicko and The Great 04 Slacker Uprising. He'll also be speaking in a discussion with Borat director Larry Charles. Here's a photo of Moore last night on the red carpet for Borat.

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August 26, 2021

Can't Wait To Get There

Posted By David Leaf At 1:38 PM

File under: Celebrities, Directors, Memories, Music

My very first trip to Canada as a kid was to Expo '67 in Montreal, and among my favorite memories of the fair are the terrific movies about Canada that played in the various exhibits. Most memorable was the Czechoslovakian pavilion, where a mind-blowing "interactive" (did that word even exist back then?) film allowed the audience to participate in the storytelling. I can still feel the fun of endlessly riding the monorails and in my mind's eye,...

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August 22, 2021

From Haiti to the Sunset Strip

Posted By Thom Powers At 11:04 AM

File under: Celebrities

Wyclef Jean is among the many great performers expected to make an appearance at TIFF this year in support of a documentary. Jean composed music for Asger Leth’s stunning doc Ghosts of Cite Soleil (left), about gang leaders in Haiti during the overthrow of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Continuing our series of TIFF anecdotes, George Hickenlooper recalls another memorable performance at TIFF. Hickenlooper served as a creative consultant on Ghosts of Cite Soleil. In 2003,...

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