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So... I Left Town, and the Circus Stayed

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 16:02:00 GMT

My whirlwind 48 hours in Toronto was too short by about a week. What an incredible festival! It was my first time at TIFF, but whether I ever have another film there or not, it certainly won't be my last. The enthusiasm, the energy and the excitement of being with so many people from around the world who share a love and appreciation for the art form created an inspiring vibe. Next time, I want to spend a week at TIFF just going to movies.

Looking back on the week since we screened The U.S. vs. John Lennon at Toronto, there is no question that the TIFF premiere at the Ryerson will remain a major highlight of the entire project.

Since leaving Toronto, we've heard from so many people who were either at the Ryerson or the two subsequent screenings. Clearly, the love of film is alive and thriving in the city where, all those years ago, John headlined one of the last concerts of his life during his and Yoko's "Year of Peace."

Thank you again, Toronto, for giving our "piece on peace" a chance.

More Internet Coverage of TIFF Docs

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:28:00 GMT

On Tuesday, Anthony Kaufman (left) interviewed Michael Tucker (The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair) in the first of the Doc Talks series, sponsored by HBO Documentary Films, held at Toronto's Fifth Elementt restaurant.

Kaufman wrote several dispatches from the festival for Indiewire, including this blog entry on Blindsight and Killer Within.

Here are other recent Internet reports on TIFF docs...

Dave Kehr reviews the Chinese documentary Dong

Twitch interviews director JT Petty on S&MAN.

Director AJ Schnack chronicles his TIFF experiences on his own blog

Tom Hall raves over Tony Kaye's Lake of Fire

Indiewire covers the Mavericks conversation between John Waters (This Filthy World) and John Cameron Mitchell (Shortbus)

TIFF Talk writes about the screening and Q&A for Office Tigers

Wyclef Plays at TIFF Party

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 12:02:00 GMT

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 same woman. Leth's footage remarkably captures the lead up to Aristide's overthrow in 2004 while providing and on-the-ground look at Haitian life.

If you would like to comment on this film, please submit your thoughts to the Doc Blog...

Iranian Cinema Part of the Revolution

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:57:00 GMT

Everyone has heard of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, but few Westerners have seen much of the Iranian cinema and its impact on the country over the past sixty years. Director Nader Takmil Homayoun (right) decided to breathe life into the rich history of his native land's film industry with Iran: Une Révolution cinématographique, which made its premiere tonight to a sold out crowd at the Al Green theatre.

Iranian cinema has largely been off the North American radar, perpetuating an image in the West that Iranians are people of prayer and little else. The film looks at how Iran's cinema and filmmakers have been impacted by its turbulent politics and vice-versa, by speaking to its prominent directors and juxtaposing clips from these films with stock footage of real-life events that occured in the eras of each film's release.

In the Q & A after the film, Homayoun had plenty of questions to answer from a very vocal and appreciative crowd. One audience member asked about the prevalence in Iranian cinema of "average" people as actors and filmmakers. Homayoun said this remains because the Iranian films try their best to represent reality. His translator tried her best to relay the term "un-actor", which describes these so-called average people who make and star in Iranian films. In Iran today, he said, many people can be seen using small digital cameras and getting involved in the industry.

In the end, Homayoun mentioned that though Iran has been considered a land of poetry, it is now, after many years of censorship and even a period of theatre burning, it is also considered a land of cinema. The questions and discussion continued long after, spilling into the hallway and then out in the rain on Bloor st.

If you would like to add your comments on the film for the director, please share them on the Doc Blog...

Forget CNN, Just Watch Ohio

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 18:07:00 GMT

It may not be Florida in 2000, but the state of Ohio has so much influence in American politics, many analysts, politicians and citizens alike believe that "as Ohio goes...so goes the nation." Making its worldwide premiere tonight, ...So Goes the Nation presents an intimate and candid look at this phenomenon, focusing on the northern state in the '04 US presidential election. The film gives us a first hand glimpse into the lives and views of the entire political spectrum in Ohio. Everyone from the average citizen to Democratic and Republican political strategists weigh in on their influence and analyze this microcosm of the American political process.

The film's co-director, James D. Stern (left) has been busy at the festival, participating in the News and Views "Venture Capital and Film Financing" panel, moderated by Cinetic Media founder, John Sloss. Stern will be at the premiere tonight to answer questions at the Q & A.

Docs Go Theatrical

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:42:00 GMT

On Monday, the Industry Initiatives News & Views panels focused on documentary distribution. Academy Award winner Ross Kaufman (Born Into Brothels) led a discussion on theatrical releases with distributors Peter Goldwyn (Samuel Goldwyn Films), Tom Quinn (Magnolia) and Ken Eisen (Shadow Distribution).

The second panel "The Long Road to Distribution" was a case study of the film 51 Birch Street which had its world premiere at TIFF in 2005. The panel consisted of sales agent Josh Braun, executive producer John Priddy and (pictured left to right) Kelly Sanders (Truly Indie), director Doug Block and producer Lori Cheatle.

Sick Humor Makes Us Well

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:15:00 GMT

John Waters (right) was in top form on Tuesday night during a Mavericks conversation on Vanguard Cinema with Shortbus director John Cameron Mitchell, moderated by the film's star Sook-Yin Lee. Waters is in town to promote the new documentary This Filthy World, capturing his one man performance in which he reflects on his career with a sharp wit.

Celebrating Office Tigers

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:06:00 GMT

Producer Lawrence Elman and director Liz Mermin celebrate the world premiere of their film Office Tigers at a party for the film on Saturday night, held at the Tribute Lounge at the Century Room. For the film's second screening on Monday, the audience sang "Happy Birthday" to Mermin.

Yesterday, Lorrie Goldstein of the Toronto Sun praised Office Tigers in a warm review, excerpted here:

Employees working for big corporations everywhere will identify with Office Tigers harried staff as they cope with long hours, demanding bosses, early deadlines, constant retraining, jargon-filled motivational speeches and awkward award presentations to bolster morale. They can be forgiven for wondering if globalization isn't in fact forcing all of them into a race to the bottom when it comes to their quality of life.

While Mermin is clearly warning us about globalization's tendency to grind down workers and homogenize cultures, her approach is subtle. She doesn't use, or need, a sledgehammer.

Bloggers Cover TIFF Docs From All Angles

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 08:29:00 GMT

Mainstream Internet reporters and bloggers have been going strong on docs at TIFF. Here are just a few of the sites with news and reviews.

David D'Arcy reports on the Dixie Chicks: Shut Up And Sing for Greencine. Earlier he covered The US vs John Lennon here.

Pictured: Dixie Chicks co-directors Cecilia Peck (left) and Barbara Kopple (right) flank band members Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Robison at yesterday's press conference for the film's world premiere Gala.

Sarah Jo Marks reflects on The Killer Within at Documentary Insider

Richard Corliss writes about The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair on Time.com.

On Risky Biz Blog, Anne Thompson writes about Michael Moore's Mavericks session and glimpses of Sicko.

Matt Dentler picks his Top 10 Toronto moments.

Kim Voynar interviews Deliver Us From Evil director Amy Berg on Cinematical.

Tom Hall reviews The Pervert's Guide to Cinema for The Back Row Manifesto.

Doc Roundtables Create Networking Opportunities

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 07:51:00 GMT

Whew, the festival has been going strong for a week now and I've barely had time to catch my breath, nevermind blog. Then a week from today I'll return to my home base in New York City, speaking on a panel about festival programming at the IFP Filmmaker Conference and beginning the new semester teaching my Documentary Development course at New York University's School of Continuing Professional Studies. (Still time to enroll here.)

Catching up on the past week: here's a snap from Sunday's Doc Roundtables, a new initiative this year to create a networking opportunity between doc makers and industry players at TIFF's Match Club. Above, Diane Weyermann (center) from Participant Pictures talks to two filmmakers from the Canadian organization DOC, while in the foreground sales agent Andrew Herwitz (left) chats with entertainment lawyer Dan Satorius.

Other industry attendees included John Moser of Showtime, Andrea Meditch of Discovery Films, Samantha Hodder of DOC, and consultant Peter Broderick (seen holding forth below).

TIFF Gets to Know a Terrorist on Film

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 19:22:00 GMT

A full house gathered at the ROM today for the premiere screening of My Life as a Terrorist: The Story of Hans-Joachim Klein. The film follows the life of Klein, a German man who went from being a left-wing radical to being linked to the murders of OPEC officials in 1975. Klein describes this transition and reveals how he feels the terrorist organization used and manipulated him.

Stock footage and photographs are used along with recent footage of Klein on a trip back to his old home in Germany in order to tell his amazing story. The film's director, Alexander Oey (right), was at the ROM answering questions ranging from why he felt the need to make the film to his thoughts on terrorism. An audience member brought up the saying "war is diplomacy but in a different way" and went on to ask Oey if he felt this film implied that of terrorism. Oey pointed out that Klein regrets all his involvement in the organization but makes a distinction between that and his days as a radical in his youth.

Please submit your thoughts on My Life as a Terrorist to the Doc Blog...

VARIETY: "Stars Left in Docs Dust"

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:20:00 GMT

Today, Variety reporter Steven Zeitchik writes about the dominance of documentaries at this year's TIFF. The piece begins...

It's political docs and genre pics that are making noise in Toronto -- and the stars who are getting left behind.

In the second notable deal for a political pic in two days, Abu Ghraib expose "The Prisoner, or: How I Tried to Kill Tony Blair," [above] pacted with Netflix in a deal that will see movie get theatrical distribution through an as-yet undetermined partner.

Movie will be released in the spring to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the Iraq war; it also will get homevid and possible TV distribution.

Celebrities Exposed at Final Doc Talk

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:32:00 GMT

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 Scheinfeld (right). He mentioned that it’s hard to get someone to trust you while you are looking at their life, but said he refuses to do unauthorized films. Eventually, Yoko Ono gave her full support to the project.

Both Scheinfeld and Schnack directed films about iconic, deceased musicians, but each film is markedly different. Scheinfeld conducted many interviews with friends of Lennon while Schnack opted for a single source narrative, using only the voice of Kurt Cobain and no footage of him.

The panel was insightful and lively. At one point the filmmakers themselves took over, engaging in a frank discussion about how representing a celebrity on screen relates to their fans, who Fiennes described as the engine of their subjects' celebrity. Schnack said the key is to make the film you want to make because you can’t please everyone. Bernstein, a supervising producer for HBO Documentary Films, said when looking at a project that has a celebrity attached to it, it is good on one hand because you have a built-in press machine for the project. However, she said it is essential that the celebrity is involved out of passion and not simply there to sell their image.

Many of the topics discussed dealt with the fine-line decisions you make regarding celebrity in film, but the panel discussed general filmmaking issues as well, such as interviewing techniques. Addressing the crowd, Scheinfeld said you should never go into an interview with a list of questions. Fiennes on the other hand does not like to do interviews, but prefers to just show the subject doing what they do. "I don't want them to PR me," said Fiennes.

This was the inaugural year for the Doc Talk series, sponsored by HBO Documentary Films. Considering the quality of the panels and the vast interest from fans and industry alike, it looks like the series could become an annual feature at TIFF.

Doc Collaborators Discuss Mixture of Artistic Mediums

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:42:00 GMT

The second of three Doc Talks today focused on collaboration, featuring the creators of Manufactured Landscapes discussing how a project comes toghether with such difficult creative bridges to build. The film's director Jennifer Baichwal said it was very different to look at an image through the eyes of a photographer, which she needed to do in creating this film focused on the work of famed Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky.

When Burtynsky found out a film was in the works about him, he was hesitant to be part of a project full of talking-heads speaking about him and his work. But Baichwal had something else in mind and asked revered cinematographer, Peter Mettler, to film the project. The choice was made to allow the scale of the photographs and their environmental focus to translate into film, according to Baichwal. All three members of the panel, agreed that this integrity was maintained in the film.

NFB Chairman, Jacques Bensimon, moderated the event and said at its start that the Doc Talks are a great idea and he hopes that they will become an annual tradition at the festival, garnering much applause from the full audience at The Fifth Element restaurant.

Doc Talks is sponsored by HBO Documentary Films.

Docs Discussed Over Breakfast

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:50:00 GMT

Doc Corner Breakfasts give directors, industry, and press a chance to mingle at TIFF. The breakfasts are running from Sunday to Wednesday, sponsored by HBO Documentary Films. Left, Shot in the Dark director Adrian Grenier discusses his film with Priya Shah from TIFF's Sales & Industry office.

Blindsight Opens Eyes and Hearts

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:44:00 GMT

Blindsight has its world premiere today at TIFF, garnering possibly the loudest and longest applause of any Real to Reel film so far at the festival. The film's director, Lucy Walker (background), documented the amazing story of six blind Tibetan children attempting to climb a 22,000 foot peak near mount Everest in 2004. The children were led by their teacher, Sabriye Tenberken, who is also visually impaired, and Erik Weihenmayer, a blind man who climbed to the top of Mount Everest.

Filled with emotion, struggle, triumph and a rousing rendintion of "Happy Together", Blindsight instantly became a festival favourite. After the screening, Walker wasted no time inviting up Tenberken and Weihenmayer to address the crowd and answer questions. The crowd was also told to wait for one very special guest who was being rushed from the airport. After a few more questions, Kalyi (foreground), one of the Tibetan children, made one more descent, but this time it was down the aisle to the cheers of hundreds of fans. Kalyi thanked everyone for coming to see the film and was still quite energetic after a long flight straight from Beijing.

Great cinematography combined with a complex journey of self-discovery and teamwork will have many festival goers talking about Blindsight.

Please feel free to comment on the film by submitting your thoughts to the Doc Blog...

Killer After Party for Premiere

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 19:27:00 GMT

One of the best draws at TIFF every year is the parties, not just for the open bar and great food, but it's a chance for the talented people that attend the festival to mix and mingle.

This afternoon, Discovery Films hosted a party at Prego restaurant to honor their film The Killer Within and their broader sponsorship of the entire Real to Reel programme. Attendees included Killer Within director Macky Alston, seen left with the film’s Executive Producer, Andrea Meditch.

Al Maysles participated in a Dialogues session with Barbara Kopple earlier in the day. He showed his first film Psychiatry in Russia from 50 years ago along with newly released outtakes from his classic doc Grey Gardens.

Director AJ Schnack and his producer/wife Shirley Moyers (Kurt Cobain About a Son) play hide and seek with their daughter.

Publicist John Murphy (left) talks to sales agent Josh Braun (right) of Submarine.

Kurt Cobain Speaks Out at TIFF

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 02:46:00 GMT

One of the most anticipated films of this years festival, Kurt Cobain About a Son, made it's worldwide premiere tonight, and did not disappoint delivering a rock-umentary unlike any other. The film is based on a series of audio interviews conducted by journalist Michael Azerrad (right), allowing the voice of Kurt to speak for himself . Young director, AJ Schnack (center) made his way to the microphone to introduce a project that he said means so much to him, and it showed as Schnack could barely get his thank yous out as he got choked up in front of the packed house at the Cumberland theatre.

Cobain's impact on our culture could be felt in the line-up outside, as fans waited for hours in the rush line hoping to see the film. Inside the theatre, the presence of Azerrad and photography legend Charles Peterson (left) echoed their tremendous support for the project, as did the contributions to the amazing soundtrack by Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and Steve Fisk, also present. Azerrad, seeing the film for the first time tonight, said that one thing this film does do for him is give him a sense of closure.

To share your thoughts on the film with its director, please contribute to the Doc Blog...

Doc Directors Debate over Dinner

Sun, 10 Sep 2006 15:35:00 GMT

One of the highlights of TIFF is directors getting to meet each other as they did last night for a dinner at Pangaea restaurant. The diverse group inspired a lot of discussion about the films at the festival and filmmaking in general. Left, Liz Mermin (Office Tigers) and Adrian Grenier (Shot in the Dark) are engaged in a heated debate about filmmaking. Other guests included Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein (The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair), Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert's Guide to Cinema), James Longley (Sari's Mother), and Sarah Price and Bradley Beesley (Summercamp!). Numerous other dinners are planned throughout the festival.