The 2006 Vancouver Film Festival Team Blog

Nurit's guidelines to a successful film festival...

2006-09-14T00:55:00.000-07:00

Since you've probably heard enough from my clap-trap and would rather plan movies or hear from someone else, I am posting an email I received recently from pal (and VIFF veteran) Nurit Barkan-Ascher outlining a list of do's and dont's for a successful filmgoing experience come festival time. Without further ado,

---

GUIDELINES TO A SUCCESSFUL FILM FESTIVAL

by Nurit Barkan-Ascher

The 25th VIFF is just around the corner and we can almost feel the hype and the blessed, strangely welcomed stress.

How wonderful is it going to be? Log onto www.viff.org and read the official promises. How to make it a successful experience? Read on.

If you are a die-hard film fan, book some time off work.
Spend a few days (at least a weekend) reading the official programme guide. The ‘teaser’ program guide comes out earlier and is a nice preview. While it is free it is incomplete and has no dates so it is challenging to make up your schedule. The official hard copy guide costs money (though it is available on line), and it tells you everything you want to know about the upcoming films which according to the program are all extraordinary, unique, fantastic or simply the best ever.
To get a dose of reality or at least something less “promo” tasting, check out review websites. By the time they arrive here, many of the VIFF films have already been shown in Cannes, Seattle, Berlin, Sundance, Edinburgh, Jerusalem, Venice, Locarno, and (just in the nick of time) Montreal and Toronto. So there are reviews available. This is particularly crucial in regard to the Dragons & Tigers and the Canadian Images offerings for which the VIFF program’s descriptions are often quite mysterious and unrevealing.
Order your Pass or Tickets on line. It is easy and fast and you don’t have to line up at the box office and run into other (very) nervous ticket seekers. However, if you have the right attitude, crowd watching can be loads of fun. The line-ups are also a great place to begin a grass-roots dialogue about films.
Get your domicile in order. Do that extra shopping - you are unlikely to have time to get to the store for toilet paper during the festival. Don’t forget to buy high-liners (in at least 3 different colours) for marking your schedule in your guide.
If you share your life with someone who is not a festival addict have a nice final dinner the night prior to the festival opening. Remember that you will not see much of your partner or kids during the festival, and it is highly probable that they will not want to hear your amazing film reflections/analysis on a daily basis.
Make sure you have: Comfortable shoes (so you can sprint from venue to venue), and a (very) large backpack. Beside your program guide, your backpack should contain some healthy food (and don’t wrap it in crinkly wrap or your ‘friends’ will get nasty), a sweater, a raincoat, a notebook, a pen, a book (to read between films), a teeny flashlight (to find your seat in the dark) and a deodorant. The pack is also essential for seat saving and above all for the special look of a film aficionado.
There are over 300 films and only 15 days. How do you fit it all in? - first thing to do is to avoid those films that are going to open soon in regular theatres. You can tell by the distributor or the print name (Celluloid Dreams, Mongrel Media, Odeon, Gemini Film and Seville are some of the biggies). The NY Times on the web has a list of the films that will open in NY in the coming months. These will surely cross the border soon enough.
A film festival is a place to discover films. Choose at least some obscure films that sound interesting. In particular select documentaries on subjects you don’t know much about (but perhaps should), or those you haven’t already arrived at a concrete opinion about. Don’t waste your time on documentaries that only state your already made up opinion. Be open minded and come with an open heart.
Some of the best discussions about films are between people waiting in line. Join in. Vancouverites actually allow their otherwise hidden friendliness to come out during the festival and there is a lot of intimate contact between the people in the line. Get to know the person who is giving you advice; he or she may like the type of films you hate! I like films by Ozon and Haneke and Arcand, but if you dragged me to a Kiarostami or an Egoyan film… hmmm. Last year I liked Cache and Wild Side. I hated Accused and Paper Moon Affair, so would you follow my advice?
Expect a lot of discussion in the line about Anglo Canadian films and the write-ups of Tony Rayns.
Expect great division of opinion about whether a rape scene was merely exploitative or had artistic merit.
Expect great division of opinion regarding the Middle East, less so regarding Bush.
Expect some people to find metaphors in any film.
Expect to hear that the film you thought was a masterpiece is the worst film ever made.
Remember that a film festival is not the Ironman competition. How many films you see isn’t the issue. Yes, people tend to show off, but everyone has a personal comfort level (between 2-5 a day). People who see more on a daily basis often cannot recall what they’ve seen. They become crabby and are not having fun – that is, partaking in all the other essentials such as friendship, food, sleep, sex, and intellectual digestion.

THAT IS IT. Now it all begins. You finally got into the theatre.

DON’T FORGET:

Turn off your cell phone and that watch that chirps in the dark. Do not talk and do not touch that cellophane. Relax and Enjoy.

What you need to know about the VIFF Venues

2006-09-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hola yet again everyone,

So you're booking your tickets for VIFF and planning the heck out of what to see. Now how about WHERE to see the films? Here be profiled the 10 screens at this year's VIFF with location and general info. I'll be updating this some more soon:

Granville 7 Cinemas: (Screen 7, now the VISA Screening Room, pictured at right)
Opened 1987 under Cineplex Odeon and as of 2005 run by Empire Theatres. Cinema is well known for being partly in the shell of an old hotel, a totally new centre piece and the old Coronet cinema which now houses two incredibly small auditoriums. One of the first THX certified cinemas in British Columbia and still retains certification on screens 2 and 7.

AKA: Ground Zero (Why? Ground Zero is the primo location for getting tickets, meeting friends, creating new conversations in line

Where: 855 Granville Street in the heart of the Granville Mall. Probably the easiest theatre to find in the city.

Seat Count and formats:

Screen 1: 294 seats - runs 35mm only
Screen 2: 340 - runs 35mm and various digital formats
Screen 3: 329 - runs 35mm only
Screen 4: 324 - runs 35mm only
Screen 5: 224 - runs various digital formats only (formerly the Coronet's orchestra seating)
Screen 6: 229 - runs 35mm only (formerly the Coronet's balcony seating)
Screen 7: 664 - runs 35mm and various digital formats

Tips: Try to plan as much of your filmgoing at this cinema as possible. Most of the screenings at VIFF this year have at least one show scheduled at Ground Zero. Also, there is a large mezzanine with a Starbucks kiosk and tables set up for inbetween-screening hangouts and to stay out of the rain.

Pacific Cinematheque - More Photos
1131 Howe St.

Seat Count: 210 seats
Formats: 35mm, 16mm and various digital formats. Also one of the media screening locations.
Distance from Ground Zero: 5-8 minute walk south on Granville a few blocks, then walk west to Howe St. Across the street from the Holiday Inn Downtown.

Tip: Plan carefully if you plan to see movies here and Granville on the same day.

Vancity Theatre & The Vancouver International Film Centre
1181 Seymour

Opened in 2005 prior to that year's VIFF.
Seat Count: 175 seats (120 orchestra, 55 balcony)
Stadium seating, large double arm-rest seats imported from France. "Most comfy seats in town", remarks the website and program guides, and they're right!
Formats: 35mm, 16mm and all digital formats; venue is also one of the media screening locations.
Distance from Ground Zero: Roughly 8-10 minute walk on foot. Walk south on Granville to roughly Davie street, then walk east to the film centre.

Tip: If you can plan to see a movie here, go for the seats.

Ridge Theatre
16th and Arbutus

Opened in 1950; under new management in December 2005; new high-back seats installed.
Seat Count: 474 seats (formerly 830 seats)
Formats: 35mm only until 2005; possible addition of a digital projector for VIFF 2006.
Distance from Ground Zero: a lengthy walk. Best bet is to catch the 16 Arbutus bus from Howe St. which will take you directly to the cinema, or catch the 17 UBC and walk a few blocks from Arbutus and Broadway.
Tips: If you're planning a full day of screenings, try to avoid screening movies here unless you plan to do both matinee or evening shows and stay in the cinema. The buses are infrequent and driving back downtown can be a drag, especially if you're going to go to a second matinee or evening show.

Jason
efilmcritic.com

How To Schedule a Film Festival Like A Crazy Jay

2006-09-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, most of you VIFF'ers were taking a look at this year's great lineup schedule and thinking to yourself: wow, there are so many great films here. How in the heck do I plan a whole festival to see as many films as possible? Well, perhaps you could do what I do!

Since I am full-timing the festival, I want to get the most out of the entire schedule by planning to see anywhere from four to six films daily. That means that I want to have a new film, every day, all day long. And my friends, it is not easy to plan. Scheduling the VIFF takes work, and I have created a fool-proof way of planning an entire film festival in under a day or so. This will sound difficult by explanation, but I feel if you give this process (a pictured example posted at right) a try it will give you the most options for your festival.

1. First things first, open up Microsoft Word, Notepad or a writing program that allows you to copy and paste. Now open up viff.org and go to the films page.

2. Go through the entire VIFF catalog and select the films that you want to see. Read about the films and mark off as many as possible and don't be afraid to pick one that you are even slightly interested in. Copy or type these titles into your Word document. If pasting on Word, make sure that when you paste, you hit the "Keep Text Only" option to avoid mis-formatting the document. It prints out easier this way.

3. Once you have selected all of the films that you want to see, open up another word document and copy/paste your selections over to this document. Now you want to open up the respective films pages for each entry and cut/paste over two things: the main information (running time, country, director) as well as the venue information. You'll notice in the example that I copy/paste both of these directly from the page and then paste "keep text only" to

4. Once you have finished this (and trust me, it will take a while), open up a third Word document. This one will be entitled "All VIFF Wants By Day". What you want to do first is write out each festival day (Thursday, September 28th right through to Friday, October 13th). Next, go to every selection, one at a time, and cut and paste it into the respective days. (ex. Away From Her has three scheduled shows, so you want to put an entry into Sep. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2) Next, to make your day-by-day look a bit cleaner, reduce the size of the showtimes that are on the different days (ex. for the September 30th screenings of Away From Her, reduce the Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, and vice versa on the Oct. 1 screenings). This way, when you start slotting in your titles, you will know the alternate showtimes which will help you plan your day.

5. Next, open up yet another Word document and title it "VIFF 2006 Day by Day Schedule". This is the fun part: you will now slot your titles into each day and line everything up for your daily screenings. Again, copy over from the respective days and make sure to leave the alternate showtime listed on every entry in a smaller font size in case of a cancellation, you are sold out of a show, or wish to reschedule for whatever reason.

6. Print out a copy of your day by day schedule, your all VIFF Wants by day and be ready to cross out, add films and reschedule everything like mad. It's all part of the fun!

That's it! Again, this sounds difficult when I explain it, but the sorting from one document to the next WILL be very helpful in keeping as many daily screenings as possible.

Tip:

- Always keep a notepad or scrap paper handy to write down important information. This is essential to help you keep your scheduling on track.
- The Granville 7 is what I like to refer to as Ground Zero, which is THE place to be for festival screenings. Make this cinema your first option for scheduling shows as it is easy to move around from one show to the next.
- Screen #7 at Granville is the largest screen, holding 664 seats. It has a great wide-screen, THX certification and Dolby Digital sound. Whenever possible, book your screenings in this theatre as it will be easier to get tickets for these shows.
- As much as I love the Ridge, it is a chore to commute out to and you may not be able to get back in time for an evening show if you head out there. It is best to plan a screening there if it is the last one, or you plan to see both evening shows in a row. The Cinematheque and

An upcoming blog post will focus on what you need to know about every venue at VIFF.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to scheduling!

Jason
efilmcritic.com

VIFF Group Pre-Fest Gettogether

2006-09-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit shy about going public with this, as it has been email only, but I'd like to open this to a few more people in the hopes of expanding the VIFF Group to include more film festival fans, to meet and greet prior to seeing five movies a day. (Well, at least that's what I'm doing. heh)

What is the VIFF Group? It's a small but dedicated group of film-lovers that have all come together because of the annual Vancouver International Film Festival. Beginning as a grassroots efforts by my partners Lucia Santiago Dantes and Sebastian Balon, our purpose is simple: meet, hang out, discuss film and establish relationships that will extend into the festival experience and future ones.

In October 2005, the VIFF Group had its first successful get-together after the festival in the VIFF Group's official hangout, Kingston's. In early June, there was a mini-VIFF Group hangout (picture above) that led to meeting some new and exciting people involved with the fest. This year, the VIFF Group will have three meetings, one prior to the festival, one around the middle (this is just announced since my father will be attending the festival for a weekend) and one on the final day of screenings.

And thanks to Laine Slater of the Vancouver International Film Centre, I am proud to be hosting the VIFF Group Pre-Fest Get-Together which includes a FREE (yes, FREE! Did those all caps excite you or what?) movie followed by a reception drink at our beloved Kingstons. Here's the information you need to know:

VIFF GROUP PRE-FEST GET-TOGETHER:

When: Monday, September 25th

Where: All meet at the Vancity Theatre around roughly 6:30pm

Film: Free screening of Tony Takatani (VIFF '04, Gary Tooze review) at VIFC at 7pm

After: Post-Screening drinks at Kingstons' (757 Richards, near Richards and W. Georgia)...arrive time around 8:45-9pm

RSVP for screening to jasonwhyte@efilmcritic.com by Friday, September 15th. I am strongly enforcing this since I have to reserve the number of tickets prior to the event. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Hope to see you there,

Jason
efilmcritic.com

Short Ends: Schedule Goes up today, Borat breakdown in Toronto, Go Lucia, etc

2006-09-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the lack of updates on my end. I've been doing some pre-fest work which has taken up a ridiculous amount of time. I'm hoping to be able to fire some more time into updating the blog soon.

- The full VIFF schedule goes up today at noon (pacific), so start making your schedules. Pay particular attention to your venues and running times and you should have yourself one heck of a schedule. On Sunday I'll create a wacky post about how I like to schedule my films with (hopefully) some visual examples. I hope to show you just how bizarre of a VIFF nut I am.

- I haven't been following the Toronto Film Festival coverage as much as I should (I find it too busy of a festival anyway), this story about the Borat screening and the failed projector makes me hope we don't have a similar occurance in Vancouver. The only thing that annoyed me was how Borat, in character, said he wanted to kill the projectionist. "Yeah, because it's the projectionist's fault", I say as I roll my eyes.

- Thanks to my ridiculously cool partner Lucia Santiago Dantes for posting a few pictures of the press conference earlier this week (look down! I'm too lazy to hyperlink!). I'm hoping to be able to post many more VIFF photos as well as open up a gallery closer to festival time. I just purchased a spankin' new digital camera, so I have to put the baby to use!

- More press releases about the film festival: The full Dragons and Tigers lineup along with the Full Canadian Images lineup.

The VIFF master list of films has also been updated.

Jason
efilmcritic.com

The Preview Guide. The Fountain. VIFF is officially the coolest fest ever.

2006-09-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

At your right, you are looking at a poster for my most anticipated film of 2006, The Fountain. Darren Aronofsky's long-awaited follow-up to Requiem For A Dream is getting some screen time at VIFF this year. Originally slated to open on 10/14, the film's US release is now 11/22, probably to give those pesky Oscar voters less of an excuse to hurl every award it can on this sure to be legendary film.

In case you haven't watched it yet, get a kick out of the Quicktime Trailer...better yet, watch it in high-definition.

Shortbus, Color Me Kubrick, Don't Tell, The Host, Requiem, Climates...you know what? Don't listen to me name-drop the VIFF films...go download the preview guide and drool, you film festival junkie.

Go on!

Jason
efilmcritic.com

What would be a VIFF without some documentaries?

2006-08-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

This year, the Vancouver International Film Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary of presenting the very best in Canadian and international nonfiction features. Representing almost a quarter of the more than 300 features and shorts from fifty different countries, the documentary forms a cornerstone of the VIFF programming. The Nonfiction Features series has built a worldwide reputation for the festival's ability to draw large audiences eager to engage with some of the most critical issues of our time through the window of cinema. This year's collection of documentaries again steers clear of ideological didacticism in favour of films that are passionate, engaged, occasionally furious, often funny, but always deeply human. “This is a particularly exciting and inspirational year for nonfiction cinema,” said Festival Director Alan Franey. “Many of the featured films are forward-looking and able to open our eyes to the world and to the key issues on the horizon. They offer nuanced perspectives and insights that are so welcome and necessary in a world increasingly prey to simplistic answers to complex questions.

Read the full press release HERE

I don't know about you, but the new Pixies documentary and the odd-sounding "Loop" sound right up my alley.

I'm also not sure if this press release lists every docu, as I recently heard about an amazing documentary called "The Bridge" (Variety review) which details all of the suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge in 2004. There have been several documentaries about the San Fran experience at VIFF at at the Vancity Theatre, and I think it would be a welcome addition to the VIFF roster this year.

Jason
efilmcritic.com

Speed dating, classes that are cool, schmooze...Trade Forum, baby!

2006-08-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

While I don't cover this event during the VIFF (I'm too busy seeing movies!), the annual trade forum runs for four days during the festival and gives the experience filmmaker a chance to connect with top players in the biz. This year, if you want to meet the guy who currently writes for The Simpsons, talk to one of the producers of Desperate Housewives or talk shop with the director of the excellent docu Touching The Void, this is the place to do it. From the press release:

"The VIFF's Film & Television Forum, western Canada's premier event dedicated to the art and business of filmmaking, launches its 21st year with a focus on content. The four-day professional development event takes place September 27- 30, 2006 and features master classes, seminars, workshops, tête-à-tête sessions and industry networking events with inspiring speakers from international award-winning productions."

Read the full press release HERE.

VIFF 2006 Master List of Films

2006-08-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

VIFF Master List of Films for 2006- To be updated as new films become announced. Updated: September 9th, 2006

12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST (Romania)
13 AND HALF (Canada)
1ST BITE (Canada)

ABSOLUTE WILSON (United States/Germany)
ACTS OF IMAGINATION (Canada)
AFTER THE WEDDING (Denmark)
ALMOST HEAVEN (Canada/Scotland)
ALTERNATIVE ANIME: CROSSING BORDERS (Japan/South Korea)
AMERICAN ZEITGEIST: CRISIS AND CONSCIENCE IN AN AGE OF TERROR (United States)
AND THEREAFTER II (United States/South Korea)
ANTONIO VIVALDI: A PRINCE IN VENICE (France/Italy)
AWAY FROM HER (Canada)

BEAUTY IN TROUBLE (Czech Republic)
THE BET COLLECTOR (Phillipines)
BETELNUT (China)
BETWEEN THE LINES: INDIA'S THIRD GENDER (Germany)
BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A (Japan)
BLESSED BY FIRE (Argentina)
BLOCKADE (Russia)
THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS (Phillipines)
BOREDER POST (Croatia)
THE BOY INSIDE w/ THE ROCK AND ROLL KID (Canada)
BUDDHA'S LOST CHILDREN (Netherlands)

CABIRIA (Italy)
CAIN'S DESCENDANT (Japan)
CANDY (Australia)
THE CASE OF THE GRINNING CAT (France)
CATCH A FIRE (United States/South Africa)
THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI (United States)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS (France)
CHEECH (Canada)
CITIZEN DUANE (Canada)
CLIMATES (Turkey)
CLOSE TO HOME (Isreal)
COLMA: THE MUSICAL (United States)
COLOSSAL YOUTH (Portugal)
COLOR ME KUBRICK (United Kingdom)
COMEBACK SEASON (Canada)
A COMEDY OF POWER (France)
CONGORAMA (Quebec)
LA COUPURE (Canada)
A CRUDE AWAKENING: THE OIL CRASH (Switzerland)

DANS PARIS (France)
DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT (United States)
DELIVREZ-MOI (Quebec)
UN DIMANCHE A KIGALI (Canada)
DO OVER (Taiwan)
DOG DAYS DREAM (Japan)
DONG (China)
DON'T TELL (Italy)

EAST OF PARADISE (France/United States)
THE ELEMENTARY PARTICLES (Germany)
ENCOUNTER POINT (United States/Israel)
END OF AN ELEPHANT (Germany)
THE EPIC OF BLACK GOLD (France)
EXIT: THE RIGHT TO DIE (Switzerland)
EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN (Canada)
EXCELLENT CADAVERS (United States)
EXPIRATION DATE (United States)

FACELESS THINGS (South Korea)
FALKENBERG FAREWELL (Sweden)
FANTASMA (Argentina)
FAMILY LAW (Argentina)
FIDO (Canada)
FLESH (Canada)
FOOT STEPS (India)
THE FOUNTAIN (United States)
FOUR STARS (France)
FOUR WINDOWS (Germany)
FRIDAY OR ANOTHER DAY (France/Belgium)
FROM AFAR (Iran)
FROM FAR AWAY (Germany)

GARPASTUM (Russia)
GEO-LOBOTOMY (South Korea)
THE GREAT BAZAAR (Mozambique)
A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS (United States)

HAMBURG LECTURES (Germany)
HANA (Japan)
HAVE YOU HEARD FROM JOHANNESBURG? (United States)
HEAVEN'S DOORS (Morocco)
HIS BIG WHITE SELF (United Kingdom)
HISTOIRE DE FAMILLE (Quebec)
HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS (Spain)
THE HOST (South Korea)

I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE (Taiwan)
IN-BETWEEN DAYS (United States)
INTO GREAT SILENCE (Germany/Switzerland)
IRAQ FOR SALE: THE WAR PROFITEERS (United States)
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS (United States)

JAPAN'S PEACE CONSTITUTION (United States)
JINDABYNE (Australia)
JOHN & JANE (India)
JONESTOWN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE PEOPLE'S TEMPLE (United States)
THE JUDGE AND THE FANATIC (Germany)

KARMIC MAHJONG (China)
THE KING AND THE CLOWN (South Korea)
KLATSASSIN (Canada)

THE LAST COMMUNIST (Malaysia)
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (United Kingdom)
LAST TO KNOW (Germany)
LENZ (Switzerland/Germany)
A LETTER OF FIRE (Sri Lanka)
LIGHTS IN THE DUSK (Finland)
LILI AND THE BAOBOB (France)
THE LINE OF BEAUTY (United Kingdom)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Germany)
LONGING (Germany)
LOOP (Norway)
THE LOST HUM (Japan)
LOST IN A MOMENT (Isreal)
LOST IN TOKYO (Japan)
LOUDQUIETLOUD: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES (United States)
LOVE AND OTHER DILEMMAS (Canada)
LOVE FOR SHARE (Indonesia)
LUNACY (Czech Republic)

MADE IN USA (Peru)
MAGIC MIRROR (Portugal)
MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES (Canada)
THE MAO YEARS (France) midlength
MAQUILAPOLIS - CITY OF FACTORIES (United States/Mexico)
MEN AT WORK (IRAN)
METHADONIA (United States)
MILAREPA (Bhutan)
THE MIST IN THE PALM TREES (Spain)
MONKEY WARFARE (Canada)
MORE THAN 1000 WORDS (Germany/Isreal)
MOUNT PLEASANT (Canada)
MOZARTBALLS (Canada) midlength
MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT (United Kingdom/United States)
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY (United States)
MY SCARY GIRL (South Korea)
MYSTIC BALL (Canada)
MY STINKING KID (Taiwan)

NAJAC HERE, OVER TO YOU THE EARTH (France)
NEVER AGAIN AS BEFORE (Italy)
THE NET (Germany)
A NEW DAY IN OLD SANA'S (Yemen/United Kingdom)
NO MERCY FOR THE RUDE (South Korea)
NO SWEAT (Germany)
NORMAN MCLAREN RETROSPECTIVE (Canada)
NORTHERN LIGHT (Netherlands)
NO. 2 (New Zealand)

OBABA (Spain/Germany)
OCTOPUSALARM (Austria)
OFFSIDE (Iran)
OLD JOY (United States)
ONCE IN A LIFETIME...(United States/United Kingdom)
OPERA JAWA (Indonesia)
OUR DAILY BREAD (Austria)
OUR OWN PRIVATE BIN LADEN (Canada)
OUT 1: NOLI ME TANGERE (France)
OUR DAILY BREAD (Austria)

PARAGUAYAN HAMMOCK (Paraguay)
PARIS, JE T'AIME (France)
PASSABE (Singapore)
THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA (United Kingdom)
PESYA'S NECKLACE (Isreal)
LE PETIT LIEUTENANT (France)
THE PHOTOGRAPHER, HIS WIFE, HER LOVER (United Kingdom)
THE POST-MODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT (China)

THE QUEEN (United Kingdom)

RADIANT CITY (Canada)
THE RAILROAD ALL-STARS (Spain)
RAIN DOGS (Malaysia)
RAIN IN A DRY LAND (United States)
RAISED TO BE HEROES (Canada) midlength
RAMPAGE (Australia)
RED ROAD (United Kingdom)
RELATIVES (Hungary)
RENAISSANCE (France)
REQUIEM (Germany)
THE RIDDLE (India)
RISING SON: THE LEGEND OF SKATEBOARDER CHRISTIAN HOSOI (United States)
THE ROCK AND ROLL KID (Canada) midlength
THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL? (United Kingdom)
RUN ROBOT RUN (Canada)

SALUD! (U.S.A.) << cancelled - film will not be completed in time (festival preview book)
SERAMBI (Indonesia)
SHADOWS CHOOSE THEIR HORRORS (United States)
SHADOW COMPANY (Canada)
SHORTBUS (United States)
A SHORT TRIP AROUND THE WORLD (USA/various)
SIGNS
SINGLE (Japan) midlength
SLEEPING DOGS (Canada)
SLUMMING (Austria)
THE SMELL OF PARADISE (Netherlands)
A SOAP (Denmark)
SO MUCH, SO FAST (United States)
SON OF MAN (South Africa)
SOUND OF THE SOUL: THE FEZ FESTIVAL OF WORLD SACRED MUSIC (United States)
STILL LIFE (China)
A STONE'S THROW (Canada)
STORIES FROM THE NORTH (Thailand)
SWAY (Japan)
SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY (Thailand)

TACHIGUI: THE AMAZING LIVES OF THE FASTFOOD GRIFTERS (Japan)
TAKING FATHER HOME (China)
TALES OF THE RAT FINK (Canada)
TALK TO HER: DIGITAL SHORTS BY THREE FILMMAKERS (South Korea)
TEN CANOES (Australia)
TERTIUM NOT DATUR (Romania)
THIN (United States)
TIERNEY GEARON: THE MOTHER PROJECT (United States)
'TIS AUTUMN - THE SEARCH FOR JACKIE PARIS (United States)
TODO TODO TEROS (Philippines)
TOKYO LOOP (Japan)
TO PLAY AND TO FIGHT (Venezuela)
THE TRIALS OF DARRYL HUNT (United States)
TWO SONS OF FRANCISCO (Brazil)

UGANDA RISING (Canada)
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Germany)
UNNATURAL & ACCIDENTAL (Canada)
UNREQUITED LOVE (United Kingdom)
THE UNTOUCHABLE (France)

THE VALET (France)
VINICUS (Brazil/Spain)
THE VIOLIN (Mexico)
THE VIRGIN HARVEST (United States)
VITUS (Switzerland)
VOLVER (Spain)
VOYAGE IN G MAJOR (France) midlength

WABAN-AKI: PEOPLE FROM WHERE THE SUN RISES (Canada)
WALKING ON THE WILD SIDE (China/France)
THE WAR SYMPHONIES: SHOSTAKOVICH AGAINST STALIN (Canada)
THE WEDDING DIRECTOR (Italy/France)
WE FEED THE WORLD (Austria)
WHAT IS IT WORTH? (Brazil)
WHEN THE ROAD BENDS (United States)
THE WHITE PLANET (Canada)
WIDE AWAKE (United States)
WINDOWS ON MONDAY (Germany)
WITHERED IN A BLOOMING SEASON (China)
WOMAN ON THE BEACH (South Korea)

THE YACOUBIAN BUILDING (Egypt)
YOKOHAMA MARY (Japan)
YOUNG BLOOD (Argentina)
YOUNG TRIFFIE'S BEEN MADE AWAY WITH (Canada)

A ZEN LIFE -- D.T. SUZUKI (United States)

VIFF finally gets out a press release!; Short Ends

2006-08-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

The 25th Annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will open on September 28 with a screening of Pedro Almodóvar's VOLVER . Festival Director Alan Franey also announced a few of the special events and thematic highlights of this year's festival, which will take place September 28 to October 13 at ten theatres in the Vancouver area, again centred at the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas.

“In our 25th year, rather than reflecting on the past, the VIFF looks to the future with much curiosity and some degree of alarm,” Franey noted. “It seems like just yesterday that our 20th Anniversary festival took a look back at achievements of our first two decades. This season, in keeping with the dawn of year-round programming at the Vancity Theatre and with the forward-looking films that we are most excited to be programming, our emphasis is on where we are going. By where we are going, we mean where the world is going, for it's certain that the most interesting question encouraged by this year's festival selection is ‘what sort of world lies ahead?'”

Read the full press release HERE

(Rather odd that they mentioned the Granville 7 remaining the official Ground Zero for the festival but made no mention of Cinema #7 becoming the new VISA screening room.)

More Short Ends:

- In the same first media release, the VIFF has elected to roll out Mobile VIFF, which will "offer the potential to interact with other users, and allow Festival-goers to make informed decisions on films to attend, give an instant and democratic voice to those who wish to contribute and connect festival attendees in mobile space." An interesting idea, but I prefer the old-fashioned method of everybody disagreeing with everyone in the in-line and post screening hangouts at Ground Zero (Granville 7 area) rather than giving another excuse to turn on your Blackberry inside the cinema.

- Prior to the VIFF, if you feel like getting your Kieslowski freak-on (and I know I do), the Vancity Theatre as well as Pacific Cinematheque are planning to unearth pretty much everything the master has done. (And don't forget Cinematheque's late August Antonioni retrospective.) My goodness, this is going to be one expensive vacation.

- The Toronto Film Fest has put up their schedule, and thusly my head explodes.

- The previously mentioned Keane concert on 10/1 has been cancelled due to one of the band members deciding to go to Rehab. A friend and I were planning to see the show but decided to pull out since Ticketmaster elected to send us balcony seats instead of the orchestra tickets that I paid for. Either way, that's $50 back in my pocket.

- The weather for Vancouver is holding between "sunny" and "mainly sunny" with warm temperatures for the next few weeks. Are we going to have a warm, sunny VIFF this year?

Jason
efilmcritic.com

Short Ends: Volunteering, Wanna Make a Kodak Short?, Concert Intel

2006-08-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

- In case you're still procrastinating about it, you should really think about being a volunteer if you want to see a lot of films, meet industry folk and crazy online journalists such as myself and wear one of those nifty t-shirts. Seriously though, volunteering at the VIFF is a great idea, and for as much as 32 hours of volunteer-ship, you can experience a great deal of fun at the film fest.

-Kodak is having a free "Make your own 16mm film" program at the Scotia Bank Dance Centre where you get to gab with cinematographers (16mm/indie god Ellen Kuras -- pictured at left -- please come back to Vancouver!!), learn the basic how-to of film equipment and recieve your own work on a DVD. Sign up if you dare.

-Concerts of interest around festival time: Final Fantasy at the SUB at UBC on 9/19; Amy Millian (without Stars) at Richards on Richards on 9/20; Andrew Bird and Man Man at The Media Club on 9/29 and 9/30, respectively; Keane at the Orpheum on 10/1; TV On The Radio at the Commodore on 10/3; You Say Party! We Say Die! at Richards on Richards on 10/7 and Sufjan Stevens at St. Andrews Wesley Church on 10/14.

(Click on the first link to take you to a page with even more links for the respective artists, venues and ticket info; done to save a ridiculous amount of hyperlinking.)

Jason
efilmcritic.com

What's going on with the VIFF...

2006-08-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

I'm a bit behind the blog game as I was last year (and no doubt I'm due to fall behind once the festival starts) but I am now getting into the full festival swing as news is starting to begin for the Vancouver International Film Festival's 25th year. The festival has turned a quarter-century and has went through many progressive changes, and there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a festival for the books.

Combining the best of foreign, independent, short and mid-length, along with participation of the filmmakers and with some of the best audiences you can ever find in a film setting, the VIFF is one of the best film festivals in the world, if not THE best. (Well, that's my opinion anyway!) Venue-wise, there is one major change this year. We will once again have the Ridge (now under Leonard Schein's Festival Cinemas chain), the Pacific Cinematheque and the new Vancity Theatre, as well as the Empire Granville 7 Cinemas, which will now have the VISA Screening Room in its enormous #7 cinema, replacing the closed-from-movies-Vogue from last year. I did not get word if the Paramount 9-plex will be joining the game, but I doubt it as they would probably want to get more first-run dibs while the Granville runs the festival.

While no films have been announced yet, the VIFF media folk will be starting to issue media releases in the coming few weeks, leading up to the media conference on September 6th. Until then, sit back and watch this blog for updates.

Jason
efilmcritic.com

2006-02-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

Typically, I am setting this up way too early, but here I go with the Vancouver Film Festival '06 blog!

What's different about the blog this year is that you will be hearing from not only myself, but other people in the VIFF clan, such as festivalgoers, volunteers, media. I want to set up the blog as a team effort so you can hear from various perspectives on the festival.

If you would like to become a team member for this blog, send me an email to jasonwhyte@efilmcritic.com. Tell me about yourself, how you are involved in the festival and what you would like to contribute to the VIFF blog.

This year's festival runs from Thursday, September 28th to October 13th, 2006. Keep an eye on viff.org for updates throughout the year.

Regards,

Jason
efilmcritic.com