Lust, Caution heads to Toronto International Film Festival

[summertime]

Latest TIFF Press Release

International Voices Centre Stage At This Year's Festival


8/15/2007

Toronto - Since its inception, the Toronto International Film Festival has been committed to bringing audiences the best cinema from around the world. With 73 titles announced today, the Festival furthers its role as a significant platform for international filmmakers, offering TIFF audiences a panorama of artistic and cultural viewpoints to choose from. These titles - many screening for the first time in front of international industry and media delegates - feature some of the powerhouses of the film world.

Today's major announcements include: Gala Presentations of Alexi Tan's BLOOD BROTHERS, and Rituparno Ghosh's THE LAST LEAR; Special Presentations of Julio Medem's CHAOTIC ANA, Jan Schütte's LOVE COMES LATELY, Ang Lee's LUST, CAUTION, Sergei Bodrov's MONGOL, Hans Weingartner's RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN, Milcho Manchevski's SHADOWS, and Cannes Festival favourite CHACUN SON CINÉMA. Masters highlights include Manoel de Oliveira's CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA, Amos Gitai's DÉSENGAGEMENT, Adoor Gopalakrishnan's FOUR WOMEN, Ken Loach's IT'S A FREE WORLD, Hector Babenco's THE PAST, and Buddhadeb Dasgupta's THE VOYEURS. Contemporary World Cinema - dedicated to shining a light on international voices - includes Ventura Pons' BARCELONA (A MAP), Nick Broomfield's BATTLE FOR HADITHA, Sarah Gavron's BRICK LANE, Philippe Faucon's DANS LA VIE, Nobuhiro Yamashita's A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE, Petter Næss' GONE WITH THE WOMAN, Hur Jin-ho's HAPPINESS, Lone Scherfig's JUST LIKE HOME, Auraeus Solito's PHILIPPINE SCIENCE, and Åke Sandgren's TO LOVE SOMEONE. Joining Visions is Cristian Mungiu's Palme d'Or winner 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, and joining previously announced Vanguard titles are BOY A by John Crowley and James Spooner's WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP. The 32nd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 6 - 15, 2007. Ticket Passes and Packages now on sale. Gala tickets and Visa Screening Room tickets on sale August 25. For more information, please visit tiff07.ca or call 416-968-FILM or 1-877-968- FILM.

"Our commitment to promoting international voices has never been stronger," said Noah Cowan, Co-Director for the Toronto International Film Festival. "As seen by this year's titles from around the world, the global industry is thriving and we are proud to have these filmmakers present their work at TIFF, often as world premieres. Not only does this international presence speak to the diversity of the city of Toronto, but in seeing ourselves reflected in films from other countries, we see how the art of filmmaking unites us all."

"The reputation of the Festival has become such that our international delegates come to TIFF because they know that the best in world cinema can be found here," said Giulia Filippelli, Head of the Sales and Industry Office. "This year we are poised to see more business happen around international films than ever before. The city of Toronto is the perfect backdrop to reflect the international scope and vibrant activity we anticipate."



Gala Presentations


BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong
Shanghai in the 1930s was a city at its prime - no other place in the world could match its glamour, excitement, sensuality, and potential. Kang (Liu Ye), Fung (Daniel Wu) and Xiao Hu (Tony Yang), three innocent young men, have arrived in this "paradise" in search of a better future, finding instead that life is cheap and violence omnipresent. As time goes by, and in a multitude of ways, each is forced into a life of crime. Kang, the most ambitious of the three, falls victim to his quest for power. Fung, previously content with his simple village life, is thrust into a world of violence where he sees his heroic side emerge. Xiao Hu, the most innocent, blindly admires and follows his brother Kang, even as this new world pulls him down. Unable to cope with his fears and weaknesses, Xiao Hu must choose between the two people closest to him. Against this backdrop of decadence, life takes a difficult turn when a forbidden love affair is exposed and everyone is forced to make hard choices. The feature directorial debut from filmmaker Alexi Tan, the film also stars Chang Chen, Shu Qi, Sun Honglei and Lulu Li. Produced by John Woo and Terence Chang, BLOOD BROTHERS is a production of Hong Kong's Lion Rock Productions.

THE LAST LEAR Rituparno Ghosh, India
Amitabh Bachchan, one of the world's most worshipped movie stars, takes on his first-ever leading role in English as part of a career spanning over four decades. Veteran theatre actor Harish Mishra (Bachchan) is gravely ill, having slipped into a coma as the result of an accident during a film shoot - his first after years as a headliner on the stage. While his co-star Shabnam (Preity Zinta) is consumed with worry, their director Siddharth (Arjun Rampal) keeps a cold distance, refusing to visit the ailing star. What is it that has brought them all to this tragic point? In a flashback, their story emerges. Wooed out of retirement by the impatient young filmmaker, Harish leaves the perch of his study - where he rages against the modern world - and joins the cast and crew on location for the shoot, where he quickly takes up position as the outsider of the group. Proclaiming the superiority of Shakespeare over anything that cinema can create, Harish holds strong to his belief that theatre trumps film on any given day. From the master of Bengali cinema Rituparno Ghosh, the film also stars Shefali Shah and Jisshu Sengupta. Produced by Arindam Chaudhuri, THE LAST LEAR is a Planman Motion Pictures production.


Special Presentations


ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium
England, 1905. Angel Deverell is a gifted young writer who dreams of success, fame and love. But what will happen if all her dreams come true? From acclaimed filmmaker François Ozon, ANGEL stars Romola Garai, Lucy Russel, Michael Fassbender, Sam Neill and Charlotte Rampling.

CHACUN SON CINÉMA Various, France
The Toronto International Film Festival is honoured to be showing this Cannes Film Festival favourite. More than 30 of the most distinguished contemporary filmmakers - including Canadians David Cronenberg and Atom Egoyan as well as David Lynch, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Roman Polanski, Gus Van Sant, Lars von Trier, and Wong Kar Wai - celebrate the 60th anniversary of Cannes with short films inspired by the cinephile's place of worship: the movie theatre.

CHAOTIC ANA Julio Medem, Spain
Ana's existence seems to be a continuation of the lives of other young women, all of whom died tragically at the age of 22. Doomed to a chaotic fate, Ana must co-exist with these young women as they continue to live on in the abyss of her unconscious memory. From filmmaker Julio Medem (SEX AND LUCIA), the film stars Manuela Vellés, Bebe, Charlotte Rampling, Asier Newman and Nicolas Cazalé.

LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA
Though approaching his 80s, Max shows no signs of slowing down. He pursues his love life - both real and imagined - with youthful vigour, thereby risking his relationship to Reisel, the woman he loves but neglects. Based on the stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer, LOVE COMES LATELY is a film about real and imagined longings, the never ending dream of love, and the power of fiction. Starring Otto Tausig, Rhea Perlman, Tovah Feldshuh and Barbara Hershey.

LUST, CAUTION Ang Lee, Taiwan
Following his Academy Award™ win for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, Ang Lee returns with an erotic espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai, in which a young woman (Tang Wei) gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure (Tony Leung, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE). Also starring Chui Wai, Joan Chen and Wang Leehom.

MAD DETECTIVE Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Hong Kong
A missing police pistol is connected to a series of recent heists and murders. Its owner, Wong, vanished while pursuing suspects in the mountains, yet his partner, Chi-Wai, miraculously returned unharmed. Hotshot inspector Ho (Andy On) is in charge of the investigation, but Ho knows his only chance of cracking the case lies in enlisting the help of Bun (Lau Ching Wan), the reclusive yet gifted mad detective.

MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia
Commanding and celebrated Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano stars as the historic icon Genghis Khan. Directed by Sergei Bodrov (PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS, THE NOMAD), MONGOL is the epic story of a young Khan and how events in his early life lead him to become the legendary conqueror and father of Mongolia.

PERSEPOLIS Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, France
Based on the graphic novels by co-director Marjane Satrapi, this animated film - winner of the Cannes Jury Prize for 2007 - tells of a young girl coming of age in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and features the vocal talents of Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni.

RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria
In the latest feature from acclaimed filmmaker Hans Weingartner (THE EDUKATORS), TV producer Rainer (Moritz Bleibtreu) is always high on cocaine and, as a result, develops shows of the most stupid and vulgar nature, exploiting anyone and anything for the sake of ratings. After being forced to realize the errors of his ways, Rainer decides to change his life, embarking on a guerrilla campaign against the entertainment industry.

SHADOWS Milcho Manchevski, Republic of Macedonia
Although hospital physician Lucky seems to have it all - a beautiful wife, lovely child, good job - he is always struggling to live up to the expectations of others while living in the shadow of his hotshot physician mother. But after he is involved in a car crash and mysteriously saved from certain death, Lucky's life dramatically begins to change.

THE SUN ALSO RISES Jiang Wen, China
Shot in the terraced hills of China's Yunnan province and the sweeping plains of the Gobi Desert, the film juggles several timelines, offering insight into the mysterious forces that make people cross paths and, without realizing it, shape each other's destinies. Director Jiang Wen (DEVILS ON THE DOORSTEP) stars alongside Joan Chen, Anthony Wong and Jaycee Chan.


Masters


LES AMOURS D'ASTRÉE ET DE CÉLADON Eric Rohmer, France
A shepherd named Céladon (Andy Gillet) journeys through crazed love and despair via idyllic glades, craggy hills, nymphs and delicious temptation for his beloved Astrée (Stéphanie Crayencour) in this first film adaptation of Honoré d'Urfé's baroque love story L'Astrée.

BEYOND THE YEARS Im Kwon-taek, South Korea
A former pansori drummer rediscovers both his abandoned past and step-sibling. Together or separate, they part and reunite, unable to sever the invisible tie of their unspoken true love for each other. BEYOND THE YEARS, the 100th film in director Im Kwon-taek's highly prolific career, features the music of pianist Kunihiko Ryo.

CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France
Nour is the only person who stands up to Hatem, a brash and loathsome police officer who rules his Cairo neighborhood with an iron fist. But when he finds out that Nour is secretly in love with a deputy public prosecutor, Hatem turns envious and Nour's life becomes a nightmare.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal
After more than sixty years and multiple trips between Portugal and America, a researcher named Manuel Luciano is about to discover the true identity of Christopher Columbus and unveil the mystery of the world famous explorer. The film is inspired by the book Christopher Columbus was Portuguese by Manuel Luciano da Silva and Silvia Jorge de Silva.

DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy
After Ana (Juliette Binoche) is reunited with her estranged Israeli stepbrother Uli (Liron Levo), she decides to return to Israel to look for the daughter she gave up at birth. Uli and Ana become tangled in the turmoil and emotion of military-enforced disengagement of Israeli settlers from Gaza in 2005.

FADOS Carlos Saura, Spain
Filmmaker Carlos Saura (TANGO) offers a fascinating trip through the history of fado, one of the oldest forms of urban folk music in the world, tracing its evolution from its very roots to its place in contemporary culture. Featuring performances by Mariza, Carlos do Carmo and other fado legends.

LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany
Gabrielle (Ludivine Sagnier) makes a perverse choice between two attractive men - the older, married famous author Charles (François Berléand), and the young, suave and distinguished Paul (Benoît Magimel) - in this superbly caustic, droll, touching and scatological film whose title perfectly describes her - a woman cut in two.

FOUR WOMEN Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India
The lives of a prostitute, a virgin, a housewife and a spinster form stories from four different stratums of society. Starring: Nandita Das, Geetu Mohandas, Padmapriya and Manju Pillai.

GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER! Takeshi Kitano, Japan
Playing himself in the film as a celebrated director, Takeshi Kitano (ZATÔICHI, TAKESHIS') sets out on a quest to produce a boxoffice hit after publicly announcing his departure from gangster films. After failing to secure financing for his next genre projects, he decides to tell the story of a swindling mother (Kayoko Kishimoto) and her gold-digging daughter (Anne Suzuki) who set their eyes on an honest man, which unpredictably leads to the endangerment of the planet.

IT'S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain
Director Ken Loach (THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY) delivers a sharp and incisive story centred around brash Angie (Kierston Wareing), whose newly opened recruiting agency business explodes when personal ambition rubs up against social ethics.

THE PAST Hector Babenco, Argentina/Brazil THE PAST follows the twists and turns in the life of Rimini (Gael García Bernal, DÉFICIT). After his divorce, he survives a string of relationships, loses his livelihood as a translator, becomes entangled in a child custody battle, lands in jail and recovers his ability to fall in love.

THE VOYEURS Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India
Yasin (Amitav Bhattacharya) moves to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and lives with Dilip (Prosenjit Chatterjee), who installs surveillance cameras for a living. Dilip pursues a tentative romance with Rekha (Sameera Reddy), a beautiful young dancer who moves in next door, after planting a spy camera above her mirror so that he and Yasin can watch her.


Contemporary World Cinema


AVANT QUE J'OUBLIE Jacques Nolot, France
In the final film of Jacques Nolot's trilogy on aspects of gay life, 58-year-old Pierre (Nolot), who is HIV-positive, finds himself increasingly unable to cope with loneliness and the outside world.

THE BAND'S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France
A small Egyptian police band is left stranded at the airport in a desolate Israeli town.

BARCELONA (A MAP) Ventura Pons, Spain
Incest, homosexuality and adultery are intertwined in the lives of six characters who come together in an old apartment in the heart of Barcelona.

BATTLE FOR HADITHA Nick Broomfield, UK
Iraqi insurgents bomb a convoy of U.S. Marines, resulting in the death of their most popular officer. Enraged by this loss, the young Marines carry out a brutal retaliation.

BRICK LANE Sarah Gavron, UK
Set against a background of escalating racial tension, Gavron's debut feature sees Nazneen leave her Bangladeshi village for London's East End after an arranged marriage to an older man. Despite feeling homesick and unhappy, Nazneen tries to make the best of her current situation. But ignoring her discontentment proves problematic as a hot-headed local man bursts into her life.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) Cristian Nemescu, Romania
The first and final feature from late filmmaker Cristian Nemescu focuses on a small Romanian village during the war in Kosovo, where the local railway chief - moonlighting as a gangster - seeks to gain from the stopping of a NATO train carrying military equipment.

CHOP SHOP Ramin Bahrani, USA
In a chaotic world of adults, young street orphan Alejandro struggles to make a better life for himself and his 16-year-old sister.

THE COUNTERFEITERS Stefan Ruzowitzky, Austria/Germany
Berlin, 1936. King of counterfeiters, Sorowitsch gets all the money he needs by printing it himself. But when someone blows the whistle on him, he finds himself in a concentration camp, forced to produce fake foreign currency in hopes of saving his own life.

DANS LA VIE Philippe Faucon, France
Esther, an elderly Jewish woman with a sturdy ill-temper, runs through nursing assistants like nobody's business. But when Sélima, a Muslim woman, comes on board as a possible candidate, the two form a strong and intimate friendship despite their differences.

DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland
Finally primed to fulfill her dream of going back to school, Elsa is floored when she discovers that her husband, Michele, was fired from his job two months ago. As Elsa faces the situation head on, Michele loses control, challenging their already fragile marriage.

EMPTIES Jan Sverák, Czech Republic
This film is the last in a trilogy from Jan Sverák (KOLYA) and his father, screenwriter/actor Zdenek Sverák. Literature teacher Josef (Zdenek Sverák) uncovers the root of his unhappiness when, after retiring against his will, he takes up a part-time job in a supermarket.

L'ENNEMI INTIME Florent Siri, France
Algeria, 1959. After a young, idealistic lieutenant (Benoît Magimel) takes command of an isolated French army outpost, he meets a disillusioned sergeant (Albert Dupontel), with whom he will be tested by the harsh realities of the Algerian War.

ERIK NIETZSCHE THE EARLY YEARS Jacob Thuesen, Denmark
Written by Lars von Trier under the nom-de-plume Erik Nietzsche, this semi-autobiographical film follows an intelligent, inexperienced and shy young man who, convinced that he wants to be a film director, enrols in the Danish National Film School.

FOREVER NEVER ANYWHERE Antonin Svoboda, Austria
After an accident somewhere in the mountains, three men find themselves trapped in their car. Injured, wedged and without any possible escape in sight, they await their rescue. But the sound of sirens may not bring quite the relief they had hoped for.

GARAGE Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland
Josie has spent all his adult life as the caretaker of a crumbling petrol station on the outskirts of an Irish small town. GARAGE is the story of Josie's hapless search for intimacy over the course of a summer which sees his life changed forever.

A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan
Soyo is one of six students in a combined primary and junior high school - the only student in the second year of junior high. When hip transfer student Osawa arrives at the school from Tokyo, a love slowly begins to blossom between Soyo and this new big-city boy.

GONE WITH THE WOMAN Petter Næss, Norway
The latest work by filmmaker Petter Næss (ELLING). Without fully grasping how it comes about, He, a man who does not even have a name, finds his life invaded by a woman. Struggling to tackle the situation, He passes from falling in love to being left behind. But just as He starts to forget her, she abruptly returns.

HAPPINESS Hur Jin-ho, South Korea
A stint in a country hospital finds city boy Young-su living on a farmhouse with a female patient. But when his friends show up for a visit, Young-su begins to wonder if he should abandon his rural surroundings and reclaim his urban lifestyle.

JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany
An elderly man is found murdered in his basement flat. When the inspector on the case finds a photo of a young girl's grave, he reopens a very old case, following a trail of unusual forensic evidence to uncover secrets knit into the bloodline of the entire country.

JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France
A woman breaks her leg at her own wedding reception and is forced to cancel her honeymoon. Another woman is followed by a strange little girl who has come out of the sea. A portrait of a messy world in which everyone scrapes by as best they can, JELLYFISH is the winner of Cannes' Camera d'Or for 2007.

JUST LIKE HOME Lone Scherfig, Denmark
When the residents of a small Danish town learn that a man was seen running naked through their streets, depression spreads like wildfire. Convinced that all of Danish society is collapsing around them, they launch a telephone hotline to help combat the situation.

KING OF CALIFORNIA Mike Cahill, USA
A father (Michael Douglas) fresh out of a mental institution, alongside his emancipated teenage daughter (Evan Rachel Wood, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), heads out on a quest to uncover an ancient Spanish treasure buried beneath the local Costco.

KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK
In the mid-1970s, six young men left their homes in the West of Ireland and sailed across the sea to England. Thirty years later, the death of one reunites the group, forcing them to face up to the alienation they feel as a result of having no real place to call home.

MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France
Fifteen years of Italian history pass by amidst the small-town adventures of Accio (Elio Germano) and Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio), two passionate brothers in a constant battle over politics and the same woman throughout the 60s and 70s.

NEW YORK CITY SERENADE Frank Whaley, USA
From actor-filmmaker Frank Whaley comes the comedic story - set in the mid-90s - of two friends and the series of events that lead to their final farewell. When aspiring filmmaker Owen is invited to a two-bit film festival, he brings along his childhood friend Ray, a drummer in a rock and roll band. Starring Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Chris Klein.

ON THE WINGS OF DREAMS Golam Rabbany Biplob, Bangladesh
After Fazlu returns home from a day of canvassing in the village market, his wife finds some foreign currency notes in a pair of trousers Fazlu picked up for their son. Thinking these notes to be of great value yet unsure of what to do with them, Fazlu, increasingly allured by greed and high ambitions, sets off with his childhood friend Siraj in hopes of making a profitable exchange.

L'ORA DI PUNTA Vincenzo Marra, Italy
Vincenzo Marra (VENTO DI TERRA, THE SESSION IS OPEN) returns to the Festival with a film about Fillipo, a young man whose new job as a civil servant sees him confidently navigating the shoals of Roman society, rubbing elbows with the high-and-mighty.

PHILIPPINE SCIENCE Auraeus Solito, Philippines
Eight Philippine Science High School students come of age during the politically volatile 80s, a time filled with excitement and fraught with anxiety.

THE POPE'S TOILET Enrique Fernandes and César Charlone, Uruguay
In 1988, the people of Melo are bustling with the news that Pope John Paul II plans to visit their small town, with tens of thousands of visitors expected to follow in his wake. While many make plans to profit off the event, petty smuggler Beto is certain he's found the best business idea of all, a place where the multitude of pilgrims can find relief: "The Pope's Toilet."

RUN, FAT BOY, RUN David Schwimmer, UK
After Dennis (Simon Pegg) discovers that his ex-fiancée has hooked up with high-flying go-getter Whit (Hank Azaria), he enters a marathon in hopes of winning her back, quickly discovering just how much sweat, strain and tears it takes to train for the run. The first feature by actor David Schwimmer, RUN, FAT BOY, RUN is written by Michael Ian Black (THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY).

THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France
While attending a Jewish seminary for women in the ancient town of Safed - the birthplace of Kabbalah - two devout religious girls find themselves in the midst of an evolving rebellion against the suffocating patriarchy.

SLINGSHOT Brillante Mendoza, Philippines
An intimate glimpse into the lives of small time crooks in Manila during a simultaneous election period and Holy Week.

SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK
In this inventive valentine to the 1980s, Will has his mind and world blown wide open when schoolmate Carter (Will Poulter) exposes him to the Rambo film FIRST BLOOD. The budding filmmaking duo grows popular at school but the arrival of a French exchange student pushes their unique friendship and precious film to the breaking point.

STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING Andrew Wagner, USA
An ambitious graduate student convinces a writer that her thesis can resurrect his career. Starring Frank Langelia, Lili Taylor and Lauren Ambrose, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING is based on the novel by Brian Morton.

TO LOVE SOMEONE Åke Sandgren, Sweden
Alf, a fish dealer with his own shop, lives happily with his partner Lena. But their relationship is put to the test when Lena's exhusband suddenly reappears.

THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary
Amidst clashes of wealth and corruption in modern day Belgrade, Mladen struggles to pay for his son's life-saving heart operation. When a man offers to cover the cost in full, Mladen discovers that, in return, he must kill the man's business rival.

UNFINISHED SKY Peter Duncan, Australia
When Tahmeena, an illegal refugee, stumbles onto John's isolated farm, he has no choice but to take her in. As they begin to grow closer despite language barriers, a group of men show up in hopes of taking Tahmeena away for good.

UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE Catherine Breillat, France
A future wedding is on everyone's lips. The young and dissolute Ryno de Marigny is betrothed to marry Hermangarde, a virtuous gem of the French aristocracy. But those who wish to prevent the union, despite the young couples' mutual love, whisper that the young man will never break off his passionate love affair with Vellini (Asia Argento, THE MOTHER OF TEARS), which has been going on for years.

UNFINISHED STORIES Pourya Azarbayjani, Iran
Having nowhere else to go, three different women are forced to roam the streets of Tehran after being abandoned by the men in their lives.

WOLFSBERGEN Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands
At the age of 83, Konraad informs his relatives that he wants to die. While his only child, Maria, refuses to address the issue, her husband Ernst takes it upon himself to help Konraad fulfill his dying wish.


Visions


4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS Cristian Mungiu, Romania
Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, this is the first film in the series Tales from the Golden Age - a subjective history of communism in Romania told through its urban legends - and sees two university roommates in a desperate situation after one becomes pregnant and decides to seek out an illegal abortion.

L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium
Committed to a psychiatric clinic after three suicide attempts, Danielle (Isabelle Huppert) views her daughter as a hostile and intrusive enemy. However, through an analyst's probing, Danielle finally voices the reality of her isolated childhood and the reason behind her self-loathing and hatred of motherhood.


Vanguard


BOY A John Crowley, UK
Jack (Andrew Garfield) has spent most of his young life in juvenile institutions for the murder of another child. He is released into the world, with only his care worker (Peter Mullan) to guide him. Jack is given a new name, a new job, a new home and a new life. But anonymity is both a blessing and a curse as Jack has to contend with keeping his past and the monstrous crime he committed as a minor, from the people he meets.

THE EXODUS Pang Ho-cheung, Hong Kong
Beat cop Jim (Simon Yam) uncovers a secret worldwide network of women conspiring to exterminate men. His investigation is soon thwarted with the organization's infiltration into the police force and soon Jim can no longer trust anyone, including his family.

MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA
Harmony Korine (GUMMO) returns with a story about a lonely Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) in Paris who falls for a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Samantha Morton, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE) and moves to a commune of impersonators. Meanwhile, in parallel, a miracle happens in a Latin American jungle.

SAD VACATION Aoyama Shinji, Japan
One night, a driver named Kenji (Tadanobu Asano, MONGOL), recognizes one of his passengers as his own mother who abandoned him as an adolescent. As seductively charming as she is loving, Kenji surrenders to dark undercurrents of feeling provoked by inexorable family ties and is forced to face both his past and his future.

SMILEY FACE Gregg Araki, USA
Jane F (Anna Faris), unsuccessful slacker actress, is having a bad day. Her misadventures begin when she treats herself to a batch of cupcakes left unattended by her psycho roommate (Danny Masterson) that prove not as innocent as they appear. Soon she is trying to cross town so she can repay an unforgiving drug dealer (Adam Brody), attend an audition, and somehow replace the precious cupcakes.

WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP James Spooner, USA
This is the first fiction film from the director of the landmark documentary AFRO-PUNK. A successful young black promoter (Ayindé Howell) is fully entrenched in the New York indie-rock world scene. He begins to find that his chosen community, the white rock world, only seems to run smoothly for white rockers. A series of events force him to recognize that his friends exoticize him and are in denial of his blackness.


FILMS ANNOUNCED TODAY BY COUNTRY


The following is a list of films announced today, August 15, organized by country. Please note that co-productions are listed under each contributing country. As such, some titles may be listed more than once.

Argentina
THE PAST Hector Babenco, Argentina/Brazil Masters

Australia
UNFINISHED SKY Peter Duncan, Australia Contemporary World Cinema

Austria
LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA Special Presentations
RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria Special Presentations
THE COUNTERFEITERS Stefan Ruzowitzky, Austria/Germany Contemporary World Cinema
FOREVER NEVER ANYWHERE Antonin Svoboda, Austria Contemporary World Cinema

Bangladesh
ON THE WINGS OF DREAMS Golam Rabbany Biplob, Bangladesh Contemporary World Cinema

Belgium
ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium Special Presentations
L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium Visions

Brazil
THE PAST Hector Babenco, Argentina/Brazil Masters

China
BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation
THE SUN ALSO RISES Jiang Wen, China Special Presentations

Czech Republic
EMPTIES Jan Sverák, Czech Republic Contemporary World Cinema

Denmark
ERIK NIETZSCHE THE EARLY YEARS Jacob Thuesen, Denmark Contemporary World Cinema
JUST LIKE HOME Lone Scherfig, Denmark Contemporary World Cinema

Egypt
CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France Masters

France
ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium Special Presentations
CHACUN SON CINÉMA Various, France Special Presentations
PERSEPOLIS Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, France Special Presentations
LES AMOURS D'ASTRÉE ET DE CÉLADON Eric Rohmer, France Masters
CHAOS Youssef Chahine and Youssef Khaled, Egypt/France Masters
DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters
LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany Masters
AVANT QUE J'OUBLIE Jacques Nolot, France Contemporary World Cinema
THE BAND'S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema
DANS LA VIE Philippe Faucon, France Contemporary World Cinema
L'ENNEMI INTIME Florent Siri, France Contemporary World Cinema
JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema
THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema
SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK Contemporary World Cinema
UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE Catherine Breillat, France Contemporary World Cinema
MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Germany
LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA Special Presentations
MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations
RECLAIM YOUR BRAIN Hans Weingartner, Germany/Austria Special Presentations
DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters
LA FILLE COUPÉE EN DEUX Claude Chabrol, France/Germany Masters
IT'S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters
THE COUNTERFEITERS Stefan Ruzowitzky, Austria/Germany Contemporary World Cinema
JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany Contemporary World Cinema
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France Contemporary World Cinema
THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

Hong Kong
BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation
MAD DETECTIVE Johnnie To and Wai Ka Fai, Hong Kong Special Presentations
THE EXODUS Pang Ho-cheung, Hong Kong Vanguard

Hungary
THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

Iceland
JAR CITY Baltasar Kormákur, Iceland/Germany Contemporary World Cinema

India
THE LAST LEAR Rituparno Ghosh, India Gala Presentation
FOUR WOMEN Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India Masters
THE VOYEURS Buddhadeb Dasgupta, India Masters

Iran
UNFINISHED STORIES Pourya Azarbayjani, Iran Contemporary World Cinema

Ireland
GARAGE Lenny Abrahamson, Ireland Contemporary World Cinema
KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK Contemporary World Cinema
MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Israel
DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters
THE BAND'S VISIT Eran Kolirin, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema
JELLYFISH Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema
THE SECRETS Avi Nesher, Israel/France Contemporary World Cinema

Italy
DÉSENGAGEMENT Amos Gitai, Israel/France/Germany/Italy Masters
IT'S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters
DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland Contemporary World Cinema
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD Daniele Luchetti, Italy/France Contemporary World Cinema
L'ORA DI PUNTA Vincenzo Marra, Italy Contemporary World Cinema
L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium Visions

Japan
GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER! Takeshi Kitano, Japan Masters
A GENTLE BREEZE IN THE VILLAGE Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan Contemporary World Cinema
SAD VACATION Aoyama Shinji, Japan Vanguard

Kazakhstan
MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Luxembourg
L'AMOUR CACHÉ Alessandro Capone, Italy/Luxembourg/Belgium Visions

Republic of Macedonia
SHADOWS Milcho Manchevski, Republic of Macedonia Special Presentations

Mongolia
MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Netherlands
WOLFSBERGEN Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands Contemporary World Cinema

Norway
GONE WITH THE WOMAN Petter Næss, Norway Contemporary World Cinema

Philippines
PHILIPPINE SCIENCE Auraeus Solito, Philippines Contemporary World Cinema
SLINGSHOT Brillante Mendoza, Philippines Contemporary World Cinema

Portugal
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, THE ENIGMA Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal Masters

Romania
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' (ENDLESS) Cristian Nemescu, Romania Contemporary World Cinema
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS Cristian Mungiu, Romania Visions

Russia
MONGOL Sergei Bodrov, Germany/Kazakhstan/Mongolia/Russia Special Presentations

Serbia
THE TRAP Srdan Golubovic, Serbia/Germany/Hungary Contemporary World Cinema

South Korea
BEYOND THE YEARS Im Kwon-taek, South Korea Masters
HAPPINESS Hur Jin-ho, South Korea Contemporary World Cinema

Spain
FADOS Carlos Saura, Spain Masters
IT'S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters
CHAOTIC ANA Julio Medem, Spain Special Presentations
BARCELONA (A MAP) Ventura Pons, Spain Contemporary World Cinema

Sweden
TO LOVE SOMEONE Åke Sandgren, Sweden Contemporary World Cinema

Switzerland
DAYS AND CLOUDS Silvio Soldini, Italy/Switzerland Contemporary World Cinema

Taiwan
BLOOD BROTHERS Alexi Tan, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong Gala Presentation
LUST, CAUTION Ang Lee, Taiwan Special Presentations

United Kingdom
ANGEL François Ozon, France/UK/Belgium Special Presentations
IT'S A FREE WORLD… Ken Loach, UK/Italy/Germany/Spain Masters
BATTLE FOR HADITHA Nick Broomfield, UK Contemporary World Cinema
BRICK LANE Sarah Gavron, UK Contemporary World Cinema
KINGS Tom Collins, Ireland/UK Contemporary World Cinema
RUN, FAT BOY, RUN David Schwimmer, UK Contemporary World Cinema
SON OF RAMBOW Garth Jennings, France/UK Contemporary World Cinema
BOY A John Crowley, UK Vanguard
MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard

Uruguay
THE POPE'S TOILET Enrique Fernandes and César Charlone, Uruguay Contemporary World Cinema

USA
LOVE COMES LATELY Jan Schütte, Germany/Austria/USA Special Presentations
CHOP SHOP Ramin Bahrani, USA Contemporary World Cinema
KING OF CALIFORNIA Mike Cahill, USA Contemporary World Cinema
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING Andrew Wagner, USA Contemporary World Cinema
NEW YORK CITY SERENADE Frank Whaley, USA Contemporary World Cinema
MISTER LONELY Harmony Korine, UK/France/Ireland/USA Vanguard
SMILEY FACE Gregg Araki, USA Vanguard
WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP James Spooner, USA Vanguard


http://www.tiff07.ca/mediacentre/details.aspx?Id=480

[Kerilyn]

Yes! and WKW's "Chacun son cinéma" too!! I will go, definitely definitely
thanks! I didn't know when the festival was, now I may watch for the tickets to come on sale
_________________

[summertime]

You're welcome Kerilyn

[Marie]

That Julio Medem finally has another film ready for release is exciting. He got into a lot of political trouble in Spain in recent years because of his support of a separate Basque state (though he abhors ETA and terrorist violence). He lost all of his state funding for films he was working on and basically had to quit working for several years. His "Sex and Lucia" is one of the best films to come out of Spain in recent years so I have high hopes for this new one. It looks like Toronto is going to screen a lot of interesting films. Though I wonder why they are still showing a preponderance of films from France and Germany? Artistically, the film industries in those two countries are hardly at the forefront any more. Why aren't there more Asian films? That is where the action seems to be these days. Methinks I see some Eurocentrism at Toronto. What a shame. The program should be based on showing the best films being produced and not on any blind allegiance to where they originate.

Marie

[summertime]

Hi Marie

I had a chance to see "Sex and Lucia" when it played at TIFF.

The complete film list hasn't been released yet, so I would think that there should be more Asian films on offer.

There's normally around 330 films presented at TIFF, and they tend to spread out their announcements.

In the past, TIFF has done country/region spotlights - ie. South Korea, Brazil, Turkey, Iran etc., and also marked the 100th anniversary of Chinese film.

Oh yeah, last year Johnnie To came with Election 1, Election 2 and Exiled. I saw all three. He got a HUGE reception from the audience at the Exiled screening - lots of whooping and cheering. Zhang Ziyi, Jia Zhang-ke, Ann Hui, Lou Ye, amongst others, also came.

[summertime]

Lust, Caution @ TIFF - Friday, Sept 7th @ 9 pm

The Visa Screening Room is the Elgin Theatre.


http://tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/visascreeningroom/


There are normally 2 or 3 public screenings per film.

This list is for the 1st screening.

The full film schedule will be released later.


Lust, Caution still on the TIFF website:

http://tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/visascreeningroom/sept7.aspx

[summertime]

TIFF - Complete Film List

http://tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmsearch.aspx

[summertime]

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Gala and Visa Screening Room Tickets available at 10:00am.

[sparkles_n15]

Any idea if Tony will be around for all the screenings?

Another question regarding TIFF for those who buy advance tickets -

Does the 10 film package include selection for the Visa Screening Room? I thought in the past it did and only the Gala tickets were separate, but how come both Visa and Gala tickets are on sale Saturday?

Thanks!

[summertime]

Hi sparkles_n15


Here's what I found:


Ticket Pass & Package Information

10-Film Package ($154.50)

Formerly known as the 10 Coupon Book

An easy way to sample the Festival with friends

Can be redeemed for tickets to any regular public or VISA Screening Room presentation of your choice

Eligible to participate in Advance Order Procedure (see below)

http://www.tiff07.ca/boxofficeinfo/passesandcoupons/


From past experience, the talent tends to show up at the first screening - but ya never know - schedules are subject to change

[sparkles_n15]

Thanks summertime!

I was just worried that individual tickets would be sold out even before coupon-holders have a chance to redeem their tickets. But the Elgin seats a lot, so there should be tickets! Darn, then we'll have to fight everyone to say hello to Tony!

[summertime]

Hi sparkles_n15,

You're welcome

IIRC, the Elgin seats around 1,500.

Yeah, I can imagine there'll be a bit of a crowd around Tony - heh heh

[qqshao]

why is there no information about his promotion in NY?

I can't wait

[Marie]

Yes, please, as soon as you know something about New York let us know. My weekends in September are filling up with performance requests (I dance flamenco) and I don't want to accept any more until I hear when Tony is going to be in New York. If I'm doing a show in North Carolina while he is in New York, obviously I won't be able to participate in any events.

Marie

[summertime]

2nd showing of Lust Caution @ TIFF


Sunday, Sept 9th @ 9:15 am

Scotiabank Theatre 2