Having matured from its modest beginnings, the Toronto International Film Festival commences its fourth decade as one of the largest and most respected film festivals in the world. Offering its participants a unique combination of glamorous Hollywood ostentation and thoughtful art-house exploration, the TIFF has become truly global in its scope. The 2006 TIFF boasts over 350 films from over 60 countries, including more than 60 directorial debuts, but still maintains its characteristically Canadian mood with its continued support of Canadian cinema.
This year’s eclectic festival line-up launches with Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute before rummaging through idiosyncratic selections such as Sophie Fiennes’ The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema and an absurd mockmentary by Larry Charles and Sacha Baron Cohen entitled Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Additional attractions of the 2006 TIFF include the latest works by international auteurs such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Takashi Miike, Tsai Ming-liang, Jia Zhang-ke, Aki Kaurismäki, Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Werner Herzog, as well as Ken Loach, who arrives with this year’s Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Among this year’s program are a handful of selections designed to arouse fiery discussion, including potentially divisive films from John Cameron Mitchell, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Verhoeven, and Bruno Dumont. Meanwhile Christopher Guest hopes to provide some hilarity with his skewering of Hollywood’s awards-season antics by adding Ricky Gervais to his already reliable comedic troupe. The festival will also lavish a little attention on Canadian filmmakers including, among many others, two entries from Guy Maddin and a retrospective featuring the best of Norman Mclaren.
Beginning September 13th we will present reviews of a number of films from the TIFF, offering a small selection of what cinema has to offer audiences in the coming months. The 31st Toronto International Film Festival will run from September 7th to September 16th, 2006.
Films
| Big Bang Love: Juvenile A | 13 September |
| Brand Upon the Brain! | 20 September |
| Rescue Dawn | 02 October |
| Bobby | 13 October |
| The Fountain | 29 November |
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