Toronto Film Fest 2008 Early Short(er) List

This year the Toronto International Film Festival has cut back on its big splashy Hollywood fare and increased the number of screens for smaller independents from 29 to 36.

This is not to say the festival will be any less red-carpet worthy.

I find an unusually good selection at this year's Midnight Madness - from the Being John Malkovich-esque JCVD wherein the muscles from Brussels plays himself, dealing with being a has-been only to turn into a post-modern action flick, to the similarly half-documentary/half-tribute Not Quite Hollywood that celebrates or marvels at some of the pulp cinema that led to Tarantino's Kill Bill and Grindhouse. Other films I chose either because they geographically interesting or because their directors have consistently delivered at Toronto and also bring something new to the table (Mike Leigh, Michael Winterbottom, Denys Arcand, Deepa Mehta, Bruce MacDonald).

Here is my long short list which I will narrow down further as actual screening times and discussion unfurls:

TIFF 2008
[Film Title - Director - Country - Series/Genre - Notes]

Eden Log - France - Sci Fi - Midnight Madness

Detroit Metal City - Toshio Lee - Japan - Midnight Madness

The Dungeon Masters - USA Comedy/Sci Fi

Food, Inc. - USA doc

Garden/Ing - Japan

Genova - Michael Winterbottom - UK

Ghost Town - Ricky Gervais new comedy

The Good, The Bad, The Weird - South Korea

Happy-Go-Lucky - Mike Leigh - UK

Heaven on Earth - Deepa Mehta - India

Horn of Plenty - Spain/Cuba

Hunger - Steve McQueen - UK

In the Shadow of The Naga - Thailand

JCVD - Mabrouk El Mechri - France - Midnight Madness (Jean Claude Van Damme plays himself)

Me and Orson Welles - Richard Linklater - UK

Not Quite Hollywood - Mark Hartley - USA/Australia - Midnight Madness

Picasso and Braque go to the movies - Arne Glimcher - USA

Plastic City - Yu Lik Wai - Brazil/China

Plus Tard tu Comprendras - Amos Gitaï - France

Pontypool - Bruce MacDonald

The Road - based on the brilliant Cormac McCarthy novel starring Charlize Theron

Rain - Maria Govan - Bahamas (coming of age)

The Real Shaolin - USA/China (sports Doc)

RocknRolla - Guy Ritchie - UK

The Sky Crawlers - Animation - Japan

Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle - UK

Synecdoche, New York - Charlie Kaufman - USA

Tears for Sale - Uros Stojanovic - Serbia/Croatia

Tokyo Sonata - Kyoshi Kurosawa - Japan/The Netherlands/Hong Kong, China

Tulpan - Sergey Dvortsevoy - Germany/Switzerland/Kazakhstan/Russia/Poland

Two-Legged Horse - Samira Makhmalbaf - Iran (doc - abuse/poverty)

Yes Madam, Sir - Megan Doneman - India/Australia

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love - Chai Vasarhelyi - USA