Behind the Scenes

Toronto International Film Festival [1999]

Intro. MovieForum.com Covers First Film Festival (Avoids International Incidents) "Given what I've been reading in the light of the TIFF fallout from our illustrious "competition" in the print realm, I figure this is the part where I'm supposed to strike up the string section and bemoan what a big hassle the whole thing was." [Read the full article] Part 1. Toronto: North America's Movie Mecca (Kids Eat Free) "Yes, despite what the literature may have said, TIFF 99 "officially" concluded with a jet-powered mutant turtle making matchsticks of Kyoto train station." [Read the full article] Part 2. Midnight Madness, September Sanity "For nearly a decade now, I've highly anticipated the "Midnight Madness" programme--essentially the dark "mirror image" of the otherwise prestigious TIFF--a ten-day marathon of the best, or at the very least "unclassifiable", in international genre cinema." [Read the full article] Part 3. Real to Reel: The Anti-PBS "...you'll understand why South American natives offered to kill Kinski for free (as a favour to flustered Herzog) when you see him tear into an on-set caterer during one of his patented "raving fits"." [Read the full article] Part 4. Special Presentations: Galas You Can Actually Get In To "Terence Stamp was deeply moved by the rousing standing ovation that he ignited as he took the stage before the screening. The elegant (and intimidating) veteran seemed genuinely proud of his work in the film" [Read the full article] Part 5. Contemporary World Cinema: The U.N. of Movies "Take an unproduced script by Orson Welles, update the subject matter to reflect the contemporary political circus, and cast accomplished performers like William Hurt, Miranda Richardson, and Nigel Hawthorne and you can't go wrong, right?" [Read the full article] Part 6. Galas or No Admission Unless Your Last Name Is Wilson, Baldwin, or Arquette "The hottest and hardest tickets in town, but since most of the films open in regular theatres within a month of the Festival, why bother?" [Read the full article] Part 7. Dialogues: Mr. Romero, will you please sign all 200 of my "Night of the Living Dead" collector trading cards? "A relatively recent addition the the TIFF lineup, the "Dialogues" series offers distinguished filmmakers a chance to host a screening of a film that's influenced their art or their lives in a profound way, and engage in intimate Q & A's with fans." [Read the full article] Part 8. Tiff 2K: Films after "The Fall" "Ever the optimists, Torontonians assume there will still be a world after December 31, 1999, and already, Festival Director Piers Handling is planning next year's 25th anniversary." [Read the full article]

Reports by RobertL