Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008 - Wrap Up

Well the audience has had their say in the best films of the 2008 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Although I always tore my ballot at the end of the screening, I'll like to also highlight what I thought were the best films:

Best Overall: Mirageman followed closely by Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in.

Best Zombie Film: I'm actually going to go with a short on this: Deadspiel. You can't beat zombie curling.

Best Comedy: Netherbeast Incorporated

Best Short: Tie between Deadspiel and Laser Ghosts 2: Return to Laser Cove. This was an awesome year for shorts. So many of the short films were absolutely steller. I would highly advise checking them out if you can!

Scariest Film: Home Movie

Rockin' Shout Out to the Horror Genre: 4bia (specifically 'In the Middle')

Best Q&A's: The excitement in the house goes to I Sell the Dead, and the guys from Who is KK Downey? were hilarious

Funnest screenings: Mutant Chronicles and Tokyo Gore Police / Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu both films are enriched by seeing with an audience.

Fullest Screenings: All of the screenings were bustling, but their is no question that the four sell outs shows you hoped you knew your neighbours! Those four films were: Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Tokyo Gore Police / Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu and I Sell the Dead

Scariest Imagery: Home Movie

Icky-ist Imagery: Tokyo Gore Police / Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu

Best Double Bill: Tokyo Gore Police / Tôkyô zankoku keisatsu and Home Movie. Japanese splatterfest alongside found-footage horror. Who knew it would be such a great mix?

Happy Surprize: Donkey Punch I was really impressed with this film and I'm glad I gave it the benefit of the doubt. A well told story with fantastic acting and great soundtrack. Fabulous.

Repeating themes: Faces being sliced and/or falling off, scary kids and funny one-liners

Wish I hadn't missed: Nada! I saw all the films this year. One day I will make it out to the zombie walk though, but really I wasn't going to pass up the International Shorts to walk slowly (I do that every day :).

Best Experience: Chatting & meeting fellow film fans and online reviewers. I went from last year only knowing one other person covering the festival to this year knowing everyone whom sat in the near vicinity. It's a great community and I encourage you to check out their sites: 10 Movies to See Before You Die, Eternal Sunshine of the Logical Mind, Pop Journalism, RowThree, Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow, Toronto Screen Shots and Twitch Film. There is also awesome coverage over at Renerd.com.

Astonishing fact: I made it through all 8 days without caving to buying popcorn!

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008 ran from October 17-24/08 at the Bloor Cinema, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.