Movie Box Review

Day 6 was my late start, longest and latest day of festivalling this year packing in 4 films over 2 theatres and ending with the awesome that is Midnight Madness. I see a lot of the Midnight Madness films during their repeat screenings during the daytime hours, but I have to go to at least one late-night screening as nothing beats watching extreme films with the craziness of the midnight crowd. It felt only too fitting to pick Sleepless Night this year as it's set throughout a particular late night tromping through a club trying to set a wrong, right. Because I was going to be at the Ryerson late night, I decided to do back-to-back films in the theatre which landed my second last film of the day to be the gritty true crime drama Snowtown, which was amazing, but so very brutal. Before that I checked out a Livid, another selection from the Midnight Madness program and to keep with the working backwards theme I started the day off with the self-reflective/catharsis that was Kim Ki-Duk's Arirang. Pretty gruelling set of films now that I look at them together as a set, I think my next festival day will be a bit lighter. Actually, any festival day might be lighter than that!

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 6 Vlog!



Arirang
Dir: Kim Ki-Duk (The Coast Guard, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring / Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom, 3-Iron)
Cast: Kim Ki-Duk
Documentary
South Korea

I'm a huge fan of Kim Ki-Duk's work, first being introduced to his work with the amazing Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring / Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom then 3-Iron and finally The Coast Guard. He brings an amazing sensitivity to very harsh emotional realism in a way that I've never seen before. I'm not a fan of films that just feel painful, but his film manage to portray, discuss and show not only the awfulness of pain but also the effect of it on anyone who is involved. Until hearing about Arirang, I didn't know that during his previous latest film Dream there was a accident during a hanging scene that turned almost fatal and since then he's had director's block. I can't even imagine what that experience would be like for any director, but for this particular director given his understanding of emotions I instantly empathized with the horror and impact it must have made. Usually I don't write long winded introductions to reviews, but with Arirang I think it's very important to have context otherwise you'll just be wondering what the heck is going on as it's a 100% one man show here of Kim Ki-Duk who through creating this film is coming to terms with the experience of what happened and how it's gotten him stuck. It's clear that we are seeing catharsis in process, but the wild thing is that he knows that and calls it out in the film time and again. It even feels overly constructed at times to let us know, that he knows it's a construct. I find seeing process in action interesting and that's very much what we are seeing here: seeing thought process, emotional process and development process as well. I knew it was a film I wanted to see from the moment that I heard of it, and I'm glad I saw it because I believe in Kim Ki-Duk as a director, as an artist and a person and I wanted to bear witness to what he has to say and needed to share about what happened. On a more woowoo level, film is a medium that needs to be seen for it to live and I want his films to live. Being stuck on creating your art is one of the hardest things there is, and therefore making this film is a brave step to get unstuck and for that I salute it. I hope that Arirang helps heal the wounds and sparks the ashy embers of the filmmaking fire I've grown to love over the years.


Livid directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury with TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes

Livid / Livide
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (A L’Interieur / Inside)
Cast: Chloe Coulloud, Jeremy Kapone, Catherine Jacob, Felix Moati, Marie-Claude Pietragalla
France

It feels a little strange to check out Livid before seeing directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's infamous film A L’Interieur / Inside which is continually paired with the term French New Wave of Horror, but that might have worked in my favour as this Livid is completely different being a classically toned gothic horror flick. There are elements of gore and certainly some visceral moments that the audience cheered for, but this film is really got the old school horror vibe going on with a protagonist with an unusual affliction, a group of friends to egg each other on and a fabulous mansion setting rich with deep, dark secrets. I absolutely adored the art director and cinematography (and it was awesome to see it in AMC7 - one of, if not the, largest screens in the city), the film was beautiful to watch and uses the gothic card well. Creepy settings and morbid situations, all with a bit of an aloof attitude that something bad can happen. In the film we follow Lucie (Chloé Coulloud) a trainee for home support for housebound patient that require medical attention, which provides us with the possibility of finding wealth from those seemingly unable to put up any kind of fight. Along with boyfriend and a buddy in tow, the mansion mayhem begins. The mayhem is pretty out there, and I appreciated that the story and it's horrors went in new and creepy places, but sometimes I found the logic of it hard to follow. Questions like sho (or what) was doing what, and why? and where are we in the house now, and how did we get there? kept on popping up in my brain. But when something crazy would happen and I just have that awesome reactionary horror movie experience of UGH!!! creepy!!! While I appreciated the creep factor and give kudos the crazy dance teacher inclusion, I did wish it flowed a little smoother and that the trio of friends characters were more developed, I didn't get a huge sense of their relationships which were filled in pretty quickly but I felt like they should care a little bit more about each other as a staple in the horror world is the reaction to the demise of others. It was gorgeous to watch though, from both perspectives of beauty and of horror and the creepy place where the can become one.


TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes with Snowtown director Justin Kurzel

Snowtown
Dir: Justin Kurzel - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris
Australia

Snowtown was hands-down the hardest film to sit through at the festival this year. It's a true crime film set in Australian in the 90's for murders so horrific and well known that director Justin Kurzel shared that they decided not even to include a 'based on a true story' during the beginning of the film. The film begins with a family of a single mom and her many sons, one of which is Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) who befriend his mom's new boyfriend John (Daniel Henshall) after the family goes through an upsetting experience, but this turns the film on a darker path of power, vengeance and ruthlessness in places we've never seen before. Lucas Pittaway is amazing as Jamie, and I'm even more impressed given the fact that it's his first role. The raw emotions he portrays are almost too much to watch. I felt to much for his character and you just want to someone save him from the situation he is in. It's one of the few films that I just wanted it to end, because I didn't know how much more I could take and that's something that rarely happens to me in film. Perhaps it's because it's a true crime film and through the dramatization you can feel with completely belief that the horrible things that you were seeing happen could happen. It's not just the actual events, which we see nowadays in lots of highly stylized horror films, but it's everything around them. It's the debilitating fear and the hopelessness, the twisted power dynamics and slow building poisonous relationships. It's all horrible, and I believed it. I believed it all. And I didn't want to because it was so horrible that anyone could do the things that were done. A truly harrowing film-viewing experience, but I am thankful for the fact that it's done exceptionally well. The slow build storytelling and fantastic acting from the entire cast which is a formidable feat considering only Daniel Henshall is professional actor. Although it was a hard film to watch, it was also one of the best films I've seen at the festival.


TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes with with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche director Frederic Jardin and actor Tomer Sisley at Midnight Madness screening

Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin
Cast: Tomer Sisley, Joey Starr, Julien Boisselier, Laurent Stocker, Birol Ünel, Serge Riaboukine
France/Belgium/Luxembourg

I'm been very excited to see Sleepless Night as any French action film set in club over one night is more than enough to catch my attention. I love club-culture films and the late night feel made it my pick this year to enjoy at the actual Midnight Madness screening and wow, that's really the best way to enjoy it with both the director Frederic Jardin and star Tomer Sisley were at the screening which just makes it all the more fun. As the film began and the credits start to roll over us I see that it's co-written by Nicolas Saada (who wrote & directed a great emotionally driven espionage flick Espion(s) / Spy(ies)), and that was icing on the cake and I nestled into my seat knowing there would be good times ahead. I was sold this one really gets it right as the film builds the club fills until both are just about to burst. In the film we follow Vincent (Tomer Sisley), who isn't perfect by any means, but he isn't overly ruthless either. He's put in a peculiar situation and his desperation drives his purely emotional journey that's amplified by club surroundings as he uses any resource he can to get through the night from being manipulative to subtle to all-out brawling. It's an action flick that keeps the tension high, the action visceral and all the while keeps you mind engaged and the heart of the audience beating from both the tension of the situation but also with hope for the characters in their plight. The frantic energy is held strong throughout which is amazing, continues to generate even more energy in the confined space well past the point where you think things have gone to far, that all options have been tried, and that the club itself can't get any fuller. And the it keeps on, and on, and on. I loved how the film keeps you guessing without even really knowing it, and I adored that the level of emotional resonance is just as high as the tension level and that both are maintained throughout the entire film. Brilliant. I absolutely loved it.

The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


The Midnight Madness Crowd gets ready for Sleepless Night

Day 6 was my late start, longest and latest day of festivalling this year packing in 4 films over 2 theatres and ending with the awesome that is Midnight Madness. I see a lot of the Midnight Madness films during their repeat screenings during the daytime hours, but I have to go to at least one late-night screening as nothing beats watching extreme films with the craziness of the midnight crowd. It felt only too fitting to pick Sleepless Night this year as it's set throughout a particular late night tromping through a club trying to set a wrong, right. Because I was going to be at the Ryerson late night, I decided to do back-to-back films in the theatre which landed my second last film of the day to be the gritty true crime drama Snowtown, which was amazing, but so very brutal. Before that I checked out a Livid, another selection from the Midnight Madness program and to keep with the working backwards theme I started the day off with the self-reflective/catharsis that was Kim Ki-Duk's Arirang. Pretty gruelling set of films now that I look at them together as a set, I think my next festival day will be a bit lighter. Actually, any festival day might be lighter than that!

Rather watch than read? Check out my Day 6 Vlog!



Arirang
Dir: Kim Ki-Duk (The Coast Guard, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring / Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom, 3-Iron)
Cast: Kim Ki-Duk
Documentary
South Korea

I'm a huge fan of Kim Ki-Duk's work, first being introduced to his work with the amazing Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ...and Spring / Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom then 3-Iron and finally The Coast Guard. He brings an amazing sensitivity to very harsh emotional realism in a way that I've never seen before. I'm not a fan of films that just feel painful, but his film manage to portray, discuss and show not only the awfulness of pain but also the effect of it on anyone who is involved. Until hearing about Arirang, I didn't know that during his previous latest film Dream there was a accident during a hanging scene that turned almost fatal and since then he's had director's block. I can't even imagine what that experience would be like for any director, but for this particular director given his understanding of emotions I instantly empathized with the horror and impact it must have made. Usually I don't write long winded introductions to reviews, but with Arirang I think it's very important to have context otherwise you'll just be wondering what the heck is going on as it's a 100% one man show here of Kim Ki-Duk who through creating this film is coming to terms with the experience of what happened and how it's gotten him stuck. It's clear that we are seeing catharsis in process, but the wild thing is that he knows that and calls it out in the film time and again. It even feels overly constructed at times to let us know, that he knows it's a construct. I find seeing process in action interesting and that's very much what we are seeing here: seeing thought process, emotional process and development process as well. I knew it was a film I wanted to see from the moment that I heard of it, and I'm glad I saw it because I believe in Kim Ki-Duk as a director, as an artist and a person and I wanted to bear witness to what he has to say and needed to share about what happened. On a more woowoo level, film is a medium that needs to be seen for it to live and I want his films to live. Being stuck on creating your art is one of the hardest things there is, and therefore making this film is a brave step to get unstuck and for that I salute it. I hope that Arirang helps heal the wounds and sparks the ashy embers of the filmmaking fire I've grown to love over the years.


Livid directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury with TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes

Livid / Livide
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo (A L’Interieur / Inside)
Cast: Chloe Coulloud, Jeremy Kapone, Catherine Jacob, Felix Moati, Marie-Claude Pietragalla
France

It feels a little strange to check out Livid before seeing directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo's infamous film A L’Interieur / Inside which is continually paired with the term French New Wave of Horror, but that might have worked in my favour as this Livid is completely different being a classically toned gothic horror flick. There are elements of gore and certainly some visceral moments that the audience cheered for, but this film is really got the old school horror vibe going on with a protagonist with an unusual affliction, a group of friends to egg each other on and a fabulous mansion setting rich with deep, dark secrets. I absolutely adored the art director and cinematography (and it was awesome to see it in AMC7 - one of, if not the, largest screens in the city), the film was beautiful to watch and uses the gothic card well. Creepy settings and morbid situations, all with a bit of an aloof attitude that something bad can happen. In the film we follow Lucie (Chloé Coulloud) a trainee for home support for housebound patient that require medical attention, which provides us with the possibility of finding wealth from those seemingly unable to put up any kind of fight. Along with boyfriend and a buddy in tow, the mansion mayhem begins. The mayhem is pretty out there, and I appreciated that the story and it's horrors went in new and creepy places, but sometimes I found the logic of it hard to follow. Questions like sho (or what) was doing what, and why? and where are we in the house now, and how did we get there? kept on popping up in my brain. But when something crazy would happen and I just have that awesome reactionary horror movie experience of UGH!!! creepy!!! While I appreciated the creep factor and give kudos the crazy dance teacher inclusion, I did wish it flowed a little smoother and that the trio of friends characters were more developed, I didn't get a huge sense of their relationships which were filled in pretty quickly but I felt like they should care a little bit more about each other as a staple in the horror world is the reaction to the demise of others. It was gorgeous to watch though, from both perspectives of beauty and of horror and the creepy place where the can become one.


TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes with Snowtown director Justin Kurzel

Snowtown
Dir: Justin Kurzel - feature film directorial debut
Cast: Lucas Pittaway, Daniel Henshall, Louise Harris
Australia

Snowtown was hands-down the hardest film to sit through at the festival this year. It's a true crime film set in Australian in the 90's for murders so horrific and well known that director Justin Kurzel shared that they decided not even to include a 'based on a true story' during the beginning of the film. The film begins with a family of a single mom and her many sons, one of which is Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) who befriend his mom's new boyfriend John (Daniel Henshall) after the family goes through an upsetting experience, but this turns the film on a darker path of power, vengeance and ruthlessness in places we've never seen before. Lucas Pittaway is amazing as Jamie, and I'm even more impressed given the fact that it's his first role. The raw emotions he portrays are almost too much to watch. I felt to much for his character and you just want to someone save him from the situation he is in. It's one of the few films that I just wanted it to end, because I didn't know how much more I could take and that's something that rarely happens to me in film. Perhaps it's because it's a true crime film and through the dramatization you can feel with completely belief that the horrible things that you were seeing happen could happen. It's not just the actual events, which we see nowadays in lots of highly stylized horror films, but it's everything around them. It's the debilitating fear and the hopelessness, the twisted power dynamics and slow building poisonous relationships. It's all horrible, and I believed it. I believed it all. And I didn't want to because it was so horrible that anyone could do the things that were done. A truly harrowing film-viewing experience, but I am thankful for the fact that it's done exceptionally well. The slow build storytelling and fantastic acting from the entire cast which is a formidable feat considering only Daniel Henshall is professional actor. Although it was a hard film to watch, it was also one of the best films I've seen at the festival.


TIFF Programmer Colin Geddes with with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche director Frederic Jardin and actor Tomer Sisley at Midnight Madness screening

Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin
Cast: Tomer Sisley, Joey Starr, Julien Boisselier, Laurent Stocker, Birol Ünel, Serge Riaboukine
France/Belgium/Luxembourg

I'm been very excited to see Sleepless Night as any French action film set in club over one night is more than enough to catch my attention. I love club-culture films and the late night feel made it my pick this year to enjoy at the actual Midnight Madness screening and wow, that's really the best way to enjoy it with both the director Frederic Jardin and star Tomer Sisley were at the screening which just makes it all the more fun. As the film began and the credits start to roll over us I see that it's co-written by Nicolas Saada (who wrote & directed a great emotionally driven espionage flick Espion(s) / Spy(ies)), and that was icing on the cake and I nestled into my seat knowing there would be good times ahead. I was sold this one really gets it right as the film builds the club fills until both are just about to burst. In the film we follow Vincent (Tomer Sisley), who isn't perfect by any means, but he isn't overly ruthless either. He's put in a peculiar situation and his desperation drives his purely emotional journey that's amplified by club surroundings as he uses any resource he can to get through the night from being manipulative to subtle to all-out brawling. It's an action flick that keeps the tension high, the action visceral and all the while keeps you mind engaged and the heart of the audience beating from both the tension of the situation but also with hope for the characters in their plight. The frantic energy is held strong throughout which is amazing, continues to generate even more energy in the confined space well past the point where you think things have gone to far, that all options have been tried, and that the club itself can't get any fuller. And the it keeps on, and on, and on. I loved how the film keeps you guessing without even really knowing it, and I adored that the level of emotional resonance is just as high as the tension level and that both are maintained throughout the entire film. Brilliant. I absolutely loved it.

The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


The Midnight Madness Crowd gets ready for Sleepless Night

The Midnight Madness film announcement is a press release I look forward every year at TIFF. Who will be kicking ass this year? Or getting thier ass kicked? Will there be new horrific horror films, monsters, psychos, vampires, stylish crime films and martial artists? What I love most of all is that often the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. It's also a the list where I'm very likely to have never heard of any of the titles before, which gets me in hyper-research mode. I like hyper-research mode. Here's my take on the titles post hyper-research mode!

The ones in which my eye and interest keep swerving to including the post apocalyptic The Day in part because I'm loving the cast of Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Dominic Monaghan, Shannyn Sossamon and Shawn Ashmore (Frozen) and also because I'll always give post apocalyptic films a shot as survivalist films often go in interesting places and I'm hoping the 'fight or die' has some awesome fighting. Also excited for The Raid right out of the gate for some fighting goodness as it stars "Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais", and the few Indonesian films I've seen so far I've enjoyed. I'm big on the supernatural these days so that puts Lovely Molly high on the anticipation list, a psychosis/possession film from Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project).

The hit man movie Kill List looks positively brutal (and their website has a trailer - yay!), it has has some unfamiliar faces (Neil Maskell and Harry Simpson) with impressive familiar faces (MyAnna Buring of Devil's Playground, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Robin Hill of Down Terrace), which is always a good combination, plus I'm always up for a stylish UK crime thriller. More crime with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche, a drug-dealing cop who goes too far and "must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.". Fighting & dance floors & clubs? Oh yea... I'm there. I'm always up for club-set films with dancing. Woot!

Looking to the brutal, I can only image that the French film The Incident set in an insane asylum and following regular folk that work there when the power (read: security) goes out can only be brutal, especially as French horror has been breaking some scary ground in recent years. More French craziness with Livid from A L’Interieur /Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo with a mansion-set gothic horror - can't wait for that!

Filling in the more 'just plain weird!' spot would be Smuggler from director Katsuhito Ishii (Funky Forest) and just check out the Trailer if you don't believe - and no, it doesn't matter that there are no subtitles, the quirky oddness easily shines though. That's going to be awesome.More familiar names with Bobcat Goldthwait's comedy God Bless America and You’re Next from director Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) with a home invasion film that promises many weapons flying.

One of the great things about Midnight Madness is that it's rare that the screenings will conflict with anything else. They are all at midnight, and rarely does another film run to or past that. TIFF offers a special pass to all of the Midnight Madness Screenings - see more info at the box office right here. If staying up super late isn't your thing, but extreme film is - don't worry, the films tend to have additional screenings throughout the festival. But now - I *really* want the schedule! What will open? What will close? My guess is The Day & The Raid respectively, but sadly it's too early to know! Talk about keeping us hanging. Not literally though - let's save that for the films.

And for the list-lovers, here are the details of the 10 titles in the 2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme right from the press release with additional links to IMDB Pages, trailers & official websites and original language titles if available. I've only found a few trailers & official sites so far, but I'll be sure to update them as I find more.

2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme

The Day
Dir: Douglas Aarniokoski, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Facebook Page

In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die. Starring Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon.

God Bless America
Dir: Bobcat Goldthwait, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page

Loveless, jobless and possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and decides to off the stupidest, cruellest and most repellent members of society with an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. From stand-up comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait comes a scathing and hilarious attack on all that is sacred in the United States of America.

The Incident / 2011 Incident at Sans Asylum
Dir: Alexandre Courtes, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page

George, Max and Ricky are in a rock band and waiting for their big breakthrough. Between small gigs and rehearsals they work in the kitchen of a high-security asylum for good pay at minimum risk – they have no physical contact with the inmates. One night just before dinnertime, a big storm shuts down the security system, the doors open and the lunatics break loose. Help is on its way and should soon arrive... they just have to survive until it does.

Kill List
Dir: Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer

Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier-turned-contract-killer Jay is pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment. As they track their prey, they descend into a disturbing world that is darker and more depraved than anything they experienced on the battlefield.

Livid
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page

The directors of 2007’s Midnight Madness hit A L’Interieur (Inside) return with a twisted gothic nightmare. A young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure, only to unlock a dark secret of unspeakable horror ready to dish out bloody punishment for their greed.

Lovely Molly
Dir: Eduardo Sanchez, USA
World Premiere
No IMDB Page unless it's also/previously called The Possession - given the description it seems like could be a strong possibility

When newlywed Molly Reynolds returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. From the director of The Blair Witch Project.

The Raid
Dir: Gareth Evans, Indonesia
World Premiere
IMDB Page

Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.

Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg
World Premiere
IMDB Page

When Vincent, a double-dealing cop, steals a big bag of cocaine from some drug dealers they counter by kidnapping and threatening to kill his son if the bag isn’t returned – fast. The swap is to go down at their headquarters in a big nightclub on the outskirts of Paris, but Vincent gets caught in a spiral of deception and betrayal and must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.

Smuggler
Dir: Katsuhito Ishii, Japan
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer

After his dreams of becoming an actor go nowhere, 25-year-old Kinuta does nothing but gamble every day. Broke, framed and now neck-deep in debt, he is recruited as a smuggler – an underground mover of everything from dead bodies to illegal goods – but one cargo triggers the rage of a psychotic gangster hellbent on revenge. By acclaimed cult director Katsuhito Ishii of Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl and Funky Forest fame.

You’re Next
Dir: Adam Wingard, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page

From the director-writer team that brought TIFF audiences A Horrible Way To Die in 2010 comes a new experiment in tension. A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.

The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Midnight Madness film announcement is a press release I look forward every year at TIFF. Who will be kicking ass this year? Or getting thier ass kicked? Will there be new horrific horror films, monsters, psychos, vampires, stylish crime films and martial artists? What I love most of all is that often the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. It's also a the list where I'm very likely to have never heard of any of the titles before, which gets me in hyper-research mode. I like hyper-research mode. Here's my take on the titles post hyper-research mode!

The ones in which my eye and interest keep swerving to including the post apocalyptic The Day in part because I'm loving the cast of Ashley Bell (The Last Exorcism), Dominic Monaghan, Shannyn Sossamon and Shawn Ashmore (Frozen) and also because I'll always give post apocalyptic films a shot as survivalist films often go in interesting places and I'm hoping the 'fight or die' has some awesome fighting. Also excited for The Raid right out of the gate for some fighting goodness as it stars "Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais", and the few Indonesian films I've seen so far I've enjoyed. I'm big on the supernatural these days so that puts Lovely Molly high on the anticipation list, a psychosis/possession film from Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project).

The hit man movie Kill List looks positively brutal (and their website has a trailer - yay!), it has has some unfamiliar faces (Neil Maskell and Harry Simpson) with impressive familiar faces (MyAnna Buring of Devil's Playground, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Robin Hill of Down Terrace), which is always a good combination, plus I'm always up for a stylish UK crime thriller. More crime with Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche, a drug-dealing cop who goes too far and "must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.". Fighting & dance floors & clubs? Oh yea... I'm there. I'm always up for club-set films with dancing. Woot!

Looking to the brutal, I can only image that the French film The Incident set in an insane asylum and following regular folk that work there when the power (read: security) goes out can only be brutal, especially as French horror has been breaking some scary ground in recent years. More French craziness with Livid from A L’Interieur /Inside directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo with a mansion-set gothic horror - can't wait for that!

Filling in the more 'just plain weird!' spot would be Smuggler from director Katsuhito Ishii (Funky Forest) and just check out the Trailer if you don't believe - and no, it doesn't matter that there are no subtitles, the quirky oddness easily shines though. That's going to be awesome.More familiar names with Bobcat Goldthwait's comedy God Bless America and You’re Next from director Adam Wingard (A Horrible Way To Die) with a home invasion film that promises many weapons flying.

One of the great things about Midnight Madness is that it's rare that the screenings will conflict with anything else. They are all at midnight, and rarely does another film run to or past that. TIFF offers a special pass to all of the Midnight Madness Screenings - see more info at the box office right here. If staying up super late isn't your thing, but extreme film is - don't worry, the films tend to have additional screenings throughout the festival. But now - I *really* want the schedule! What will open? What will close? My guess is The Day & The Raid respectively, but sadly it's too early to know! Talk about keeping us hanging. Not literally though - let's save that for the films.

And for the list-lovers, here are the details of the 10 titles in the 2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme right from the press release with additional links to IMDB Pages, trailers & official websites and original language titles if available. I've only found a few trailers & official sites so far, but I'll be sure to update them as I find more.

2011 TIFF Midnight Madness Programme

The Day
Dir: Douglas Aarniokoski, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Facebook Page

In a post-apocalyptic future, an open war against humanity rages. Five survivors wander along rural back-roads, lost, starving and on the run. With dwindling food stocks and ammunition, an attempt at seeking shelter turns into a battleground where they must fight or die. Starring Ashley Bell, Dominic Monaghan and Shannyn Sossamon.

God Bless America
Dir: Bobcat Goldthwait, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page

Loveless, jobless and possibly terminally ill, Frank has had enough of the downward spiral of America. With nothing left to lose, Frank takes his gun and decides to off the stupidest, cruellest and most repellent members of society with an unusual accomplice: 16-year-old Roxy, who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement. From stand-up comedian and director Bobcat Goldthwait comes a scathing and hilarious attack on all that is sacred in the United States of America.

The Incident / 2011 Incident at Sans Asylum
Dir: Alexandre Courtes, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page

George, Max and Ricky are in a rock band and waiting for their big breakthrough. Between small gigs and rehearsals they work in the kitchen of a high-security asylum for good pay at minimum risk – they have no physical contact with the inmates. One night just before dinnertime, a big storm shuts down the security system, the doors open and the lunatics break loose. Help is on its way and should soon arrive... they just have to survive until it does.

Kill List
Dir: Ben Wheatley, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer

Eight months after a disastrous job in Kiev left him physically and mentally scarred, ex-soldier-turned-contract-killer Jay is pressured by his partner Gal into taking a new assignment. As they track their prey, they descend into a disturbing world that is darker and more depraved than anything they experienced on the battlefield.

Livid
Dirs: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, France
World Premiere
IMDB Page

The directors of 2007’s Midnight Madness hit A L’Interieur (Inside) return with a twisted gothic nightmare. A young woman and her friends break into a decrepit mansion looking for treasure, only to unlock a dark secret of unspeakable horror ready to dish out bloody punishment for their greed.

Lovely Molly
Dir: Eduardo Sanchez, USA
World Premiere
No IMDB Page unless it's also/previously called The Possession - given the description it seems like could be a strong possibility

When newlywed Molly Reynolds returns to her long-abandoned family home, frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins an inexorable descent into evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. From the director of The Blair Witch Project.

The Raid
Dir: Gareth Evans, Indonesia
World Premiere
IMDB Page

Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the sixth floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Starring Indonesian martial arts sensation Iko Uwais.

Sleepless Night / Nuit blanche
Dir: Frederic Jardin, France/Belgium/Luxembourg
World Premiere
IMDB Page

When Vincent, a double-dealing cop, steals a big bag of cocaine from some drug dealers they counter by kidnapping and threatening to kill his son if the bag isn’t returned – fast. The swap is to go down at their headquarters in a big nightclub on the outskirts of Paris, but Vincent gets caught in a spiral of deception and betrayal and must fight his way through packed dance floors and dark corridors of the labyrinth-like club.

Smuggler
Dir: Katsuhito Ishii, Japan
World Premiere
IMDB Page, Official Website & Trailer

After his dreams of becoming an actor go nowhere, 25-year-old Kinuta does nothing but gamble every day. Broke, framed and now neck-deep in debt, he is recruited as a smuggler – an underground mover of everything from dead bodies to illegal goods – but one cargo triggers the rage of a psychotic gangster hellbent on revenge. By acclaimed cult director Katsuhito Ishii of Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl and Funky Forest fame.

You’re Next
Dir: Adam Wingard, USA
World Premiere
IMDB Page

From the director-writer team that brought TIFF audiences A Horrible Way To Die in 2010 comes a new experiment in tension. A family comes under a terrifying and sadistic attack during a reunion getaway. Barricaded in their secluded country home, they have to fight off a barrage of axes, crossbows and machetes from both inside and outside the house. Unfortunately for the killers, one of the victims proves to have a talent for fighting back.

The Toronto International Film Festival 2011 runs from September 8 - 18, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I'm a little late to the Midnight Madness party this year, but with the film titles announced just last week and the festival only a few weeks ahead of us, there is still a lot of time to get excited about the 10 films that play at the latest time slot, to the loudest crowds at the Toronto International Film Festival.

I'm thrilled to see the multitude of paranormal, thrilling and just down right creepy looking films are included in this years festival. First off, it's so exciting to see that new work from Jim Mickle & Nick Damici who brought us Mulberry Street have teamed up again as writer/director and writer/actor in the post-apocalyptic Stake Land that is set after a vampire epidemic. Bring it on! More tragic world views with Brad Anderson's Vanishing on 7th Street which looks totally creepy from the trailer, and the film stars Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo is a survivalist themed thriller set in a world where very suddenly very few people kicking around. Legendary director John Carpenter returns with a new film The Ward, set in 1960's in a mental institution with "unseen forces" - that's got to be scary! More scares to terrorize in Insidious, starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson as parents who move into an old house with uninvited guests in the form of vengeful spirits, or perhaps they are the uninvited guests! We also have the Hong Kong set urban thriller Red Nights starring Carrie Ng as a seductress and killer. Wow.

For the action fans the program has some very interesting choices this year and my interest was piqued when the first line of the Bunraku description read as "In a world with no guns", that's enough to get me interested! But add young samurai, assassins and a bartender (?!) it just gets better and better. Oh, and better still as it starts Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman and Demi Moore. On the other end of the gun spectrum, there is no 'no gun' clause in Fire of Conscience which from the trailer over at the official website is explosive and fierce, and looks like it might set a freaking record for explosions.

A film that sounds like it defies broad categorizations is The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman / Dao Jian Xiao a kitchen-centric action comedy starring Masanobu Ando (SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, Nightmare Detective / Akumu Tantei). You had me at "the struggle to own a deadly kitchen cleaver". More films in the program that have unique comedic flair are SUPER featuring Rainn Wilson as a costumed vigilante and Fubar II that is sure to be filled with hoser goodness.

So, that's the good news. The sad news it looks like this will be my last post regarding the Toronto International Film Festival this year. I applied for but did not receive press accreditation, here's hoping that 2011 will be the year that I get a yes. I hope everyone has a great time at the festival, I know I'll certainly miss it this year.

2010 Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival:

Bunraku
It had me at "In a world with no guns"
Dir: Guy Moshe
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman, Demi Moore
USA
TIFF Page, Film Facebook Page, IMDB Page

The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman / Dao Jian Xiao
Dir: Wuershan
Cast: Masanobu Ando, Kitty Zhang, You Benchang, Liu Xiaoye, Ashton Xu
Hong Kong, China/USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, No IMDb Page

Fire of Conscience / Huo Long
It had me at "an orchestra of exploding grenades and machine gun rounds"
Dir: Dante Lam
Cast: Leon Lai, Richie Jen, Wan Baoqiang, Vivian Hsu
Hong Kong/China
North American Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

Insidious
It had me at "vengeful spirits from another realm"
Dir: James Wan
Cast: Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Red Nights / Les Nuits Rouges du Bourreau de Jade
It had me at "seductive cat-and-mouse thriller set in Hong Kong"
Dir: Julien Carbon & Laurent Courtiaud
Cast: Frédérique Bel, Carrie Ng, Carole Brana, Stephen Wong
Hong Kong/ China/France
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Stake Land
It had me at "In the aftermath of a vampire epidemic"
Dir: Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street)
Cast: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Michael Cerveris
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site, IMDB Page

SUPER
It had me at "costumed vigilante armed with a monkey wrench"
Dir: James Gunn
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Ellen Page
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Vanishing on 7th Street
It had me at "blackout causes the population to inexplicably vanish"
Dir: Brad Anderson (The Machinest, Transsiberian)
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

The Ward, John Carpenter's
It had me at "John Carpenter"
Dir: John Carpenter (The Thing, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween)
Cast: Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Jared Harris, Lyndsy Fonseca
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site, IMDB Page

Plus Previously announced:

Fubar II **Midnight Madness Opening Night**
It had me at "hosers"
Dir: Michael Dowse
Cast: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Andy Sparacino, Terra Hazelton, Tracy Lawrence
Canada
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

Source: When The Sun Goes Down, The Stars Come Out Festival’s Midnight Madness Line-Up Packed With Big Names, Big Action And Big Thrills

The Toronto International Film Festival 2010 runs from September 9 - 19, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I'm a little late to the Midnight Madness party this year, but with the film titles announced just last week and the festival only a few weeks ahead of us, there is still a lot of time to get excited about the 10 films that play at the latest time slot, to the loudest crowds at the Toronto International Film Festival.

I'm thrilled to see the multitude of paranormal, thrilling and just down right creepy looking films are included in this years festival. First off, it's so exciting to see that new work from Jim Mickle & Nick Damici who brought us Mulberry Street have teamed up again as writer/director and writer/actor in the post-apocalyptic Stake Land that is set after a vampire epidemic. Bring it on! More tragic world views with Brad Anderson's Vanishing on 7th Street which looks totally creepy from the trailer, and the film stars Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton and John Leguizamo is a survivalist themed thriller set in a world where very suddenly very few people kicking around. Legendary director John Carpenter returns with a new film The Ward, set in 1960's in a mental institution with "unseen forces" - that's got to be scary! More scares to terrorize in Insidious, starring Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson as parents who move into an old house with uninvited guests in the form of vengeful spirits, or perhaps they are the uninvited guests! We also have the Hong Kong set urban thriller Red Nights starring Carrie Ng as a seductress and killer. Wow.

For the action fans the program has some very interesting choices this year and my interest was piqued when the first line of the Bunraku description read as "In a world with no guns", that's enough to get me interested! But add young samurai, assassins and a bartender (?!) it just gets better and better. Oh, and better still as it starts Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman and Demi Moore. On the other end of the gun spectrum, there is no 'no gun' clause in Fire of Conscience which from the trailer over at the official website is explosive and fierce, and looks like it might set a freaking record for explosions.

A film that sounds like it defies broad categorizations is The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman / Dao Jian Xiao a kitchen-centric action comedy starring Masanobu Ando (SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, Nightmare Detective / Akumu Tantei). You had me at "the struggle to own a deadly kitchen cleaver". More films in the program that have unique comedic flair are SUPER featuring Rainn Wilson as a costumed vigilante and Fubar II that is sure to be filled with hoser goodness.

So, that's the good news. The sad news it looks like this will be my last post regarding the Toronto International Film Festival this year. I applied for but did not receive press accreditation, here's hoping that 2011 will be the year that I get a yes. I hope everyone has a great time at the festival, I know I'll certainly miss it this year.

2010 Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival:

Bunraku
It had me at "In a world with no guns"
Dir: Guy Moshe
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman, Demi Moore
USA
TIFF Page, Film Facebook Page, IMDB Page

The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman / Dao Jian Xiao
Dir: Wuershan
Cast: Masanobu Ando, Kitty Zhang, You Benchang, Liu Xiaoye, Ashton Xu
Hong Kong, China/USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, No IMDb Page

Fire of Conscience / Huo Long
It had me at "an orchestra of exploding grenades and machine gun rounds"
Dir: Dante Lam
Cast: Leon Lai, Richie Jen, Wan Baoqiang, Vivian Hsu
Hong Kong/China
North American Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

Insidious
It had me at "vengeful spirits from another realm"
Dir: James Wan
Cast: Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Patrick Wilson
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Red Nights / Les Nuits Rouges du Bourreau de Jade
It had me at "seductive cat-and-mouse thriller set in Hong Kong"
Dir: Julien Carbon & Laurent Courtiaud
Cast: Frédérique Bel, Carrie Ng, Carole Brana, Stephen Wong
Hong Kong/ China/France
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Stake Land
It had me at "In the aftermath of a vampire epidemic"
Dir: Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street)
Cast: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Danielle Harris, Kelly McGillis, Michael Cerveris
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site, IMDB Page

SUPER
It had me at "costumed vigilante armed with a monkey wrench"
Dir: James Gunn
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Ellen Page
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, IMDB Page

Vanishing on 7th Street
It had me at "blackout causes the population to inexplicably vanish"
Dir: Brad Anderson (The Machinest, Transsiberian)
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

The Ward, John Carpenter's
It had me at "John Carpenter"
Dir: John Carpenter (The Thing, They Live, Big Trouble in Little China, Halloween)
Cast: Amber Heard, Mamie Gummer, Danielle Panabaker, Jared Harris, Lyndsy Fonseca
USA
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site, IMDB Page

Plus Previously announced:

Fubar II **Midnight Madness Opening Night**
It had me at "hosers"
Dir: Michael Dowse
Cast: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Andy Sparacino, Terra Hazelton, Tracy Lawrence
Canada
World Premiere
TIFF Page, Official Film Site & Trailer, IMDB Page

Source: When The Sun Goes Down, The Stars Come Out Festival’s Midnight Madness Line-Up Packed With Big Names, Big Action And Big Thrills

The Toronto International Film Festival 2010 runs from September 9 - 19, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

It's time to take a look at the craziest program at TIFF: Midnight Madness. Last week I shared the announcement while I was over in Nova Scotia but now it's time to take a real look at what's coming to Toronto for the late night fanatics this year at TIFF.

First off, we have to take a moment to squeal over sequels. First is [REC] 2, sequel to the powerhouse Spanish horror film [REC] which is one of the scariest horror films in recent years. Next we have Ong Bak 2: The Beginning which promises a lot Muay Thai goodness just like the original Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior.

We have some excellent monsterlicious selections with year including vampires and zombies! Daybreakers is vampire film that takes a new spin on the idea of vampires facing self extinction and stars Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. Although Daybreakers has an upcoming release set for early 2010 I sure as heck going to check it out this September at the festival. Moving along to more monsters with George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead for you've guessed: zombie goodness. Word is that it follows a character from George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead which was at the festival 2 years ago in 2007.

Can the ladies in the house say hell ya? Hell ya. The program kicks off Opening Night with Jennifer's Body, directed by Karyn Kusama (Girlfight) and written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in a high school trouncing blood and madness. We also have Bitch Slap with a Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill like caper feel that looks pulls a few cards from the heist film deck. I'm not super keen on the introduction to characters cleavage first, but at least it is up front about it!

Trekking round the planet we have Aussie creepiness of The Loved Ones which leads us into a prom of nightmares. Japanese Symbol / Shinboru looks so bizarre you need to make up new words to describe it, but what else would be expect from director Hitoshi Matsumoto who brought us the mammothly crazy DAINIPPONJIN. Soloman Kane stars James Purefoy in the titular role, and there isn't much infomation out yet about the film however with heavy hitters Pete Postlethwaite and Max von Sydow among the cast it sounds very well worth checking out.

No documentary in the set this year but we do have the stop-motion animated film A Town Called Panic / Panique au village based on the Belgian TV series from 2000-2003. Does anyone else keep hearing the song "Town Called Malice" when hear this title?

Great line up this year, I'm really looking forward to checking out the films especially the sequels, monster films and the bizarreness of Symbol which is certainly going to freak me out. It's shaping up to be yet another great year at TIFF!

Here are the details on each of the films with corresponding links to info on the TIFF site, IMDb, Trailers and Official Websites if available. Schedule is still to be announced other than Jennifer's Body opens the program on Thursday September 10, 2009.

[REC] 2
Dirs: Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza ([REC])
Spain
TIFF Page, Official Website & Trailer, IMDb Page

Bitch Slap
Dir: Rick Jacobson
Cast: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olvio, Minae Noji, Kevin Sorbo
USA
TIFF Page, Official Website & Trailer, IMDb Page

Daybreakers
Dir: Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig (Undead <2003>)
Cast: Ethan Hawk, Willem Dafoe, Isabel Lucas, Claudia Karvan, Sam Neill
Australia/USA
TIFF Page, Trailer, IMDb Page

Jennifer's Body **Opening Night Selection**
Dir: Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Æon Flux)
Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Amy Sedaris, Kyle Gallner
USA
No TIFF Page Yet, Official Website & Trailer, IMDb Page

The Loved Ones
Dir: Sean Byrne
Cast: Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee, Xavier Samuel, Richard Wilson, John Brumpton, Robin McLeavy
Australia
TIFF Page, IMDb Page

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning
Dir: Tony Jaa
Cast: Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Sarunya Wongkrachang, Nirut Sirichanya, Primorata Dejudom, Santisuk Promsiri
Thailand
TIFF Page, Official Website, Trailer, IMDb Page

Soloman Kane
Dir: Michael J. Bassett (Wilderness, Deathwatch)
Cast: James Purefoy, Pete Postlethwaite, Max von Sydow
France/Czech Republic/UK
No TIFF Page Yet, IMDb Page

George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead
Writer/Dir: George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead <1968>, George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead)
Cast: Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Kathleen Munroe, Joris Jarsky
Canada
TIFF Page, IMDb Page

Symbol / Shinboru
Writer/Dir: Hitoshi Matsumoto (DAINIPPONJIN)
Cast: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Japan
TIFF Page, Teaser Trailer, IMDb Page

A Town Called Panic / Panique au village
Dirs: Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar
Animated
Belgium/France/Luxembourg
TIFF Page, Trailer, IMDb Page

Source: TIFF Midnight Madness, here and here

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10 - 19, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

TIFF'09 Midnight Madness Program has been announced! Check out the info over at the TIFF site here.

I'm looking forward to tucking in and looking into all of the films in detail once I'm back in the T-dot later this week. There is a great play by play on the film announced over at Midnight Madness on Twitter.