We've finished up our TIFF Preview, so today we begin our daily coverage of the festival, beginning with this, our picks for the first day. Or as we should perhaps say, the first night, because the festival doesn’t really kick off until this evening, other than one screening (Kenneth Branagh’s The Magic Flute, sneaking in early). It’s rather odd that the opening Gala isn’t literally the first film, but we guess that’s the way it is!
Even though any of these films may be sold out, it's always worth finding out if you want to wait in the rush queue for them. Though be warned; you may want to arrive somewhat early to beat the crowds.
Special Presentations
6pm – Hana (Varsity 8)
Gala
6:30pm - The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Visa Screening Room, Elgin)
8:00pm -The Journals of Knud Rasmussen (Roy Thompson Hall)
Contemporary World Cinema
9pm – The Bothersome Man (Varsity 1 & 6)
Canada First!
9:15pm – Fido (Ryerson Theatre): See our review.
Midnight Madness
11:59pm – Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan (Ryerson Theatre)

Newsstand: November 9, 2009
The Gala is at Roy Tompson Hall, not the Visa Screening Room.
at a preview screening for *Thank You for Smoking* many months ago, the production company was giving out passes to a preview screening of *The Journals of Knud Rasmussen*. I was really excited to attend. But it was the really the wrong crowd for that, because at the *Rasmussen* screening, people were expecting some kind of mainstream hollywood production. I'd say about a quarter of the audience got up and left at some point during the screening. A real shame.
Bryan - If you'll check the listings you'll see that it's on at both tonight. You are correct, though - I should list both screenings. I'll fix that.