It begins! Tonight the Toronto International Film Festival opens officially with Jeremy Podeswa’s Fugitive Pieces, so if you want to start soaking up the atmosphere of the festival head down to Roy Thompson Hall before 8 p.m.

It’s easy to write off the festival before it’s even begun: maybe you’re already sick of all the coverage, annoyed about how scarce tickets can be (despite some high ticket prices—this year we’re perplexed as to why all screenings at the Visa Screening Room seem to cost as much as a Gala) confused by the huge number of films or maybe you’re just not that big a fan of cinema. But we suggest you just roll with it and try and take part.

Even if you haven’t planned to check out any screenings, the Film Festival Group have put up a useful “Best Bets” page for films with same-day tickets still available, and we advise you keep checking back here for reviews and just getting out there and joining rush queues. Going to see something that you barely know the title of can be some of the most fun of the festival, and while we currently can’t recommend doing that for anything at the Elgin (not at Gala prices) the rest of the screenings are pretty decent value to enjoy the festival experience, with cast and crew often on hand for red carpets, introductions and then Q&As after the screenings.

And remember, If anything interesting happen to you during the festival, be sure to let us know!

Today’s Listings:

7:45 p.m. – Jar City (pictured above) (Contemporary World Cinema) – Review – Varsity 3
7:45 p.m. – Young People Fucking (Canada First!) – Review – Varsity 8
9:00 p.m. – Persepolis (Special Presentations) – Review – Visa Screening Room, Elgin
11:59 p.m. – Mother of Tears (Midnight Madness) – Ryerson Theatre