Results tagged “guymaddin”

FILM: Starting tonight and ending Saturday is the Ryerson University Film Festival (RUFF), an annual end-of-year screening of graduating film students' final projects. The opening night screens nine short films from the class, which is certain to offer up some gems from the city’s young film talent. Case in point: many of the films screened over the next few nights are picked up by international film festivals and shown around the world. Royal Cinema (608 College Street) 7 p.m. $10.

WORDS: Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk will be appearing at the Isabel Bader Theatre this evening to promote his latest release, Pygmy. Palahniuk will read from the novel, followed by an audience Q&A, and a book signing for the first 150 people to pick up a wristband. Wristbands can be picked up on a first-come-first-serve basis from 5 p.m. onward at the theatre, and anyone who gets one is required to buy a copy of the book. Those who don't get wristbands in time will still be able to buy pre-signed copies of the book (Mr. Palahniuk is very generous). Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West), 7 p.m., $10.

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative, and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist.

The Toronto International Film Festival Group announced their top ten Canadian features for 2007 last night, along with (for the first time) their top ten list of Canadian short films. The top ten Canadian features were: L’âge Des Ténèbres (Denys Arcand), Amal (Richie Mehta), Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil (Stéphane Lafleur), Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg), Fugitive Pieces (Jeremy Podeswa) , My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin), A Promise To The Dead: The Exile Journey Of Ariel...

The Toronto International Film Festival madness began today with this year’s Canadian press conference—whereas last year we were unprepared for the experience, this year we were ready. We didn’t eat lunch, instead eating our fill of the finger food on offer. Result!

Recently, Torontoist has probably been playing too many videogames. Not that that’s a problem, per se, but when you’ve become such an adrenaline junkie that you’re absent-mindedly tapping a non-existent "A" button to get past this bothersomely long “cut-scene” you’ve been watching only to remember that you’re actually watching The Omen, you have to admit that you’ve probably got a problem, and should probably cool off with some of Pedro Costa's longest films, showing at Cinematheque Ontario this week.

Cinematheque Ontario’s summer season begins tonight, and we’ve got one pair of tickets to give away to their opening night screening, the celebrated silent film classic Sunrise: A Tale of Two Humans, argued to be one of the greatest films ever made by countless critics. It’s tonight at Jackman Hall at 6:30 p.m., so if you can make it and you’re randomly selected from the people who email us at contests@torontoist.com, we’ll notify you by 4:30 p.m. today that you’re the winner. (The contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered.)

Experienced CBC television-buffs will ardently sing the praises of Opening Night, a Thursday night tradition which since 2001 has been delivering exceptionally high-quality arts-based programming. Unfortunately, the majority of the people out would rather spend their Thursdays with CSI than with CBC, hence the current and already truncated season of Opening Night (now only 1 hour, instead of 2 and featuring only 11 episodes) is almost certainly going to be its last. As those of us still in mourning for ZeD know, CBC does have a history of cancelling some of its most interesting programming. But the loss of Opening Night will be a real shame. Over the years, it's showcased some amazing television, from concerts, to filmed Stratford productions, to Guy Maddin's sublime Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary, which remains the best film adaptation of Stoker's novel and probably one of the best dance films ever made.

Let it never be said that Torontoist’s fearless Film Friday column doesn’t use its peerless powers of precision to pick out the perfect film for your viewing pleasure! Yes, the other rags might have ignored it (probably no press screening) but this week’s pick above all others has to be Let’s Go To Prison, starring Toronto born Will Arnett (of Arrested Development) and directed by Mr. Show genius Bob Odenkirk, how could it possibly be anything other than completely excellent?

Guy Maddin is given an all-day retrospective at this year’s Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, which opens tonight (at 7:30pm, with short Pretty Broken and Ole Christian Madsen’s Kira’s Reason: A Love Story). There is a full schedule, of course, with programmes carefully grouped to certain aspects of mental health, such as sexuality (Queer Madness) or addiction (Hell’s Half Acre); programme All in the Family includes a screening of Cottonland, which played at this year’s Hot Docs and deals with substance abuse in Nova Scotia.

Now, although we’re siding with the After Dark Film Festival, there’s entirely the possibility that, you know, you’re a big scaredy-poo-pants and don’t fancy anything there.

Wow, we can't believe it's half-over. It seems like just a few days ago we weren't sure how we were going to cope with the film fest taking over our city now we're not sure how we're going to fill that empty hole in our hearts when the curtain falls on Saturday.

Canadian films don't make money. It's almost a certainty in the Canadian film industry but once in a while a film comes along that gives us hope. This year Fido, just might be that film. Our glowing review is here and other bloggers agree that the zombie comedy (zombedy?) about a '50s community where zombies are pets was the right choice to open the Canada First series.

A busy day for Torontoist yesterday, though no parties; though the Star! TV Shmooze was taking place. We didn’t hear any gossip about it, but it did rain. So we imagine the gossip would be something like… Famous celebrities got a bit wet.

Now this Torontoist isn't big on movies. For me, they have to have a point and be pretty good... and doesn't qualify as either. Short films, on the other hand, get to the point. It's all in the editing... a craft Hollywood has lost long ago.

Tonight, though, there are cinematic options aplenty. From Scorcese, (always an Oscar Bridesmaid, never a bride...until now?), and from two dynamite duets: Jeunet and Tautou, and Haines and Maddin. They sound like ice dancing pairs.

More on Maddin here, and here.