TIFF Announces More

On Thursday, 12 more films were announced, many of them major fall releases that will see their world premieres at the festival. They are:

• El Cantante (Leon Ichaso)
• Stranger Than Fiction (Marc Forster)
• Penelope (Mark Palansky)
• The Last Kiss (Tony Goldwyn)
• Seraphim Falls (David Von Ancken)
• Venus (Roger Michell)
• The Magic Flute (Kenneth Branagh)
• The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky)
• For Your Consideration (Christopher Guest)
• Bonneville (Christopher N. Rowley)
• Bobby (Emilio Estevez)
• Volver (Pedro Almodovar)

The last four films, by the way, are all Galas, which get the majority of the press attention at the festival. Unless you're a rabid fan of one of the Gala directors or actors, they're best avoided by those looking to seriously attend the festival. For one thing, the initial screenings are additional cost (though each will have at least one regular screening). For another, they take place in the Roy Thomson Hall, which is roundly criticized by TIFF film buffs as a really lousy place to see a movie. When you also consider that each film will almost certainly receive a wide release, attending becomes unnecessary.

As for the rest, they're a typically mixed bag. The Fountain looks beautiful, but I don't really like Aronofsky's previous films. Stranger Than Fiction has a nifty premise and a good cast. The remainder--meh. Maybe there's a gem or two there, but my leanings are more to the offbeat. I guess I'll just have to wait for the Visions programme to get more filled out.