| Yet more World follies by MATTHEW
HAYS And yes, in part it’s got a fair bit to do with the Toronto event. And I see a parallel with one of the continent’s other major film fests, Sundance. At least as interesting as any of the films that get into Sundance each year are the films that haven’t managed to get in; thus clever, ingenious film types created alternate concurrent fests like Slamdance and Slumdance, for the sole purpose of showing rejects from Robert Redford’s allegedly alternative showcase. These counterfests have often offered up movies that were every bit as exciting as what the original had to screen. And that’s something that’s taking place here. There are now a number of filmmakers I’ve talked to who applied to both fests, didn’t get a coveted spot in Toronto and are now here with films that are fantastic. Claudia Morgado’s eerie and sexually-charged Bitten, for example, was rejected by Hogtown. As well, Expecting, a nutty comedy about a group of people gathered around a pregnant woman as she gives birth, was rejected by T.O. What a blunder! “A lot of people seemed to like it in Toronto, but for whatever reason they passed on it,” reports Thomas Mark Walden, who co-produced Expecting, which is rapidly becoming one of this year’s runaway hits at the World. “There are real positives to being here,” says Deborah Day, Expecting’s director and cowriter. “As a filmmaker, I get far better access to the press. There’s more of a sense that you can stand out here. The public and the press seem very receptive. In Toronto, there’s such a volume and so much star power that it’s really challenging as an unknown filmmaker to be discovered among everyone else. Building a buzz about your film is great here. This is a wonderful starting point for a film.” In other worldly news, let me quash a nasty rumour right here and now. Last year, as many of you may recall, Remstar did a crazy, wacky thing: they held a festival party that was actually worth attending! Lots of beautiful people frolicked (Samuel L. Jackson among them) and attendees were greeted by topless women who wore body paint with the Remstar logo across their breasts. Rumours were flying that the police threatened to put a kibosh on this year’s Remstar party after hearing about last year’s slutty nudity. No such thing happened, it’s all hogwash. Don’t believe everything you hear from film execs at boring parties! Remstar didn’t throw a party because they have two films in production, as well as being in post-production on the locally-shot Dangerous Liaisons (which costars Catherine Deneuve and Rupert Everett). “We’re too busy for a party,” reports Armand Lafond, Remstar’s vice prez, who promises the bare-breasted ladies will return next year. : |