by SARAH ROWLAND

World Film Festival

My search for hidden gems at the fest lead to a telecommunications overload, starting off with one of China's most celebrated directors Feng Xiaogang. His latest film Cell Phone is about a talk show host whose compulsion to cheat is only matched by his incessant need to answer the phone at the worst of times. Business meetings, break-ups, back seat rendezvous, if it's ringing, he's picking it up. This film moves a little slow but is definitely worth checking out.

Daniel Kash's Flip Phone, on the other hand, is so cutting and clever I'd like to see CBC make a regular series out of it and call it Sex and the Prairies. Sure, the Montreal director's short has a predictable punchline but the three catty bridesmaids, who get caught trash-talking their best friend's loser groom, are Absolutely Fabulous in a really accessible way. NOTE: Neither of these films should be confused with Cellular, a Hollywood extravaganza due out this month, which was co-written by Larry Cohen, who also penned the screenplay for Phone Booth

As far as rock docs go, Radio Revolution: the Rise and Fall of the Big 8, seemed like the best bet. The most interesting part of this film is Rosalie Trombley. She was a music director whose ear for hits made the Windsor's CKLW the third biggest radio station in North America during the '60s and '70s. The single mother of three helped launch Alice Cooper, popularized soul on the Canadian airwaves, told Elton John what order to release his singles and is credited/blamed for power ballads. After her preteen begged her mom to spin a then unknown KISS song "Beth," it rocketed to number one and Gene Simmons gave the gold album to Trombley's kid. The movie itself is pretty straightforward with a lot of talking heads, but the Wayne Kramer interview clips will appeal to ageing musicians who like to reference MC5 as proof of their punk rock lineage.

Then there's Ice Men, a two-hour dramatization of a beer commercial about five men spending the weekend in a cabin. There are some strong performances and director Thom Best has a lot of good ideas. But ultimately the film left me cold and wondering: do stereotypical Ontario hockey jocks really want to watch a drama that explores their feelings? Conversely, do people who enjoy films that delve into human emotions really want to watch no-neck goofs collectively melt down on their outdoor rink? Made for TV all the way.

In happier CanCon film news: Congratulations to the cast and crew of Montreal's Elephant Shoes. Christos Sourligas' delightful romantic comedy, which was made for a meagre $10,000, was the first film to sell out all of its screenings.

Italian Film Festival

The first hit is free. The founders of the inaugural "Quintius" Italian film festival, Joe Sisto and Dino Mazzone, will host over 30 films from five different countries, Sept. 8–12 free of charge. All Italian, all Quebec premieres and all playing at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre, 8370 Lacordaire Boulevard in Saint-Leonard. For more info visit www.quintusfest.org.

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