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Most of the 2007 year-in-review lists won’t be unveiled for a few more weeks, but if you’re really in a top-10 mood, the Toronto International Film Festival Group recently ponied up two major lists.
In a big industry event December 11, they announced their top 10 Canadian features and – for the first time ever – their top 10 shorts.
Most of the expected titles made the features list, including titles by heavy hitters David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises), Denys Arcand (L’Age Des Ténèbres), Guy Maddin (My Winnipeg), Jeremy Podeswa (Fugitive Pieces) and Bruce McDonald (The Tracey Fragments).
The Film Festival’s Canada First! opener, Martin Gero, made the list, as did Richie Mehta’s big-buzz flick, Amal. Both should get a release in 2008, along with Yung Chang’s Sundance-headed doc Up The Yangtze.No one will be bemoan the absence of lacklustre films like The Stone Angel, Silk, Normal and Poor Boy’s Game, which all failed to make the cut. By the way, if you’re wondering about Sarah Polley’s Oscar-touted Away From Her, it was on TIFFG’s 2006 top-10 list.
In the shorts division, we’re pleased to see Madame Tutli-Putli, Code 13 and The Colony acknowledged.
Tickets for the Canada’s Top 10 screenings, which run January 25 to February 5 and include panels and Q&As, are on sale now at 416-968-FILM, www.topten.ca.
Here are the winners, in alphabetical order.
- L’AGE DES TENEBRES
(Denys Arcand) - AMAL
(Richie Mehta) - CONTINENTAL, UN FILMS 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 DORFMAN (Peter Raymont) - THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS
(Bruce McDonald) - UP THE YANGTZE
(Yung Chang) - YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING
(Martin Gero)
- CODE 13 (Mathieu L. Denis)
- THE COLONY (Jeff Barnaby)
- DUST BOWL HA! HA! (Sébastien Pilote)
- FARMER’S REQUIEM (Ramses Madina)
- LES GRANDS (Chloé Leriche)
- I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE (Cam Christiansen)
- I MET THE WALRUS (Josh Raskin)
- MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI (Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski)
- POOL (Chris Chong Chan Fui)
- TERMINUS (Trevor Cawood)
