Hey, you know our weekly screening spotlight? Well, we’re expanding it to include film festivals, because this city has so many of those that we figured the passionate programmers deserved their say as well. So here’s a chance to learn a little more about that cinematic event you’ve been meaning to check out.
THE PROGRAMMER
Adam Lopez, director and founder of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, the showcase of genre cinema settling in at the Scotiabank Theatre October 11 through 19. He’s shepherded it from a scrappy little venture to a nine-day blowout for the city’s horror, sci-fi and action audience. “We play two or three films a night,” he says, “and then the fans and filmmakers go the pub afterwards.”
WHAT’S SHOWING?
This year’s lineup offers a mix of high-profile features – the British zombie musical Anna And The Apocalypse (October 13, 6:15 pm) and the J.J. Abrams-produced WWII thriller Overlord (October 19, 7 pm) both make their Toronto bows at After Dark before opening theatrically later this year – and smaller, stranger indies and imports like Issa Lopez’s Tigers Are Not Afraid (October 11, 7 pm), a Mexican ghost story that opens the festival, and Tilman Singer’s German chiller Luz (October 18, 7 pm), which has been garnering raves on the international festival circuit. Canadian offerings include Chad Archibald’s moody thriller I’ll Take Your Dead (October 11, 9:30 pm), Corey Stanton’s Robbery (October 15, 9:30 pm), a crime drama with a tragic twist and Justin McConnell’s melancholy body-swapping drama Lifechanger (October 16, 9:30 pm).
WHAT’S THE VIBE?
Lopez promises “a very relaxed, fan-driven atmosphere” at his festival. “We focus more on fans and filmmakers having a great time at the screenings and pub nights versus being an industry or workshop-driven event. Over half of our films have Q&As the filmmakers love coming to hang out with passionate crowds.”
ANY RECOMMENDATIONS?
If you can only get to one movie, Lopez wants it to be the closing night gala, You Might Be The Killer – “an absolute crowd-pleaser of a horror comedy, set at a summer camp with a psycho killer on the loose,” he says. “It’s a really clever guessing game of a movie as you try and figure out who’s the murderer, and co-stars the fabulous Alyson Hannigan from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. We’ve already sold out of our first screening, so we’ve added a midnight late show due to popular demand!”
Check out past NOW screening spotlights here.
movies@nowtoronto.com | @normwilner
