After wowing audiences with Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 (which went on to win the People’s Choice Award), Danny Boyle returns to TIFF with 127 Hours, the true story of mountain climber, Aron Ralston (James Franco). The film follows Ralston’s adventure in the canyons of Utah, where a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him. Check out the exciting trailer below which was just released today:

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Late last night, Cameron Bailey brushed his teeth then announced the final film in the Special Presentations programme on Twitter. Larysa Kondracki’s The Whistleblower will make its world premiere at TIFF, starring Monica Bellucci, Rachel Weisz, Vanessa Redgrave and David Strathairn. The film is based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and ultimately discovers the U.N.’s cover-up of a sex scandal. The remaining films at the Festival will be announced on Tuesday morning. Check out the trailer for The Whistleblower below:

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The financial crisis of 2008 hit many Americans hard, resulting in millions losing their homes and jobs. Many are curious to know what exactly happened and Oscar-nominated director Charles Ferguson attempts to answer that question in his newest documentary, Inside Job. Through extensive research and interviews, the documentary exposes the hidden truths behind “the corrupted politics, regulation and academia”, which have contributed to the economic crisis. Narrated by Matt Damon, Inside Job has generated some positive critical buzz around the festival circuit so far, and is a doc worth considering if you’re attending TIFF this year. Trailer is below:

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Already being dubbed as potentially this year’s District 9, Gareth Edwards’ Monsters will be coming to the screens of the Toronto International Film Festival. The schedule has already been released by marketing company, Protagonist Pictures, and appears to be slotted in this year’s Vanguard programme. The British sci-fi has generated favourable reviews from audiences at SXSW, and is rumoured to have been shot on a budget of only $15,000. Monsters is a feature directorial debut for Gareth Edwards, formerly an Emmy-nominated visual effects editor. Synopsis, photos and trailers from the official website are below:

Six years ago previously, a NASA probe returning to earth with samples of an alien life form, crashed over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear, and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain “the creatures”… The story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

Believe it or not, Amigo is John Sayles’ 10th film that has been accepted to the Toronto International Film Festival. One of the most celebrated independent American directors of the last three decades, he decides to go back to the year 1900 for his latest film and explore the US occupation of the Philippines. We got a hold of the first teaser trailer and poster below, and must say it looks very promising. The entire film was shot in Bohol, Philippines, and there’s also an excellent blog that covers the making of the movie that’s worth checking out.

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At 73 years of age, David Suzuki, the passionate and iconic Canadian scientist, delivers what he describes as “a last lecture – a distillation of my life and thoughts, my legacy, what I want to say before I die.” Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie reveals Suzuki’s last lecture mixed in with candid interviews, in which he reflects on his life and shares personal stories, revealing a side previously unseen. NFB has provided six great clips below covering his early life to his days as an activist:

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Another film that’s not yet officially announced, The Ditch, is expected to be one of the Asian entries at TIFF 2010. Directed by Wang Bing, the film is set in the Gobi Desert in 1950s China, when thousands of people were forced to labour camps due to dissenting views of the Communist Party. This is the first feature for Wang Bing, who is mainly known for his documentary work. The synopsis is below, along with a few stills from the film.

At the end of the 1950s, the Chinese government condemned thousands of citizens – considered ‘right wing dissidents’ due their past activities, criticisms of the Communist Party or simply their middle-class backgrounds and families – to forced labour camps. Deported for re-education to the north-west of the country, in the middle of the Gobi Desert, thousands of miles from their families, they encountered conditions of absolute destitution. As a result of backbreaking physical labour, an unrelentingly extreme climate and the most meager of provisions, many of them perished.

THE DITCH recounts their fate – an unflinching account of the very extremes of the human condition.

If you aren’t caught up on TIFF trailers yet, the big one that arrived a few days ago was Darren Aronofsky’s dark psychological thriller, Black Swan. Also, a handful of trailers for Midnight Madness pics were revealed earlier this week. Today, the red band trailer for the wild comedy sequel, Fubar II, showed up on the Cineplex movie website. Give’r a look over there, as well as the party eviction scene that we have below.

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No, it’s not the Edward Norton magician film, but a hand-drawn animation by French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets Of Belleville) that is enjoying praise from English movie critics. The Illusionist tells the story of a magician who was pushed aside by rock and roll, yet finds one young girl who appreciates his magic. The idea for the film was conceived from a never-produced script written by Jacques Tati for his daughter, Chomet. So far, Sylvain Chomet’s idea has translated into positive reviews from critics, including Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian who thinks “it will be admired and loved as much as Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away was 10 years ago“. The Independent has already named it the Film of the Week, and the Irish Times gives it 5 stars, describing it as a animated fable that “moistens the tear ducts even as it stirs the senses“. Reviews for the film are trickling in, as the movie opens in theaters this Friday in the UK. The trailer can be viewed below.

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In the previous post we mentioned that Even the Rain, the new Christopher Columbus film directed by Icíar Bollaín will be headed to TIFF. We now have the first few stills from the Spanish low-budget film, which is made up of a non-professional cast, with the notable exception of Mexican actor Gael García Bernal. Hopefully, we will hear more about the film soon and when it is expected to be officially announced next week.


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