TIFF '08 - Day 2 (for me)

I overslept this morning. I guess I was just exhausted from getting up early yesterday, traveling and then walking all over Toronto.

I started my day by attending a panel at the Match Club that talked about alternative distribution, specifically digital (which is what Cinetic pushes). The panelists were Matt Dentler (former SXSW producer) and Janet Brown from Cinetic Rights Management. They were interviewed by Shane Smith, who is the executive producer of inflight entertainment at Spafax. It was pretty interesting, especially given the state of film (independent or not) right now - getting theatrical distribution is tough and expensive. The straight to DVD (and now digital) model doesn't hold the same negative connotations it once held. So many people have HD TVs in their home, and a lot have stereo/surround sound, making it a much better visual experience than going to some theaters. I personally enjoy seeing movies on the big screen, but I do like to have options. Having options was exactly what this panel was all about. Thinking about alternative distribution early on in the project is advised. Sites like Hulu.com, iTunes, and YouTube can all show feature-length films and reach across the world, via marketing and virally.

I saw a few movies today, but didn't really like any of them. They were okay, but none just blew me away.

I went to see Firaaq, but ended up leaving (along with several others). I didn't think the acting was that good and couldn't get into the story because of it.





Then came UNIVERSALOVE, which was beautifully shot. It had somewhat of a BABEL feel to it, with several stories happening at the same time, and all involving love in some sort of way.





My last movie of the night was a French film, UNSPOKEN. I really wanted to like this movie. It does a nice job of introducing the characters to the audience just through the shots, without any kind of dialog. You later learn a lot more about the couple's life, the loss they're suffering and wish they would just talk to each other - hence the title. The movie was too slow, but an excellent example of shot progression.