Are big festivals still enjoyable?

I used to be the Street Festival Queen.  I started going to street festivals when I wasn't working for something to do that was free and entertaining.  I could get some street food for $5 to $10 and wander around and take photos.  I would write about them on my Starving Foodie Blog. 

The photo above was take about 2 hours before the fireworks at Mel Lastman Square and on the other side of the food trucks were thousands of people.

I am writing this post on this blog because it's not food related as much as it is a commentary about how Festivals have changed.

Last year I went to fewer and fewer festivals because they were becoming further and further away and more hassle to get to them and insanely long lines and the prices of food and drink not as affordable to try a bunch of things.

But in the past year I think there are so many other reasons that have added to my decline in attending street festivals.

Between the man in the van that mowed down people in the very area I was standing at tonight at Mel Lastman Square to the other guy that ran people down on the Danforth not too long after that.   So many people were just going about their daily business or out enjoying the weather at the time so there were probably a lot more people than usual around.  Someone's life can change in an instant just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time these days and someone else's bad decisions that harm innocent people.

Also recently I had my wallet stolen somewhere between taking out cash at the bank machine before jumping onto the subway to go to work and discovering that it was missing when I went to grab my wallet to buy my lunch.   I have spent 2 weeks replacing the things in my wallet.  I still don't have my birth certificate and can't renew my passport without it.  I also can't rent a Zipcar yet becuase my card hasn't arrived yet.
It is a very uneasy feeling to lose your wallet.  You wonder what the person who took it is going to do with it.  You have to remember everything you had and backtrack and then replace everything.  It's very time consuming.

What I noticed when I went to Mel Lastman Square to see the Canada Day events was that I had to worry about my personal space and make sure my bag was protected.  I also couldn't handle being in a crowd of people flailing their arms,  wandering around with their phones in their face and not paying attention to where they were going and the crowd of families with kids just running wild and un supervised.

I have gone to Mel Lastman Square many times for concerts and festivals over the years.  I was there yesterday and watched an African band for a little while but this time I had an overwhelming desire to get out of the area.

I thought about the people that died in that very area and it seemed to me that the people have changed over the years.   I have grown up on a street with mostly immigrant families but we knew all of our neighbours.  Things have changed so much now that we have more Asian and Indian population than we do people born in Canada.  People stay within their communities and they don't know their neighbours.   Most have not grown up in Canada and therefore do not seem to have the same value for things as they may not have the feeling that we did when I grew up that we look out for our area and the people that lived in it.

I don't feel like people have the same respect level that I grew up with.  The example is how much trash people leave behind now after these large festivals.  It's someone else's job to pick it up instead of walking your butt a few feet to dispose of it properly.

Mel Lastman square was designed for half the population that now resides in North York and people weren't coming from all over the city to go there.  It was mostly a neighbourhood destination.
It's not designed for large groups of people to comfortably watch concerts and other events. 

I couldn't just enjoy my time there anymore like I had done in the past because I couldn't feel safe or comfortable anymore and didn't even see anyone I recognized and I have lived in this area since 2011 and things have changed drastically since then.

I blame the state of the world and the poverty and wealth divide.  If more people could earn a living wage in the areas they live in things would be more balanced throughout the city.   I also blame the greedy developers who build huge skyscraping  buildings while taking out community spaces and green spaces where people can relax and feel safe.  I do not think there is any turning back at this point,  we have grown too big for the infrastructure we have now.  It's very visible when you  ride the Yonge Street subway any given day.  People get on at Finch and don't get off until Union station.  This is an indicator to me that people don't work where they live and the concentration of work and entertainment is all centred around the Union station area.  it's just too much in one small area and where I live there is the highest density of the whole city.  That wasn't true when I moved here.

I waffle between staying and moving but with the cost of rent downtown and the commuting times out of town there aren't many good options.

I just feel sad that the one thing that was enjoyable in the past has now been taken away because of a handful of bad people who hold innocent people hostage in their own city.   I feel like I have lost my freedom and ability to enjoy the good things the city has to do.  I know someone in the Netherlands who is envious of the many festivals I attend but I am envious of the peaceful life she leads in the Netherlands.  I was never afraid to go anywhere in Toronto my whole life but I do not feel that way anymore unfortunately.

Welcome to Canada.

Chef Flynn -1 week engagement at Hot Docs Cinema Jan 25

CHEF FLYNN
Directed by Cameron Yates

One-Week Engagement
Begins January 25, 2019
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto
 

 

Chef Flynn McGarry was 10-years-old when he showed interest in taking over the kitchen duties from his divorced mother Meg who had no interest in cooking.  Around 13 he opened a supper club in the living room of his mother's California home, using his classmates as line cooks and serving a seasonal foraged tasting menu to wide-eyed Los Angelenos.

As the years pass, Flynn grows both as a chef, and a teenager, eventually outgrowing his family kitchen, and his mother's camera and in a search for increased knowledge and to be taken seriously he ventured out to stage at many world class restaurants which included a trip to Scandinavia.  Flynn all the while honing his style on Pop Up restaurant events.

Flynn's mother Meg with a background in film was documenting Flynn's life from the time he was born and amassed 18 years of personal archival footage as well as intimate vérité, this feature documentary portrait is not only the study of a rising star thrown into the media spotlight at an early age, but also a reflection on motherhood and what it means to give up one's own identity in furtherance of a child's passion.

Director Cameron Yates (The Canal Street Madam) captures lightning-in-a-bottle to reveal Flynn’s singular drive and passion as he navigates the often-cutthroat world of fine dining.

Chef Flynn had its Canadian premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and screened at Sundance, Berlinale, SXSW in 2018.

I had a chance to speak with the Director Cameron Yates and Flynn's mother Meg this week.

Cameron Yates

1.     How and when did you get involved in the documentary?

"I read articles in the New Yorker and found info online in 2012. and found the Dining with Flynn videos on Youtube and was totally fascinated and wanted to find out more about Meg so I contacted her through a connection from the films producer"  

2.     Since Meg had a film background did she have a specific vision for the project and did you have a pre conceived vision of where you wanted to take it? 

"Meg handed over hard the hard drives and ever asked to see anything".  "She was crying after screening".

Cameron met with Meg, Flynn and his sister Paris for dinner in New York,  Flynn ordered for everyone.  

It took a year of chatting with Meg before he came on board to direct. He felt that Meg was ready to hand over the reigns by then,  Meg asked Cameron to shoot the last dinner at their LA home.

They filmed for about 5 years.  Cameron felt that the film was more of a mother and son relationship than just a Teen Prodigy story.

Chef Flynn now has his own restaurant in New York which is named after is mother.  It's called Gem, which is Meg spelled backwards.

Cameron tells me that Flynn is very hands on in his restaurant with him shopping at the local farmer's market, picking the flowers, music and the hiring and firing of staff on top of his masterful cooking ability he wants to be taken seriously as a restaurant owner and fine dining Chef and ditch the Teen Prodigy moniker.

He has built a community of friends in New York that include his sister Paris and her friends who are nearby and the family that is his kitchen staff.

Flynn's mother now lives in a Studio in LA where she still makes short films while working full time as an assistant.  I spoke to her about her incredible influence in Flynn's life.

Meg McGarry

1.  Did you have thoughts of what you thought Flynn would be when he grew up? 

"We  found footage of cooking shows of Flynn playing with his sister and her calling him Chef Flynn.  He Dressed up like Emeril when he was 2 for Halloween.  

I just wanted a kind and healthy baby.  If your child shows and interest in something you should embrace it.  Played baseball, guitar and did different things in an exhaustive way.  He has natural ability. Around 10 he was interested in taking over kitchen.  At 11 wanted to learn on Internet and with cookbooks.  He created his own dishes at 12.  He apprenticed where I hung out.  By 13 he had extraordinary kitchen skills".

2.  How did he convince you to do the pop up in your home?  

"It was oganically formed by cooking for family, friends and birthdays. When it grew we asked for donations for the food.  My father cooked huge Chinese food meals on Friday nights.  Our home had a restaurant area.  At the beginning we held the pop ups twice a month.  I had pro friends to help cook and serve.  He gained a bit of fame at the start because of his age.  When you are young you have a lot of energy.. people achieve a lot in their youth.  The first article in the New Yorker was because of  journalist who came to dinner at the house and wanted to write about it and the New Yorker picked it up.  We met Chef Daniel at a book signing and Flynn showed him photos on his phone of the food he cooked and he realized he can cook from a very complicated cookbook.  He was able to go and work the line in his New York restaurant and they soon realized  his hard work and talent."

3.  Does he have other ideas of what he wants to do?  

"He shied away from things that take away from restaurant, he works 5 days a week.   After 1 year it's still fresh. Sometimes has a day off and does parties or goes to movies, concerts and other things.

He lives close to the restaurant and his sister lives near him.

I live in LA and visit every 4 months" 

Meg still writes and made a short film about a  year ago.   She feels it's time to step back and let Flynn fly on his own and develop his wings.

I have now watched the film twice.  One before Hot Docs and again before this interview and I picked up new subtle images and words after watching it the second time.

It's very interesting when you combine a passion, a supportive family, and an interesting life story how things can amplify quickly in the media and change dynamics of one's life.

Go see this film.  A lot of the footage is raw footage filmed over the early years but then moves to Flynn's breakout as a professional Chef.

This is not my City -Toronto :(

I woke up and turned on the tv to find out that there was another random shooting on the Danforth in Toronto last night.  12 people were shot and one person killed and the shooter is dead.

All I keep asking myself lately is WHY?  Why does this keep happening and why is the level of violence increasing at an alarming rate?

Our Mayor John Tory is always quick to respond to these situations and understands how serious and life shattering these events are and he is trying to develop a strategy with the Police to try and curb gun violence but I am starting to feel like they are fighting a losing battle.

My City is not my City anymore.  Even as little as 3 years ago I felt differently about living in Toronto and feeling free to roam the streets.  3 years ago I wasn't working and was spending a lot of time at street festivals and blogging about them on my Food Blog.  Now I have lost the desire to be in crowds of people because the risks are ever increasing because sick people are now targeting large groups of people and trying to destroy as much human capital is they can. 

The first time there was a big shakeup in the world was after 9/11 when people couldn't believe that there was a plan to hijack planes with the sole intent of killing people at the twin towers in NYC.

Ever since then random violence from gun shootings or terrorism or now the driving over people have escalated throughout the world. 

I live in Willowdale and my community changed in April when one depressed guy decided to hop into a van and run people down on a very busy warm and sunny workday lunch hour and kill innocent people just going about their daily business.

We have had the summer of the gun back again this summer with every weekend having escalating death tolls from random gun violence.  Violence is no longer targeted to someone being angry at someone else for something specific to them only.  Violence is everywhere and there is often no reason for it.  Many times the people shooting random people kill themselves or are killed by Police so we never find out why they do this.

The Why is what we need to find out so that we can figure out how to prevent it before someone decides to pick up a gun or form a plan to hurt other people.

I don't think having more Police is the only answer because mostly the attacks have no warning and the Police can only control the aftermath after someone has been shot or run down.

We need to look at what has changed in our World.  Is it the media broadcast of these events and people trying to keep topping the last one or is it the fact that people don't care about consequences anymore and have lost empathy for others.  Is it the violent video game mentality where they think it's cool to shoot people or is it that there are people that are just so extremely angry that all they want to do is make people go away.

I am ANGRY too... I am angry at the people that make these decisions that destroy so many people's lives but I am never going to buy a gun,  make a bomb or jump in a van and form a plan to kill innocent people.   How does it get to that point?  What are the red flags and why aren't we seeing them? 

I want my City back and want to feel free to walk a street festival, sit on a patio, go to the movies, go to the mall or a concert or even just walk down the street alone. 

Growing up I never had to think about the chances of getting shot or getting run down and making my decision on whether to do something or not because of it.  Now young people growing up have to be aware 24/7 that violence can be anywhere and everywhere and they have to be suspicious of strangers all the time and have to learn about what to do in case violence occurs.  I never thought about these things growing up and hope that we can find a way to go back to that way of life at some point.

Is it because there are too many people in this city now?  Is it because the court system is not handing out harsher sentences to violent offenders?  Is it because the bad people have no fear or remorse anymore?  Is it because people have become used to these kinds of things now and think it's just a matter of timing before it happens close to home. 

That's not acceptable to me.  We need to keep asking Why?  We need to find out How we can change the progression of these kinds of events. 

What? Why? Is it.... Poverty?  Racism? Terrorism?  Mental Health?  Anger?  Addiction?

I want to see my City and the World reverse the violent tendencies.  The only people that need guns are the Police and Military.  We need to get rid of the desire for someone to want a weapon that will cause destruction of innocent lives.

Mass shootings don't have to become the new normal.  I feel sad for the World and the future of the kids that will inherit it.

If you see a red flag do something.

I want my Toronto to be #TorontoStrong again.

Toronto Strong Vigil

#TORONTOSTRONG

I just attended the Toronto Strong Vigil at Mel Lastman Square with one of my friends who also lives in Willowdale and was in the area around the time of the senseless Van attack on Monday April 23rd.

I was at work in the middle of a lunch event that I had organized when I got a text to see if I heard what happened at Yonge and Finch.  I had no idea but could hardly believe it when I got back to my desk and looked up what had happened.  My friend posted in shock at her experience of being there.  It could have been her that could have lost her life and if it had happened on the Saturday before when I was in the area grocery shopping it could have been me too.  This is a different kind of #METOO, one that no one wants to be a part of.

I can't say I was totally surprised that this happened as I have been feeling like it would be only a matter of time before our city would be touched with a large tragic event as the World has been experiencing random acts of violence spreading anywhere and everywhere.

I  had the same feeling hearing about this event as I did when 9/11 happened.  The World has changed and there is no such thing as being somewhere safe.  

I have been sad and angry all week because there seems to be increased levels of these types of attacks all over the world and this attack in particular hit a very diverse community so it wasn't race based, political, gender based or for any specific reason other than the fact that the person who did this was an angry and frustrated young man who lashed out on innocent people.

What makes me angry is that people like this person can rent a van and ruin so many lives and then have no regret for his actions while people in the aftermath live in fear and in grief, sadness and anger.

I haven't gone to Olive Square but I thought it was important to stand with my neighbours and friend to show respect to the people affected and show gratitude to the Police services and first responders who have been examples to the world on how we handle tragic events in our city.

I live i one of the most diverse and dense places in Toronto and everyday I see the face of the neighbourhood changing.  I have lived in this area for about 7 years and it has grown larger since I got here.

At the Vigil people from the neighbourhood and others and many faith leaders, politicians from all levels of government and local community groups were all present to come together to show how we are #TorontoStrong and to begin to heal and move on and live our lives with hope. I was happy to hear TC3 the young group who I met years ago while I did a promotional video for them.

It was great to see all religions come together for one purpose and bring people together and not divided because of religion.

The Politicians were present but did not speak as to make it a community healing event and not a political one.

I have a friend who was on the same bridge in London, England just hours before a similar Van attack and you fear that you have to make choices or you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I think the answer is to be more aware of people in our communities and get people help before they turn to violence against others.  We do not want to live in a city where it becomes a police state with walls and we lose our freedom to walk the streets without fear and to go about our daily business without having to wonder if something will happen.   

Canada is a country of diversity and freedom and we don't want to lose this way of life.

Stay Strong Toronto.

Opening Night ICFF - Qualcosa di Nuovo

For the third year in a row I have had the great fortune to be able to attend the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) a great festival in Toronto that is very young in years but it is very big in scope.
It has grown so much in a few short years.  It now spans from Toronto to Vancouver to Montreal.  It's more than a film festival, it's a celebration of Italian Culture and along with the films there has been loads and loads of Italian Food and fashion and Italian centred art.

The Opening Night film was a hilarious comedy called QUALCOSA DI NUOVO.  It stars Paula Cortellesi.  Although I am not familiar with her work I understand that she is very popular and is a great singer.  She is a very good actress and I really enjoyed this fun and interesting look at 2 Forty something women who were best friends since childhood.  One is a responsible and repressed Jazz singer and the other is a wild child single mother with 2 kids.  In an interesting twist of fate the mother meets a young man on an alcohol fuelled night out and after they spend the night together the young man who doesn't remember all of the details of the previous evening but knows he had a great time but mistakenly thinks it was with her friend the repressed Jazz singer.  Through a serious of mixed up circumstances the 2 women get to know the young man and realise that although they think they are teaching him a few things about life he is actually teaching them some big life lessons.

This was a smartly written piece that was adapted from the theatre and the dialogue and the chemistry between the 3 characters is incredible.

It's great to see women over 40 in attractive, desirable and smart roles and it was very entertaining at the same time.  A great start to the film festival.

From the films I have seen so far at the festival I think that Italians really know how to do comedy well and make their films both hilarious and smart.  They remind me of the films like the old Hollywood film with Carey Grant and Sophia Loren.

Paula Cortellesi and ICFF artistic Director Cristiano de Florentis

You still have time to see some films at ICFF.  for more information and tickets  http://icff.ca/

Damon is Bourne

YOU KNOW HIS NAME - Jason Bourne aka Matt Damon

Sometimes you end up at the right place at the right time.  This doesn't happen all that often for me. I am mostly somewhere else and missing cool things.  Yesterday was different though.  I left my office and decided to grab a pizza instead of hopping on a packed subway train and having to stand all the way home.  Just as I left the building and was walking over to the Pizza place next door I heard someone call my name.  I stopped and turned around and it was one of my film festival friends who had just picked up tickets that she won for the new Bourne film.  She said she had an extra one if I wanted to go.  Heck Ya!  I was just going to go home and do laundry.  It was early so I still grabbed my pizza and headed over to meet her at the Scotiabank theatre.

The best part is that I didn't have time to think about it and see any trailers or anything.  But I am totally familiar with this franchise and have probably seen all the Bourne films so I knew what to expect.  I have to say that Matt Damon is one of my favourite people to attend TIFF,  he is very chill but when he has a movie in the festival it's pandemonium.  He really is that side of the Bourne character that can fly under the radar when he wants to.

But anyway, back to the actual film.  It's pretty much all action all the time.  I realized that Damon as Bourne is pretty much in motion for about 90% percent of the time, either walking, running, riding a motorcycle or driving.  The stunts are unbelievable and seem to get more over the top and how did they do that with each film.  Then there are the bad guys who are supposed to be the good guys.  It's hard not to hate Tommy Lee Jones' character and he gets what he deserves in this film.

It's nice to see Alicia Vikander in this one as a smart head of Intelligence who you aren't quite sure what her agenda is.  She plays it very smart and has great equality with Damon.

Bourne is a secret agent magician who is always one step ahead of the game and always tries to figure out the bad guys move and out manouever them.   He is there and then he is gone.  Seemlessly travelling through countries and through obstacles.   I want to be as smooth as him in my real life.

It's impressive that at 45, Damon is still able to do all of these action scenes and get buff for each one.  I don't know how long he will be able to do these films but I hope he stays on maybe in some other capacity because he is a really great actor and this role was tailor made for him.

I truly enjoyed this one and left feeling like I got lucky to be in the right place at the right time to get this preview ticket.  

Go see it and make sure you don't drink too much or you will miss lot's of action.



5 films to see at Hot Docs

The Hot Docs Documentary film festival returns to Toronto from April 28 to May 8, 2016.  

I had a chance to review a few of the films prior to the festival.  They couldn't be more different from each other in subject matter, from food, music, dancing, and guns to Alzheimer's disease.   All of these subjects are really close to my heart for many reasons and I am always astounded by the quality of the documentaries Hot Docs finds every year. 

This year in 11 days there are 232 films in 12 programs from 51 countries with 40% that are made by female directors. which is unprecedented.  

These are a few of the films I was able to see prior to the festival.

Ants on a Shrimp

ANTS ON A SHRIMP (Special Presentations)

D: Maurice Dekkers | Netherlands | 2016 | 88 min | Canadian Premiere

Michelin chef René Redzepi of “The World’s Best Restaurant” Noma temporarily closes Noma to head to Tokyo for a five-week pop-up.  He is a man that isn't content on doing what he has already done and as he built his Denmark restaurant from what was available from the land around him, he tries to bring this sensibility to the menu creation in Tokyo.  Will it work? Will they expect the same food as the Noma menu?  How does he retain his integrity and creativity in an unfamiliar place?  This is an intense look inside the world of innovative chefs and the dedication it takes to produce food at such a high level.

HOT DOCS SCREENING DATES:

SUNDAY, MAY 1                                6:45 PM               ISABEL BADER THEATRE

MONDAY, MAY 2                              12:30 PM              HART HOUSE THEATRE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4                        6:30 PM                ISABEL BADER THEATRE

SUNDAY, MAY 8                                6:00 PM               THE ROYAL

David Byrne - Contemporary Colour

John Mann - Spirit Unforgettable

Under the Gun

CONTEMPORARY COLOR (Special Presentations)

D: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross | USA | 2016 | 96 min | International Premiere

An extraordinary lineup of top music stars including event mastermind David Byrne of The Talking Heads, Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent and more perform live with 10 “colour guard” teams—perfectly synchronized students in pep-rally choreography—in this one-of-a-kind, kaleidoscopic event.

This film is an interesting look at mixing art forms and collaboration between Music artist and creative young dance groups.  The colour guard is a mix between cheerleeding and modern dance. 

HOT DOCS SCREENING DATES:

MONDAY, MAY 2                              6:30 PM                BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4                       4:15 PM                TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX

SUNDAY, MAY 8                               1:00 PM                BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

SPIRIT UNFORGETTABLE 

D: Pete McCormack | Canada | 2016 | 86 min) 

John Mann the front man for Canadian Celtic rock band Spirit of the West and his wife, actress and playwright Jill Daum decide to tell their story of John's early onset of Alzheimer's disease before the progression declines.  

I didn't know anything much about the Spirit of the West but I do know about the effects of Alzheimer's and this is what it looks like at the early stages.  John Mann is only 52 and still able to function but with his friends and family but how can he continue a career that is based on remembering music and lyrics.  It's a sad look into the reality of what is lost from this disease.

                          HOT DOCS SCREENING DATES:

                                     SATURDAY, APRIL 30                  9:00 PM                  ISABEL BADER THEATRE

                                     MONDAY, MAY 2                         3:00 PM                  HART HOUSE THEATRE

                                     SUNDAY, MAY 8                          12:30 PM                ROYAL CINEMA

                

 

Gary Numan: Android in LA LA LAND

GARY NUMAN: ANDROID IN LA LA LAND

D: Steve Reid, Rob Alexander | UK | 2016 | 85 min | Canadian Premiere

Gary Numan was one of the leaders of the electronic music era in the 80's but as the electronic music's popularity faded Numan became somewhat of a recluse in the UK.  It would probably have been the end of him and his career if he hadn't met a fan who became his supportive wife.  Gemme was as his explains, everything he isn't.  They struggle to have children and are finally blessed with 3 lovely girls.  Numan had continued to produce music for all the wrong reasons and in the process fell into depression and anxiety and finally creating the music that was therapeutic for him became his driving force to lift him from crushing insecurity and anxiety. Numan and his wife struggled through money issues, infertility, depression and family struggles but it was Numan's new music that lifted him out of the depths of his despair.  This film had me transfixed with the music and the look into the heart of what it takes to have a career in the music industry.  It will make you want to run out and get his music as soon as you leave the theatre.   

                           HOT DOCS SCREENING DATES:

                                   SUNDAY, MAY 1                           9:15 PM                 ISABEL BADER THEATRE

                                   TUESDAY, MAY 3                        12:45 PM                 BELL TIFF LIGHTBOX

                                   SUNDAY, MAY 8                           8:30 PM                  ROYAL CINEMA

UNDER THE GUN (D: Stephanie Soechtig | USA | 2016 | 110 min)  

Founder of gun control group Sandy Hook Promise. 

I had my days mixed up and thought I was going to see Ants on a Shrimp but ended up seeing Under the Gun and as the first scenes started playing I realized this film had nothing to do with food but right away I had an uneasy feeling as I watched people sit in a circle and talk about guns.  This film has an inside look into how the NRA (National Rifle Association) affects the gun laws and the U.S.A. and the phenomena of how gun sales spike every time there is a mass shooting in the U.S.  Did you know that you are 16 times more likely to be shot by a gun in the U.S. as you are in Britain?  Why? Because the gun lobbyist control the gun laws in the United States.  In other countries where there is higher gun control and registration of guns the deaths from guns decreases.   You would think that the laws would change after the mass shooting of many kids at Sandy Hook would make people step up and do the right thing but the NRA instead put fear into people's hearts while hiding behind the 1st ammendment right to bear arms.  It's just insane and it's getting worse.  After watching Piers Morgan on  CNN show weekly mass murders and have panels of gun supporters talk about the issue while the rise in fatalities increased it just made me sick to my stomach.  I now don't have CNN and that might be a good thing.  It comes down to money and power in the end over innocent lives.  Katie Couric narrates this look at the divided world of gun registration. 

                         HOT DOCS SCREENING DATES:

                                TUESDAY, MAY 3                      3:15 PM                        BELL TIFF LIGHTBOX

                                THURSDAY, MAY 5                   9:30 PM                        BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

                                SUNDAY, MAY 8                       9:30 PM                         ROYAL CINEMA

For info and Tickets:  http://www.hotdocs.ca  

*images provided by V.K.and Associates Inc.

My TIFF Film Picks

TIFF - The Toronto International Film Festival is just about to begin a milestone year with it's 40th Film Festival starting next week.  Now is the time when people are quickly planning their 10 or 11 days at the festival.  Every year the festival gets bigger and bigger and it gets tougher to try and see all the films you want to see in such a limited time span.   With a couple hundred films at a dozen different theatres it's tricky to figure out where to be and when and what to see.  So planning has been the key for many successful longtime film goers.  Some of my friends create Excel spreadsheets to map out where there films are.   This year I used the spreadsheet that created by Tiff and whittled it down to the picks of films I want to see.

Art is very subjective and this list is the films I want to see.  Your list may be very different.  I choose my films based on subject matter, sometimes an actor that I think will be very good, sometimes it's a director and sometimes it's just something I think would be just a lot of fun.

One thing I have learned in my 15 years doing TIFF is that it's hard to get everyone to agree on the same film.  With my 30 odd Tiff teammates we can all see the same movie and there will be a few in the bunch that weren't fans of the film while it hit home to others.  A dozen of us saw a film last night and a few cried while it didn't touch others the same way.  So you never know what films you will connect with.

Here is my list of films I hope to see either at Tiff or the near future and I hope a lot of them end up being Academy Award Nominated films this year.

I won't go into detail now about the films or why I chose them but I write about the ones I do get to see later.

I hope you get to see a few goods films and look out for some of these at screens in the future.

FILM Title	Programme	Director(s)
45 Years	Special Presentations	Andrew Haigh
About Ray	Special Presentations	Gaby Dellal
Amazing Grace	TIFF Docs	Sydney Pollack
An	Contemporary World Cinema	Naomi Kawase
Beeba Boys	Gala Presentations	Deepa Mehta
Being Charlie	Special Presentations	Rob Reiner
Black Mass	Special Presentations	Scott Cooper
Born to be Blue	Special Presentations	Robert Budreau
Brooklyn	Special Presentations	John Crowley
Casual	Primetime	Zander Lehmann
Demolition	Gala Presentations	Jean-Marc Vallée
Desierto	Special Presentations	Jonás Cuarón
Every Thing Will Be Fine	Masters	Wim Wenders
Eye in the Sky	Gala Presentations	Gavin Hood
Five Nights in Maine	Discovery	Maris Curran
Freeheld	Gala Presentations	Peter Sollett
Guilty	Special Presentations	Meghna Gulzar
He Named Me Malala	TIFF Docs	Davis Guggenheim
Hyena Road	Gala Presentations	Paul Gross
Into the Forest	Special Presentations	Patricia Rozema
Janis: Little Girl Blue	TIFF Docs	Amy Berg
Keith Richards: Under the Influence	Primetime	Morgan Neville
LEGEND	Gala Presentations	Brian Helgeland
Len and Company	Special Presentations	Tim Godsall
London Fields	Special Presentations	Mathew Cullen
Miss You Already	Gala Presentations	Catherine Hardwicke
Mississippi Grind	Gala Presentations	Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden
Mr. Right	Gala Presentations	Paco Cabezas
Our Brand Is Crisis	Special Presentations	David Gordon Green
Remember	Gala Presentations	Atom Egoyan
Spotlight	Special Presentations	Tom McCarthy
The Danish Girl	Special Presentations	Tom Hooper
The Dressmaker	Gala Presentations	Jocelyn Moorhouse
The Family Fang	Special Presentations	Jason Bateman
The Lady in the Van	Special Presentations	Nicholas Hytner
The Lobster	Special Presentations	Yorgos Lanthimos
The Man Who Knew Infinity	Gala Presentations	Matthew Brown
The Martian	Gala Presentations	Ridley Scott
The Meddler	Special Presentations	Lorene Scafaria
The Steps	Contemporary World Cinema	Andrew Currie
The Witch	Special Presentations	Robert Eggers
This Changes Everything	TIFF Docs	Avi Lewis
Trumbo	Special Presentations	Jay Roach
Truth	Special Presentations	James Vanderbilt
Women He's Undressed	TIFF Docs	Gillian Armstrong
Youth	Special Presentations	Paolo Sorrentino