Russian mobsters, the Rwandan genocide and gay NHL-ers are among the diverse topics to be explored by Canadian filmmakers showcasing their work at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
The 10-day movie marathon rolled out the red carpet Thursday with a blockbuster lineup including opening night film "Fugitive Pieces,'' helmed by Toronto director Jeremy Podeswa and based on the acclaimed novel by Anne Michaels.
The film, about a Polish Jew haunted by memories of the Holocaust, is part of a strong Canuck contingent at this year's festival, with new offerings from some of the country's top directors, including David Cronenberg, Denys Arcand, Bruce McDonald, Guy Maddin and Jason Reitman (the Montreal-born son of movie mogul Ivan Reitman).
Forty-one Canadian features will unspool in Toronto this year, up from 37 last year.
"There's so much Canadian talent,'' exclaims Reitman, who will be here promoting "Juno,'' the highly anticipated followup to his 2005 gem "Thank You for Smoking.''
While Podeswa's film grabs opening night glory, cinephiles will no doubt be clamouring to see Cronenberg's "Eastern Promises,'' in which the 64-year-old director is reunited with his "History of Violence'' star Viggo Mortensen.
The new film is dark, brooding and chock-full of the kind of blood-curdling violence Cronenberg has become known for. "A History of Violence,'' which debuted at the festival two years ago, went on to capture two Oscar nominations, and "Eastern Promises'' has already drawn huge buzz.
After Toronto, the London-shot film will open Spain's 55th annual San Sebastian Film Festival. It also has an opening slot at the London Film Festival in October. Despite those coups, the director insists screening in his hometown remains special.
"We're totally delighted to be able to say that we're going to have a gala here again at the Toronto film festival,'' says Cronenberg.
"It feels like I have to do that to come full circle with any movie.''
Arcand, who won the best foreign film Oscar in 2004 for "The Barbarian Invasions,'' is also one to watch this year. He'll introduce Toronto audiences to "Days of Darkness'' ("L'Age des tenebres''), about a civil servant who has a dull job and is ignored by his family but has an active fantasy life. It completes the trilogy that began with "The Decline of the American Empire'' and continued with "Invasions.''
Quebec films always figure prominently at the Toronto event, which is known for being more accessible to the public than other festivals.
"I know that the people of the festival, they know very well Quebec cinema, they've supported us over the years,'' says Montreal-born director Bernard Emond, who returns to Toronto this year with the heart-wrenching drama "Contre toute esperance'' ("Summit Circle''), the second film in his trilogy focused on faith, hope and charity.
"What I like also is that there's always a question-and-answer period after the showings. You won't find that in all festivals, but for me it's probably the main reason why I go.''
Manitoba also figures prominently at this year's fest. "The Stone Angel,'' Kari Skogland's adaptation of the beloved Margaret Laurence novel, was shot there and features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn as Hagar Shipley as well as panoramic prairie views.
Winnipeg served as the backdrop for portions of the latest Brad Pitt movie, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.'' The film was partially shot in Vancouver and Alberta as well.
McDonald's "The Tracey Fragments'' is set in the Prairie capital, while Maddin's "My Winnipeg'' explores the director's love-hate relationship with his hometown.
A good part of Maddin's film laments the loss of some of Winnipeg's most beloved architecture, but the city's historic exchange district has survived to host a flurry of recent film activity.
"Recently, a lot of urban exteriors for 'The Assassination of Jesse James,' the new Brad Pitt movie, were shot in Winnipeg because they didn't have to change anything a bit from the 1890s,'' Maddin notes.
"They just had to take down a few street lights and cover up some signage with burlap sacks or something like that and they had seven square city blocks of 19th-century cow town.''
Ottawa-born filmmaker Roger Spottiswoode, meanwhile, will be at the festival with "Shake Hands With the Devil,'' a dramatic account of Romeo Dallaire's ordeal during the Rwandan genocide. On the other side of the spectrum is Laurie Lynd's light-hearted "Breakfast With Scot,'' sure to make headlines because of its controversial subject matter _ a gay Toronto Maple Leafs player. It stars Ottawa native Tom Cavanagh, known to TV viewers as the title character in the long-running series "Ed.''
Toronto director Clement Virgo, meanwhile, will showcase his latest, the Halifax-shot boxing tale "Poor Boy's Game,'' featuring "Color Purple'' star Danny Glover.
And the festival will wrap Sept. 15 on another Canadian note _ the closing night film is "Emotional Arithmetic,'' an adaptation of the novel by late Toronto author Matt Cohen.
- Andrea Baillie, Canadian Press
