Where does the time go? One day you’re sitting in your backyard and you don’t know whether to go to the beach or have a barbeque and the next thing you know you’re breaking out socks (!) and scrambling to get tickets to the Film Fest. It seems like September 1st snuck up on us and now the month is half over.

(End lament for summer.)

I think that the timing of TIFF is pretty excellent considering the amount of existential dread going around this time of year. It’s a treat for those of us who no longer go ‘back to school’ and lets us delve into the realities and imaginations of others while we sift through our own subconscious … it is harvest season, no?

This year I bought a 10-ticket package for Pete’s birthday. I’ve been to Festival films before but this is the most ‘committed’ I’ve ever been. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about why they don’t go to the festival – and usually it comes down to cost, planning and the not-so-straight-forward film selection process. I understand – it’s a bit of a hassle if you don’t a) have a week off or b) have $500 to spend on a full festival pass. Anyway, once the tickets were purchased it was just a matter of choosing the films. How difficult could it be?

Here’s a rundown of our strategy:

1. Identify the big buzz films and galas and cross these off of your list.
2. Figure out the film categories and try to find one you’d like to see in each.
3. Enter transcendental state, pour a glass of wine.
4. Equip yourself with a pencil and a focused mind (emerge from transcendental state).
5. Give yourself a deadline (e.g. schedule a flight within the next six hours).
6. Jot down all the films that catch your fancy or float your boat – don’t worry about timing yet.
7. Read cryptic short blurbs about each film and try to glean the writer’s state of mind when each was penned. Do you get the sense that this is the hundredth film synopsis they’ve written in a day?
8. Mark your choices on the schedule and cross-reference with your timetable(s).
9. Finalize choices based on esoteric preferences.

Here’s what we came up with:

1. Short Cuts Canada – Programme 2
2. Tears for Sale (Serbia)
   
3. Daytime Drinking (Korea)
   
4. Vinyan (France/UK/Belgium)
   
5. Tony Manero (Chile/Brazil)
   

It is an international film festival, right? When else would we see these gems?

~

In other news … best of luck to the CERN people with their particle acceleration business today! Have you seen the rap video? Geek money.

*Fingers crossed for a black hole*