TIFF13: Wrap-Up

The 2013 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival began my second decade of attending TIFF.  Ever since my first festival back in 2003, I have steadily found my niche with the festival and I can now consider myself to be an old pro.  With the popular Midnight Madness programme celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, I decided to do something that I have never done before and attend all six of the films I saw in the programme at the midnight timeslot.  I am quite pleasantly surprised at how well I lasted going to all those late nights and I will not be against making this a regular thing in the coming years. Now it’s time for me to present my annual TIFF wrap-up. I hope you enjoy. Top 5 Favourite Films of TIFF 2013

1. The Wind Rises (Special Presentations)
2. Oculus (Midnight Madness)
3. A Story of Children and Film (TIFF Docs)
4. Unforgiven (Special Presentations)
5. Jodorowsky’s Dune (TIFF Docs)

Top 3 Special Presentations

1. The Wind Rises
2. Unforgiven
3. The Double

Top 3 Midnight Madness Films

1. Oculus
2. The Station
3. Witching & Bitching

Honourable Mentions

• Almost Human (Midnight Madness)
• The Animal Project (Contemporary World Cinema)
• A Field in England (Wavelengths)

Bottom 3 Least Favourite Films

1. Rigor Mortis (Midnight Madness)
2. Don Jon (Special Presentations)
3. Standing Aside, Watching (City to City)

(Note: While these are technically my least favourite films, there are none in this list that I absolutely disliked) Films I Wish I Saw

• 12 Years a Slave (Special Presentations)
• Blue is the Warmest Colour (Special Presentations)
• Gravity (Special Presentations)
• The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him and Her (Special Presentations)
• Only Lovers Left Alive (Special Presentations)
• R100 (Midnight Madness)
• Why Don’t You Play in Hell (Midnight Madness)

Favourite Moments

• Director’s mom doing the splits – The Station Q&A
• Getting hit in the head multiple times with a giant globe – Before Oculus
• All the creative Midnight Madness props (i.e. alien, Spider-Man)

Final Number of Films Seen

• 24

Programme Tally

• Special Presentations: 9
• Midnight Madness: 6
• Vanguard: 3
• TIFF Docs: 2
• Contemporary World Cinema: 2
• City to City: 1
• Wavelengths: 1

Theatre Tally

• Ryerson – 8
• TIFF Bell Lightbox – 4
• Scotiabank Theatre – 4
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema – 3
• Visa Screening Room (Elgin) – 1
• Isabel Bader Theatre – 1

(plus 3 advanced screenings) TIFF13 Photos