VIRTUAL JFK:
Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived
starts Friday February 27th
- director Koji Masutani, USA, 2008



Producer
Peter O. Almond and author of the book VIRTUAL JFK: VIETNAM IF KENNEDY
HAD LIVED David Welch in attendance for Feb. 27th screening.


VIRTUAL
JFK investigates one of the most debated "what if" scenarios in the
history of U.S. foreign policy: What would President John F. Kennedy
have done in Vietnam if he had not been assassinated in 1963, and had
he been re-elected in 1964? The resulting film employs what Harvard
historian Niall Ferguson calls "virtual history," assessing the
plausibility of counterfactuals - "what ifs" - and the outcomes they
might have produced.

"Elegantly constructed. The question: can
an individual leader take a nation to, or keep it from, war? The
conclusion: individual temperament matters, and John F. Kennedy's
example proves it... VIRTUAL JFK ponders the mystery of the Kennedy
personality mainly as manifested during his televised press conferences
- radiating star power, the coolest man in the room disarms adoring
tweedy reporters with his dry martini wit... Masutani's no-frills,
largely black-and-white production is as evocative of early-'60s
masculine styles as any episode of Mad Men."
- J. Hoberman, The Village Voice

"We
should welcome anything that reacquaints us with the facts, and VIRTUAL
JFK is an admirably concrete survey of how Kennedy dealt with a series
of international crises." - Chicago Reader


3 stars (out of
4) “not only would Kennedy have steered clear of the Vietnam debacle,
he wouldn't have wallowed into Iraq, either. John F. Kennedy was certainly no George W. Bush.” – Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/593783

From handling the press to handling his advisers, JFK was a master
- Globe article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090226.wjfkfeat0227/BNStory/Entertainment/home?cid=al_gam_mostview

“Handsomely
edited in chronological chapters, accompanied by the music of Erik
Satie, Virtual JFK is reminiscent of Errol Morris's The Fog of War.” –
Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090226.wjfk0227/BNStory/Entertainment/home?cid=al_gam_mostview


3 1/2 stars out of 5
Playing a game of 'what if' on JFK and Vietnam – Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2009/02/27/8551481-sun.html

3
stars “makes the argument that the U.S. would never have gotten mired
in the Vietnam War if JFK had not been killed.”
 – Now Magazine
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=167407


3 stars “Virtual JFK: Ask not what he did for his country, but what might have been done instead.” – National Post
http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/story.html?id=1332757

Virtual JFK explores Vietnam ‘what ifs’ – Metro News
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/Entertainment/article/188614

“an exercise in “counter-factual” history” – Eye Weekly
http://www.eyeweekly.com/film/onscreen/article/53080

http://www.virtualjfk.com/

screening times:
Friday February 27th @ 7pm
Saturday February 28th @ 9:15pm
Sunday March 1st @ 2:30pm and 7pm


tickets:
$10.00 general admission
$8.00 students and seniors

C'EST PAS MOI, JE LE JURE!
It’s Not Me, I Swear!
starts Friday February 27
director Phillipe Falardeau
- starring Suzanne Clément, Daniel Brière, and Antoine L'Ecuyer
- original soundtrack by Patrick Watson
- based on the novels C'est pas moi, je le jure! and Alice court avec René by Bruno Hébert

Winner of the Crystal Bear & The Grand Prize for the Best Feature Film at the 59th Berlin Film Festival.



"This
hilarious, wonderfully detailed and sometimes heart-breaking story of a
family's disintegration in late-1960s suburban Quebec focuses on Leon
(Antoine L'Ecuyer), a precocious 10-year-old misfit who wreaks secret
havoc on the vacationing neighbours' house, experiments with suicide
and falls in love with the smarty-pants girl next door - all in one
summer. Based on two semi-autobiographical novels by the son of the
late statesman Jacques Hebert, the pic has the eccentric energy of
Falardeau's previous TIFF fave Congorama (2006), but with its tight
storytelling and emotional depth, this talented filmmaker has hit a
world-class stride." - Globe and Mail

"This dark, clever, honest and altogether hilarious coming-of-age story genuinely warms the heart." - Now Magazine

"Impeccable production values help make this portrait of suburban family angst unforgettable." - Toronto Star

"bristles with energy, attitude and imagination" - Eye Weekly

"adventuresome and accomplished" - Variety

cover story of Arts section – Globe and Mail
3
stars (out of 4) “resonant… evokes a history of similar films about
troubled adolescence, from The 400 Blows to Léolo” - Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090226.wmoi1227/BNStory/Entertainment/home

Wreaking havoc in 1960s suburbia - Globe article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090226.wfalardeau0227/BNStory/Entertainment

3 stars (out of 4) “Impeccable production values help make this family angst unforgettable.” - The Star
http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/593814

lead story – 4 stars (out of 5)
"the most entertaining Canadian movie to hit Toronto screens
this year” – Eye Weekly
http://www.eyeweekly.com/film/feature/article/53087

"a helluva lot of fun… this dark, honest, clever and altogether hilarious family portrait.” - Now Magazine
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=167406

4 stars (out of 5)
"You'd be hard-pressed to find a quirkier, more enjoyable film.”
 – National Post
http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=1332743

4 stars (out of 5) “Visually, It's Not Me I Swear! is mesmerizing.”
– Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/columnists/liz_braun/2009/02/27/8551476-sun.html

"not only one of the best Canadian films of the year, it’s also one of the most honest and refreshingly unsentimental views
of childhood to appear onscreen in quite a while.” – Metro News
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/entertainment/article/188622

The heartbreak kid
Philippe Falardeau's new film delves into the mind of a melancholic 10-year-old boy – cbc.ca
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2008/09/05/f-falardeau-its-not-me.html

"From chilling scenes to moments of hilarity, the film is impeccably paced… complex, strange and one to remember” - Excalim
http://www.exclaim.ca/motionreviews/latestsub.aspx?csid1=130&csid2=871&fid1=36859


http://www.itsnotmeiswear.com/

screening times:
Friday February 27th @ 9:30pm
Saturday February 28th @ 7pm
Sunday March 1st @ 4:30pm and 9pm
Monday March 2nd @ 7pm
Tuesday March 3rd @ 7pm
Wednesday March 4th @ 9:15pm
Thursday March 5th @ 9:15pm

tickets:
$10.00 general admission
$8.00 students and seniors

THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE
Ce qu’il faut pour vivre/Inuujjutiksaq
starts Friday February 20th
director Benoît Pilon
starring Natar Ungalaaq, Éveline Gélinas, Paul-André Brasseur

shortlisted for Best Foreign Language Oscar

THE
NECESSITIES OF LIFE leads the Genie Awards with eight nominations,
including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay

watch the trailer:
http://www.thenecessitiesoflife-themovie.com/

What does a human being need to live?

Set
in the 1950s, Benoît Pilon’s debut fiction feature follows Tivi, (Natar
Ungalaaq, Atanarjuat: the Fast Runner) an Inuit man who, after being
diagnosed with tuberculosis, is transported from a remote island in the
far North to Quebec City, where the government plans to treat his
illness. Separated from his family and unable to communicate with those
around him, Tivi is heartbreakingly alienated until Carole (Éveline
Gélinas), a solicitous nurse, introduces him to Kaki, a young Inuit
boy who offers him companionship and a means to communicate.

"a model of delicate emotional restraint " - Variety

"Ungalaaq,
who just has this unbelievable presence on the screen (as you already
know if you've seen Atanarjuat). He has one of the most expressive
faces ever to grace a movie screen and he ropes you in from the very
first second you see him. You simply can't not care about what happens
to this man." - Montreal Gazette

"Natar Ungalaaq, whose face
transmits the character's conflicted emotions so directly that the
subtitles are almost redundant." - Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090219.wnecessities0220/BNStory/Entertainment/home?cid=al_gam_mostview

4
stars "In a year when flashy acting’s getting the most attention –
Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn – Ungalaaq as Tiivii gives a mesmerizing
lesson in restraint." - Now Magazine
http://www.nowtoronto.com/movies/story.cfm?content=167301

3 1/2 stars (out of 4) "a gentle yet moving story" - Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/Entertainment/article/590388

3 1/2 stars (out of 4) "fascinating" - National Post
http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/story.html?id=1310264

4
stars "Carefully wrought by director Benoit Pîlon, the "Quebecois film
has justly become one of the past year’s most celebrated movies both
within our borders and beyond." - Eye Weekly
http://www.eyeweekly.com/film/onscreen/article/52436

"a heartfelt and wonderfully crafted movie... stunning." - CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/2009/02/the_necessities_of_life_runs_2.html

"engaging" - Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2009/02/20/8461196-sun.html

Learning languages along with lines
http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/story.html?id=1310267

"one of our nation’s finest films in recent years." - Metro News
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/Entertainment/article/184993

"a lovely film" - National Post
http://www.canada.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Review+Necessities+Life/1306660/story.html


102 minutes, Original French and Inuktitut version with English subtitles

screening times:
Friday February 20th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Saturday February 21st @ 4:30, 7pm & 9:30pm
Sunday February 22nd @ 4:30, 7pm & 9:15pm
Monday February 23rd @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Tuesday February 24th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Wednesday February 25th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Thursday February 26th @ 7pm and 9:15pm

tickets:
$10 - general admission
$8 - students/seniors

TROUBLE THE WATER
starts Friday February 13 - one week only!
directors Carl Deal, Tia Lessin
with Kimberly Roberts, Scott Roberts
14A- coarse language, 96 minutes

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary

Winner
of the 2008 Sundance Grand Jury Prize - this astonishingly powerful
documentary, directed and produced by Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for
Columbine producers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal takes you inside Hurricane
Katrina in a way never before seen on screen.
Weaving an insider’s
view of Katrina with a mix of verité and in- your-face filmmaking,
TROUBLE THE WATER is a redemptive tale of self-described street
hustlers who become heroes—two unforgettable people who survive the
storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning.


“Superb... One of the best American documentaries in recent memory…” – The New York Times
http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/movies/22trou.html

“Ineradicably moving....miraculous.” - New York Magazine

“[A] remarkable story of community resilience in the face of government indifference.”
- Los Angeles Times

“One
of the most eloquent records we have of a tragedy that brought out some
of the most impressively alive men and women in New Orleans.” - The New
Yorker

“One of those electrifying, emotional, unforgettable
experiences …. Captures a tale of thrilling human drama, terrible
tragedy and unbelievable heroism among some of America’s most
stigmatized and downtrodden people …No human being I can imagine could
watch TROUBLE THE WATER and not be overwhelmed by grief and joy, and
humbled by one’s sudden awareness of one’s own prejudices about the
lives, passions and dreams of poor people.” – Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/2008/01/21/trouble/index.html

“Four
Stars.….extraordinary….The film is about Katrina, and even more about
the human spirit. Kimberly and her husband, Scott, are the life force
personified: smart, funny, undefeated, indignant, determined.” - Roger
Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“A star is born. Her name is Kimberly
Rivers Roberts. Your never heard of her. Not yet. Roberts didn't write
or direct TROUBLE THE WATER, the behind-the-camera artistry in this
wallop of a movie is handled by the extraordinary team of Tia Lessin
and Carl Deal. TROUBLE THE WATER is a documentary, an unforgettable
one... Superb in every department, a documentary that will pin you to
your seat.” – Rolling Stone

“Brilliant melding of first-person footage, heart, and directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal's documentary expertise. ” - Newsday

“Essential,
unique viewing: a stunning experience of the hurricane and its
aftermath, rooted in immediate personal response and emotions that
encapsulate the full national catastrophe.”
- Entertainment Weekly

"an endlessly moving, artlessly magnificent tribute to people the government didn't think worth saving." - Time
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1834657,00.html

5 stars "powerful...an inspiring example of human resilience and grace" - EYE weekly
http://www.eyeweekly.com/film/onscreen/article/51871

“A jaw-dropping doc with aspiring rapper Kim Roberts and her husband.” - Marie Claire

“What
they end up with is an utterly magnificent film, one that is as hard to
forget as it is to ignore. As such, it is destined to live a long life,
in peoples' minds and on scholars' shelves.”
- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans

http://www.troublethewaterfilm.com/

screening times:
Friday February 13th @ 9:30pm
Saturday February 14th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Sunday February 15th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Monday February 16th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Tuesday February 17th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Thursday February 19th @ 7pm and 9:15pm

adults - $10.00
students/seniors - $8.00

tickets go on sale one half hour before show time

NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
director Charles Officer
starring Clark Johnson (The Wire, Homocide: Life on the Street), and Karen LeBlanc

NURSE.FIGHTER.BOY is an urban love story about the soul of a mother, the heart of a fighter and the faith of a child.



Jude
is a single mother who descends from a long line of Jamaican
caregivers. Silence is a past his prime boxer who fights illegally to
survive. Ciel is a boy who delves into music, conjuring dreams for his
mother. During the last week of summer, a late-night brawl finds the
fighter in the nurse..s care, causing their three fates to be forever
entwined.

“gorgeously crafted… propelled by a fantastic
soundtrack, poetic visuals and nuanced performances… an enchanting film
of subtle emotional power.”
– Globe and Mail

“Beautifully photographed, sincerely empathetic and aesthetically adventurous.” – EYE Weekly

“A
stupendous soundtrack, telling images, sensitive performances and an
honest emotional screenplay. NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY sends a fresh breeze
blowing through independent Canadian film.”
– Festival Nouveau Cinema,
Montreal

“risky, rewarding drama… refreshingly eccentric…
moments of pop-up inspiration reminiscent of Lars von Trier at his most
precious and startling… All three actors have charisma to spare, but
Johnson is particularly good. The director and cast member of such
landmark American cop series as Homicide: Life on the Street and The
Wire, he captures an understated macho tenderness. Without the benefit
of much backstory, he suggests a man whose sense of wisdom has been
gained from a lifetime of familiarity with its opposite.” – Globe and
Mail

“Strong performances and striking cinematography….
marvellously fluid camerawork and unusually vibrant colour palette
point to Officer's promise as a visual stylist… gorgeous” – Toronto Star

“gorgeous
cinematography, which captures Toronto in an entirely unique light…
Officer has a genuine gift for creating beautiful images.”
 – National
Post

“a tiny gem… The movie is as delightful to listen to as it is to look at.”
– Toronto Sun

“an impressive debut and displays a bright future from a new Canadian talent.” – Metro News

www.nursefighterboy.ca


screening times:
Friday February 6th @ 7pm and 9:30pm - director Charles Officer in attendance for Q&A!
Saturday February 7th @ 7pm and 9:30pm - director Charles Officer in attendance for Q&A
Sunday February 8th @ 4:30pm - director Charles Officer in attendance for Q&A,; also 7pm & 9:15pm
Monday February 9th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Tuesday February 10th @ 7pm director Charles Officer in attendance for Q&A; & 9:15pm
Wednesday February 11th @ 7pm and 9:15pm
Thursday February 12th @ 7pm and 9:15pm

tickets:
adults $10.00
students and seniors $8.00

Starring Karen LeBlanc, Clark Johnson, Daniel J. Gordon, Walter Borden,
screenplay Charles Officer and Ingrid Veninger
Producer Ingrid Veninger

Saturday January 31
4:30pm - EXAMINED LIFE
- director Astra Taylor, 2008 Canada
Featuring the “rock star” philosophers of our time, including Cornel West, Peter Singer, Slavoj Zizek, Judith Butler, Michael Hardt, and Martha Nussbaum.
In EXAMINED LIFE, filmmaker Astra Taylor accompanies some of today’s most influential thinkers on a series of unique excursions through places and spaces that hold particular resonance for them and their ideas.
7pm - KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
- director Ron Mann
follows uber myco visionaries Gary Lincoff and Larry Evans (two of the more expert and unforgettably mercurial characters in the community) as they lead us on a hunt for the wild mushroom and the deeper cultural experiences attached to the mysterious fungi.
9:30pm - VAMPIRO
- director Lee Demarbe in attendance!
His name is Vampiro, aka El Vampiro Canadiense, aka Ian Hodgkinson – and his is one of the great, untold stories of professional wrestling. Until now.

Sunday February 1
Private screening

Monday February 2
7pm - KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
9pm – EXAMINED LIFE
“Thoroughly engaging...the kind of intellectual fix only a documentary can deliver.” - Globe and Mail

Tuesday February 3
7pm - KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS
9pm – EXAMINED LIFE
“80 lovely minutes on the road to enlightenment… surprisingly entertaining.” - Toronto Star

Wednesday February 4
7pm – Living City: A Critical Guide (CBC The Nature of Things)
9:30pm - EXAMINED LIFE
“A playful riposte to the notion that movies are for turning one’s mind off.” - Variety

Thursday February 5
7pm - EXAMINED LIFE
9:30pm – THE SHORT FILMS OF CHARLES OFFICER
- including “Short Hymn_Silent War” and “When Morning Comes” - filmmaker Charles Office in attendance!

Friday February 6
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
- starring Karen Leblanc and Clark Johnson
An urban love story about the soul of a mother, the heart of a fighter and the faith of a child.
Jude is a single mother who descends from a long line of Jamaican caregivers. SILENCE is a past his prime boxer who fights illegally to survive. CIEL is a boy who delves into music, conjuring dreams for his mother. During the last week of summer, a late-night brawl finds the fighter in the nurse..s care, causing their three fates to be forever entwined.
9:30pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY - director Charles Office in attendance for Q&A!

Saturday February 7
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
9:30pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY - director Charles Office in attendance for Q&A

Sunday February 8
4:30pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY - director Charles Office in attendance for Q&A
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
9:15pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY

Monday February 9
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
9:15pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY

Tuesday February 10
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY - director Charles Office in attendance for Q&A
9:15pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY

Wednesday February 11
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
9:15pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY

Thursday February 12
7pm - NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY
9:15pm – NURSE. FIGHTER. BOY

Friday February 13
7pm – Opening Night – OZFLIX
9:30pm – TROUBLE THE WATER
“a spellbinder you do not want to miss.”
– Rolling Stone  

TROUBLE THE WATER
starts February 13
- nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary; Grand Jury Prize 2008 Sundance Film Festival
-directors Carl Deal, Tia Lessin, USA 2008
TROUBLE THE WATER takes you inside Hurricane Katrina in a way never before seen on screen. It's a redemptive tale of two self-described street hustlers who become heroes-two unforgettable people who survive the storm and then seize a chance for a new beginning. “Essential, unique viewing.” – Entertainment Weekly

THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE/Ce qu’il faut pour vivre
- starts February 20
Canada's submission for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar
- director Benoit Pilon, Canada, 2008
Set in the 1950s, Benoît Pilon’s debut fiction feature follows Tivi, an Inuit man who, after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, is transported from a remote island in the far North to Quebec City, where the government plans to treat his illness. Separated from his family and unable to communicate with those around him, Tivi is heartbreakingly alienated until Carole, a solicitous nurse, introduces him to Kaki, a young Inuit boy who offers him companionship and a means to communicate.

It’s Not Me, I Swear! (C'EST PAS MOI, JE LE JURE!)
starts February 27
- director Philipe Falardeau, Canada, 2008
Leon is ten years old, has lots of problems and an overly fertile imagination. In the summer of '68, when Mom decides to leave everything behind to start a new life in Greece, Leon is prepared to do anything to kill the pain. Destroy the neighbours' house, become a professional liar and even, why not, fall in love with Lea. Together, they will overcome the pain of growing up when you feel abandoned.

VIRTUAL JFK
starts February 27th
- director Koji Masutani in attendance!
Virtual JFK investigates one of the most debated "what if" scenarios in the history of U.S. foreign policy: What would President John F. Kennedy have done in Vietnam if he had not been assassinated in 1963, and had he been re-elected in 1964? The resulting film employs what Harvard historian Niall Ferguson calls "virtual history," assessing the plausibility of counterfactuals - "what ifs" - and the outcomes they might have produced.

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK
- starts March 6th, Canadian Premiere!
- directors Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire, France, 2008,
A wildly inventive and visually dazzling collection of fearful tales by six of the world's most renowned comic and graphic artists.  From a besotted student whose girlfriend is weirdly ardent in her affections, to a Japanese schoolgirl menaced by a long-dead samurai, and a pack of hounds on a bloodthirsty rampage, FEAR(S) has a story strand to trouble every sleep - not to mention a stunning range of animation styles. Shot in shimmering black and white, the six intertwined tales create an unprecedented epic where phobias and nightmares come to life and reveal Fear at its most naked and intense.

RIP: A REMIX MANIFESTO
- starts February 13th, Toronto Premiere!
Audience Award Int’l Doc Fest Amsterdam
- director Brett Gaynor, Canada, 2008
In RiP: A remix manifesto, Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers.
The film’s central protagonist is Girl Talk, a mash-up musician topping the charts with his sample-based songs. But is Girl Talk a paragon of people power or the Pied Piper of piracy? Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil’s Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow are also along for the ride.

24 CITY
- starts February 20th
director Jia Zhang Ke (Still LIfe), China 2008
The latest chapter in Jia Zhang Ke’s chronicles of modern Chinese history is certain to reinforce the director's status as an international arthouse icon, the removal of a large industrial complex from the centre of Chengdu, to be replaced by flashy new high-rise luxury apartments (24 City), as the departure point for an account of rapid-pace changes in China over the last half-century.