TIFF 2011 Canadian Press Conference

Sneak Peek attended the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival Canadian Press Conference @ Toronto's Fairmont Royal York, 100 Front Street West, August 9, 2011.

This year, the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), runs for 10 days, from September 8 - 18, 2011.

TIFF organizers provided a celebratory mood for the early afternoon media crowd, with food stations and pastries, complimented by an open bar serving chilled Stella Artois beer and Skyy Vodka.

TIFF 2011 promises a strong lineup of Canadian features including new works by Canadian filmmakers Carl Bessai, Mike Clattenburg, Michael Dowse, Philippe Falardeau, Guy Maddin, Bruce McDonald, Léa Pool, Jean-Marc Vallée and Ingrid Veninger.

"This year saw many Canadian filmmakers address a wide range of pressing social issues," said Steve Gravestock, Associate Director, Canadian Programming, TIFF.

"These include the dangers of progress, the possibility of privacy and identity in a hi-tech increasingly alienated world, teenage gambling, the difficulties of maintaining a traditional rural life, life during and after wartime, lovelorn gangsters and, of course, vampires in an all-girls school."

GALAS

"Starbuck" Ken Scott, Canada
North American Premiere

(Previously announced Canadian Galas include David Cronenberg’s "A Dangerous Method" and Sarah Polley’s "Take This Waltz".)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

"Afghan Luke" Mike Clattenburg, Canada
North American Premiere

"Breakaway" Robert Lieberman, Canada
World Premiere

"Café de Flore" Jean-Marc Vallée
North American Premiere

"Edwin Boyd" Nathan Morlando, Canada

World Premiere

"Goon" Michael Dowse, Canada
World Premiere

"Keyhole" Guy Maddin, Canada
World Premiere

"Monsieur Lazhar" Philippe Falardeau, Canada
North American Premiere

"The Moth Diaries" Mary Harron, Canada/Ireland
North American Premiere

CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA

"388 Arletta Avenue" Randall Cole, Canada
World Premiere

"Billy Bishop Goes to War" Barbara Willis-Sweete, Canada
World Premiere

"I'm Yours" Leonard Farlinger, Canada
World Premiere

"Sisters & Brothers" Carl Bessai, Canada
World Premiere

MASTERS

"Hard Core Logo II" Bruce McDonald, Canada
Toronto Premiere

REAL TO REEL

"Pink Ribbons, Inc" Léa Pool, Canada
World Premiere

"Surviving Progress" Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks, Canada
World Premiere

VANGUARD

'Doppelgänger Paul" Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand, Canada
World Premiere

"i am a good person/ i am a bad person" Ingrid Veninger, Canada
World Premiere

CANADIAN OPEN VAULT

"Hard Core Logo" Bruce McDonald, Canada

Click the images to enlarge...

TIFF 2011: Festival Opening Press Conference

Sneak Peek attended the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival Opening Press Conference @ Toronto's Hyatt Regency Hotel King Street West, July 26.

This year, the 36th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), runs for 10 days, from September 8 - 18, 2011.

In typical classy fashion, TIFF organizers provided the early morning media with smoked salmon, kiwis, pineapples, melons, croissants and fruit juices, in The Hyatt Mezzanine ballroom, before making their professional podium presentation.

Highlights of the conference:

For the first time in 36 years, TIFF will open with a documentary, screening David Guggenheim's U2 rock band feature "From The Sky Down";

Canadian director Sarah Polley will debut her new comedy "Take This Waltz";

Galas will include "Moneyball"" starring Brad Pitt.

TIFF will also premier "The Descendants, starring George Clooney, directed by Alexander Payne ("Sideways");

"Pearl Jam Twenty" will screen, created from more than 1,200 hours of footage spanning the band’s career;

Also screening is director William Friedkin's "Killer Joe" starring Matthew McConaughey;

"We Need to Talk about Kevin" stars Tilda Swinton;

"Americano", directed by Mathieu Demy, stars Salma Hayek;

North American premiere Galas include Madonna's "W.E.";

Also screening is Toronto director David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method";

THE COMPLETE LIST :

Opening Night:

"From the Sky Down," Davis Guggenheim

Galas:

"Albert Nobbs," Rodrigo Garcia
"Butter," Jim Field Smith
"A Dangerous Method," David Cronenberg
"A Happy Event," Remi Bezancon
"The Ides of March," George Clooney
"The Lady," Luc Besson
"Moneyball," Bennett Miller
"Peace, Love and Misunderstanding," Bruce Beresford
"Take This Waltz," Sarah Polley
"W.E.," Madonna

Special Presentations:

"Americano," Mathieu Demy
"Anonymous," Roland Emmerich
"The Artist," Michel Hazanivicius
"A Better Life," Cedric Khan
"Burning Man," Jonathan Teplitzky
"Chicken With Plums," Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Corolianus," Ralph Fiennes
"Countdown,"Huh Jong-ho
"Dark Horse," Todd Solondz
"Deep Blue Sea," Terence Davies
"The Descendants," Alexander Payne
"Drive," Nicolas Winding Refn
"11 Flowers," Wang Xiaoshuai
"Elles," Malgoska Szumowska
"The Eye of the Storm," Fred Schepisi
"50/50," Jonathan Levine
"Friends with Kids," Jennifer Westfeldt
"Habemus Papam," Nanni Moretti
"Headhunters," Morten Tyldum
"Hick," Derick Martini
"The Hunter," Daniel Nettheim
"Jeff, Who Lives at Home," Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass
"Killer Joe," William Friedkin
"Like Crazy," Drake Doremus
"Machine Gun Preacher," Marc Forster
"Martha Marcy May Marlene," Sean Durkin
"Melancholia," Lars von Triet
"The Oranges," Julian Farino
"Pearl Jam Twenty," Cameron Crowe
"Rampart," Oren Moverman
"Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," Lasse Hallstrom
"Shame," Steve McQueen
"A Simple Life," Ann Hui
"The Skin I Live In," Pedro Almodovar
"Take Shelter," Jeff Nichols
"Ten Year," Jamie Linden
"360,"Fernando Meirelles
"Trishna,"Michael Winterbottom
"Twixt," Francis Ford Coppola
Tyrannosaur," Paddy Considine
"We Need to Talk About Kevin," Lynne Ramsay
"Where Do We Go Now?," Nadine Labaki
"Woman in the Fifth," Pawel Pawlikowski

Click the images to enlarge...

Del Toro Gears Up For "Pacific Rim"

Director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy") has revealed the logo for his prepping PG-rated, 'mecha monster' movie "Pacific Rim", set to film @ Pinewood Toronto Studios for a six-month shoot starting October 31, 2011, to April 2012.

"Sons Of Anarachy" star Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba ("Thor") have already been cast for the film, under the working title "Still Seas".

The storyline follows hostile ET's from a parallel world called 'The Anteverse', that try to destroy humanity by first attacking cities and nations neighboring the Pacific Ocean. The creatures are thwarted in their attempts by Earth-made, high-tech, weapons-ready robots, with Hunnam playing the role of 'Raleigh Antrobus', who 'pilots' one of the advanced 'machines'.

Legendary Pictures purchased the screenplay for "Pacific Rim" in a pre-emptive buy from screenwriter Travis Beacham ("Clash Of The Titans").

Click the images to enlarge...

Universal Unleashes The Next Big "Thing"

Sneak Peek the new poster supporting Universal's upcoming Toronto-lensed feature remake "The Thing".

The production lensed for 4 months @ Pinewood Studios Toronto.

The science-fiction horror thriller, described by the studio as a 'prelude' to director John Carpenter's feature "The Thing" (1982), follows the discovery of an extraterrestrial organism and ship buried deep in Antarctica.

The main character, a paleontologist played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, fights for survival, along with her scientific crew, when the 'shape-shifter' alien is discovered to have the ability to replicate other creatures (including humans).

Carpenter's "The Thing" adapted the 1938 "Astounding Magazine" 'novella' "Who Goes There", by author John W. Campbell Jr.

The short story was also the basis of the 1951 film "The Thing From Another World" from producer Howard Hawks.

Premise of Campbell's original story focused on a group of scientific researchers, isolated in Antarctica, that discover an alien spaceship buried in the ice.

The men unwittingly recover the alien pilot that can assume the shape, memories and personality of any living creature.

Strike Entertainment's Eric Newman and Marc Abraham produced "The Thing" prequel, with David Foster executive producing, from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer ("A Nightmare on Elm Street"), directed by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.

Click the images to enlarge Sneak Peek John Carpenter's "The Thing"...

TNT Holds Onto "Falling Skies"

TNT have ordered 10 more episodes of the Ontario-lensed sci fi TV series, "Falling Skies", from executive producer Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV.

"Falling Skies' debuted in June, with 8 million total viewers, ranking it as cable's top series launch in 2011, averaging 6.4 million total viewers in its first three episodes.

The new Second Season episodes will air in 2012.

In other "Falling Skies" news, Dark Horse comics will launch a graphic novel series, based on the show, available July 13, 2011, written by Paul Tobin, with illustrations and cover by Juan Ferreyra/Andrew Dalhouse :

"...In the heart of Boston, following the devastating events of an alien invasion, history professor 'Tom Mason' and his sons 'Hal', 'Matt' and 'Ben' are just trying to survive. After an extreme firefight with the aliens, Ben gets kidnapped. Determined to get his son back, Tom joins forces with the second 'Mass', a militia group that is taking the fight against the aliens. But with the group's munitions supplies running low, Tom must locate an old friend to equip him and his team in order to ensure the survival of the human race..."

"Falling Skies" stars actor Noah Wyle ("ER") as resistance leader 'Tom Mason', who leads a ragtag group of survivors, following a hostile invasion of the Earth.

Cast also includes Moon Bloodgood as 'Anne Glass', Will Patton as 'Weaver', Drew Roy as 'Hal', Maxim Knight as 'Matt', Connor Jessup as 'Ben', Seychelle Gabriel as 'Lourdes', Colin Cunningham as 'John Pope' and Sarah Carter as 'Margaret'.

"...'Falling Skies' opens in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force.

"...'Tom Mason' (Wyle) is a Boston history professor whose family has been torn apart. His wife was killed in the initial attack, and one of his three sons has been captured. Determined to get his son back and to ensure the safety of his other two sons, Tom must put his extensive knowledge of military history to the test as one of the leaders of the resistance movement known as the '2nd Mass', constantly trying to gain intelligence about the aliens in order to outsmart and overtake them..."

There are two types of aliens in the series named 'Skitters' and 'Mechs'. Combining live action and SFX, the Skitters have spider-like bodies, while the robotic Mechs stand upright and can shoot bullets from their arms.

Along with Spielberg, "Falling Skies" is executive produced by DreamWorks TV's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Robert Rodat ("Saving Private Ryan") wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. Mark Verheiden ("Battlestar Galactica") and Greg Beeman ("Smallville") are co-executive producers, with the pilot directed by Carl Franklin ("Out of Time").

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Falling Skies"...

"Pacific Rim" aka "Still Seas" Starts Shooting

As Sneak Peek first reported May 2011, director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy") is prepping his PG-rated, 'mecha monster' movie "Pacific Rim" @ the Pinewood Toronto Studios sound stages for a six-month shoot starting October 31, 2011, running to April 2012.

"Sons Of Anarachy" star Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba ("Thor") have already been cast for the film, under the working title "Still Seas".

The storyline follows hostile ET's from a parallel world called 'The Anteverse', that try to destroy humanity by first attacking cities and nations neighboring the Pacific Ocean. The creatures are thwarted in their attempts by Earth-made, high-tech, weapons-ready robots, with Hunnam playing the role of 'Raleigh Antrobus', who 'pilots' one of the advanced 'machines'.

Legendary Pictures purchased the screenplay for "Pacific Rim" in a pre-emptive buy from screenwriter Travis Beacham ("Clash Of The Titans").

Click the images to enlarge...

Sneak Peek "Dream House"

Sneak Peek the new poster supporting Universal's upcoming Ontario-lensed horror feature "Dream House", directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts and Marton Csokas :

"...'Will Attenton' (Craig) and his wife, 'Libby' (Weisz) move into what appears to be their dream home in 'Morgan Creek'. But the dream is shattered when the couple is haunted by the former deceased inhabitants..."

Principal photography took place mostly on location in Toronto and throughout Ontario, Canada, February to March 2010, with re-shoots lensed December 2010.

"Dream House" will be released September 30, 2011.

Click the images to enlarge...