TIFF 2012: Making the most of 11 days of movie madness

by W. Andrew Powell
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in Looper

In any given year I attend a lot of events and festivals, and if you’ve been reading The GATE for very long, you likely know that few events are as big a deal to me as the Toronto International Film Festival, but that doesn’t change the fact that the festival always seems to disappear before I feel like I’ve had time to soak it all in.

That’s why the first few days of September, after Fan Expo and The Ex have wrapped up, I’m always a little amazed–and nervous–as I realize that TIFF is only a few days away.

Since a lot of the studios and PR houses that represent films at TIFF have been screening films and setting up interviews throughout August, I’ve actually been preparing for the festival for at least three weeks already, but that’s not the same as what happens during TIFF. The parties, red carpets, events, interviews, and all screenings kick off for real on September 6, and everything before that is really just an appetizer.

This year is also the most important to me in the history of the twelve years (yes, twelve!) I’ve been covering the festival, since it’s the first year that I’ll be focusing exclusively on TIFF for the entire time it’s on.

In the past I’ve had other jobs to run between, and other commitments, and that means I just couldn’t fit as much in each day, or post everything very quickly, but this year I have eleven days to just focus on TIFF (aside from one set visit for the final day of shooting for season three of Lost Girl, which I wouldn’t miss for anything short of a one-on-one with Joss Whedon or Jennifer Lawrence), and that’s a big deal to me.

The nerve-wrecking part of covering TIFF though is that the scheduling is grueling. What can I do in any 24-hour period? If I cover one thing, what am I missing? And, most importantly, will I have time to spread myself between screenings, red carpets, interviews, and parties?

Inevitably, I worry too much. I can’t do everything, but TIFF is so jam-packed with amazing events that anything I do attend is usually worth the time (although, I have honestly attended my share of dud events over the years at the festival, but they’re usually easy to spot now).

This year, I have my eye on a pile of interviews, films, and events that have me smiling from ear to ear. There’s Looper, Seven Psychopaths, Much Ado About Nothing, Inescapable, Lords of Salem, Picture Day, End of Watch, Aftershock, the Tastemakers Lounge, the opening night party at Maple Leaf Square, and of course, the annual Canadian Film Centre BBQ, and that list barely scratches the surface of what I’ll be doing and covering at TIFF 2012.

Ahead of TIFF I’ve already screened a hand-full of big films, which I’ll have capsule reviews on during the opening weekend, and I’ll be seeing more films this week, plus watching the Short Cuts Canada films tonight to write about too.

So, what I’m saying here is stay tuned for lots from this year’s festival. I’ll be posting videos, stories, and photos every day throughout the festival, and watch for updates on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter.

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