Toronto International Film Festival 2008 recap

So, I've finally gotten around to posting about all of the films that I saw during the festival.

In viewing order:
1. Adela
2. Three Monkeys
3. C'est pas moi, je le jure!
4. Every Little Step
5. The Biggest Chinese Restaurant in the World
6. The Wrestler
7. The Heart of Jenin
8. Paris, Not France
9. The Country Teacher
10. Valentino: The Last Emperor
11. Skin
12. Patrik 1,5

It was an incredible festival. The timing worked out so perfectly with my schedule that I had the chance to see a lot of movies. I'm happy that I bought a 10-pack and even though the process seemed really daunting, it really wasn't too bad. It forced me to read about more movies than I otherwise would (last year, I pretty much based my selections on other people's reviews) and found out that there were so many movies that I wanted to see. I still need to get my act together and go back to the theatres to see the movies that have gotten wide releases.
It was a nice way to start the year (my years still go from September to June) and I can't wait to do it again next year.
I don't regret seeing any of the movies that I did, but can't help thinking that I missed out on some great movies because none of mine won awards. Oh well. Can't win 'em all.
I cared less about seeing stars compared to last year (even though the Paris moment was kinda interesting). I did walk by the InStyle party at the Windsor Arms Hotel and spotted some people making their entrance. I know that the festival wasn't quite as frantic this year as it has been in the past. The vibe in Yorkville was lacking. Insiders tell me that the overlap with the Venice and New York festivals took away from TIFF and potentially New York Fashion Week could have played a part as well.
Just like last year, everyone I interacted with who worked/volunteered with the festival were lovely. The movie goers created a great atmosphere as well (sauf the obligatory idiotic question at each screening). I still love the chance to sit in on Q&As - to gain more insight into the films or just hear/see the emotion from whoever is representing the film. Any kind of personal connection is wonderful.
So there you have it - TIFF08 was a big success in my books!