Short Film Fest & Mel's Diner

Marcos, Ankur, and I spend the day in The Annex watching 4 hours of The Best International Student Shorts Film Festival (which was wonderful!), followed by a huge late dinner @ Mel's Diner.

Student Short Films Bloor Cinema Toronto 2008 from chantalsunita on Vimeo.

Safety First

1 floor below us is a construction site. I moved myself and my computer down there for some quiet time - the construction guys finish work early.  I made a video to test out one of PhotoBooth's effects as a movie.  This is called "Thermal Effect".

Lazy People CAN Have Flowers!

Tips for keeping your flowers hydrated, courtesy of my friend Michelle.


Lazy People CAN Have Flowers! from chantalsunita on Vimeo.

GOLDFRAPP Live: "Utopia"

This has been a wonderful month so far!  Last week it was seeing my favourite actor Isabelle Huppert live @ the TIFF, this week it's seeing one of my favourite bands, Goldfrapp.

I LOVE GOLDFRAPP!  Saw them in concert tonight here in Toronto.  A sold out audience.  I was so happy I got tickets!  I was 8 rows from the stage and could see Lady Goldfrapp clearly for the entire performance.  I was THRILLED that they sang one of my favourite songs by them, Utopia.  I had chills down my spine for the entire song.  This video was originally uploaded by Trumiko on YouTube.  I just love the lyrics and I have an idea for a video I want to shoot, using "Utopia"...coming later on.

It's a strange day

No colours or shapes

No sound in my head

I forget who I am

When I'm with you

There's no reason

There's no sense

I'm not supposed

To feel

I forget who I am

I forget

Fascist baby

Utopia, utopia

My dog needs new ears

Make his eyes

See forever

Make him live

Like me

Again and again

Fascist baby

Utopia, utopia

I'm wired to the world

That's how I know everything

I'm superbrain

That's how they made me

Fascist baby

Utopia, utopia

Canadian Coverage of the TIFF Sucks!

I am dismayed at the Canadian (and American, I guess) coverage of the TIFF. Instead of focusing on authentic talent, they continue to write stories and photograph the McDonalds quality of the "film industry". This is a festival which should focus and showcase raw talent; to give a chance to the lesser known artists (and to celebrate those who are profound), film makers and directors from different countries and languages, etc. Instead we need to read about Paris Hilton crashing a TIFF party in today's newspaper. Can someone send me a Barf Bag? (free present today on Facebook, I need one, for real). 

I am also greatly disappointed at the fact that Canadian Press (and American Press, I guess) seem incapable of following any film that comes from outside Canada or the US. What a disgrace. This is an International film festival. This sort of coverage certainly detracts from the "prestige" of the TIFF. It has become a watered down festival whose main goal is to focus on those who won the popularity contest in North America. I am not interested in this, in the slightest. Perhaps I have a New York attitude where celebrities are sighted all the time, and NO ONE cares! I walked past Sex and the City's Sarah Jessica Parker on 2nd Avenue on my way to work one morning...there she was, no disguise, just walking her kid...and NO ONE cared.

I want to learn, read about, hear more about, and see films which showcase raw and authentic talent such as Isabelle Huppert's performance in last night's "Un Barrage Contre Le Pacifique", which I attended, and which she attended and spoke at. Sadly the press did not spend one second on her or her film (which represented both France and Cambodia) despite the fact that she is among one of the greatest actors of her generation and her career has spanned over 30 years, and, is the only actress to ever win twice at Cannes. 

Or Deepa Mehta whose film "Water" opened the TIFF last year which was a big deal seeing as she is a Female director, a Canadian director (she emigrated to Canada from India) whose film was entirely in Hindi, not English. This year she had "Heaven on Earth" in the TIFF which was not even mentioned for a second.

The point is:
Soon the TIFF will lose it's "character" if reporters and journalists continue to treat it like this and pay attention to utter crap. We want to see, hear, and read about INTERNATIONAL film makers and actors, who have made an imprint on WORLD CINEMA - not hear about those on the cover of last week's gossip rags.

Isabelle Huppert Introduces Her New Film Tonight @ TIFF

I was thrilled to attend the special screening at the Elgin Theatre of Isabelle Huppert's new film "Un Barrage Contre Le Pacifique". In the first video I give my 2 cents and commentary before the screening. Second video is my video of Huppert introducing the film. I love the vibe of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) - it is so exciting to be a part of! I was happy to see Huppert in the flesh and to be in the same audience as her, as she is my favourite actor!
She was introduced as "one of the best actors of her generation". I couldn't agree more.

Isabelle Huppert @ the Toronto International Film Festival tomorrow night!

I will be going to see "Un Barrage Contre le Pacifique (The Sea Wall)" . It stars one of my all time favourite actors: International film star Isabelle Huppert ; and when I heard that she is going to be at the film's premiere, I just knew I had to get tickets! I am so excited to be going! And I am thrilled that I am going to get to SEE HER and listen to the Q&A about the film afterwards, it's quite exciting. And ofcourse it is quite cool to be attending a screening of the Internationally acclaimed TIFF.

I find Huppert to be supremely talented. I am moved by all of her work whether the writing or direction is good in the film or not, it is always very moving to watch her performances. Her career has spanned over 3 decades (so far) and she has been in nearly 40 films; she is also known as one of France's most successful actors of all time and as received a zillion awards throughout her career thus far. She also partners up quite often with French director, Claude Chabrol whose work I immensely enjoy, with or without Huppert. But when him and Huppert collaborate, it is a marriage of sheer talent and brilliance.

I really enjoy Huppert playing a psycho manic, as alot of her roles are....for example in the 70's she starred in a film (based on a true 1933 story of) a teenage prostitute who falls for a gigolo, and kills her parents for their money to support him; or the homicidal postal worker who corrupts a young and innocent housekeeper and instigates irreparable destruction to a trusting and extremely likeable family; or the seductive middle-aged mother who leads her son into temptation; or the woman who falls for a much younger man who is an abusive male hustler; or her portrayal of Gustave Flaubert's controversial MADAME BOVARY in which she is married to a dull doctor and satisfies her boredom and desires by having outside lovers; or the severely repressed piano teacher who finally comes alive when she falls for one of her young students and becomes insanely obsessed with him. Huppert is brilliant. She is very intense and powerful actor; her films at times are deeply emotional and haunting. For example, "La Ceremonie" by Claude Chabrol. Your head will spin at the intense and intricate story...the secrets...the jaw dropping and shocking ending to the film, and most of all, her performance. Wow.

Loud Party 2 Doors Down

The neighbours 2 doors down are usually invisible.  Tonight they're celebrating a special occasion. They have hired a live band and have been playing for over 6 hours straight. 

Vote for GARTH!

My dear friend Garth has worked very hard on a "classic house remix" of Mariah Carey's "I'll Be Lovin' You Long Time".  

Garth has been making remixes for a number of years and has entered his remix to a special contest that Indaba Music is doing.  Cast your vote now!

http://www.indabamusic.com/submissions/show/2202

Vote for GARTH! from chantalsunita on Vimeo.