The EU Film Festival runs from Nov. 14 to 28 and features 28 films from 28 countries. As with past iterations, these are free screenings at the Royal of a batch of European films from the last few years, some of which will make their debuts in Canada.
I won’t claim to have much foreknowledge as to the overall quality here, but that’s kind of the pleasure of this event. You also can’t argue with the price.
The opening night event is at the Mod Club (722 College St.) and a $40 ticket gets you admission to the reception and a screening at 6:30 p.m. The film on offer is Alias Loner about a Catholic priest who shelters men from conscription in the Red Army after the Soviet Union reoccupied parts of Latvia in 1944.
There’s a lot to choose from on this genre-spanning docket including the Slovenian flick Class Enemy, making its Toronto premier, which won best film at the 2013 Venice Film Festival and deals with a group of students who blame their teacher for a classmates suicide.
You can secure a seat with a $10 dollar donation.
Gerard Butler film shooting in T.O.
It’s always interesting to keep tabs on what famous faces may be wandering our streets, especially if they happen to be working on something. Looks like there’s a flick called The Headhunter’s Calling about midway through its production stint in Hogtown with Gerard Butler and Willem Dafoe. Apparently. it has to do with a meanie corporate headhunter who takes pause when his child is diagnosed with cancer and probably finds all kinds of humanity and redemption.
Screening Roundup
More free stuff, today (Nov. 13) in fact, as the fall edition of TIFF Kids Family Fridays at the TIFF Bell Lightbox gives you the new expanded edition of The Iron Giant and the excellent big screen debut of Wallace and Gromit in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
The Fox Theatre in The Beaches is a regular venue for The Toronto Silent Film Festival and Nov. 14 at 4:00 p.m. they’re presenting a screening of Buster Keaton’s wondrous Steamboat Bill Jr. (with live accompaniment by Bill O’Meara). It’s one of my favourite films, so… go.
Director Alex Cox’s crowning achievement, and for that matter Emilio Estevez’s, Repo Man is screening at The Revue Cinema Nov. 18 at 10:00 p.m. vis Art for Eternity.
Before that though, The Revue will be a bit preoccupied hosting Ekran, the 7th Toronto Polish Film Festival, Nov. 11 to 15. Here’s the slate
One of the least dusty books on the shelf of any cinephile is David Thomson’s "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film.” Geoff Pevere will host a conversation with the master critic at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Nov. 16 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 or $55 for a ticket and a copy of Thomson’s new book "How to Watch a Movie."
The same Bloor Hot Docs Cinema celebrates Roald Dahl Day for the six straight year with a screening of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.
Toronto Screengrab of the Week
Last week was Toronto subbing for Boston in The Boondocks Saints. This week is Toronto, or certain soundstage located here, subbing for, well , outer space in some of the scenes of this career-sinking flop.
