Fests, 9/3.

At Movie City News, which has now added a festival blog to its collection as well as a page devoted to Toronto coverage, David Poland's been turning out a series of reviews of films set to unreel at fests throughout the season:

• "It is unlikely there will be a more controversial film at any of the festivals this year than Edmond, adapted from the early Mamet play, title charactered by William H Macy, and directed by Stuart Gordon."

• Backbroke Mountain "is, at best, well acted and mediocre. I expected more from Ang Lee." The Hollywood Reporter's Ray Bennett is far less disapppointed.

• "What went so wrong with Proof?"

• Separate Lies is "filled with good actors... Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Rupert Everett. So being so completely bored by them is a special disappointment."

• Good Night, and Good Luck "is a very good movie." But... Anyway, more from Bennett in the Reporter.

At Twitch, Todd carries on rolling out his Toronto previews. My Dad is 100 Years Old, written by Isabella Rossellini as a tribute to her father and directed by Guy Maddin: "How the two talents meet and intermingle makes for a fascinating viewing experience." Also: "With the film's strength of focus, cold hearted violence and undertones of racial violence The Proposition makes Deadwood look positively limp and flaccid by comparison."

Eugene Hernandez catches Capote at Telluride: "The look, the mood, the script, and the performances are all exceptional." Also: Paradise Now and Edmond.

Rebelfest, set for September 7 through 11 in Toronto, bills itself "the next wave in Film Festivals. NO MORE entrenched selectors - EVERY YEAR a NEW selection committee composed of ACTIVE filmmakers from around the world. Imagine That!"

Richard Murray has the impressive list of Asian films to be screened in the Dragons & Tigers series at this year's Vancouver International Film Festival.

Boyd van Hoeij is blogging - and posting pix - from Venice.

Posted by dwhudson at September 3, 2005 12:55 PM