fourONEsixSTYLE

The Hot Docs festival kicked off in Toronto last Thursday with a moving documentary, Air India 182, bringing to life the stories of families touched by the worst act of terror Canadians have ever encountered.

After this opening weekend the festival buzz is heating up, giving high honours to Football Undercover, a film profiling a Muslim women’s soccer team, as well as Carny, a colourful doc that explores the strong and unusual bonds of one girl on the road.

Cuban Song could be given a miss I’m told. The documentary follows in the tracks of other Cuban docs that show how life and music mesh in Havana, however it lacks the depth and tone set by its cinematic predecessors. Tiger Spirit failed to engage audiences in the story of divided Koreans reuniting for the first time in decades, while Club Native hit home showing the difficult side of life for Mohawk Indians uniting with partners off their reserve. (Thanks for the tips & reviews John, Lana & Diego).

I’ve got my festival pass – 10 films for $90 – but have been caught up preparing for a BBC micro-session on how to approach research for forensics documentaries. I’ll be presenting a Cold Blood case study Wednesday at 2:30PM - those with an industry pass are welcome to swing by and see what you can learn about the field of archive and visual research from our experienced panel.

I’ve been sitting on the edge of the fence, deciding whether I wanna pay my $80, for day one of Virgin Festival on Toronto Island September 8th. I would’ve gone for Amy Winehouse and Bjork but now the bitchy crooner has dropped out and I don’t feel like paying the bucks to see cute little Bjork perform for only an hour or two. I’ve seen her on the Island before and it was okay. The view sucked for everyone unless you were on a picnic table or right at the front since the grounds have no naturally built-in gradient.

My fav show/concert ever was Bjork at the Hummingbird Centre, each song built up methodically over 15 minutes, layering effects by computer technicians Matmos, a choir from Greenland, a harp and Bjork herself emerging on stage as if in a fairy tale. Virgin festival, with its wham bam attitude, won’t come close to comparing.

Winehouse was really the clincher for me, having missed her appearance at The Mod Club earlier this year, but she’s cancelled all her September shows and is out of the line up for Branson’s big music festival. Must have something to do with all the gory details emerging from a bloody fight with her beau. Hope those two sort out their drug problems before Winehouse’s father-in-law convinces everyone to boycott her and business plummets. Despite her drug issues and bitchy demeanour I would’ve dropped the cash in a sec to see her. Now I’m dropping my plans to go to V-fest instead.

Island residents be warned, Wakestock is back bigger and badder than ever. The event is celebrating ten adrenalin filled years and promises to be a huge blow out, mixing punk and hip hop culture under a banner of edgy board sport (and bikini) competitions.

There’ll be no shortage of eye-candy - you can check out motocross, skateboard, wakeskate and of course wakeboard events. Last year I wasn’t sure what to expect, I thought I’d be stuck in the stands miles from nowhere hoping for a glance of the action. Instead I was knee deep in warm water leaning on a rail while riders landed sick tricks right in front of my face. You’ve got to be able to appreciate what these kids can do.

Just as hype as the sport side is what’s happening on stage all weekend. Wakestock seems to be pushing the Grammy angle, bringing big names to perform music at this summer’s show. I’ll be getting jacked on beats by De La Soul, Lupe Fiasco and Del The Funky Homosapien while taking a schoolin from punk pros Goldfinger and The Deftones.

With such a wicked mix of events on the island it’s really as good as it gets for those of us in TO who love beach life. You can wander the island, watch the waves and get some sweet inspiration from athletes who’ve trucked in from all over the world just to show you what they do best. If that doesn’t get you jacked maybe a dunk in the lake will do it for you.

Wakestock starts today, runs until Sunday. Ticket prices vary. Catch the ferry to Centre Island.

(photo Wakestock 01 by hotmshr)

The Toronto Film Festival is showcasing 352 films this year and we all know it can be a bit daunting to jump into it at this stage of the game. If you haven’t made any picks for this week there are still plenty of options. I’ve narrowed down what I think are some very worthwhile films and documentaries for this Tuesday and Thursday night, all of which had tickets available at the time I posted this.

Filmmaker Bruce LaBruce personally recommended Cuban doc The Sugar Curtain about 70s utopian dreams: Tuesday at 8:15PM.

More reasons to make fun of the suburbs, Radiant City, Tuesday at 8:45PM.

Not just for the title, Dong, a documentary which explores the building of the Three Gorges dam in China and its subsequent devastation of everything surrounding it, Thursday at 7:15PM.

For Liz and Craig - competitive gymnasts in White Palms, Thursday at 8PM.

First love warms up cold Toronto nights, In Between Days Thursday at 8:30PM.

If you ever been compelled to Hula, uplifting Hula Girls Thursday at 8:45PM.

With so many terrific films at the festival you can’t go wrong, but get your tickets soon.

According to Matt at blogTO the Borat film during Toronto’s International Film Festival was a bust. While over 300 people showed up to see the Kazhakstani star ride in on his white horse, 20 minutes into the flick the projector broke. Michael Moore and Ali G / Sasha Baron Cohen / Borat entertained the restless crowd.

I thought I was one of Ali’s biggest fans, convincing my boyfriend to dress up as him for Hallowe’en 04, but it turns out I’m not the only one. Even some dude who paid $400 bucks wasn’t disappointed he didn’t see the film, instead getting to see the star of HBO’s Da Ali G show in his element.

While I think Borat’s character deserves “Great Success!” for me it’s Bruno that knows how to give a great interview:

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Originally uploaded by 416style.

Can’t believe I’d never seen the Caribana parade before, and it’s not too far from where I live. So I took my mum and my little pup and went for a stroll down to the lake. The first few floats were not what I expected. First was a cop caravan, the next something corporate, but then the throngs of people started to fill up the street. Many were part of large groups: gospel choirs with live vocals, Falun Dafa or AIDS activists telling the crowd to keep it alive. Some floaters had already lost their energy (too much heat?) while others were happy to get right up in my camera’s lens.

I didn’t see many of the brilliant outfits I’d grown to expect but it was still great to see everyone come together in celebration, even if that celebration had to come with some kind of political message. I’d even thought I should’ve planned something, a protest to the anticipated Lakeshore parking lot proposed beside the Palais Royale. I wonder how many in the crowd, finding refuge under the giant willows knew that the 100 year old trees may soon be torn down. It’s gonna be hard to keep our cool if that happens.

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Originally uploaded by blamb.

The Hot Docs festival in Toronto has grown at a fantastic pace since its inception in 1993 and now it’s attracting increased international attention too, as it well should. The documentaries I have seen at the festival over the past several years still resonate with me today. The premises are varied, I have seen well-captured docs that portray everything from a ship stranded by the Canadian government on the shores of Vancouver in the 1910s becuase of rascist attitudes, to a daring filmmaker who smuggled the first ever video message of the Dalai Lama into Tibet since he left the country decades ago. Powerful stuff, uncovered for eager eyes. Pick up your guide or go online, Hot Docs is not to be missed. Runs April 28 - May 7th in downtown Toronto.

Reprinted for film’s world debut.

I’d been excited to see DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY at the Toronto International Film Festival and was bummed when I couldn’t get tickets. So last night I took my chances and tried “rushing” the film. This means you must get in line quite early and hope there are free seats available when the flick starts. Best laid plans fell apart and I showed up with only 35 minutes to showtime and discovered about 100 people in line ahead of me at the Elgin Theatre. At least I could “star watch” I thought…but the elusive Chappelle and his entourage were a no show. I did snap this pic of genius director Michel Gondry on the way up the red carpet and eventually made my way in to the flick with my friends.

The synopsis on the TIFF site raised the question: “What do you do when your net worth tops 50 million dollars?” “Start with a party.” Chappelle had just signed a 50 mil contract with Comedy Central so his idea, in this verite documentary, was to throw the kind of concert he always wanted to see. With hip hop connections like his the line-up was guarateed ghettofabulous: Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, The Roots, Dead Prez, Jill Scott. As if that weren’t enough to get your heart pumping, he adds THE FUGEES to the mix, reuniting after 8 long years, to the surprise to everyone at the Brooklyn Block Party. It was the most fun I’ve ever had at a movie and probably the only time I cried while I was dancing (standing at the back) when Lauryn Hill busted into a sweet and sultry version of Killing Me Softly. Wow.

Beyond the prep for the concert Dave made his usual jokes and pointed out some funny things about the hood in Brooklyn, where one school director welcomed him to the ‘mixed school’ where Black and Mexican kids played. Chappelle laughs, “this is what they call a mixed school?” The element of race was always present and I found it kind of sad that Chappelle always sees the world in black and white, though I thought it was inspiring when Wyclef spoke to the (almost all black) University marching band that were invited by Chappelle to open the party. “Don’t ever blame anything on the white man…I came from Haiti and didn’t speak a word of English, English was my third language and I’ve made a good life for myself.” Take out the element of race and we can all relate to his thoughts - don’t let anyone hold you back. As one black marching band student agreed…”Yeah, like Eminem said: You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, opportunity comes once in a lifetime.”

Chappelle’s had his opportunity, let’s see what he does with it.