FOR A MOMENT FREEDOM // Ein Augenblick Freiheit

Wednesday November 25 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Arash T. Riahi
With: Navid Akhavan, Fares Fares,
Behi Djanati Atai, Payam Madjlessi
2008, 110 minutes

Fast-moving and action-packed, FOR A MOMENT FREEDOM profiles three Iranian/Kurdish groups of refugees: a married couple with a child, two young men with children, and two men who are friends despite their differences. They have all managed to escape from Iran and Iraq, but are now stuck in a dodgy hotel in the Turkish capital. With freedom within their grasp, each day they must wait, uncertain of their future but hoping that their applications for asylum will be approved at last. The young Austrian-Iranian filmmaker Arash T. Riahi uses a mix of tragic comedy and suspense to depict the plight of asylum-seekers trying to flee their homeland.  

Awards:

Montreal World Film Festival 2008:
Golden Zenith for Best First Fiction Feature Film

Viennale 2008: Best Austrian Movie of the Year

Zurich Film Festival 2008:
Golden Eye Award for Best Debut Feature Film

Academy Award Nominee: Foreign Language Film 2010                                                                                                       
Website & Trailer

THE WHITE RIBBON // Das weiße Band

Wednesday December 2 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Michael Haneke
With: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi,
Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
2009, 144 min

On the eve of World War I, bizarre events unfold in a rural town in Protestant northern Germany. THE WHITE RIBBON profiles the young people who make up the choir run by the village schoolteacher, and their families: the baron, the steward, the pastor, the doctor, the midwife, and the tenant farmers. Strange accidents occur and gradually take on the character of a punishment ritual. Who is behind it all?

THE WHITE RIBBON is a co-production of Austria, Germany,
France and Italy.

Awards:

Cannes International Film Festival 2009: Golden Palm

Cannes International Film Festival 2009:
Cinema Prize of the French National Education System

Cannes International Film Festival 2009: FIPRESCI Prize

Website & Trailer (in German)

THE ALZHEIMER CASE // De Zaak Alzheimer 

Friday November 27 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Erik Van Looy
With: Koen de Bouw, Werner Desmedt, Jan Decleir
2003, 123 minutes

Belgium's box office hit, this tale centers around the murder of an important civil servant. The Antwerp police force looks to its top crime investigators, Vincke and Verstuyft, to help resolve the case. The trail leads to almost-retired hitman Angelo Ledda. Ledda is having more and more difficulty carrying out his “assignments”, due to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Awards:

Festival De Cognac Du Film Policier 2004:
International Critics Award

Noir In Festival (The International Mystery Festival) 2004:
Best Film Award and Best Actor Award (Jan Decleir)

Osaka European Film Festival 2004: Osaka City Prize (Jan Decleir)

Website

Trailer

THE WORLD IS BIG AND
SALVATION LURKS AROUND THE CORNER //
Светът е голям и спасение дебне отвсякъде

Saturday November 21 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Stephan Komandarev
With: Miki Manojlović, Carlo Ljubek, Hristo Mutafchiev
2008, 108 minutes

Bulgaria, 1980: clouds are gathering over Alex's idyllic childhood in a small provincial town. The militia wants his father to spy on Alex's grandfather, Bai Dan, the local backgammon king. As a result, the family decides to emigrate to the West. Twenty-five years later Alex wakes up in a German hospital. He has been in a terrible car accident in which his parents were killed. His grandfather comes to Germany but Alex does not recognize him – the injuries he suffered in the crash have given him amnesia. Bai Dan drags Alex out of the hospital and they set off on a tandem bicycle. On this journey back to Bulgaria, which is also a journey back to the past, Alex gets his memory back, and with it, the will to live again. The film is based on the autobiographical novel by Ilija Trojanow.

Awards:

Bergen International Film Festival 2008:
”Cinema Extraordinaire” Grand Prix

International Sofia Film Festival 2008: Kodak Award for Best Bulgarian Feature Film/ Audience Award Best Film

Tallinn International Film Festival 2008:
Don Quixote Award and Netpac Award - Special Mention

Warsaw International Film Festival 2008: Special Jury Award

Zurich Film Festival 2008: Audience Award

Website

Trailer (in Bulgarian)

THE LAST HOMECOMING // O teleftaios gyrismos

Sunday November 22 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Corinna Avraamidou
With: Stavros Louras, Christopher Creco, Maria Kitsou
2008, 85 minutes

Set against the backdrop of the political upheaval of 1974 Cyprus, this compelling film examines a seaside town and its inhabitants; their stories, dreams and desires. Key players include two brothers vying for the love of the same woman and a passionate nationalist who is driven to extremes. The town's struggle is reflected in a prophetic staging of Euripides' tragic play “Trojan Women”. During this summer, their world of beauty and innocence will be threatened, while loss and betrayal will change their way of life forever.

Awards:

Alexandria International Film Festival 2009:
Best Newcomer Director (Corinna Avraamidou)

Website

Trailers

Thursday November 19 // 6:00 pm at The Bloor Cinema

Director: Petr Zelenka
With: Ivan Trojan, Igor Chmela, David Novotny
2008, 100 minutes

A group of actors from Prague rehearse an adaptation of Dostoyevsky's famous novel “The Brothers Karamazov” in an unusual environment - a Polish steel mill. Soon the real world and the events on stage merge against the background of a factory maintenance man’s personal tragedy. Dostoyevsky's themes of faith, immortality and salvation are not only reflected in the interpretation of the novel but also in the relationships within the acting troupe itself. This compelling film also features an outstanding film score composed by the Oscar winner Jan A. P. Kaczmarek.

Awards:

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2008:
International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI)

Czech Lions Awards 2009: Best Film

Academy Award Nominee: Foreign Language Film

Website

Trailer (in Czech)

WHITE NIGHT // Hvid Nat

Friday November 27 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Jannik Johansen
With: Lars Brygmann, Rikke Louise Andersson,
Morten Grunwald
2007, 100 minutes

A psychological drama about Ulrich, a workaholic whose life takes a drastic turn when he is involved in a fatal accident. As his guilt grows, his life slowly crumbles around him. To make things worse, an event from his past rears its ugly head.

Awards:

Bodil Awards 2008: Best Supporting Actor (Morten Grunwald)

Robert Festival 2008: Best Actor (Lars Brygmann)

Zulu Awards 2008: Best Supporting Actor (Morten Grunwald)

Website

Trailer (Danish)

GEORG

Tuesday December 1 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Peeter Simm
With: Marko Matvere, Anastasia Makeyeva,
Renars Kaupers, Elle Kull                        
2007, 107 minutes

Opera singer Georg Ots' captivating, rich baritone made him a household name throughout the Soviet Union. In this biographical drama, his story is seen through the eyes of his former wife and tells of the singer's stratospheric rise to fame, his turbulent marriages, as well as his dealings with the totalitarian Soviet state. He was forced by mobilization to join the Red Army after the Soviet occupation of Estonia in 1940 and, despite gaining fame in the USSR and Finland, he was denied a chance to perform in the rest of Europe.

Website

Trailer (in Estonian)

BLACK ICE // Musta jää

Thursday November 26 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Petri Kotwica
With: Outi Mäenpää, Ria Kataja, Martti Suosalo
2007, 110 minutes

The lives of Saara and Leo, a middle-aged professional couple from Helsinki, are disrupted when Saara finds out about Leo’s infidelity. Bent on revenge, Saara pretends to befriend “the other woman,” which sets a complex chain of events in motion. Their bizarre love triangle leads them down a tense path with unexpected twists and turns, right to the bitter end. 

Awards:

Festroia International Film Festival 2008:
Silver Dolphin Award for Best Actress

Jussis (Finnish national film awards) 2008:
Best Film // Best Actress // Best Director// Best Script //
Best Editing and Best Music (Eicca Toppinen)

Trailer (in Finnish)

A PROPHET // Un Prophète

Friday November 20 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Jacques Audiard
With: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup
Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
2009, 150 minutes

Condemned to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena cannot read nor write. Arriving at the jail entirely alone, the teenager appears to be younger and more fragile than the other convicts. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang who rules the prison, he is given a number of "missions" to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. But Malik is brave and a fast learner, daring to secretly develop his own plans...

Awards:

Cannes Film Festival 2009: Grand Prix

Website

Trailer

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX //
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex

Sunday November 29 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Second screening of THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX will take place at the Innis Town Hall on Tuesday, December 1, at 9 pm. Discussion with Stefan Aust - writer of the book of The Baader Meinhof Complex - will precede the film at 7 pm. If you wish to attend one or both of these events, please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Director: Uli Edel
Writer/Producer: Bernd Eichinger
Based on the Book by: Stefan Aust
With: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek,
Bruno Ganz, Nadja Uhl
2008, 149 minutes

Germany in the 1970s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the still fragile German democracy. The radicalized children of the Nazi generation led by Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof and Gudrun Ensslin are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society, but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them best also hunts them - the head of the German police force. And while he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he's only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.

Awards:

Bavarian Film Prize 2009: Best Production (Bernd Eichinger)

CAMERIMAGE – International Film Festival of
the Art of Cinematography: Bronze Frog (Rainer Klausmann)

Academy Award Nominee: Foreign Language Film 2009

Website & Trailer

Tuesday December 1 // 7 - 8:30 pm: Free public discussion with Stefan Aust about the film "The Baader Meinhof Complex" and the German terrorist group RAF.  Host of discussion: Russell Smith, author and journalist of "The Globe and Mail".  Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave.  For more information visit Goethe-Institut Toronto.

EL GRECO

Thursday December 3 // 6:00 pm at Cineplex Odeon Varsity

Director: Iannis Smaragdis
With: Nick Ashdon, Juan Diego Botto, Laia Marull
2007, 118 minutes

Set in the 16th century, this is the epic tale of the uncompromising artist and fighter for freedom, Domenicos Theotokopoulos, better known throughout the world as “El Greco”.  Journeying to the courts of Crete, Venice and Spain, El Greco is engaged in an ongoing quest for freedom... and love. While in Spain, he is confronted by his greatest adversary - the Holy Inquisition. Never backing down in his fight against the establishment, El Greco’s unique story is one of heroism, betrayal, and love. His commitment demonstrates one man's power to overcome barbarity and ignorance... an inspiration which lives on to this day.

Awards:

Cairo International Film Festival 2008:
Best Actor (Juan Diego Botto)

GOYA Awards 2009: Best Costume Design (Lala Huete)

Website

Trailer

A FILM WITH ME IN IT

Monday November 23 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Ian Fitzgibbon
With: Dylan Moran, Mark Doherty, Amy Huberman,
Keith Allen, Aisling O’Sullivan
2008, 90 minutes

Website

Trailer

NIGHT BUS // Notturno Bus

Monday November 30 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Davide Marengo
With: Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Valerio Mastandrea,
Ennio Fantastichini, Roberto Citran
2007, 104 minutes

Bus driver Franz hopes for a life-changing stroke of luck, and continues to play poker – and lose. Then Leila, a beautiful con artist and liar, bursts into his life. By chance, Leila and Franz end up in the midst of a struggle for a microchip worth millions that could ruin a very powerful individual. They receive unexpected help in the form of Matera, a secret agent with a fondness for jazz and good books. Based on the novel of the same name by Gianpiero Rigos.

Awards:

David Di Donatello 2007: Best Original Song

Golden Rooster and Full Blossom Film Festival 2007:
Best Actor (Valerio Mastandrea)

Website

Trailer (in Italian)

A WHOLE LIFE AHEAD // Tutta la vita davanti

Saturday 21 November // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Paolo Virzì
With: Isabella Ragonese, Sabrina Ferilli, Elio Germano,
Valerio Mastandrea
2008, 117 min

A comic look at the trials and tribulations found in the world of temporary employment. Marta, a recent university graduate, finds work at a call centre marketing a futuristic home appliance. In this bizarre new world she must deal with teeny-bopper telemarketers, psyched-up salesmen, motivational dances, corporate jingles, bonuses, applause and self-inflicted group punishments. A delightfully biting examination of contemporary society, seenthrough the eyes of a philosophical young woman.
 
Awards:

Italian Golden Globes 2008:
Best Film and Best Supporting Actress (Sabrina Ferilli)

Website

Trailer (in Italian)

LITTLE ROBBERS // Mazie laupītāji

Tuesday November 24 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Armands Zvirbulis
With: Zane Leimane, Gustavs Vilsons,
Artūrs Skrastiņš, Juris Žagars
2009, 80 minutes

Cross your heart and hope to die! Can you honestly swear that at least once in your life you have not thought that robbing a bank would be a good idea? Especially if you’re five years old and the bank in question has just thrown your family out of their brand new apartment, because your father lost his job. Five-year-old Robis is no Zorro, but he’d like to be. His older sister Louisa thinks he’s too childish, but can’t resist the fun of planning the heist. Working together they believe they can pull off just about anything.

Awards:

International Children’s Film Festival “Artek” 2009:
Best Adventure Film Award

Munich Film Festival 2009: Children’s Audience Award

Riga International Children's Film Festival "Berimor's Cinema" 2009: Winner of Main Prize "Berimor's Big Pillow”

Website

Trailer

5 DAY SCAM // 5 dienu avantiura

Wednesday November 25 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Zeraldas Povilaitis
With: Arvydas Dapšys, Donatas Ðimukauskas,
Ieva Ðimukauskienė,  Dominykas Vaitiekūnas
2008, 97 minutes

This zany comedy takes place in the world of showbiz. Eros Giannakakis is a rich and famous producer from Greece who is looking for new talent for a European music reality TV show. He soon falls for Egle, a breathtakingly beautiful young contestant. But the path to true love does not run smooth and there are plenty of obstacles in his way. Egle already has a boyfriend, who won’t give her up without a fight. In the meantime, Eros must fend off the unwanted attentions of a local TV producer and deal with his very temperamental wife Natali! The situation becomes even more complicated when they are drawn into an unsavory money scam.

Website & Trailer

WINTER IN WARTIME // Oorlogswinter

Tuesday November 24 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Martin Koolhoven
With: Martijn Lakemeier, Yorick van Wageningen,
Jamie Campbell Bower, Raymond Thiry
2008, 103 minutes

Holland. January 1945. People are heading east to feed their families. Young Michiel is eager to do something for the Resistance. The young teenager finally feels that he is taken seriously when his neighbour Dirk asks him to deliver a letter. But Dirk is caught and the letter’s recipient is shot by the German soldiers. Michiel soon learns there is a fine line between good and evil. His wartime experiences mean he will never be the same again.

Awards:

Film by the Sea International Film Festival 2009:
PZC Audience Award (Martin Koolhoven)

Rembrandt Awards 2009:
Best Dutch Actor (Martijn Lakemeier)
Best Dutch Actress (Melody Klaver)
Best Film

Website

Trailer (in Dutch & English)

TIME TO DIE // Pora umierac

Thursday November 26 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Dorota Kędzierzawska  
With: Danuta Szaflarska, Krzysztof Globisz,
Patrycja Szewczy, Kamil Bitau
2007, 104 minutes

The script was written especially for the actress Danuta Szaflarska, who was 91 years old at the time of filming. It is the story of elderly Aniela, the owner of a once beautiful, now run-down villa. At this stage in her life, she is finally seeing her dream come true. Following the departure of the last tenant in her villa, she is once again mistress of her own house. But this long-awaited moment is far from what she had hoped. Her only son does not want to move back into his mother's house with his family, nor does he want to undertake the much-needed renovations. Shut off from the world in her enormous house, Aniela has constant conversations with her only companion and guardian - her dog. In the twilight of her days, she must not only face the present, but also the past and come to terms with the life she has lived.

Awards:

Polish Film Festival 2007: Grand Prix for Best Actress

Berdyansk International Film Festival 2008: Grand Prix

Leeds International Film Festival 2008: Audience Award

Polish Film Academy Award 2008:
Golden Eagle for Best Actress in a Leading Role

Polish Film Festival New York 2008: Special Award

San Francisco International Film Festival 2008:
Audience Award

Tarnow Film Award 2008

Trieste Film Festival 2008: Jury Special Mention

IFEMA Sweden 2009: Grand Prix

Website

Trailer (in Polish)

THE LOVEBIRDS

Monday November 23 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Bruno de Almeida
With: Michael Imperioli, John Ventimiglia,
Drena De Niro, Joaquim de Almeida
2008, 84 minutes

Set in the old Romanesque city of Lisbon over the course of a single night, THE LOVEBIRDS intertwines six stories about love, friendship and survival. The film stars an international cast of American and Portuguese actors who create a colourful mix of off-beat characters that lead us through a complex labyrinth of emotions.

Awards:

Ourense International Film Festival 2008:
Carlos Velo Award for Best Director // Jury Prize for Best Screenplay

Festival Internacional de Cinema do Porto 2008:
Directors' Week Special Jury Award

Website 

Trailer

POLICE, ADJECTIVE // Politist, Adjectiv

Saturday November 28 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
With: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Ion Stoica,
Irina Saulescu, Cerasela Trandifir
2009, 113 min

Cristi is a policeman who refuses to arrest a young man who offers hashish to two of his school mates. “Offering” is an offence that is punishable by law. Cristi believes that the law will change and he does not want the arrest, which could ruin the life of a young man, on his conscience. For his boss, however, the word conscience has a totally different meaning.

Awards:

Cannes International Film Festival 2009:
Jury Prize (Un Certain Regard)

Cannes International Film Festival 2009: FIPRESCI Prize

Transilvania International Film Festival 2009: Transilvania Trophy

Website

Trailer

WEEKEND WITH MY MOTHER // Weekend cu Mama

Tuesday December 1 // 8:30 pm at The Royal

Director: Stere Gulea
With: Medeea Marinescu, Adela Popescu, Tudor Istodor
2009, 90 minutes

Fifteen years ago, Luiza made a life-changing decision. Looking to make a fresh start in Spain, she left her 3-year-old daughter Cristina in the care of her relatives. When she returns to Romania, she discovers some shocking truths: Cristina ran away from home, is a drug addict and has a 2-year-old girl who lives in an orphanage. Overwhelmed by guilt, Luiza attempts to save her daughter and make up for the mistakes of her youth. There's only one catch: she's got a tight time frame - one weekend...

Website & Trailer

HALF-LIFE // POLCAS ROZPADU

Friday November 20 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Vlado Fischer
With: Ján Kroner, Tatiana Pauhofová,
Klára Trojanová Pollertová
2007, 100 minutes

Suffering from a mid-life crisis, forty-something Viktor accidentally saves a young woman, Mia, from committing suicide. Mia is a budding photographer – was it really a suicide attempt, or did she simply want to take a photograph of herself in the waves of the Danube? As Viktor falls in love with Mia, his wife Karla seeks consolation in alcohol and her growing friendship with a spiritual healer. As time progresses, Viktor becomes more and more entangled in the web of his unstable relationship with Mia. A black comedy set in a modern city, HALF-LIFE examines the insecurities of modern life and the disintegration of relationships.

Website

ROOSTER’S BREAKFAST // Petelinji zajtrk

Monday November 30 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Marko Naberšnik
With: Primož Bezjak, Vlado Novak, Pia Zemljič,
Dario Varga, Janez Škof
2007, 125 minutes

Rooster’s Breakfast is an unconventional love story set in asmall town. Beneath the town's calm exterior lie hidden passions and complex situations. Djuro lives a quiet life working as an apprentice at a local garage. His tranquil life is disturbed by the arrival of the beautiful Bronja. They embark on a risky love affair which they try to hide from Bronja's husband, who is a brute and a pimp. Meanwhile, the garage owner harbours his own secret love for pop star Severina. Will the chance to meet her be the answer to his
hopes and dreams?

Website

Trailer (in Slovenian)

UNDER THE STARS // Bajo las Estrellas

Sunday November 22 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Félix Viscarret
With: Alberto San Juan, Emma Suárez,
Julián Villagrán, Violeta Rodríguez
2007, 108 minutes

When Benito Lacunza, a waiter and wannabe jazz musician, returns to his home town for a visit, he hears surprising news. His goody-two-shoes brother Lalo is set to marry. Benito remembers Nines, Lalo's fiancée, all too well from his wild youth. Nines is now a single mom who has had her share of hard times. As Benito prepares to save his brother from making a mistake, he discovers he has a formidable foe: Nines' rebellious young daughter. When things in the family take a turn for the worse, Benito decides for the first time in his life to take charge and help those he cares about most.

Awards:

Malaga Film Festival 2007:
Best Film // Best Actor (Alberto San Juan) //
Best Director (Félix Viscarret) //
Best First Script

Annecy Spanish Film Festival 2008: Youth Jury Award.

Goya Awards 2008:
Best Lead Actor (Alberto San Juan) //
Best Adapted Screenplay

Website & Trailer (in Spanish)

Second screening by Toronto French School
Monday November 23 // 7:00 pm 

THE KING OF PING PONG // Ping-pongkingen

Saturday November 28 // 6:00 pm at The Royal

Director: Jens Jonsson
With: Jerry Johansson, Hampus Johansson,
Ann-Sofie Nurmi, Georgi Staykov, Fredrik Nilsson
2008, 107 min

A warm and humorous drama full of depth and originality set in the far north. Sixteen-year-old Rille is ostracized and bullied; a nobody. Everywhere, that is, except in the ping pong room. There he rules as the King of Ping Pong. His younger brother Erik is charming, well-respected and loved by all. Despite the profound differences between them, they share the same blood; at least that is what they both believe. When they learn the truth about their father during their spring break, they become bitter adversaries engaged in a life and death struggle.

Awards:

Athens International Film Festival 2008:
Golden Athena for Best Picture

Brisbane International Film Festival 2008:
Cine Sparks Jury Award

Chicago International Film Festival 2008:
Silver Hugo for Best New Director

Sundance Film Festival 2008:
Cinematography Award - World Cinema/Dramatic
(Askild Edvardsen) //
Grand Jury Prize – World Cinema/Dramatic (Jens Jonsson)

Montréal International Children's Film Festival 2009:
Special Jury Prize

Website & Trailer (in Swedish)