After watching 200 or so movies, the final selection is complete and this year?s Canadian features were announced last week at a gala press conference.  

This year we saw an amazing diversity of movies during our selection process, and that?s reflected in the final films, which include movies from Newfoundland, B.C. and Nunavut, and more female filmmakers than we?ve ever had in our program before.

There are many highlights this year, and you?ll be hearing a lot more about them in the coming weeks, but to start I thought I?d kick off by introducing this years Canada First opening night film, the remarkable Edison and Leo.  Opening night is always a tough choice for us - there are always a lot of good first time feature filmmakers to choose from, and we want to make sure crowd gets a movie that they?ll remember.  Well, let me tell you, no one will forget Edison and Leo.  This is the first feature length stop motion animated movie ever produced in Canada.  It?s a twisted fairy tale about an inventor and the son he accidently electrifies.  It?s sort of like Wallace and Gromit meets Frankenstein.  The animation is so gorgeous it almost made me vomit - in a good way - when you see the scene you?ll know what I mean.  Edison and Leo is directed by Neil Burns, and it?s one of the most utterly unique experiences we had screening movies this summer, and I think you?ll agree after opening night.

So much more to say, but luckily, lots of space to say it.  Look back here for more updates on films, posts from filmmakers, and of course, all the buzz once the festival actually gets going.  Make sure to check out all the other TIFF blogs, as they?re the only place to find the real behind the screen news of what?s really happening at the world?s greatest film festival.