Taking The Film Experience Beyond The Cinema, Tiff Offers Special Weekend Events For All Ages

TORONTO – As part of its inaugural fall calendar, TIFF Bell Lightbox will offer a series of special weekend programming.

“TIFF’s special weekend events bring the magic of film to families and movie enthusiasts of all ages,” said Shane Smith, Director, Public Programmes, TIFF Bell Lightbox. “Our involvement in Toronto’s cultural scene will engage many diverse communities, making TIFF Bell Lightbox accessible through dynamic and informative events and installations.”

SCOTIABANK NUIT BLANCHE – October 2, 2010, 6:57 pm to sunrise
TIFF celebrates the City of Toronto’s 5th annual Scotiabank Nuit Blanche with a richly eclectic lineup of programmes that will take audiences on an unforgettable journey from the dawn of cinema all the way to its phantasmal netherworld. Some of this year’s highlights include A Girl and a Camera, featuring 11 short films by cinema’s first female director, producer and studio owner, Alice Guy Blaché; Grindbox!, a cinematic celebration of the weird, the wild and the wonderful; and Singin’ in the Dark, a riotous all-night sing-along featuring hit tunes from movie musicals, hosted by stand-up and cabaret artist Shawn Hitchins.

ESSENTIAL RESTORATIONS: FOUR FILMS FROM THE ACADEMY FILM ARCHIVE – October 16 and 17
TIFF partners with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a special weekend devoted to the Academy’s invaluable restorations of four cinematic masterpieces, three of which are on the Essential 100 list. The restorations include Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali and F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise. Every screening will be followed by a short presentation and an in-depth discussion with Academy Film Archive Director Michael Pogorzelski. This programme is made possible in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

HALLOWEEN – October 29 to October 31
Celebrate Halloween weekend at TIFF Bell Lightbox. On October 29, award-winning composer, musician and bandleader Andrew Downing appears live with his ensemble to perform Caligari in Concert!, their original score for the silent German Expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene.

Families will be able to enjoy a series of film-craft activities and screenings of Canadian and international films, including Bibi Blocksberg,directed by Hermine Huntgeburth and The Substitute, directed by Ole Bornedal.

CULTURE DAYS – September 24 to September 26
TIFF will host a variety of free screenings, hands-on activities and installations as part of Culture Days, a new Canada-wide movement and annual event promoting arts and cultural participation, including: a partnership with Hot Docs to present Michel Brault with Chronique d’un été, an on-stage event with one of the key figures of Québécois cinema; film screenings and drop-in film-craft activities for the whole family; and an interactive projection called What’s Your Essential Cinema?, which will invite visitors to text in their favourite films from the Essential 100 list. What’s Your Essential Cinema? is a CFC Media Lab and TIFF Production.

ESSENTIAL CINEMA  – October 9 to October 24
TIFF presents a series of weekend hands-on activities related to Essential Cinema, offering youth and children the opportunity to experiment with and explore the basic aspects of filmmaking.

Read below for more information on special weekend programming at TIFF Bell Lightbox this fall.

SCOTIABANK NUIT BLANCHE – October 2, 6:57 pm to sunrise
A Girl and a Camera and A Girl and a Gun - Curated by TIFF Cinematheque programmer Andrèa Picard
A Girl and a Camera invites audiences to embark on an exhilarating voyage to cinema’s pagan beginnings through 11 short films by Alice Guy Blaché, the first female director, producer and studio owner. A Girl and a Gun features the Toronto premiere of Austrian montage master Gustav Deutsch’s FILM IST. A Girl and a Gun (2009).

Singin’ in the Dark – Programmed by Shane Smith, Director of Public Programmes, TIFF Bell Lightbox
A riotous all-night sing-along featuring hit tunes from movies, hosted by stand-up and cabaret artist Shawn Hitchins.

Grindbox! – Curated by Colin Geddes
This presentation of coming attractions for horror and exploitation films from around the world is a cinematic celebration of the weird, the wild and the wonderful, balanced on the border between art and trash.

The Hand Eye Society’s Arcadian Renaissance at TIFF Bell Lightbox – Presented in collaboration with The Hand Eye Society.
New videogames created by Toronto indies are presented within classic arcade game cabinets. These fun and simple games bring back the spirit of the arcade—and best of all, no quarters are required.

Previously announced installations Hauntings I and II by Guy Maddin and 8½ ScreensbyAtom Egoyan will also be presented.

ESSENTIAL RESTORATIONS: FOUR FILMS FROM THE ACADEMY FILM ARCHIVE – October 16 and 17
TIFF partners with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a special weekend devoted to the Academy’s invaluable restorations of four cinematic masterpieces, three of which are on the Essential 100 list. The restorations include Sunrise, directed by F.W. Murnau, Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa, and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali and The Chess Players. Every screening will be accompanied by a short presentation with slides, before-and-after demonstrations, and an in-depth discussion with Academy Film Archive Director Michael Pogorzelski, who will describe the unique challenges each film posed to the restoration teams. This programme is made possible by the support of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

HALLOWEEN – October 29 to October 31
On October 29, award-winning composer, musician and bandleader Andrew Downing appears live with his ensemble to perform Caligari in Concert!, their original score for the silent German Expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene.

Screenings and drop-in activities for families:
Canadian and international films for children and youth, including Bibi Blocksberg,directed by Hermine Huntgeburth, The Substitute,directed by Ole Bornedal and the shorts programme Scary Stuff and Other films. A special programme for children ages four to six offers screenings of Laban the Little Ghost, directed by Lasse Persson, Alicja Jaworski and Per Åhlin. Bibi Blocksberg is part of the John VanDuzer Children’s Film Collection.

The film workshop crew brings dreams (and nightmares) to life in a series of special film-craft activities: Special Effects Makeup – a professional special-effects makeup artist will create spooky looks and teach participants how to recreate them at home; The Costume Factory – visitors are invited to bring costume pieces and let TIFF embellish the ensembles; and Green Screens and Scary Sounds – recreate the magic of a Halloween scene in TIFF’s special cinema-studio.

CULTURE DAYS – September 24 to September 26
TIFF will host a variety of free screenings, hands-on activities and installations as part of Culture Days, a new Canada-wide movement and annual event promoting arts and cultural participation.

Screenings:
Michel Brault with Chronique d’un été
In partnership with Hot Docs, TIFF presents Michel Brault with Chronique d’un été, an on-stage event with one of the key figures of Québécois cinema, master cinematographer and director Michel Brault. Accompanying the screening of Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin’s Chronique d‘un été(1961), film # 75 on the list, Hot Docs Director of Programming Sean Farnel will interview Brault about his experience as director of photography on this milestone of cinéma vérité.

La Jetée
Chris Marker’s innovative, mind-bending science fiction classic La Jetée (1962), film # 37 on the list, is a rumination on the idea of time in a post-apocalyptic future.

Family screenings
Screenings for the whole family include Charlie Chaplin’s classic comedy City Lights (1931), film # 29 on the list, and Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (1924), film # 31 on the list, to be presentedwith live musical accompaniment by Toronto swing-klez band Fern Lindzon Sextet.

Drop-in activities for children and youth:
Participants can colour and craft their own buttons during Buttonography; draw on film stock and then screen their own creations during Drawing on Film; use red and blue coloring pencils to create images that become 3-D in 3-D VISIONS; and cut out and colour pre-designed flip books during Fun with Flip Books.

Essential Cinema – Installations and Commissions:
Free access to the previously announced Essential Cinema exhibition and commissions will also be part of TIFF Bell Lightbox’s offerings during Culture Days. In addition, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s visitors will encounter an interactive projection above the box office called What’s Your Essential Cinema? Featuring a dynamic visualization of kinetic images from each of the Essential 100 films, it will invite visitors to text in their favourite film from the list. The system will take note and compare it to the official film list causing the projected visualization to change as a result of the difference between the visitor’s choice and what is displayed on screen. What’s Your Essential Cinema? is a CFC Media Lab and TIFF Production.

ESSENTIAL CINEMA  – October 9 to October 24
Free drop-in activities:
Youth participants can draw on film stock and then show their own creations on the big screen to the sounds and beats of local DJs during Music Videos (Very) Old School; enjoy hands-on demonstrations of foley sound recording during Fun with Foley; record and upload famous lines from the Essential 100 films during ADR; examine optical illusions during Tropes & Scopes/Shadows & Light  embark on a fascinating journey into the camera’s secrets during Simple Tricks & Special Effects; and learn by doing about costume design, makeup and hair with You’ve Got the Look.

Activities that require pre-registration:
Participants will be able to learn tricks and performance tips during Abracadabra – A Class for Magicians; take choreography classes inspired by musical numbers and classic conflicts in the Essential 100 with Razzle Dazzle/Dance & Duel; get an overview of film music with Music and Cinema: They Shoot – You Score!; and learn how to develop a film scene with the Director Trademarks workshop series.

The opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox has inspired TIFF to create a new membership programme that offers audiences exciting opportunities to experience year-round programming in unique and special ways. TIFF members will enjoy discounts on select screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox, priority access to programming, free entry to the exhibitions in the galleries, regular TIFF insider updates, invitations to exclusive members-only events, and more. To learn about all the benefits of being a TIFF member please visit tiff.net/membership  

About TIFF Bell Lightbox
Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, major sponsor BlackBerry, Visa†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, the Slaight Family Foundation, The Daniels Corporation, NBC Universal Canada, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, the Harbinger Foundation, Mackenzie Financial, CIBC and BMO. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit tiff.net/tiffbelllightbox

About TIFF
TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.

TIFF is generously supported by lead sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC and Blackberry, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto.

The Essential Cinema is generously supported by presenting sponsor RBC, presenting partner the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund. With Special Thanks to the official media sponsor The Globe and Mail and the Hal Jackman Foundation for supporting Essential Cinema.

Visa† is the only credit card accepted by TIFF.

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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or email proffice@tiff.net.