Asian Cinema at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival . . .

They released the names of the first 50 festival presentations today. Not much Asian cinema yet, but hopefully that will increase in the days ahead. It'd better, since I've already paid for two 10-ticket packages, my mostest ever . . .

A SIMPLE LIFE (Hong Kong-China) D: Ann Hui
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/asimplelife
The TIFF listing says this is the first pairing of Deannie Ip and Andy Lau in 23 years, which isn't true. Presumably the author is thinking of their most famous (and annoying) collaboration, the TRUTH trilogy (UNWRITTEN LAW, TRUTH and TRUTH - FINAL EPISODE), the last of which was released in 1989, but they've been onscreen together several times since then. A SIMPLE LIFE is currently in the HKMDB as SISTER PEACH, so hopefully someone here who still works over there can update the listing. You'll also notice a couple of familiar faces in the photo gallery at the TIFF link.

11 FLOWERS (China) D: Wang Xiaoshuai
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/11flowers

COUNTDOWN (South Korea) D: Huh Jong-ho
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/countdown

So they've announced the TIFF Midnight Madness schedule today, and there are just two Asian films in the batch, and a bunch of (seemingly) "meh" offerings from other quarters, mostly in the overworked "extreme horror" genre, I suspect.

For the record, the Asian contributions this year are:

THE RAID (Indonesia) D: Gareth Evans
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/raid
Looking forward to this one the most, based on the strength of Evans' earlier Indonesian picture MERENTAU.


SMUGGLER (Japan) D: Katsuhito Ishii
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/smuggler
Looks interesting, but a lot like so many other "quirky" Japanese pictures that end up getting distributed over here. Fingers crossed that it's something better . . .

More movies announced today. I'm now having fewer doubts about purchasing 20 tickets in advance :

LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (Hong Kong) D: Johnnie To
I will definitely see this, but frankly
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/lifewithoutprinciple

WARRIORS OF THE RAINBOW: SEEDIQ BALE (Sai Te Ke Ba Lai) (Taiwan) D: Wei Te- Sheng P: John Woo
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/warriorsoftherainbow

ARIRANG (South Korea) D: Kim Ki-Duk
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/arirang

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS (USA) D: Jessica Yu
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/lastcallattheoasis

STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY (United Kingdom) D: Mark Cousins
At 900 minutes, I doubt I'll be sitting through this in a theatre, but it seems like the kind of international overview that will touch on aspects of Asian cinema in addition to rest of the world.
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/storyoffilmanodyssey

WHORE'S GLORY (Austria/Germany) D: Michael Glawogger
From the synopsis: "This remarkable observational documentary travels to Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico in search of the plain truth of prostitution."
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/whoresglory

HEADSHOT (Thailand/France) D: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/headshot

THE FLYING MACHINE (Poland/China) D: Martin Clapp Geoff Lindsey, Dorota Kobiela
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/theflyingmachine

A LETTER TO MOMO (Momo e no Tegami) (Japan) D: Hiroyuki Okiura
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/lettertomomo

FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (Kokuriko-zaka kara) (Japan) D: Goro Miyazaki
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/fromuponpoppyhill

HIMIZU (Japan) D: Sion Sono
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/himizu

MR. TREE (Hello! Shu Xian Sheng) (China) D: Han Jie
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/mrtree

UFO IN HER EYES (Germany) D: Xiaolu
With Shi Ke, Mandy Zhang, Y. Peng Liu, Z. Lan and . . . Udo Kier!
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/ufoinhereyes

CENTURY OF BIRTHING (The Philippines) D: Lav Diaz
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/centuryofbirthing

FABLE OF THE FISH (Isda)(The Philippines) D: Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr.
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/fableofthefish

KOTOKO (Japan) D: Shinya Tsukamoto
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/kotoko

MONSTERS CLUB (Japan) D: Toshiaki Toyoda
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/monstersclub

CUT (Japan) D: Amir Naderi
A Japanese film by a noted Iranian director. Now that's the kind of cross-pollination I like to see in Asian Cinema.
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/cut

THE LADY (France/United Kingdom) D: Luc Besson
announced earlier, but I missed it
http://www.tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/thelady

CUCHERA (Philippines) D: Joseph Israel Laban
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/cuchera

HANAAN (South Korea) D: Ruslan Park
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2011/hanaan