The Toronto International Film Festival has officially started and it’s only day 3 out of 10. I’ve seen some good films; I’m already sleep deprived but having a great time.

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, this year I have the pleasure to once again write for TIFF’s Doc Blog for the Real to Reel programme…what a treat! Day 1 started with a screening for Soul Power, which brought us back to Zaire 74 with the likes of such great American musicians like Bill Withes, James Brown and the Fania All Stars (which included Celia Cruz, Hector Levoe) as well as some great African artists like Miriam Makeba and Afrisa. The film had some amazing footage of the some of the songs these artists performed and also some great commentary by Muhammad Ali himself… He is great on camera. The sound quality was also very good but most importantly, we had a chance to experience such an amazing music festival. Had I more leg room I might’ve stood up and danced; James Brown’s music and rhythm just has that effect on people. On my way out of the film, I met up with a friend who’s also a blogger… what do you know, we end up sharing a cab with Tonya Lee Williams and end up at a party for John Coburn. He did some sketches on the set of the movie Pontypool (also premiering at TIFF) and has now published these drawings. Coburn was very gracious and super friendly. After a nice glass of wine, I dash off to chill.

Day 2: I started the day by attending the Q&A for Yes Madam, Sir – a documentary about the life of Kiran Bedi. Bedi is one of the few female police officers in India and has proven to be an amazing role model for other women but also a woman of courage and strong values. Bedi attended the screening along with director Megan Doneman. The audience really loved this film not only because it showed a strong female character but also because the filmmaker was able to show the important themes in Bedi’s life. After this screening, I had somewhat of a break; somewhat because I only had enough time to buy a coffee then stand in line at the Elgin for the premiere of Appaloosa – a Western directed and starring Ed Harris, alongside Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, Jeremy Irons, Lance Henriksen. Later that night, I had the chance to see It Might Get Loud showcasing the careers of Jack White, Jimmy Page and U2’s the Edge. I always loved drummers but guitarists are second on the list. This was a cool film and lots of music fans were in attendance, as well as the director and protagonists of the documentary. Very cool; how often do we get to see these three guys on stage? Did I mention I now have a crush on Jack White? He’s amazingly cool, funny and down to earth on film and in person. But I digress…. a nice way to end day 2.

Day 3: Started off with waiting for Youssou N’Dour to arrive at the Ryerson theatre for the premiere of his film, Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love. It was really great in colours and sounds. Some of us thought it a bit long at times but seeing Youssou sing and interact with his family was interesting and fun. Great sound and a great singer. Later, I made my way back to the Ryerson theatre for the premiere of Larry Charles and Bill Maher’s Religulous. A film that takes a “stab” at asking what’s up with organized religion? No doubt this film will create controversy. My friend and I enjoyed ourselves. The Question and Answer period after the film was actually pretty interesting. It’s evident that Charles and Maher are both very intellectual in how they discuss the nature of the film…. I won’t say too much about it except that if you have an open mind, it will be a good one to check out. It will be in theatres soon.

Anyway, off I go… as I need more sleep for a busy day tomorrow.