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Trade Toronto's Film Fest For Vampires And Audience-Made Movies

September 4, 2009 at 3:29 PM | by | Comments (0)

As you read this, hundreds of movie industry insiders are preparing to journey to Canada for the Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off on September 10th and runs through the 19th. Publicists are hustling to make sure itineraries are locked down, young independent filmmakers are excitedly buzzing in anticipation of World Premieres, and studio heads are preparing to lead the first wave of Oscar season hype.

TIFF offers an early look at what are sure to be some of the year's most critically-lauded films, but, along with Sundance, Tribeca, and the mother of all festivals, Cannes, attending also requires the spartan wherewithal to deal with large crowds and the time crunch of back-to-back screenings.

If you'd rather not subsist off of Red Bull and doughnuts (as recent festival attendees told us is the diet of choice) and prefer to be surrounded by more laid back movie lovers, try one of the three TIFF film festival alternatives we've listed below. Pedro Almodóvar may not grace your midst, but you're still promised entertainment while parked in front of the big screen.

· The 48-Hour Film Project

Sometimes being a spectator isn't enough. The 48-Hour Film Project is less a traditional festival, more an opportunity for budding filmmakers to showcase work produced under the tight deadline of, you guessed it, 48 hours. Participants are given "a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and a genre" on the Friday preceding screenings, then have two days to turn something around before the big premiere. This fall the 48HFP continues its international tour with stops in London, Sydney, Mumbai, Paris, and Prague.

· Fantastic Fest

Okay, so Fantastic Fest may not exactly be the "laid back" festival experience we promised. However, as an attendee you'll be surrounded by fanboys (and girls) who flock to Austin for the love of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and action, which makes it seem like a much more lively (or undead) party. Described as "the geek Telluride," Fantastic Fest has attracted marquee Hollywood players like Kevin Smith and Bill Murray in past years as they showcase the best in genre films. This year, it will be held from September 24th through October 1st and promises aliens, robots, and vampires galore.

· Artivist Film Festival

Socially-aware cinephiles will appreciate the sentiment behind the Artivist Film Festival, which will be stopping in London from November 25th-28th and Los Angeles from December 1st through 5th. Its programmers are "dedicated to addressing Human Rights, Children's Advocacy, Environmental Preservation, and Animal Rights" through film, with past premieres including the Academy Award winning Born Into Brothels and Morgan Spurlock's McDonald's diatribe Super Size Me. Do-gooders making and watching good films—not such a bad idea.

Related Stories
· Fantastic Fest [Official Site]
· Film Festival Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: 48-Hour Film Festival]

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