There’s a bunch of things I love about October. The chill in the air. The change of colors in the leaves. The crunch of a defensive lineman that signifies the NFL season. Oh yes, and the return of the Vancouver International Film Festival.
By the time summer ends, I’m usually sick of Hollywood. I’m a huge fan of substance to my cinema and after being slapped upside the head by giant robots, teen slasher flicks and 3D everything, I’m usually begging for something a little more palatable by the time falls hits. That’s where the VIFF comes in.
Being the little brother of the North American film fest circuit means that unlike Toronto, New York or Sundance, we’re not going to have paparazzi chasing Brad, Megan, Roberts Redford and Deniro and Angelina over town. Sure, the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is getting its Canadian debut here, but seeing as it was Heath Ledger’s last hurrah, it’ll be doing the theatre circuit again in about two months.
No, I’m going straight for the VIFF’s Dragons and Tigers program. Every year the VIFF books a selection of the leading Asian films from around the world, providing a marvelous respite from the blockbuster frenzy. Over the year’s, it’s been a pleasure to put aside Steven Soderburgh for Hiroki Ryuichi and drop Johnny Depp for Odagiri Joe. Vancouver gets the best of Korean, Japanese and Chinese film once a year and we’re all the better for it. Only in Vancouver would you get to see an amazing film film from the likes of Takeshi Miike and then get to spend the next hour in Q&A with Asia’s version of Quentin Tarantino.
I’m especially stoked for this year’s selection of Japanese films, including Air Doll, the story of a life size blowup doll that develops a soul and falls in love with a Tokyo video store clerk. It’s beautifully shot, well acted and subtly poetic in a way only Asian film seems to be able to express. Somehow, I don’t think Will Smith is gong to be jumping on re-packaging this as a romantic comedy anytime soon