TIFF 2012: these 14 films are expected to defy conventions in this year’s Vanguard programme
There are films at TIFF with Hollywood polish, and then there are the Vanguard entries, which are meant to be cutting edge and genre-defying. This year, TIFF will host films by singer Peaches, directors Soi Cheang and Michel Gondry, musician Ben Drew and more. According to TIFF, these entries are darker than the Midnight Madness selections and they have a “confrontational and transgressive core.” That does not sound like a very pleasant core at all.
90 Minutes (Norway) Director: Eva Sørhaug Starring: Aksel Hennie, Bjørn Floberg, Pia Tjelta
Beijing Flickers (China) Director: Zhang Yuan Starring: Duan Bowen, Lv Yulai, Shi Shi, Han Wenwen, Li Xinyun
Berberian Sound Studio (U.K.) Director: Peter Strickland Starring: Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Cosimo Fusco
Blondie (Sweden) Director: Jesper Ganslandt Starring: Alexandra Dahlström, Helena af Sandeberg and Carolina Gynning
Here Comes the Devil (Mexico and Argentina) Director: Adrian Garcia Bogliano Starring: Francisco Barreiro, Giancarlo Ruiz, Laura Caro
Ill Manors (U.K.) Director: Ben Drew Starring: Riz Ahmed, Ed Skrein and Natalie Press
Motorway (Hong Kong) Director: Soi Cheang Starring: Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Shawn Yue and Xiaodong Guo
Painless (Spain, France and Portugal) Director: Juan Carlos Medina Starring: Derek de Lint, Irene Montalà and Félix Gómez
Peaches Does Herself (Germany) Director: Peaches Starring: Danni Daniels, Sandy Kane, Peaches
Pusher (U.K.) Director: Luis Prieto Starring: Richard Coyle, Bronson Webb, Agyness Deyn
Room 237 (U.S.) Director: Rodney Ascher Starring: Rodney Ascher
Sightseers (U.K.) Director: Ben Wheatley Starring: Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Dan Charles
Thale (Norway) Director: Aleksander Nordaas Starring: Morten Andresen, Erlend Nervold, Silje Reinåmo
The We and the I (U.S.) Director: Michel Gondry Starring: Michael Brodie, Teresa Lynn, Raymond Delgado
