TIFF11 schedule review, a year later

The time is upon me to set a wish list for my Toronto International Film Festival 2012 schedule. Of course it’s filled with many tough choices, a matter made all the worse because, like last year, I drew a lousy time in the lottery for getting my selections fulfilled. I got just eight of my fifteen first choices, a percentage I’d like to improve on this September. Nevertheless, it ended up working out fairly well in 2011. I saw most of the films that were top priorities for me.

In anticipation of learning what I’ll be able to secure tickets for and what vouchers I may have to parlay into desired picks, I thought it would be interesting to examine how I did last year in terms of seeing what films have been accessible to me between festivals. There’s no single correct way of choosing films, but for the expense involved, it makes the most sense to me to catch movies that won’t be showing up in local theaters in the following couple months, if not before the end of the year. After all, without accounting for travel and accommodations for those who don’t live in or around Toronto, festival ticket prices are higher than regular admissions.

To my surprise, a majority of what I viewed at TIFF11 have still not hit Columbus screens. Ten of the twenty-three films I saw in Toronto have opened here:

-MELANCHOLIA (December 2, 2011)
-CRAZY HORSE (February 17, 2012)
-INTO THE ABYSS: A TALE OF DEATH, A TALE OF LIFE (February 24, 2012)
-RAMPART (March 2, 2012)
-THIS IS NOT A FILM (IN FILM NIST) (March 30 & 31, 2012 only)
-THE RAID: REDEMPTION (SERBUAN MAUT) (April 13, 2012)
-DAMSELS IN DISTRESS (May 4, 2012)
-YOUR SISTER’S SISTER (June 29, 2012)
-I WISH (KISEKI) (July 27, 2012)
-KILLER JOE (August 24, 2012)

Of these ten, only one (THE RAID: REDEMPTION) enjoyed a wide local release. DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, KILLER JOE, and YOUR SISTER’S SISTER played on two screens at their peak. The others appeared on just one Columbus screen.

Here’s the status of the other thirteen films:

In limited release - no Columbus screenings scheduled
-GOODBYE FIRST LOVE (UN AMOUR DE JEUNESSE)
-OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (OSLO, 31. AUGUST)
-TRISHNA

Scheduled New York City/Los Angeles release date
-FROM UP ON POPPY HILL (KOKURIKO-ZAKA KARA) (2012 Academy Awards qualifying run; March 2013 - limited)
-GIRL MODEL (September 5, 2012 - limited)
-THE LONELIEST PLANET (October 26, 2012 - limited)

Unscheduled New York City/Los Angeles release
-OUTSIDE SATAN (HORS SATAN)
-TWIXT
-YOU’RE NEXT

Available on DVD
-LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (DYUT MENG GAM)
-MISS BALA

No U.S. distribution
-FAUST
-TWIGGY (LA BRINDILLE)

For comparison’s sake, here’s what happened with the first choices I didn’t get or received and traded in for something else:

Opened in Columbus
-MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE (November 11, 2011)
-LE HAVRE (January 13, 2012)
-A DANGEROUS METHOD (January 27, 2012)
-PINA (February 17, 2012)
-TAKE THIS WALTZ (July 13, 2012)

Scheduled Columbus opening
-360 (September 7, 2012)
-SAMSARA (October 12, 2012)

Available on DVD
-EXTRATERRESTRIAL (EXTRATERRESTRE)

I don’t suppose that knowing this will make missing out on something I really want to see at TIFF12 any easier, but it shows that not getting every top choice won’t ruin the festival experience either.