I thought I’d start my TIFF coverage with a moment of reflection. As many of you might know, this blog has been on the go for just over three years now…which means that there’s three TIFF’s worth of coverage buried in here. Permit me a moment to reflect on a little bit of it.

Back when I was a starry-eyed young blogger (read: 2007), I learned that nothin’ sucks the fun out of a festival faster that hightailing it out of a screening to pound out thoughts on a keyboard about it. However, that very same year I was lucky enough to get an early glimpse at a film I’d call the best of that year and would shortly become one of my all-time faves. Here’s what I thought about NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN at the time.

Of course, back in 2007 nobody was reading this space…

The next year I got a lucky draw and scored tickets to every single film my heart desired (a rarity – believe me). In amongst my choices was a ticket to what I can only call “a happening”. See, when I somewhat blindly selected the new Danny Boyle film in my schedule, I had no clue I’d be present for the starting point of a film that went on to such acclaim. Likewise, I lucked out…because as the acclaim grew, many people went to see it and wondered what all the fuss was about. To this day, I still dig SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, and am pretty proud to say that “I was there when“.

Oh by the way, in 2008 – still nobody reading this space…

Last year, as you may or may not know, I sat the festival out (between doling out cash on a film festival, and throwing it at a lavish wedding – I recommend the latter). Still, I was able to take in some of the free things going on around town and keep in the loop vicariously. Ever the good sport, little bro asked me what one screening I’d like a ticket to if I had my pick. So while I considered a stacked line-up that included AN EDUCATION, A PROPHET, THE ROAD, and UP IN THE AIR…I decided to appease my inner music geek and movie geek all in one go. Thus on the second-to-last day, I took a seat in my favorite TIFF venue to watch a glorious doc about The White Stripes Canadian Tour.

By this point, readership had begun – thus, no self-deprecation here and a thanks to Aiden for my lone comment!

Wonder what’s gonna be the most memorable moment of the festival this year…