Tonight the bedlam begins:

Eleven days, twenty-seven screenings, more friends than I can count, less sleep than I require.

Sounds like doing a pure cinematic speedball, doesn’t it? It is, but just like any vice it comes with certain side effects – namely making a bad call. Just last night, when I posted a photo of all my tickets on The Matinee’s Facebook page, my aunt asked me how I choose which films I see. I somewhat summarized my method, but the truth is that there’s a lot of dumb luck that comes along with selecting any quantity of films…and inevitably, you’re gonna miss the boat on something.

So as I begin my eleventh festival, come with me through ten years of The Matinee’s Golden Pan Awards: Handed out annually to the one that got away…

TIFF 2001, MULLHOLLAND DRIVE

Technically, this one shouldn’t count. I really had no idea what I was doing my first time around, and also had a wickedly small window to work with (three days). Still, looking back now and seeing that I could have gotten in on one of the decade’s best shows how tough the whole thing can be on rookies.

TIFF 2002, CITY OF GOD

Good news! Widening tastes and time off from work allows me to make the most of the festival for the first time. Bad news, I still can’t get things right. Despite being moved by gems like TALK TO HER and PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, I still find myself  an amateur wasting time on big studio offerings like PHONE BOOTH and THE FOUR FEATHERS. The next spring when this film rocked my world, I felt that much more of an amateur.

TIFF 2003, LOST IN TRANSLATION

Yeah…I know…a lot of people dislike this film. I love it, and can’t believe I didn’t jump on it.

TIFF 2004, OLDBOY

Yeah…I know…they shouldn’t let someone like me run a website, should they?

TIFF 2005, C.R.A.Z.Y.

I’m going to guess that some of you reading this haven’t seen this film either, and that some of you reading this haven’t even heard of it. It’s an amazing Canadian film by director Jean-Marc Vallée who directed one of my favorite 2011 films, CAFE DE FLORE. Believe it or not, at the time I skipped the movie because I actually hadn’t yet honed my taste for Canadian films. When I watched it and realized how wickedly up my alley this film was, I felt that much dumber. The whole matter was made worse by the fact that my wife suggested I see it and I shrugged her off. bad idea, right? It got worse the next year…

TIFF 2006, PAN’S LABYRINTH

Yup – it got this much worse. In perusing the guidebook during the week we were cobbling together our selections, Lindsay must have mentioned this film at least half a dozen times…and even more times as the festival unfolded. I said at the time (and this is a direct quote) “It doesn’t sound like my sort of thing”. Upon seeing the film that December, I couldn’t believe how grossly I’d misspoke – an error as of yet unmatched, which is why the award is named after this particular bit of stupidity.

The lesson: Listen to Lindsay.

TIFF 2007, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY

By 2007, I’d largely learned my lesson. Looking back, this might have been one of my best festivals wall-to-wall and included my introductions to JUNO, EL ORFANATO, CONTROL, and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Still, you can’t see ’em all, and as I started catching up with the ones I’d skipped, this gut-punch from Julien Schnabel hit hardest.

TIFF 2008, THE HURT LOCKER

This one pissed me off. I count myself a massive fan of this film since first seeing it in the summer of 2009, but at TIFF 2008? Not even a blip on my radar. What pisses me off is that with only so much time to cobble together a schedule, sometimes you lean on the visuals in the program to draw you in. See that humdrum still I’ve embedded? That was the promo image TIFF decided to use to hype this ballad to modern warfare. Are you kidding? Did the courier lose the still-frame of Evangeline Lilly on the phone? Suffice it to say, when I caught up with it, I couldn’t believe I’d glossed over it.

TIFF 2009, THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES*

Notice the asterisk? It’s not there because TIFF 2009 tested positive for PED’s, but it is there for a reason. As mid-summer approached, Lindsay and I had more pressing concerns than movies…namely our upcoming wedding. So rather than drop the few hundred dollars that we usually do, we decided to bite the bullet and sit out the festival. However, before the dust settled, along came little brother with an offer: pick any film, and I’ll get you a ticket for it out of my allocation.

TIFF 2009 came stacked with a lot of films I’d go on to capital-L-love. AN EDUCATION, A SERIOUS MAN, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, and A SERIOUS MAN just to name a few. But to narrow it down to one? Yikes. In the end I chose a White Stripes concert doc to get the experience of seeing it in a theatrical environment. However, if I could do it all over again knowing what I know now, I’d have to go with this deeply moving Argentinian selection.

TIFF 2010, MEEK’S CUTOFF

I think I must have been jacked-up to be back at the festival, because by-and-large I nailed it when it came to filling out my selections. Only one eluded me, and that ain’t bad…

TIFF 2011, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Last year was just an embarrassment of riches. Sure, I could have caught up with CAFE DE FLORE or TAKE SHELTER faster, but what should I have sacrificed? THE ARTIST? SHAME? THE SKIN I LIVE IN? TYRANNOSAUR?

I can’t see ’em all, but I do sorta wish I’d found the time to see this.

…So place your bets gang? What will be the film I miss this week that I immediately regret when I finally catch up with it in the weeks and months ahead?

22 Replies to “Memories of TIFF Past: The Matinee’s Golden Pan Awards”

  1. Having seen all of these films, Sam and I have one thing to say. Ouch. Unfortunate to miss all of these, but as you say, you can’t see them all. TIFF is packed with amazing films. Could you please send us the list of films that just missed your schedule this year so we know the other must-sees 😉

    In all seriousness, have a fantastic time. Look forward to your coverage and eagerly awaiting your reactions and recommendations.

    1. Yeah, “ouch” was my word of choice when I caught up with them too.

      When the dust settles on the week, I’ll be sure to send you both a list of the films I couldn’t fit into the sked, and the ones I hear good things about from others.

    1. I’m ashamed of nothing, I saw great things the last two years. MEEK’S and KEVIN were more of a case of not enough hours in the day. Actually, compounding the decision was the fact that both of them took theri sweet time in arriving in theatres after-the-fact.

      Stop filling my family’s head with your CONDORMAN love…

  3. You will regret missing “9.79”, of course.

    I kid. You set me up perfectly. I had to. You will see what you need to see. Have faith. I mean, would you really want to see “We Need To Talk About Kevin” at a festival? I had to take a couple days to recover from that one.

    1. Funny thing with that – it was a very late cut, and the main reason I turfed it was the knowledge that it’s an ESPN 30 for 30, thus it’ll turn up on TV in short order.

      As for seeing the heavy films at a festival…that sorta comes with the territory. The good news is that having so much material coming at you so fast makes for a faster recovery time.

  4. I think it’s cool you admit these things… I mean, yeah, it’s a little embarrassing (especially the first years), but it happens to everyone. I’m curious to see what an idiot I will turn out to be attending my first film festival… some day when I live in a bigger city.

    2. Oh, it would be. I’ve been wanting to for three years, this was the first year my parents would allow me to… but then I had no money. Anyway, I’m planning to go there next year.

  5. It is funny how we each have our own name for the many misses. Instead of the Golden Pan, I call them the Whale Riders.

    I saw four of your Golden Pans at TIFF (Lost in Translation, Old Boy, The Hurt Locker, Pan’s Laybrinth). Here are my Golden Pans/Whale Riders:

    2001- (TIE)Mulholland Dr (foolishly picked Haneke’s The Piano Teacher instead) and Amelie
    2002 – Whale Rider
    2003 – Les Triplettes de Belleville
    2004 – Sideways
    2005 – Brokeback Mountain
    2006 – When the Levees Broke
    2008 – Hunger
    2009 – A Single Man
    2010 – Meek’s Cutoff
    2011 – Café du Flore (I still need to see this film)

    1. Appropriately enough, I’ve seen four of your Whale Riders!

      Wonder what’s going to take the cake for me this year. At a glance I’m thinking it’ll be ARGO or THE SESSIONS.

  6. I know what film you’ll miss that you’ll regret missing. Looper!!!

    Granted, it’s inevitable that I’ll say that, but I’ll stick with it until y’all come with your torches and pitchforks to shut me up!!!

    Man I wish I was there SO FRIGGIN’ BAD!!! So many movies I want to see!!

    1. LOOPER was something of a non-factor this year because they made it a premium ticket, so that knocked it out as an option. I *do* really want to see it of course.

  7. I lucked upon seeing We Need to Talk About Kevin last year (i.e. my friend got me a ticket).

    As for films I wished I saw at TIFF:
    – Coffee and Cigarettes – TIFF 2003 (very naive my first year)
    – Kung Fu Hustle – TIFF 2004 (I actually had a ticket, but the screening was canceled, due to the print being damaged
    – Pan’s Labyrinth – TIFF 2006
    – Atonement – TIFF 2007 (though I happened to see ANOTHER film with Saoirse Ronan in it that year)
    – The Hurt Locker – TIFF 2008 (like you, I didn’t know it existed)
    – Up in the Air – TIFF 2009 (I was actually volunteering at the premiere)
    – Black Swan – TIFF 2010
    – The Raid – TIFF 2011

    1. Kung Fu Hustle and The Raid are two I also regret not seeing as well. I had tickets as well to the Hustle screening that got cancelled. I cannot remember what I picked up as a replacement, but I remember it was awful.

  8. When I saw the images on this article I though it was list of my favourite films of recent years: MULLHOLLAND DRIVE, CITY OF GOD, LOST IN TRANSLATION, PAN’S LABYRINTH and OLDBOY all appeared in my top tem movies of the 00’s. THE HURT LOCKER was Number 2 from 2009. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Number 2 from 2010 and WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
    Number six from last year. I also missed THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY but caught up with it on DVD and loved it. MEEK’S CUTOFF was okay but can’t get excited about it. I am yet to see C.R.A.Z.Y. but did enjoy Café de Flore that got a tiny cinematic release earlier this year.

    Enjoy this years festival, I look forward to your coverage as ever.

    1. I have the hunch, when I do this post next year, the selection from this year will be a big’un. So far things haven’t been blowing my hair back, and I have a hunch it comes down more to what I chose than the quality of the films being brought in.

  9. Wowsers. I can’t believe you missed We Need to Talk About Kevin last year. Mind you, I can’t believe that I didn’t make any effort to go and see that in cinemas.

    Still, it is cool that you’ve admitted to this stuff. But at least you got to see the films, and that’s the main thing.

    Looking forward to your coverage, even though I’ll be crying at my keyboard because of how jealous I am!

    1. Yeah, I don’t know why but somehow it didn’t even make it to my longlist last year. It was only after I heard some of my friends come away from it raving that I thought “I need to catch up with that!”.

      Of course, by that stage, I had to wait another five months for it to get its release up here.

Comments are closed.