Sage arrived from LA last night and we are gearing up. This is her first TIFF.

Having a had a little more time to look over the spectrum of films for this year there are some astounding surprises that suddenly remind me why every time I attend I have this Do-Or-Die feeling as I try to get in via rush lines.

As of now my top must-sees include:

Kurt Cobain About A Son, AJ Schnack, 2006 – A near autobiography of Kurt Cobain via recorded interviews etc, without the MTV gimmicks.

Shortbus, John Cameron Mitchell, 2006 – Hedwig 2 electric boogaloo. Cmon, no chance of missing this one.

Away From Her, Sarah Polley, 2006 – Sarah’s directorial debut. Promises to be delicate and subtle.

D.O.A.P., Gabriel Range, 2006 – Every year there is one film that requires a disclaimer and a justification (usually concerning free speech). This is that film for 2006 – the pseudo doc about the assassination of President Bush.

Dixie Chicks – Shut Up and Sing, Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck, 2006 – For similar reasons, this film is all about standing your ground and doing what you believe in – in this case, in the face of the US Zeitgeist.

When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts, Spike Lee, 2006 – Spike’s documentary about New Orleans. Powerful combo. Must see.

Lake of Fire, Tony Kaye, 2006 – Ok this one is going to be really really tough viewing. Kaye has been making this documentary about the opposing views on abortion and rights for a decade and a half and I remember hearing stories about film processing houses that refused to work with the content etc. I am shocked and amazed and totally excited that it has finally arrived. Kaye is uncompromising, full of ego and what’s more a genius, this film is his life’s work.

Office Tigers, Liz Mermin, 2006 – Don’t know why but I am a sucker for docs about contemporary corporations and business. Maybe it’s because Roger & Me, startup.com, ENRON: The Smartest Men In The Room all make for such entertaining and infuriating subject matter.

Right now going to go try and catch Ken Loach’s “Wind that Shakes The Barley”. But what we actually get in to is anybody’s guess.

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5:45Pm Stood in the rush line and got the 2nd last pair of tickets to see Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Hana”, a very unorthodox take on the Samurai seeking to avenge his father’s death at the hands of some badboy. I won’t spoil it, but I was happily surprised by the unexpected twist and shared more than a few strong laughs with Sage as the actors, script and director landed some intentionally very funny beats. A bit long in the end, could have been tighter, and the 46 Samurai bit in the 3rd act felt like too much of an afterthought, regardless it gets a Recommend.