The 2015 Vanguard Mascot Battle Winner!

It's that time again. The time when the most coveted award in all of TIFF is up for the taking.

We are talking about, of course, Vanguard Mascot Battle, in which several people, insects, animals and even inanimate objects compete for the coveted title of Official Vanguard Blog Mascot.

We're coming at you all the way from England to announce the winner. Since the Giant Novelty Pencil from the Keswick Pencil Museum from Ben Wheatley's Sightseers (GNP for short) is from England, it only made sense for me to be here so I could pay tribute to GNP before passing the torch/crown/what was it again? to the new winner. Okay, fine, I moved here for realsies, which is why you didn't see me around on the Vanguard Blog much this year. I've been busy planning out my road trip to the Pencil Museum, and other British things. Sad news bears, most definitely, but not even an ocean could keep me away from the Vanguard Mascot Battle!

My steadfast blogging colleagues (blogeagues?) graciously allowed me to do the honours of announcing the final winner and I promise you it isn't a pencil or anything remotely British. Like Paddington Bear, because that would just be silly. I did seriously consider making it a marmalade sandwich, though.

So who's it going to be? That chicken is looking like he could easily take Joe Swanberg and Bruce McDonald's cowboy hat. Have you ever seen a chicken fight? Has anyone in this family ever seen a chicken? They fight mean, man.

Then again, we can't ignore the fact that Joe Swanberg is definitely more flexible than GNP and even had a burger named after him. Basically we all want to be Joe Swanberg, but is that enough to reclaim the title of Vanguard Mascot?

And Bruce McDonald's hat—we don't have to say anything else about that because it's Bruce McDonald's hat. Duh.

Unfortunately, as with most things in life, like Highlander, there can only be one. So without further ado, may we present to you this year's Vanguard Mascot Winner:


*drumroll please*

Mads Mikkelsen's Moustache! 

AKA the Madstache.

Maybe you're all like, "Huh?" But don't deny it: in this picture of the chicken, you found yourself strangely drawn to the Madstache. It's the allure of the Madstache. The essence of the Madstache. The power of the Madstache. That's just what it does.

That and beat out cowboy hats and chickens and Joe Swanberg for coveted titles! Wham, bam, thank-you ma'am. And the children rejoiced.

That's a wrap for this year! We're already eagerly anticipating who—or what—will de-throne this glorious Madstache next year. It's gonna be good. Joe Swanberg, you have a year to grow a mustache that rivals the Madstache. God speed.

Vanguard Mascot Battle Contender #3

Pew! Pew! Pew! Splosions! Wonder!

It's that time again. The time when the most coveted award in all of TIFF is up for the taking.

We are talking about, of course, Vanguard Mascot Battle, in which several people, insects, animals and even inanimate objects compete for the coveted title of Official Vanguard Blog Mascot.

Our final contender is going to have some rough competition with the chicken and Once and Future Vanguard Mascot Joe Swanberg.

The chicken has all the powers of a chicken and a pedigree traceable to the age of the dinosaurs. Joe Swanberg has all the powers of being a good sport and probably deserving better than being drawn into our Mascot Battle, but he probably doesn't know since he's directing/acting in/producing fifty movies simultaneously right this moment. But that doesn't detract from the might of our next contender...

Name: Iconic Director Bruce McDonald's Iconic Cowboy Hat.

Also Known As: Bruce McDonald's Cowboy Hat; "Man, what a sweet hat."

Description: Straw cowboy hat, well-worn, with a lot of character.

Strengths: Protecting from the sun's glare and other bright lights; Preventing sunburn on the scalp; Looking pretty sweet; Biding.

Weaknesses: Strong winds; Possibly moths or carpet beetles; Definitely goats; Being inanimate.

See how happy the cowboy hat makes Bruce McDonald? We could all be this happy.

Signature Moves: Setting; Being cocked; Reblocking; Going really well with a men's shirt with a floral design, especially if it's embroidered by one's pa.

Why Bruce McDonald's Cowboy Hat would make a good replacement Vanguard Blog mascot for the Giant Novelty Pencil from the Keswick Pencil Museum in Ben Wheatley's Sightseers:

Bruce McDonald's Cowboy hat is equally inanimate and yet has far greater stature than the Giant Novelty Pencil from the Keswikc Pencil Museum. It has a quiet dignity that we can all admire. It could easily contain the Midnight Madness blog's isopod and at least distract the chicken. The only real challenge to the hat is Joe Swanberg. Will Swanberg's acting skills allow him to successfully wear the hat--or will the cowboy hat seem to wear him?

The hat isn't in Bruce McDonald's Hellions, but you can feel its presence... 

Producer Profile: LACE CRATER's Joe Swanberg

Joe Swanberg is well known for being one of our Vanguard Mascot contenders, but he is also well known for his micro-budget filmmaking style. Nearly every film he has directed has been produced by himself, but he has also produced a few films he did not direct, including this year's Lace Crater in the Vanguard program. Below are just of a few of the many films Joe has produced, some of which you may not have heard of.

In 2009, Joe produced his wife Kris Swanberg's film It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home. The film, which selected for SXSW 2009, follows Cam (Jade Healy) and Annie (Kris Swanberg) on a trip through Costa Rica. The film is currently available to rent or buy via Vimeo.

2011's Fantasia festival saw TIFF favourites Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (A Horrible Way to Die, You're Next, The Guest) screen the Swanberg produced film What Fun We Were Having. The film is an anthology of short films about date rape, and not much is known about it beyond the reviews out of Fantasia. Joe Swanberg does however star in the fourth story in the anthology as a young man who, while under the influence, makes the biggest mistake of his life with his roommate's sister.

Queen of the Earth is a film by Alex Ross Perry that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival this past February. Released by IFC Films in August, the film stars Katerine Waterston and Elisabeth Moss as two women that grew up together that discover they have drifted apart while at a lake house retreat.

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atkins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:

Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

The 2015 Vanguard Mascot Battle: Contender #2

It's that time again. The time when the most coveted award in all of TIFF is up for the taking.

We are talking about, of course, Vanguard Mascot Battle, in which several people, insects, animals and even inanimate objects compete for the coveted title of Official Vanguard Blog Mascot.

You've heard all about the chicken. Now, for our next contender...


Name: Joe Swanberg

Greetings Vanguardians!

Also known as: Dean in Lace Crater, Patrick Michaels in Proxy, Jake Williams in The Sacrament, Drake in You're Next, Kevin in A Horrible Way To Die, The First Official Vanguard Mascot.

Description: Director, actor, writer, producer, human, sweater-wearer, beer-drinker, sometimes wears a bandanna as a headband.

Joe Swanberg's bandanna is displeased with this turn of events.

Strengths: Growing facial hair, being in a lot of Vanguard and Midnight Madness films, Midwesterner.

Weaknesses: Not a giant novelty pencil. Or a mole cricket. Not a chicken.

Signature moves: Being incredibly prolific, knocking out contact lenses.

Finishing moves: Telling stories in film about women.

Men & Beer Bottles

Why Joe Swanberg would make a good replacement Vanguard Blog mascot for the Giant Novelty Pencil from the Keswick Pencil Museum in Ben Wheatley's Sightseers:

Swanberg has the legacy vote: he was the first Official Vanguard Blog Mascot back in 2013. With all of the various projects he's working on at any given time, chances are good he'll actually be in attendance at the Festival every year and can wear the crown (or carry the scepter) with pride, representing the best of Vanguard (and in some cases, Midnight Madness). Although he's not afraid to throw a punch (and he has), Swanberg prefers to let his work speak for itself, even if the language it uses is sometimes derided as Mumblecore (we're fans of the genre, if you're asking). Not wanting to limit himself, Swanberg is equally comfortable in drama, comedy, horror, and just flat-out creepy movies. Plus, he's got that facial hair thing down in this year's Lace Crater. And he's a lot taller than a chicken and more flexible than a giant novelty pencil. We assume.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

MEN & CHICKEN Screening Times:
Sun. Sept 20, 3:30 PM SCOTIABANK 1

The 2015 Vanguard Mascot Battle: Contender #1

Boom! Sparkles! Sparkles! Sparkles!

It's that time again. The time when the most coveted award in all of TIFF is up for the taking.

We are talking about, of course, Vanguard Mascot Battle, in which several people, insects, animals and even inanimate objects compete for the coveted title of Official Vanguard Blog Mascot.

Sure, the Midnight Madness blog makes do with an unofficial mascot, the giant isopod. But here at Vanguard, we like to do things right--with a no holds barred battle.

And this year, there is an obvious choice for Vanguard Mascot, one candidate who has won our hearts...

That's right, this chicken from Men & Chicken.

Name: Chicken

Also known as: Gallus gallus domesticus; "Red Junglefowl"; "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner"

Description: Chicken.

 Strengths: Scratching; Pecking; Terrifying Werner Herzog.

Weaknesses: Flightless; Foxes; Hypnotism; Coyotes; Being Delicious; Curry.

 Signature moves: Scratching; Roosting; Pecking; Rooster Fist

 

Rooster Mo'fo'ing Fist

Finishing moves: Fostering Existential Dread; "The Enormity of their Flat Brain." (Seriously, have you seen, The Chickening?)

Why the Chicken would make a good replacement Vanguard Blog mascot for the Giant Novelty Pencil from the Keswick Pencil Museum in Ben Wheatley's Sightseers:

Chickens, like Vanguard films,  are pretty. Though he hasn't officially entered, word on the street is that Joe Swanberg is this year's Comeback Kid. He obviously produced and took a role in Lace Crater to be eligible for the title again. Well, you might be on top of the evolutionary chain now, Joe Swanberg, and this chicken might only be in one movie, but chickens remember a time when things were different, a time when chickens--or at least a common ancestor shared by chickens and dinosaurs--ruled the earth. At least this chicken would, if chickens had very good memories.  And this chicken is the contender most likely to be able to defeat the Midnight Madness Isopod mascot, if it came to a thrown down because, 1) DINOSAURS, Jabronis; and, 2) The Terrifying Power of Existential Dread.

MEN & CHICKEN Final Screening:
Sun. Sept 20, 3:30 PM SCOTIABANK 1

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

LACE CRATER Premieres Tonight!

Wanna go see a movie?

Grab your burlap "going out" sacks because Lace Crater premieres tonight. (You're going to want to pick up some protection, too. Love is love, but intimate hauntings and sexually transmitted ghostism are forever).

Lace Crater is the charming and sometimes creepy story of a Ruth (Lindsay Burdge), a young woman going through some relationship troubles, and a shy ghost named Michael. As Vanguard Programmer Colin Geddes puts it:

An awkward twentysomething begins to undergo some strange physical changes after a weekend tryst — with a ghost — in this charmingly lo-fi, supernaturally-tinged comedy-drama.

Will Ruth and Michael make it work despite the chafiness of burlap? Will they remember to use protection and avoid intimate hauntings and sexually transmitted ghostism? 

And, if that's not enough drama, Lace Crater also features, special guest, Joe Swanberg, the inaugural Vanguard Program Blog Mascot. Could this be his attempt to reclaim the title?

Hi, is this Vanguard Mascot Battle? I have a contender.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Tuesday, Sept 15th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 10
Tuesday, Sept 17th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sunday, Sept 20th, 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 9

LACE CRATER and Other Ghostly Sexual Encounters

Lace Crater follows the story of Ruth (Lindsay Burdge), an awkward twenty something that begins to experience strange physical changes after a weekend tryst with a ghost. The phenomenon of sexual encounters between ghosts and humans is called spectrophilia, and there are some films that have explored this phenomenon in the past. While not exactly a trope explored often, the relationship between humans and ghosts is one that can produce either romantic or terrifying outcomes.

Ghost (1990) is perhaps the most famous example of a romantic haunting. While no actual human-ghost sexual encounter occurs in the film - the famous pottery scene occurs at the beginning of the film - Sam Wheat's (Patrick Swayze) love for Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) is so strong that he watches after her to protect her after his murder.

The Entity (1981) is a film that is the exact opposite of a romantic haunting, and Martin Scorsese considers it one of the scariest horror movies of all time. The film stars Barbara Hershey as a woman who is tormented and sexually abused by a ghost. The film is based off the story of Doris Bither, a woman who in 1974 told Culver City, California police that she was raped by invisible assailants.

Last year's hit Midnight Madness film It Follows (2014) doesn't feature a human-ghost sexual encounter, but it does feature something arguably scarier - a sexually transmitted poltergeist as programmer Colin Geddes put it in last year's programming notes. The film follows Jay (Maika Monroe) as she confronts a murderous entity visible only to her after having sex with a new boy she has been seeing.

 

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atikins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:

Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10

Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14

Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

LACE CRATER: Director Profile + 5 Questions With Harrison Atkins

Lace Crater is director Harrison Atkins's feature film debut, and it's playing as part of this year's Vanguard programme.

An awkward twentysomething begins to undergo some strange physical changes after a weekend tryst - with a ghost - in this charmingly lo-fi, supernaturally-tinged comedy-drama.

Not content to do just one thing, Atkins is a director, producer, writer, cinematographer, editor, and musician. Whew! That's a lot of talent for one guy.

We've already discussed a few of his short films on the blog, and if you haven't already, you should definitely check them out. They are weird, witty, and wonderful.

After watching the short films and the Lace Crater teaser trailer, our curiosity was piqued so we chatted with Atkins about his influences and his obsession with cats. There may have been some mention of the Official Vanguard Mascot Competition, too. Hrmmm...

"Hello, this is the Committee To Re-Elect Joe Swanberg as Official Vanguard Mascot calling..."

 You've got Bandcamp pages for three different bands (all of which you are involved with) listed on your website. In "Blissful Banquet" you actually have music performed live. Would you ever be interested in scoring films?

I'd love to score films. I was able to compose for films a little bit in college and found it very stimulating. In the past few years, I've toyed with the possibility of scoring a film of my own, but have always ended up collaborating with other artists. Maybe some day!

Please expand upon your fascination with cats. They feature prominently in two of your short films. Do you have cats of your own?

No, I'm actually allergic to cats so in my real life I have to keep them at a distance. I think cinema is the only lens through which I can explore my desire to pet them and hold them. Honestly, I'm not sure why they keep popping up. I guess I just think they're funny? But I'm not ruling out the possibility of some subconscious or repressed trauma.

Last year, It Follows, a movie about a girl who contracts a ghost from sex, played at the Festival. In Lace Crater, your character has sex with a ghost. Do you think that sex and ghosts are part of the current cultural zeitgeist and if so, why?

It's pretty strange! I mean, I think technology has the capability to fracture identity in a way is sort of unprecedented. There's definitely something kind of spectral to me about the personas people adopt online. Not to mention this whole uniquely modern experience of having a friend or acquaintance who tragically dies, but then you can still visit all of their social media accounts? That's a very ghostly thing, really, this Internet proxy self that haunts cyberspace after death. So I suppose this all could be a corollary of culture's increasingly immediate and intimate relationship with technology.

Your short films have playful, sarcastic, almost surreal qualities. Are there any filmmakers who have inspired you to strive for those qualities because of their own films?

So many. But Stephen Chow instantly springs to mind; he's one of my favorites. And along the same lines, Katsuhito Ishii - especially Funky Forest, which was huge for me. And I'm a pretty big Apichatpong Weerasethakul guy; a lot of his films have a kind of goofy formal language that really resonates with me. Andrzej Zulawski is in there somewhere, too. And David Lynch, when he's being funny.

Did you know that Joe Swanberg was the Official Vanguard Mascot of 2013? Now that you have this information, do you feel compelled to toss your hat into the ring for Official Vanguard Mascot of 2015? (Also, how is Mr. Swanberg handling things post-Vanguard Mascot? He never returns our texts.)

I'm tempted to gun for the crown this year, but what's the point of replacing one giant novelty pencil with another? What I mean to say is, I have a lot of respect for the current Mascot. It seems like a really tough job. And I know Joe just hasn't been the same since he lost the title last year. I think the transition from Mascot back to civilian can be really rough. (It's a complex social issue that I don't think gets enough publicity.)

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10
Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

LACE CRATER: The Short Films of Harrison Atkins

Harrison Atkins is making his feature film debut with the world premiere of Lace Crater, but before directing the horror-comedy-drama, he helmed a few short films that have been uploaded in full on his Vimeo page. The first one we'll look at is an animated short called Catsleeves from 2010, which has a surprisingly literal take on the title.

The second is Chocolate Heart, which opens with the protagonists' parents turning into cats. If that doesn't draw you in, perhaps the talking toilet will. It really does need to be seen to be believed. Chocolate Heart was a hit at several festivals last year and this year and was also featured on ShortOfTheWeek.com.

Harrison's most recent short is Blissful Banquet, which was a Vimeo Staff Pick and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Oak Cliff Film Festival this year.

Further information about Lace Crater can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page and director Harrison Atikins' website.

LACE CRATER Screening Times:
Tue. Sept 15, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 10
Thu. Sept 17, 9:30PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept 20, 3:15PM SCOTIABANK 9

LACE CRATER First Look: Title Treatment and Stills

Lace Crater is one of Vanguard 2015's most mysterious titles. It's the debut feature by director Harrison Atkins and it's produced by celebrated indie director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas). Poke around online for more info about the film and you'll find only the striking title treatment above and precious few stills.

We do know, however, from programmer Colin Geddes' programme note, that the film's plot has a seriously kinky hook: it's about the (bodily) horrific aftermath that a woman faces after a sexual encounter with a ghost.

LACE CRATER
Tuesday, Sept 15th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 10
Tuesday, Sept 17th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sunday, Sept 20th, 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 9

The Vanguard Blog Mascot Battle Winner Announcement!

Well jabrones, it's been a harrowing few days. We dropped Benson, Moorhead, and the mole cricket on an island with nothing but a match, a rubber band, a party size bag of M&Ms (plain, if you're curious), and a bowling ball and set them loose in a battle...TO THE DEATH. Okay, not actually. But only because that would be really, really expensive. We mean, as much as we here at the Vanguard Blog would love to just be dropping directors and insects on islands left and right, we have our expenses to think about. Cats too. Children and significant others? Maybe.

Enough shenanigans! It's time—finally—to announce the winner of the 2014 Vanguard Blog Mascot Battle. Who will come out on top?! Why do we still not know the best breed of cat for lifting?! Why does the mole cricket look so adorable in his boxing gloves? At least one of these questions we can answer and we will do it right now! RIGHT EFFIN' NOW!

But first, let's recap our intrepid contenders. You know, to draw this out as much as possible.

Justin Benson is apparently a respectable skateboarder and we're pretty sure he told us he also does yoga. Does he have what it takes to knock the other contenders out of the running?! DO THOSE TOWEL CONSERVING SKILLZ REALLY PAY THE BILLZ?! 

While we admire Aaron Moorhead's ability to put on sunglasses whilst lifting cats, we wonder how he held up in this battle to the death. Maybe the age old question of "cat versus towels: which is better?" will finally be answered! 

The mole cricket is just so damn cute. Lookit those boxing gloves! Ehehehehehehhehehehehehe. \

Or maybe last year's victor, Joe Swanberg, will somehow use his unstoppable charisma to reach all the way from Chicago and snatch the title back?! It's anyone's game at this point. Do you have any idea who will come out the victor?!? Neither do we! Oh, yeah. Wait, yes we do. The winner of the 2014 Vanguard Blog Mascot Battle is....

 ...a pencil?! A giant novelty pencil? Wait, but that's no ordinary giant novelty pencil. That, friends, is the giant novelty pencil from the Keswick Pencil Museum in Sightseers! How did this happen, you say? Sightseers was from 2012, you say?! Can a pencil even win things, you say?! Listen, that giant novelty pencil transcends all space and time and is also super practical, because you can write notes with it, use it as a weapon, maybe even a door stop. Tina and Poppy understand where we're coming from, right guys?

Seriously, what could be better than that pencil?! 

This has been the 2014 Vanguard Blog Mascot Battle. Congrats to all of our contenders but, sorry, not sorry, this pencil is really rad and we wish we had one and doesn't it look great in a crown? Deal with it. AND IN ONE YEAR WE WILL RETURN WITH THE NEXT VANGUARD BLOG MASCOT BATTLE. EXCELSIOR!

(PS - if anyone were to know of the location of such a glorious pencil (and not one of those barely larger than normal sized ones Amazon sells, pfft, please inform Siân immediately. Thank you.)

Vanguard Blog Mascot Contender #3: The Mole Cricket!

Pew! Pew! Fireworks! Confetti!

Just when it seemed like it was all settled. Just when the helicopters had been deployed to retrieve Spring's Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and relocate them to the mysterious island on which they will battle for Vanguard Mascot Supremacy, everything's changed.

There's a new contender in town and he brings the regards of The Duke Of Burgundy...

Name: Mole Cricket

Also known as: Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa; "Aaaaah!"; and "What the hell is that?!"

Description: Brownish with a lighter underside; heavily plated head, forelimbs and prothoroax; mole-like digging claws.

 Strengths: Digging; Singing; Flight; Biting.

Weaknesses: Not a strong jumper; Winter; Curry.

Signature moves: Digging; Long Whirring Call; Stealth Attacks; Mole Cricket Fist

Finishing moves: Creeping people out; "Mole Cricket Exits The Cave" Stance.

Why the Mole Cricket would make a good replacement Vanguard Blog mascot for Joe Swanberg:

The Mole Cricket looks cute in boxing gloves. He is the contender most likely to be able to defeat the Midnight Madness Isopod mascot, if it came to a thrown down. The ability to enrage golfers alone is enough reason for the Mole Cricket to become the Official Mascot. Mole Crickets are also bound to become an indie film sensation just like Joe Swanberg.

Farewell for Now, Sweet Vanguarders!

Here, Joe Swanberg represents the Muse Calliope.

On the occasion of closing of the Vanguard Programme Blog for the time being, we commissioned our own Sian Melton to write a series of interlinked haiku. ~The Editor

We had a great time
This TIFF was one of the best
Countless memories

We made friends in line
 We all said "arrrr" like pirates
And we skipped on sleep

So many good films
Especially from Vanguard
 Duh, obviously

This year, Joe Swanberg
our unofficial mascot
Yeah, he's really cool

 So until next year
These bloggers say "bye!"
 Broccoli hammer.

"Broccoli hammer," indeed. Thank you all and see you soon!

Interview: Ti West, Director of THE SACRAMENT

Writer-director Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) trades in his Ghostbuster gear for religious fanaticism in his latest film, The Sacrament. Produced by horror icon Eli Roth, The Sacrament sends two journalists -- played by frequent Ti West collaborators AJ Bowen (You’re Next) and Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) -- to a rural cult just outside the United States as they document one man’s (Kentucker Audley, V/H/S) search for his estranged sister (Amy Seimetz, Upstream Color). 

Prior to The Sacrament’s North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, we were able to have a quick chat with Ti West about cults, his regular collaborations with other genre filmmakers, and Jonestown.

SJ: How does it feel to be a member of the horror equivalent of a Christopher Guest troupe? You've worked with Joe Swanberg and AJ Bowen many times before. Can you explain your regular collaborations with the Swanberg, Bowen and Adam Wingard? 

Ti West: Perhaps you could call us a cult? It's funny; I actually explained to someone recently that the style of The Sacrament is a little bit like a horror Christopher Guest film. 

As far as the collaboration goes, I think when you come up doing everything yourself, you just want to be surrounded by talented people who have the film’s best interest in mind. We can trust each other and we can all offer our own unique sensibilities to each other's projects. But nobody is trying to hijack the movie for their own benefit. For instance, in The Sacrament, Joe, AJ, Amy, Kate [Lyn Sheil], and Kentucer are all there to be in my movie, and to help make it as good as they can. They all understand what I am going for and believe in that, as opposed to having their own agenda. When you have those types of relationships, you then develop shorthand communication, and the process becomes very simple and efficient. I think we make great movies together, and also enjoy each others company. Makes it well worth it. 

SJ: Are we right to assume that "Father", the leader of the cult in The Sacrament, was inspired by Jim Jones, who led hundreds to a mass suicide at Jonestown in 1978? 

TW: He was a prototype for the kind of cult leader I was after. I updated many of his ideologies -- as well as changed a lot of the dynamics between him and his followers to sort of form my own new cult -- but there are numerous instances, references to Jim Jones, as well as as other famous cults, cult leaders in the film as well. I tried to encapsulate a lot of historical familiarities to give the audience something to latch on to and think about. 

SJ: There have been quite a few cult themed films in recent years, like Martha Marcy May Marlene, Kill List and even The Master. Were there any films that influenced you while directing? 

TW: Not directly. I like all those films though. Basically, if there was any specific influence, it was Jonestown. I have always been deeply fascinated with the People's Temple and what happened in Guyana. I didn't want to tell that story exactly, but I wanted to use that story as a reference point because I think it is misunderstood by too many people. I also feel like a lot of what led people to Guyana in the 1970s is still relevant today. 

SJ: How did you approach the topic of religious fanaticism within the confines of genre filmmaking? 

TW: Honestly, I never considered the confines. That may be why some people are hesitant to label the film a tradition horror film and lean on the psychological thriller angle. To me, what is most important is a film that shows a cult as something more than mindless zombies. I want the audience to relate to the members of the community -- not be afraid of them. That is what makes the film horrific. These people don't deserve what happens to them. 

SJ: Several of your movies involve people being terrorized in a rural or unfamiliar setting. Why does this kind of scenario appeal to you? 

TW: I think it likely has to do with existentialism. When you are in a rural or unknown place you quickly realize how small you are in the world. You realize that your safety is mostly up to you, and that responsibility can be overwhelming for a lot of people. There is nobody to call if you need help. You are forced to confront your fears, whether they are physical or psychological. 

SJ: Eli Roth (also at the Festival for The Green Inferno) is one of The Sacrament's producers. How did that come about? 

TW: Eli was looking to produce a new film with Eric Newman; They had just done The Last Exorcism. We have been friends for nearly ten years, and I randomly told him about this idea I had. He loved it and was adamant he could get it financed quickly. Turns out he was right. He brought the film to Worldview, and next thing I knew we were shooting. He has been a strong supporter of mine over the years and, as a producer, he was an ideal collaborator. He really helped create an environment where I could make my film the way I wanted and have all the resources and protection to do so. It's very exciting to be finally premiering the movie with him. I think it is fun for both of us to have a movie we are proud of that also subverts expectations of what people are used to seeing from us individually. 

SJ: What films are you looking forward to watching at the Festival this year? 

TW: The Double is one I really don't want to leave here without seeing. 

Ti West's The Sacrament stars AJ Bowen and Joe Swanberg, and premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme. Further information about the film can be found on the Festival website.

THE SACRAMENT Final Screening:

Friday, Sept 13th, 8:45 PM SCOTIABANK 3

Joe Swanberg can also be seen in PROXY

Thursday, Sept 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Saturday, Sept 14th, 8:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

Interview: Zack Parker, Director of PROXY

Like Drinking Buddies? You're Next? Well, then you're a Joe Swanberg fan, and you should listen up! 

Proxy, the fourth feature film by writer-director-producer Zack Parker (Scalene), premiered last night at the Toronto International Film Festival and stars mumblecore king Joe Swanberg. The film follows the pregnant Esther, played by Alexia Rasmussen (Our Idiot Brother), after she is viciously attacked while walking home from a doctor's appointment. Disfigured and traumatized, Esther joins a support group, hoping to come to terms with her assault, but what she finds there is much more intriguing. 

Before the premiere of PROXY on Tuesday, we were able to chat with Zack Parker about high frame rates and high tension.

SJ: Where were you first introduced to your female leads, Alexia Rasmussen and Alexa Havins? 

Zack Parker: Inadvertently through Margo Martindale. Margo was the lead of my previous film, Scalene. We had a great time working together and, when it came time for me to start casting Proxy, she kind of vouched for me at her agency, basically saying, "You need to help this guy out." The agency responded well to the script and started sending me a ton of client suggestions.

I met with several actresses over three or four months about the roles "Esther" and "Melanie". I had a pretty specific physical look in mind for both characters, but I also knew I needed to cast someone that trusted me and the script. Both roles deal with some pretty heavy stuff -- some of which is pretty disturbing. I needed actresses that had the courage not to hold anything back, and almost revel in how challenging the roles could be. Essentially, I needed them to love the film for all the right reasons, and be willing to try anything. 

I felt that excitement, energy, and little bit of fear from both Alexia and Alexa. That's how I knew they would both be perfect for it.

SJ: Joe Swanberg has become an MVP of sorts within the genre filmmaking community. What was it like working with him? 

ZP: I also met Joe through somewhat inadvertent circumstances. This time through Adam Wingard. Adam and I had met back in 2007 when he was going around with Pop Skull, and I with my second film, Quench. We dug each other's work quite a bit and just kept in touch over the years. I was pretty familiar with Joe from his own films, but really started paying attention to his stuff with Adam, like in Autoerotic and A Horrible Way To Die. So, I just looked him up on Facebook and we started talking. 

About a year later, when we were starting the script for Proxy, I just kept thinking about him and that this character of Patrick we were writing could be a cool contrast to other things he had done. Once we finished the script, I just [private messaged] him that I wrote this thing and kind of had him in mind. He said, "Cool. Send it to me." A few days later, he wrote me back saying, "That's some fucked up shit," and that he was in.  

In regard to working together, it was pretty easy. I'll admit I was concerned about him trying to put on a director's hat on my set, but he never did. He had just wrapped Drinking Buddies, so, he was off editing that during most of his downtime. But while we were working, I felt that it flowed really well. He took direction easily, and because he's a filmmaker, he has a good understanding of making things work and adjusting for camera, sound, lights, etc. 

SJ: Your 2011 film, SCALENE, and PROXY both deal with women recovering from grief after a vicious attack. Do you feel like female grief and retribution are underplayed in film? 

ZP: I think I just feel that women are more fascinating to watch. They seem to be able to portray a complexity and depth of emotion that you just don't typically see in men. 

I actually have three children and have been a stay-at-home dad for over eight years, so, I've been around a lot of young mothers at playgroups, birthday parties, etc. I should also mention that my writing partner Kevin Donner has been a stay-at-home dad for six years. So, we are both kind of immersed in this world of women, observing how they talk about their children, their lives, their husbands, each other. Proxy is basically a warped perspective of that world, greatly magnified and filtered through two damaged minds.  

SJ: I don't think I've ever seen more slow motion sequences in a thriller than in Proxy. What prompted you to use slow motion, especially in such pivotal, violent scenes? 

ZP: It's going to sound corny, but I'd like to think that I've just grown to trust my instincts. That moment in the film was always intended to be shot at a super high frame rate. In fact, we rented the Phantom camera to shoot just that sequence; The rest of the film was shot on the Arri Alexa. There was just something about the tone and the momentum that had -- hopefully -- been built at that point that just lent itself to being done differently. It's really the part of the film where everything changes -- for all of the lead characters. I felt I needed to dedicate a specific sequence to this moment. Extreme slow motion just felt right. 

SJ: Do you have another project on the go? 

ZP: I do. I have been very fortunate thus far that every feature script I've ever written I've been able to get made. But, I have one script that I've been working on for nearly 13 years. It's definitely the most complicated story I've ever tackled, and after writing the first 30 pages in 2000, I knew I wasn't smart enough to write it. Not as a writer, filmmaker, or human being. 

Kevin and I have now been working on it off and on for the last two years and we've just recently cracked it. I'm pretty confident that it's the next thing I'll do -- or at least try to do. It's quite a bit more expensive and has more scope than anything I've ever attempted, so, it's intimating, but that's what excites me about it. As of today, it's called Inversion. 

SJ: What films are you looking forward to watching at the Festival this year? 

ZP: A ton. 12 Years a Slave, Life of Crime, Only Lovers Left Alive, Southcliffe, Young and Beautiful, Almost Human, The Green Inferno, Blue Ruin, The Sacrament, Horns, and We Gotta Get Out of This Place. 

Zack Parker's Proxy stars Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havin and Joe Swanberg, and premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme. Further information about the film can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Proxy website, Twitter account, Facebook page, and IMDB page.

PROXY screening times:

• Thurs., Sept. 12, Scotiabank 1 5:00 PM
• Sat., Sept. 14, Scotiabank 9 8:00 PM

THE SACRAMENT Twitter Round-Up Part 1!

Okay, okay, so today is the day you have to figure out how to clone yourself. Or, at the very least, be in two places at once. Why? Because tonight Zack Parker's Proxy premieres and Ti West's The Sacrament has its second screening around the same time.

Whoa, whoa. Hold up: does this mean that Joe Swanberg (who appears in both films) will officially be in two places at once?! Curse him and his awesomeness; first he has a burger named after him and now this. We guess it only makes sense--he is the Unofficial Vanguard Mascot after all. [We're gonna print up shirts ~ The Editor].

Anyway, we can't tell you which film to pick. Proxy may just be frightening enough to kill you, but so far the Twitterverse reviews from The Sacrament are pretty effin' amazing. Luckily there are more screenings of both later in the week. YOU MUST BE SO RELIEVED, EH?

To those of you attending the Proxy premiere, we eagerly anticipate your Twitterverse reactions. And for those planning on attending The Sacrament, here's a little Twittery sampling to get you even more excited:

PROXY Screening Times:

• Tuesday, Sept 10th, 10:30 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1
• Saturday, Sept 14th, 8:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9

THE SACRAMENT Screening Times:

• Tuesday, Sept 10th, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK 7
• Friday, Sept 13th, 8:45 PM SCOTIABANK 3

5 Questions for THE SACRAMENT and PROXY Actor Joe Swanberg

Joe Swanberg really does it all--writer, director, actor; and somehow he also manages to find time to add husband and father to that list. And in case you were all, "Well, that's not EVERYTHING", we've lurked his Instagram account and can conclude that he also finds time to make beer AND has a burger named after him (the "Joe Swanburger", obviously). So there. He does do everything.

This year, he also happens to be appearing in not just one, but two Vanguard films: Ti West's The Sarcrament and Zack Parker's Proxy. One of our intrepid bloggers, Siân, had a chance to ask Joe some questions about horror films, life, the universe, and everything. Okay, nothing at all about the universe actually, but that's okay.

SM: Firstly, how does it feel to be the unofficial Vanguard mascot? (Yes, apparently you only need to be in two films. Yes, I entirely made this up myself. The prize? Uh, bragging rights. And an ice cream from Dutch Dreams if you're ever in TO.) 

JS: I hope there are stuffed toys of me available at gift shops around the Festival! I suppose the vibe of the Vanguard section fits with my own ideas about exciting filmmakers and interesting stories because I keep ending up in movies that play that section. Also, I'm taking you up on the free ice cream offer.

SM: You've worked with Ti West before. How did you get involved with Zack Parker and Proxy? 

JS: Zack knew me from my work with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, YOU'RE NEXT) and thought I would be a good fit for the project. We both had films at the Nashville Film Festival in 2012 and discussed the film then. After completing DRINKING BUDDIES I drove to Richmond, Indiana the next day to start work on PROXY.

SM: You've appeared in a few horror/thriller-y films the past few years-- V/H/S, You're Next, and now Proxy and The Sacrament. (Fun fact: the V/H/S segment you acted in has permanently scarred me. Thank you. By the time your segment came up, I was crying in the foetal position, so I didn't really see much of it, but it sounded terrifying.) Given that you're mostly known for your relationship-based dramas and comedies, what about horror films appeals to you? And any future plans to direct a feature-length horror? 

JS: I love the audience reaction to a horror film. I also love the community that surrounds horror. The fans are so passionate and participatory. After years of watching and acting in friends' horror films, I wanted some of the action myself. I would love to do a feature-length horror film, but have no plans for that at the moment.

SM: You've been very involved in all of your directing projects--often writing, shooting, and editing them as well. Is this important to you? Do you see yourself taking on directing projects that you haven't written any time soon? 

JS: After 10 years of making films, I'm looking for new experiences and new challenges. Directing someone else's script is one of the things I'm excited to try.

SM: You work with a lot of the same people. Obviously you wouldn't keep working with them if you didn't like them and the beautiful magic you create together, but can you speak to what has drawn you to working with the same people? 

JS: Low-budget films are a specific kind of production, and it helps to work with people who are familiar with that world. Once you find someone who you work well with, and who brings something good to the dynamic, there's a strong desire to keep working with that person. I've been lucky to find a community of talented people who are interested in similar things and together we've been able to help each other out in various capacities over the years. As we get bigger opportunities, we continue working together because we know how to help each other and we know where we're all coming from.

SM: Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, Joe. And, I never go back on an ice cream promise--regular promises, sure; those don't mean squat, but an ice cream promise is sacred--so I will be treating you to an Unofficial Vanguard Mascot Ice Cream when you're in TO next. 

Lastly, to all of you Joe Swanberg fans, do I have EXCITING AWESOME news for you. Ready for it? I can't hear you! Okay, not so loud. Joe Swanberg's Drinking Buddies opens this Friday at the Carlton Cinemas. Go and see what everybody is talking about. (I saw it the other day in NYC and absolutely loved it.)


THE SACRAMENT Screening Times:
Sunday, Sept 8th, 5:15 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Tuesday, Sept 10th, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK 7

Friday, Sept 13th, 8:45 PM SCOTIABANK 3

PROXY Screening Times:
Tuesday, Sept 10th, 10:30 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Thursday, Sept 12th, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1

Saturday, Sept 14th, 8:00 PM SCOTIABANK 9