DER NACHTMAHR First Look: Posters and Trailer

The multitalented German artist/filmmaker AKIZ will screen a beat pumping, strobe lit horror film about a Berlin party girl named Tina (Carolyn Genzkow) at this year's Vanguard programme. Der Nachtmahr, literally, "The Nightmare," follows Tina after she experiences a bad drug trip and finds herself being followed by a strange creature that only she can see.

Below is the poster and trailer for Der Nachtmahr, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Der Nachtmahr can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Facebook page, website and AKIZ' Instagram page.

DER NACHTMAHR screening times:

Thurs. Sept. 17th, 9:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Fri. Sept. 18th, 12:00 PM SCOTIABANK 3
Sun. Sept. 20th, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

THE MISSING GIRL First Look: Poster and Trailer

Making its world premiere at TIFF is A.D. Calvo's dark comedy The Missing Girl. Mort (Robert Longstreet) is the owner of a comic book shop who becomes increasingly worried when one of his employees, Ellen (Alexia Rasmussen), does not show up for work. Mort's distress grows as he begins relating Ellen's disappearance with the case of a missing girl from when he was a teen, an anguish which only grows when he discovers a former classmate Skippy (Eric Ladin) has arrived in town.

Below is the poster and trailer for The Missing Girl, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about The Missing Girl can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's website, Facebook account and director A.D. Calvo's Twitter account.

THE MISSING GIRL screening times:

Sun. Sept. 13th 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Tue. Sept. 15th 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun. Sept. 20th 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK 4

DEMON First Look: Poster and Trailer

Vanguard alum Marcin Wrona (The Christening, 2010) is returning to TIFF with the creepy tale of a dybbuk, a malicious spirit found in Jewish mythology, that possesses a man during just before his wedding. Demon is based on the Polish play Adherence by Piotr Rowicki and judging from the poster and trailer will leave you chilled and unsettled.

Below is the poster and the atmospherically creepy trailer for Demon, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

(Source: Fangoria)

Further information about Demon can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's Twitter account.

DEMON screening times:

Sun Sep 13 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 13
Tue Sep 15 4:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Sun Sep 20 2:30 PM SCOTIABANK 4

HYENA: Premieres Tonight!

Two new Vanguard films premiere make their TIFF debuts tonight, and the first is Hyena, directed by Gerard Johnson. The premiere will take place at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 6:45 PM. Head over to our previous posts to see the poster and clip, profile of director Gerard Johnson, profiles of the actors and a look at Gerard Johnson’s previous film, Tony.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net's Ticket Product List Page
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, 506 Bloor St. West

Further information about Hyena can be found on the Festival website.

HYENA screening times:

Sun., Sept. 7th, 6:45 PM, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

Tues., Sept. 9th, 9:00 PM, SCOTIABANK 12

Fri., Sept. 12th, 12:00 PM, BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY First Look: Poster and Trailer

Prolific horror auteur Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, Thirteen Assassins) returns to the festival with Over Your Dead Body, his latest in his massive body of work to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. A theatre troupe staging one of Japan's most famous ghost stories, Yotsuya Kaidan, find life imitating art as the ghost story's themes of murder, betrayal and revenge play out off the stage. As you can see from the trailers and teaser photos, Over Your Dead Body follows in Miike's very bloody footsteps.

Below is the poster, short English subtitled trailer and longer non-subtitled trailer for Over Your Dead Body, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Over Your Dead Body can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's website (Japanese) and Twitter account (Japanese).

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY screening times:

Thurs., Sept. 11, Ryerson 6:00 PM
Fri., Sept. 12, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 9:00 PM
Sat., Sept. 13, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 6:30 PM

GOODNIGHT MOMMY Second Look: two short clip, new images, and poster!

"Two clips released, you say?! I'll be right out."

Whoa, whoa, whoa kids. Have we got exciting news! Not long after after posting our initial First Look post for the dark and foreboding Goodnight Mommy did Indiewire exclusively release the first clip. Thank you, o' mighty Indiewire gods for providing us with this bounty. This chilling and fearful bounty. (We just wish it would embed, but alas you will all have to click on the link.) Gotta say, we don't really blame those kids for being so wary of their mum.

Twitch also released a different clip. It's starting to feel like Christmas over here on the Vanguard blog. But unfortunately that won't embed either so head on over to the website and prepare yourselves to never want to to fall asleep near children who have access to cockroaches ever again!

And that's not all, because soon after we uncovered a film poster and some seriously disturbing new stills. Like the one above. Nightmare fuel, that is. Check it all out below and get even more excited (and disturbed) for this movie.

Okay, this one isn't so bad. Look how cute they are!

Um, maybe go lie down, Mommy. You look...tired?

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE.

Okay, now the masks aren't so cute anymore.

Goodnight Mommy is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

GOODNIGHT MOMMY screening times:
Monday, Sept 8th, 7:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Wednesday, Sept 10th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Friday, Sept 12th, 3:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

HYENA: Poster and Clip

Writer and director Gerard Johnson follows up his 2009 serial killer comedy-drama Tony with Hyena, a British crime thriller about an undercover cop, Michael (Peter Ferdinando), who skims profits from the drug traffickers he's been sworn to take down. Michael's life begins to quickly change as his side gig is threatened of becoming exposed by an internal investigation and the arrival of two Albanian thugs shake up his crime world alliances.

Below are the poster and a short clip for Hyena, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Hyena can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the film's IMDB page and director Gerard Johnson's Twitter account.

HYENA's screening times:

Sun., Sept. 7, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 6:45 PM
Tue., Sept. 9, Scotiabank 12 9:00 PM
Fri., Sept. 12, The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema 12:00 PM

THE VOICES: First Look and Poster!

"What do you mean my bed is now a giant litter box?"

We couldn't be more excited that the Canadian Premiere of Marjane Satrapi's The Voices will be at this year's Festival. How do we even begin to describe this movie? Well, there's Ryan Reynolds (of course). And he's a little awkward (awww, poor guy). He's got a cat named Mr Whiskers and a dog named Bosco who he talks to sometimes (don't we all?). Except they talk back (wait, what?). Also: psychotic episodes, murder, violence, some really sharp knives, blood, so much blood, and doing a conga line at work. ("Horror-comedy," guys. Comedy.)

"Don't worry, they say this is a comedy! I just need to stab you a few times first."

We don't really want to say too much about the film because it's better to go in somewhat cold and be absolutely mind-boggled. This author saw it it Sundance and thought it was the best movie of the year. And then the credit sequence started and she nearly collapsed from delight. The woman to her right thought it was equally outstanding; the woman to her left couldn't decide whether she wanted to throw up, cry, or both.

How could you NOT want to see a movie like that? Check out maybe the raddest movie poster ever and the screening times below.

The Voices is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

THE VOICES screening times:

Thursday, Sept 11th 9:00 PM RYERSON
Friday, Sept 12th 6:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

THE WORLD OF KANAKO First Look: Trailer and Poster!

What do you mean it's more bracing than Confessions?! 

When a filmmaker issues a statement saying he is "sorry if the film is too grotesque," you know it's got to be very special. (Maybe special means something different to you, but for us it means crazy and violent. Deal.) World of Kanako (Kawaki) is based on a best-selling novel by Akio Fukamachi some considered too gruesome to ever be a film. Tetsuya Nakashima took that as a challenge and crafted an over-the-top, violent revenge thriller. If any of you are familiar with 2010's Confessions then you know what we're talking about. If you aren't, take our word for it: this might not be the flick to see with your grandma. (No, really.)

Don't be fooled by the pink colour. 

Already a hit in Japan, garnering fans and critics alike, World of Kanako is sure to positively shock, probably disturb, and maybe even offend Vanguard audiences this Festival. Check out the trailer below for a little taste of the cah-razy film experience waiting for you:

World of Kanako is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. You can check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website. 

WORLD OF KANAKO screening times:

Sunday, Sept 7th 9:15 PM ISABELLA BADER THEATRE
Tuesday, Sept 9th 11:30 AM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Saturday, Sept 13 9:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

THEY HAVE ESCAPED First Look: Trailer and Poster!

How can we get invited to their parties? 

They Have Escaped (He ovat paenneet) comes to us from the brilliant mind of Finnish director JP Valkeapää. This ain't your typical "boo-hoo, troubled youth, let's talk it out to an indie soundtrack" sort of film; nah, instead Valkeapää crafts an intense and at times troubling story of two teens who set out on a sometimes rambling, sometimes crazed journey through Finland after escaping from their halfway house.

Grocery cart: the best way to travel.

We know this intimate yet disruptive story coupled with gorgeous cinematography of Finland and intriguing main characters puts it at the top of your Vangaurd list. But if you needed any more convincing, here's a first poster and trailer.

They Have Escaped is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

THEY HAVE ESCAPED screening times:

Monday, Sept 8th, 9:45 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Wednesday, Sept 10, 4:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14
Saturday, Sept 13, 10:00 PM SCOTIABANK 8

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY First Look and Poster!

We're pretty sure we could just type PETER STRICKLAND over and over again in caps and that would be enough to entice you to want to see The Duke of Burgundy. Because we all still remember the amazingness that was Berberian Sound Studio from the 2012 Festival, right? Right. Well Strickland is back and all we can say is, "Finally!"

This time, we're taken to new erotic heights with the story of a wealthy amateur lepidopterist (read: studier of butterflies and moths) whose sadomasochistic streak is slowly revealed to her new housekeeper as the two become lovers. (You know how it goes with housekeepers.) The Duke of Burgundy, like Berberian Sound Studio, promises to plunge the audience in a startling, surreal sensory experience through dark, lush cinematography and music.

Totally normal relationship for a housekeeper and employer, yup.

Production company Rook Films released a poster by amazing artist Jay Shaw. After ogling this work, you should head over to his website and ogle the rest. (We want them all, obviously.)

Poster perfection? We think so. 

The Duke of Burgundy is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out the rest of the Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY screening times:

Saturday, Sept 6th 10:00 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 1
Monday, Sept 8th 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 12

ALLELUIA First Look: Poster and Trailer!

Uh, got a little something on the wall there behind you. 

Nothing makes a horror film scarier than knowing it was inspired by a true story. It's all, "Wait, what, some of that actually happened?! No. Way." When it comes to Alleluia, yes way: it was inspired by the murderous rampage of the 1960s "Lonely Hearts Killers," a couple who killed at least twenty women that they lured through newspaper ads. (Note to self, avoid newspapers for the rest of forever. Just in case.)

Great looking couple. We should invite them over for a potluck sometime. 

Director Fabrice Du Welz puts a murderous, carnage-filled twist on this classic story, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year to fantastic reviews. Variety makes reference to it being a "shield-your-eyes" kind of movie, so you might want to keep that in mind. Perfect film to bring your mum to, if you ask us. We get a sense that Alleluia is going to have people talking a lot during this year's Festival. Check out the poster and trailer below and you'll find it hard to disagree.

Alleluia is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

ALLELUIA screening times:

Tuesday, Sept 9th 10:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Thursday, Sept 11th 3:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Saturday, Sept 13th 9:15PM SCOTIABANK 13

SPRING Poster and First Looks!

Awww, cue the T-Swift music.

Maybe you're looking at this still all, "Wow, Spring looks like such a lovely, romantic film." Ha, not a chance. 'Cause then there's THIS image:

Uh, on second thought, maybe turn the T-Swift off. 

Eerie, right? Right. Given the Toronto International Film Festival description ("Before Sunrise with a supernatural twist in this tale of an American backpacker in Italy who falls in love with a beautiful young woman harbouring a dark, primordial secret."), we all know that nothing only lovely can come from words like dark, primordial or secret. Maybe backpacker too. And when Fangoria shared these sneaky-peek images, they added that the "the clips [shown at Fantasia International Film Festival] pointed to a lush, romantic work with something special and monstrous in store."

Monstrous? Sign us up!

Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead shared an early poster on their Facebook page, which you can check out below along with the most important information of all: screening times. And be sure to follow the on Facebook and Twitter and tell them how excited you are for Spring at this year's Toronto International Film Festival!

Spring is screening at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival as part of the Vanguard Programme. Check out more Vanguard films on the official Festival website.

SPRING screening times:
Friday, Sept 5th, 6:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
Sunday, Sept 7th 7:00 PM SCOTIABANK 4
Saturday, Sept 13th, 3:15 PM SCOTIABANK 3

BORGMAN Premieres Tonight!

Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman premieres tonight at Scotiabank Theatre 1 at 9:00 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the poster and trailer.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Borgman and IMDB page.

BORGMAN screening times:

• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 9:00pm SCOTIABANK 1
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 3:00pm BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

BORGMAN: Cannes Press Round Up

Alex van Warmerdan's eighth feature film Borgman competed in competition at the 2013 Festival de Cannes, and now the film arrives at the Toronto International Film Festival for its North American Premiere in the Vanguard programme. Below are just a sampling of the buzz out of Cannes for the surreal home and mind invasion film.

Variety's Guy Lodge called Borgmann "a sly, insidious and intermittently hilarious domestic thriller that is likely to remain one of the most daring selections of this year’s Cannes competish."

The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney says the film is a "quirky study of the unrelenting grip of evil, the film is beautifully made" and that it is "an engrossing and original work that should find an international niche."
The Guardian's Catherine Shoard states that aesthetically Borgman has "a Fassbinder-esque mise-en-scene that mixes minimalism and kinky fuss to good effect, and the whole affair is served with a sheen you can almost touch."

Twitchfilm's Brian Clark says van Warmerdam "brings wit and humor that is often laugh-out-loud hilarious to the proceedings. It's certainly dark, sterile and deadpan, along with pretty much every stylistic choice in the movie, but also whip-smart, inventive and often very surprising."

"With pitch-perfect performances across the board, and boasting crisp photography and editing, the film never ceases to twist, turn and surprise, taking wicked joy in constantly switching us back on ourselves and our expectations of the characters" writes Indiewire's Jessica Kiang.

Los Angeles Times' Steven Zeitchik wonders if Borgman is "this year's Holy Motors" and states that the film generated a lot of debate out of Cannes over what to make of the film. Borgman will defini

Further information about Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Borgman IMDB page.

BORGMAN screening times:

• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 9:00pm SCOTIABANK 1
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 3:00pm BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA

GERONTOPHILIA Premieres Tonight!

Bruce La Bruce's Gerontophilia premieres tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 10:30 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the teaser poster and clip.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Bruce La Bruce's Gerontophilia can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Gerontophilia IMDB page.

GERONTOPHILIA screening times:

• Monday, Sept 9th, 10:30 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 9:30 PM SCOTIABANK 11
• Friday, Sept 13th, 12:15 PM SCOTIABANK 3

SAPI: Poster and Trailer

We're sorry, little afflicted girl, but the poster and trailer for Sapi were posted by Indiewire and we just have to look.

First up, the poster has all the creepy markers, smoke and skulls and an old house and a robed figure.

I don't think you should tell them what you are afraid of...

And here is the full-on creepy trailer.

SAPI screens two more times:  

Saturday, Sept 7th, 9:45 PM SCOTIABANK 10

Sunday, Sept 15th, 3:00 PM SCOTIABANK 14

PEOPLE IN PLACES Premieres Tonight!

Juan Cavestany's People In Places premieres tonight at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema at 7:15 PM. Head over to our previous post to see the trailer.

Tickets can be purchased:

• ONLINE: TIFF.net/thefestival
• BY PHONE: 416.599.TIFF or 1.888.599.8433 (Toll-free) 
• IN PERSON
• Festival Box Office; 225 King St. West
• Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Box Office; 506 Bloor Street West

Further information about Juan Cavestany's People In Places can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the People In Places IMDB page.

PEOPLE IN PLACES screening times:

• Friday, Sept 6th, 7:15 PM TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX 3
• Saturday, Sept 7th, 4:30 PM SCOTIABANK 9
• Friday, Sept 13th, 9:00 PM SCOTIABANK 4

JODOROWSKY'S DUNE: Poster & Trailer!

Director Frank Pavich has assembled a fantastic documentary about the sci-fi epic that never was - an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune by cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. While Jodorowsky's Dune plays in the TIFF Docs programme, the surreal film that could have been featuring collaborations from Salvador Dalí, Orson Welles and Mick Jagger could have easily fit within TIFF's Vanguard programme. For more information about Jodorowsky's Dune, visit the Festival website, Facebook page, official website or the IMDB Page.

And now for the gorgeous official poster for the documentary by Kilian Eng of DW Design:

And the poster announcing the planned shooting of Dune in September 1975:

 JODOROWSKY'S DUNE screening times:

• Tuesday, Sept 10th, 8:00 PM THE BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA
• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 2

Poster & Trailer for Alex van Warmerdan's BORGMAN!

Alex van Warmerdan's Borgman takes a new spin on the home invasion genre with a film about a nomadic tribe driven away from their homes. After their leader Borgman (Jan Bijvoet) is beaten senseless after asking for me, the tribe begin to infiltrate the lives and dreams of the upper-middle class family (Jeroen Perceval and Hadewych Minis). Borgman is van Warmerdan's eighth feature film, and fourth to screen at TIFF (Grimm [2003], Waiter [2006], and The Last Days of Emma Blank [2009]).

Below is the poster and trailer for Borgman, which plays this year's Toronto International Film Festival within the Vanguard programme.

Further information about Alex van Warmerdam's Borgman can be found on the Festival website, as well as on the Borgman and IMDB page.

BORGMAN screening times:

• Wednesday, Sept 11th, 9:00pm SCOTIABANK 1
• Thursday, Sept 12th, 3:00pm BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA