The press just can't get enough of Colin with his fancy new beard and his winsomely unbuttoned work shirts. He's the programmer equivalent of Megan Fox (Jennifer's Body) or Xavier Samuel (The Loved Ones) and The Toronto Star is clearly smitten.

"I've been with the film festival for 23 years. I was an audience member for nine years. I know what works and what doesn't at midnight," says Geddes. "If you're a diehard film festivalgoer, there's a possibility that you've already seen three or four films. This could be your fifth film. You're tired. It's my job to wake you up."

 Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter is "succumbing to the madness":

Filmmakers love the midnight showings partly because the crowds lining up to get in are zealous moviegoers who are not afraid to show how they feel about a film. And fest organizers are eager to court their enthusiasm, even if it means deviating a bit from Toronto's reputation as a prestige fest. "We're not trying to be the six o'clock film and we don't have the chi-chi parties," said "Body" producer Dan Dubiecki, who is also in Toronto with "Up In the Air" and "Chloe." "Midnight Madness is the party. It's the party for the die-hard fans."

But best of all, The National Post has "Tales from TIFF!" a two-page comic spread with Colin in graphic form telling the story of the infamous 2006 Borat screening!

Click it! Click it! Click it!

Many of us probably have little knowledge of Israeli Cinema.  In this year's City to City Programme, we have a chance to learn more about its history via A History of Israeli Cinema Parts 1 and 2 by Raphaël Nadjari.

Part 1 covers films from 1932 to 1978.  Israeli Cinema began quite early in the 20th century with works that emphasized the idea of Zionism.  Then WWII happened and no films were made.  After 1948, fictional films became more prominent in which the Jewish male character becomes the "hero."  As time progresses, more filmmakers move away from making film that support Zionism and began making films that focused more on the indvidual experience.  Some of these filmmakers include Efraim Kishon, Menachem Golan and later on, Uri Zohar.

Nadjari uses interviews with film scholars, critics, produces, actors and filmmakers to reconstruct this history.   The archival footage helps us in learning more about Israeli culture; its many incarnations and of course, its rich cinematic history.

For those of you who enjoy a history lesson, this film will screen one more time on Sept. 16th.  For further information visit TIFF's website.

The Reel to Real Programme at TIFF has become one of the hottest ones in the festival over the last few years.  This year the programme began with L'Enfer D'Henri-Georges Clouzot by Serge Bromberg and Ruxandra Medrea.  The film premiered at Cannes earlier this year.

Bromberg brings us a film that tells the story behind the major production behind one of Clouzot's great ideas, which never really came to fruition.  The year was 1964 and Clouzot decides to have Romy Schneider (picured here) and Serge Reggiani star in his latest project L'Enfer.  The story was that of a man whose raging jealousy wrecks his marriage.  Of course, Clouzot's main point was to create a film that would depict the "madness from the inside the brain of a madman," as Bromberg described in tonight's opening screening at the Varsity theatre.

The film itself was never completed as none of the dramatic scenes were ever shot.  Bromberg obtained full access to test shots and whatever bit of filming that was done.  As Bromberg explained in the Q&A, L'Enfer seemed doomed from the start.  Clouzot's obsessiveness about everything being just "perfect" took a toll on the crew.  After just five days from the beginning of filming, the lead Serge Reggiani walked out.  Even if there is no actual film, you will be captivated by the story Bromberg has put together using test shots, interviews with crew members and even some film shots along with photographs of Clouzot himself.  The result is a kaleidoscope of images that will leave you wanting to see more.  Not only are the images beautifully haunting - considering the innovative and creative techniques of the time - but they're also a testament of Clouzot's own mind.

I leave you with a clip from the film.  You still have a chance to see this film either on Sept 12th and 18th; for more info on times and location go here. 

MSN pays special attention to TIFF and all the programs and films this year.  But on page 2, there's some extra special love for the Midnight Madness program and Colin Geddes, who talks about a movie he's excited about:

"I'm really excited to show an Australian film called 'The Loved Ones,' that's a directorial debut by a young man named Sean Byrne. And that's one of the joys of being a film festival programmer: being able to showcase and champion a filmmaker that no one knows anything about. I mean, that's basically what happened with Eli Roth when we showed 'Cabin Fever' [in 2002], and I would describe 'The Loved Ones' as 'Misery' meets 'Carrie' meets 'Pretty in Pink' from Australia."

And there's some sound advice:

"Geddes advises you to talk to your fellow line members as you wait for films to get a sense of what they've loved, and maybe get a surprise. "I remember back in the day, 1990 or 1991, there was this one guy I kept seeing all the time who just looked like this hung-over reporter, and I saw him line up all the time," Geddes says. "And then, lo and behold, [writer-director Quentin Tarantino] got up onstage and introduced 'Reservoir Dogs.' You never know who you're gonna be beside. When you're in an audience for a film, you could be sitting beside the director, the director's mother, the producer or just some wonderful person who loves the same films as you do."

The Loved Ones screens at TIFF on: Sunday September 11, 11:59PM - RYERSON / Tuesday September 15, 3:30PM - SCOTIABANK THEATRE 2 / Thursday September 17, 6:30PM - VARSITY 4

The audience was pretty sparse, almost entirely guys spacing themselves singly apart in the dark, not even contending for the acoustic sweet spot. We sat in a pack in the theater's center. There was a little rustling in the audience around us and I had my first inkling that we were making those lone guys uncomfortable. More...