Third of a four-part series

Yesterday, in How to do Fantastic Fest 2010 – Real Tips For Real People #1, I offered some general advice for travelers headed to Fantastic Fest 2010, which begins tomorrow and runs through September 30. In Real Tips For Real People #2 we discussed the best ways to get to and around downtown Austin, Texas.

Now it’s time to go to the movies. Again, while there are many other exciting events taking place this week, most will be attending film screenings. So let’s walk through some tips in chronological order, beginning with the moment you enter the theater and sit down.

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The 19th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival takes place from October 14-24 in the City of Brotherly Love. The lineup hasn’t been officially announced yet but I have been given a sneak peek at all the films and calendar with dates, times, and venues. A number of my own previous festival favorites are scheduled, including Sundance hits Welcome to the Rileys and Hesher, SXSW Award Winner Tiny Furniture, and Every Day, my #1 Top Pick from this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Oscar buzz titles like Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine, and Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours are sure to sell out quickly. Many exciting special events will bring out Philly cinephiles, including the trilogy The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest presented as a triple-bill on Sunday, October 27 at the elegant Prince Music Theater.

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The spectacular 2010 Toronto International Film Festival has come to an exciting conclusion and I’ve returned home to take stock of my whirlwind week north of the border. This was the second year I was tweeting live throughout the festival, including short reviews of all the films I saw. Hopefully you followed along and were able to join me in experiencing the event in real time.

This year’s lineup was truly extraordinary, rivaling my best festival experience of all time — TIFF 2006. So it’s never been more difficult for me to narrow down my favorites. But, as I do following every film festival (48 since the start of 2006), this wrapup will conclude with my list of Top Picks.

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On Wednesday, September 15, 2010 I attended the gala World Premiere of Henry’s Crime at the Toronto International Film Festival. Featured in the Special Presentations section, the sold-out screening was held at the 1300-seat Ryerson Theatre.

Directed by Malcolm Venville from a script by Sacha Gervasi and David White, Henry’s Crime stars Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, James Caan, Danny Hoch, and Fisher Stevens.

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Girlfriend is the first full-length film from writer/director Justin Lerner. I first met him and reviewed his impressive short The Replacement Child at the 2008 Santa Barbara Film Festival, so I was eagerly awaiting his first feature. It’s an auspicious debut for this talented young director and it far exceeded my expectations.

The film stars Evan Sneider (The Replacement Child), Shannon Woodward (The Haunting of Molly Hartley), Jackson Rathbone (The Twilight Saga), and Amanda Plummer (Pulp Fiction).

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On Sunday, September 12, 2010 I attended the gala World Premiere of Beautiful Boy at the Toronto International Film Festival. The sold-out screening was held in the elegant 500-seat Elizabeth Bader Theatre. The film was featured in the Discovery section.

Beautiful Boy is the feature film debut for director Shawn Ku from a script he co-wrote with Michael Armbruster. Maria Bello (Kate Carroll) and Michael Sheen (Bill Carroll) star as the parents of an 18 year-old freshman college student whose actions force the couple to confront their worst nightmare.

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The World Premiere of Girlfriend took place this past week at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Featured in the Discovery section, the screenings were held in the Scotiabank Theatre at Richmond and John St.

This is the first full-length feature from writer/director Justin Lerner. I first met Lerner and reviewed his short film The Replacement Child at the 2008 Santa Barbara Film Festival and had been eagerly awaiting this debut. It far exceeded my expectations.

READ MORE at PROnetworks…