Violence, war a focus of festival

While the physical parameters of the Toronto International Film Festival are fixed this year, it will not absent 261 features over 10 days, starting Thursday its horizons are as vast and evolving as film itself and the artists in its programs.

This year, as always, "there are several stretchs running through films" including, "after a scarcely any fallow years, the return of the great European cinema," said festival co-director Noah Cowan.

Cowan, who started working at the festival at the age of 14 and is in his third year as its co-director, said a recurring theme is that many filmmakers are still "contending with violence and war."

"It's a brutal time in world history . . and these dots are being conjoined by some of the greatest in quantity interesting filmmakers" in the world, he said. While, immediately after race 11, such films were "emotive and visceral," Cowan said, "what we diocese now are . . intellectually rich art films that speak to what it means to be in this world."

Cowan cited Julia Lektov's first attempt "Day Night Day Night," about a female suicide bomber; Ana Kokkinos' "The volume of Revelation," about a man who is kidnapped and later tries "to find on the outside how did this happen," a great deal of in the way the world is wondering "how did we secure to this place;" John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," about the sex lives of of recent origin Yorkers after Sept. 11; and "Mon Colonel" about the French in Algeria, written through Costa-Gavras, "which is very a great deal of about Iraq right now."

A sampling of films in the festival is to the right.

For a clean list of films, go to the festival Web site ( www.e.bell.ca/filmfest).

TORONTO FILMS

"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," mockumentary with Sasha Baron Cohen, creator and star of "Da Ali G Show" as a Kazakhstan journalist reporting upon American life.

"Deliver Us From Evil," documentary by dint of Amy Berg, about a pedophile priest in northern California, who cooperated with the filmmaker.

"Hana," a samurai film from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, director of "Nobody Knows."

"The Lives of Others," about a two who fall under the suspicion of East German police, a film that has drawn comparisons to "The Conversation."

"Brand on the Brain!" Guy Maddin's silent expressionist film, with live music performed by the agency of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

"Candy," Australian film, with Heath Ledger as a heroin-addicted poet

"Penelope" fable about a girl curs with nose of a pig, with Christina Ricci, Peter Dinklage.

"Summercamp!" documentary about kids at a Wisconsin nature camp, through Bradley Beesley and Sarah Price, co-director of "American Movie."

"Copying Beethoven," exploration of Beethoven's last days as he wrote his "Ninth Symphony" with ed Harris, directed by Agnieszka Holland.

"Indignes," about North Africans who fought for France during World War II. The entire cast won best acting award at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Outsourced," comedy about an American telemarketer whose entire department is sent to India.

"Starter for Ten" a working-class kid at an upper-class British university dreams of becoming a quiz present to view contestant, produced by Tom Hanks.

"All the King's Men" adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's novel about a larger-than-life populist politician stars Sean Penn Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo.

"Away From Her," Alice Munro story about a brace whose idyllic lives are torn apart when the wife becomes ill, with Julie Christie, directed by dint of Sarah Polley.

"Babel," about interconnected twos with Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael Garca Bernal, by dint of Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu who won best director at Cannes.

"Bonneville," Joan Allen, Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates as elderly friends who take a road trip.

"Breaking and Entering," about a landscape architect whose daughter is not a normal child, directed by the agency of Anthony Minghella, with Juliette Binoche, Jude Law.

"Dixie Chicks: close Up and Sing," documentary about the backlash the singing cluster experienced after their anti-war comments

"For Your Consideration," mockumentary about the cast of a film up for awards, by dint of "Best in Show" director Christopher Guest

"A profitable Year," Russell Crowe as a banker who inherits a vineyard, from the novel by the agency of Peter Mayle, directed by Ridley Scott

"Infamous," drama about Truman Capote, with Daniel Craig, Sandra Bullock

Volver" Pedro Almodvar comedy about a sexy housewife, played by the agency of Penelope Cruz, her dead husband, her spirit of a mother. Cruz was named best actress at Cannes, and Almodvar won best screenplay.

"Rescue Dawn," drama about the escape of a Vietnam War POW through Werner Herzog.

"The Wind That Shakes the Barley," sight Loach drama about the rise of the Irish Republican Army, won best film at Cannes.

"Ghost of Cit Soleil," family drama locate against the violent backdrop of the Haitian slums

"The U v John Lennon," documentary about Lennon's anti-war activities.

"El Cantante," Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez in a biography of the godfather of salsa music Hector Lavoe.