2008 Festival program

"…one of Toronto's best programmed annual festivals, thinking locally and also trawling abroad to find worthy films treating issues of addiction and mental health."
AN, EYE Weekly, 2007

Films At a Glance>> (232KB PDF)

This summary of programs and films outline the best programming RWM has offered to-date!

Official Catalogue>> (7.3MB PDF)

Ticket Information>>

Festival Panellist>> (1.22MB PDF)

A moderated panel discussion with filmmakers, mental health professionals, consumer survivors and the audience will follow each program. A full listing of panellists will be available November 3.

Click the film titles in the schedule to jump to details for that film. Click the arrow after each film description to return to this line.

RWM 2008 Program Schedule

Thursday, November 6	Friday, November 7	Saturday, November 8	Sunday, November 9	Monday, November 10
	1:00PM Hearing Voices – Talking Back Rated PG The Doctor Who Hears Voices Exile	1:00PM Tangled Roots Rated PG Hope Darkness Calls in Gitxsan	1:00PM Love Conquers All Rated PG My Mother’s Garden Ground Floor Right	1:00PM High School Program Rated 14A Loonie Crybaby Gilles’ Lily Darkness Calls in Gitxsan Good Morning Lassa
			4PM International Shorts Rated 14A Isola Now You See Me, Now You Don’t Roads Robin Heavy Pockets
7:00PM Opening Night Gala Rated 14A 4 Minutes	7:00PM Ghosts and Gumshoes Rated 18A Mad Detective Khoda Madame Tutli-Putli	7:00PM Once Upon a Time Rated 14A Blind Gilles’ Lily	7:00PM Hearts of Darkness Rated R Opium Severing the Soul	7:00PM A Sacred Mind Rated PG Devrai
Tuesday, November 11	Wednesday, November 12	Thursday, November 13	Friday, November 14	Saturday, November 15
11:45AM Recovering Hope Rated PG Beyond Psychosis Prescription for Addiction		10:00AM High School Program Rated 14A Loonie Crybaby Gilles’ Lily Darkness Calls in Gitxsan Good Morning Lassa
1:00PM High School Program Cancelled	1:00PM High School Program Rated 14A Loonie Crybaby Gilles’ Lily Darkness Calls in Gitxsan Good Morning Lassa	1:00PM Art Fragments Rated PG In a Dream Man is the Only Bird Who Carries His Own Cage	1:00PM High School Program Rated 14A Loonie Crybaby Gilles’ Lily Darkness Calls in Gitxsan Good Morning Lassa	1:00PM Opening Night Repeat Screening Rated 14A 4 Minutes
				4:00PM Not Rated Student Program
7:00PM The War Inside Rated 18A A Hero’s Welcome I Don’t Feel Like Dancing	7:00PM Love Hurts Rated 14A Crazy Love Lisa	7:00PM Queer Madness Rated 18A XXY The Lethal Innocents Becoming Susan	6:00PM Canadian Shorts Rated 14A Alice or Life in Black and White Loonie Oh Me 2 Murphy’s Law Letter to Myself Drowning in a Glass of Water Autoplastic Victor Gazon	7:00PM Perspective is Relative Rated 14A FLicKeR Everything will be OK
			9:00PM Walking on Eggshells Rated R Borderline

Thursday, November 6

7:00pm

"Artists Unbound"

This program is Rated 14A (Mature Theme, Violence, Language May Offend)

The 16^th Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival is proud to open with an evening dedicated to the healing power of music. They say music soothes the savage beast, but what about the wounded soul? In an accompaniment to the powerful performances in Four Minutes, Workman Arts' member Nathan Roder proves that music doesn't just soothe the soul - it transforms it.

Live Performance by violinist Nathan Roder

Nathan started playing the violin at the age of 7 and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music, located in Toronto. He has played in numerous orchestras and has been playing with the Oakville Symphony Orchestra for the past 4 years. He has performed at venues such as the Glen Gould Studio, and most recently was in a rock band called Instant Vintage.

Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) - German with subtitles

Chris Kraus

Germany

2006

112 min

Colour/35mm

Contact: Mongrel Media

Jenny is a troubled young woman with an incredible gift. She meets her match in the fastidious Traude, who's determined to foster her unbelievable talent at all costs. Traude takes Jenny under her wing and as their relationship grows, Jenny's painful history comes to the surface. With patience Jenny begins to reach her full potential, but when her future is jeopardized, Traude must face her own long-buried demons and risk everything on an awe-inspiring four minutes.

Writer and Director Chris Kraus was born in 1963 in Gottingen, Germany. After working as a journalist and illustrator, he studied at the DFFB German Film and Television Academy Berlin from 1991-1998. An 8-year labour of love, FOUR MINUTES won the Baden-Württemberg State Award 2004 for Best Script, before shooting had even begun.

Screened at Toronto International Film Festival, Frameline, Inside Out and Berlin International Film Festival. Winner Outstanding Feature Film, German Film Awards and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, German Film Awards.

Friday, November 7

1:00pm

"Hearing Voices - Talking Back"

This program is rated PG (Coarse Language)

What would happen if you started hearing voices? Most doctors would probably say anti psychotic medications offer the best hope for recovery; most but not all. This program explores non-traditional forms of recovery stressing patience and deep understanding over medicine and hospitalization. The debate continues, but it's clear that non medicinal recovery is just one of many new treatments that have emerged to challenge the traditional psychiatric perspective.

The Doctor Who Hears Voices

Leo Regan

2008

63 min

Colour/DigiBeta

North American Premiere

Contact: Kudos Film and TV

In this thought provoking docudrama psychologist Rufus May, having survived traditional mental health treatment, is determined to save Ruth from the same fate. Ruth is a junior doctor and if the hospital finds out she's suicidal and hearing voices she'll lose her medical license. Fortunately, Rufus has a solution - don't tell them!

Leo Regan's other films include the Kudos produced drama Comfortably Numb, set in an addiction rehabilitation centre, and multi awarding winning 100% White about a group of neo-nazis who Regan had photographed a decade before.

Exile

Oskari Pastila & Sampo Lehtinen

Finland/UK

2007

10 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Oskari Pastila

Kathryn has built part of her personality on voices only she can hear. Contrary to what people might expect she finds the voices helpful and even vital to her existence. How can she survive in a world that demands she get better; that demands she become 'normal.'

Oskari Pastila is a Helsinki based filmmaker and media artist. Whilst playing with the visual form the content in his work often reflects current social and political issues including alienation, cultural identity and the definition of normalcy.

Previously screened at the Helsinki International Film Festival, 2nd Madness and the Arts World Festival.

7:00pm

"Ghosts and Gumshoes"

This program is Rated 18A (Disturbing Content, Violence)

Reflecting a supernatural perspective far more in keeping with traditional Asian cinema than anything made in the West, the films in this program prove that sometimes reality is relative. Shadowy figures, ghosts? Are these the products of troubled minds, or do they represent something more, something just beyond the boundaries of normal. It's easy to question someone's sanity when they act differently, but sometimes it takes an unusual mind to see the truth that's right in front of us.

Mad Detective (Sun taam) - Cantonese with subtitles

Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai

Hong Kong

2007

89 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Mongrel Media

Detective Bun is notorious. To solve crimes he places himself inside the criminal mind, but his methods are unorthodox and his behaviour, erratic. Still, he's the best detective on the force. At least he was until questions about his sanity forced him into early retirement.

Now a missing detective's gun has been implicated in a series of crimes, and up-and-coming Inspector Ho begs Bun to come back and break the case. Blinded by Bun's past success Ho dismisses the department's concerns, but when the stakes are raised, Ho begins to see the detective in a different light. Will faith or fear prevail?

Johnnie To was born in Hong Kong. He has directed and produced over forty films. He founded a production company in 1996 in partnership with frequent collaborator Wai Ka-fai.

Wa Ka-fai was born in Hong Kong. He is a writer, producer and director. He founded a production company in 1996 in partnership with frequent collaborator Johnnie To.

Screened at The Toronto International Film Festival and The Venice Film Festival. Asian Film Award for Best Screenwriting, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Screenplay and Golden Lion Nominee at the Venice Film Festival.

Madame Tutli-Putli

Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski

Canada

2007

18 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: National Film Board of Canada

Madam Tutli-Putli boards the night train. As darkness falls, she finds herself alone and caught up in a desperate metaphysical adventure. Adrift between real and imagined worlds, Madame Tutli-Putli is drawn into an undertow of mystery and suspense.

Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski founded Clyde Henry Productions, a Montreal based film and multimedia production company in 1997. Since then they have received acclaim for their award winning illustrations, music videos and broadcast design. Madame Tutli Putli is their first professional short film.

Previously screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Winner the Canal+ Award, Cannes Film Festival and Best Animated Short at the Genie Awards.

Khoda

Reza Dolatabadi

Scotland

2008

5 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Reza Dolatabadi

What if despair turned the world you knew into a nightmare? And what if every single second of that nightmare was a work of art? Painstakingly crafted over two years with more than 6000 individual paintings, Khoda isn't just a labour of love it's a state of mind.

Reza Dolatabadi was born in Tehran in 1985. In 2004 he moved to Scotland and in 2008 he received a Bachelor's Degree in Animation from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, University of Dundee. Khoda is his graduation film.

Saturday, November 8

1:00pm

"Tangled Roots"

This program is rated PG (Coarse Language)

Across Canada, aboriginal communities are returning to their roots and finding the strength to overcome decades of abuse and neglect. Proving that the traditions of love and family trump all these films offer powerful evidence that true strength doesn't only come from within, but from the strength of those around you. It's an approach to healing that has deep roots in aboriginal culture, and it's changing the way everyone sees the world.

Hope

Thomas Buchan/ Stuart Reaugh

Canada

2008

56 minutes

Toronto Premiere

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: National Film Board of Canada

After eighteen years and five kids, Ken and Winnie's relationship is on the rocks. It finally falls apart when Rick, a tattooed ex-con, moves in and assumes the role of man of the house. Winnie and Rick are thrilled when Ken finally leaves, but the kids are conflicted. As tension reigns, the troubled new family tries to pull itself together and Ken's role as a distant father is only making things worse. Is a mother's love enough to heal the wounds caused by years of abuse and dysfunction?

Filmmakers Thomas Buchan and Stuart Reaugh graduated from the Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver Canada in 2005. Since graduating Thomas has gone on to work as a painter and freelance photographer, while Stuart has moved into producing music videos. Hope is their first documentary produced by the NFB.

Screened at First People's Festival. Best Direction of Photography at the First People's Festival (Land InSights) and Leo Award for Best Sound Editing in a Documentary Program or Series.

Darkness Calls in Gitxsan - Gitxsan with subtitles

Anthony Wong

Canada

2007

19 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Sean Muir

Picked on by the school bullies, misunderstood by his teacher, and chastised by his parents; Kyle struggles with thoughts of suicide. One day a mysterious elder comes to the reservation and brings with him a traditional story of Wiigyet and his modern day battle with the demon Watsx for the spirits of the young ones.

Anthony Wong made his first movie at the age of 11. At 13, he retired to explore school, law, and love. Eighteen years later he returned to his childhood desire. With today's digital revolution Anthony shoots, edits, and distributes his video projects in pursuit of the art of expression through storytelling.

Palm Beach International Film Festival.

7:00pm

"Once Upon A Time…"

This program is Rated 14A (Coarse Language, Nudity, Mature Theme)

Sometimes there aren't easy explanations for why things happen, and sometimes, life is unfair. These are the times when people tell themselves stories, framing the world around them within fairytales to makes sense of what's happening. It's when our world seems darkest that our imagination provides the light we need to carry on. The films in this program are beautifully constructed fables that offer hope in hard times and provide a uniquely imaginative perspective on mental health.

Blind - Dutch with subtitles

Tamar van den Dop

Netherlands/Belgium/Bulgaria

2007

98 minutes

Fiction

Colour/35mm

Contact: Bavaria Film International

Ruben remembers a time when he could still see. Now blind and dependent on his mother, he rages against the world in frustration. Marie is hired to read to Ruben in hopes of calming his tormented soul. But she has terrible scars of her own, and withdraws into her books for protection. In a world of gloomy twilight, Marie slowly tames Ruben with the beauty of her voice. Soon, her greatest fear is that Ruben will see through her fairytale. Can he possibly love her for the woman she really is and not just the story he's been telling himself?

Tamar van de Dop graduated in 1993 from drama school in Maastricht. As an actress, she performed with many theatre companies and she also appeared in films and television series. BLIND is her feature film directorial debut, following the critical success of her first two short films.

Previously screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and Giffoni Film Festival. Winner of Best Film Golden Gryphon, Giffoni Film Festival.

Gilles' Lily (La Lili à Gilles) - French with subtitles

David Uloth

Canada

2007

16 minutes

Colour/35mm

Contact: Locomotion

Young Lily has a foul mouth and a vivid imagination. In her fairytale, grandfather Gilles' antique-filled country house is a castle and he is a magician. Gilles unwittingly plays into this fantasy, calling her Princess, while François, Lily's father, struggles to face the stark reality of Gilles' illness and failing memory.

David Uloth admits that his destiny was set the moment he saw Star Wars when he was six. He was hooked on the magic of capturing and conveying his imagination, images, and ideas to the world around him.

Screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Worldwide Short Film Festival, Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and the Montreal World Film Festival. Audience Award for Best Canadian Short Film, Montreal World Film Festival.

Sunday, November 9

1:00pm

"Love Conquers All"

This program is rated PG (Coarse Language)

At the end of the day, all you really have is family. Whether it's dozens and dozens of birds, or buried under mountains of debris, sometimes that family is where you find it. In this program Rendezvous with Madness explores the incredible influence families have on mental health and the transformative power they have on healing. These films prove that no matter how difficult things get, when families stick together anything can happen.

My Mother's Garden

Cynthia Lester

USA

2008

70 min

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Cynthia Lester

One woman's battle with a hoarding disorder so consuming that her children are ultimately pushed out of the house by an ever-growing mountain of debris. In this gripping documentary, Eugenia's kids come together for the first time in years to confront their mother's illness, dig out their childhood home, and regain a sense of family.

Cynthia Lester pursued her film studies at UC Santa Cruz where she directed several short films and documentaries. Cynthia has also worked with HBO Documentaries and such films as Riker's High, Annapolis, and The Fountain. My Mother's Garden is her feature length directorial debut.

Screened at Hot Docs 2008.

Ground Floor Right

Marlene Schiott Rasmussen

2008

5 minutes

Colour/DVD

Contact: Marlene Schiott Rasmussen

Here's a charming little tale about an old English chap, his London flat, and his 100 feathery roommates. Fang is their keeper, their caregiver, their father. It is a world that he loves more than anything else, but it has become a self imposed prison, a little cage.

Marlene Schiott Rasmussen works as a producer, production manager and self-shooting director. She also has a long history of working the socially excluded, including the people recovering from drug addictions and mental illness.

Previously screened at Hot Docs.

4:00pm

"International Shorts Program"

This program is Rated 14A (Mature Themes, Violence, Coarse Language)

In an outstanding collection of short films from around the world Rendezvous with Madness presents an international perspective on mental health and addiction. From the cold expanses of Northern Europe to the war torn slums of the Middle East, this program proves that mental illness and addiction are issues that affect everyone, everywhere.

Isola - Norwegian with subtitles

Andreas Riiser

Norway

2006

24 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Norwegian Film Institute

A young woman becomes consumed with grief after a terrible tragedy. She tries to continue on as if nothing happened, living increasingly in her memories. With a new baby on the way, she'll have to find the strength to let go, or risk losing everything she has left.

Born in 1979, Andreas Riiser studied directing at the Norwegian Film School. After graduating in the spring of 2006 he has gone on to be an actor, production manager, assistant director, scenographer and lighting designer. During that time he has also written and directed numerous shorts, music videos and documentaries.

Previously screened at the Norwegian Short Film Festival.

Now You See Me, Now You Don't (Most Latszom, most nem latszom) - Hungarian with subtitles

Attila Szasz

Hungary

2005

30 min

Colour/Beta SP

Toronto Premiere

Contact: Attila Szasz

As Dad drives home from the lab, Mom is at home making dinner while six-year-old Alex plays around her. When Mom wakes up the next morning, Alex is invisible! Did one of Dad's experiments go wrong, is Mom being paranoid, or is the truth something far worse?

Attila Szasz was born in 1972. Graduating from the Producer Class of the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest, he went on to work as a film critic and television host before founding his own production and distribution company. Now You See Me, Now You Don't marks his directorial debut.

Previously Screened Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, Winnipeg Film Festival.

Roads - Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles

Lior Geller

Israel

2007

22 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Canadian Premiere

Contact: Rachel Wallach

While living in the slums of Lod, thirteen year old Ismayil dreams of a better life for his little brother. Sadly, he's working for a ruthless gangster to make it happen. When his brother unexpectedly follows in his footsteps, their only hope for a better life will come from an unlikely ally.

After growing up in New Jersey, Lior Geller moved to Israel and enrolled in Tel-Aviv University's Film Department. His graduate short film Roads won 10 major awards and earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Student Film of 2008.

Previously screened at Jerusalem Film Festival. Best Short Film, Jerusalem Film Festival.

Robin - German with subtitles

Hanno Olderdissen

Germany

2007

20 min

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Monika Bremen

Home is where the hurt is. After three months in a foster home, eight-year-old Robin comes back to his family to find that little has changed. His parents are still fighting, his father is still drinking and Robin is very worried about his baby sister.

Hanno Olderdissen was born in 1976 in Bielefeld, Germany. He first studied Film Studies at FU Berlin in 1998-1999, before moving into the industry as a professional. In 2004 he returned to school to study Film Directing at IFS International Filmschool Cologne, where he received his BA in 2007.

Screened at Berlin International Film Festival.

Heavy Pockets - Welsh with subtitles

Sarah Cox

2004

6 minutes

Colour/35 mm

Contact: Sarah Cox

Awel Jones just can't seem to keep her feet on the ground, literally. After realizing that the laws of gravity no longer apply to her, Awel does her best to keep it a secret. But when the schoolyard bullies start causing trouble, her secret becomes her salvation.

Sarah Cox studied Animation at the Royal College of Art graduating in 1992. She worked as a director and College Instructor before co-founding the animation production company Arthur Cox in 2002. She is currently directing a new short film and producing an animated tv series.

Previously screened at Sprockets International Film Festival. BAFTA Nominee for Best Short Animation.

7:00pm

"Hearts of Darkness"

This program is rated R (Mature Themes, Sexual Content, Substance Abuse)

The films in this program are gritty, powerful, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Exploring the history of psychiatric practice in the twentieth century, from lobotomies to torture, these films present a picture of mental health treatment that can best be described as barbaric. But since it's said that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, it's important to revisit the past to ensure that the painful chapters remain closed, never to be reopened.

Ópium: Egy elmebeteg nö naplója (Opium: Diary of a Madwoman) - Hungarian with subtitles

János Szász

Hungary

2007

108 minutes

Colour/DigiBeta

Contact: Filmunio

Dr. Josef Brenner is a renowned psychiatrist and author. Or rather, was a renowned author. He hasn't written a word in months and has turned to opium to cure his writer's block. Gizelle is a prolific writer. Possessed by periods of mania, she's compelled to write endlessly on everything. Locked in an asylum, Gizelle is subjected to tortuous experiments to treat her condition. When Brenner joins the facility, he quickly realizes that a cure lies in her writing. But who does he truly hope to cure, Gizelle or himself?

János Szász was born in Budapest in l958. He studied drama and stage direction at the Academy of Theater and Film Arts, and spent four years at the National Theater Budapest before moving to film and television. Known primarily for his powerful and long feature films, Szasz has also directed a documentary for the Shoa Foundation.

Screened at Montreal World Film Festival. Winner of Best Director, Best Cinematographer and Best Sound, Hungarian Film Week.

Severing the Soul

Barbara Klutinis

USA

2008

18 minutes

Canadian Premiere

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Barbara Klutinis

In this harrowing portrait of the early use of lobotomies, found footage is used to tell the tragic story of Rosemary Kennedy. Severing the Soul is a damning indictment of her surgeon, Dr. Walter Freeman, and the psychiatric abuses he committed in the middle of the twentieth century.

Barbara Klutinis is a retired teacher of film studies at Skyline College and San Francisco State University, in California. She has been making films since 1981, when she earned her MA in Film Production. She currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and two sons.

Monday, November 10

1:00pm

"High School Program"

This program is Rated 14A (Coarse Language)

The Rendezvous with Madness High School Program explores the complex relationship between family and mental illness. Through a series of five films from around the world, the youth program delicately examines child and teen perspectives on bullying, dementia, loneliness and parents with mental illness. The shorts portray different challenges but do not direct the viewer to any particular point of view and as such, provide a "jumping off" point for engaged and open discussions on the role of mental illness and the family.

Loonie

Michelle Nolden

Canada

2007

8 min

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Raj Panikkar (see index)

Angel suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Trapped within her own mind, she hides in an alley. What is it about teenaged Dylan Simpson that gets through to her? Angel asks for a loonie, but Dylan offers more, a chance to reconnect with her past and rediscover the life she left behind.

With a passion for storytelling, Michelle Nolden is a seasoned ACTRA and Gemini nominated film and television actor in both Canada and the US. Loonie is Michelle Nolden's writing and directorial debut.

Screened at Palm Springs

Crybaby (Pusling) - Danish with subtitles

Christina Rosendahl

Denmark

2008

25 mins

Colour/35mm

North American Premiere

Contact: Danish Film Institute

There's nothing worse than being a crybaby. At least according to everyone that Piv knows. At 10 years old, her smaller stature and trusting nature make Piv an easy target for the bigger and stronger Mia who has a smart answer for everything. But there's only so much she can take.

Christina Rosendahl's short drama documentary En streg (A Fine Line) won 2^nd prize at the short film competition CloseUp 2001, a contest for young Danish directors. After making several more youth oriented short fiction films and longer documentaries, Rosendahl made her feature film debut with Supervoksen (Triple Dare) in 2006.

Screened at Giffoni Film Festival.

Gilles' Lily (La Lili à Gilles) - French with subtitles

David Uloth

Canada

2007

16 minutes

Colour/35mm

Contact: Locomotion

Darkness Calls in Gitxsan - Gitxsan with subtitles

Anthony Wong

Canada

2007

19 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Sean Muir

Palm Beach International Film Festival.

Good Morning Lassa (Bokertov Lassa) - Hebrew with subtitles

Sharon Marcus Romem

Israel

2007

19 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Sharon Marcus Romem

Lassa wakes up, Lassa makes breakfast, Lassa comforts her severely depressed mother; everyday. She's had to grow up faster than she should have, but she's still a seven year old girl hoping her mother will be there for her on this one special day.

At the age of 35, while married and a mother of two, Sharon Marcus Romem decided to follow her life's dream to become a filmmaker. Currently, Romem has written and directed several shorts and documentaries and teaches cinema in elementary school.

7:00pm

"A Sacred Mind"

This program is rated PG

(in the Sam Malcomson Lecture Theatre) brown bag lunch

As India grows by leaps and bounds so does the awareness that mental health is a serious issue that needs to be addressed with compassion and understanding. This program offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of a family struck by mental illness, and how loving solutions can be found to assist recovery. Devrai is both captivating and beautiful; a South Asian perspective on issues that surround mental health in India today.

Devrai - Marathi with English subtitles

Sumitra Bhave & Sunil Sukthankar

India

2004

108 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Toronto Premiere

Contact: Schizophrenia Awareness Association

Shesh Shahi lives in a small Indian village with his family. A brilliant, but eccentric young man he becomes increasingly obsessed with 'devrai,' a small patch of forest he believes holds the secrets of the universe. As he grows more unpredictable his sister turns to the medical community for help. When Shesh is diagnosed with schizophrenia, he comes to live with her family so that she can take care of him. But without the closeness of his beloved devrai, Shesh isn't getting better. Will love be enough to help Shesh through the toughest battle of his life?

Filmmakers Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar have worked together on a number of socially relevant and heartwarming films for Indian audiences. Critics have consistently citied their work as among the strongest advocacy filmmaking in the country.

Screen Weekly Awards - Best Film - Marathi

Tuesday, November 11

11:45am

"Recovering Hope"

This program is rated PG

Rendezvous with Madness is proud to present a special lunchtime presentation of films with a connection to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Addressing issues of successful recovery and medication side effects, the films in this program deal with issues CAMH faces every day. With a post screening panel discussion from members of CAMH's senior management and refreshments served by RWM, this special event promises to be a feast for both mind and body.

Prescription for Addiction

Laura Sky/David Adkin

Canada

2008

39 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

World Premiere

Contact: Janine Luce and David Kelly(see index)

Even though opiates are widely prescribed by doctors, little has been said about their dark side, until now. Filmmakers Laura Sky and David Adkin shine a light on the growing problem of opiate addiction and speak with people whose lives have been forever changed by their addiction to 'medicine.'

Laura Sky is a documentary filmmaker whose work explores pressing social issues. In 1983, she founded Sky Works Charitable Foundation, a non profit organization that produces films for community development tools.

David Adkin is an award winning documentary filmmaker with over 20 years experience addressing social issues. This is his first major collaboration with Laura Sky.

Beyond Psychosis: Exceeding Expectations from First Episode to Recovery

Tara Laing

Canada

2008

15 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

World Premiere

Contact: Tara Laing

Sharing facts and personal stories, 5 young people talk about their experiences with psychosis and recovery. As they confront the myths and stereotypes surrounding mental illness each one of them offers a sense of hope and inspiration to people living with these issues.

Tara Laing is an occupational therapist at LEARN, a resource centre and satellite program of the First Episode Division of the Schizophrenia Program at CAMH, who has worked in early intervention for 5 years. This is her first film and creating it was an amazing time of growth and partnership for her.

1:00pm

"High School Program"

This program has been cancelled.

7:00pm

"The War Inside"

This program is Rated 18A (Violence, Mature Theme, Coarse Language)

The effects of war reach far and wide, well beyond the boundaries of geography and time. Despite rigorous training, is any soldier really prepared for the atrocities of war? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Stress Disorder are now becoming part of our regular vocabulary. These films examine what happens when soldiers step away from the battlefield, be it to go to a secluded nightclub or to return back home to their friends and families.

A Hero's Welcome (Nacht Vor Augen) - German with English subtitles

Brigitte Maria Bertele

Germany

2008

91 minutes

North American Premiere

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Eastwest Film Distribution

David, a young decorated soldier, returns from Afghanistan to the peace of his small hometown. Everything seems okay. His girlfriend and his mother are overjoyed to see him safe and his eight-year-old brother Benni follows him around like the hero that everyone thinks he is. But David is close-mouthed, brusque, distant - a changed man. He's having a hard time picking up his old life, and people are getting concerned about his influence on little Benni. David's always been Benni's hero, but sometimes even heroes need saving.

Brigette Maria Bertele was born in Ulm in 1974. After a short career as an actress, she began studying documentary film at the Baden-Wurttemberg Film Academy in Ludwigsburg in 2002. A Hero's Welcome is her feature film debut.

First Steps Awards Germany - Best Feature Film

I Don't Feel Like Dancing

Joachim Dullhopf/ Evi Goldbrunner

Germany

2008

7 minutes

North American Premiere

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Evi Goldbrunner

In an unnamed war ravaged city, citizens and soldiers forget their sorrows at the local dance club. Rebuffed for a dance, a group of soldiers decide to follow a lonely girl through the broken streets as she makes her way home. Shot down once, they aren't going to ask again.

Evi Goldrunner and Joachim Dollhopf study scriptwriting and directing, respectively, at the HFF Konrad Wolf University of Film and Television, in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Germany. I Don't Feel Like Dancing is their fifth collaboration.

Wednesday, November 12

1:00pm

"High School Program"

This program is Rated 14A (Coarse Language)

Loonie

Michelle Nolden

Canada

2007

8 min

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Raj Panikkar (see index)

Screened at Palm Springs

Crybaby (Pusling) - Danish with subtitles

Christina Rosendahl

Denmark

2008

25 mins

Colour/35mm

North American Premiere

Contact: Danish Film Institute

Screened at Giffoni Film Festival.

"Love Hurts"

This program is Rated 14A (Language May Offend, Mature Content)

In a perfect world, our relationships would be held together by love, mutual respect and kindness. However, many relationships are held together by darker things. In this program we see how dominating male figures can impact family dynamics and romantic relationships, and how the women in their lives find forgiveness and healing in unforgettable ways.

Crazy Love

Dan Klores

USA

2007

92 minutes

Colour/ Beta SP

Contact: Mongrel Media

Burt Pugach met Linda Riss, the girl of his dreams, in the summer of '59. Too bad he was already married. One forged divorce document later; they embarked on a whirlwind romance that would change their lives forever. Unfortunately for Burt once Linda found out he had lied, the relationship fell apart. Tragically for Linda, once the relationship fell apart, so did Burt. His desperate attempts to win her back shocked the world and landed them both in the middle of a media storm. Looking back Burt, now 79, and Linda, 68, offer up an astonishing exploration of what happens when love goes bad.

Dan Klores grew up in Brooklyn and like his first two feature films, Crazy Love made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. He currently resides in Manhattan with his wife Abbe and their three young sons, and in between many other projects, he is writing the feature remake of Crazy Love for HBO Films.

Screenings. Winner Best Documentary Independent Spirit Awards, Nominated Grand Jury Prize Sundance Film Festival.

Lisa

Lorenzo Recio

France

2007

20 minutes

Canadian Premiere

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Local Films

Lisa, her mother, and two young brothers live quiet, desperate lives under the brutal domination of her father. One day a magical twist gives Lisa the chance to change her father and save the rest of the family forever.

Lorenzo Recio graduated from the Arts Decoratifs school in Paris, France and has since gone on to direct four award winning short films that have screened worldwide. Lisa is his most recent work.

Previously screened at the Palm Springs International Shorts Film Festival.

Thursday, November 13

10:00am

"High School Program"

This program is Rated 14A (Coarse Language)

Loonie

Michelle Nolden

Canada

2007

8 min

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Raj Panikkar (see index)

Screened at Palm Springs

Crybaby (Pusling) - Danish with subtitles

Christina Rosendahl

Denmark

2008

25 mins

Colour/35mm

North American Premiere

Contact: Danish Film Institute

Screened at Giffoni Film Festival.

"Art Fragments"

This program is rated PG (Nudity, Coarse Language)

Artists have the amazing ability to bring what's in their mind's eye to life for the whole world to see. As they make their environments uniquely their own, artists sometimes become increasingly non conformist in their attitudes and behaviour. This freedom offers artists with mental health and/or addiction issues an escape from stigma and prejudice, but sometimes they isolate themselves from the ones they love most.

In A Dream

Jeremiah Zagar

USA

2008

78 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Canadian Premiere

Contact: Jeremy Yaches

In bohemian South Philadelphia, Isaiah Zagar's mosaics cover the walls, they cover the ceilings, and they cover the floors. With a manic determination that only love could inspire, Isaiah has covered over 50,000-square feet of concrete with giant murals. For decades his artistic passions fuelled his unlikely marriage to Julia, but one casual remark about passion will force them both to rethink everything in this fascinating portrait of love, betrayal, and the intimacy of dysfunction.

Jeremiah Zagar was born in South Philadelphia in 1981. At age 19, he shot Delhi House, a documentary about a hospital and orphanage in India. Since then he has made three more award-winning short films. A graduate of Emerson College, Zagar lives in Brooklyn but his heart will forever remain in Philadelphia.

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival - Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award Philadelphia Film Festival - Jury Award for Best Film SXSW Film Festival - Audience Award for Emerging Visions

Man is the Only Bird That Carries His Own Cage (L'Homme est le Seul Oiseau Qui Porte Sa Cage)

Claude Weiss

France

2008

12 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Sacrebleu Productions

In a dark metropolis, despair reigns. Trapped in a cage of society's making, people yearn to free their minds. But, those few who try are horribly punished. Finally one man breaks, and pushes himself to the limit in search of peace.

Claude Weiss' student film 'Une douce illusion' was selected in the Annecy Film Festival (Student category). Weiss was the scriptwriter, director and composer for 'Man is the Only Bird That Carries His Own Cage'.

Screened at Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

7:00pm

"Queer Madness"

This program is Rated 18A (Mature Theme, Sexual Content, Coarse Language)

As teenagers, it's natural that we begin to question who we are and how we fit into the world. These questions can prove even more complex when we are unsure of our sexual and gender identities. Misunderstood and ostracized by their peers, the individuals in these films have overcome hurt, and hardships to truly find themselves. This program was curated by guest programmers Susan Gapka, featured in Becoming Susan, and Rupert Raj.

XXY

Lucia Puenzo

Argentina/Spain/France

2007

91 minutes

Fiction

Colour/DigiBeta

Contact: Film Movement

Confused, frustrated, moody; normal problems for any teenager, but 15-year old Alex is anything but. Raised as a girl, Alex is intersex and though her parents are sympathetic and supportive, the local community is anything but. Once Alex's secret is out, she's tormented and ostracized by people she once called her friends. Desperate, her parents turn to an old friend of the family, a plastic surgeon, for help and advice. When a relationship buds between Alex and the surgeon's awkward 16-year old son, Alvaro, her world is thrown into disarray and she's forced to confront her identity in ways she never thought possible.

Lucía Puenzo was born in 1976, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the prominent director Luis Puenzo. After studying literature, cinema and theater, she published three novels before turning her attention to film. XXY, is her first feature film and she has also directed short films, documentaries, and the telefilm Los Invisibles.

Previous screened Toronto International Film Festival; Inside Out Film Festival; Winner Critics Week Grand Prize, Grand Golden Rail; Cannes Film Festival.

Becoming Susan

Inga Dievulyte

Canada

2008

7 minutes

Documentary

Colour/Beta SP

North American Premiere

Contact: Inga Dievulyte

A series of intimate visual portraits reveal the incredible life and journey of Toronto Trans Activist, Susan Gapka. As the film explores Susan's world, captivating themes emerge and in the end it's clear, the fragments we see add up to a life far greater and more beautiful than the sum of its parts.

An independent filmmaker since the age of 15, Inga Dievulyte, has written and directed three award-winning short films and has become a laureate of more than a dozen youth and student film festivals around the world. Currently working on her thesis film at York University, Inga is expected to graduate in 2009.

The Lethal Innocents

Kirsty Cameron

New Zealand

2007

9 minutes

Colour/35mm

Canadian Premiere

Contact: New Zealand Film Commission

Bullies descend on young Rita like a pack of wild dogs. These are some mean girls, so she probably shouldn't have tried to kiss one of them. Alone and misunderstood, Rita's only true friend is her cat. When the girls take things too far, Rita reveals her true nature.

After finishing a degree at Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland, Kirsty Cameron simultaneously started a career in the film industry as a costume designer and exhibited video and installations as an artist. She is interested in making evocative films that have resonance and gravity.

Screened at Stockholm International Film Festival.

Friday, November 14

1:00pm

"High School Program"

This program is Rated 14A (Coarse Language)

Loonie

Michelle Nolden

Canada

2007

8 min

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Raj Panikkar (see index)

Screened at Palm Springs

Crybaby (Pusling) - Danish with subtitles

Christina Rosendahl

Denmark

2008

25 mins

Colour/35mm

North American Premiere

Contact: Danish Film Institute

Screened at Giffoni Film Festival.

"Canadian Shorts"

This program is Rated 14A (Substance Abuse, Coarse Language)

Alice or Life in Black and White - French with subtitles

Sophie Schoukens

Canada

2006

15 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Video Femmes

Alice is a young girl in trouble. Her parents don't realize that as their relationship falls apart, so does their daughter. When event at school betrays Alice's secret, her parents are going to have to put their daughter first to save her.

Since starting her career as a stage actress in New York, Sophie Shoukens, has gone on to receive Master's Degrees in Film and Communications Sciences. Alice or a life in black and white is her directorial debut.

Jordan Stone

Canada

2007

4 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

World Premiere

Contact: Canadian Film Makers Distribution

With a haunting sense of minimalism Autoplastic explores the psychotic patient's dilemma, to medicate or not. A breathtaking and powerful film that challenges traditional interpretations of psychosis.

Jordan Stone is a Toronto filmmaker who was diagnosed with schizophrenia 8 years ago. He has been making films since 1990, and currently has a dramatic feature film in development. Autoplastic is Jordan's first film made in collaboration with Workman Arts.

Victor Gazon (Mon nom est Victor Gazon)

Patrick Gaze

Canada

2007

11 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: Katrine Cournoyer

In his endearing video presentation, 4^th grader Victor Gazon makes a list to figure out if life is worth living. He doesn't like vegetables, but he really likes "big movie nights." It's a big decision for such a little guy.

Montreal born Patrick Gaze has been involved in the film industry for more than fifteen years. After graduating with honors in film production from Concordia University he went on to work in advertising and music videos. Since then he has returned to his first love, fiction films.

Screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Toronto International Film Festival.

9:00pm

"Walking on Eggshells"

This program is rated R (Sexual Content, Mature Theme, Substance Abuse)

The Rendezvous with Madness Canadian Spotlight continues with a risqué new feature film from Quebec. Based on the novels Borderline and La Breche by Canadian author and journalist Marie-Sissi Labreche, Borderline is a captivating account of one woman's lifetime struggle with Borderline Disorder.

Borderline

Lyne Charlebois

Canada

2008

109 minutes

Colour/35mm

Contact: Josilyn Salvaggio

At 30, Kiki is struggling with her writing and coming to terms with her life. Once addicted to both sex and booze, at least she's managed to get the worst of her behaviour under control. Looking back further, she sees a damaged little girl barely coping with a severely mentally ill mother and depressed grandmother. As new questions surround old relationships, Kiki struggles to keep her old demons in check. Can she let go of her past and finally learn to love herself?

A talented photographer and director, Lyne Charlebois has had a highly prolific career. She has helmed more than one popular television series, and has made hundreds of music videos, winning four Prix Felix for her work with musicians. Borderline is her first feature film.

Saturday, November 15

1:00pm

Opening Night Repeat Screening

"Artists Unbound"

This program is Rated 14A (Mature Theme, Violence, Language May Offend)

Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) - German with subtitles

Chris Kraus

Germany

2006

112 min

Colour/35mm

Contact: Mongrel Media

4:00pm

"Films for Rendezvous"

This program is not rated

Short films by the public and Workman Arts members. Made in partnership with Images Film Festival and the National Film Board's Mediatheque.

Rendezvous with Rendezvous

Jordan Stone

Canada

2008

10 min

DVD

Passion

Michael Thomson-Rosano, France Ewing, Frank Yong

Canada 2008

4 min

DVD

The Peaceful Walk

Therese Lane, Sharon Gant

Canada

2008

6 min

DVD

Dinner with the In Laws

Radu Tudorancea, Kenia Demore, John Margerm

Canada

2008

3 min

DVD

April

Etasha Joshua, Matthew Christie, Paul Deadde

Canada

2008

2 min

DVD

Found

Annalise Walmer, Jane Watson

Canada

2008

2 min

DVD

7:00pm

Closing Night Gala

"Perspective is Relative"

This program is Rated 14A (Mature Theme, Not Recommended for Young Children)

How do we see the world and what do we do to alter those perceptions? Brion Gysin created the dream machine, and Nik Sheehan took it as the basis of his exploration on the nature of art and consciousness. Imagining people liberated to explore its creativity in complete freedom, this program explores the human condition and our need to transcend ordinary perception to reach the extraordinary.

FLicKeR

Nik Sheehan

Canada

2007

72 minutes

Colour/Beta SP

Contact: KINOSMITH

The dream machine looks simple enough: A 100-watt light bulb, a motor, and a rotating cylinder with cutouts. Just sit in front of it, close your eyes, and wait for the visions to come. But man, it was designed to change the world. Just sit in front of it, close your eyes, and wait for the visions to come. It offers a drugless high that its creator - poet, artist, calligrapher and mystic Brion Gysin - believed would revolutionize human consciousness. Take a journey into his life, his art, and his friendships with some of the 20^th century's key counterculture figures in this acclaimed and mind-mending film.

Nik Sheehan is a Toronto-based director, writer and producer. Prior toFLicKeR, he made a critically acclaimed and widely broadcast study of artist and teacher Paul Young.

Awarded Special Jury Prize Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs.

Everything Will Be OK

Don Hertzfeldt

USA

2006

17 minutes

Colour/35mm

Toronto Premiere

Contact: Bitter Films

A series of dark and troubling events force Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life - or lack thereof in this traditionally animated, explosively unconventional short.

Don Hertzfeldt was born in 1976 and graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1998 with a BA in Film Studies. Since then he has become an Academy Award nominee whose animated short films have been featured in over a thousand film festivals and venues around the world.

Previously screened at Sundance Film Festival, London International Film Festival. Winner Jury Award for Short Filmmaking, Sundance Film Fesitval; Grand Jury award Seattle International Film Festival.