IFFB Film List Announced

The film list for the 2006 Independent Film Festival of Boston was posted online this week. HALF NELSON has been selected as the opening night feature. Fresh from playing at Sundance, Ryan Fleck's film, which stars Ryan Gosling as a Brooklyn teacher struggling with a drug habit, was born out of GOWANUS, BROOKLYN, an excellent short I saw at the IFFB two years ago.

Other titles I'm curious to check out: the post 9/11 ensemble piece GREAT NEW WONDERFUL (featuring Chlotrudis fave Maggie Gyllenhaal), BROTHERS OF THE HEAD (conjoined-rocker mockumentary that played at Toronto), IN BETWEEN DAYS (another Sundance Favorite), and the documentary EXCAVATING TAYLOR MEAD, which profiles the inimitable sidekick of Warhol films such as LONESOME COWBOYS.

One movie I was sad not to see on IFFB's slate was C.R.A.Z.Y. , my favorite at Toronto last year. Earlier this week, the French Canadian feature nearly swept the Genies (Canada's version of the Oscars), winning ten awards out of twelve nominations. Unfortunately, it has yet to pick up a U.S. distributor, probably because of the pricey American rights that would have to be paid for the film's phenomenal, wall-to-wall soundtrack. Hopefully, it'll show up somewhere on this side of the border soon.