more MIFF

OK, this time I'm for real - the promised MIFF response thus far:

(Sorry un-Melbourne folk, not just because you're not from here but because this may be boring and irrelivent to you.)

Anyway, let's keep it brief...

I don't think I mentioned that Oscar was supported by a short US documentary called Dimmer about blind teenagers. Stunning.

Electric Edwardians: Archival doco footage of everyday people doing every day stuff in about 1905. Wicked. Presented with a live score performed by the composers, UK twins called In The Nursery. If I knew anything about anything I'd link you to them but if you're a filmy music enthusiast look them up 'cause they're pretty awesome. Meditative and wonderful.

Jewboy: fifty minute Australian film by Tony Krawitz about Chassidic jew boy gone a bit off the rails. Really quite wonderful. You'll all get to see it on SBS later this year, if not somewhere else. They've been tarting around Cannes too. Ooh la la.

Stranger: did they call it Stranger because it's bound to be stranger than the last film you saw? It wasn't that strange. In fact it was quite intriguing but ultimately ambiguous and odd. It just dropped a lot of things it set up - ideas and forms etc. Anyway it was Polish/German, by female director Malgosia Szumowska about a pregas chic communing with her unborn child, loopy dad, uncommunicative mother and drop kick boy friend.

Geeze, I'm good at this hey?

Blood and Bones: Japanese film by Yoichi Sai about struggling Koreans in Japan early last century, in particular one cunt of a man played by Takeshi Kitano (brilliant and terrifying) who basically bashed, raped and abused his way through life and thus the film. Too slow, got boring, I left.

Look Both Ways: Well I can't rave enough about this Aussie flick written and directed by Sarah Watt. It is just divine and restored my faith in Australian cinema. You MUST see it when it comes out in general release. You'll love it. I'm not saying anything else.

Princess Raccoon: why didn't they call this one Stranger 'cause it was way stranger than Stranger. In fact it was the strangest film I ever did see. And so bad. SO bad. I ended up laughing AT this film and leaving. It was musical, trippy, fucked up shit.

Public Toilet: OK time for another good film now. Can't believe I sat through the whole film because it was torturous. One of Fruit Chan's, it was supposed to use public toilets to link stories and explore people's lives but the film seemed to focus more on Hong Konganese dudes trying to find magic cures for sick loved ones. It looked like shit and there was more shit in it than I could bear - and I mean that. We had to watch people shit and swim through shit and all sorts of shitty stuff and frankly I didn't want to. Fruit, maybe you could consider a new name? I mean, Fruit? And while you're at it, an editor? The man's got heart though, I'll give him that.

This film was made worse by the smell of someone's breath near me. That's the second time it's happened to me this festival. I HATE the smell of people's breath wafting past me when I'm watching a film. Close your mouths you animals.

I love the sound of the projector whirring around though.

So, my tips for the festival are: bring a water bottle, wee before you go in and if anyone starts telling you this is his sixth film today, run the other way. Especially if it's the second time he's sat near you.

I've run out of chocolate. This is a problem. Better go.

Favourite thing today: the proximity of my supermarket.

PS Has anyone got a free ticket to Sigur Ros they could spare?