issue 3// vol 46 The next best thing after TIFF » Vancouver International Film Festival preview Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist ith the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) finished this year, the stage is set for awards season. There were a lot of interesting films being shown at the festival this year, and the announcement of the film that got the Audience Choice Award predicts who will get the major awards in the Academy Awards and the Canadian Screen Awards next year. ‘Hollywood's Bleeding'—part two Some of the films that were shown in TIFF this year are going to their next stop in the film festival circuit, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). TIFF has expanded in the past few years by inviting more guests, merging the festival with VIFF Industry to offer more talks, and incorporating more events and programs related to virtual reality. All of this is made possible by Jacqueline Dupuis who surprisingly announced that she will step down as the executive director of the festival. i = 4 \ ih AY wW \A Photo by Billy Bui | » Second part review to Post Malone’s latest album Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor kek kK Be" we start—I was wrong. “Circles” is amazing and I’m most definitely not sick of it after the second listen as I had first proclaimed. On that note, let’s continue this Hollywood's Bleeding review, shall we? “Take What You Want,’ features Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott, and is...unexpected. Honestly, it was near impossible to expect this collaboration at all, let alone what it would sound like. The rock legend's still-powerful voice opens on the track and, as Malone himself says on Spotify, “Ozzy Osbourne...that’s fuckin’ it. That’s all I gotta say, really.” The Travis Scott feature fits perfectly, and the hard drums and guitar solo really wraps this track into a beautiful song we didn’t know we wanted but, turns out, we needed. “Do whatever the hell you want, because you're a Rockstar.” Malone introduces “I’m Gonna Be’ on Spotify as “just a good message for the kids.” It’s got a groovy vibe, and the lyrics are wholesome and uplifting. Malone belts in the chorus, adding some vocal variety to the album, where most of it has his usual soft and flowy singing. Although Malone and SZA featured 1 & together on Lorde’s “Homemade Dynamite” remix alongside Khalid, “Staring At The Sun” is their first collaboration alone together. I think SZA’s crisp and strong vocals bring out the best in Malone, as there’s a noticeable difference in his vocal power, possibly being stronger to match up to SZA. In any case, they sound beautiful together, and the summery sound of the track is likely to be played well into fall. “Sunflower” is a banger—if overplayed. My mall-working friends hate it; it rings through their nightmares, so I guess you could say that they're left in the dust. Jokes aside, the track played a huge role in Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (one of my favourite movies of all time) and is simply an overall banger. Swae Lee’s magnetic tone never fails to cheer me up right from the start. “Fuck the internet and you can quote that,’ Malone sings on the slower tune, “Internet.” Orchestral in composition with a piano melody, the short track is impactful in its discussion of social media culture. “Goodbyes” featuring Young Thug is...fine. Maybe it’s my lack of romantic affiliation which makes songs about relationships just average radio bops, or maybe it’s because songs about relationships are just average radio bops. Throw in a breakup and you've got yourself a hit; although I do like the lyrics “There’s no way I could save you, ‘cause I gotta be saved, too.” Really, no one is responsible for saving anyone, but being vulnerable This year’s edition of VIFF will show some of the films that everyone will be talking about in the next few months, including the world premieres of a few films. Similar to TIFF, various celebrities will be here in Vancouver to talk about their films and the current environment of the entertainment industry—and there are still more guests yet to be announced. The opening gala this year is famous Canadian director Atom Egoyan’s next film Guest of Honour. The film is about the lives of a restaurant health inspector and his daughter dealing with the fact that his daughter is being framed for a crime that she did not commit. Egoyan will both attend the gala and do a talk on his career. Bong Joon Ho's film Parasite, which got the Palme d’Or in the Cannes Film Festival this year, will also be screened. It is the classic poor people rob a mansion film trope with a level and style of comedy that you would expect from Bong. The film is similar to the film that got the Palme d’Or last year, Shoplifters. An interesting film in the festival that could be the surprise hit of this year is Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit. Featuring aa young Adolf Hitler who sees a future version of himself as an imaginary friend (played by Waititi). In the next film, East Vancouver is spotlighted in the Elle- Maija Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn collaboration The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. There are two documentaries in the Sea to Sky BC movie enough to admit it that you a) can’t and b) need some help, is something! “Myself” is a summer-cruising song, as Malone described. This one may just be one of the truly saddest songs on the album. “All the places I’ve been, I wish I could’ve been there myself,” he sings in the chorus. Living the fast life and experiencing so much all the time must not only be exhausting, but wouldn't leave you enough room to stop, take a breath, and absorb the present moment. Anyone can see the luxuries Malone partakes in via social media, but only having enough time for the photo-op before the next scheduling is more like watching your own life from the sidelines rather than through your own eyes. “T Know,’ is a vibe. All the heartbreak tracks on the album sound cool, and this one is no exception. The fresh beat is forward and delicious. I can already see the lip-synching SnapChats...oh wait that was mine. “Wow,” has fun lyrics and has been out for a while now. You've heard it, I’ve heard it, let’s move on. In conclusion, there are way too many tracks to individually rank. However, I'll say my favourites out of the newly Eh Rw AA CO spotlight program that will premiere in VIFF, including a documentary on Indigenous artist Robert Davidson called Haida Modern, and a documentary about the parents of a suicide victim investigating the case in The World is Bright. Some of the other films in VIFF to highlight are Birthday which focuses on the families of the infamous Sewol Ferry sinking in 2014, Shoplifters’s actor Kirin Kiki’s last film Every Day a Good Day, and filmmaker Agnés Varda’s last film Varda by Agnés. The animated film that everyone in Japan talked about last summer Children of the Sea will also be screened and it has mind blowing animation and a theme song by the greatest Japanese male singer right now Kenshi Yonezu. For those who are interested in the behind-the-scenes, there will be creator talks with Arianne Phillips—the costume designer of Quentin Tarantino's recent film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Madonna’s personal stylist—three- time Oscar-winning famous sound editor Walter Murch, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star Rob McElhenney. With the Vancouver International Film Festival offering more events and inviting more guests, more people have opportunity to explore and appreciate film. The Vancouver International Film Festival this year is happening September 26 to October 1. released tracks are “Circles,” “Saint-Tropez,” and “On The Road.” Honestly, there weren't many flaws in the album at all. Malone got his stories across efficiently, and the album is emotional. It’s easy to imagine that creating the album must have been cathartic, considering the lyrics of every track are relatable, some to pretty dark places. Hollywood's Bleeding is easily going to pick up as one of the best albums of the year. Fon) & ae] vu a ian} wu ne] io) io) ES a) x) a5 ic) ‘ vu J fo) e)