Toronto takes risk

Vanguard sidebar sets 11 edgy pics

By BRENDAN KELLY

'2.37' is skedded for Toronto's edgy sidebar.

The Toronto Intl. Film Festival has created a new program, Vanguard, featuring 11 risky, more challenging pics that will include the world preem of "Macbeth," Australian helmer Geoffrey Wright's contempo, Melbourne-set take on Shakespeare's play.

Unveiling the sidebar Tuesday, fest co-director Noah Cowan said it would appeal to "people who delight in movies that push the envelopes of technology, culture, sexuality and cinema itself. These films are edgy, irreverent, definitely sexy and have a palpable, youthful zing."

Also in the sidebar are "Chacun sa nuit" (world preem) from Gallic co-directors Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr, about the murder of a bisexual man; helmer Bobcat Goldthwait's "Sleeping Dogs Lie" (Canadian preem), a dark comedy about a woman with a terrible secret; Murali K. Thalluri's "2.37" (North American preem) about a student found dead at 2:37; and helmer Paul Goldman's "Suburban Mayhem" (North American preem), about a single mother who will do anything to get what she wants.

Also in the lineup are helmer Antti-Jussi Annila's Finnish-Chinese-Estonian pic "Jade Warrior," which blends Finnish and Chinese mythologies in a pic set in ancient China and contempo Finland; John Barker's South African pic "Bunny Chow" (world preem), a look at three standup comics; and Christian Volckman's French-British-Luxembourg co-prod "Renaissance," set in 2054 Paris, starring Daniel Craig and Ian Holm and described by fest organizers as "Metropolis" meets "Bladerunner."

Also: helmer Johnnie To's "Election 1 + 2" (North American preem), a "Godfather"-like epic about the Hong Kong underworld; helmer John Cameron Mitchell's sexually charged "Shortbus" (North American preem), a Cannes player; and "Drama/Mex," a Mexican pic from helmer Gerardo Naranjo about a suicidal bureaucrat.

The Toronto Film Festival runs Sept. 7-16.