If TIFF were a person, they'd be There Will Be Blood's Daniel Plainview. The festival drains out festivals like Venice and Cannes - major suppliers of quality films, and North American audiences benefit tremendously getting a first op to see the latest from Jaco Van Dormael, Lars von Trier, Claire Denis, Michael Haneke...
The thrill of meeting Marjane Satrapi reminded me of being 6 years old at Disney Land when I met the living, breathing Cinderella. Except Cinderella was an actress with a blond wig and Marjane is the real woman behind her autobiographical graphic novel, turned movie, “Persepolis”. The distinctive mole on her nose and her dark sultry eyes rose off the page and appeared in front of me, smoking and speaking with a French accent.