Hobo and Rhonda crack TIFFs Best of 2011

TIFF likes us, it really does.

In this year's Canada's Top Ten best films of 2011 list, chosen by industry professionals for the Toronto International Film Festival organization, includes the bloody, modern classic Hobo With A Shotgun. And in the short category, Rhonda's Party made the list. Both were made here in Nova Scotia and have earned a lot of love from Coast readers in our recent Best of Halifax poll.

Canada’s Top Ten was put together to celebrate excellence in Canadian cinema and raises public awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The films will be screened from January 5 to 15 at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, including panel discussions and public screenings accompanied by introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. Select films will tour major cities across the country. No word whether Halifax will be one of those cities, but it would be great if it was since a number of the other films on the list haven't made it to local cinemas, including Café de flore, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, Monsieur Lazhar, directed by Philippe Falardeau and Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz.

And for anyone who might be in Toronto on January 7, consider attending the filmmaker panel discussion A Canadian Gangster at 7pm. Three of Canada's Top Ten 2011 feature filmmakers, Guy Maddin (Keyhole), Nathan Morlando (Edwin Boyd) and our own Jason Eisener (Hobo With a Shotgun) will discuss their re-workings of the gangster/crime film genres.