TIFF top 10 films list ruled by male tales

Tales of men in crisisfrom a notorious bank robber to a man who discovers he's fathered hundreds of biological children to psychoanalysis pioneer Carl Jungdominate Canada's Top Ten, TIFF's annual tally of the best Canadian features and shorts films.

Organizers of theToronto International Film Festivalunveiled the 2011 list at an evening event in Toronto Tuesday.

Nathan Morlando's debut filmEdwin Boyd, about the mid-century Canadian bank robber who captured the imaginations of Canadians and became a folk hero, made the cut, as did David Cronenberg's latest: thestar-studded period dramaA Dangerous Method, about the early days of the psychoanalysis movement and pioneers Jung and Sigmund Freud.

Philippe Falardeau's school-set dramaMonsieur Lazhar,the Canadian hopeful seeking Oscar foreign film glory, and Ken Scott's crowd-pleasing comedy Starbuck, which followsa slacker sperm donorwho learns he's fathered more than 500 children, are among the titles by French Canadian filmmakers that earned spots on the list.

Sarah Polley was the lone female filmmaker on the feature film list, forher marital drama Take This Waltz.

"The 2011 lineup taps into the breadth of talent trailblazing the Canadian film scene," TIFF senior programmer Steve Gravestock, said in a statement.

"From crime dramas to a 3D dance piece, from prolific veterans to emerging filmmakers, this year's Canada's Top Ten showcases the wide scope of innovative talent driving the industry."

The full list of top Canadian features:

• Caf de flore,directed by Jean-Marc Valle.
• A Dangerous Method, directed by David Cronenberg.
• Edwin Boyd, directed by Nathan Morlando.
• Hobo With a Shotgun,directed by Jason Eisener.
• Keyhole, directed by Guy Maddin.
• Marcages (Wetlands), directed by Guydoin.
• Monsieur Lazhar, directed byPhilippe Falardeau.
• Starbuck, directed by Ken Scott.
• Take This Waltz, directed by Sarah Polley.
• Le Vendeur, directed by Sbastien Pilote.

The list features titles that debuted on the film festival circuit over the past year, with many of the titles already released theatrically or scheduled to hit cinemas in early 2012.

Philippe Baylaucq and The National Film Board's Ora,a 3D dance filmcaptured on a cutting-edge thermal 3D camera, is among the 10 short film selections that made an impact for the national jury panel in 2011.

The complete list of shorts:

• Choke, directed by Michelle Latimer.
• Doubles With Slight Pepper, directed by Ian Harnarine.
• The Fuse: Or How I Burned Simon Bolivar, directed by Igor Drljaca.
• Hope, directed by Pedro Pires.
• No Words Came Down, directed by Ryan Flowers and Lisa Pham.
• Ora, directed by Philippe Baylaucq.
• Rhonda's Party, directed by Ashley McKenzie.
• La Ronde, directed by Sophie Goyette.
• Trotteur, directed by Arnaud Brisebois and Francis Leclerc.
• We Ate the Children Last, directed by Andrew Cividino.

TIFF will host a panel discussion with three of the feature filmmakersMorlando, Maddin and Eisenerabout their reworking of the gangster/crime film genre in Toronto on Jan. 7.

In addition to screening the films and offering Q&A sessions with filmmakers on the list in January, TIFF will also tour select titles across Canada, including to Vancouver's Pacific Cinematheque, Edmonton's Metro Cinema and Ottawa's ByTowne Cinema.

Each year, a range of genres are considered for Canada's Top Ten, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation and experimental films. To be eligible, titles must be made by a Canadian citizen or resident who has a history of working in Canada or on Canadian-financed films. Films must have premiered at a major film festival or obtained a Canadian commercial theatrical release in the year prior.