The land of maple leaves

The September breeze still carried the summer's warmth and humidity, but it had caught a hint of early autumn's coolness. It brought along the refreshing moisture from Lake Ontario, gently passing by. At the tips of tree branches, leaves began to don a colorful palette. Amid the city's green sea, vibrant hues of red, yellow, and orange emerged, creating a tumultuous surge of vivid colors. Even the azure sky seemed to sense this wave, as golden sunlight flowed gracefully. The air was infused with a bright and pleasant aroma, making one yearn to step outdoors, even if just to stroll in a city square.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of New York and the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles, Toronto exuded an air of leisure and freedom. Elderly people strolled with their dogs down the streets, wearing contented smiles that seemed to carry an air of friendliness. Pigeons congregated in plazas, surrounded by children, vying for a piece of bread. The suited working class, carrying briefcases, walked briskly to the street, only to hop onto bicycles with a single step and pedal away...

The clear blue sky, as if just washed by a heavy rain, was brimming with a variety of colors. One's mood couldn't help but feel lightened.

Today's Toronto was exceptionally bustling, with crowds filling the field of vision. Every corner was packed shoulder to shoulder, as if the residents of all of North America had flooded into the city overnight. Perhaps the reality wasn't quite so, but it wasn't far off, because the annual Toronto International Film Festival officially kicked off today.

Although the Venice Film Festival was still in full swing, Toronto, benefiting from its geographical advantage, easily garnered the favor of its neighbor. Almost all works that aimed for recognition in this year's awards season wouldn't miss this event.

The Toronto International Film Festival was relatively young, having been established in 1976. Its true ascent, however, had only occurred in the past two or three years. Starting with "Slumdog Millionaire", it gradually replaced Venice, becoming the prelude to North America's awards season.

The politeness of Canadians was renowned worldwide, sometimes even overly so. "Sorry" and "thank you" were ever-present on their lips, in any situation. Americans often liked to poke fun at this, with the most famous joke being about the momentous Black Friday sales in the US. Shopping malls turned into battlegrounds; even before the shutters were raised, crazed customers stormed in, sometimes endangering lives.

In Canada, however, the staff lined up in two columns to warmly welcome the customers, who applauded while saluting, orderly following the queue into the mall. Even in a brawl, they'd be apologizing throughout, that's just how Canadians were.

This tradition extended to the Toronto International Film Festival. Even if the movie was terrible, the audience would stand up and applaud when it ended, as a show of encouragement. Compared to the aloof and unapproachable audiences of Europe's three major film festivals, Toronto was a paradise. Even the film critics here were exceptionally gentle. Most movies screened in Toronto would receive favorable reviews, as if praise was abundant.

Hence, true professionals knew that the value of these reviews was limited as references. The final verdict would only be clear after the movie was released in the United States.

However, in such an affable environment, it was undoubtedly the best choice for a promotional strategy.

Moreover, unlike the world-renowned European big three film festivals, Toronto had never focused primarily on awards. It was known for its extensive film screenings, primarily serving the market. It didn't need to struggle between art and commerce, hoisting a pretentious stance. Its ultimate goal was singular: selling films.

This positioning made Toronto a platform for major independent film distributors, attracting more and more independent films seeking opportunities.

This year's Toronto International Film Festival was no exception. Films such as "Black Swan", directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman, Mike Leigh's "Another Year", "The King's Speech" with Tom Hooper and Colin Firth, "Rabbit Hole" starring Nicole Kidman, and "The Town" directed by Ben Affleck, would all shine on stage over the next eleven days.

In fact, many films had just come from Venice. "Norwegian Wood", "Life, Above All", "Potiche", "Road to Nowhere", and so on were all in this category. From this aspect, one could see that the fifty-one films exhibited this year all had an overall commendable quality.

This also caused reporters from all over North America to gather here, hoping to gather firsthand information and provide a synopsis-style preview of this year's awards season. No one wished to miss such a grand occasion.

After settling his luggage in the hotel room, Renly left the hotel and walked towards the main venue.

Although he had lived two lives, he had never attended a concert, let alone a film festival or music festival. Renly's steps involuntarily quickened. Andy didn't follow him for the moment. He was overseeing not just Renly, but also other actors. He would come over on the day of the "Buried" screening. So, before then, Renly's time was free, allowing him to fully enjoy the leisure of the film festival. Thus, he started pondering what movies to watch today and which ones to watch tomorrow.

However, the problem was, how did he know what movies were showing today? Did he need to check the official website? Despite his lack of experience, Renly quickly understood the process. Each film festival had its own program guide, and each year's guide was different. The guide not only contained dates and schedules but also media feedback for the films screening each day, as well as brief interviews with the cast and crew.

Flipping through the program guide, Renly quickly glanced at the list of the fifty-one selected films this year. He had seen over half of them, but he hadn't even heard of more than half. After carefully studying the list of cast and crew, he realized that most were Canadian local films. After all, this was their home turf, and there was strong support for local films every year. For example, this year's opening film was a Canadian production.

Local director Michael McGowan teamed up with a group of Canadian musicians to release "Score: A Hockey Musical", which was about Canada's most beloved sport, hockey. One could say that Canadian blood flowed in its veins.

Although Renly had seen most of the films, there were quite a few he wanted to see again, especially in a cinema, seated in the audience, enjoying the works on the big screen. For instance, "Incendies", directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Until now, Renly still remembered the awe and mixture of emotions he felt when he watched this film for the first time. Later, the director of this film went on to create other outstanding works such as "Prisoners", "Sicario", and "Arrival". He excelled in using camera cuts and composition to build up and create emotions, magnifying the nuances of actors' performances and capturing the essence of their acting.

Such films were undoubtedly a treat to watch on the big screen.

Yesterday was the opening ceremony of the Toronto International Film Festival, with only one film, "Score: A Hockey Musical", being screened. Today, the official screenings began. Renly skimmed through the afternoon schedule, planning to watch the French animated film "The Illusionist". The movie had almost no dialogue throughout, yet it was as marvelous as an oil painting. If he had time, he might also watch "Biutiful"...

While contemplating, he turned around, preparing to buy a movie ticket. However, just as he turned around, he suddenly saw a figure so close that there was only the span of a hand between them. It startled him, causing him to lose his balance as he turned. He was about to crash into the person in front of him when he managed to stop himself with a sudden muscular effort. However, before he could step back, the other person also stepped back slightly, leaving no time for Renly to react. He instinctively raised his hands, blocking the other person's back to prevent a collision.

With his hands as a barrier, Renly stepped back. Though he was still shaken, disaster was averted. The other person, due to the abrupt interruption, stumbled forward a step. With a swift motion, she turned around, her deep brown hair fragments floating gently in the air. Her shimmering eyes were clearly defined, radiating a bright light, albeit currently filled with anger. Her voice, laden with restraint and fury, demanded, "What's wrong with you?"

Renly's brows slightly furrowed. It was clear that both sides were at fault. He made a mistake, but she did too. Yet, she was the one complaining first? Nevertheless, Renly understood that this situation was ambiguous at best, and arguing wouldn't yield any results. Out of gentlemanly courtesy, he offered an apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry, my mistake."

Such a friendly and sincere apology seemed to make her hesitate in continuing the argument. She nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke, "I'm sorry too. I was absent-minded just now. I should have looked ahead." She raised her right hand, rubbed her temple, and her deep brown, long hair was bundled up into a bun hidden beneath her black beret. Strands fell to cover most of her cheeks, revealing only a strong jawline.

"Luckily, no one made a scene," Renly courteously cracked a small joke, lightening the mood. However, she didn't respond with a smile, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere. Nonetheless, Renly didn't mind; after all, it was just a chance encounter. He nodded in acknowledgment and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, at that very moment, she seemed to spot something and hurriedly moved behind Renly, her petite figure barely reaching his chest. She effortlessly concealed herself, gently tugging at the sleeve of his shirt, preventing him from leaving.

Confused, Renly raised his head to look around, but he didn't notice anything unusual. Was she hiding from someone? Why did this seem like a movie scene? Wasn't this the Toronto International Film Festival? Did he miss some crucial detail?

"Paparazzi!" the woman's voice came from behind, husky and tense. In her panic, an underlying forcefulness emerged, revealing her inherent strength. "Please help me block them."