TORONTO, September 4, 1997 -- you are looking for expert commentary, analysis and criticism uring this year's Toronto International Film Festival, look no further:

Scott Forsyth, chair of the Faculty of Fine Arts Film and Video department, is a critic, editor and film historian. He has published widely on film and politics in journals such as CineAction, Canadian Journal of Film Studies, and Canadian Dimension, and is the author of several documentary films. His academic work focuses on applying Marxist cultural theory to genre, documentary and experimental film, and to debates in film theory. Forsyth will be attending the Festival regularly, and is available to discuss many aspects of the Festival, from the films being shown to the state of the Canadian film industry. You can reach him at his office at York, at (416) 736-2100, ext. 22177.

Peter Morris teaches film studies at York and is an expert on Canadian and international film. He is the author of Embattled Shadows: A History of Canadian Cinema and The Film Companion. His most recent book is David Cronenberg: A Delicate Balance. Morris is a member of the editorial board of the Canadian Journal of Film Studies, and will be attending screenings of many of the films in this year's Festival. He can discuss a wide range of issues relating to Canadian and world cinema, and can be reached at his office at (416) 736-2100, ext. 22169 or at home at (416) 762-5536.

Teresa Barta teaches film production at York, and has extensive experience as a director, writer, researcher and editor. She has written and directed for the Romanian and Austrian film boards, and at CBC Radio-Canada in Montreal. Her films have been screened at festivals in Spain, Germany, Bucharest, Chicago and Montreal, and she won a Gemini award in 1994 for her documentary, Chez nous, c'est nous ici. She is available to discuss European cinema (particularly Eastern European and French film), and Canadian cinema. She can also comment on women in film, political film, and social documentaries. Barta is fluent in French and will be attending this year's Festival. Her office number is (416) 736-2100, ext. 22168 and her home number is (416) 767-9200.

Joe Green is a retired York professor who teaches part-time in the Schulich School of Business and the York University Theatre department. He has produced many works for stage and screen, including the award©winning TV mini-series, Glory Enough for All, as seen on CBC, Thames Television, and PBS. He is available to discuss general cultural policy issues, the history and future of the Canadian film industry, and the relationship between cultural industries, trade policy, and Canadian culture. He can be reached at home at (416) 922-8968, or by cell phone at (416) 560-6684.

Seth Feldman, Dean of York's Faculty of Fine Arts, teaches Film and Video. He is past president of the Film Studies Association of Canada, and has published widely on national and international cinema. His academic work includes two book-length studies of Soviet director Dziga Vertov. He is a frequent commentator on arts and media for Canadian broadcasters and print media. Feldman can comment on festivals in general, and the impact of the Toronto Film Festival on Canadian film culture and the film industry. His office number is (416) 736-2100, ext. 33881.

For more information, please call:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
email: sinem@yorku.ca

Alison Masemann
Media Relations Officer
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
email: masemann@yorku.ca
YU/075/97