Aargh. Part of the point of being a film reviewer is that I don't have to limit my festival choices. This is of course untrue. My first-pass list of must-not-miss titles was about 60 deep. Filtering for things I could get to and still earn what passes for my living, I got it down to 39. Now I'm asked to tell you what I'd watch if I cut the list to 12, to which I reply: aargh. But probably it would be these ones. Decision procedure: one part what looks genuinely unmissable?, one part what looks curiously improbable?, and a large dose of roll the dice. The point of this time of year is making it possible for life to surprise me.
David Larsen is a film reviewer for the New Zealand Listener. His film reviews can be found in print and online.
