As the first full day of films in the 4th Annual TCFF gets closer and closer, the more excited I become about being able to see some of the amazing films we have lined up for this year. A question was asked via blog comment about what movies I'm looking forward to seeing this week. What I can already say is that the films I have already seen (especially "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 days") have been spectacular, and I've heard great things about many of the other films on the roster for this year's festival. But a few of the highlights this year, for me, will be:

"Frozen River" 

"Frozen River" (Thurs 6 p.m., Milliken Auditorium and Fri 3 p.m. City Opera House) - The winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Film at this year's Sundance Film Festival and the directorial debut from filmmaker Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River" is the story of two women bonding in an unlikely circumstance, leading to their participation in an illegal smuggling ring near upstate New York. The premise of a friendship between these two women brings a sense of intimacy to the film, which might be its best strength when dealing with ideas of desperation and poverty in America.

"Blow-Up"

"Blow-Up" (Sun 12 p.m. Milliken Auditorium) - TCFF pays tribute to recently deceased director Michaelangelo Antonioni with a special screening of his 1966 masterpiece, "Blow-Up." Starring remarkably young David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave, Antonioni's portrait of mod-London and his story within a story (and really, within a bigger story outside of the film itself) is fascinating in this challenging but rewarding film. The film has always been one of my personal favorites, and convinced that my 15-inch college TV screen never quite gives it justice, I am delighted to have the chance to see this remarkable picture on the big screen.

"Encounters at the End of the World"

"Encounters at the End of the World" (Fri 12 p.m., Old Town Playhouse and Sunday 9 p.m., State Theater) - Director Werner Herzog's new documentary revolves around chronicling the lives of those who live in the frozen continent of Antarctica, and more ambitiously, uses his lens to give Antarctica a life of its own. The director's films have classically been aesthetically stunning, and Herzog, who has now made films on every continent, takes the opportunity to interact with the subject to create a film that makes its scenery breathe, transforming the traditional documentary form into his own visual poetry.

"Man on Wire"

"Man on Wire" (Wed 6 p.m., Old Town Playhouse and Sat 2:45 p.m., State Theater) - This documentary feature is the story behind the execution of a truly magnificent crime - rigging a wire between New York's Twin Towers, allowing frenchman Philippe Petit to step out into the sky as he walks the line between two of the world's tallest buildings. A fascinating piece of history, the Twin Towers of 1970's are given a new perspective in a post-9/11 America, creating a haunting atmosphere, never mentioned in the film but always present in the minds of its audience.

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (Tues 7 p.m. State Theater and Tues 7 p.m. City Opera House) - Okay, okay, this doesn't really count since technically I saw it yesterday, but I can't help but talk about how excited I was to see this film. To say I am a Woody Allen fan would be gravely understating my position… 'an obsession that borders on unhealthy' is much more accurate. Of course, there's the classic Woody Allen-brilliance of films like "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan," but even his lesser known films ("Play it Again Sam," "Love and Death") accentuate his talent as a screenwriter, comedian and director. In Allen's latest film, best friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and "Cristina" (Scarlett Johansson) travel to Spain for the summer, where they meet the ever-charming Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). What follows is a sophisticated film that plays with socially constructed notions of sexuality and relationships, both romantic and otherwise, and what compromises people are willing to make to uphold or subvert them.

And so begins my list of films I can't wait to see at this week at the festival. Hope to see you there!

Katy