Welcome to the 2008 edition of Doc Blog. If you want to take a trip down memory lane, you can revisit the Doc Blogs of 2006 and 2007.

We're counting down the days to July 29 when the full line-up of our Real to Reel section will be announced. Meanwhile, for those of you keeping score at home, here are the feature-length docs in the Festival announced so far:

REAL TO REEL

Blind Loves Juraj Lehotský, Slovakia
North American Premiere
Finding one?s place in this world is not an easy thing for any person, but how much more difficult can it be for someone who is blind?

Examined Life Astra Taylor, Canada
World Premiere
An intimate and engaging conversation with some of the greatest minds of our era, Examined Life conveys the wonderment and curiosity that drives philosophical thought, taking it out of the ivory towers of academia and into the hustle and bustle of the everyday.

La Mémoire des anges Luc Bourdon, Canada
World Premiere
A glorious reminder of Quebec and Canada's rich motion picture history, La Mémoire des anges reveals the vital role the National Film Board of Canada has played in the development of a national cinematic language. Consisting of more than two hundred excerpts from NFB films, the film knits its visual landscape from some of the greatest films ever made in Canada.

Under Rich Earth Malcolm Rogge, Canada
World Premiere
In a remote mountain valley in Ecuador, coffee and sugarcane farmers are faced with the dismal prospect of being forced off their fertile land to make way for a mining project. Passionate and provocative, Under Rich Earth offers critical insights from struggling farmers whose communities are torn apart by global forces.  

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Every Little Step James Stern, Adam Del Deo, USA
World Premiere
Every Little Step is a theatrical documentary on the making of Broadway?s greatest hit and current revival of A Chorus Line. The film culls behind-the-scenes footage of the auditions, rehearsals and performances of the 1975 original and the 2006 Broadway revival - revealing how life imitates art as performers from both productions undergo intense experiences similar to the roles in the show itself. Every Little Step, directed by James Stern and Adam Del Deo (?So Goes the Nation, TIFF 2006 and The Year of the Yao, TIFF 2004) spotlights the similarities and the differences between the two shows separated by a generation, the enduring popularity of A Chorus Line, and the creative minds behind one of the longest running musicals in Broadway history.

Religulous Larry Charles, USA
World Premiere
Religulous follows political humorist and author Bill Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher, Politically Incorrect) as he travels around the globe interviewing people about God and religion. Known for his astute analytical skills, irreverent wit and commitment to never pulling a punch, Maher brings his characteristic honesty to an unusual spiritual journey. Directed by Larry Charles, Religulous will mark Charles?s first feature project since the critically acclaimed, wildly successful Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (TIFF 2006). Teaser clips of Religulous were presented as a special Mavericks presentation at TIFF 2007 with Maher and Charles in attendance.

Waltz with Bashir Ari Folman, Israel/France/Germany
North American Premiere
One night in a bar, an old friend tells director Ari Folman about a recurring nightmare. The two men conclude that there is a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the Lebanon War in the early 1980s. An astonishing and powerful animated feature that journeys into the director's memory in search of some missing pieces.

MASTERS

Of Time and the City Terence Davies, United Kingdom
North American Premiere
Acclaimed British director Terence Davies (Distant Voices, Still Lives; TIFF 1988) returns to his native Liverpool and to his filmmaking roots to capture a sense of the city today and its influences on him growing up in the late 40s and early 50s.