Recently I was having a discussion with a friend about the fall of 2007, which we both agreed was one of the most exciting seasons for film in the past several years and how this added to our overall frustration with the dearth of adequate releases in 2008 so far. But after all my hemming and hawing about the "best of the worst" film of 2008 so far, I realized that one of the better ones is actually being released this weekend!

The film is Son of Rambow and it was an audience favourite at TIFF last year, as well as one of blogTO's favourite films of the festival. Son of Rambow follows Will Proudfoot, a young boy raised in a puritanical religious community who becomes fascinated with a bootleg copy of Rambo: First Blood and begins seeking out classmates and friends to create his own action films with. The film not only revisits the 80's in fashion, cinema and hair but comes with a killer soundtrack to boot.

Exciting news Toronto! Yonge and Dundas Square has just announced the City Cinema flicks for this summer. The City Cinema is a weekly summer program of free films projected amongst the billboards, flashing lights and constant sirens at Yonge and Dundas Square. While many find these distractions unnerving, others (myself included) love the idea of watching movies amongst such an interesting crowd. But whether you're into it for the cheap entertainment or for the films, this weekly series is definitely something you have to do at least once.

Welcome to the triumphant return of This Week in Film! It's been an extremely busy April and the cinematic offerings keep ramping up as the summer blockbusters roll in and more film festivals open every week. But whether it's documentaries in wide release, local film challenges, music/horror films or Robert Downey Jr. doing his thing, be sure to check back here to see what Toronto has to offer for cine-maniacs each week.

One of my favourite things about Hot Docs is that it likes to reward its night-owls with cheaper late night screenings at the Bloor Cinema. Any film at that cinema starting after 11pm will be only $5, while the late night all-you-can-eat package is only $10 for all 9 films. For those of you still with me, this comes out to around $1.11 a film or 9 screenings for the price of two, so you really have no reason not to buy the whole thing, especially since many of the films are quite excellent.

In my experience, the late night films have been some of the most memorable audience experiences, particularly last year at the hyper-inspiring documentary Girls Rock, so you can rest assured that these screenings will always be a bit extraordinary. This year, with the combination of retrospective selections, carnies, Wesley Willis, Project Runway and dysfunctional couples, the late-night screenings are everything you could wish for and more.

Tomorrow is the kick-off day for the Sprockets International Film Festival for Children. At this week-long festival catered to families and school groups, there is truly something for everybody. The offerings this year vary from alien substitute teachers, to serious films about children dealing with divorce or alcoholism and last but not least, a giant dolphin-like creature who likes hugs. Read on to learn more about what Sprockets has to offer for you this year!

In this week in film, with the Sprockets Film Festival beginning this Saturday, there can be no other destination for anybody with kids. But the charm of Sprockets is that many of the films don't require a date under the age of 12 to be enjoyed. The Dutch film The Substitute which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, is a sci-fi film about a 12 year old convinced that the new substitute teacher at his school is really an alien. Paprika Steen plays the icy, remorseless substitute teacher in the film which Sprockets recommends to children 10 and up, so I think the rest of us can handle it. For less scary fare however, read on.