Laura Mooney Arts Editor hen you walk down the street on any given day, it is not uncommon to see fences, buildings, and even sidewalks dotted with a spectrum of spray paint in unrecognizable words and images. The general consensus is that graffiti is nothing more than ugly, crude vandalism to public property which express a lack of care about one’s neighborhood or city. Is it possible, however, to have artistic graffiti, and to actually consider it to be works of art? Graffiti is slowly making its way into popular culture and can now be seen in art exhibits, but what about when it is done the old fashioned way, on a bare cement wall in the middle of a city? Slowly, the world is expressing its acceptance for graffiti as an acceptable form of art that can be displayed in public, 11 The Graffiti Controversy including Prince George. In order for graffiti to truly be accepted as an art form, it must first be legalized. A number of cities around the world have taken this step and made street art legal, including Melbourne, Australia, and Venice Beach, California. Grafttiti artists, also known as taggers, are controlled by restricting graffiti to certain areas of the cities. This ensures that taggers have a safe place to go where they will not be penalized for their work. To guarantee further control, and quality control, some of the legalized areas have their own curators and review boards. These groups of people are responsible for examining the work of graffiti artists to determine whether their paintings will be welcome additions to the designated areas. With such a small legal area for the taggers to work with, there is often a lot of competition between them. This unspoken competition also ensures that the work put on the walls is the best the taggers can create, and provides the viewing 38th Annual Toronto International Film Festival Nahid Taheri Contributor he thirty-eighth annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, between 5 and 20 September 20138. TIFF is one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world. This year a total of 366 films from /O different countries were screened, including 146 world premieres. Given that TIFF lacks a jury and is non-competitive, regular awards handed out at other festivals for categories such as "Best Actress” or "Best Film’ do not exist at the Toronto International Film Festival. The major prize, the People's Choice Award, is given to a feature-length film with the highest ratings as voted by the TIFF-going populace. TIFF also presents seven other awards for People’s Choice Best Documentary, People’s Choice Best Midnight Madness film, Best Canadian Feature, Best Canadian First Feature, Best Canadian Short Film, FIPRESCI's (the International Federation of Film Critics) Special Presentation Winner, and FIPRESCI's Discovery Section Winner. A People's Choice Award was allocated to 1? Years a Slave, which was directed by Steve McQueen. 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 historical drama film based on the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. 12 Years a Slave is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom in the United States. It is a remarkable story that has rightfully drawn a lot of attention. McQueen, with help of his talented cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, elegantly present the brutality of the institution of slavery in an unfussy and stark manner that lets the full horror of slavery unfold fully in the minds of its audience without pulling on any sentimental strings. It is not flashy, but it is effective. The Square won the People's Choice Award for a documentary. This film is an Egyptian-American documentary film by Jehane Noujaim, released in 2018, which depicts the ongoing Egyptian Revolution of 201] from its roots in Tahrir Square. The film records that, for more than two years, Egyptians have turned out in massive numbers to occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square and demand change from their leaders. public with endless amounts of quality art which showcases exactly what one can do with a can of spray paint. Even cities closer to home, such as Vancouver, are slowly getting on board with seeing graffiti as art. Vancouver now has one legal area, Leeside Skatepark, where taggers can go to showcase their work. While smaller cities such as Prince George have not quite gotten on board with the idea of allowing taggers to show their work in even a legal area, we do have immense graffiti style murals that showcase the talent we have hiding in Prince George. Whether graffiti will become a legitimate art form in the future or not, it is a uniquely beautiful way of expressing one’s inner artist. Hopefully, one day, more cities will recognize the potential of graffiti, and will follow in the footsteps of others fo create areas where taggers can create art, providing points of interest and a more visually interesting city. 12 Years a Slave, winn During the many dramatic shifts over that time, director Jehane Noujaim and her crew have captured what has happened in the square through the eyes of several young revolutionaries. They range in background from poor to privileged, and secular to religious. These multiple viewpoints are revelatory whether these events have been followed closely or not at all. Why Don't You Play in Hell? won the People’s Choice Award for Midnight Madness. This is a Japanese film directed by Sion Sono, an action film based on a screenplay written 15 years ago. Sono's Why Don't You of TIFF People’s Choice om, Ni newSfibe § ‘, Play In Hell? is absolutely mad. It is every insane urge and image that Sono has had banging around in his head unused over his career distilled down and splashed on screen in alll its absurd - and frequently very bloody - glory. Although this festival is important for directors and producers, most of them are waiting for the next Oscars or Golden Globes. These festivals are essential fo become famous and they add a brilliant experience to their background. The Toronto International Film Festival is a first step towards greater fame.