Montreal, Toronto show the bare facts.

If MIFF was about sex and nudity, TIFF was about sex and phalluses. Indeed, the Toronto International Film Festival, which unspooled September 8-17, was described by The Globe and Mail as "the Toronto International Phallus Festival" for the large number of films in competition that showcased male frontal nudity.

Back a few days earlier in Montreal, the organizers concluded--rather, almost laid to rest--the 29th Montreal International Film Festival. Actually, MIFF has been given a one year reprieve, so that it may celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Then, it is expected to be replaced permanently by the new, improved and challenging MIFF-2, officially known as Le Festival Internationale de Films de Montreal.

But, back to MIFF's sex and nudity: It was the recurrent theme in films and documentaries in-and-out of competition.

Traditionally, Canada tends to be reactive to the U.S.'s lead, rather than proactive. Therefore one has to assume that this libertine attitude was a reaction to U.S. president Bush (otherwise known in Canada as King George VII), and his church and family doctrine, which he's trying to export worldwide.

Interestingly, at last year's festivals, Canada focused on harmony, the environment and peace, as if these themes were meant to oppose the U.S. administration's plans, which, in Canada, are viewed as pro-war and anti-environment.

Coincidentally, there is also a debate going on in Canada that could put an end to NAFTA, the free-trade exchange program. Even though it doesn't seem directly related, it seems as if the country is looking for yet another excuse to erect a barrier against anything American.

To these symbolic gestures one could add an even larger challenge to U.S. values, which are believed to be threatened by Islamic extremists. Some Canadians are looking to introduce Sharia, an Islamic religious code that would, in effect, allow Muslims to bypass Canadian laws.

But, as far as the movies go, according to some of the directors quoted in the local press, one, especially in America, can stop a movie to insert the girl's breast, but "an erected penis is still pretty threatening."

Aside from content, the film festivals this year did not stop at two traditional events, but gave film buffs and festival goers more bang for their buck, with three events (the third one unfortunately unfolding concurrently with MIPCOM). One could say that MIFF was better organized than TIFF, being under one roof at the Hyatt Regency hotel and the adjacent Le Jardin complex. TIFF, on the other hand, was scattered all about town with the Sutton Place Hotel on Bay Street as a loose headquarters. The press office was a cab ride away, on the corner of Bloor and Younge streets, while the 21 theater screens where in eight different locations.

What MIFF lacked, besides attendees, was some polish, which was sorely missed, especially at the closing ceremony, which resembled a high school production. Perhaps, this was due to the fact that most of MIFF's talent--including PR powerhouse, David Novek, and the personal assistant to the much-maligned MIFF director, Serge Losique--had gone to work for MIFF-2.

Returning to the Toronto event, TIFF's powerful PR machine was excellent in spreading the rumor that Toronto is now the second major international film festival after Cannes, surpassing Venice.

Some press, especially the Canadian media outlets, fell for this PR move and repeated it throughout several news stories, even though it was clear that Toronto lacked the glamour of both Cannes and Venice and the charm of Montreal. Merit for this media coup undoubtedly goes to TIFF's communications director Gabrielle Free, who, after 10 years with the 30-year-old festival, is now moving on to work for the Ontario government.

To create an aura of importance around TIFF, the organizers imposed that journalists get press registrations 90 days prior to the start of the festival and did not allow on-site accreditation. And to hype the number of premieres, they included all kind of films, stuffing into the cauldron local, provincial and national and world premieres, in order to reach a much-heralded number of films (somewhere between 109 and 120, depending on whom you ask).

Toronto's TIFF is about business, deals and trends, not art or glamour; it is competing with other Canadian festivals, not with Venice, Cannes or Sundance. What it is becoming, however, is unmanageable. Perhaps the Festival's two directors, CEO Piers Handling and co-director Noah Cowan, could use some additional management power.