The Toronto Star is reporting on the fact that there was a "conspicuous absence" of the traditional congratulatory speech from a cabinet minister before the opening film last night. The government avoided the risk of having one of its representatives booed by not having the festival kick off with a speech from a cabinet minister. About two dozen protesters waited in vain for federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who was not scheduled to attend, according to a festival spokesperson.

Some of the reasoning behind the potential woos? For you non-Canadians who want a quick and entertaining tutorial of some issues in our cultural politics - check out this clip concerning the Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Bill C-10, which proposes cutting $44 million in cultural initiatives, a serious move towards an American cultural model.