November 5-14, Toronto: Here’s the challenge I am giving myself: to write about the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival, which examines how issues of mental illness and addiction are represented onscreen, without using the words crazy, nuts, daft, demented, sick, cuckoo, barmy, tetched, mental, psycho, berserk, bonkers, cracked, delirious, schizo, out to lunch, or wig out.

The festival, now in its 17th year and is put together by Workman Arts, a not-for-profit arts organization that works out of Toronto’s Centre of Mental Health and Addiction, presents more than a dozen screenings over its nine days, along with panel discussions, and even an evening of comedy. The full schedule is here. Last night’s opening night gala was sold out, but there are still tickets left for other events.

Missing it would be… ah, disappointing.