Call for submissions: 2015 Air Canada enRoute Film Festival

Air Canada today announced submissions are open for the ninth annual Air Canada enRoute Film Festival. Emerging Canadian filmmakers are invited to showcase their artistic talent, out-of-the-box thinking and compelling vision in this year's festival that includes a star studded jury, a cash prize and a chance to travel to the Berlin International Film Festival to have their film screened at the European Film Market.

The winner of Best Short Film will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of presenting sponsor Cineplex Entertainment. Other awards include Achievement in Direction, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Animation, Achievement in Documentary and the third annual People's Choice Award. Achievement Award supporters include, the Directors' Guild of Canada, William F. White International Inc., the National Film Board of Canada and the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival.

14th annual Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival announces schedule and tour dates

KICK OFF 2015 IN THE COMPANY OF CANADIAN TALENT DURING
THE 14th ANNUAL CANADA’S TOP TEN FILM FESTIVAL
JANUARY 2–11 AT TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX
Guests include David Cronenberg, Keanu Reeves, Sturla Gunnarsson, Maxime Giroux, Harold Crooks, Bonnie Sherr Klein, Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis

The 14^th annual Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival kicks off at TIFF Bell Lightbox on January 2, 2015, offering 10 days of public screenings of the year’s top 10 features, shorts and student films. Established in 2001, the Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival celebrates excellence in Canadian cinema and raises global awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The festival features introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers — including Sturla Gunnarsson, Harold Crooks, Maxime Giroux, David Cronenberg, Andrew Huculiak, Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Stéphane Lafleur— as well as two special onstage events: In Conversation With... Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis on January 10, and In Conversation With... Keanu Reeves on January 11.

2013 Times of India Film Awards – winners

The inaugural Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) took place over the last few nights at Vancouver's BC Place. The event was hosted by Karan Johar, Shahrukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Chitrangada Singh. The awards have been controversial since most people feel that premier Christy Clark organized the event at a cost of $11 million as a cynical ploy to win ethnic votes in next month's B.C. provincial election.

The top winner was Anurag Basu's comedy-romance Barfi! with ten awards. Its wins included the top prizes of Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Ranbir Kapoor) and Best Actress (Priyanka Chopra).

2013 Great Digital Film Festival, Feb 1-7

Today, the Cineplex Entertainment kicks off its fourth-annual Great Digital Film Festival, playing in select Cineplex Entertainment theatres across Canada from February 1 to 7, 2013. The Great Digital Film Festival brings some of Hollywood’s greatest classics and fan favourites back to the big screen, often for the first time in digital format.

Titles include: The Matrix, Jaws, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, An American Werewolf in London, The Fifth Element, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Gremlins, Battle Royale, Oldboy, Goodfellas, Casino, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.

Call for submissions: Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program

The Writers Guild of Canada has put out a call for submissions to its third season of the Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (the second in the West).

They are looking for diverse writers who are emerging or mid-career who are from the western half of Canada. Up to eight people will be selected for the training program which involves a week-long intensive session followed by a 10-12 week mentorship with a story editor. One writer will be selected at the end of the program to receive a paid internship on a Bell Media TV series.

9th Student Film Showcase

TIFF RAISES THE CURTAIN ON EMERGING FILMMAKERS AT NINTH ANNUAL STUDENT FILM SHOWCASE
Showcase offers national exposure with presentations in Toronto and Vancouver

Scholars rejoice at the ninth annual Student Film Showcase, featuring 10 shorts made by budding filmmakers from across Canada. Presented in association with the Film School Consortium — a national group of 17 colleges and universities — the programme recognizes the nation’s roster of emerging auteurs at one-night-only screenings of the year’s top student films. Curated by TIFF programmers Magali Simard and Alex Rogalski, the Showcase hits Toronto on Tuesday, May 22 at TIFF Bell Lightbox, and returns to Vancouver for its second year on Saturday, May 26 at the Vancity Theatre. Past Showcase works have advanced to screen at major festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival®.

Call for submissions: Praxis Feature Film Screenplay Competition 2012

A call for submissions has been put out by the Praxis Centre for Screenwriters at Simon Fraser University for the Praxis 2012 Feature Film Screenplay Competition.

The competition is for screenwriters with feature-length screenplays to participate in their Fall Screenwriting Workshop in Vancouver, B.C. They will select eight applicants to work with an advisor to develop further develop the script. Aside from the application cost, there is no charge for the program.

Writers who complete the Fall Screenwriting workshops are given an invitation-only opportunity to apply for our Summer Readings, an annual event where their new screenplay drafts are professionally cast for table readings.

Cinema Kabuki, February 22-26

Cinema Kabuki returns to Cineplex theatres in Toronto and Vancouver.

Starting tonight in Toronto, you'll have an opportunity to see The Zen Substitute, Murder in a Hell of Oil, Heron Maiden and Hokaibo. On Sunday afternoon in Vancouver, Murder in a Hell of Oil and Heron Maiden will screen.

Kabuki is a form of traditional Japanese theatre involving music, drama and dance. Its origins date back to the 1600s and often involves wild costumes and swordfights.

Oscar-nominated short films now in theatres

Starting today, the short film nominees for the 84th Academy Awards will play in over 200 theatres across Canada and the United States.

Although the documentary shorts won't be shown in Canada, you can catch all the Animated and Live Action short films in contention. Two are Canadian productions made through the National Film Board of Canada: Dimanche (Sunday) by Patrick Doyon, and Wild Life by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby. They compete in the Animated Short category against The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, La Luna by Enrico Casarosa, and A Morning Stroll by Grant Orchard.

The Live Action nominees are Pentecost (Peter McDonald), Raju (Max Zähle), The Shore (Terry George), Time Freak (Andrew Bowler) and Tuba Atlantic (Hallvar Witzø).

If you miss them in the theatres, the nominated short films will be released individually on iTunes on February 21st. They will also be available on cable’s Movies On Demand (MOD) and will be available through Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Brighthouse, Cablevision and Cox Communication.

Call for submissions: CBC Short Film Face Off

The CBC has put out a call for submission for this year's edition of the Short Film Face Off.

Filmmakers may submit a short film of up to 12 minutes running time of drama, comedy or animation (but not music video or documentary). Through a competitive process, a winning film will be selected to receive a prize package worth $50,000.

The contest is open to all Canadians. The submission address provided below is for Quebec films. Filmmakers from other regions should contact their local CBC office for their mailing address.

The deadline for submissions is March 30, 2012.

The Great Digital Film Festival 2012, February 3-9

The Great Digital Film Festival 2012 begins today across Canada. At Cineplex theatres in Vancouver, Langley, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Kirkland and Montreal, classic films will be shown on the big screen from Blu-Ray discs or 2K digital prints.

It may seem somewhat pointless to watch something available on disc, but I think there is great value in watching films on the big screen even if it's HD and not 35mm. It's always worthwhile to see things on as large a screen as possible. We see things differently when it's presented on a larger scale and are able to appreciate much more of the subtleties such as discreet emotions. For example, something like fighting back tears (e.g. in The Godfather when Robert Duvall is told of some deaths by a rival, or The Remains of the Day when Anthony Hopkins hides his emotions to Emma Thompson) can get completely lost when viewed on a television, even a large one.

Call for applications: Crazy8s 2012

Crazy8s is getting ready to launch the 13th edition of their filmmaking challenge in Vancouver.

Originally it began in 1999, selected filmmakers were given 8 days, $800 and 800 feet of film to make a short film. Now the process has gone digital, but the idea is pretty much the same.

To apply, you or someone from your team must attend the registration/info session on December 10, 2011. You will then have to submit a 5-minute video pitch of your short film idea. 40 applicants will be chosen to pitch their idea live to a panel of industry professionals, who may then ask questions. 12 filmmakers or teams will be selected to have their story workshopped before the 6 winning teams are selected.

The films are to be made from March 16th – 23rd. The complete films will be screened at a gala event at at the Vogue Theatre on May 31, 2012.

FREE Songwriting Workshops Across Canada, Sept 7-Oct 2

Astral Radio presents the Radio Star New Songwriters Workshop Tour, which provides educational sessions at all of the 11 workshops for new songwriters to be held across Canada from Sept. 7 through Oct. 2, 2011.

Each workshop will consist of four parts. Part 1 examines What's in a Song; Part 2 is Music Publishing 101; Part 3 looks at Songwriting Revenue Streams; and Part 4 is The Music Meeting (Song Review) in which participants can play their demos for panelists to get instant feedback.

The workshops are co-sponsored by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA), and the Songwriters Association of Canada (SAC).

These workshops are free to attend, but everyone wishing to attend must pre-register for the event at http://www.radiostar.ca/songwriters-workshop/register. Registration is now open.

Red State: An Evening with Kevin Smith

PHASE 4 FILMS PRESENTS RED STATE:  AN EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENTS IN MONTREAL, TORONTO, EDMONTON, CALGARY AND VANCOUVER THIS AUGUST

Phase 4 Films is pleased to announce Red State: An Evening with Kevin Smith, a five city exclusive engagement featuring a screening of the controversial thriller RED STATE, followed by an extensive “Q&A” with the acclaimed indie director.  Smith will bring his no-holds-barred tales about filmmaking, pop culture and his life to Canadian audiences with stops in Montreal on August 14 at Theater Hall Concordia, Toronto on August 15 at Toronto Underground, Edmonton on August 16 at The Garneau, Calgary on August 17 at The Uptown, and Vancouver on August 18 at The Vogue.

"I wear my love for Canada on the sleeve of my hockey sweater, so ever since we started planning the RED STATE USA TOUR, I've been ready to do a RED PROVINCE TOUR across the grand cultural mosaic that is the Great White North.  Now, thanks to Phase 4, I finally get to scare the shit out of a buncha Canucks with the weird little Tarantino/Coen Brothers homage flick that is RED STATE. This is not a comedy like CLERKS; this is a horror movie. Like JERSEY GIRL."

Call for submissions: Vancouver Women in Film Festival (VWIFF 2012)

OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES
 

7th Annual Vancouver Women in Film Festival (VWIFF 2012)

7 Annual March 08, 2012 to March 11, 2012

Each year since 2006, the Vancouver Women in Film Festival (VWIFF) has showcased an impressive line-up of short and feature films (narrative, documentary and animation) by established and emerging women filmmakers from around the world. The Festival is presented by Women in Film and Television Vancouver and is one of our key annual celebration events. In addition to offering independent filmmakers a professional screening opportunity, the festival also serves to build audiences and appreciation for relevant cinema by women.

“There was such a breadth of vision, expression and storytelling in the submissions we received last year, I’m very excited to see what we’ll be presenting to our audiences in 2012,” says Festival Artistic Director, Roslyn Muir.

Call for submissions: Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program (West)

After successfully launching the Diverse Screenwriters Program earlier this year in Toronto, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) has expanded the program to Vancouver. The Toronto program will continue for applicants from Ontario and the Eastern part of Canada, while the Vancouver program will serve all applicants west of Ontario.

The call for submissions has now officially gone out for diverse writers who are emerging or mid-career who are from the western half of Canada. Up to eight people will be selected for the training program which involves a week-long intensive session followed by a 10-12 week mentorship with a story editor. One writer will be selected at the end of the program to receive a paid internship on a Bell Media TV series.

You must apply with an original series idea, and an original writing sample for a feature film or television. Samples for existing series are not eligible. There is no cost or fee to participate in the program. Those selected from outside Vancouver will receive a bursary to cover their travel and accommodation expenses.

2011 Leo Awards, part two - complete winners

After presenting their first group awards earlier this week, the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British Columbia held their gala ceremony at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver for the remaining winners for the 13th annual Leo Awards yesterday. The Leo Awards are an annual celebration of excellence and achievement for the the British Columbia film and television industry.

The film Gunless starring Paul Gross came out on top with four awards including Best Feature Length Drama, Best Cinematography (Greg Middleton) and Best Production Design (Matthew Budgeon). Transparency claimed Best Direction (Raul Inglis) and Best Editing (Richard Martin). Fathers&Sons was also a multiple winner for Musical Score (Schaun Tozer) and Supporting Actor (Jay Brazeau). Altitude had previously been announced as winner in two sound categories.

Charles Officer's Mighty Jerome completed its sweep of the feature documentary section by winning  Best Feature Length Documentary Program. This goes with its three previously announced awards.

The television side was led by the comedy Hiccups, which won five awards including Best Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series. It also won for Direction (James Dunnison), Screenwriting (David Moses), Editing (Lisa Binkley) and Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series (Nancy Robertson).

8th annual Student Film Showcase, May 24, 26

The Toronto International Film Festival continues its support of emerging talent with its 8th edition of the Student Film Showcase. 12 films have been selected from student filmmakers across Canada, though it seems limited to B.C. and Ontario where most of the Film School Consortium affiliates are from. Nonetheless, the films are strong and show a wide variety of approaches.

The student filmmakers will participate in a panel discussion with animator/director Larry Jacobs, as well as filmmakers Kari Skogland and Warren Sonoda (Coopers' Camera, Textuality). Plus, a jury of industry professionals will award impressive prize-packs for the best live action and best animation films.

The animation films are particularly compelling. Basic Space has an innovative and imaginative approach to the visual style involving paper cutouts. Bramula is a stop-motion piece that seems inspired by Tim Burton with its macabre humour and Vincent Price-style narration. The Dimming is a gorgeous and haunting piece based on Inuit storytelling. My Name Is Mitch uses lovely hand-drawn animation to tell a story of self-acceptance. Paso Doble is a lively interpretation of a flamenco number.

But the live action films are good too. The standout there is Blink, a futuristic romance with a striking visuals and excellent performances. Shuffleboard Kings is the funniest of the bunch and though it has a cheesy synthesizer soundtrack, it is well-written and has lots of good laughs.

Call for submissions: Praxis 2011 Feature Film Screenplay Competition

As mentioned recently, the call would be put out soon for the Praxis 2011 Feature Film Screenplay Competition. It has come sooner than expected.

The Praxis Centre for Screenwriters is a program of Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts. The competition is for writers with feature-length screenplays to participate in their screenwriting workshop in Vancouver. They will select eight applicants to work with an advisor to develop further develop the script. Aside from the application cost, there is no charge for the program.

The program is open to all Canadian citizens or landed immigrants. Some out-of-town participants may be able to have their transportation and accomodation expenses partially covered. 

The deadline for applications is June 25, 2011.

Call for applications: Story Editor Internship at the Praxis Centre for Screenwriters

The Praxis Centre for Screenwriters at Simon Fraser University is now accepting applications for their 2011 Story Editor Internship.

They do accept applicants from outside Vancouver. Bursary funds are available for a successful applicant who is not from Vancouver.

Deadline for applications is May 6, 2011.

Although they are not yet accepting applications for the Feature Film Screenplay Competition, the call will come sometime this spring, most likely in May. The deadline for applications is set for June 25, 2011. Eight winners will be selected to workshop their scripts with veteran script editors and screenwriters in November.