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.

43rd Annual Juno Awards – winners

The Juno Awards were held this week in Winnipeg, culminating with the televised gala at MTS Centre. The show was co-hosted by Serena Ryder, Classified, and Johnny Reid. Performers included Brett Kissel, Classified, Dean Brody, Gord Bamford, Matt Mays, OneRepublic, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder, Tegan and Sara, The Sheepdogs and Walk Off The Earth. Robin Thicke withdrew from his controversial scheduled performance due to ongoing issues with his vocal cords.

The big winner of the night was the sister duo Tegan and Sara, taking three awards. They won Single of the year ("Closer"), Group of the Year and Pop Album of the Year (Heartthrob).

Montreal's Arcade Fire were on tour and weren't able to attend, but they "performed" (pre-taped recording) a world-premiere for the show. They also picked up a pair of awards, winning Album of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year for Reflektor.

43rd Annual Juno Awards – nominations

At today’s press conference announcing the nominations for THE 2014 JUNO AWARDS, CTV and The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) revealed the first five chart-topping artists confirmed to perform on CTV’s broadcast, Sunday, March 30 from Winnipeg’s MTS Centre.

Leading the field with six nominations was Montreal's Arcade Fire, with their Haitian-inspired album "Reflektor". Michael Buble and "Stompa" singer Serena Ryder followed closely with five nominations each.

Performers set to light up the JUNO stage include acclaimed platinum-selling musician City and Colour, multi-platinum soul and R&B, singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, platinum-selling hit-maker and multiple JUNO Award winner Serena Ryder, Calgary-born, pop-rock twins Tegan and Sara, and double- platinum selling artists and viral video sensations Walk Off The Earth.

The Great Digital Film Festival 2014, Jan 31–Feb 6

CINEPLEX BRINGS FAN FAVOURITES TO THE BIG SCREEN
WITH FIFTH ANNUAL GREAT DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL

Event brings sci-fi, action and cult classics to Cineplex theatres across Canada

January 7, 2014 – Back by popular demand, The Great Digital Film Festival returns to Cineplex theatres from January 31 to February 6, 2014.

The Great Digital Film Festival brings a week of fan favourite sci-fi, action and cult films back to the big screen, where they were meant to be seen – often for the first time in crystal clear digital format.

The festival expands again this year, with Cineplex’s Front Row Centre events adding locations at Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas in Kingston, ON; Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane in Halifax, Nova Scotia andCineplex Cinemas Avalon Mall Cinemas in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

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: NSI Drama Prize

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is now accepting applications for its NSI Drama Prize course. Applications must be received by Tuesday, November 27, 2012.

NSI Drama Prize is an ambitious short film training course that provides up to $10,000 in cash, $20,000 in services and mentoring from Canada’s industry leaders for up to four writer/director/producer teams to develop and produce a short film.

The year-long, three-phase course kicks off in Winnipeg with an intensive boot camp in writing, directing and producing. Topics include script writing, film budgeting and financing, working with actors, blocking and shooting scenes and social media marketing.

Call for submissions: NSI Features First program

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is now accepting applications for its NSI Features First program, presented in association with Telefilm Canada. Based in Winnipeg, the NSI is one of Canada's leading advanced film schools.

NSI Features First is a feature film development training course for teams of first or second time writers, directors and producers. Successful teams receive group training and a cash award to put towards a story editor and further project development.

“It’s been 15 years since NSI Features First was launched,” said new program manager Brandice Vivier. “Its longevity is a tribute to great Canadian stories, committed industry resources ready to mentor and train our students, and of course an abundance of talented emerging filmmakers ready to take their career to the next level.”

Call for submissions: Script to Screen development funding program

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT’S MOVIE CENTRAL LAUNCHES SCRIPT TO SCREEN DEVELOPMENT FUNDING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL SCREEN INSTITUTE

New program provides screenwriters with funding to develop feature film scripts

Corus Entertainment today announced Script to Screen, a new program partnership with Corus’ western-Canada pay TV service Movie Central and the Winnipeg-based National Screen Institute (NSI). Script to Screen will provide established and emerging Canadian screenwriters with robust funding, creative support and industry guidance to fully develop feature film concepts for film and television, from script to screen.

“With the launch of the Script and Screen initiative in partnership with National Screen Institute, Corus has the opportunity to play an instrumental role in fostering screenwriting talent,” said Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Original Programming, Kids, Comedy, Drama, Corus Entertainment. “In addition to providing Canadian screenwriters with robust funding, Script to Screen will offer support and expertise throughout the process.”

Call for submissions: NSI New Voices program

Winnipeg's National Screen Institute (NSI) has put out a call for submissions for their 2012 New Voices program.

The program is a 14-week training program for Aboriginal Canadians 18-35 years of age. It provides culturally sensitive training in the film and television industry. There is a small application fee but no tuition fee for the program. Participants will in fact be paid minimum wage during the program.

Non-residents of Winnipeg may apply but must provide for their own travel and accommodation and demonstrate that they are able to do so.

The program begins April 30 and runs for fourteen weeks. The first phase is six weeks of skills development training, followed by a second phase of eight weeks in a work placement. Additionally, participants will shoot, edit and screen three short films.

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 Submissions: 2011 NSI Drama Prize

The National Screen Institute has put out its call for submissions for this year's NSI Drama Prize. The NSI Drama Prize is a training program that takes place at the NSI in Winnipeg and participants' home province which provides filmmakers the foundation to successfully make a short film of up to 10 minutes.

The Drama Prize is for filmmaking teams of two or three people with a short film fiction project.  The teams should consist of writer, director and producer but the writer may double as the director or producer. The director and producer, however, may not be the same person. 

New this year is a tuition fee for participants of $1,000 per team. Each team will be required to pay this amount by January 23. In spite of this added cost, it is nonetheless an invaluable program for emerging Canadian filmmakers.

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.

Call for submissions: National Screen Institute's NSI Features First

The National Screen Institute — Canada (NSI) has put out a call for submissions for its NSI Features First program.

Features First is NSI's training program for filmmakers who are preparing to make their first or second feature film. The curriculum includes script and story development, market research, legal requirements, pitching, financing, distribution and marketing and sales training.

Applicants must submit a feature film script. Applicants must also have an team which consists of a writer, director and producer. The writer can double as director or producer but the director cannot also be the producer. The applicants need not be from the same province.

Although NSI is based in Winnipeg, much of the training will take place in the applicants' home province. It is also a part-time training program that allows for you to continue working full-time.

Call for submissions: Exhibit P: Photography and Media Art from the Prairies

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM ARTISTS

Exhibit P: Photography and Media Art from the Prairies

The western interior is not simply W.O. Mitchell’s “basic requirements of land and sky,” the kettle lakes and bluffs of Gabrielle Roy’s water-hen country, or the remote forests and mountains of Ralph Connor’s Mounted Police – it is all three and more. – Gerald Friesen

Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art is seeking submissions from photo, film, video and digital artists at all stages of their careers for feature coverage in an upcoming issue of Prefix Photo magazine. To be considered for inclusion, an artist must be a current resident of Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta, or a native of the Canadian Prairies residing elsewhere. Consideration will also be given to any artist whose work explicitly addresses the subject of the Prairies.

Call for applications: NSI Totally Television 2011

The National Screen Institute in Winnipeg has put out a call for applications for its NSI Totally Television program. It's a ten-month training program for television writers and producers. It's structured in a way that allows you to continue working while training -- part-time instruction without requiring you to relocate.

The program accepts up to five teams to participate in the mentoring and workshops. The most advanced projects will get to pitch their projects at the Banff World Media Festival 2012.

The only cost for the program is the application fee. Those accepted will pay no additional fees.

The deadline to apply for the NSI Totally Television program is Tuesday, May 3 at 4:30pm Central Time.

Call for submissions: National Screen Institute (NSI) New Voices program

The National Screen Institute has put out a call for submission for its NSI New Voices program, designed to jump-start the careers of Canadian Aboriginal artists in the film and television industry. Nine Aboriginal adults aged 18-35 will be selected for this skills development program that includes six weeks of training and an eight week work placement in an industry setting.

The National Screen Institute is a leading national training school for film, television and digital media. Although based in Winnipeg, programs are open to all Canadian residents. Non-residents of Winnipeg are responsible for their accommodation and travel expenses. There is no cost for the program, however; in fact, you will be paid during your participation.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, March 31, 2011, 4:30 p.m. Central Time. The program begins in late April.

For more information, go to the National Screen Institute website:

The 6th Found Footage Festival, touring Canada and U.S.

The Found Footage Festival is a traveling film festival founded by New Yorkers Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett. For twenty years, the pair have scoured gift shops, garage sales and dumpsters to uncover discarded videotapes and DVDs. Their unusual discoveries include training tapes, public-access television clips and B-list celebrity exercise videos. Most famously they discovered the YouTube sensation Jack Rebney: The World’s Angriest RV Salesman, which became the subject of a documentary Winnebago Man.

For the last six years, they've taken the best of their finds on the road for the Found Footage Festival. Their 75-city tour brings them to the Theatre Ste. Catherine in Montreal on February 1, followed by Ottawa's Mayfair Theatre on the 2nd and the Bloor Cinema in Toronto on the 3rd and 4th. After a few more months on the road in the U.S., they return to Canada with a date in Winnipeg on April 26 at The Royal Albert Arms.

The screenings begin with a 25th-anniversary screening of the cult documentary hit Heavy Metal Parking Lot. USA Today described it as “an anthropological masterpiece” and it provides a candid look at Maryland headbangers getting ready for a Judas Priest concert.

Other gems include exercise videos by Cher, self-hypnosis tapes to make yourself a better lover, and seven different instructional tapes on ventriloquism.

Director's talk by Guy Maddin at the Toronto School of Art, January 19

The Toronto School of Art is welcoming famed Canadian director Guy Maddin for an artist's talk on January 19, 2011. It is a pay-what-you-can event and a cash bar will be provided. I've heard him speak before and he's a smart, witty and lively raconteur who is sure to be very engaging to hear in person.

He's well-known for a unique style that pays homage to silent films and home movies. If you are not familiar with his work, I suggest you check out Tales from the Gimli Hospital, Brand Upon the Brain!, The Saddest Music in the World, or My Winnipeg and then go hear him speak. Roger Ebert named My Winnipeg one of the top ten films of the decade (2000-2009).

You can also view some of his short films online at the Bravo!FACT website, where he has several shorts that accompanied The Saddest Music in the World which together were called The Saddest Shorts: Sissy Boy Slap Party, Sombra Dolorosa and A Trip to the Orphanage.

25th Annual Gemini Awards, winners announced

The Gemini Awards celebrated their 25th edition at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto on Saturday night. The big winner at as the Winnipeg-based comedy Less Than Kind, which won Best Comedy Program, Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program, and Best Actor in a Comedy for Benjamin Arthur. It was a bittersweet night for the show as their cast and crew are still mourning the death of its lead actor Maury Chaykin, who died in July on his 61st birthday.

Best Dramatic Series went to CBC's Irish-Canadian co-production The Tudors about King Henry the VIII. It beat Flashpoint, which entered the night as the favourite with 15 nominations. Its only win was for Best Direction in a Dramatic Series for David Frazee.

The evening was hosted by Calgary-born star of Glee, Cory Monteith. But the night was also a big one for U.K. attendees. In addition to wins by The Tudors, Scottish actor Robert Carlyle won Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for his part in Stargate Universe. Elvis Costello won  Best Talk Series for Spectacle: Elvis Costello With...

Call for applications: NSI Drama Prize program

The National Screen Institute (NSI) has announced their call for applications to their NSI Drama Prize program. The NSI is based in Winnipeg and is one of Canada's leading film schools. The Drama Prize is for filmmaking teams of two or three people with a short film fiction project of no more than 10 minutes.

The teams should consist of writer, director and producer but the writer may double as the director or producer. The director and producer, however, may not be the same person.  Successful applicants will be expected to spend some time in Winnipeg as part of their training, but the remainder of the training and the production of the film itself can take place in wherever the teams are based.

This is an excellent program for emerging filmmakers. The application is very detailed, so you will want to get started on it as soon as possible. The deadline for applications to be received in their office is Wednesday, November 17, 4:30 p.m. Central Time. They do not accept applications by fax or email.