Friday, September 30, 2011

Call for submissions: Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds


A call for submissions has been put out for the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds. There are two programs for which they offer funding assistance: the Completion Fund and the Development Fund.

The Completion Fund is a grant program that provides successful applicants with up to 20 per cent of the total production costs to an exceptional maximum of $100,000. Eligible costs include those that are standard in the industry during post-production, including costs of enhancements and deliverables. The Completion Fund is open to Canadian producers who have made a commercially released documentary or fiction film or television series.

The Shaw Media-Hot Docs Development Fund is a loan program that offers successful applicants a conditionally repayable, interest-free advance of up to 80 per cent of development costs when the project has no market partner, or up to 50 per cent of development costs when the project has a market partner. The advances per project average in the range of $10,000 to $15,000. Eligible costs include: option fees, research fees, writer and story editor fees, director’s fees, reasonable travel costs, and normal producer fees and overheads. Expenses incurred prior to application to the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Development Fund are ineligible.

Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Sept 30-Oct 7


This week marks the 4th Annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival. The festival opens with the debut film Pomegranates and Myrrh by acclaimed Palestinian director Najwa Najjar. It tells the story of a newly married dancer and her struggles with society’s expectations of a wife whose husband is imprisoned. The jailed husband is played by Ashraf Farah, who will be in attendance.

The festival closes with Nana Dankwa's documentary Hip Hop is Bigger than the Occupation. It captures a ten-day tour of rappers through Palestine. Many of the featured rappers will be in attendance and will perform afterwards at the closing night party.

Other highlights include Dahna Abourahme's documentary Kingdom of Women about the women of the Ein El Hilweh refugee camp during the years 1982-1984. Stray Bullet which stars TIFF Audience Choice Award winner Nadine Labaki, will be followed by a panel with the film’s director Georges Hachem and Ashraf Farah.

3rd annual Rights Media DocFest, Sept 30-Oct 1


Beginning tonight, Journalists for Human Rights (jhr) and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) present their 3rd annual Doc-Fest Rights Media Documentary Film Festival.

Tonight, they will be screening Robin Pierro's Dream Deferred, The Price of Sex by Mimi Chakarova, and Remembering the Ashes: Incendies Through their Eyes by Anais Barbeau-Lavalette. The festival continues tomorrow afternoon with screenings of Burgundy: La petite bourgogne by Adam Bemma, The Team by Patrick Reed, and Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change by Zacharius Kunuk.

Screenings take place at BMO Amphitheatre - Molson Building, at Concordia University, 1450 Guy Street.

2011 YoungCuts Film Festival, Sept 30-Oct 2


The 10th anniversary edition of the YoungCuts Film Festival gets underway today with a free afternoon screening of films by Quebec CEGEP students. To reserve a seat, contact Mike@YoungCuts.com or 514.285.4591.

This will be followed by the Canadian Heritage Opening Night Screening at 7pm which features 17 films by Quebec's best young Anglophone filmmakers, and a screening of international shorts at 9pm. Screenings on Saturday and Sunday take place at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm. The festival presents at least one filmmaker award per screening.

YoungCuts selects 100+ films from over 1,200 submissions from more than 30 countries in 10 different languages. All selections are by filmmakers 25 years old and under.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

12th Filmi South Asian Film Festival Festival, Sept 29-Oct 2


Tonight is the kickoff for the 12th edition of Filmi, North America's first South Asian Film Festival.

It opens with a screening at the Art Gallery of Ontario's Jackman Hall (317 Dundas Street West) of the film Footsteps into Gangland by Mani Amar. It is based on true events in the South Asian community of Vancouver.

The closing night film is the Canadian premiere of Dogs Lie by Richard Atkinson, and starring Ewa Da Cruz, Gita Reddy and Samrat Chakrabarti. It tells the story of eight patients and two staff who spend a fateful night at a New York sleep clinic.

The will also be holding an industry series at 725 King Street West on the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday. The panels will be on documentary, web series and music videos. The Filmi party takes place on Friday, September 30, 2011 at the Proof Vodka Lounge, 220 Bloor Street West.

Brazilian Film & TV Festival of Toronto, Sept 29-Oct 2


The 5th annual Brazilian Film & TV Festival of Toronto (BRAFFTv) launched tonight at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The opening film will be Rosa Moreno by Carlos Augusto de Oliveira. It tells the story of a gay man from Denmark who goes to Brazil to adopt a baby on their black market, but after finding a willing mother he becomes emotionally involved with her.

The festival's closing night film will be the Canadian premiere of The Best Things In The World by Laís Bodanzky. It tells the coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old boy and his older brother as they are suddenly forced to deal with changing relationships.

Kevin Smith's Red State returns for one night


Kevin Smith's Red State will be presented for one night only tonight on Thursday, September 29th at 7 p.m. local time at Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal, Cinéma Colossus Laval and Cinéma Colisée Kirkland.

Kevin Smith has been at the centre of some recent controversies, especially after the harsh reception to his film Cop Out. He has said that his next film(s) Hit Somebody (currently set to be released at two films) will be his last. He continues to work in television, radio and books.

The reviews for this film are curiously divided, with some saying it is his best work and others saying it's his worst. But this bodes well for it since polarizing works are often the most interesting. It is his first foray into genre/horror filmmaking.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

3rd annual Avini Awards for Iranian film - winners


The ceremony for the third edition of the Avini Awards took place Tuesday at the Andisheh Hall of the Art Bureau in Tehran. The awards were created by the Documentary and Experimental Film Centre (DEFC) in memory of documentary filmmaker Morteza Avini. He is considered a martyr, having been killed by a landmine during a 1993 trip to the former Iran-Iraq war zone to make a documentary project about soldiers listed as missing in action. He was renowned for chronicling the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war that Iranians call "Sacred Defense."

The main winners of the evening were Mash Esmaeil by Mehdi Zamanipur, Taman Khala by Ali Delkari, On the Shoulder of the Sky by Ahmad Janmirzaii, and Murtaza Ali Abbas Mirzaei's The Narration of Sign.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Ebrahim Hatamikia, whose films include The Glass Agency and The Red Ribbon. Hatamikia was also one of the Sacred Defense veterans honoured during the cerenomy. The other honourees were the Director of the Art and Literature Department of the Art Bureau Morteza Sarhangi, Production Manager of Avini’s documentaries Asghar Bakhtiari, former director of the Institute for the Narration of Triumph Mehdi Homayunfar, and Iranian eulogist Sadeq Ahangaran.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Programming for 40th Festival du nouveau cinéma announced


This morning at a press conference at the Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des Sciences de l'UQAM, the full programming was unveiled for the 40th edition of the Festival du nouveau cinéma. As usual, the lineup is very impressive.

The festival presents viewers an opportunity to catch some of the hottest titles from the recent Toronto and Venice festivals such as Steve McQueen's Shame, U2-From the Sky Down by Davis Guggenheim and Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz. But they will also present many interesting and unique offerings such as Rasta, A Soul’s Journey by Bob Marley's granddaughter Donisha Prendergast, Fortunate Son by Montreal-filmmaker Tony Asimakopoulos, and Guilty of Romance by Sion Sono.

The opening night gala film will be Declaration of War by France's Valérie Donzelli. She will be in attendance with producer Edouard Weil. The closing night film will be Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar which has just been selected as Canada's entry to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

Monday, September 26, 2011

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.

Screening of The Interrupters with director Steve James in attendance


Cinema Politica, the Montreal-based network that screens independent political films at campuses across Canada and internationally, will host the Montreal premiere screening tonight of The Interrupters with director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) in attendance.

The Interrupters profiles three former Chicago gang members (Ameena Matthews, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra) who become "violence interrupters" in an attempt to stop the cycle of gang violence plaguing their neighbourhoods.

The screening will take place at Concordia University, Room H110, 1455 de Maisonneuve West, beginning at 7pm. Entrance is by donation.

Animation Open House at the National Film Board


The National Film Board of Canada has an open house in Montreal today for their Animation studio.

The NFB/ONF has an internationally renowned reputation, especially for documentary and animation. In its seventy-two years of existence, they have received over 5,000 film awards. They have received seventy Academy Award nominations - just about one every year - and won twelve, most recently for the animated short films The Danish Poet by Torill Kove and Ryan by Chris Landreth.

The open house runs this afternoon from 1:00-5:00pm, not at their downtown CineRobotheque but at their headquarters on 3155 Cote de Liesse Road.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Free screeening of White On Rice


In the lead-up to the 15th Anniversary Edition of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, they are presenting a free screening of the 2009 festival yofavourite White on Rice by Dave Boyle. The film stars Hiroshi Watanabe as a lovable loser who falls in love with a woman Ramona while staying with his sister's family.

The screening takes place tonight at the Toronto Underground Cinema in Chinatown at 186 Spadina Ave, just north of Queen Street West. The theatre is at the back of the building. The film's start time is 7:00pm.

White on Rice screens in English, and Japanese with English subtitles.

The 15th Toronto Reel Asian festival takes place November 8-13 in Toronto and November 18-19 in Richmond Hill.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Call for submissions: 2012 Worldwide Short Film Festival


A call for submissions has been put out for the 18th Worldwide Short Film Festival which takes place in Toronto. It is the largest short film festival in North America and is run by the Canadian Film Centre. They are also an officially accredited festival for the Genie Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, and the Academy Awards.

Eligible films must have been completed after January 1, 2010 and must not exceed 40 minutes in length, including credits. Works-in-progress are accepted, but only for the year submitted and cannot be resubmitted the following year.

The Early Bird deadline is January 13. The Extended Deadline with a slightly higher submission fee is February 3.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Call for submissions: 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival


The Toronto Fringe Festival has put out a call for submissions for its 24th annual festival. They are accepting applications for three options: the 2012 New Play Contest, the lottery for the 2012 Fringe Festival and proposals for the Site-Specific Category of the Fringe Festival.

The New Play Contest is open to all Canadians who are permanent residents. Submissions must be new, original work of 90 minutes or less. The deadline is October 24th by 5PM or when 80 plays are received, whichever comes first.

The Fringe Festival slots are determined by lottery. The lottery for the 2012 Festival will take place on November 28, but the applications must be received by November 7. The Site-Specific category is for shows that cannot be performed in traditional theatres and venues. The deadline is Friday March 2nd at 5pm or when a maximum of 20 production slots have been filled, whichever comes first.

2011 Montreal International Black Film Festival, Sept 22-Oct 2


Tonight is the kickoff for the 7th annual Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF). The opening night film will be Case Départ (Back To Square One) by Fabrice Eboué, Thomas Ngijol and Lionel Steketee. The gala creening takes place at the Cinéma Impérial, 1430 Rue de Bleury. The co-directors and co-stars Thomas Ngijol and Fabrice Éboué will be in attendance.

The festival's closing night film will be Gabriel Range's I Am Slave. Like Case Départ, the film deals with issues of slavery but this time with a contemporary British setting. Director Gabriel Range will be in attendance.

The festival presents a line-up of 125 films from over 35 different countries, many of which are premieres. The festival will also present special events including a conference, exhibitions, and family screenings which are free.

Pioneering writer/director Souleymane Cissé, the first African filmmaker to win a prize at the Cannes Festival (Yeelen in 1987), will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

2011 POP Montreal International Music Festival, Sept 21-25


The 10th annual POP Montreal International Music Festival begins tonight. The festival brings more than 600 artists to an audience of over 50,000.

The music festival also includes symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, film screenings, and a few all-night parties. Many of the events are free.

During the festival, POP Montreal now covers several components which together constitute over 50 events:

Grierson 2011: The British Documentary Awards - nominations


The nominations have been announced for Grierson 2011: The British Documentary Awards.

The Grierson Awards were founded in 1972 to honour the trailblazing Scottish filmmaker John Grierson (1898 – 1972) who is considered by many to be the "father of the documentary." The awards are given to both British and International documentaries in various categories such as Arts, History, Science and Contemporary Theme. They also recognize first time and student filmmakers.

In the Best Cinema Documentary category, the nominees are Clio Barnard's The Arbor; Marathon Boy by Gemma Atwal; Restrepo by Sebastian Junger and the late Tim Hetherington; and Asif Kapadia's Senna.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Call for submissions: 11th Annual Paprika Festival


The Paprika Festival for young and emerging theatre artists at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto has put out a call for submissions for its 11th annual edition.

The deadline for Productions, Creators’ Unit, Playwrights-in-Residence and Resident Company is October 7, 2011. The deadline for the Olde Spice program will be at a later date to be determined.

The Eleventh Annual Paprika Festival takes place from March 1-10, 2012 at the Tarragon Theatre Extra Space, 30 Bridgman Ave.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) awards - winners


Three Toronto-based filmmakers were the big winners at the 5th annual Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF).

Jackie English (NIMBY), Sam Lalonde (Whelm) and Che Kothari (FLIP HOP: che kothari x elicser x skam) took the top three awards of the festival as selected by guest judge Atom Egoyan who was present at the event. Egoyan also selected the winner of the Naish McHugh Award for Emerging Toronto Filmmakers. The $2,500 cash award went to writer/director/producer Richard B. Pierre for Fresh Start and was presented by Councillor Michael Thompson, Chair of the Economic Development Committee of The City of Toronto. The 10-day "underground" film festival closed yesterday with an awards ceremony held at The Drake Hotel.

In awarding the first place prize to filmmaker Jackie English, Egoyan said "NIMBY is droll, funny and captures what urban living is all about. It's an extraordinary work."

Sunday, September 18, 2011

2011 TIFF Award winners announced


The 36th Toronto International Film Festival announced its award recipients at a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel today.

All three Canadian awards below were selected by a jury of film professionals. The feature film jury consists of actor Liane Balaban (One Week, Up In Cottage Country); director Sturla Gunnarsson (Force of Nature); journalist/producer Denis Séguin (How to Start Your Own Country); and producer Gabriella Martinelli (Capri Films). The short film jury members are Sundance programmer Jon Korn; filmmaker and artist Srinivas Krishna (My Name is Raj installation); and Hot Docs Programming Manager Karina Rotenstein.

THE SKYY VODKA AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM

Friday, September 16, 2011

2011 Montreal 60-Second Film Festival, Sept 16-17


This weekend, the 4th Annual Montreal 60-Second Film Festival (M60) takes place at the Théâtre Rialto, 5723 ave du Parc.

Filmmakers signed up for the opportunity to participate at a launch party on July 13 at the Casa del Popolo and were given one month to complete a one-minute film. A different theme is chosen each year and this year's theme was "chance."

I myself was one of the filmmakers for this program. With my filmmaking partner, producer Katarina Soukup of Catbird Productions, I wrote and directed a little thing called Encounter Abroad starring Joslyn Rogers and Julien Fiset.

The complete program of resulting films will be screened twice, once each night at 7:30on Friday, September 16 and again on Saturday September 17. Tickets are available at the door - just $8.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

TIFF 2011 - day 5


Monday was a big documentary day with me and so was dominated by the Documentary Conference. It was very busy, but I managed to squeeze in a few other things. Not the W.E. press conference, though. I was told that no photos were allowed during the press conference, which I've never heard before. So when there was a kerfuffle that Madonna had the volunteers face the wall so that they wouldn't look at her as she walked by, I had no problem believing it. I don't believe the publicists denials since she treated the press badly too. She's a diva and doesn't seem to understand the film world.

The GE & Cinelan Meet the Filmmakers Breakfast.

Monday, September 12, 2011

TIFF 2011 - day 4


Day 4 of TIFF. The festival isn't even half over yet and I'm already starting to get worn down. Still, I've seen a whole lot of great films so far and met tons of new, interesting people.

The Canadian Film Centre's annual barbecue.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

TIFF 2011 - day 3


Day three at TIFF was another super busy day. Things got off to a horribly bad start as the very first press screening of the day was over an hour late. That threw a lot of things off for me, but I will still able to get a lot done.

Press conference for A Dangerous Method. Producer Jerermy Thomas, screenwriter Christopher Hampton, Sarah Gadon, David Cronenberg, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley, moderator Henri Behar.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

TIFF 2011 - day 2


Day 2 of TIFF is officially the first full day of screenings and activities.

Things got off to a bad start on the industry side though with the first press conference of the day. The new location for the press conferences on the 6th floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox which was inconvenient because it could only be accessed by two small elevators and because its smaller, narrower room filled too easily resulting in dozens of press being turned away, a first.

Overflow press were sent to the Press Louge to watch the press conference on a single monitor.

Friday, September 9, 2011

TIFF 2011 - day 1


Here is a recap of day one of the 36th Toronto International Film Festival in pictures.

Only a small part of the long line-up to catch an early press/industry screening of Moneyball.


2011 Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival


The 2011 Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival is proud to announce its 20th Anniversary Line-up!

Congratulations to the filmmakers selected this year and sincere thanks to all the talented filmmakers who submitted their work for consideration. We have profound respect for you all.|
Tempus Destuit: Blaz Erzetic/ Slovenia

52: Josh Levy / Canada

The Renter: Jason Carpenter / USA

Next Floor: Denis Villeneuve / Canada

2011 Toronto Urban Film Festival, Sept. 9-18


Beginning today and running alongside the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the companion Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF) hosts its fifth edition in Toronto's subways and transit system. Filmmakers around the world submitted silent one-minute films to be shown on the Toronto Transit System's screens.

They are screening 63 films over the next 10 days with seven programs of nine films each, and an additiona; spotlight program on Stephen Andrews. The final three days will play the winning films.

This year's guest judge is Atom Egoyan. The other judges are Hot Docs programmer Angie Driscoll and artist Guillermina Buzio.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

CMPA’s Producer’s Award at the TIFF goes to André Rouleau


André Rouleau Wins CMPA’s Producer’s Award at the Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto, September 8, 2011- The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) is delighted to announce André Rouleau as the winner of the 6th annual $10,000 CMPA Producer’s Award. The award was presented this afternoon at the Festival’s Filmmakers’ Lounge at the opening of the Toronto International Film Festival®.

The Montreal-based André Rouleau (Caramel Films) has worked in the Canadian production industry for more than fifteen years. He is well known for his many works including Funkytown, Die, Polytechnique, Mesrine: L’instinct de mort (Mesrine: Death Instinct), Battle in Seattle, An American Haunting, and Head in the Clouds.

Rouleau also has three film projects screening at this year’s Festival year including special presentations of Breakaway and Goon, and a gala presentation of Starbuck.

2011 TIFF survival guide


And so it begins. Starting on the first Thursday after Labour Day, Toronto plays host to the largest public film festival in the world, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Already considered one of if not the top film festivals in the world, they continue to work hard to improve it every year.

This year, they’ve completed their move from Yorkville and the northern part of downtown to the entertainment district around TIFF Bell Lightbox. They’re no longer using theatres like the Varsity, but have instead completely taken over the Scotiabank (formerly Paramount) Theatre and have added the Princess of Wales Theatre. The only remaining theatre in use up north is the Isabel Bader Theatre.

If you’ve read over the list of films and events, you’ll be quite blown away by the staggering array of offerings. There are simply too many good things to choose from. This is not a bad thing. This year’s edition of the festival is showing 336 films (268 features; 68 shorts). So of course, everyone’s experience of the festival will be unique. The festival is large, but maintains an excellent balance of artful Hollywood movies with small independent, foreign, Canadian, experimental, documentary, genre films, and other categories.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

2011 Toronto International Film Festival prepares to launch


The 36th Toronto International Film Festival begins tomorrow night with the opening gala screening of the U2 documentary From the Sky Down by Davis Guggenheim. But already, the festival hub was buzzing with activity. Here are some photos from the pre-festival happenings.

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An eerily quiet TIFF Bell Lightbox

CaribbeanTales 2011 Toronto Film Showcase, Sept. 7-17


The CaribbeanTales Film Festival Group kicks off its 2011 Toronto Film Showcase tonight at the Harbourfront Centre.

Tonight's "Fete" includes a reception under the Patronage of His Excellency The High Commissioner for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Phillip Buxo, and is sponsored by the International Development Research Center. 

This year CaribbeanTales honours TIFF Co-Director Cameron Bailey. British-born Bailey's roots are from Barbados.

Another special guest in attendance will be Calypso Rose, aka McArta Linda Lewis, the undisputed Queen of Kaiso and the "Mother of Calypso." She will be on hand to present Calypso Rose: The Lioness of the Jungle, a documentary about her life and work. She will also participate in a question-and-answer session after the screening.

Planet in Focus Film Festival expands Industry Series


PLANET IN FOCUS EXPANDS INDUSTRY SERIES TO INCLUDE THREE INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

TORONTO, September 7, 2011 - - Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival today announced that its Industry Series is expanding to include two days of panels, three innovative programs, a pitch session and new funding opportunities during its upcoming 12th edition.  The Industry Series represents a key crossroads for established and emerging filmmakers, broadcasters, distributors and business leaders interested in opportunities and collaboration in the environmental sector. The industry events will take place on Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14 at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre in Toronto, and will conclude with an awards ceremony and reception.

“Planet in Focus Industry Series brings together innovative pioneers, scientists, business leaders and Canadian and international filmmakers to collaborate and create business opportunities,” says Sarah Margolius, Executive Director, Planet in Focus.  “We are delighted that this year we have increased the number of panels as a result of demand.”

Call for submissions: North by Northeast (NXNE) Film Festival


The North by Northeast (NXNE) has put out a call for submission for its Film Festival in 2012. Like it's counterpart South by Southwest (SXSW), the festival is both a music festival and an accompanying film festival. The NXNE film festival, however, focuses on music-related films of all genres.

In 2012, NXNE Film will celebrate its 11th year as a unique, boutique gem set alongside the larger NXNE Music festival. Each year, NXNE Film programs over 40 music-themed films from around the world. From indie docs to concert classics, from punk to country to classical, from all over the world – NXNE Film’s programming is never predictable and always fascinating.

Until January 31, 2012, filmmakers can submit music-themed feature, short, or doc to NXNE Film.

2011 RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition - winners


As part of the Toronto International Film Festival's commitment to nurturing talent, they hold an Emerging Filmmakers Competition for participants of Talent Lab. Their given them was "family." This morning, they announced the winners of the contest with the finalists from last year's Talent Lab: Esther and Lieb by Sean Wainsteim, The Revenge Plot by Jared Raab, Next of Kin by Kara Blake, My First Movie by Gabriel Taraboulsy, and Saturday Night by Kaveh Nabatian (pictured).

The National Winner selected by a jury of producers, directors and executives was Kara Blake's Next of Kin. The award comes with a prize of $15,000. The Honourable Mention and $10,000 prize went to My First Movie by Gabriel Taraboulsy. Both are from Montreal.

The Fan Favourite award was given to Toronto's Jared Raab for The Revenge Plot. He was a recipient of $5,000 cash prize.

The theme of the next Emerging Filmmakers Competition for this year's Talent Lab participants is "Time."

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Master class with filmmaker Frederick Wiseman


PRIMITIVE ENTERTAINMENT’S KEVIN MCMAHON IN CONVERSATION WITH MASTER DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER FREDERICK WISEMAN

Toronto, Sept. 6, 2011
Kevin McMahon, Gemini award-winning Canadian filmmaker and Artistic Director of Primitive Entertainment, will take part in an In Conversation session with Frederick Wiseman, one of today’s greatest living documentary filmmakers. The master class, organized by Doc Toronto Master’s Series, will be held Sept 11 at 2:30 p.m. at Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue).

Prolific and world-renowned American filmmaker Frederick Wiseman has created some of the most affecting and renowned observational documentaries of the past 40 years, such as HIGH SCHOOL, TITICUT FOLLIES, LAW AND ORDER, NEAR DEATH, LA DANSE - LE BALLET DE L'OPERA DE PARIS and BOXING GYM, among many others. Wiseman will discuss the process, philosophy, and challenges of an astonishing career.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be a part of this,” said McMahon. “Frederick has been a huge influence on my career and for so many generations of filmmakers. It’s such an honour, and I hope the audience will find this discussion as engaging and insightful as I will.”

Call for submissions: The REEL Challenge Contest


The Canadian Film Centre has announced a call for submissions for its third edition of The REEL Challenge Contest.

Filmmakers are asked to submit a short film of 60 seconds or less about the importance of copyright and how the illegal copying and mass distribution of movies and the arts harms the industry and us all. Get started here to learn more about copyright.

The contest is open to all Canadians except residents of Quebec.

The First Prize is $10,000; Second Prize is $3,000; Third Prize is $2,000. Deadline to submit your short film is January 13, 2012.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

6th Annual Lab Cab Festival, Sept 3-4


This weekend, the 6th annual Lab Cab festival takes place at the Factory Theatre in Toronto. All events are free.

The Lab Cab Festival is an annual, two day multi-arts festival that takes place in every nook and cranny of the historic Factory Theatre. Music, dance, theatre, film, poetry, kids stuff, visual art and comedy by local artists are performed in the washrooms, parking lots, stairwells, theatres, lobbies, rehearsal hall, carpentry shop, courtyard and greenrooms of the 141 year old building.

Acts range from two to forty minutes and include a range of expertise in each field: from well established artists to those just starting. The mandate of the Lab Cab Festival is to provide a home for local artists of various disciplines to experiment with new work in a fun and risk-free environment. The Lab Cab Festival is free, family friendly and community oriented.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Call for submissions: 2012 Hot Docs Documentary Festival


The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival has put out its call for submissions for its 2012 edition.

Hot Docs is the largest documentary festival in North America and is an indispensable event for documentary lovers and filmmakers. Founded in 1993, they present an annual selection of  the latest documentaries from Canada and around the world. The festival continues to grow. The 2011 edition presented 199 films and had its attendance expand to over 150,000 people. In addition to the festival, they host a conference and market, and provide many essential networking opportunities for filmmakers.

The early-bird deadline is December 2, 2011. The final film submission deadline is January 13, 2012.

The 2012 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival will take place from April 26-May 6 in Toronto.