Thursday, March 31, 2011

Great Artists on their Art: quotes from the 29th Festival international du film sur l'art (FIFA)


The 29th Festival international du film sur l'art (FIFA) ended on Sunday and I thoroughly enjoyed my first time at this unique event. It really was essential viewing not just for film-lovers but for anyone interested in the Arts.

Personally, I found many of the artists themselves quite fascinating, even when they weren't themselves able to articulate what they did and meant with their art. I understand that -- making art and talking about it academically are often two very different things. The best athletes rarely make the best coaches – contrary to the old joke "those who can't do, teach." In art, the best artists aren't always able to decipher what may for them be an unconscious act.

Still, their imagination and creativity was evident in whatever they did have to say. I didn't always agree with everything, but it was interesting nonetheless. I wrote down some of the more intriguing and inspiring quotes from artists themselves from various films at the latest edition of FIFA.

Here they are. Enjoy!

Call for submissions: The 2011 Herman Voaden Playwriting Competition


A call has opened for the 2011 Herman Voaden Playwriting Competition. The competition is made possible by a generous bequest from Voaden’s estate in dedication to his memory and honours his goals to develop a distinctively Canadian art of the theatre and to encourage the writing of Canadian drama.

The competition is open to all Canadians. The competition is only for full-length, unpublished and unproduced plays in English. The winning play will receive a prize of $3000 and a second place winner receives $2000. The first and second place plays will receive a a one-week workshop and public reading with a professional director and cast.

Eight honourable mentions will be named and will receive short written critiques from the final judges. The judges for this competition are Alisa Palmer and Bill Millerd.

The postmark deadline for entries is April 15, 2011.

24th Images Festival of Independent Film & Video, March 31-April 9


Tonight is the launch of the 24th edition of the Images Festival of Independent Film & Video, the Toronto festival for experimental and independent films. Tonight's opening night film is a co-presentation with the Reel Asian Festival, Rivers and My Father by Luo Li. It takes place at 7pm at the Royal Cinema at 608 College Street.

Images 2011 will feature 100 films and videos from 23 countries as well as 28 installations at 14 local galleries, artist­‐run centres and public locations. They will also have 7
live performances that relate to the moving image.

The Festival continues until April 9.

http://www.imagesfestival.com/

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Free Screen at TIFF Bell Lightbox: Radical Light


Tonight's edition of The Free Screen is done in partnership with the Images Film Festival. They will be showing Radical Light: Alternative Film and Video in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a collection of short experimental works curated by Kathy Geritz.

The screening also serves as a book launch for a volume of the same title.

The Images Festival of Independent Film & Video officially begins tomorrow and continues to April 9.

http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiffbelllightbox/2011/201012220048565
http://www.imagesfestival.com/

How to Get Your Film Into Festivals – A Free talk with Allan Tong


Tonight, the Hart House Film Board presents a free talk for filmmakers on How to Get Your Film Into Festivals. The speaker will be Allan Tong who has programmed for various film festivals as both film programmer and also as an industry programmer. He is also a filmmakers himself and a film journalist.

The Hart House Film Board is the film club at the University of Toronto where students and Hart House members can learn filmmaking and rent equipment very inexpensively. Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan started his filmmaking career as a Hart House Film Board member, making 16mm short films while studying International Relations.

The free session begins at 6:30 and goes until 9:30. It takes place in Hart House which is located at 7 Hart House Circle in the University of Toronto.

2nd Toronto Silent Film Festival, March 30 - April 7


The 2nd Toronto Silent Film Festival kicks off tonight at Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Ave, one block south of St. George St. and Bloor St.).

The opening night screening will be Maciste all'inferno (Maciste in Hell) (1926) directed by Guido Bregnone and starring Bartolomeo Pagano, Umberto Guarracino, Mario Salo, and Elana Sangro. The film will be preceded by SILENT FILMS FROM THE LAWLESS DAYS OF EUROPE 1896-1911, a half-hour selection of short films of 30 seconds to 6 minutes in length. The screening also includes the winning short film from the Toronto Urban Film Festival.

All of the films will be presented with live musical accompaniment. The featured musicians during the festival are Robert Bruce, Andrew Downing & Ensemble, Bill Lasovich, John Lauter, William O'Meara, Laura Silberberg and Andrei Streliaev.

The festival continues until April 7 at various venues around the city.

Call for submissions: 2011 Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition


A call for submissions has opened up for writers to enter the 2011 Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition. The plays should be between one to two hours long. You do not need to be Jewish to submit a script, but the play should have some Jewish content.

You are asked to use a pseudonym on the title page of the play so that the jury can read it without knowing your identity. Your information should be provided on a separate letter or email.

The competition winner will receive a professionally performed public workshop in a Miles Nadal JCC’s Between Stages Play Reading in 2012.

The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2011.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Credit where credit is due - Natalie Portman and the stunt double controversy [UPDATED]


Just as the acclaimed film Black Swan is released today on DVD and Blu-ray, it's been hit by another controversy.

Previously, it was embroiled in a minor scandal over costume design. The Mulleavy sisters of the Rodarte fashion house claimed that they were screwed out of a Costume Designer credit because they were responsible for some of the key ballet costumes. The film's actual Costume Designer Amy Westcott was asked to keep quiet because the producers didn't want any friction leading up to the Oscar nominations. But once the nominations came out and Westcott was left off the ballot (likely because people bought into the Mulleavy hype) she finally spoke out and made it clear that she was the department head, the Mulleavy sisters answered to both her and Darren Aronofsky, and that the sisters were properly credited.

Now along comes another claiming she was screwed out of a bigger credit. Soon after Natalie Portman won the Best Actress Academy Award for her bravura performance as Nina, we started to hear some grumbing from her stunt double in the film, Sarah Lane. This was a surprise, since earlier interviews with her made her seem quite gracious.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Yeşilçam Ödülleri’nin - 4th annual Yeşilçam Awards for Turkish film - winners


The Turkish Foundation of Cinema and Audiovisual Culture (TÜRSAK) held its 4th Annual Yeşilçam Ödülleri’nin (Yeşilçam Awards) ceremony tonight at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center.

Çoğunluk (The Majority) was named the Best Film. It also won Best Screenplay and Best First Film for Seren Yüce, while Esme Madra won for Best Young Talent. The film had led with eleven nominations.

Yüce didn't win the Director category, however. That instead went to Reha Erdem for Kosmos, which also won for Editing.

Av Mevsimi (Hunting Season) matched Çoğunluk in its total number of awards with four. It won for Cinematography and three acting awards: Best Actor (Cem Yılmaz), Best Supporting Actress (Melisa Sözen), and Best Supporting Actor (Okan Yalabık). Yalabık defeated his co-star Çetin Tekindor to win the award.

Premiile Gopo - 5th Annual Gopo Awards for Romanian film - winners


The Asociaţia Pentru Promovarea Filmului Românesc (Association for Romanian Film Promotion) held their 5th Annual Premiile Gopo (Gopo Awards) for Romanian cinema at the Crystal Palace Ballrooms in Bucharest.

Florin Şerban's debut film Eu când vreau să fluier, fluier (If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle) was the dominant winner of the night in taking six awards. In addition to winning Best Film, Best Director and Best Debut Feature for Şerban, it took awards for Best Supporting Actress (Clara Vodă), Sound and Most Promising Newcomer (George Piştereanu). It also claimed the Public Award determined by box office numbers. It had led with a record thirteen nominations.

Next with four awards was Caravana cinematografică (Kino Caravan). It claimed the prizes for Music, Art Direction, Costume and Hair/Makeup. Its cinematographer Vivi Dragan Vasile also received the Romanian Society of Cinematographers Award.

Three other films won multiple awards. Medalia de onoare (Medal of Honour) received recognition for Best Actor (Victor Rebengiuc) and Best Screenplay. It's screenwriter was Tudor Voican, who studied his Masters in film at York University in Toronto. Portretul luptătorului la tinereţe (Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man) won for Best Supporting Actor (Bogdan Dumitrache) and Cinematography. Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceauşescu (The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu) won for Best Documentary and Editing.

Free screening of Arthur, April 4


The University of Toronto's Cinema Studies Student Union (CINSSU) are presenting another one of their free advance screenings. They will be showing Arthur starring Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig, Helen Mirren and Nick Nolte. The screening will take place at Innis Town Hall next week on Monday, April 4 at 7pm.

This film is a remake of the 1981 film Arthur starring Dudley Moore. Russell Brand reprises the title role played by Moore, and Helen Mirren takes the role of the valet previously played by the late Sir John Gielgud.

The screening is free and open to all. You do not need to be a student or attend the University of Toronto. Preference to attend the screening will go to pass-holders. To pick up a pass, go to Innis College, 2 Sussex Ave., Rm. 107 beside the Cafe. The hours are daily from 12-4pm.

For those who don't manage to get a pass, there will be a rush line-up on the night of the screening. Just make sure you join the rush line and not the ticket-holders line.

2011 Africa Movie Academy Awards - winners


This past week was a celebration for the Seventh Annual Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) culminating in tonight's award ceremony at the Gloryland Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

The night was dominated by Viva Riva which won six awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Congo's Djo Tunda Wa Munga. It also won supporting acting awards for actress Marlene Longage and actor Hoji Fortuna, as well as cinematography and production design awards. Viva Riva had led the nominations with a total of twelve.

Sinking Sands picked up three awards, with Amake Abebrese winning the Best Actress Award to go with prizes for its screenplay and make-up.

The other two multiple award-winners were Izulu Lami which won Best Film In African Language and for which three actors shared the Best Child Actor Award. Aramotu won Best Nigerian Film and Best Costume Design.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

2011 Juno Awards - winners


The 40th Annual Juno Awards for Canadian music took place this weekend in Toronto, with 32 awards presented in a non-broadcast portion on Saturday night and the final 8 awards presented tonight. The ceremony was hosted by Toronto rapper Drake. He had led with six nominations but was surprisingly shut out altogether.

Montreal band Arcade Fire continued their winning streak (which began at the Grammy Awards and continued into the Brit Awards) by winning four awards tonight. They won Album of the Year, Group of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Alternative Album of the Year.

Rock legend Neil Young was also a multiple winner. He won Artist of the Year to go with the Adult Alternative Album of the Year Award he won yesterday and his previously announced Allan Waters Humanitarian Award. Teen favourite Justin Beiber also won two awards. He won Pop Album of the Year and the Fan Choice Award. He didn't attend the ceremony but sent his thanks by video link.

Shania Twain was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She was introduced with a speech by Bryan Adams. Twain became emotional in her acceptance and spoke about her pride in the Canadian music scene, saying "I'm really so proud of Canada's talent. I sit here tonight in the audience, and I watch these amazing artists up here on the stage, world-class talent, songwriters, singers, performers – we should be proud of these people. They're just blowing me away."

2011 Jameson Empire Awards - winners


The 2011 Jameson Empire Awards took place tonight at a ceremony hosted by Irish comic Dara O Briain at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The top award for Best Film went to Christopher Nolan's Inception.

The Best Comedy Aaward went to Four Lions. Best Horror was The Last Exorcism, while the Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy prize was given to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was named Best Thriller.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was one of the few multiple winners on the night. Noomi Rapace was named Best Actress. Kick-Ass also won Best British Film and Best Newcomer for Chloe Moretz. Edgar Wright won both Best Director for Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and the Empire Inspiration prize.

As he's done almost everywhere else for the past few months, Colin Firth won Best Actor for his role in The King's Speech. He joked, "I was going to thank my friends at the King's Speech table, but apparently there is no King's Speech table so to hell with them. I'm with my new friends at the Tinker, Tailor table, which I haven't seen yet but I'm sure it will be a masterpiece."

1st Annual Comedy Awards - winners


Comedy Central and MTV held their ceremony for the inaugural Comedy Awards last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Andy Richter was the announcer for the evening, which featured performances by The Roots and a live version of "I Just Had Sex" by Andy Samberg, Akon and Jorma Taccone backed by a gospel choir.

In the Film Categories, the Comedy Film award went to The Other Guys, while Toy Story 3 took the Animated category. The Comedy Actor winner was Zach Galifianakis for Dinner for Schmucks. Tina Fey won the Comedy Actress prize for Date Night. The Director award was given to Edgar Wright for his work on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The writers of Hot Tub Time Machine won for Comedy Screenplay. The nominations had been led by Easy A, Cyrus and Kick-Ass, but none of them picked up any awards.

In the Television section, “Modern Family” won the Comedy Series prize. “30 Rock” won for Writing and also Comedy Actor (Alec Baldwin). Kristen Wiig of “Saturday Night Live” was the Actress winner. For Late Night Series, the winner was “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”.