AMPAS Invites 271 to Academy Membership

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 271 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2014.

“This year’s class of invitees represents some of the most talented, creative and passionate filmmakers working in our industry today,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “Their contributions to film have entertained audiences around the world, and we are proud to welcome them to the Academy.”

2014 Directors Guild of Canada Awards nominees announced

The DGC is delighted to announce the 2014 DGC Awards nominees. Selected from over 250 submissions, the nominees in 19 categories represent a cross section of the industry's outstanding talent working in the screen-based industry.

The Awards will be presented at the annual Gala on Saturday, October 25, 2014 at The Carlu in Toronto. Hosted by Arisa Cox with special guests soon to be announced, the 13th edition of the DGC Awards promises to be a big one. The evening will feature a special Nominees' reception prior to the Gala.

"I am proud of the nominees and what their collective body of work brings to this country's industry as well as to the Guild as a whole," stated Tim Southam, National President, DGC. "It is a privilege for the Guild to have an opportunity to celebrate such outstanding talent every year through the DGC Awards, and this year looks more exciting than ever."

2014 Polaris Music Prize announces long list

The Polaris Music Prize has announced the long list for the 2014 award. The 40 Long List albums were unveiled at the National Music Centre in Calgary in association with the Sled Island Music Festival.

In total 189 titles made the first ballots of the 190 member jury. Twenty-three of the 40 Long List titles are first-time Polaris Music Prize nominees. Of those, three have been in previously nominated groups.

“The city has been so welcome and after what happened last year we felt it was important to reveal this year’s list in one of the most musical places in Canada. We’d like to congratulate all of the inspiring artists who made the list and the people with the easiest/toughest job in the world of narrowing that 189 worthy records to just 40 – our jury,” said Jordan.

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal announces free outdoor programming

A 35th anniversary for the Festival: everyone is invited to the party!
Free outdoor program of the 35th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

Thirty-five years—already! Well, for an occasion like this, it’ll be Party Time every day from June 26 to July 6 during the 35th edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, presented by TD in collaboration with Rio Tinto Alcan! The 2014 free outdoor program offers concerts for every taste, in every possible genre related to or descended from jazz, from new discoveries to major names to festive events.

The Festival is a genuine engine for the social, economic, cultural and tourism development of Montreal, inviting the entire world to plunge into its oasis in the heart of the du Quartier des Spectacles, the perfect place to surrender to a musical celebration in complete security on a people-friendly site packed with free music and activities, with all of your worries left at home! With that magic formula, it’s no wonder that our event annually draws 2 million entries!

Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF) unveils full program for inaugural year

The inaugural Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF) is only a few weeks away! The hugely anticipated event from Toronto International Film Festival co-founder, Bill Marshall, runs June 19 through 22, 2014.

Highlighting the world-class epicurean wonders of Niagara, NIFF will take full advantage of its unique location with two special programs. Film Feast is a gourmet wine tour meets short film festival mash-up where fine wines and hors d’oeuvres are enjoyed with a short film from Canada’s Not Short on Talent program. Filmalicious is a sublime dinner and a movie experience, where guests will enjoy a luscious three-course-meal, accompanied by a top selection of wines, and finished off with a stellar feature film, at one of the Region’s top wineries.

At the same time, NIFF aims to shine a cinematic spotlight not only on Niagara’s extraordinary beauty, but also on the remarkable talent that comes from this part of Canada. In Niagara Rises, a special program showcasing home-grown Niagara filmmakers, St. Catharines' own Mike Enns kicks it off with the world premiere of Restrung, NIFF's opening night film.

3rd annual C2MTL presents Montreal: City of Cinema / Montréal : Ville de cinéma

TELEFILM CANADA CELEBRATES CANADIAN TALENT AT C2MTL

LOUISE ARCHAMBAULT, XAVIER DOLAN, MICHAEL DOWSE AND KIM NGUYEN TAKE PART IN MONTREAL: CITY OF CINEMA / MONTRÉAL : VILLE DE CINÉMA AS THE LEAD-UP TO JAMES CAMERON CONFERENCE

Montreal, May 29, 2014 — As part of the third annual C2MTL event,Telefilm Canada is today organizing an activity, entitled Montreal: City of Cinema / Montréal : Ville de cinéma.

Organized jointly by C2MTL, Telefilm Canada and its partners Montréal International, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, ICI Radio-Canada, the City of Montréal, the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ)—la Grappe Audiovisuelle ActionMTL and Annexe Communications, Montreal: City of Cinema / Montréal : Ville de cinéma aims to promote Canadian filmmakers through an interactive meeting focused on exchange, innovation and creativity.

67th Festival de Cannes awards – winners

Complete list of winners for the 67th Cannes Film Festival

PALME D’OR
Winter Sleep, by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

GRAND PRIX
The Wonders, by Alice Rohrwacher

PRIX DE LA MISE EN SCEN (BEST DIRECTOR)
Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher

2014 Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors' Fortnight) awards – winners

The Cannes festival sidebar Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors' Fortnight) presented their awards on Friday, although they are technically non-competitive.

The feature directorial debut of French director Thomas Cailley Les Combattants (Love at First Fight) swept all three of the main awards, the first time that this has ever happened. It took the top prize Art Cinema Award, as well as the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques' SACD Prize and the Europa Cinéma Label Prize.

2014 Semaine de la Critique awards – winners

The 53rd Semaine de la Critique has announced the winners for their awards. Leading the way with three wins including the Grand Prize is Племя (The Tribe) by Мирослав Слабошпицький (Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy). It is his first film and is told entirely in sign language without dialogue or subtitles. It also won the Visionary Award and the grant from the Gan Foundation for Distibution.

The 53rd Semaine de la Critique concludes tomorrow.

17th Cinéfondation awards – winners

The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury headed by Abbas Kiarostami and including Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Noémie Lvovsky, Daniela Thomas and Joachim Trier, has awarded the 2014 Cinéfondation Prizes during a ceremony held in the Buñuel Theatre, followed by the screening of the winning films.

The Cinéfondation Selection consisted of 16 student films, chosen out of 1 631 entries coming from 457 film schools around the world.

The awarded films will receive €15,000 for the First Prize, €11,250 for the Second and €7,500 for the Third.

2014 Much Music Video Awards – nominations

Much announced today that Toronto's very own rapper Drake and West Coast rockers Hedley are tied at the top the list with an impressive six nominations each for the 2014 MUCH MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS. Vancouver hip hop artist SonReal scored five nods, while indie ensemble Arcade Fire and alternative R&B artist The Weeknd picked up four nominations each.

Both previously announced performers Imagine Dragons and Lorde nabbed two MMVA nominations each, a first for both artists. Additional first-time nominees include music innovator Pharrell, Australian boy band 5 Seconds of Summer, Canadian artists July Talk, Keys N Krates, MAGIC!, Thugli, and many more.

The stellar list of nominees join one of the hottest street parties on the planet as Kendall and Kylie Jenner co-host the 25^th anniversary of the MMVAs, airing live, coast-to-coast-to-coast, Sunday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, simulcast on Much, CTV, and CTV GO, with the MMVAs RED CARPET SPECIAL airing just before at 8 p.m. ET, exclusively on Much. Additional performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

2014 Billboard Music Awards – winners

Justin Timberlake received seven Billboard Music Awards Sunday, taking home trophies for Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album ("The 20/20 Experience") in a three-hour show at at the MGM Grand Arena.

Imagine Dragons was right behind JT, receiving five awards, with Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Duo/Group and Top Rock Artist among their tally. "Blurred Lines" earned Thicke, T.I. and Williams four trophies: Top Hot 100 Song, Top Digital Song, Top Radio Song and Top R&B Song. Thicke performed his new single, "Get Her Back," on the show.

Fans voted to give the Milestone Award to Carrie Underwood. In addition to her two performances, Jennifer Lopez delivered a passionate and emotional speech in accepting the Icon Award. A dozen awards were handed out on air in between 19 musical performances.

Celebrated Canadian Filmmaker, Guy Maddin, to Guest Judge 8th Annual Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF)

TUFF is Expanding the Annual Showcase of One-Minute, Silent Films across Canada
Make your Mark! Make a Splash! Go Big or Go Home! TUFF Call for Submission is Now Open

Celebrated Canadian filmmaker, Guy Maddin will guest judge the 8th annual Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), North America's largest commuter film festival. TUFF is returning to PATTISON Onestop subway screens across Toronto from September 5 - 15, 2014 and expanding its reach to include PATTISON Onestop screens in shopping malls across Canada, as well as the Calgary International Airport.

Guy Maddin, OM, CM is an installation artist, screen-writer and filmmaker, the director of ten feature-length movies, including: My Winnipeg (2007), The Saddest Music in the World (2003), and innumerable shorts. Twice he has won America's National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Experimental Film, with Archangel (1991) and The Heart of the World (2001). The Telluride Silver Medal for life achievement in 1995, the San Francisco International Film Festival's Persistence of Vision Award in 2006, and an Emmy for his ballet film Dracula - Pages from a Virgin's Diary (2002), are a few of the prestigious awards his work had garnered to date.

Banff World Media Festival's 2014 Rockie Awards – nominees

The Banff World Media Festival is proud to announce the 2014 Rockie Award Nominees. Selected by over 250 independent industry professionals working in film, television and media from around the world, the 156 nominees represent the best of the best content in broadcast and digital.

The winners if the Rockie Awards will be announced during an awards ceremony at the Banff World Media Festival, which takes place next month from June 8-11 in Banff, Alberta.

The categories for this year are:

Programmers revealed for the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

Piers Handling, Director and CEO of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, welcome the team of 21 programmers who will make the selections for the 39th Toronto International Film Festival®, which runs from Thursday, September 4 to Sunday, September 14, 2014.

Piers Handling
Western Europe, Italy, Poland, USA, Gala Presentations
Handling is the Director and Chief Executive Officer of TIFF. He has held this position since 1994, and is responsible for leading both the operational and artistic growth of the organization. TIFF has grown under Handling’s direction to become an internationally renowned cultural institution. He has curated numerous film retrospectives and presented programmes of Canadian cinema at the Sundance Film Festival, the British Film Institute, and the Havana Film Festival. He is the co-curator of TIFF’s first major touring exhibition, David Cronenberg: Evolution, dedicated to the celebrated Canadian director, screenwriter, and actor.