"imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival"- Oct 14-18...

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'Indigenous cinema' will be celebrated in Toronto at the 10th "imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival", Wednesday, October 14th to Sunday, October 18th, 2009, showcasing global aboriginal filmmakers and media artists, with more than 125 works of innovation in film, video, radio and new media.

"The celebration of imagineNATIVE’s 10th anniversary offers an important occasion to reflect on the accomplishments of the last 10 years and the exciting opportunities ahead of us," said Executive Director Kerry Swanson.

"In 10 years we have seen an incredible explosion of growth in Indigenous-produced film and media art and, as a result, a surge of interest and recognition for the unique and groundbreaking work shown at the festival."

"The films programmed this year," said Director of Programming Michelle Latimer, "speak to the contemporary experience and reflect the fact that today's Indigenous filmmakers are reclaiming the medium of film and transforming the world-view of Indigenous people by voicing our contemporary stories from the inside out."

The fest opens with the Canadian feature doc "Reel Injun", a look at stereotypes of the 'cowboy and Indians' era, with classic movie clips and interviews with Robbie Robertson, Clint Eastwood, Adam Beach, Graham Greene, John Trudell and Jim Jarmusch, accompanied by the Canadian short "Tungijuq", about Inuit hunting traditions and a woman’s transformative journey, starring 'throat singer' Tanya Taqaq and Cannes-award winning filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk, director of "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner".

In a Fest world premiere, filmmaker/writer/activist Sarah Roque’s "Six Miles Deep" offers a look at the women who stood behind the lines during the 2006 Caledonia/Six Nations land claim dispute, celebrating clan mothers from past to present, while giving voice to the hopes of a community.

Other films include the feature doc "Jackpot", directed by Alan Black and produced by Michelle Latimer, set in a Toronto bingo hall.

Documentarian Alanis Obamsawin will screen "Professor Norman Cornett – 'Since When Do We Divorce The Right Answer From An Honest Answer?'", setting her sights on "...academia and its imprint on tomorrow’s attitudes via young minds..."

Obamsawin has made more than 20 docs about Aboriginal issues, receiving the Governor General’s Award and the Order of Canada.
Six shorts programs will be on view including a first-time animation category, two dramatic programs, Youth, Experimental, The Witching Hour (late night films) and Embargo Collective, a two-year collaboration of seven boundary-pushing artists.

Special Programs includes an illustrated lecture curated by Dana Claxton with an accompanying essay published by the festival’s partners Vtape; curator Cheryl L’Hirondelle reflects on the roots of Indigenous new media art with the exhibit 'Codetalkers of the Digital Divide', presented in partnership with A Space Gallery.

A New Media Mash Up offers a live collaboration between Tanya Tagaq and video artist Bear Witness, Thursday October 15 at The Music Gallery.
Inuit artists featured throughout the festival will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cape Dorset’s Kinngait Studios with a screening/gallery tour at the Art Gallery of Ontario with curator Gerald McMaster.

The world’s newest democracy, the country of Nepal, will be the feature of the International Spotlight of original film voices.

THE BEAT program returns this year with Nunavut alt-rocker Lucie Idlout, singer-songwriter George Leach and Cree slide-guitarist Jason Burnstick @ The Hard Rock Cafe.

The imagineNATIVE closing night feature is the Canadian premiere of "Barking Water", a new drama by Sterlin "Four Sheets To The Wind" Harjo, preceded by the world premiere of Adam Garnet Jones’ "Wave a Red Flag".

Sneak Peek trailers for "Reel Injun" and "Barking Water"...

"Toronto Urban Film Festival" Winners...

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Toronto-based film-makers, Joyce Wong and Sonia Hong, won @ the Toronto Urban Film Festival (TUFF), September 20, capturing both 1st Place and the "Women in Film & Television Toronto" (WIFT-T) Award for 'Most Ambitious Film by a Female Filmmaker' for their stop-motion short "EmBodying Toronto", a 1-minute silent film "...taking a fanciful look at what Toronto would look like on the body of a woman..."

The duo were presented with a trip for two to the Dominican Republic, complimentary memberships to WIFT-T, a $1,200 WIFT-T programming pass and a $1,500 equipment rental credit.

Ceremonies were held at Toronto's Queen Street West, Drake Underground, attended by local filmmakers, jurors and the Toronto Mayor.

The other big award of the evening went to Toronto's Elijah Marchand, winner of the inaugural "Naish McHugh Award for Emerging Filmmakers", presented with a $2,500 cheque by the Mayor on behalf of the City of Toronto. His 1-minute film, "Jour Bruyant", is "...an exquisite dramatic short about a young woman, a young man, and their near encounter on the subway..."

Other winners:

2nd place - "DISCS" - David Frankovich - $2,500 cash award.

3rd place - "The Split" - Vuk Dragojevic - $2000 cash award.

Honourable mentions were also handed out to Tara Cooper for "Tara and Terry’s Summer Vacation" and to Maayke Schurer for "Urban Salvation".

"I am continually impressed with what our filmmakers can do in one silent minute, and I am always inspired by their creative views on city living and urban issues,” said Sharon Switzer, TUFF Executive Producer.

The Drake 'Audience Choice' Award was won by "Our Toronto: Nuit Blanche 08", a mixed-media work, with director, Daniel Sidorowicz, receiving a complimentary screening/reception at The Drake Underground to support the launch of his next film.

'TUFFIES' were also presented to filmmakers in each of 7 categories as well as to three special category winners. Top picks in each program category were decided by a jury of local figures from the art, media and film community:

Best in Urban Diversity -- "The Clothes Make The Man" -- Owen Eric Wood - Selected by Guest Juror Ali Kazimi (Professor in the Department of Film at York University)

Best in Urban Encounters - "Water Children (An Urban Ballet)" - Lorène Bourgeois - Selected by Guest Juror Jennifer Chen (Director of Programming at 'Channel Zero')

Best in Urban Ideas - "STATIC" - Alice Bradshaw - Selected by Guest Juror Pablo de Ocampo (Artistic Director, Images Festival)

Best in Urban Imaginary - "Aeroplanes" - Ryan Hughes -- Selected by Guest Juror Janine Marchessault (Professor, Cinema/Media Studies, York University).

Best in Urban Journeys - "me, City" - Dennis Day - Selected by Guest Juror Lisa Steele (Chair, Department of Art, University of Toronto)

Best in Urban Natural - "Urban Jungle" - Joe Pascale - Selected by Guest Juror Christina Battle (Assistant Professor, Film Studies, University of Colorado)

Best in Urban Secrets - "Kim and Jesse" - Nguyen-Anh Nguyen - Selected by Guest Judge Dara Gellman (video artist)

Best Comedic Film Award - "Big City" - thefergusonbrothers

Best Screenplay Award - "Dog Days" - Brandi Boulet

Trinity Square Video Pitch Award -- "Under Construction" -- Melissa Levin

The “Best of the Festival” can be viewed Monday, September 21st, on platform screens across Toronto's subway transit TTC or online @ torontourbanfilmfestival.com.

TIFF 2009: "A Prophet" For The Oscars...

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Screening @ TIFF 2009 in the 'Masters' category, the prison picture "A Prophet", directed by Jacques "The Beat That My Heart Skipped" Audiard, will represent France in the foreign-language film category at the 2010 Academy Awards.

The thriller previously won the Grand Jury Prize @ Cannes, starring actor Tahar Rahim as an 'aimless' man sent to jail, where he finds his 'calling' and develops into a notorious gangster leader.

The film was produced by Why Not Films' Pascal Caucheteux and co-produced by Celluloid Dreams, with the feature picking up territories including Canada, the US, Japan and the UK.

Sneak Peek a trailer for "A Prophet"...

Sony Champions Canadian "Defendor"...

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The superhero comedy feature "Defendor", debuting @ TIFF 2009, starring actor Woody "Cheers" Harrelson has picked up a seven-figure distribution deal from Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group for all US rights, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The film was written/directed by Vancouver-based, Canadian actor Peter "G-Spot" Stebbings and produced by Toronto/LA-based Nicholas Tabarrok of Darius Films.

According to reports, Tabarrok pre-sold Canadian rights for "Defendor" to Alliance Films as part of the movie's financing package.

"...When night falls and danger emerges from the shadows of the 'Hammer Town' alleyways, 'Defendor' is the only man who stands between us and the drug-ravaged streets. He is the last bastion of decency, the last honourable man: he is Defendor! But he is also 'Arthur Poppington' (Woody Harrelson), a simple man who lives in the workshop of the construction company that employs him to hold traffic signs.

Arthur is a self-made superhero who runs afoul of the law when he lays a beating on an undercover cop, 'Chuck Dooney' (Elias Koteas), who was abusing a young prostitute named 'Kat' (Kat Dennings).

Always the hero, Arthur takes Kat to his secret hideout hoping she can help him find his arch-nemesis, the diabolical 'Captain Industry'. Mistakenly convinced that Captain Industry killed his mother, Arthur has made it his mission to track down this enemy at all costs. But in order to do so, he must first overcome his most difficult challenge ever: convincing the court-appointed psychiatrist 'Dr. Park' (Sandra Oh) that he's sane enough to be on the streets..."

Sneak Peek the trailer for "Defendor"...

Sound Off For "Silent Hill": The Sequel...

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Screenwriter Roger "Pulp Fiction" Avary and producer Samuel Hadida of Davis Films will reunite for a Toronto-lensed sequel to their 2006 video game, feature adaptation "Silent Hill".

The first film, lensed in Ontario, based on the Konami video game, starred actors Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Canadian actresses Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger and Tanya Allen, directed by Christophe "Brotherhood Of The Wolf" Gans for TriStar Pictures.

Davis Films plans to shoot the new film in 2010, after they wrap "Resident Evil: Afterlife", now prepping in Toronto with star Milla Jovovich.

Avary is also writing the game adaptation "Return To Castle Wolfenstein" for Davis Films.

Sneak Peek the original trailer for "Silent Hill"...

TIFF 2009: "London River" by Rachid Bouchard...

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"London River" is the newest feature from award-winning French-Algerian director Rachid "Days Of Glory" Bouchareb, starring actress Brenda Blethyn, screening @ TIFF 2009 September 17.

The film also won a 'Silver Bear' @ Berlinale 2009, awarded to Sotigui Kouyaté for best acting.

"...Cities push strangers together, at times tragically, as in the London bombings of July 7, 2005. As hundreds went missing in the confusion of the aftermath, family and friends posted flyers all over the city with pictures of the loved ones they sought.

Brenda Blethyn plays 'Mrs. Sommers', a farming woman with a simple rural routine. When her regular calls to her city-dwelling daughter go unanswered, she crosses the English Channel into the throng of north London. At first, news of the terror attacks are mere background noise to her, but as she continues to search for her daughter, fear sets in.

At the same time, 'Ousmane' (Sotigui Kouyaté) an African farm worker has travelled from rural France to London to search for his son, also missing since the attacks..."

Sneak Peek the trailer to "London River"...

CFC Annual BBQ: Celebrating Filmmaking Talent @ TIFF

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The Canadian Film Centre Annual BBQ Celebrating Filmmaking Talent @ TIFF, hosted by director/producer Norman Jewison, was held Sunday September 13 at Toronto's tree-lined, Windfields Estate, home of the CFC.

The exclusive VIP gathering of Canadian/international filmmaking talent gathered to celebrate 'the independent creative spirit' with live music performed by The Arkells and numerous outdoor food/beverage kiosks, providing perogies, pizza, beef, chicken, veggie burgers, beer, wine and my fave drink(s) of the afternoon, the 'Aficionado', made with 'Belvedere Vodka', topped by lemon, white cranberry and sparkling elderflower water.

Special announcements included the CFC naming Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian film actor Kiefer "24" Sutherland as Chair of the 'CFC Actors Conservatory', presented by Canwest and supported by the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, as Canada’s first professional level, cross collaborative on-screen training program for actors. The inaugural five-month session will launch September 21, 2009.

“I am honored to contribute to Norman Jewison’s legacy by offering the CFC my passion for storytelling, for Canada and its talent,” said Sutherland.

“'The Actors Conservatory' will have significant influence on the professional and creative lives of the actors attending and on our industry.”

“Canwest’s investment in the CFC Actors Conservatory is part of a long-term strategy to nurture Canadian acting talent and enhance the quality of home-grown programming,” said Christine Shipton, Senior Vice President, Drama and Factual Content, Canwest Broadcasting.

"With Kiefer Sutherland’s commitment, the Conservatory will not only generate renewed enthusiasm for Canadian actors but will help take our Canadian programming efforts to the next level.”

The CFC Actors Conservatory will offer actors a unique, 'transformative' professional on-screen experience, collaborating with industry experts through a series of workshops/master classes alongside international actors/directors/writers/producers with a primary focus on the acting process.

Designed to build strategic relationships that ensure professional film and television opportunities for CFC actor graduates, a goal of the Conservatory is to systematically build a Canadian star system through a series of star building initiatives.

The other notable announcement made at the BBQ, was an offer of federal/provincial infrastructure funding to construct new buildings for the CFC, according to former broadcaster, Conservative politician Peter Kent, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs ( Americas ) and Liberal George Smitherman, Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, with the governments of Canada and Ontario each investing up to $3.25 million towards the project.

“These new facilities for the Canadian Film Centre will provide a home to nurture talent and ideas, promoting innovation and creating jobs in the film, television and new media industries”, said Kent.

“Ontario is proud to be home to the Canadian Film Centre and support a strong presence in the film, television and new media industries," said Smitherman.

“Over the past few years the CFC has grown to be at the forefront of 21st century entertainment,” said Slawko Klymkiw, Executive Director of the CFC.

“With this growth it is important that our facilities complement the excellence of our programs. The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto ’s generous commitments to the CFC are a key component in helping us build a strong foundation and a vibrant future for the talent of this country.”

The project will involve upgrades to existing buildings as well as the construction of three new ones, providing additional space for film, television and new media program activities, as well as hosting CFC and community events.

Total eligible project costs are estimated at $8,950,500, one of nearly 1,200 initiative across the province that will break ground thanks to $1.84 billion in joint federal/provincial funding under the 'Infrastructure Stimulus Fund'.

A charitable not-for-profit organization, the Canadian Film Centre is Canada’s largest institution for advanced training in film, television and new media, committed to promoting and investing in Canada’s creative community...

Joker Films Acquires Stefaniuk's "Suck"...

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A party at the GAT's Yorkville headquarters, September 11, honouring cast and crew before the TIFF 2009 world premiere screening of the new rock 'n roll vampire movie "Suck", was followed by a gala concert/party at Toronto's Phoenix Theatre, celebrating the recent US/International sales acquisition by Tim Brown's Joker Films of the $3.5 million, Toronto-lensed feature, written, directed and starring Rob "Phil The Alien" Stefaniuk.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the film 'Suck'", said Brown.

"Rob Stefaniuk is a tremendously talented writer/director/actor who has put together an enormously entertaining movie that audiences are going to love.”

"...Seemingly doomed to road trip doldrums and dives, the band The Winners breaks its slump when its female bass player (Jessica Paré) disappears one night with a hip vampire. She returns charged with sexual charisma that creates audience frenzy and eventually ensnares the rest of the band to trade their souls (literally) for fame and fortune..."

Filmed in Toronto, November 2008, "Suck" is jointly produced by Robin Crumley, VP of Capri Vision and Jeff Rogers, co-produced by Victoria Hirst for executive producers Jeff Sackman, Gabriella Martinelli, Terry Markus and Brad Peyton. DP was D. Gregor Hagey, with editing by Michele Conroy. John "The Doughboys" Kastner composed the soundtrack, Jim Goodall provided production design, costume designer was Mario Davignon with key makeup by Jordan Samuel.

Sneak Peek the official HD trailer for "Suck"...

OMDC Presents "Celebrate Ontario" @ TIFF...

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Canadian and international stars came out to 'Celebrate Ontario', Friday, September 11, as the Ontario Media Development Corp saluted Ontario filmmakers at the Manyata Courtyard Café, 55 Avenue Road, Hazelton Lanes in Toronto's Yorkville distict.

The event honoured Ontario film projects/filmmakers that received funding through the OMDC Film Fund.

Cast, producers and directors from "Cairo Time", "Cooking with Stella", "Defendor", "High Life", "Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel", "Leslie, My Name is Evil", "Suck" and "Year of the Carnivore" were in attendance.

Speakers included Kevin Shea, Chair, OMDC, Brigitte Berman, Oscar winner and director of TIFF 2009 film "Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel" and Karen Thorne-Stone, CEO, OMDC.

The Ontario Media Development Corporation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, is the central catalyst for the province’s cultural media cluster including book publishing, film, television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing and music industries...

"Mark Lewis: In A City"...

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Thanks to the NFB for a great reception celebrating "Mark Lewis: In a City", September 8 @ the downtown campus of the University of Toronto's 'Hart House'.

"Mark Lewis: In a City", in its first major public exhibition, includes six works filmed on location in Toronto, featuring the North American premiere of the trilogy 'Cold Morning', commissioned by the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada, for Mark Lewis’s presentation as the official Canadian representative at the Venice Biennale 2009.

The exhibition 'Mark Lewis: In a City', on view at the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, is presented in collaboration with the Toronto International Film Festival's Future Projections Program...

Martin & Ingrid's TIFF 09 Kick-Off Party..

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Thanks go out to Martin & Ingrid's 'TIFF 09 Kick-Off Party', Wednesday, September 9th @ the GAT + M.LINK Festival headquarters in downtown Toronto's Yorkville, providing select wines from Bryan J. Robertson's Kingsway Brokerage Ltd., on behalf of Wild Bunch, Elle Driver, Celluloid Dreams, Film&Doc, Capri Films, The Works International & UMedia, supporting the following films screening at this year's Toronto International Film Festival:


CONTEMPORARY CINEMA :

"Rabia" directed by Sebastian Cordero, will screen its world premiere with Cordero in attendance.

"...South American immigrants working in Spain, builder José María and housekeeper Rosa have been together for a few weeks and are very much in love. Rosa's bosses, Señor and Señora Torres, leave their home on a trip, and the volatile José María spends a few days at the run-down mansion, fantasizing about what life with Rosa could be.

When a violent confrontation with his foreman results in the other man's death, José María flees to the mansion, telling no one. Hiding in the vast, abandoned attic he begins a secret life - half voyeur, half ghost - stealing food at night, always hidden, with only the rats for company. He listens, he watches, ever aware of the risk of discovery.

From the shadows he observes the sad, blighted lives of Señor and Señora Torres, an elderly couple occasionally visited by their grown up children. And he observes the daily routines of Rosa's working life. The Torres family are fond of their servant, but also subject her to verbal and physical abuse. José María watches, unable to act, his anger growing...

Discovering a second phone line, José María calls Rosa without revealing his whereabouts. They start a new 'long distance' relationship, both yearning for the day when they can be together again. But a shocking revelation forces José María to remain in hiding..."

"Suck", directed by Rob Stefaniuk, will have a world premiere, with Stefaniuk and actors Jessica Paré, Dimitri Coats, Carole Pope, John Kastner, Nicole DeBoer, Calico Cooper, Alex Lifeson, Chris Ratz and Mike Lobel in attendance.

"...Written and directed by musician/actor Rob Stefaniuk - and featuring acting turns from the likes of Iggy Pop Alice Cooper, Henry Rollins and Moby - SUCK, follows a group of rock ‘n’ roll wannabes in search of immortality and a record deal. Seemingly doomed to roadtrip doldrums and dives, the band The Winners break their slump when their female bass player disappears one night with a studly, stylin’ vampire. She returns charged with sexual charisma that creates audience frenzy and eventually ensnares the rest of the band. Their “hook” launches them to fame. But fame turns out to be a different kind of Hell than AC/DC promised.

Following an “incident” on a national radio show with “Rockn’ Roger” The Winners hit mega-stardom beyond their wildest dreams. But Joey is haunted by an eerie bartender with a dark secret. And legendary vampire hunter, Eddie Van Helsing, is on their tail tracking them down despite his fear of the dark. But when a veteran music producer calls them on becoming a vampire freak show, their rock’n’roll bubble bursts...."

"The Wind Journey"s/("Los Viajes del viento"), directed by Ciro Guerra, will have a North American Premiere, with Guerra in attendance.

"...Ignacio Carrillo travelled all his life throughout the villages and regions of northern Colombia, carrying music and traditional songs on his accordion, a legendary instrument that is said to be cursed, because it once belonged to the devil. As he became older, he got married and settled with his wife in a small town, leaving his nomadic life behind. When she suddenly dies, he decides to make one last journey to the Northern edge of the country, to return the accordion to the man who gave it to him, his teacher and mentor, so he will never play it again. On the way, he is joined by Fermín, a teenager who dreams of becoming a “juglar” like Ignacio, and to travel all around playing the accordion like he did. Tired of his loneliness, Ignacio accepts to be accompanied, and together they start the journey from Majagual, Sucre, to Taroa, beyond the Guajira desert, finding on the way the enormous diversity of the Caribbean culture and surviving all kinds of adventures. Ignacio will try to convince Fermín to take a different path in his life, having learned that his only led to solitude and sadness, but he will have to face the fact that destiny has different plans for him and his pupil..."

DISCOVERY

"Every Day is a Holiday", directed by Dima El -Horr will have a world premiere, with El-Horr and Hiam Abbass in attedance.

"...Three women are riding in the same bus through today’s Lebanon for a day’s journey towards the same destination: the men’s prison. The first woman is visiting her husband, in jail since their wedding day. The second has one single goal in mind: to have her husband, who is serving a long sentence, sign the divorce papers that will finally free her. The third is traveling unwillingly, with fear in her stomach: she is secretly carrying in her bag the weapon her husband, one of the prison guards, forgot at home.

An accident throws the journey off track. Lost in the middle of nowhere, the women become prey to their anxieties and obsessions. As the land around them becomes more and more arid, they hear rumors of massacres and throngs of refugees… And yet they go on, pushing further into what eventually turns into an interior journey, where individual life and collective memory blend and blur into one another. Is this a dream, a nightmare, a fantasy or each woman’s own reality?"

"Samson & Delilah", directed by Warwick Thornton is a Camera d’Or, Cannes winner,

"...Samson and Delilah’s world is small – an isolated community in the Central Australian desert. When tragedy strikes they turn their backs on home and embark on a journey of survival. Lost, unwanted and alone they discover that life isn’t always fair, but love never judges..."

MASTERS

"White Material", directed by Claire Denis will have a North American Premiere with Denis and actor Christophe Lambert in attendance.

"...No more smirking. We're stopping the bullshit right now and staying put. The regular army is preparing to reestablish order in the country. To clean up. To eliminate the rebel officer also known as the Boxer and rid the countryside of roving child soldiers. All the expatriates have gone home, getting out before things turn nasty. Of the Vials - coffee planters who have lived here for two generations, Maria stands firm. She's not about to give in to rumors or abandon her harvest at the first sound of gunfire. Just like her father-in-law and her ex-husband who is also the father of her son (a little too much of a slacker in her opinion) she is convinced that Cherif, mayor of the neighboring town, will protect them. If she asks him he will save the plantation. He has a personal guard, a private militia of tough guys, heavily armed and well trained..."

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

"Good Hair", directed by Jeff Stilson will have a Canadian Premiere with comedian Chris Rock in attendance.

"...What more can be said about black people and their hair? Everything. The subject has inspired countless song lyrics, books, films and kitchen-counter arguments. The politics, the economics and even the physics of black hair can sometimes trigger obsession. Now everyone can find out what all the fuss is about, with Chris Rock as a guide.

Acting as African America's Michael Moore, Rock goes front and centre in this investigative documentary that is both hilarious and surprisingly informative. It began with an innocent question from his young daughter: “Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?” In black families “good” hair means straight hair, and it's been the source of pain and envy ever since African slaves first digested European beauty standards. Today, women on limited incomes pay thousands of dollars a year to maintain a straight-hair weave – or expect their men to pay for them. To assist in the exploration of this trend, the Reverend Al Sharpton, interviewed by Rock in a light mood, sermonizes on the historical significance of his processed ‘do.

Rock is bemused as he goes from salon to street corner to industrial giant, but he asks tough, smart questions. Aided by both ordinary people and celebrities – actress Nia Long, author Maya Angelou – he aims to bring common sense to an arena ruled by vanity and warped custom. Still, there's no denying the incredible creative ferment brought on by this desire to change and improve one's hair. Visiting an annual contest for black hair stylists, Rock watches as competitors whip up coiffures that seem straight out of science fiction. Underpinning it all is a hidden economy that stretches from those living in America's black neighbourhoods, to the businessmen who harvest women's hair in India, to the Korean American brokers who deal straight black Asian hair to black women so their manes can look more European. It's a black thing, but everybody's involved..."

"The Front Line", directed by Renato de Maria will have a world premiere with de Maria in attendance.

"...The Front Line" is a remarkable film about an extreme left-wing terrorist group, infamous for its violent exploits, and the scourge of the authorities and civilized society for most of a decade. Renato De Maria fictionalizes the story of two of the group's leaders, Sergio Segio (Riccardo Scamarcio) and Susanna Ronconi (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), who were colleagues and lovers, a modern-day Marxist Bonnie and Clyde. Directed with taut control and an impressive sense of suspense, the film offers a probing and insightful look into the terrorist mind, recreating a period of Italian history many have forgotten.

De Maria tackles his subject from the perspective of his male protagonist, who looks back from his jail cell on his youthful exploits with understanding, candour and remorse. Believing there would be a coup by right-wing elements, a young Sergio goes underground, convinced the use of violence is a necessary choice. There he meets the equally committed Susanna, falls in love and continues to fight the brutal battle of a political extremist. Eventually, Sergio grows disenchanted with the tactics of the Prima Linea, but when Susanna is captured, he resorts to the methods he has learned as a militant to try to spring her from prison..."

"The Good Heart:, directed by Dagur Kari will have a world premiere with Kari and Brian Cox in attendance.

"...Lucas has come to an existential dead-end. He is young and homeless, living in a cardboard box under the Brooklyn Bridge. With a total lack of prospects for the future, Lucas tries to commit suicide, but the attempt is a failure like everything else in his life.

Recuperating in hospital Lucas is forced to share a room with Jacques, a grouchy old bar-owner whose unhealthy lifestyle has resulted in no fewer than five heart attacks. With no family and a high risk of passing away any minute, Jacques takes Lucas under his wing with the intention of passing on his legacy.

Lucas moves in and begins a hectic learning process in a bar that has totally its own set of rules and philosophies. Against all the odds, Jacques and Lucas form a quirky friendship. Everything seems to be going according to plan...

Until one rainy night when April, a drunken stewardess, strays into the bar. Lucas is unable to turn this beautiful stranger away and invites April to stay..."

"London River", directed by Rachid Bouchareb, winner of a Silver Bear @ Berlinale 2009will have actor Brenda Blethyn in attendance.

"...Cities push strangers together, at times tragically, as in the London bombings of July 7, 2005. As hundreds went missing in the confusion of the aftermath, family and friends posted flyers all over the city with pictures of the loved ones they sought. London River moves surely toward that heartbreaking moment, but it begins on the peaceful isle of Guernsey.

Brenda Blethyn plays Mrs. Sommers, a farming woman with a simple rural routine. When her regular calls to her city-dwelling daughter go unanswered, she crosses the English Channel into the throng of north London. At first, news of the terror attacks are mere background noise to her, but as she continues to search fruitlessly for her daughter, and the unfamiliarity of her daughter's polyglot, predominately Muslim neighbourhood begins to unsettle her, fear sets in.

At the same time, Ousmane (Sotigui Kouyaté) has travelled from rural France to London to search for his son, also missing since the attacks. An African farm worker, he is equally at sea in the city. Ousmane and Elisabeth meet by chance, but it soon dawns on them that his son and her daughter were roommates, and maybe more..."

"Mr. Nobody", directed by Jaco van Dormael will have a North American Premiere with
van Dormael and Sarah Polley in attedance.

"...Nemo Nobody (Jared Leto) leads an ordinary existence at his wife's side, Elise (Sarah Polley), and their 3 children until the day when reality skids and he wakes up as an old man in the year 2092. At 120, Mr. Nobody is both the oldest man in the world and the last mortal of a new mankind where nobody dies anymore. But that doesn't seem to interest or bother him very much. The only questions that preoccupy him in the present is whether he lived the right life for himself, loved the woman whom he was supposed to love, and had the children whom he was meant to have... now his purpose is to find the right answer..."

"Mao’s Last Dancer", directed by Bruce Beresford will have a world premiere with Beresford, producer Jane Scott, screenwriter Jan Sardi, composer Christopher Gordon, and cast members Chi Cao, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Amanda Schull, and Madeleine Eastoe in attendance.

"...Brought to the screen by Bruce Beresford, director of such celebrated works as Driving Miss Daisy and Black Robe, the inspiring true story of Li Cunxin speaks to personal and cultural freedom, passion and determination.

Born in 1961, Li lived with his six brothers and impoverished parents in China's Shandong Province. His family was destined to be labourers, but when recruiters from Madame Mao's ballet academy in Beijing swept through his single-room school in search of untapped talent to mould into the future leading lights of the Cultural Revolution, eleven-year-old Li was selected, and committed to a strange new life of stringent training, both artistic and ideological. At first, the experience overwhelmed, but when an audacious teacher introduced him to the works of great international performers (via concealed videotapes, no less), Li (excellently played as a young adult by dancer Chi Cao) realized dance's true revolutionary potential.

Practising by candlelight and jumping up stairs with sandbags tied to his ankles to build his strength while his peers slept, Li became the school's top dancer. Discovered by Ben Stevenson (played by Canada's Bruce Greenwood), the artistic director of the Houston Ballet and part of the first American cultural delegation to Communist China, Li in turn was one of the first exchange students allowed by Mao's regime to go to America. After a brief bout with culture shock – Houston's malls and so-called Chinese restaurants were alien spheres to him – he quickly fell in love with America's freedom and one of its winsome daughters. When his exchange ended, Li refused to return to China, leading to a dramatic standoff at the consulate that made headlines across the United States..."

"Valhalla Rising", directed by Nicolas Winding Refn will have a North American Premiere, with Refn and actor Mads Mikkelsen in attend.

"...For years, One-Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the chieftain Barde. Aided by a boy, he kills his captor and together they escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One-Eye and the boy board a Viking vessel but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that disintegrates only as they sight an unknown land. As this new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible fate, One-Eye discovers his true self..."

VANGUARD

"Bunny and The Bull", directed by Paul King will have a world premiere, with director King in attendance.

"...Bunny & the Bull is a road movie set entirely in a flat. Stephen Turnbull hasn't been outside in months. When a sudden infestation of mice forces him to change his precious routine, he finds his mind hurtling back to the disastrous trek around Europe he undertook with his friend Bunny, a womanising, gambling-addicted booze-hound. Stephen's flat becomes the springboard for an extraordinary odyssey through landscapes of snapshots and souvenirs, from the industrial wastelands of Silesia to the bull fields of Andalusia. Bunny & the Bull is an offbeat and beautiful journey to the end of the room..."

"Enter The Void", directed by Gaspar Noe will have a North American Premiere with Noe and Paz de la Huerta in attendance.

"...Oscar and his sister Linda are recent arrivals in Tokyo. Oscar's a small time drug dealer, and Linda works as a nightclub stripper. One night, Oscar is caught up in a police bust and shot. As he lies dying, his spirit, faithful to the promise he made his sister ­ that he would never abandon her - refuses to abandon the world of the living. It wanders through the city, his visions growing evermore distorted, evermore nightmarish. Past, present and future merge in a hallucinatory maelstrom..."

"My Queen Karo", directed by Dorothée Van Den Berghe will have a world premiere with Van Den Berghe and Matthias Schoenaerts in attedendance.

"...Amsterdam's squatter culture is as famous a utopian experiment as American communes, but seen far less often in films. Dorothée van den Berghe draws from her own experiences growing up in Amsterdam's bohemian environment in My Queen Karo, her spirited second feature. If property is evil, what can be said about the possessiveness that comes with love and family?

It begins as the most incredible adventure. In 1974, Karo (Anna Franziska Jäger) sets out from Belgium with her dad, Raven (Matthias Schoenaerts), and her mom, Dalia (Déborah François), to start a new life in Amsterdam. They join a group that is taking over a vacant building and setting up a new society based around the vast common room they all share. No walls, no rules – only love..."

Toronto Film Production Update...

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AARON STONE Season 2
TV Series
June 23 – Sept. 17/09

BEAT THE WORLD
Feature
Sept. 28 – Nov. 2/09

COIN FLIP
TV Movie
Sept. 3 – Oct. 16/09

DEVIL
Feature
Oct. 26 – Dec. 16/09

FAMILY GATHERING
TV Movie
Sept. 2 – 25/09

KIDS IN THE HALL: DEATH
COMES TO TOWN
TV Series
Aug. 17 – Oct. 7/09

MURDOCH MYSTERIES
Season 3
July 8 – Nov. 17/09

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
Feature
Sept. 23 – Dec. 22/09

THE SHRINE
Feature
Aug. 10 – Sept. 12/09

VACATION WITH DEREK
TV Movie
Sept. 13 – Oct. 5/09

ANGEL ON CAMPUS
Mini-Series
July 6-Aug. 28/09

BEING ERICA
TV Series
June 1 – Oct. 16/09

COPPER Season 1
TV Series
July 13 – Dec. 1/09

DAN FOR MAYOR
Season 1
TV Series
Sept. 14 – Nov. 19/09

TURN THE BEAT AROUND
TV Movie
Aug. 17 – Sept. 10/09

WILD GIRL
TV Movie
Aug. 29 – Sept. 22/09

AT RISK & THE FRONT
TV Movies
July 20 – Oct. 16/09

BLOODLETTING
TV Series
June 29 -Sept. 23/09

DEGRASSI: The Next Generation Season 9
TV Series
May 19 – Oct. 21/09

DOUBLE WEDDING
TV Movie
Sept. 12 – Oct. 6/09

HAPPY TOWN Season 1
TV Series
Aug. – Oct. 2/09

LIVING IN YOUR CAR
Season 1
TV Series
Sept. 14 – Nov. 30/09

PAANI
Feature
July 10 – Nov. 30/09

THE BORDER
TV Series
June 1 – Oct. 15/09

Ontario Gifts TIFF With $10 Million...

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One week before the opening of the2009 Toronto International Film Festival, a dedication ceremony was held in downtown Toronto, at a parking lot on John and King Street West, site of the future home of the 'TIFF Bell Lightbox'.

Ontario Culture Minister Aileen Carroll and Deputy Premier George Smitherman announced a 'gift' of $10 million towards the building's 'capital campaign' as TIFF execs and board members looked on.

The proposed five-storey podium, with cinemas, screening rooms and a restaurant, joined to a new high-rise condo development, owned by the family of "Ghostbusters" director Ivan Reitman, will be finished by September 2010.

The $10 million from Ontario is in addition to the $25 million the province originally pledged towards the $198 million project...

Toronto Start For "The Saint" ?

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According to VancouverFilm.Net , the September 2009, British Columbia provincial budget contains no new tax relief for the local film/TV industry, looking to increase BC's 35% labour-based tax credit.

The new budget was revealed as British Columbia currently faces the biggest provincial deficit in its history.

In recent weeks, the BC film/TV sector become increasingly agitated as the province began losing US projects to Ontario, including the recent move to Toronto of Vancouver-based Brightlight Pictures, noted for a string of Uwe Boll-directed features, setting-up shop in Ontario to lense a US service production remake of the 1962 UK TV series "The Saint", based on the works of author Leslie Charteris.

Sneak Peek the opening to the first episode of "The Saint"...

Will "Green Lantern" Power Up In Toronto...?

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Reports suggest that Pinewood Toronto (formerly Filmport), the largest (and newest) indoor film studio facility in North America, may host Warners upcoming adaptation of DC Comics "Green Lantern".

The film's scheduled shoot in Australia (where the poorly-performing "Superman Returns" was lensed), could push ballooning production costs north of $150 million.

At issue is that the film would no longer qualify for certain tax credits, making an Australian start more expensive than filming in Toronto, where the Ontario government is offering generous tax breaks for the new "Resident Evil: Afterlife" feature, Steven Spielberg's untitled alien invasion series for TNT, Universal's "Scott Pilgrim" and producer M. Knight Shyamalan's "Devil" .

The fact that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds has already been cast as 'Hal Jordan', aka 'Green Lantern' will also go a long way towards sweetening up a Canadian film tax credit package.

Meanwhile Sneak Peek an HD trailer for "Green Lantern: First Flight", the fifth entry in the DVD series of DC Universe animated movies...

Spielberg Invades Burlington, Ontario...

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Executive producer Steven Spielberg’s untitled DreamWorks/TNT alien-invasion drama pilot will shoot for two weeks in Ontario.

Premise of the pilot focuses on a group of people battling an 'occupying' alien force.

The Ontario location shoot is scheduled for the Hamilton, Ontario area, where provincial tax breaks are even more generous than shooting in Toronto.

The pilot stars actor Noah "ER" Wyle, with Spielberg on location last week at Burlington's Royal Botanical Gardens, along with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey and writer Bob Rodat.

Carl "Devil In A Blue Dress" Franklin is directing the pilot...

Shyamalan's "Devil" Gets The Hell Out Of Philadelphia...

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The upcoming feature "Devil" from producer M. Night "The Sixth Sense" Shyamalan is reportedly moving production out of Philadelphia to tax-friendly Toronto.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, officials with the state film office say the director's planned move is due to uncertainty over whether Pennsylvania's film tax credit will be approved in the state's budget.

Shyamalan lives near the Philly suburb of Malvern, filming eight of his nine features in the region.

"Devil", due for a 2011 release will be directed by brothers Drew and John Erick Dowdle, noted for horror thriller "The Poughkeepsie Tapes".

The film is to be the first property in the "Night Chronicles" series of films, in which Shyamalan will create the central premise, then pass the idea to suitable writers/directors to develop into a feature.

Screenplay for "Devil" is by writer Brian "30 Days Of Night" Nelson.

Sneak Peek the original trailer for "The Poughkeepsie Tapes"...

Syfy Renews Toronto-Lensed "Warehouse 13"...

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According to reports, Syfy has greenlit a second season of the Toronto-lensed TV series "Warehouse 13", ordering a 13-episode pick-up.

Since its July 7 premiere, "Warehouse 13" has been a ratings winner for Syfy, with the recent August 18 episode pulling in 3.3 million viewers.

"Warehouse 13" stars actors Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly and Saul Rubinek, following US Secret Service agents 'Myka Bering' (Kelly) and 'Peter Lattimer' (McClintock) as they are reassigned to the government's secret 'Warehouse 13', which houses 'supernatural' artifacts.

Sneak Peek a clip from "Warehouse 13"...

The "Avatar" Sneak Preview...

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On August 21, the world was treated to a 16-minute 3D theatrical sneak peek of Ontario-born director James Cameron's new sc-fi feature "Avatar", described as "Dances With Wolves" meets "Jurassic Park".

In Toronto, 20th Century Fox showcased the free preview @ the downtown Scotiabank Theatre.

"Avatar" opens worldwide December 18, 2009...