NFB Presents: Rendez-vous de la Francophonie
The National Film Board presents some FREE Francophone films for your enjoyment this Wednesday evening at the Toronto Mediatheque. The program (consisting of three shorts – two documentary and one animated) is focused on French-speaking Canada. Read more
“Well, the time has come,”: Oscar 2010
The Oscars are the best day of the year for me — bar none. I do little on this day that resembles work. I have a yearly tradition of Pilsbury Ready-to-Bake cookies, popcorn, pizza and absolutely no calorie count. My friends know not to call me during the broadcast, except on a commercial to squee. It’s my SuperBowl. So why did I feel so disconnected this year? Read more
The 2010 Academy Awards; Avatar Hurting from The Hurt Locker
Times are changing – and they are changing fast! The 82nd Annual Academy Awards seem to be another golden example of the changes that are heading straight our way. Last night, the highest-grossing film of all time was trampled on by the tiny film-that-could, The Hurt Locker. Not only did the The Hurt Locker walk away with Best Picture and a historic award for first female director winner Kathryn Bigelow, it also marched away with the most awards, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. Funny that Cameron and his ingenious “game-changing” Avatar walked away with only three awards, almost a quartar of what Cameron’s previous blockbuster snatched up back in 1997. Read more
Time and Essence: The Preserved Films of Coleen Fitzgibbon at TIFF Cinematheque
Watching obscure experimental films is probably not everyone’s ‘bag’, as Austin Powers would say from the vantage point of his anything-but-experimental film world. But, if you happen to have an interest in avant-garde modernist art (yes, I’m talking to all three of you… and myself), the newly restored films of Coleen Fitzgibbon are being screened at TIFF Cinematheque this Thursday, March 11 and Fitzgibbon herself will be in attendance to introduce her work, participate in discussion, and answer questions.
Chris Alexander’s Film School Confidential Presents “Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror”
The only thing human beings are good for is being eaten. Specifically, I understand the brains and gastro-intestinal organs are the most appetizing and sought-after body parts. This is the point of view of zombies (I in no way aim to endorse this stance, but at the same time, in the interest of fairness and respect for diverse cultural practices, I won’t condemn it either.) Read more
History of 3D Film Festival
As anyone with eyes and an interest in film can tell you, 3D is big (and I mean, huge) business these days. There are at least three 3D films nominated for Academy Awards this year: Avatar, Up, and Coraline (and those are just the ones I know about). Just in time to catch the new wave, you’ve now got a chance to find out all about 3D movies – every Monday night in March, Reg Hartt’s Cineforum is presenting The History of 3D Film Festival. Read more
Cinéfranco Launches Jeune Cinéma and School Programs
The 13th annual Cinéfranco festival launches its main program on the 26th of March this year, but the festival is giving a taste of international francophone cinema to its younger audiences over these first couple of weeks of March. The festival’s Jeune Cinéma (Young Cinema) program runs on the 6th (Saturday) and 7th (Sunday) of March at the AMC Yonge & Dundas, and targets youth and families with this year’s theme of Heroism and Young People. At the same time, Cinéfranco’s School Program is currently in the middle of its run at the Bloor Cinema (it began on the 1st of March and ends on the 10th). This program is intended for large groups from classes and schools, but is also open to the public. Read more
Controversial Zooey & Adam opens Friday
Winnipeg-based director Sean Garrity’s film, Zooey & Adam, begins a week-long engagement this Friday at The Royal. Despite the fact that it’s a movie about a couple trying to have a baby, do not assume it has any relation to romantic comedy. The trailer calls it ‘haunting’, ‘emotionally devastating’, and ‘a new kind of horror’. After doing the rounds on the film festival circuit, this controversial film is finally coming to Toronto for its premiere. Bonus: according to The Royal’s website, director Garrity will be in attendance for both March 5th and 6th screenings. Read more
Toronto Comedy: At Home By Myself…With You
A new Canadian comedy, At Home By Myself…With You, is opening this Friday, March 5th at The Royal. Shot in Toronto and directed by Torontonian Kris Booth (his first feature film) the movie stars some familiar Canadian faces and has the venerable actor Gordon Pinsent for its narrator. According to the cinema’s website, director Kris Booth and guests will be attending each screening at The Royal. Read more
Mary Jo Leddy Introduces “Presumed Guilty” at Cinematheque
Time for a little harsh reality (which is what documentary cinema should be all about): in the corrupt Mexican penal system, simply being accused of a crime virtually guarantees one’s conviction and incarceration, regardless of evidence or actual guilt. Documentary filmmakers Roberto Hernández and Geoffrey Smith’s 2009 documentary Presumed Guilty screens this week at the TIFF Cinematheque as part of their on-going Human Rights Watch International Film Festival and the film will be introduced by some topical remarks from local Toronto activist, scholar, and speaker Mary Jo Leddy. Read more
