2014 Canadian Screen Awards: Viggo and Cronenberg take a bow!

photo by donna g

The highlight of my evening at the 2014 Canadian Screen Awards was the moment actress Gabrielle Marion-Rivard (left) walked onto the press room stage, absolutely glowing, as if lit up from within. I don't think I have ever seen someone beam before last night. As she held her award in her arms, and answered questions in both English and French, Marion-Rivard spoke about how winning her award (Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role) was a dream come true. The coming of age romance Gabrielle  which was nominated for a foreign-language Oscar (2013) was later presented with a Canadian Screen Award for Best Picture. Director, Louise Archambault says that she has heard from audiences that they see the film as being about "pure love" and not just an issues story about Williams syndrome,  a condition that first-time actress, Marion-Rivard shares with her character.

photo by donna g

I love David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen together. For a director and actor known for such serious work, they are like a vaudeville comedy duo as they riff off each other as Viggo holds up his ubiquitous Habs flag or jersey (Cronenberg is a lifelong Maple Leafs fan).  My cohort, blogger HeidyMo, had a fangirl moment over the dynamic duos presence, but Viggo's History of Violence co-star (and my girl crush), Mario Bello, although in attendance at the event for Cronenberg's acceptance of his Lifetime Achievement Award, did not come to the press room. Still it was revealling to hear Cronenberg express his gratitude to the Canada Council and Telefilm Canada for allowing him to have a career and live in Canada. Without support from these two organizations when he was starting out, he would have had to leave Canada in order to become a filmmaker, or he might have pursued his love of writing and become a novelist. (His debut novel, Consumed will be released this year.)

photo by donna g

Big winners for the evening were television's Tatiana Maslany's (left) clone drama Orphan Black and Jason Priestly's comedy Call Me Fritz, while multiple honours also went to Denis Villeneuve's feature film Enemy. Lost Girl's Zoie Palmer won Fan Favourite Star and the show won Fan Favourite.

The Canadian Screen Awards honours achievements in film, television and digital media. For the second year in a row, the event was held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and I don't know if it was because the Academy was celebrating its 65th year, but the Red Carpet was definitely longer this year! The host broadcaster was the most suitable, CBC, and stage host was the inimitable Martin Short, or as he sang in his humourous tribute song to potential "losing ladies" last night, Uncle Marty.

Being in an awards press room can be pretty dry: some journalists were plugged into headphones to get the feed from the stage, but others, like myself, watched the silent monitors in between the winners taking to our stage for their post-win Q & A session. Thank you, Richard Crouse for your positive vibes, and for asking such great questions that I always feel as if you are reading my mind. Richard also knows how to share, never once forgetting to check the room for those who have their own questions. If you ever have the chance to attend an event where Richard is facilitating a discussion about film or with filmmakers, do yourself a favour and buy a ticket. I sometimes feel at these events that some people in the room are only interested in getting sound bites and money shots. Richard is that person in the room that always, always maintains an enthusiasm for film.

For the complete list of winners and nominees, please visit: http://www.academy.ca/Canadian-Screen-Awards/2014-Nominees-Winners/Film 

For more of my pictures, please visit my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tmtmradio

Canada's Top Ten Announced!

CANADA'S TOP TEN 2014

"10 FILMS

10 DAYS

$10 A TICKET

1 PROUD NATION" 

-TIFF

As a supporter of Canadian film, I look forward to TIFF announcing its selection of films that will be screening at its Canada's Top Ten.  To make the list, "each film must have premiered at a major film festival or obtained a commercial theatrical release in Canada in 2013. The filmmaker must be a Canadian citizen or resident working on a Canadian production or co-production."  Canada's Top Ten runs January 3 to 12, 2014 at TIFF Bell Lightbox and besides films will include In Conversations with filmmakers Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal, and John Greyson and TIFF Artistic Director, Cameron Bailey.

Like every list out there, debates will break out on social media in regards to the merit of the 10 features and 10 shorts that have been chosen this year. Entertainment One Films should be proud to have five films in the mix, but I'm happiest about the mix of established (Denis Villeneuve) and new filmmakers (Jeff Barnaby) that they have chosen to support. The rest of the features list doesn't surprise me, and as someone who has had the difficult task of doing a Top Ten list, I know that not all good films can make the cut. I'm thrilled that I will get to see some of the features that I missed at TIFF 2013, especially Asphalt Watches, Gabrielle, and When Jews Were Funny. 

In terms of the shorts, I am stunned that shorts such as Cory Bowles' Anatomy of Assistance, Jasmin Mozaffari's Firecrackers, Bruce Alcock's Impromptu and Randall Okita's Portrait as a Random Act of Violence were not included in the Shorts Programme. I would have selected any of these films over the way-too-long, An Extraordinary Person and Paradise Falls! But hey, not my list, and I would sit through these again to see the brilliant Noah, the heart-warming, Nous avions, The Chaperone 3D and other the selections.

Canada’sTop Ten Film Festival feature film selections for 2013, orderedalphabetically.

Asphalt Watches, Shayne Ehman and Seth Scriver (Delusional Brothers)

Enemy, Denis Villeneuve (Entertainment One Films)

The F Word, Michael Dowse (Entertainment One Films) 
Gabrielle, Louise Archambault (Entertainment One Films) 
Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Jeff Barnaby (Entertainment One Films) 
Sarah préfère la course (Sarah Prefers to Run), Chloé Robichaud (Les Films Seville) 
Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm), Xavier Dolan (Entertainment One Films) 
Vic et Flo ont vu un ours (Vic + Flo Saw a Bear), Denis Côté (Films We Like)

Watermark, Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky (Mongrel Media)
When Jews Were Funny, Alan Zweig (KinoSmith)

Canada’sTop Ten Film Festival short film selections for 2013, ordered alphabetically.

A Grand Canal, Johnny Ma (Maktub Films)
Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire (An Extraordinary Person), Monia Chokri (La Distributrice de films) 
The Chaperone 3D, Fraser Munden and Neil Rathbone
The End of Pinky, Claire Blanchet (NFB)

In guns we trust, Nicolas Lévesque (Travelling) 

Noah, Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg

Nous avions, Stéphane Moukarzel (Travelling) 

Paradise Falls, Fantavious Fritz

Subconscious Password, Chris Landreth (NFB)

Yellowhead, Kevan Funk

For complete schedule, please visit: http://tiff.net/topten/films/2014/schedule#03/01/2014
416.599.TIFF (8433) 1.888.599.8433
Tickets: $10 each/ 6 Film Pack $50 

CCT quote/list courtesy of TIFF.

Movie Review: Stories We Tell

Image courtesy of www.mongrel.ca

In Stories We Tell, director, Sarah Polley interviews her family and friends to learn more about her mother, Diane, who died of cancer when Sarah was eleven years old. Polley plays cinematic detective, drawing forth stories from each subject and tracking down information about Diane's roles as wife, mother, and actor. Through these stories, a portrait develops of a charming, vivacious, hummingbird of a woman with an infectious laugh and personality. As the interviews ripple beyond Sarah's relatives to friends and acquaintances, a mysterious side of Diane also surfaces. What is the real "truth" about Diane?

Just as you can never really see yourself from the back, you can never really see the truth. Others might tell you what you look like, and you can see yourself in mirrors, but a constant 360 is never possible, and that is simply how life manifests itself--especially when trying to understand the truth about someone else's reality. In searching to understand her mother, Sarah Polley reveals to herself, and to us, that every family has secrets, and that no matter how deep we dig, the truth of whatever is unearthed is always subject to interpretation.

Stories We Tell could easily have been derailed by bad writing and editing, but this hybrid gem of a docu-film with its blend of period re-enactments and home movies,  its one-on-one sessions and studio-recorded text, has been reigned in so that only the beauty of family brilliantly shines through, complete with occlusions, passion, and clarity. A marvellous contribution to cinema.

TIFF 2010: Interview with Steve Gravestock, Associate Director, Canadianan Programming (TIFF)

donna g: Why should people consider seeing Canadian films at TIFF? I love and support Canadian films but many people tell me they choose foreign films over Canadian because they may not get a chance to see those films again.

Steve Gravestock: One of the reasons to see Canadian films at the Festival is that some may not show up in Toronto again (especially the Quebecois films -- though this will change with the opening of the Bell Lightbox). More significantly, the directors and in many cases the performers will be present at the screenings -- and that kind of situation is unique and unlikely to be duplicated. (This would apply especially to this year since there are a large number of very prominent international performers in a large number of productions -- as well as Canadian performers who have become internationally known.) Also, there's a certain excitement in seeing films first. That said, it's always a good idea to mix up things and see films from a variety of different countries, regions, etc. Frankly, I think this kind of approach shows how well we stack up against other countries.

More importantly, these films show us where we are now – and I don’t know why any Canadian wouldn’t want to know about that..

donna g: Could you share with new attendees to TIFF, the different areas of Canadian films to choose from at the festival?

Steve Gravestock: There are two specifically Canadian programmes: Canada First! and Short Cuts Canada. The former is a showcase for emerging Canadian filmmakers and is primarily comprised of first time feature filmmakers. The second is made up of short films. These include filmmakers who will go on to make features as well as artists who specialize in the short film form, a form Canadians have always excelled at.

The other films are spread across the Festival in a variety of programmes: Contemporary World Cinema, Visions and Real to Reel; Special Presentations and Galas (there are a very high number of these this year); and Midnight Madness--in fact, this year marks the first time a Canadian film (Mike Dowse's FUBAR 2) will open that section.

donna g: Could you please give some highlights from the different programme areas?

Steve Gravestock: I love everything in Canada First! It's a very wide-ranging programme including everything from Katrin Bowen's AMAZON FALLS, a neo-noir about a fading actress in L.A.; Daniel Cockburn's meta-detective story YOU ARE HERE; and of course the opener Mike Goldbach's comedy drama DAYDREAM NATION which is a small indy film with a big cast (Kat Dennings, Josh Lucas, Katie Boland) where Dennings plays a teenager whose father relocates her to a small rural town where all the high school students are permanently stoned. They do some very interesting things with household products.

There's way too many good films to pick out a few, but we're thrilled to be showing INCENDIES, the amazing and emotionally devastating new film from Denis Villeneuve (the director of POLYTECHNIQUE, which won every major award in Canada and Quebec last year); the new film from Jacob Tierney, GOOD NEIGHBOURS (an off-the-wall macabre thriller with Scott Speedman, Jay Baruchel -- who starred in Tierney's last film, THE TROTSKY, a big hit at TIFF last year --and the luminous Emily Hampshire); and Carl Bessai's REPEATERS. Bessai is a very interesting director and we've shown a lot of his work over the years, but this one is bigger in scope and on a larger scale than some of his earlier work. REPEATERS focuses on three teens in a rehab centre who wake up to find they're repeating the same day over and over again. It's pretty intense, with a great young cast and it uses the thriller genre as a means of addressing some pretty big, possibly even existential issues, in a very smart way. And of course Bruce McDonald's TRIGGER, a phenomenal piece of work, starring Molly Parker and Tracey Wright, one of our finest actresses, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Contemporary World Cinema, which is sort of the backbone of the Festival and includes a wide range of different kinds of films, there's CRYING OUT or A L'ORIGINE D'UN CRI, the latest from one of Quebec's most interesting young filmmakers Robin Aubert, which marries some truly intense domestic drama (think Eugene O'Neill and Michel Tremblay) with a baroque visual and symbolic landscape that evokes David Lynch. It's about three generations of alcoholic men careening around the Quebecois countryside. It shares some affinities with Ed Gass-Donnely's film, SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS, which also takes place in a rural area, and focuses on a cop, played by the great Peter Stormare, who's haunted by his violent past. We also have MODRA, a beautiful, lovely new film by Ingrid Venninger -- it's her first solo feature -- about the relationship between two teenagers starring her daughter Hallie Switzer. The film was shot almost entirely in Slovakia -- in fact there are a lot of films that have an international scope or setting this year.

In Vision, we have two major works, MOURNING FOR ANNA or TROIS TEMPS APRES LA MORT D'ANNA, the latest from Catherine Martin, a devastating drama about a woman mourning the sudden death of her daughter, and Denis Cote's CURLING, which already won the director's prize in Locarno and is possibly his best and most accessible film to date.

In Real to Reel, we have two great documentaries: Bill MacGillivray's portrait MAN OF A THOUSAND SONGS about East Coast singer-songwriter Ron Hynes and Jody Shapiro's funny and very compassionate piece HOW TO START YOUR OWN COUNTRY, about micro-nations, small (even tiny) countries that aren't usually acknowledged by other nations.

Gala-wise, we're obviously looking forward to the world premiere of SCORE, the new movie by Michael MacGowan; Richard J. Lewis's BARNEY'S VERSION, the adaptation of the Mordecai Richler novel produced by one of the country's most prominent producers; A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ENDINGS, a very funny, sometimes macabre family comedy written and directed by Jonathan Sobol, and starring Harvey Keitel; Jason Jones; Paulo Costanzo; and Tricia Helfer; Stephen Silver's THE BANG BANG CLUB, a very powerful and visceral drama about photo-journalists in the lead-up to the first free elections in South Africa which stars Ryan Philippe and Malin Ackerman.

What CANADIAN FILMS will you see at TIFF 2010?

Thanks to Steve Gravestock, you now have on excuses not to see Canadian Films at TIFF 2010. Enjoy! and don't forget to share you feedback by leaving a comment.

Photos: Crying Out/L'origine d'une cri (top); MODRA (second)

Photos courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival

Why Cairo Time Made My Top 12 Faves

Since posting my Top 12 Faves I've been asked why, since I said Cairo Time wasn't Ruba Nadda's "strongest work" (see review) , I selected the film as a favourite. What I should have made clear in that earlier post is the fact that I don't think Ruba Nadda is capable of making a bad film, period. So even though I think Sabah is a stronger film it in no way casts a shadow over the languid beauty of Cairo Time, which I did enjoy.

I never separate my heart from my head in making decisions about Art. Why should I? Even in literature I can appreciate that Hamlet is a better play than The Scottish Play, but I'll chose Mackers any day over Hamlet. It's the same for film: Cairo Time made my favourites list because it was unforgettable. I couldn't forget Patricia Clarkson's character, Juliette, and her blossoming relationship with Egyptian culture and Tareq (Alexander Siddig), her husband's past employee and her de facto guide. I also could not forget a very sensuous sub-character, Yasmeen, played by the voluptuous Amina Annabi. Annabi doesn't have a lot of screen time in this film, but she is simply captivating when she does appear. I love how Nadda contrasts the earthy Yasmeen with the ethereal Juliette.

The spectacular shots of Cairo and the gentle romance made me think of David Lean's Summertime, The Passionate Friends, and the intimate, bittersweet relationship depicted in Brief Encounter. Cairo Time is a restrained film, that will not be appreciated by those who demand constant action or big emotions; it's for those of us who can appreciate the subtlety of passion.

I chose Ruba Nadda as my Star of the Month for September because I am very proud of our Canadian filmmakers and the strides that they are making, and I also wanted to promote the fact that she had a new film at TIFF. I didn't know at the time, that Cairo Time would win an award for Best Canadian Feature. Congratulations to Ruba and all involved in bringing Cairo Time to the screen.

Cairo Time is being released in Canada on October 9th.

Photo Credit: photo of Ruba Nadda by donna g; other photos by Colm Hogan courtesy of http://www.cairotime.ca/

Ruba Nadda: September Star of the Month

RUBA NADDA's film Cairo Time is an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival (tiff). I first met and interviewed Ruba in 2005, when her film Sabah (one of my favourite romances) was released. Sabah introduced me to a different side of Assinée Khanjian's acting abilities and refreshingly presented a lead character that was over 40. Nadda continues to celebrate older women on screen in Cairo Time, which features actress Patricia Clarkson as the lead.

Click here to see my thoughts on Sabah and other Canadian faves.

Photo Credit: photo of Ruba Nadda by donna g. Taken at TIFF's Canadian Films Press Conference (Royal York Hotel)

The Right "Formula" for Pride Weekend

Looking for something to do Pride Weekend? Go see THE BABY FORMULA on JUNE 19th. Bring all of your LGBTTQ friends and allies with you. Stars Angela Vint and Megan Fahlenbock have such great chemistry and the documentary style of the films makes you really believe they are a couple.

If you like such Canadian shows such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Rick Mercer Report or the British version of The Office, you are bound to enjoy the mock documentary style of this film. There is a scene in the film where the characters have told the filmmakers to turn the camera off, but the director motions to the crew to run and follow the women--it's hilarious!

The plot is outrageously funny, but will be close to home for a lot of people. The film deals with the issue of what lengths people will go to in order to satisfy the primal human instinct to have a baby. Characters Athena (Angela Vint) and Lillith (Megan Fahlenbock) are a couple who decide to undergo a hush, hush, experiment in order to have a child. When they break the news to their respective family that there is no biological father, there is confusion, moralizing and more hilarity from Athena's conservative mother (Rosemary Dunsmore) yahoo brother Larry (Dmitry Chepovetsky)and the drink-swilling Scottish great-grandmother-to-be (Jessica Booker). Lillith's parents are a trip in themselves, but you'll have to go see it to find out why and what else happens in this film.

The first weekend is crucial for Canadian films. If the film doesn't make money on it's opening weekend, the theatre calls the producers Sunday morning to tell them that their film is being pulled. Alison Reid and her amazing cast has done a fantastic job with this comedy and I would hate for her to get that call on Sunday.

So mark your calendars and head to the AMC (Yonge/Dundas) with a row full of friends. Be prepared for people to snort with LAUGHTER. I especially liked the ultra-sound scene. Insider Triva: During that scene the actress had to avoid looking at the 3-D monitor because she and her husband did not want to know the sex of the baby they were having. It took most of the day to set up and shoot the scene, so it was a long day for her.

THE BABY FORMULA cast(left to right): Rosemary Dunsmore, Megan Fahlenbock w/child, and Angela Vint

Shout Out! to The First Weekend Club for getting the word out about Canadian films, and to it's intimate sneak peak screening series, Canada Screens. Kelsey and Mars, you rock! Thanks for the giveaways. My listeners had a great time at the screening--as did I.

NURSE.FIGHTER.BOY Opens Feb. 6th at the Yonge/Dundas AMC--Let's Get 500 People in the Theatre This Weekend!

I never thought I would see a Canadian film, set in Toronto, that had characters mention nonas and St. Elizabeth, Jamaica--Kingston, yes, St. Elizabeth, no.


Nurse.Fighter.Boy screens at Yonge/Dundas AMC Theatre and the Royal Cinema. Filmmaker Charles Officer will participate in Q & A’s, Friday and Saturday, February 6 and 7, at the following Nurse.Fighter.Boy screenings:
-After the 7:15 pm shows at Yonge & Dundas, 10 Dundas St. East .
-After the 9:30 pm shows at the Royal, 608 College St .

Nurse.Fighter.Boy needs 500 "bums in seats" this week-end in order to remain at the Yonge/Dundas AMC theatre. Director, Charles Officer is hoping for a 3 week run, an ambitious hope for any Canadian film, let alone this intimate look at a single mother, her 12 year-old son, and the world-weary fighter that enters their lives. Outside of the Quebec market it is extremely difficult for English Canadian films to find an audience given their limited promotional budgets. As I've said in previous shows, the faces of Canadian actors don't show up on drink containers at your favourite fast food restaurant.

You need good actors to pull off a film like this (there's no CGI backwards aging as in Benjamin Button), and Charles Officer has managed to pull together an amazing primary and secondary cast. This quiet love story offers images I have never seen on a Canadian screen: the nurse, Jude (Karen LeBlanc)is battling Sickle Cell Anemia; her son Ciel, (Daniel J. Gordon) is both the man of the house and nurturer, and the fighter, Silence (Clark Johnson) becomes an unexpected mentor, a role he never anticipated. Young Samantha Somer Wilson, who plays Ciel's next door neighbour and friend is also incredible.

This is a film of "feeling" rather than "thinking"--moods are set by a soundtrack that fills in lines that are never spoken, warmth is derived from earthtone sets and natural lighting. One of my favourite scenes occurs at night when Silence takes the risk of reaching out to Jude by asking her if she "has someone". The scene is very quick, but it stayed with me because it was so believably romantic.

Refresh your movie palette and try something different on Feb. 6th. Do it for Charles and for Bob Marley (it's his birthday).

Shout out! to:
-Kelsey and Mars at the First Weekend Club for a great Canada Screens preview of this film
-Tovah Barocas at Canadian Film Centre
-Ray Nishimura (film lover) for the invite

donna g's TIFF 08 Coverage: Canadian, Eh?

I go to TIFF to see films from around the world, but I love Canadian films and always always make a point of seeing what our talented filmmakers have to offer. Besides, Borderline and Control Alt Delete, I had to see C'est pas moi, je le jure! (It's not me, I swear!) by filmmaker Philippe Falardeau. I've been a fan of Falardeau since seeing his films, La Moitié gauche du frigo (TIFF 02) and Congorama (TIFF 06). He doesn't disappoint in his new film about a ten year old boy dealing with his parents rocky marriage and eventual separation. I have never laughed so much while watching a heartbreaking film.

Falardeau does a fine job of bringing us into little Léon's 1960's suburban world. It's polyester and smoking, nosey neighbour ladies and the Catholic Church, but it's also a world seen through the eyes of a precocious boy with a penchant for breaking and entering and suicide attempts. I love the sound of this movie--not just the innocently funny dialogue, but also the sound of the wind blowing across the cornfields where Léon and his friend Lea play. We know this secret place will soon be bulldozed into more suburban sprawl and this too references the sadness of the inevitable.

We Are Funny!

Synthétiseur (Synthesizer) directed by Sarah Fortin
Recent break up? Slightly depressed? Discover the exotic sights and scenes of your city's subway system, and maybe meet a new love.

Next Floor
I loved everything about this gorgeously photographed, darkly wicked, and sublimely acted commentary on societal excess. Gluttony has never been so well-examined, or so well-scored.

106
Leave it to us Cannuks to make a movie about a jealous senior who takes out her rival 106-year old.

There's Something for Everyone in Canadian Films

Rent Canadian Next Time...

Sabah

I love romantic movies and this one is one of my favourites. Set in Toronto (yes, Toronto plays Toronto not some generic city), the film stars Arsinee Khanjian as a 40 year old Muslim woman who falls in love with a non-Muslim. I enjoyed seeing Arsinee in something other than a heavy drama. Her portrayal of Sabah is very genuine, tender and funny. I especially loved the scene of Sabah's
tentative steps into the community swimming pool where she meets the steamy Steven (Shawn Doyle) .

C.R.A.Z.Y

A family with 5 boys! That's enough to inspire the title of this film. In French with English subtitles, C.R.A.Z.Y is a family drama about one boy trying to define his place in his home and in society. With great performances, a nostalgic soundtrack that follows the growth of the family, C.R.A.Z.Y is a wonderful film filled with humour, mysticism, and a touchingly realistic father-son dynamic.

A Simple Curve

Usually "coming of age" films deal with the teenage years, but this film is about a twenty-something man who has to deal with his hippie parent, a family business on the brink of bankruptcy, and relationships with women. You could watch this film just for the beauty of the Kootnays, but the father-son relationship is so fresh and the dialogue so honest that this film will have you thinking about your own life choices.

Eve and the Fire Horse (for children)

Growing up in a Chinese family in 1970's Vancouver is a confusion of cultures and religions for 9 year old Eve. This film is a little too precious for me, but it offers images I have never seen on screen, and the young actors do a wonderful job. Give the kids something to watch beside Disney.

Weirdsville

Unlike the films listed above, this film is for those who like dark comedies. I don't usually like "stoner" films, but this movie is so unpredictable, and the dialogue is so funny, that I had to cover my mouth when I saw it in the video library at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival. When the guy in front of me burst out laughing, I realized that he was watching a copy of the same film. What do you do when your buddy's girlfriend O.Ds, you try to bury her in the basement of the local drive in, and you run into a Satanic cult? And that's just the beginning of the film! Gather some like-minded friends and laugh your head off.