Call for submissions: Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program

The Writers Guild of Canada has put out a call for submissions for its Bell Media Diverse Screenwriters Program for Eastern Canada. This program is an excellent opportunity for emerging and mid-level writers to develop their skills and make important connections in the industry. Writers for film and television who are based in Ontario or further east have until December 9 to apply to the program.

The deadline for Western Canada (residents in or west of Manitoba) has also been extended until October 28. The Western program is run out of Vancouver, while the Eastern program takes place in Toronto. Application and participation in the program is free.

Canada selects Gabrielle by Louise Archambault as Foreign Language Oscar submission

TELEFILM CANADA ANNOUNCES THAT LOUISE ARCHAMBAULT’S GABRIELLE IS CANADA’S SELECTION FOR THE BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR
For the third time in four years, a film produced by micro_scope is selected to represent Canada in the Oscar race

Montreal, September 24, 2013 – Telefilm Canada, which chairs the pan-Canadian Oscar selection committee, is pleased to announce that the feature film Gabrielle, directed by Louise Archambault, has been selected to represent Canada for consideration as a possible nominee in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 86th Academy Awards, to be held in Hollywood on February 27, 2014.

“Over the last several years, Canada’s film industry has done our country proud, with three nominations for Best Foreign Language Film three years running,” said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada. “The selection committee certainly got it right these last three years, and we’re confident that we once again have a strong and very competitive candidate for the upcoming Oscar race. Gabrielle has won over audiences internationally, and there’s no question that the Academy members will succumb to its charms as well.”

2013 Festival du nouveau cinéma announces complete programming

This morning at a press conference at the Agora Hydro-Québec in UQAM’s Cœur des sciences, the Festival du nouveau cinéma announced its full programming for the 42nd annual edition. It promises to be another exciting year for what has fast become Montreal's preeminent film festival.

Among the works programmed this year is a web documentary I directed called Jazz Petite-Bourgogne (or Burgundy Jazz. It is presented in the FNC Lab section for "experimental, expanded and multidisciplinary cinematic forms at the crossroads of cinema, art and new technologies." Jazz Petite-Bourgogne explores the rich history of Montreal's jazz scene from the perspective of the black community in the neighbourhood called Little Burgundy or Petite-Bourgogne (formerly called St-Antoine or St-Henri).

The 42nd Festival du nouveau cinéma presents 273 films from October 9–20 at various venues around downtown Montreal.

2013 Toronto International Film Festival announces award winners

Toronto – The 38th Toronto International Film Festival® today announced its award recipients at a reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto.

YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM

The winner of the YouTube Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg for Noah. The jury, comprised of writer Rafael Katigbak, writer, director Nathan Morlando and documentary filmmaker Nisha Pahuja, remarked: “This film is a commentary on the ephemeral, disposable, A.D.D. culture that many of us are consumed by and living in. It tells us a story in a way we’ve never seen before and it tells it well. It’s fresh, innovative, and had the remarkable ability to embody complex emotion through the simple gesture of a mouse.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize. Honourable mentions go to Kevan Funke’s Yellowhead, and Fraser Munden and Neil Rathbone’s The Chaperone 3D.

Call for submissions: 2014 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival has put out a call for submissions for their 2014 festival which takes place in the spring.

The Hot Docs festival is the largest documentary festival in North America, and a critical launch pad for films. The festival is an Academy accredited festival, and the winner of the Best Short Documentary award automatically becomes qualified for consideration at the next Academy Awards.

The deadlines and fees have changed this year. The Early Bird Deadline is November 22, 2013, the regular deadline is December 13, 2013, and the late deadline is January 3, 2014. Fees range from $25-50 for short documentaries and $50-$150 for feature-length documentaries.

Academy's Governors Awards go to Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Piero Tosi

Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin and Piero Tosi to Receive the Academy's Governors Awards

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Honorary Awards to Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin and Piero Tosi, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Angelina Jolie. All four awards will be presented at the Academy's 5th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 16, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

“The Governors Awards pay tribute to individuals who’ve made indelible contributions in their respective fields,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs. “We couldn’t be more excited for this year’s honorees and look forward to bringing their peers and colleagues together to celebrate their extraordinary achievements.”

2013 Toronto International Film Festival, September 5-15

The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off its 38th annual edition tonight. The official opening night film is by Bill Condon's The Fifth Estate, the very timely portrayal of the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange. The dramatic thriller stars Daniel Brühl and Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange.

Also screening tonight are Unbeatable by Dante Lam, To Repel Ghosts: Urban Tales from the African Continent (African short films), A Story of Children and Film by Mark Cousins, Ilo Ilo by Anthony Chen, Tim's Vermeer by Teller, The Summer of Flying Fish by Marcela Said, the Palme d'Or winner Blue Is the Warmest Color by Abdellatif Kechiche, Salinger by Shane Salerno, Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch, Exit Marrakech by Caroline Link, Standing Aside, Watching by Yorgos Servetas, Closed Curtain by Jafar Panahi and Kambozia Partovi, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker by Danis Tanovic, The Past by Asghar Farhadi, Something Necessary by Judy Kibinge, Story of My Death by Albert Serra, and the Midnight Madness opening film All Cheerleaders Die by Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson.

2013 Festival des Films du Monde – Award winners

AWARDS OF THE FESTIVAL DES FILMS DU MONDE (WORLD FILM FESTIVAL) – Montréal 2013

Jury
President : JIRI MENZEL, director (Czech Republic)
CAROLINE DHAVERNAS, actress (Canada)
MICHAEL KUTZA, festival director (USA)
PEDRO OLEA, director, scriptwriter, producer (Spain)
DAI SIJIE, director and writer (China - France)

FEATURE FILMS

Grand prix des Americas