Canadian Film Fest Reveals 2016 Lineup (March 30 – April 2)

The Canadian Film Fest (CFF), celebrating it’s 10th edition, has revealed the line up for this year’s festival along with a new logo and website.

The CFF returns to The Royal Cinema in Toronto from March 30 – April 2 and opens with the Toronto premiere of Jeremy LaLonde’s How To Plan An Orgy In A Small Town, which is fresh off its U.S. premiere at Slamdance and stars Jewel Staite, Ennis Esmer, Katharine Isabelle and Kristian Bruun. Director X’s feature film debut Across the Line, with Stephan James and Sarah Jeffery, has its Toronto premiere as the closing night film.

88th annual Academy Awards – winners [UPDATING LIVE]

The 88th Academy Awards took place tonight at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. It was hosted by comedian Chris Rock, who joked that the Oscars were "the White People’s Choice Awards." His opening monologue was quite funny, and dealt primarily with the controversy surrounding the Oscars' lack of diversity.

The big surprise winner of the night was Tom McCarthy's Spotlight, the journalistic drama about the investigation of the Catholic Church abuse scandal in Boston. It won the first award of the night for Best Original Screenplay, but then didn't win another award until the final award of the night for Best Picture. It had been nominated for a total of 6 awards including the Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress (Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams respectively), as well as Best Director and Best Editing.

Call for submissions: Just For Laughs comedy short films

The Just For Laughs/Juste Pour Rire Comedy Festival has announced a call for submissions for short films to present at their upcoming 34th edition of the festival.

The Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal is currently scheduled to run from July 13 - 31,  2016, and JFL42 in Toronto which is scheduled from September 22 - October 1, 2016.

36th annual Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies) winners announced

The ceremony for the 36th annual Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies were held in Los Angeles on Saturday night to celebrate the worst in film.

The top "winners" were Fantastic Four and Fifty Shades of Grey which each took four awards, including a share of the top Worst Picture prize. Fifty Shades of Grey won the top acting prizes with Worst Actor going to Jamie Dornan, Worst Actress to Dakota Johnson, and Worst Screen Combo to both. The other awards claimed by Fantastic Four were for Worst Remake/Rip-off/Sequel, Worst Director (Josh Trank) and Worst Screenplay.

31st Film Independent Spirit Awards winners announced

Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA, handed out top honors to Spotlight, Beasts of No Nation and Room at this afternoon’s 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards. Carol, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Krisha, The Look of Silence, Son of Sauland Tangerine also received awards at the ceremony, which was held in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. Spotlight received the Robert Altman Award. In addition to being the celebration that honors artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers whose films embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision, the Spirit Awards is the primary fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs. The ceremony aired live today on IFC and a rebroadcast will air later this evening; please check your local listings for times. Clips from the ceremony will be available on Film Independent’s YouTube channel after the show.

Over the past 31 years, the Film Independent Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premiere awards show for the independent film community. Artists who have received industry recognition first at the Spirit Awards include Ava DuVernay, Justin Simien, Ryan Coogler, Joel and Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Edward Burns, Aaron Eckhart, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Hilary Swank, Marc Forster, Todd Field, Christopher Nolan, Zach Braff, Amy Adams, Lena Dunham and many more.