Yesterday, we reviewed the 12 Canadian films I saw in the 2012 Windsor International Film Festival. Now that we got you excited about seeing these films, here are the odds that these films will come to your cinemas or cable box. And if you live in Canada, find these movies and spread the word.
Laurence Anyways will show up in slightly more places than where other Xavier Dolan films have been. Cable, art houses, perhaps not much else. Cross-dressing likely won't play in Omaha. The film's length fits in better with cable than a theater (theaters have fewer screenings of longer films).
Stories We Tell will have a longer shelf life in Canada, where Sarah Polley is much better known. If "Take This Waltz" couldn't soar, this story in a documentary will have a harder time getting off the ground. Unless this film gets a nod in the documentary category at the Oscars, cable at best for this film.
Still has a very good shot at a U.S. release: the big name actors don't hurt. The anti-government take would actually align with Tea Party people who would like the small rural town atmosphere. Marketing the film can be a bit tricky, but signs would be good to see this south of the border.
Rebelle has intense subject matter, so getting the film on U.S. screens depends on whether this makes the Oscar cut. Child soldiers in Africa as a theme won't work in multiplexes.
Please Kill Mr. Know It All has slim odds as English Canadian films have a much harder time cracking the market. The film's complex plot is its strength, but might be too difficult to explain in a short enough brief to sell to U.S. theaters. Cable is still a longshot.
Picture Day has a decent shot at U.S. cable and maybe some runs in major cities. True, the film has no known actors outside Canada. The film is fun and complicated, and hopefully, there is a small audience for the film who will appreciate what it brings to the screen.
Nuit #1 has an easy date with the Sundance Channel or IFC. The sex scene in the beginning and the monologues afterward fit in well with that core audience. You might even see a limited theatrical release in large cities. The split between the "two films" make it better suited for home viewing and video rentals.
Inescapable has a shot at cable. The dialogue is in English and Arabic with subtitles. Joshua Jackson and Oscar winner Marisa Tomei are in the film, though Tomei is barely recognizable (in a good way). The fact that the film takes place in Syria, given the current political climate, would peak interest in the film yet but might be more difficult to market.
Riot won't be seen outside Windsor and Essex County.
Blackbird has a market in part because the plot feels American: paranoia about possible Columbines. This disturbs the point of a Canadian film to be Canadian. Cable run, maybe theaters beyond large cities, but not much beyond.
Camion would fit in well with other similar French Canadian dramas in the marketplace. Since I didn't get to see the full film, determining odds is tres difficile but I would put a pretty good shot at making a limited cable run.
Full disclosure: While I paid for the opening night film and party, I was given a press pass for the duration of the festival. Then again, I paid my way for the previous 5 years.
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