The iconic @MargaretAtwood gets a standing ovation and does the honours tonight opening THE envelop. And the @Rogers $100,000 Best Canadian Film Award goes to... @BodyRemembers!!!#TFCA2020 #TFCAAwardsGala2020 #TFCA20
— TFCA (@TFCA) January 10, 2020
The Toronto Film Critics Association selected The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open from Kathleen Hepburn and Elle-Maija Tailfeathers as the winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. The winning film gets a $100,000 prize. The other finalists were Antigone by Sophie Deraspe; and Firecrackers from Jasmin Mozaffari.
I've seen all these films, not something that happens every year. Our Firecrackers review is coming soon.
Here are the previous winners:
2018 Anthropocene Ed Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier
2017 Werewolf Ashley McKenzie
2016 The Stairs Hugh Gibson
2015 The Forbidden Room Guy Maddin
2014 Enemy Denis Villeneuve
2013 Watermark Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky
2012 Stories We Tell Sarah Polley
2011 Monsieur Lazhar Philippe Falardeau
2010 Incendies Denis Villeneuve
2009 Polytechnique Denis Villeneuve
2008 My Winnipeg Guy Maddin
2007 Away From Her Sarah Polley
2006 Manufactured Landscapes Jennifer Baichwal
2005 A History of Violence David Cronenberg
2004 The Triplets of Belleville Sylvain Chomet
2003 Spider David Cronenberg
2002 Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner Zacharias Kunuk
2001 The Last Wedding Bruce Sweeney
2000 waydowntown Gary Burns
1999 Set Me Free Léa Pool
1998 Last Night Don McKellar
1997 The Sweet Hereafter Atom Egoyan
I have seen the winners from 1997-1998, 2000, 2002, 2006-2013, 2015, and 2018-2019.
Canadian film review: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
Antigone doesn't make Oscars shortlist for best international feature film
TIFF selects Top 10 Canadian films of 2019
Black Christmas is a rarity in that an American film remakes a Canadian film. Even without seeing the 2019 remake, there is likely little similarity with the original Bob Clark classic from 1974. There was also a 2006 remake where Clark served as executive producer and Andrea Martin (who was in the original film) has a cameo.
The original film features English actor Olivia Hussey, Martin, and Canadian actors Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, and Lynne Griffin.
Stick with the original.
IFC should applaud the unique drink that is a Caesar
Baroness von Sketch Show makes U.S. debut on IFC
Is Canadian content a casualty of the 'streaming wars'? (Front Burner CBC Radio)
"Sometimes we'll say, 'Is that only going to play to Canadians? And if so, is it worth doing it?"' "Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, but it is something we do think about now."
Brent Butt of Corner Gas had this quote in a recent article on the impact of streaming services. While we understand this instinct, we are saddened by the idea of Canadians self-censoring themselves on matter that is Canadian. The British don't do this. Americans don't even understand the concept.
How else are audiences outside Canada suppose to learn about Canada if not through Canadian TV. Baroness von Sketch Show did a sketch in the most recent season about the horrors of living in Hamilton. Sure non CFL fans might have had to look up "Hamilton Ontario not the musical."
IFC censors did step in and make them change Caesar to Bloody Mary. A couple of cast members live Tweeted recipes for a Caesar during the American debut. Americans should learn both drinks and decide for themselves.
Streaming services offer chances for Americans to learn about other cultures. British people say biscuits even if Americans are confused what they mean by biscuits (cookies). Chesterfield, poutine, serviette: Canadians know what they are; Americans can learn them too.
If you ever thought you couldn't be an actor because you can't memorize lines, think of (Canadian-born) Anna Paquin's script in The Irishman. Paquin didn't have 7 lines; she had 7 words.
Paquin played the adult version of Peggy Sheeran, the daughter of mafia hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). About 2:40 in the 3½ hour movie, Paquin delivers her 7 words.
"Why?" Peggy asks her dad, who responds with "Wha?"
"Why?" she asks again.
"Why what?" Frank says.
"Why haven't you called Jo?," she asks, referring to Jimmy Hoffa's wife.
No one expects a significant amount of dialogue from female characters in a Martin Scorsese film. Still, a Oscar winner deserves a bit more screen time and dialogue. If Paquin ended up with an Oscar nomination (we will know Monday), she might win the mark for the shortest screen time. Beatrice Straight spent 5 minutes, 40 seconds on screen in winning Best Supporting Actress for Network (1976).
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
Stand! is an unusual Canadian film. The film is a dramatic musical about the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919. I confess I knew very little about the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 until I saw Canada: The Story of Us. The CBC TV show is available through Amazon Prime.
The last and only Canadian musical I recall was Score: A Hockey Musical (2010), a dreadful film despite the talents of Noah Reid (Schitt's Creek) and Allie MacDonald (Young Drunk Punk).
Given the current economic conditions, a film about the Winnipeg General Strike would be a welcome sight. The film has had a Canadian run and is expected to have a release in the United States and Japan.
CanadianCrossing.com television coverage
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Layoffs are a thing these days in both Canada and the United States. It would be a joy to work for the Toronto International Film Festival or the National Film Board of Canada.
Unfortunately, both film organisations recently had layoffs. TIFF had a "comprehensive review" with 15 pink slips across all departments. The NFB laid off 5 staff members: 2 executive directors, a chief digital officer, a director of operation, and an administrator.
While we hope the organisations can thrive under the dismissals, we do feel bad for those who lost their chance to work for these organisations and their loved ones.
The Cineworld acquisition of Cineplex and its 165 cinemas and 1,695 screens will do better for non-Canadian movies likely at the cost of exposure for Canadian films. This is one of a few deals that will impact the Canadian theatre and film scene.
The Tyee has a suggestion for an alternative path for independent films in theatres.
For all the talk about streaming, creating buzz about movies involves theatres. English Canada needs to see itself as a place for homegrown films instead of the latchkey of the U.S. movie market.
Twitter capture: @TFCA
photos credit: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open film; The Irishman film
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