Canadian Crossing

Canadian film review: Le chat dans le sac avec John Coltrane

If you knew of Le chat dans le sac | The Cat in the Bag before the John Coltrane story came out, count yourself as a a champion of early French-Canadian film.

Director Gilles Groulx gives us an homage to Jean-Luc Godard, which seems rather appropriate for the 1964 film.

You were likely drawn to this story because of the previously unknown album that is now Blue World released late last month. Director Gilles Groulx got John Coltrane to record some music for his film. The album itself is about 40 minutes of music, but only about 10 minutes are featured in the film. Naima as well as Village Blues are featured in the Groulx film.

Claude (Claude Godbout) and Barbara (Barbara Ulrich) are a young couple in love and at odds. Claude is a journalist and Barbara is an actress. Claude wants to be a revolutionary but not have to do the work to be one. Barbara isn't as concerned about politics, focused on her acting, and is more concerned that Claude cares little about her world.

The film examines the struggles of being French-Canadian in Quebec before the Quiet Revolution. We also get to see signs in Montréal before Bill 101.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

There is a film noir appeal where John Coltrane and Antonio Vivaldi fit well in that world. Love and relationships, oui, but a lot of what we see is two people talking past each other.

Given where Canadian filmmaking was back in 1964, the production values are fairly good. While the film is more homage to Godard, there is a Quebec sense rather than a French sense.

Talking with English Canadians, you get a sense that they don't understand Quebec. My sense of Quebec is through Quebecois film. Watching films such as Le chat dans le sac | The Cat in the Bag do help give us a sense of the mindset of Quebec.

You can view the film via the National Film Board of Canada.

photo credit: Le chat dans le sac | The Cat in the Bag film

Canadian content notebook: Made | Nous gets love at TIFF 2019

When you see multiple titles in a film festival, you sit through the video the festival makes lots of times. I run into that in the Windsor International Film Festival. You are excited viewing it the first couple of times. You get a little sick of it about the 9th or 12th time. You cry the last time you see it because you know the festival is ending.

Turns out the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival crowd got a dose of the Made | Nous campaign video we mentioned earlier this year.

I read a take where someone at the festival was describing the video. There were references to Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Denis Villeneuve, and others without mentioning them by name. The voiceover from Christopher Plummer was the clincher. This reviewer pointed out that after the "Time to take credit for it!" line, the crowd always applauded even a week into the festival.

Made Nous and other ways to promote Canadian content

Domee Shi wins for best animated short at 2019 Oscars

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

South Park has poked fun about Canada and has even blamed Canada. Last week's episode Band in China focused on China and in a roundabout way, the independence of Canadian film.

If you have wondered about the state of mainstream American film, South Park pointed out what has been unsaid. American mainstream films are made to conform to China standards in terms of content.

"Now I know how Hollywood writers feel," Stan says while a Chinese official stands over him to make sure nothing "bad" gets into the script.

The U.S. domestic film market, which includes Canada, isn't enough for really expensive films. The China market gives these film producers a chance to make their money back. The plots need to be simple, minimal meaningful dialogue, lots of flying and explosions. The morality of said films also have to fit into China standards.

The South Park episode gave an example of this where a character in a film couldn't be openly gay.

I thought about this as well when Rogers Sportsnet took a significant chunk of money to over hyper promote the Will Smith film Gemini Man during opening night of the NHL season. American mainstream films spend money in Canada to promote American films. Gemini Man is a classic example of this type of film that is likely influenced by Chinese censors.

South Park does its typical over-the-top style; Canadian invention Winnie the Pooh as well as Piglet are in the episode.

Canadian film is not subject to concerns about the Chinese market. "Too much" talking and little to no explosions found in Canadian film don't translate as well to running in China. Lost money to be sure, but there is something to be said for integrity, also a theme in the South Park episode.

South Park runs on Much in Canada and Comedy Central in the United States.

2019 CBC television upfront preview

'Young Drunk Punk' was more of what Canadian TV should be

Tried out a couple of episodes of Tallboyz, the new sketch comedy series. Bruce McCulloch is executive producer and director on the show.

Guled Abdi, Vance Banzo, Tim Blair, and Franco Nguyen are very young and talented. Some sketches are outstanding. The on-the-street game show about Native Americans and pennies was wonderful in humour and poignancy. The cafeteria bullying turned restaurant was very real and funny.

There was a zoo sketch involving grammar and a rapper that was a bit long and puzzling.

Young men doing sketch comedy about not being too macho is a welcome sight on television. They just need to improve the ratio of funny to meh.

There is hope for Tallboyz, hoping the final episode is funnier than the first 2 episodes I watched. The show would likely have done better debuting as a summer show to work out the kinks. Scheduling the show ahead of Baroness von Sketch Show feels like a mistake.

Then again, Bruce McCulloch's Young Drunk Punk sitcom was funny and deserved a better fate.

2019 Valentine's Day: Our love for Sandra Oh

IFC mistakes Canadian Sandra Oh as an American

Sandra Oh did the most amazing ad for Air Canada about how to travel like a Canadian. Saying sorry, offering kids poutine to stop fighting, having a Caesar: lots of ways to travel as a Canadian.

I have flown mostly Porter and Westjet among Canadian airlines. I know I have been on an Air Canada flight or two. The last time would have been coming back from Halifax via Montréal in 2015.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

Schitt's Creek Season 5 is coming to Netflix tomorrow. Season 5 has been available on demand through Pop TV in the United States. Schitt's Creek episodes are on CBC Gem in Canada.

Baroness von Sketch Show returns to IFC on Wednesday, October 30 at Midnight Eastern. 

IMDb TV has picked up Seasons 1 and 2 of Corner Gas Animated (yes, that is a show) as of October 15. The U.S. service will also pick up the original Corner Gas program and Corner Gas: The Movie.

Season 3 of the Corner Gas Animated debuts on the CTV Comedy Channel in 2020.

You might remember that WGN America had the original contract to syndicate the original show in the United States.

video credit: Made | Nous; Air Canada
photo credit: South Park/Comedy Central

Doug Ford Government axes Ontario Film Authority

The Ontario Film Authority is in its last few days, thanks to a decision by the Ford Government to abolish the entity that determines film ratings in the province.

The province will follow ratings issued by the British Columbia film classification organisation in the interim period, starting Tuesday.

The provincial film authorities have had fewer films to rate since films that go to video or streaming services don't have ratings. The OFA approved about 1,000 fewer films in 2018-2019 compared to 2017-2018.

Then again, the other 9 provinces aren't closing down their film authority group. The Ford Government says the savings will be $1.5 million to $2 million a year.

Getting rid of the Ontario Film Authority is half of the problem. The Ford Government will be the ones to come up with a new system. In a province that is home to one of the best film festivals in the world (TIFF), there is fear that a replacement will either be too cheap, too insufficient, too privatized, or some combination. The potential for censorship is also a significant concern.

Not getting a major distributor doesn't mean your film is banned

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

Doug Ford should learn that francophones are Ontarians and Canadians

Doug Ford will be the new premier of Ontario

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Ontario coverage

Canada doesn't have a national film classification system. Provinces are also responsible for banning films.

photo credit: Ontario Film Authority

Canadian film review: Across the Line

Across the Line tells a good and important story, but tells that story in an awkward fashion.

The film is based on the story of when blacks and white hockey players were fighting each other in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia in 1989.

Stephan James plays Mattie Slaughter, a potential NHL star on the horizon in Nova Scotia but with constant hurdles. Mattie’s brother Carter (James' real-life brother Shamier Anderson) is a pimp. There is a racist character Todd (Denis Theriault) at his school.

Slaughter tutors Jayme (Sarah Jeffery), a byproduct of a white mother and black father, and secretly pines for her. Jayme wants to run away to Toronto with her white boyfriend John (Steven Long).

Jim Codrington (The Border) does well in a smaller role as Jayme’s father.

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

Canadian film review: Black Cop

CanadianCrossing.com Nova Scotia coverage

Director X, known for directing hip-hop videos, gives us an uneven film. He builds to a crescendo where we think something horrible is going to happen. Something bad happens but doesn’t match the buildup.

We get a scene about 10 minutes from the end that was a rehash of an earlier scene. There is the sex scene that feels comical rather than intense because of the awkwardness of the staging. Bursting into laughter is not what a sex scene needs. The ending is more mystifying than bad.

Lori Downey (Cara Ricketts) is the catch-all as the only teacher we see. Downey is the tie back to 1989. There is an exchange in the classroom where Downey would say something, but by the time the student responds. writer Floyd Kane already has Downey out of the scene.

Theriault does his best with Todd but Kane draws him as so 1-dimensional he would do well in the world of Chien de Garde, Canada’s 2018 entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards. John, his best friend, asks Todd about his motivation. The audience and John get nothing.

Mattie explains to Jayme that most of his hockey world is white and he has to block that out to survive. The funny part is that other than an agent, there are no white people associated with hockey in the film. We never see a game or a practice.

Hockey fans will groan at the non-realistic portrayal of how youth hockey works in Canada.

The film does a good job (mostly) at developing the plot in the first 60 minutes of the film. The rest of the film struggles significantly.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

James, Jeffery, and Anderson are the reasons to watch this film. They do well even with the poor script and character motivation. James and Anderson have a true chemistry as brothers on- and off-screen. Anderson was just named a 2019 TIFF Rising Star.

Jeffrey’s character is trapped in the middle of a lot in this film and rises well above the material.

You still should see this film regardless of its significant flaws. The story is vital; the energy is good. Black Cop tells the black story in Nova Scotia better. This film is not nearly as bad as Allure or Chien de Garde. Across the Line isn’t as good of a film as the story deserves, but you will get enough from the experience.

Looking back at the impact of The Filmmakers on CBC

Across the Line from Director X was a film featured in The Filmmakers Season 1. The film is available on Netflix in the United States.

video credit: YouTube/The Little Film Company
photo credit: Across the Line film

Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film

Antigone, winner of the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, is Canada's entry to the 92nd Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The film from writer-director Sophie Deraspe adapts Sophocles' classical Greek tragedy to the current treatment of immigrants in modern Montréal.

Antigone is the name of the young woman (Nahema Ricci), a Canadian refugee and immigrant who has a brother wrongfully gunned down during a drug arrest and another brother taken into custody. The film also stars Nour Belkhiria, Rawad El-Zein, Rachida Oussaada, Antoine Desrochers, Paul Doucet, and Nathalie Tanous.

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

2019 TIFF preview

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

Antigone is female written and directed with a look at refugees and immigrants. The film will be part of the conversation over the Oscars choices. Canada hasn't made the Top 5 since Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle in 2013 and the Top 9 since Juste la fin du monde from Xavier Dolan in 2016.

The argument isn't so much that Canada make the shortlist or the Top 5 cut. Canada should have a film in contention that is part of the conversation. Canada has struggled with that lately, especially with the last 2 nominees.

Denys Arcand’s Les Invasions barbares is still the only Canadian film to win the Oscar in the category.

Sophie Deraspe's last film with the documentary The Amina Profile in 2015. I do recall seeing that film but didn't make a huge impression mostly because of the story.

Canadian film review: Far Side of the Moon

Seeing this film now extends my own personal streak to the last 16 Canadian entries for the Best Foreign Language Film to 2003 and The Barbarian Invasions. There are only 3 films missing since Cosmos (1997): August 32nd on Earth (1998); Emporte-Moi | Set Me Free (1999); and Un crabe dans la tête (2002). I have had the first 2 films on my list for some time.

I have seen 6 nominated films that were released before 1997: Mon oncle Antoine (1971); Les Ordres (1975); J.A. Martin photographe (1977); Le Déclin de l'empire américain (1986); Jésus de Montréal (1989); Léolo (1992); and Le Sexe des étoiles (The Sex of the Stars) (1993).

Chien de Garde fails to make Oscars shortlist

Film review: Family First

Chien de garde is Canada's Best Foreign Language Film entry

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Antigone will be released in Quebec on November 6. WaZabi Films is handling international sales.

The list of films will be cut to 9 films for the shortlist in mid-December. The final list of 5 nominations is out on January 13. The 92nd Academy Awards will be handed out on February 9.

video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
photo credit: Antigone film

Canadian film review: You Are Here: A Come From Away Story

If you haven't seen Come From Away, the musical, you can learn the story from the people who inspired the musical in the documentary You Are Here: A Come From Away Story.

The musical tells the story of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador in the days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. soil. The documentary takes us to Gander.

We meet the real Beverley Bass, the mayor of Gander. The food spreads we heard about: we get to see the food.

The documentary takes us through the experience day by day. We see the joys and sorrows of the non-Canadians whose lives were turned upside down.

You really get a good sense of what the townsfolk in Gander went through without warning to give back to the sudden additions to the community.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We also get to see the Gander people come to New York City for the musical on Broadway. There we saw the lasting friendships between the people in Newfoundland and those who came from away.

While the musical format appeals to a wide audience, the documentary gives you the ups and downs of the real story. Watch the musical if you can, then watch the documentary.

Come From Away a chance to learn about Canadian kindness on 9/11

Come From Away wins a single Tony award for best direction

Come From Away earns 7 Tony nominations

Come From Away hits Broadway, shows how Canada helped out after 9/11

The deterioration of the U.S.-Canada relationship ties back to September 11, 2001

CanadianCrossing.com Newfoundland and Labrador coverage

The documentary has been available in Canada for some time. There were special screenings in major cities in the United States on September 11. Hoping the documentary gets significant U.S. distribution so Americans can finally learn this amazing story of kindness at a very dark time.

video credit: YouTube/MDFproductionsINC
photo credit: You Are Here: A Come From Away Story film

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

#TIFF19 @canadagoose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film 🥇: ANTIGONE (dir. Sophie Deraspe) ⚖️ https://t.co/fz7ypK1bvm pic.twitter.com/267eu3nm4r

— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 15, 2019

The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival ended without a formal awards ceremony and released the award winners announcements via social media.

Antigone from Sophie Deraspe won Best Canadian Feature Film. The film is a modern adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy set in the immigrant experience in contemporary Montréal.

Kathleen Hepburn (Never Steady, Never Still) and co-director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers won honourable mention for The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open in this category.

The Twentieth Century from Matthew Rankin won the Best Canadian First Feature Film award. The film takes on an imagining of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's formative years.

Jeff Barnaby's second film Blood Quantum finished as the second runner-up of the People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award.

The film has an intriguing premise of a zombie film where those with Indigenous blood are immune. I got a chance recently to see Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Barnaby's debut film. Brandon Oakes and Devery Jacobs are in both films. Let's say I'm more intriguing about Blood Quantum after seeing Barnaby's first film.

American films are often shot in Canada but those producers don't often use local talent, specifically directors, editors and designers.

The Directors Guild of Canada utilized the platform that is TIFF to draw attention to Hollywood executives that there is tremendous Canadian talent behind such hit shows as The Handmaid's Tale and Orphan Black. Canadians Paul Austerberry, Jeffrey A. Melvin and Shane Vieau won Best Production Design for The Shape of Water at the 2019 Academy Awards.

The dedicated microsite offers a list of such talent with their credentials. The campaign ran in Toronto and Los Angeles during the run of the festival.

Speaking of the DGC, they sponsored DGC Ontario's Meet the Makers: Visionaries seminars at TIFF help filmgoers get an inner sense of the films they are enjoying. The seminars were free to the public.

Day 10 of our #tomneedsgrinder campaign. #TomHanks just tweeted about us. WOW how amazing is that, #BFF . Joelle says while the phone call was great, next time dinner and drinks, ok ? #ThankYou #love #wedidit #herocks https://t.co/CTNijuUBKr

— GrinderCoffeeGerrard (@GrinderCoffeeTO) September 9, 2019

The fun of TIFF is the joy outside the theatres, the interaction of fans with film stars. Grinder Coffee in Leslieville campaigned for fellow Canadian Ryan Gosling to stop by the coffee shop during TIFF 2018. Gosling took them up on the offer and left there with a "lovely feeling."

This year, Grinder Coffee targeted Tom Hanks, including a life-sized cardboard cutout of Hanks. Hanks took the place up on their offer but actually arrived after the cafe was closed. The visit worked out and now the cafe is 2-for-2 in celebrity luring.

CFL fans remember that Hanks was the guest of Martin Short and they watched the 2013 Grey Cup rooting for Hamilton in Regina. Hanks' character Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood first developed the TV show at the CBC in Toronto.

How Mister Rogers got his start on camera in Canada on the CBC

Canadian rock and roll documentary makes Independent Lens debut on PBS

Since you likely missed the opening gala presentation of Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band at TIFF 2019, the film will air on Bell Media's Crave in Canada. Co-executive producer Ron Howard announced just before the screening that “Magnolia is going to distribute the movie theatrically around the world."

So here's a curious #TIFF19 observation: Cineplex and Netflix do not get along. There are 9 Netflix films playing TIFF (including leading awards contenders MARRIAGE STORY, THE LAUNDROMAT, THE TWO POPES). Not *one* is screening in Cineplex's Scotiabank theatre, a major fest hub 🤔

— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) September 6, 2019

Streaming is pretty much a dirty word for the theatre industry as well as film festivals. Films from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime are looked at through a different lens because of their distribution origins.

This year, Cineplex-owned Scotiabank Theatre, a major source of TIFF films, is refusing to show any film from a major streaming service during the run of the festival. Those films are being shown at the Bell Lightbox.

First credit for noticing goes to Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail for his astute observation. Hertz points out that Crave films did run at the Scotiabank Theatre.

Theatres want a 90-day theatrical window before movies go to streaming services. Netflix and Amazon Prime want shorter windows.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Felicity Huffman is in a TIFF 2019 film Tammy's Always Dying with Anastasia Phillips from American actress turned Canadian-based director Amy Jo Johnson.

Huffman would be forgiven if the film wasn't primary in her thoughts these days. Huffman was sentenced Friday to 14 days in jail, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service, and 1 year of supervised release for her role in the college admissions cheating scandal. Prosecutors wanted 30 days in prison, a $20,000 fine, and 1 year of supervised release.

Tammy, Huffman's character is described as "an alcoholic who's the life of the party when she's in her cups, but a sharp-tongued, vicious monster when sober."

Here are a bunch of Canadian films that pass the Bechdel test

A Canadian film idea to showcase female Canadian acting talent

Women Make Film from Mark Cousins is 14 hours long. Yes, that has to be said. The length is proof that women in film have made an impact, even if that isn’t enough.

The film played the Toronto International Film Festival. Women Make Film covers some 183 female directors around the globe.

"Most films have been directed by men. Most of the recognized so-called movie classics were directed by men. But for 13 decades and on all six filmmaking continents, thousands of women have been directing films, too. Some of the best films."

Tilda Swinton (also a producer) narrates those words at the beginning of the film. Jane Fonda, Adjoa Andoh, Thandie Newton, Kerry Fox, Sharmila Tagore, and Debra Winger also serve as narrators.

Women Make Film shows that women are making films just not the top films from a box office standpoint.

Cohen Media will release the film in theatres; Criterion Collection will stream the film; and Turner Classic Movies gets television rights. Kanopy will show the film in schools and public libraries.

2019 TIFF preview

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

TIFF Rising Stars

We profiled the 2019 class of TIFF Rising Stars here. Here is the list from all the years.

2011 Sarah Allen, Katie Boland, Sarah Gadon, Keon Mohajeri

2012 Tatiana Maslany, Connor Jessup, Charlotte Sullivan, Charlie Carrick

2013 Megan Park, Johnathan Sousa, Evelyne Brochu, Cara Gee

2014 Shannon Kook, Sophie Desmarais, Alexandre Landry, Julia Sarah Stone

2015 Deragh Campbell, Stephan James, Aliocha Schneider, Karelle Tremblay

2016 Jared Abrahamson, Grace Glowicki, Mylène Mackay, Sophie Nélisse

2017 Daniel Doheny, Mary Galloway, Théodore Pellerin, Ellen Wong

2018 Devery Jacobs, Lamar Johnson, Michaela Kurimsky, Jess Salgueiro

2019 Kacey Rohl, Mikhail Ahooja, Nahéma Ricci, Shamier Anderson

Best Canadian Feature Film

I have added Roadkill, When Jews Were Funny, and Manufactured Landscapes to the films I've seen from this list.

Best Canadian Feature Film
Year	Film	Director
2019	Antigone	Sophie Deraspe
2018	The Fireflies Are Gone	Sebastien Pilote
2017	Les Affamés	Robin Aubert
2016	Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves	Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie
2015	Closet Monster	Stephen Dunn
2014	Felix and Meira	Maxime Giroux
2013	When Jews Were Funny	Alan Zweig
2012	Laurence Anyways	Xavier Dolan
2011	Monsieur Lazhar	Philippe Falardeau
2010	Incendies	Denis Villeneuve
2009	Cairo Time	Ruba Nadda
2008	Lost Song	Rodrigue Jean
2007	My Winnipeg	Guy Maddin
2006	Manufactured Landscapes	Jennifer Baichwal
2005	C.R.A.Z.Y.	Jean-Marc Vallée
2004	It's All Gone Pete Tong	Michael Dowse
2003	Les Invasions Barbares	Denys Arcand
2002	Spider	David Cronenberg
2001	Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)	Zacharias Kunuk
2000	Waydowntown	Gary Burns
1999	The Five Senses	Jeremy Podeswa
1998	Nô	Robert Lepage
1997	The Sweet Hereafter	Atom Egoyan
	The Hanging Garden	Thom Fitzgerald
1996	Long's Day Journey Into The Night	David Wellington
1995	Live Bait	Bruce Sweeney
1994	Exotica	Atom Egoyan
1993	Kanehsatake: 270 Years Of Resistance	Alanis Obomsawin
1992	Requiem Pour Un Beau Sans-Coeur	Robert Morin
1991	The Adjuster	Atom Egoyan
1990	H	Darrell Wasyk
1989	Roadkill	Bruce McDonald
1988	The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick	Allan Goldstein
1987	Family Viewing	Atom Egoyan
1986	Le Déclin De L'empire Américain	Denys Arcand
1985	Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga Of Hal C. Banks	Donald Brittain
1984	La Femme De L'hôtel	Léa Pool
Best Canadian Feature Film (1991-present); Excellence in Canadian Production (1984-1990).

 

Best Canadian First Feature Film

Haven't seen too many of these films: exceptions being Sleeping Giant, Marion Bridge, and Last Night. Finally saw Old Stone. Did see last year's entry Roads in February. Some of those titles are quite enticing.

Best Canadian First Feature Film
Year	Film	Director
2019	The Twentieth Century	Matthew Rankin
2018	Roads in February	Katherine Jerkovic
2017	Luk' Luk'l	Wayne Wapeemukwa
2016	Old Stone	Johnny Ma
2015	Sleeping Giant	Andrew Cividino
2014	Bang Bang Baby	Jeffrey St. Jules
2013	Asphalt Watches	Shayne Ehman, Seth Scriver
2012	Antiviral	Brandon Cronenberg
	Blackbird	Jason Buxton
2011	Edwin Boyd	Nathan Morlando
2010	The High Cost of Living	Deborah Chow
2009	The Wild Hunt	Alexandre Franchi
2008	Before Tomorrow	Marie-Hélène Cousineau
		Madeline Piujuq Ivalu
2007	Un Film Sans Fusil Continental	Stéphane Lafleur
2006	Sur La Trace D'igor Rizzi	Nöel Mitrani
2005	The Life And Hard Times Of Guy Terrifico	Louise Archambault, Michael Mabbott
2004	La Peau Blanche	Daniel Roby
2003	Love, Sex and Eating The Bones	Sudz Sutherland
2002	Marion Bridge	Wiebke Von Carolsfeld
2001	Inertia	Sean Garrity
2000	La Moitié Gauche Du Frigo	Philippe Falardeau
1999	Just Watch Me:	Catherine Annau
	Trudeau and The 70's Generation
1998	Last Night	Don McKellar
1997	Cube Vincenzo	Natali
As determined by the Toronto International Film Festival.

 

You can check out all the award winners. The 45th Toronto International Film Festival will be held September 10-20, 2020.

Twitter captures: @TIFF_net; @GrinderCoffeeTO; @HertzBarry
photo credit: Directors Guild of Canada

Just Ask is a way for Canadian content creators to talk to politicians

The growing digital threat to Canadian content weighs on the minds of those who create that content. In the fall Canadian federal election cycle, content creators want politicians to say where they stand on Canadian content.

The Just Ask non-partisan campaign (Je m’implique en Francaise) is designed to get content creators to go to an election-related event and ask a question pertinent to their industry.

The Web sites (English | French) help people find out practical information in the riding where they live.

The campaign involves the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Pablo Rodriguez takes over as Heritage Minister from Melanie Joly

Creative Canada sounds promising but so much is still unknown

Liberals want to revamp Canadian Content rules

Canada's cable TV reforms could deal blow to Canadian content

CRTC reducing requirements to carry Canadian content

What the 2015 Canadian federal election means to CBC and other arts funding

Elections are a time to inquire to politicians about whether they will address your concerns. Too often, people can't or don't take advantage of that time.

We saw a lot of activity from Melanie Joly when she was the Heritage Minister. We haven't seen or heard too much since Pablo Rodriguez took over the portfolio in a cabinet shuffle over a year ago.

The Netflix deal has been good and troublesome and perhaps both for some Canadian content creators. The Netflix deal is not the only concern.

Made Nous and other ways to promote Canadian content

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

If there is a primary agenda, the top query on the site encourages pledgers to ask candidates if they’ll "support both legislation and regulation requiring all players that benefit from the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems to invest in the creation of original Canadian programming?"

Other notable topics include funding and tax credits for arts & culture, protections for precarious workers, copyright protection, public broadcasting and promoting diversity, as well as inclusion and respectful workplaces in the cultural sector.

Helping CBC Part I: Show more Canadian content

Helping CBC Part II: Making money through cable channels

Helping CBC Part III: Filling programming holes

How Canadian should Canadian TV be?

This combines my love for Canadian content and interest in Canadian politics. We will be very curious if that movement makes an impact on the political scene, regardless of the results of the 2019 federal election.

photo credit: JustAsk2019.ca

2019 TIFF preview

We normally tease the start of the Toronto International Film Festival knowing that Canadian films don't start until Day 2 on Friday. For the first time in 9 years, a Canadian film is featured on opening night: Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band from director Daniel Roher. The film is the first Canadian documentary to open the Toronto International Film Festival.

We got a hint in Women Who Act that Ellen Page would get more involved behind the scenes in film. Page is on both sides of the camera on There's Something In The Water, a documentary about environmental racism with the Indigenous and African communities in Nova Scotia. Page and Ian Daniel, her partner on the Gaycation series, co-directed the film.

The Canadian film at the top of my list at TIFF 2019 is a documentary. No offence to Robbie Robertson and his Band mates, but the Ellen Page documentary raises my curiosity level. I realise my love for Nova Scotia is higher than my knowledge, especially for visible minorities in the province. I am intrigued to learn more about Ellen Page's storytelling technique in a non-fiction approach.

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

Heather Graham and Sophie Nélisse as mother and daughter sounds intriguing in The Rest Of Us from Aisling Chin-Yee. Antigone from Sophie Deraspe was recommended by TIFF as part of its personal recommendations.

There are a few other Canadian films on my list of intrigue. Murmur from Heather Young shows Shan MacDonald as a troubled Halifax woman assigned to community service at an animal shelter. Raf from Harry Cepka features Grace Glowicki and Jesse Stanley as two women who change each other's lives. The Last Porno Show from Kire Paputts features a struggling actor who inherits his late father's porn theatre.

How Mister Rogers got his start on camera in Canada on the CBC

One non-Canadian film of note is A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood from director Marielle Heller where Tom Hanks plays Fred Rogers. The Mister Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? completely left out Rogers' time in Canada with the CBC. I will bet you the price of 2 tickets for this film and a large popcorn that the feature film will also ignore the Canadian history of Mister Rogers Neighbourhood. The feature runs in the Gala Presentations category.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We have links to some outside coverage, such as Now Toronto 10 must-see Canadian films playing at TIFF 2019, a Canadian Press piece on 7 Canadian films to see in the festival, and CBC's TIFF 2019: CBC Indigenous lists 5 films to watch.

You can check out the details for all the Canadian films in the festival. The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival runs today through September 15.

photos credit: Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band film; There's Something in the Water film; The Rest Of Us film

Canadian film review: Far Side of the Moon

Watching Far Side of the Moon | La Face cachée de la lune wasn't just about seeing another Canadian film. The film is part of an ongoing quest to see Canada's entries for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. I was also curious about Robert Lepage, a prominent person who I have run across in my Quebecois film research.

Lepage is as prominent as you can get in Far Side of the Moon | La Face cachée de la lune. He wrote the play, the adapated screenplay, directed the film, and plays both brothers.

Philippe is the uptight older brother held back by his unusual thesis on narcissism in the U.S./USSR space race. André is the younger brother, a gay television weatherman who struggles with empathy. They deal with the loss of their mother mostly through repression.

We later find out that there is a significant age difference between the brothers, yet are both played by Lepage. The move appears odd but could be symbolic for the internal battle of each brother knowing the other one is their only living relative.

The film mostly focuses on Philippe, an admitted sad sack tortured by his own self-destructive behaviour. André is more self-absorbed but a lot more fun on the screen.

Philippe is at his best when making a video for a contest where aliens would learn about society on Earth. He then explains his world to those alien life forms.

The film says a lot that is likely meaningful. Paying close attention means you will almost certainly fall short of what the film is trying to say. There is a lot going on: this film is best enjoyed as is. Thinking will not help.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Lepage also acted in the Denys Arcand films Jesus of Montreal and Stardom.

Seeing this film now extends my own personal streak to the last 16 Canadian entries for the Best Foreign Language Film to 2003 and The Barbarian Invasions. There are only 3 films missing since Cosmos (1997): August 32nd on Earth (1998); Emporte-Moi | Set Me Free (1999); and Un crabe dans la tête (2002). I have had the first 2 films on my list for some time.

The film received 4 Genie nominations in 2004: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Actor; and Best Adapted Screenplay. Lepage won the Best Adapted Screenplay award.

Far Side of the Moon | La Face cachée de la lune was available via Amazon Prime with a rental fee.

video credit: YouTube/TrailersENG04
photo credit: Far Side of the Moon | La Face cachée de la lune film