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A Work In Progress: New Films in Canadian Cinema

admin — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

“Escape from Planet Earth” and “Mama” are just a couple of the new films coming out of Canada in 2013. Worldwide, the film, “Mama” has grossed, to date, $112,834,295. With a production budget of $15 million, films like these are putting Canada on the map internationally, perhaps to give the big blockbuster American well-known and well-used film locations of Hollywood and Alexandria, VA, a run for their money internationally.

Ironically, Canadians have supported the animation advances used in modern-day film since 1912 when Canadian cartoonist Raoul Barre created a technique that helped animators to make movement more fluid in early animation, first dreaming up the concept of using an advancing line for animation, a technique later put into effect by all major commercial animators.Didnâ€™t catch that? This explains it.
Today, production houses such as Montreal’s Toon Boom are contributing to video games and animated films.

As of late February 2013, new Canadian movie arrivals included films such as “My Friend Bernard,” “Damsels in Distress,” “Goodbye First Love,” “Hyenas,” and “Mongolian Death Worm.” “Azis Ansari: Dangerously Delicious” came in with perhaps the new release with the most pizazz in its title, followed by the poetic tradition of, simply, “Red Hill.”

Canada’s Best Film Festival

www.ottawafilmforum.com — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

You may not recognize a lot of Canadian films on your direct tv Worchester but they’re out there! Canadian filmmakers are really taking off and there are numerous film festivals being held just to honor them. Here are three of our favorites:
Vancouver International Film Festival – One of the largest in all of Canada, the Vancouver International is a great place to see and be seen. If it does well here you can bet it will make an appearance at Sundance later in the year.
Whistler Film Festival – this is more of a boutique festival but it’s got all the best indie films that may not make it to the big leagues. You’ll find short films and documentaries on Canadian subjects here so it’s a great stop for aspiring filmmakers.
Banff Mountain Film and Books Festival – One of the only festivals of its kind, Banff celebrates all the cerebral arts. It’s a wonderful place to ski and take in the scenery and this film festival is one that will delight any true scholar of any particular genre. It’s worth checking out.

It’s Time To Shine: Canadian Film’s Hit Factory

admin — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Sure, Mariah Carey’s ill-fated movie debut Glitter was filmed in Canada, but the country has produced more than enough hits to balance out the occasional lapse in judgment. According to the National Film Board of Canada, Toronto is among Canadian cities that are a big draw to movie studios because many locations can easily substitute for other cities at a fraction of the cost of shooting in the real locations. It may come as a surprise to some that several hit movies were indeed filmed in Canada.

Superman III (1983) – One of the first blockbusters to be filmed in Canada nearly 30 years ago, this third installment of the franchise featured original movie Superman Christopher Reeve. Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Annette O’Toole and Robert Vaughn round out an excellent cast in an average movie.

The Notebook (2004) – Based on the hit novel by Nicholas Sparks, the film adaptation stars fellow Canadians Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. It’s fairly faithful to the book’s account of a romance spanning more than 60 years.

Happy Gilmore (1996) – Adam Sandler at a time when his zaniness was appealing. Yes, this is the film with a cameo by Bob Barker in the famous golf scene.

The Canadian Film Office reports a growing number of movie studios turning to Canada as a cheaper alternative to Hollywood with better available locations. Canada’s devotion to film is evidence by the annual Toronto International Film Festival, held annually in September. Cartman might not approve, but for many Canadians it’s aboot time Canada gets credits for its role in movie history.

A Filmmaker’s Guide To Canadian Cinema

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Canadian cinematic scene captivates movie goers around the world. The film industry continues to thrive in the face of the economic strain that rocked the American film industry in recent years. Major cities such as Canada’s three largest cities Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have played host to rich Canadian cinema. The thriving film industry of Canada standing firmly on its own.

Breaking into the Canadian film business can present a number of challenges. As one of the leading filmmaking authorities in the world, Canada celebrates the acclaimed Toronto Film Festival annually.Didn’t catch that? This explains it. Successful filmmakers to emerge from Canada include Jason Reitman, Paul Haggis and James Cameron. Canadian film distributors Alliance Atlantis remains the leading distributors of American and international films. They were acquired by CanWest Global Communications in 2007 and continue flourish as the distributors filmmakers can rely upon.

New filmmaking requires a talented team complete with writers, directors, actors, editors, producers and distributors. Working closely within the guidelines of the National Film Board of Canada will assist you with seeking outside financing for future project and film endeavors. Taking the initiative to find independent financial backing gives you the latitude to make greater strides with the final film output.

The Beginning of The Canadian Genre

admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Many Canadian films have been categorized into the following categories:
Contemporary World Cinema
Special Presentation
Vanguard
Masters
Canadians have a readiness to experiment more with genre according to film critics as seen the film The Trotsky which has been coined as “a kind of smart teen comedy”. What tends to take place in Canadian film is that initially, on the surface, when first introduced to the plot, it appears as if the film will fit into one specific genre, but the plot takes a twist, so that the genre develops into an entirely different one.Didn’t catch that? This explains it.
One film director Bob Clark has produced probably some great films as well as many good ones. His Black Christmas is considered to have popularized the slasher horror films. Clark understood what spoke to the viewer at a primal level and how audiences react to suspense.
The five components to a slasher film are the killer who has suffered an awful trauma, the weapon, usually something that cuts, the setting where teens hang out like summer camps, the past event which explains why there is a killer on the loose, and the final girl who survives the killer’s anger and attacks.

Canadian Cinema’s Growing Popularity in Mainstream Cinema

admin — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Since its inception, Canadian Cinema has struggled to find a worldwide audience in the shade of America’s commercial success. This is for no lack of talent on the part of Canada. James Cameron is a well respected Canadian director who has been praised worldwide, but as he produced his biggest films out of American studios, the credit for the work is often given to the United States.

It is also important to note that many films made in collaboration with Canada are billed as American successes. Did you know “Sucker Punch” has two countries of Origin? Both America and Canada, but the US takes the credit for the epic fantasy. “American Psycho” was also a US/Canada partnership.

In 2006, Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley crafted a beautiful cinematic masterpiece that took great strides to increase Canadian cinema’s growing popularity in mainstream cinema. “Away From Her,” stars Academy Award Winning actresses Julie Christie and Olympia Dukakis in a touching story about love and illness, and Polley’s next film “Take This Waltz,” due out in 2011, is highly anticipated.

Other great Canadian Films include:

1.”The Changeling” (1980)
2.”Videodrome” (1983)
3.”Strangers in Good Company” (1990)
4.”Crash” (1996)
5.”eXistenZ” (1999)