Archive for January, 2008

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'Eastern Promises' and 'Away From Her' grab major Genie nominations - Prince George Citizen

Monday, January 28th, 2008

Calgary Herald

Prince George Citizen, Canada - The Genie nominations honouring the best in Canadian film were announced Monday, with internationally acclaimed films like “Eastern Promises” and “Away From Her” getting major recognition. David Cronenberg’s bloody Russian mob thriller will square off against Polley’s Alzheimer’s drama in the best picture category along with Denys Arcand’s “Days of Darkness.” “Shake Hands With The Devil” and “Continental, A Film Without Guns” are also in the running. British actress Julie Christie, meanwhile, is nominated in the best actress category. She’s already up for an Oscar for her turn in “Away From Her,” and is squaring off at the Genies against Anne-Marie Cadieux of the Quebec film “Toi,” Ellen Page for “The Tracey Fragments,” Molly Parker for “Who Loves the Sun” and Beatrice Picard for “Ma tante Aline.”… [Full Story] Related Articles • "Promises," "Devil" each nab 12 Genie nominations - Calgary Herald [View all 89 related]

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Oscar contenders open at TO film fest - Jam! Showbiz

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Calgary Herald

Jam! Showbiz, Canada - The Toronto International Film Festival was confirmed yesterday as Oscar’s favourite launch pad. Setting a new benchmark, a remarkable 18 of the 39 feature films that earned at least one Oscar nomination were screened at the festival either in 2006 or 2007. Those films generated a total of 48 Oscar nominations. In addition, a Canadian animated short that had been screened at the 2007 filmfest also earned a nomination, pushing the total to 19 films and 49 nominations… [Full Story] Related Articles • Reitman taking Hollywood in new direction - Winnipeg Sun • Canadians pull in Oscar nominations - Owen Sound Sun Times • Polley happy with nomination - Times Colonist [View all 39 related]

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Oscar singing O Canada - Toronto Star

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

CTV.ca

Toronto Star, Canada - It was an overwhelmingly emotional moment when Canadian director Ivan Reitman learned his son Jason had been nominated for an Oscar as Best Director for Juno. “Oh man, he couldn’t form a sentence,” said Jason Reitman, at Sundance as a member of the short film jury. “He was crying. He’s never been nominated and he was pretty shook up. He was over the moon and just so, so proud.” Juno is the lone sunny offering amongst a Best Picture field crowded with gloomy dramas: No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood lead nominations with eight bids apiece, followed by Atonement and Michael Clayton with seven each… [Full Story] Related Articles • Reitman steps out of father's shadow with serious Oscar attention … - The Canadian Press • Oscar contenders open at TO film fest - Jam! Showbiz • Canadians Page, Polley receive Oscar nods - CTV.ca [View all 146 related]

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TO film fest co-founder dies - Jam! Showbiz

Saturday, January 12th, 2008

Jam! Showbiz

Jam! Showbiz, Canada - Dusty Cohl, a legendary “accomplice” who made things happen in film circles around the world, died yesterday at Sunnybrook Hospital after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 78. A monumental icon in Canada’s film and entertainment industry, Cohl was a founder of the Toronto International Film Festival, which began in 1976, as well as one of the driving forces behind Canada’s Walk of Fame that was created in 1998. His devotion to Canadian talent and this country’s film industry had him invested as a member of the Order of Canada in 2003. Born near Bloor and Bathurst Sts. on Feb. 21, 1929, Murray Cohl (who picked up the nickname “Dusty” at a Bolshevik Jewish camp north of the city where he spent his summers as a youth) was known for his big smile, charming demeanour, quick wit, keen intellect and unique style and ideas — all valuable traits for a man whose strength was said to be putting people together… [Full Story]

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Persepolis creator adapts life story her way - Georgia Straight

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

Boston Globe

Georgia Straight, Canada - …“I always thought that was the worst idea in the world,” Satrapi says with a grin. “To make comics and then to make a movie out of them I still think is not a very good idea. The thing was that I had a friend of mine who wanted to become a producer, and he says, ‘Oh, yeah, let’s make a movie.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I want animation, black-and-white. I want to be able to work with my best friend [graphic novelist Vincent Paronnaud]. And I want Catherine Deneuve. And I want total freedom and nobody can tell me what to do.’ So he says, ‘Okay.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, shit, now I have to make a movie.’ ” The movie, Persepolis, opens in Vancouver on Friday (January 11), and the adaptation clearly wasn’t that bad an idea, because it’s turning up on almost every other film critic’s 2007 top-10 list, shared the Jury Prize at Cannes, scored a Golden Globe nomination for best foreign film, was chosen as France’s official Oscar entry, and has to be the only lock for an animation Oscar nomination aside from Ratatouille. And after grossing more than $9 million in France alone, the movie is making big enough waves that an English-language version is being prepared, with Deneuve joined by Gena Rowlands, Iggy Pop, and Sean Penn… [Full Story] Related Articles • >> Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud - Montreal Mirror [View all 45 related]

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