On Screen Manitoba

Banff World Television Festival & nextMEDIA Banff
One Ticket, Two World Class Media Events
June 13-16, 2010

For over 30 years, the Banff World Television Festival has offered television professionals the chance to pitch ideas, discover new talent, connect with top executives and make career-changing deals on an international scale. This year, BANFF is taking TV to new heights by joining forces with Canada’s premier digital media conference, nextMEDIA. Connect with the interactive talent that will take your content properties to new and growing audiences. Partner with digital media leaders and explore new funding opportunities that will place your business at the forefront of the emerging media ecosystem. See your ideas go from pitch to program while networking with over a thousand of Canada’s and world’s top entertainment and digital technology executives.

Take the next step – Register Now and Save 30% off the regular ticket price with your On Screen Manitoba Discount!

Discount Ends May 14, 2010.

Visit us at www.banff2010.com

Congratulations to OSM Member Rita Shelton Deverell who on behalf of the members of the Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network (BWCEN) and Founding Patron the Hon. Marlene Jennings, M.P., has been invited as a Guest of Honour and Award recipient at the 2010 BWCEN Award Reception to be held in Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario on the evening of Tuesday 16, March 2010.

This 2010 Award pays homage to Rita's achievements and contributions as the founder of Vision TV and as an exceptional broadcast executive. The award recognizes an outstanding citizen whose legacy underscores how diversity in journalism, professional excellence and pioneering innovation and creativity can succeed in building communities, nations and a world inspired by opportunities and hope. From Rita's years of service as the first woman to lead a journalism program in Canada, and her dedicated term as Director of News and Current Affairs at the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, through to her illustrious career as an award winning theatre artist, and current work as holder of the Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University - Rita's work is truly noteworthy and must be celebrated.

All About Rita:

Rita Shelton Deverell got her start in television in 1972 when she helped to create a very successful children’s program called All In a Tube. Since then, she’s been an on-air journalist, a producer, a university professor, a social activist, a mentor and a visionary television pioneer. In 1988 she became one of the founders of the world’s first multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster -- Vision TV. Programs she produced for Vision TV have won 2 Geminis. From 2002 to 2005, Rita was based in Winnipeg as Director of News and Current Affairs at APTN, where she mentored her Aboriginal successor. In 1993, she was named in Maclean’s Honour Roll of Outstanding Canadians. As well, she was the recipient of such honours as the Canadian Black Achievement Award and Media Watch’s Dodi Robb Award. In 2002, Rita Deverell was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame. In 2005, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Rita has produced/directed/written 8 TV dramas. and 4 plays for the theatre, as an independent. She is Nancy's Chair in Women's Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax until the spring of 2011.

Telefilm Canada’s Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Carolle Brabant as the organization’s new Executive Director, as announced earlier today by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage. Carolle, who is currently Telefilm’s Director of Administration and Corporate Services, has worked with the organization for the past 20 years in various capacities and has thus gained solid experience in the industry.

“I am delighted with the appointment of Carolle Brabant, who was interim director for 6 months in 2004, as she is perfectly qualified for this position,” stated Michel Roy, Chair of Telefilm’s Board of Directors.

“Carolle, a chartered accountant and MBA graduate, has always shown extraordinary team spirit,” adds Mr. Roy. “Her role and achievements inside Telefilm Canada as Director of Administration and Corporate Services did not allow her to benefit from much visibility with the industry but it will soon discover her to be forward-looking and a person with vision. Furthermore, I am pleased to see one of Telefilm’s senior managers promoted to this leadership role; this is rewarding for all employees inside the organization. I would also like to emphasize that this is the first time a woman will hold this position on a permanent basis,” he concludes.

“I am honoured that Telefilm’s Board of Directors and Minister Moore have placed their confidence in me,” says Carolle Brabant, Telefilm Canada’s new Executive Director. “I am very proud of the success of our Canadian creators and I plan on investing all of my energy to see them gain more visibility on the national and international stage with Telefilm’s support. During my term, I will call upon the innovative ideas put forward by Telefilm’s employees, our clients and partners in order to help our industry reach its full potential,” she concluded.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process was initiated in the summer of 2009 by Telefilm Canada’s Board of Directors. It retained the services of a recruitment agency and established a selection committee that included representatives from: the Office of the Prime Minister, the Privy Council Office, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Telefilm Canada.

This committee conducted a rigorous process and analyzed the profiles of close to 70 candidates from across the country. The committee’s objective was to identify a strong, bilingual manager with the leadership skills and innovative spirit required to lead Telefilm through this period of change within Canada’s audiovisual industry. Following this search process, and based on a unanimous decision amongst committee members, two candidates were recommended to the Heritage Canada Minister.

Carolle Brabant’s mandate as Executive Director of Telefilm Canada takes effect on March 15.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian products that appeal to nationalc and international audiences. Telefilm also administers the funding programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. Visit www.telefilm.gc.ca.

A New Original Television Series for SPACE

Aircraft Pictures, Corvid Pictures, and Frantic Films in association with SPACE are pleased to announce production has begun on SPACE’s newest original series. Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil will be shot over ten weeks on location in Winnipeg. The result will be a 13-episode, half-hour supernatural comedy that brings the age-old phrase “high school is hell” to life.

“Getting to make this series is proof that The Book Of Pure Evil is real and actually works!” says co-creator Craig David Wallace, “We’re super excited that SPACE is supporting our belief that ‘80s flavoured Heavy Metal and Black Magic are back, and more evil than ever.”

Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil is based on the short film of the same title written by Craig David Wallace and Max Reid, and directed by Wallace. The short film was produced through the Canadian Film Centre’s Short Dramatic Film Programme, and kicked off an international festival tour by premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2003. A pilot for Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil was shot for SPACE last winter in Winnipeg.

ABOUT THE SERIES:
 
Imagine, if you will, a book of awesome power. A book that will make your deepest, darkest dreams come true… but at a horrifying cost. This is The Book Of Pure Evil, and it’s loose in Crowley High. Anyone who possesses it is unable to resist the temptation to use its power for their own teen-angst fueled desires. Thankfully, one horny teenager stands between The Book Of Pure Evil and the end of the world as we know it. His name is Todd. He’s flunking math, but he’ll save our asses, whether he likes it or not.

ABOUT THE CAST:

Alex House, who plays teen metal-head Todd, played the lead role on the YTV series Dark Oracle and guest starred on many shows including Corner Gas and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Alex is a film fanatic, particularly of Korean cinema, and enjoys riding his bike in downtown Toronto and watching cartoons with his younger brother.

Maggie Castle plays Jenny, a no-nonsense kind of girl who doesn’t take crap from anyone, including Todd who has a major crush on her. Since she began acting at the age of five, Maggie has garnered more than 30 professional credits to her name. She has worked with some of the biggest names in film including Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, and alongside Rachel McAdams in The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Todd’s best friend is Curtis, played by Bill Turnbull. Bill’s most recent appearances include a recurring role on The Jon Dore Television Show, and guest spots on Being Erica and The Best Years. When he’s not acting, Bill enjoys playing drums and occasionally performing live with his band in Toronto.

Rounding out ‘the gang’ is reckless science nerd Hannah, played by Melanie Leishman. She played a lead role in The Comedy Network series House Party, and can be seen in Victoria Day, which was nominated for Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Melanie’s other interests include ballet and cycling.   

Chris Leavins plays Crowley High’s creepy guidance counselor Atticus Murphy Jr. Chris is a two-time Gemini nominee, most recently recognized for his role in the series Slings and Arrows. He is the creator of the wildly popular satirical website Cute With Chris, which gets millions of hits and is often featured on YouTube’s home page. His new podcast The Chris Leavins Story Hour is performed in front of a live audience in Toronto and Los Angeles, and recently topped the Canadian iTunes chart. 

Jason Mewes plays Crowley High’s janitor Jimmy. Jason once worked at a video store with Kevin Smith, where he unknowingly became the muse for Kevin’s film Clerks. With Jason in the role of Jay, Clerks was hailed at festivals worldwide and became a cult classic. Jason played in Smith’s next two films Mallrats and Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and most recently in Zak & Miri Make a Porno, and action-comedy Shoot the Hero.  

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION:

Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil was created for television by Anthony Leo, Charles Picco, and Craig David Wallace. Executive producers are Craig David Wallace of Corvid Pictures, Jamie Brown of Frantic Films, and Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen of Aircraft Pictures. Leo and Rosen also produce with Shawn Watson of Frantic Films.

Three over-caffeinated writers contributed to the 13 hysterical stories that make up the series. They are Craig David Wallace, Charles Picco and Garry Campbell. The series is directed by James Dunnison (who directed the pilot), James Genn, Craig David Wallace and David Winning.

First developed for television through the National Screen Institute’s Totally Television programme, Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil was developed by SPACE with the assistance of the Canadian Television Fund.

ABOUT AIRCRAFT PICTURES:

Aircraft Pictures is an independent film, television and digital content production company, creating thought-provoking entertainment for a worldwide audience. Founded in 2005, the Toronto-based company's principal producing partners are Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen.  

Over the last three years, Aircraft co-produced four television movies with Dolphin Entertainment for Nickelodeon and Family Channel, including Roxy Hunter & The Mystery of the Moody Ghost and Roxy Hunter & The Secret of the Shaman which have been sold in over 70 countries. Aircraft also has several television and feature film projects in development, including the dramatic feature The River of Blood based on the true life story of Somali-Canadian hip hop artist K’naan (in development with Telefilm Canada, OMDC, The Harold Greenberg Fund, The Movie Network and Movie Central) set for production in late 2010.  www.aircraftpictures.com

ABOUT CORVID PICTURES:

Toronto-based Corvid Pictures produces quality fiction and documentary screen media combining the talents of producing partners Sarah Timmins and Craig David Wallace. Recent productions include award-winning feature film The Tracey Fragments, starring Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page (Juno) and directed by Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo) and the zombie rom-com short Love Letter from an Open Grave, starring Kristin Booth and Jonas Chernick.

Upcoming projects include the sci-fi thriller feature Ten Thunders and The Happiness Project: Africa which expands Charles Spearin’s (Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think) critically acclaimed album The Happiness Project into a documentary set in neighborhoods across Africa.

ABOUT FRANTIC FILMS:

Frantic Films is an award-winning film and television production company that has produced over 300 hours of content setting numerous ratings records and selling to over 130 countries worldwide. The company has earned an outstanding reputation for producing compelling, innovative and premium entertainment.

Frantic Film’s programming includes feature films, MOWs, documentaries, and scripted and lifestyle series such as the Gemini Award-winning Til Debt Do Us Part (Slice Network) and Chef School (Food Network). The Frantic Branded Content + Commercials division is a multi-disciplinary production facility that creates original integrated entertainment for use across the entire range of traditional and emerging media platforms. www.franticfilms.com

ABOUT SPACE:

SPACE is Canada’s national science fiction, speculation, and fantasy channel. Offering the finest in genre programming, viewers need not look further for their fix of the paranormal, edgy, scary, creepy, and fun! SPACE is truly the boutique station for all those who dare to challenge their imagination (www.spacecast.com). SPACE is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.

Todd & The Book Of Pure Evil is produced and developed in association with SPACE, and produced with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, Manitoba Film & Music, Government of Manitoba – Manitoba Film & Video Production Tax Credit, Ontario Media Development Corporation – Film & Television Tax Credit, and The Canadian Film and Video Tax Credit.

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC), the most prestigious short film script contest in Canada, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Yorkton Film Festival (YFF) – the oldest and longest running film festival in North America.

On Saturday May 29, 2010, David Cormican, Producer and CSSC Founder, will present the writing competition’s top prize, the Golden Cinema Award to the writer of the best short script for 2009. “I’m just stoked”, says Cormican. “To be able to bring writers to the forefront of such a long-standing film festival is a real treat. It is an incredible opportunity for these scribes to be celebrated amongst an audience of industry professionals, as well as become part of a Canadian film tradition steeped in excellence”.

The CSSC’s thirteen lucky finalists will be encouraged to attend the festival, which runs May 27-30 2010 and to partake in the many films, workshops, panels networking opportunities, and Golden Sheaf Awards Gala.

Joanne McDonald, a director of the board for YFF, says “We are very pleased to welcome The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition to the Festival. Our focus is on emerging filmmakers and the CSSC is a natural fit into the YFF”

One writer will walk away with top honours: $1,000 cash prize sponsored by Year of the Skunk Productions, a production deal to have their screenplay made into a short film (to be screened at next year’s YFF), and their very own Golden Cinema trophy commemorating their achievement in screenwriting.

About The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC)
The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, administered by Year of the Skunk Productions (Regina), and established in 2008, is the premiere script contest for short film screenplays. CSSC is the single-most competitive, prestigious, short screenplay festival in Canada, a champion for screenwriters everywhere and a launching pad for writers’ professional careers.

Visit www.Screenplay-Competition.com

About the Yorkton Film Festival
The Yorkton Film Festival is the longest running film festival in North America. In the 63 years of its existence, the Festival has developed a tradition of recognizing excellent films and providing great professional development and learning opportunities. The Festival recognizes outstanding Canadian short films and rewards the very best with the annual Golden Sheaf Awards.

Visit www.goldensheafawards.com

WITH INTERNATIONAL GUEST ANIMATOR MARIEKE VON MIDDLEKOOP (HOLLAND)
Wednesday, March 10, 6:30-8:00pm
Portage Place, 2nd floor

Description:
There are differences between stage acting and acting for animators. While stage actors work in the moment, animators work with a representation of present moment. Join Marieke for an informative session about exploring the connections between thought, emotion, action, scene construction, characters and story telling.

Click here for the full pamphlet.

Contact: Anna at 795-4800 / 943-5341 to Register
execdirector@freezeframeonline.org

www.freezeframeonline.org

Back in 2009 Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story was shot in several locations throughout Manitoba including Winnipeg, Brandon and Selkirk. The film was co-produced by Manitoba production company Frantic Films - Executive Producer Jamie Brown and Producer Shawn Watson worked on the film along with 5 For Fighting Productions Inc.

The film was written by Don Cherry's son, Tim Cherry, who has wanted to tell his father's personal story for some time.

Airing on CBC: Sunday, March 28, 2010 & Monday, March 29, 2010 from 8 - 10 PM

Click here for the CTF's in-depth article with Tim Cherry on the making of Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story.

Flaherty keeps status quo for arts and culture
James Bradshaw (The Globe and Mail)

The 2010 federal budget contains no new money for arts and culture, but also no cuts, eliciting a mixture of relief and frustration from the arts community.

The government committed to keeping its promises from last year's budget, which contained hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus funding spread over two years. Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore confirmed that no arts funding has been slashed and, with so much talk of renewed fiscal restraint in Ottawa, that was enough to provoke some smiles.

“I'm very happy with that budget. What they committed for two years, all that money is there,” said Simon Brault, head of the National Theatre School and president of Culture Montréal. “There is a foundation around that budget on which we should, as arts players, build ... our case in the coming years.”

The Canadian Arts Coalition was similarly upbeat, with spokesperson Shannon Litzenberger stressing that “the arts sector is pleased to see that the government is going to sustain arts investment,” and that the $181-million annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts has been protected.

Others, though pleased to see no cuts, were less charitable.

“We're of course disappointed there's nothing new. But it is very clear that we are facing an avalanche of cuts to come and nobody is going to escape it,” said John McAvity, executive director of the Canadian Museums Association.

Members of the film, television and new media industries expressed particular disappointment. Brian Anthony, CEO of the Directors Guild of Canada, had extensive meetings in Ottawa leading up to the budget, including a one-on-one talk with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, and was expecting a strong indication of a future commitment to the industry, if not concrete dollars today.

“I think it was a missed opportunity, quite frankly,” Anthony said. “Critics will now say that the 2009 budget was a one-off, a response to the near-death experience in the 2008 election when the PM did a bit of freelance culture bashing and lost lots of votes.”

“We're disappointed there's nothing specific and nothing new in terms of commitment to culture,” added Stephen Waddell, national executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA). “We would have thought there might have been something very specific to our industry given that we produce a lot of good, clean, well-paying, environmentally conscious jobs.”

Moore countered that their disappointment was misplaced, given that the government is honouring its word.

“I thought we were pretty assertive last year in letting people know that it was a two-year Economic Action Plan and not a one-year investment,” Moore said. “It's more than ‘nothing's been taken away.' ”

One commitment did draw praise across the board. The Canada Council, the CBC, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board had all been targeted for Strategic Review, the government-wide process designed to identify and shift inefficient spending. Moore made it clear that the four agencies had faced “up to a 5 per cent cut,” and that those funds might have been reallocated to something other than arts and culture. But the government has decided all four are meeting “the priorities of Canadians,” and will not move any of their funding.

The Canada Prizes for Arts and Creativity, which sparked widespread controversy when they were announced in last year's budget, returned to the radar after a year of relative silence. The one-time $25-million infusion earmarked to kick-start the awards is still on the table, and Moore said he hopes to announce the results of consultations with many stakeholders before long.

Some also lauded the government for easing disbursement quota restrictions on charities, meaning they will have more flexibility in the way they spend their money.

But a long list of suggestions the arts community put forward in advance of the budget will have to wait another year at least. Most prominent among them were calls for gradual increase the Canada Council's budget by $120-million; widespread requests for a Market Development and Access Program, in part to replace touring and cultural export lost when the Tories cut the Promart and Trade Routes programs in 2008; and suggestions for a variety of tax incentives and reforms, from income averaging for artists and credits for live performance, to enhanced film and television production credits.

And several arts officials remain wary of the new budget's pledge to find $17.6-billion in savings over the next five years, fearing it might mean cuts to the arts are still in the offing. Moore moved to quell those fears, saying “That's not part of our plan right now.”

“An economic recovery that doesn't include strong investments in arts and culture isn't a real plan,” he added.

NSI Totally TV - May 4th Deadline

Have a great idea for a TV show? Learn how to get it to air with NSI Totally TV.

NSI Totally Television, run by the National Screen Institute – Canada, gives you the tools you need to develop your TV show and pitch it to broadcasters with the ultimate goal of getting it made. Over ten months you’ll receive relevant market-driven training including the opportunity to work with story editors, showrunners, mentors and executive producers to develop and shape your project. Up to six teams will be accepted for the initial phase of training; only the top teams with the best market-driven projects will go on to Phase 2 and attend the Banff World Television Festival in 2011.

Apply for the program by Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

Guidelines and an application form are available on the NSI website.

"NSI Totally Television is all about training and connections. We give you the tools you need to successfully develop and pitch your project, and connect you with the people who'll help you get it made," said Brandice Vivier, Manager, Programs and Development, NSI. "Our participants' series have aired on Global, Citytv, APTN, HBO Canada, Showcase and CBC demonstrating the strength of projects and teams that have come through the program." This program gets results. 50% of Phase 2 projects have gone into development with a broadcaster and 50% of these have gone into production. Recent shows developed through NSI Totally Television include Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (shooting in Winnipeg this month), Less Than Kind (season 2 is airing now on HBO Canada), ‘da Kink in my Hair (season 1 available on DVD), and Wapos Bay (season 4 airs on APTN; series also airs in Australia).

The NSI Totally Television program can be done while you keep your day job. It features a week-long boot camp in Toronto in the fall for all participants and a shorter training session in Spring 2011 for Phase 2 teams. Project and professional development plans are created with maximum flexibility to allow you to keep working.

Brandice Vivier, Manager, Programs and Development, National Screen Institute - Canada
Brandice Vivier has worked in the film and television industry for over 15 years. As Manager, Programs and Development at NSI, Brandice develops and delivers many of our training programs. In addition to managing NSI Totally Television, she is currently working with the NSI Online Film Festival and Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program. Brandice has also managed NSI Drama Prize, NSI Storytellers, NSI Pitch to Win!, NSI Global Marketing, Telefilm Canada Spark Plug, and DiverseTV.

Samantha Linton – Program Advisor, NSI Totally Television
Sam Linton is an award winning producer, director and executive producer. She has worked as Head of Factual Programming at Cineflix, Head of Development for RTR Media where she helped create Maxed Out and From the Ground Up with Debbie Travis. She also worked as Head of Original Production for Discovery Channel Canada where she oversaw and executive produced hundreds of hours of programming.

NSI Totally Television is made possible by Presenting Sponsor CTV and the CTV/CHUM Benefits; Program Partner Telefilm Canada; Strategic Sponsors Rogers and Women in Media Foundation (WIMF); and Provincial Sponsor MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC.

14th Annual Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival
November 9 - 14, 2010

Reel Asian is Canada's largest and longest-running showcase dedicated to contemporary Asian cinema and media arts from Asia, North America and all over the world. Annually, the festival attracts thousands of attendees to six exciting days of screenings, industry events and galas. The 14th annual edition takes place November 9-14, 2010 and we are now accepting submissions of new independent films and videos of all genres that are by and/or about East and Southeast Asians.

More information is available here.

The earlybird deadline (no submission fee) is April 1, 2010. After that date, submissions will be accepted with a $20 CAD fee until June 1, 2009. The submission fee helps cover expenses related to cataloguing and administering each entry.

Please email questions to the Artistic Director, Heather Keung, at programming@reelasian.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with subject ‘submission 2010’ or contact the festival office at (416) 703-9333.

Selected applicants will be notified of their acceptance by early September. The programming line-up will be officially announced at the festival press launch in mid-October.

8th Annual New Directors Search 2010

SHOOT is conducting a worldwide search to discover the best up-and-coming directors who, based on their initial work, show promise to soon make major positive contributions to advertising and/or entertainment in its traditional and emerging forms. This global search is conducted by SHOOT's editorial staff with input from advertising agency creative directors & heads of production, as well as production company heads and established directors.

Finalists receive priceless worldwide career boosting exposure for their work & bio + an invitation to screening event and after-party in front of a packed house at the DGA Theatre in NYC providing major networking opportunities with industry big wigs and career power brokers.

Click here for SHOOT New Directors Search Submission Details and Entry Form

ENTER SHOOT'S 2010 NEW DIRECTOR SEARCH TODAY It could be a big step towards being noticed by the companies that can represent you and the advertising agency creatives and film producers that can hire you.

NEW DIRECTOR FINALISTS in SHOOT's NDS Receive Enormous Career-Making Exposure!

"Being included in SHOOT's New Diretors Showcase is one of those great touchstones. Besides the breadth of industry exposure only SHOOT can provide, it provides a very real increase in offers for work as well as the validation that you're doing something right. I will always count it as a big moment in my career." - Kevin Kerwin, 2009 New Directors Showcase, Authentic Films

"There are many wonderful phone calls one can receive in life. But I have to say, few feel as good as, ‘Hello, you’ve just been included in SHOOT's New Directors Showcase.’ Like the chicken and the egg, I’m still not sure which came first: getting to direct good scripts or getting into SHOOT's New Directors Showcase.” - Harold Einstein, 2008 New Directors Showcase, Station Film

"As directors, we are continually inspired by the imagination of our peers. SHOOT Magazine does a fantastic job of filling our brains with the most exciting, creative ideas of the day and it's New Director's Showcase is no exception. We were thrilled and honored to be included in such a highly talented event. It was almost like telling our Grandmother we had won an academy award... or two." - Jason & Matt Docter, DOCTER TWINS, 2008 New Directors Showcase, Mortar, Inc.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television has announced the nominations for the 30th Annual Genie Awards. Manitoba Film & Music and On Screen Manitoba are pleased to congratulate the Manitoba production Runaway that has been nominated for Best Animated Short. The 30th Genie Awards will take place Monday, April 12, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario at the Guvernment / Kool Haus Entertainment Complex. Broadcast details will be announced later in the upcoming weeks.

Runaway was executive produced by Derek Mazur of the National Film Board and animated by Cordell Barker. The 9-minute short features a driverless train in which happy passengers are having a great time, oblivious to the fate that awaits them around the bend. The ensuing crisis leads to a class struggle that is as amusing as it is merciless – with everyone equal in the end.

Carole Vivier, CEO of Manitoba Film & Music exclaimed, "A joyous congratulations from Manitoba Film & Music to Cordell Barker, Derek Mazur and Michael Scott on today's nomination for Runaway, in the Best Animated Short category. Runaway was a crowd favourite not only as part of our recent Manitoba Film & Music Showcase, but also at Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival in Utah. We are so proud of Cordell Barker the team at National Film Board-Canada for creating yet another show-stopping animated experience in Runaway that continues a legacy of them shining a brilliant creative light on Manitoba for the world to see."

Screening at top film festivals such as Tiff, Cannes and Sundance, Runaway has been a great success. In 2009, the film was awarded the Le Petit Rail d'Or for Best Short Film in Cannes, as well as the Jury's Special Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

“Runaway is a testament to the creativity that lives and thrives in Manitoba. Along with the help of artist focused centers like the NFB, Manitoba will continue to create top quality content that is internationally appreciated and recognized. It is so wonderful to have indigenous productions nominated for such a prestigious award as the Geminis, which recognizes the best in Canadian talent. Congratulations and good luck to all the incredible people involved in the creation of Runaway.” added Tara Walker, Executive Director, On Screen Manitoba.

This is the third short by the Winnipeg-born Barker, and his third Genie nomination for Best Animated Short. He previously won the Genie for The Cat Came Back in 1989 and was nominated for Strange Invaders in 2001.

For a complete list of the Genie Nominations, please visit www.genieawards.ca.

“…And This Is My Garden”
New Documentary Highlights Success of Award-Winning Sustainable School Gardening Project In Northern Manitoba

“… And This is My Garden”, a new documentary from Winnipeg filmmaker Katharina Stieffenhofer, explores an innovative school gardening program that is breaking new ground in education and literally growing a healthier community in the process. The documentary, produced in association with Buffalo Gal Pictures, premiers with a free screening at the Gas Station Theatre on March 13, at 7:30 PM.

The film, set in the small northern community of Wabowden, Manitoba, follows schoolteacher Eleanor Woitowicz as she spearheads an education-based sustainable food movement called the Mel Johnson School Gardening Project. The initiative, based on the Frontier School Division’s science curriculum “Veggie Adventures” was introduced into the Mel Johnson School in 2006. Woitowicz teaches students how to take care of their own backyard vegetable gardens and reap the rewards of growing their own organic foods. Students develop valuable skills in sustainable food production, healthy lifestyle choices and food preparation, while fostering a sense of responsibility, pride and increased self-esteem.

Woitowicz was awarded a Manitoba Excellence in Sustainability Award for her educational efforts in 2009.

After attending a presentation from Woitowicz and fellow teacher Bonnie Monias at the University of Winnipeg’s Growing Local conference in February 2009, Stieffenhofer was so impressed with the gardening project she decided to spend the next year of her life producing the documentary.

“I was so inspired by what they were accomplishing with the kids,” says Stieffenhofer. “Eleanor took such a leap of faith connecting her school with the outside community. I wanted to tell the world about the success of her program, to inspire others the way she inspired me.”

The success of the Mel Johnson School Gardening project has already caught the attention of many influential organizations including the David Suzuki Foundation, Manitoba Conservation, and even the United Nations, which highlighted it at a European Economic and Social Council sustainable development conference in 2009. Stieffenhofer hopes the film will help to spread the word about the success of the project and encourage school divisions throughout North America to include it as part of their core curriculum.

“This documentary is not just about one school’s gardening project,” says Stieffenhofer. “There are much larger issues at play here. It’s about breaking new ground in education, and it has the power to change the way we live.”

Event Details

Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Location: Gas Station Theatre, 445, River Ave.
Time: Doors open 6:30 PM; Screening 7:30 PM

Reception to follow screening with a special performance by the Mel Johnson School Fiddlers. Teachers and students from Mel Johnson School will be in attendance. Donations gratefully accepted in support of the Mel Johnson School Gardening Project.

**Limited Seating – RSVP andthisismygardenrsvp@gmail.com or on the And This is My Garden Facebook site to reserve a seat**

Buffalo Gal Pictures is an independent film and television production company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. www.buffalogalpictures.com

Project Partners: Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, Manitoba Northern & Aboriginal Affairs, Northern Healthy Foods Initiative, The Sustainable Innovations Fund, Manitoba Conservation, Manitoba Hydro, Frontier School Division, Heifer International, Canada Country Program, National Film Board of Canada, Film Training Manitoba

INplay 2010
May 18-19, 2010, Toronto, Canada

Early Bird rates for INPlay Ends March 18th!
Join us in Toronto, Canada, for this brand new conference about kids interactivity!

INplay is a unique, international event that connects kids creative industries with insights and opportunities in the interactive space.

From the video game business to the broadcast industry, from toys to toons, the INplay conference brings together leaders in the kids space to learn, network and be inspired by interactive.

The conference will feature 3 major streams each covering a different dimension of working with properties for kids aged 2-12:
Inspiration - creativity and content stream
Investment - business stream
Insights - research stream

Who Attends INplay?
INplay is expecting 350+ attendees from a range of industries including: cross platform producers, game developers / publishers, TV and film producers, development/health experts and more!

Register at www.inplay2010.com and receive a discount of 20% off when you use this code: INDYF20.

Yorkton, SK – The Yorkton Film Festival is pleased to announce the 13 members of the 2010 Golden Sheaf Awards adjudication jury.

The 13 jurors will preside over the awards selection for films in official competition, deciding the nominees and winners in 21 genre and 3 craft categories and the recipients of 4 special awards.

Category award nominations will be announced on March 15; Craft award nominations announced on April 12.

The 2010 award winners will be announced at the Golden Sheaf Awards Gala on Saturday May 30 during the 63rd annual Yorkton Film Festival May 27-30, 2010.

“We are extremely pleased to have such a diverse group of talented filmmakers from British Columbia to Nova Scotia adjudicating these incredible Canadian short films”, said Executive Director Randy Goulden.

The 2010 Golden Sheaf Award Jury members are:

Halifax, Nova Scotia - Kent Nason
Kent joined the National Film Board of Canada in 1973 as a cinematographer and participated in the formation of an NFB film production studio in the Atlantic region. He has photographed over 200 hundred films in his career and has traveled all over the world photographing films as well as edited, directed and produced documentaries. In 1998 he and his wife Teresa MacInnes formed Sea to Sea Productions and their documentaries have been broadcast nationally and internationally.

Montreal, Quebec - Germaine Ying Gee Wong
Germaine’s distinguished career at the National Film Board of Canada spanned three decades, with numerous credits in documentary and feature films. She has won many awards including the prestigious Caméra d'Or for Best First Feature film at the 2001 Cannes International Film Festival, numerous Genie awards and has been selected by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Toronto, Ontario - Hilary Armstrong
Former Senior Producer/Commissioning Editor for CBC Television’s documentary series, Witness and three-time Gemini Award winner. Now retired, her career in broadcasting began in 1972 as a story editor with Peter Gzowski’s This Country in the Morning and included producer/director and senior editor roles in a variety of news, current affairs and documentary programs, such as The Journal and Marketplace.

Toronto, Ontario - Alberta Nokes
Alberta has developed, financed, executive produced and commissioned more than 500 hours
of television from long-running factual series to award-winning feature documentaries on subjects ranging from archaeology to outlaw bikers. She has worked with Oscar, Emmy, BAFTA, Peabody, Juno and Gemini award winning directors and producers, has written three factual series and has recently become an independent producer with her own company, La Sirena Inc. and has just joined Frantic Films as VP of Development.

Toronto, Ontario - Donna Dudinsky
Donna is an award-winning documentary film producer who researches, directs and produces in English and French. Currently at TFO, Donna has done archival, content and character research on hundreds of films. A children’s storyteller, she is on the Executive of the Canadian Association of Storytellers for Children and performs at concerts across the country.

Winnipeg, Manitoba - Jeff Newman
Jeff has crafted a career out of telling stories that reflect and celebrate human nature. From testing the limits of human endurance on Guinea Pig, to the bright lights of Broadway in Kyle Riabko: The Lead, from blood-soaked hockey rinks in Hockey Brawl: Battle on Thin Ice, to a surreal South American surf adventure in Breakbound, Jeff captures the unique, bizarre and beautiful qualities that bring his subjects to life. A Gemini Award winning director, Jeff’s eclectic resume includes writing, directing and editing credits.

Regina, Saskatchewan - Mark Bardley
Mark has worked in the Saskatchewan film and television industry since 1998. As the Business Affairs Manager at 291 Film Company, he has worked on the Gemini Award-winning Landscape as Muse and Saskatchewan River Delta and is currently producing the documentary series Untamed Gourmet and developing another, Great Minds of Design. Mark has served on the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative and QCC International Media Arts Festival, and produced and/or directed several documentary, experimental, drama, and music video projects.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Mike Gossedin
Mike became a screenwriter by attending the Aboriginal Storytellers Program with the National Screen Institute. There he worked with a team of emerging writers and mentor Peter Lauterman to develop and write Cashing In, a comedy/drama currently in it's second season. To date he has written scripts for Rabbit Fall, Cashing In, Wapos Bay and By The Rapids, as well as a monthly A&E column for Eagle Feather News.

Edmonton, Alberta - Eva Colmers
Eva is an independent filmmaker who has written and directed over a dozen of award-winning short films and documentaries which have been seen at many national and international festivals as well as on television and she has received several awards for her accomplishments. Eva has also exhibited some media installations and has created video collages for theatre, dance and orchestra. At this time, she is completing the comprehensive DVD collection, The Elder Project with the NFB. Eva is co-chair of DOC-Alberta and very active in her arts community.

Calgary, Alberta - Brent Kawchuk
Brent Kawchuk has written and produced television programming for networks across Canada including, has worked on award-winning shows and films, produced several music and performance specials as well as many award-winning commercials. Brent has co-written and co-produced independent feature length film and won a prestigious drama prize from the National Screen Institute. He has also worked for television channels such as CMT and Much Music, as well as completing several award-winning BravoFACT projects. Brent now makes his home in Calgary as an Executive producer for White Iron Pictures.

Vancouver, British Columbia - Anita Adams
Anita has over 20 years experience working in film and television. She got her start in the film industry as an actor and has also worked as development officer for Orca Productions, has produced her own short films, was an associate producer for the acclaimed Crazy8s Filmmaking project, and the coordinator for the CBC Television & British Columbia Film Signature Shorts Screenwriting Competition. In 2003, Anita launched the First Weekend Club, an initiative designed to build audiences for Canadian films and to support a film’s critical first weekend in theatres.

Vancouver, British Columbia - Charles Wilkinson
Charles has written and directed numerous dramatic films and TV programs for theatrical and network release. He wrote a feature piece in the Fall 09 Moviemaker magazine, and the 2nd edition of his book, The Working Director will soon be in book stores. He is a Professor in the Capilano University Film Center, and his current film Down Here is enjoying critical and audience success on the domestic and international festival circuit.

Vancouver, British Columbia - Ileana Pietrobruno
Ileana has written, directed, edited and produced several short films and features. Critics describe her films as drop-dead gorgeous, surprisingly innovative, oddly intriguing and seductively thought-provoking and they have won awards and screened at hundreds of festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

About the Yorkton Film Festival
The Yorkton Film Festival is the longest running film festival in North America. In the 63 years of its existence, the Festival has developed a tradition of recognizing excellent films and providing great professional development and learning opportunities. The Festival recognizes outstanding Canadian short films and rewards the very best with the annual Golden Sheaf Awards. Join us May 27-30, 2010.

For information, contact

Randy Goulden, Executive Director
Yorkton Film Festival
306.782.7077
director@goldensheafawards.com
www.goldensheafawards.com

Banff International Pilots Competition
Big on Ideas - Low on Cash? Final Week to Save!

Haven't you heard? The Banff International Pilots Competition Early Bird Deadline has been extended to March 5, 2010!

That means you have 1 day left to submit your entry at the low price of $75 - Enter Today!

Still working on it? No problem! The final submission deadline is March 15, 2010.
For more information, check out our 3 pilot categories.

________________________________

Step into the Spotlight with Canwest

The Canwest Showrunners Program is your chance to attend BANFF 2010 and train with some of the biggest names in TV. You will attend master classes, pitch to Canadian and US broadcast executives, and be part of individual sessions with renowned producers.

Application deadline for Showrunners is March 10, 2010.

The Canwest Global Writers Program will help you hone your screenwriting skill by offering a four-week internship in the story department of a prime-time series, followed by a trip to the Banff World Television Festival.

Application deadline is March 15th, 2010.

For more information about the programs, or to apply click here.

Film Training Manitoba and ACTRA are pleased to bring you:

Creative Casting: explore how the casting process works!
March 14th |1 pm – 3 pm | FREE for ACTRA members, $5 for non-members
Colin Jackson Studio | Prairie Theatre Exchange | 3rd Floor Portage Place
There will be a Q&A following the panel discussion.

Auditions can be nerve-wracking for even the most experienced actors. They are essentially a job interview, used in the casting process to demonstrate the level and range of a performer's talent. Regardless of the role you are auditioning to fill, you need to be prepared when you arrive to perform. Many new actors have misconceptions about how the casting process works. More often than not, beginning actors are not sure who's involved, who finds the actor to audition, who makes the decisions, and what the steps are throughout this process.

All auditions have requirements, making the casting process complex and selective. Casting directors meet with thousands of actors over the course of a given year. They must determine whether an actor fits the look of a character as well as whether or not that particular actor would be believable in the role they are casting.

This seminar will unlock the mysteries of the casting process in order to discover what the key players involved are looking for, and how you can improve your own audition process as a professional actor.

Moderator:
Ross McMillan – Actor, Less Than Kind, The Stone Angel, and Walk All Over Me

Panelists:
Kim Todd - President and Founder of Original Pictures, Producer Locked Down and Falcon Beach
Shawn Watson – Vice President, Scripted Programming Frantic Films, Producer Todd and the Book of Pure Evil and Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story
Gary Yates - Director, Writer, and Producer High Life and Seven Times Lucky, Director Shadow Island Mysteries
Jim Heber - Casting Director, The Haunting in Connecticut and Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
Sarah Constible - Actor Highlife and Writer of and Actor in House Party

For more information, or to book your spot in this seminar, please contact:

Film Training Manitoba
Ph: 989.9669
E: info@filmtraining.mb.ca

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Freeze Frame International Film Festival
March 4th to 13th, 2010

Film Training Manitoba is pleased to announce its participation in the Freeze Frame International Film Festival. As a part of FTM’s mandate to provide training to the francophone community, FTM and Freeze Frame will partner to offer two workshops for French professionals during this year’s festival. Both workshops will be conducted in French.

Pour vous inscrire, contactez Anna Fontaine: execdirector@freezeframeonline.org, ou vous pouvez nous rejoindre par téléphone au 949.9355. Le coût est de 25$ par personne.

Scénarisation des documentaires avec Marie Cadieux
Quand : Le 7 mars, de 13h30 à 15h30
Où : Studio Winnipeg Film Group, 200 rue Arthur
25.00$

Le dernier documentaire de Marie Cadieux, L’éloge du chiac - Part 2 (Bellefeuille Production) vient d’être présenté en primeur au Festival des films du monde à Montréal. Deux de ses documentaires precedents À double tour et Sentence vie (ONF), ont été projetés et commentés partout au Canada. Originaire de Moncton, elle a travaillé et séjourné dans de nombreuses régions canadiennes ainsi qu’en Europe et en Afrique.

L’Écriture Humoristique avec François Avard
Quand : Le 13 mars, de 9h à 16h30
Où : Salle 0133, Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface
25.00$

Une collaboration entre Freeze Frame, Le Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface et Les Productions Rivard, avec le soutien de Film Training Manitoba

Cette formation loboratoire a pour but d’offrir aux scénaristes et humoristes des éléments de réflexion sur leurs propres schèmes de pensée en plus d’inviter les participants à explorer d’autres démarches créatives. François Avard est auteur, scripteur et scénariste pour la télévision. En plus de collaborer à l’écriture des textes d’humoristes québécois de renom, il mène aussi en parallèle une carrière d’écrivain. Pour la télévision, en plus de ses nombreuses collaborations, il a crée la série Les Bougon, c’est aussi ça la vie.

Consultez les ateliers offerts aux artistes professionnels (émergents et indépendants) offerts en français à Freeze Frame 2010. (25$)

Veuillez vous inscrire maintenant! Contactez Anna Fontaine au 795-4800(c) 943-5341 (b) ou au execdirector@freezeframeonline.org

Check out the workshops being offered for professional artists (emerging and independent) in French at Freeze Frame 2010. ($25)

Sign up right away! Call Anna Fontaine at 795-4800(c) 943-5341(w) or email execdirector@freezeframeonline.org.

Click here to download the Ateliers Worshop Sheet with all the details.

Complete seasons and full episodes of select TV shows from the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) are being added to the list of online viewing options at aptn.ca

Online viewing opportunities will continue to grow at the specialty service, channel reps confirmed, and APTN will add over 30 additional series and specials to its library. Viewers will eventually be able to watch the majority of APTN programs on their PC.

APTN’s online portal is not currnetly geo-blocking its content, but programmers are looking at a new system that will allow it to do so soon.

All current online content comes with worldwide access and all rights secured, but geo-blocking will allow even greater content access inside Canada for shows not rights secured.

“Offering our programs online is part of our goal to share our stories,” said Sky Bridges, APTN Director of Marketing. “Being able to deliver APTN programming to a worldwide audience in this format is a strong indication of our growth and development as a network.”

APTN’s news programs – APTN National News, APTN InFocus and APTN Investigates – each has its own page where the latest episode is posted after it airs on the network. The rest of APTN’s online library has been posted on the Episodes Online page and includes:

Vitality Gardening (Season 1): Coleen Rajotte is your host for this informative program that examines and teaches traditional Aboriginal gardening techniques.

Warriors: TKO (Season 2): This reality show follows Aboriginal fighters as they train together, learn from each other and then fight each other to find their inner warriors.

Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards: This annual gala honours the best in Aboriginal music from across North America.

APTN First Tracks: Each year APTN selects a number of Canadian Aboriginal musicians and produces a music video for one of their original songs; this year’s special features George Leach, Kinnie Starr and more.

Memories, Milestones and Moving Forward: APTN’s 10th Anniversary Special: Lorne Cardinal and a host of others celebrate APTN’s first decade with a look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going.

NCI Jam: Manitoba’s Aboriginal amateur talent shine in this evening of music, hosted by the keystone province’s Aboriginal radio network, NCI.

The Adventures of Artie the Ant: Perfect for children of all ages, Artie is an animated Métis ant who uses music to form friendships and bring communities together.

The Adventures of Little Jake and Many Skies: This animated children’s series follows Little Jake, a young cowboy whose carefree life is interrupted when he's forced to hang out with a girl.

APTN broadcasts programming with 56% offered in English, 16% in French and 28% in Aboriginal languages

Look to former TV execs for funding

A chronic shortage of early-stage angel and venture capital investment in Canadian digital content has produced a novel source of financing to get new innovations off the ground: former top TV executives.

Nathan Gunn, CEO of game producer Social Game Universe, recently told an Interactive Ontario iLunch panel that few Canadian VC investors are completing major investment deals these days.

But his company has landed financing from industry veterans like former CHUM-turned-Zoomer Media head Moses Znaimer, Nelvana co-founder Clive Smith, Standard Radio's Gary Slaight, Score Media's John Levy and U2 concert promoter Michael Cohl.

"Here's an interesting group of guys who understand the content business and do make gut bets," he told the panel on digital content financing.

"What unites Gunn's angel investors is all cashed out of major Canadian TV companies when they were bought up by rivals, and now need to invest their riches."

Ted Werth, a business consultant with Injenius Projects, told the iLunch panel that a pullback by traditional angel investors and VCs has created an opening for Canadian TV innovators looking to straddle new platforms.

Another recent syndicate deal saw former TV players including Ted Riley, Jay Switzer and Gary Slaight jointly invest in GlassBox TV, a cross-platform broadcaster.

Another untapped financing source for Canadian digital start-ups is the Ontario Media Development Corporation's new one-year $10 million Intellectual Property Development Fund that refunds 30% of costs (up to $150,000) absorbed by indie producers.

OMDC director of tax credits and financing Jennifer Blitz said the fund, launched in December, has only received 25 applications from digital content producers who have barely tapped $1 million of the available funds.

Blitz added interest in the pilot development fund is quickly building. Yet, non-juried grants from the IP fund are still to be doled out.

"There's still plenty of availability. We want to get the word out," she said.

The panel audience was told that, but for the OMDC IP fund and the upcoming Canada Media Fund, few sources of public subsidies focus on convergent digital product, and instead target specific product in the development or production phases.

Gunn cautioned producers not to get bogged down pursuing tax credits, and instead to pursue big-picture business goals.

"You're spending time completing a lengthy tax credit document that isn't your business plan," he cautioned.

CINEMA + LIGHT: LIVE FILM PERFORMANCES BY ALEX MACKENZIE + HEIDI PHILLIPS SATURDAY, SATURDAY MARCH 6 | 7:00 PM

SPECIAL EVENT PRICING - ALL ADMISSION $ 5

Join Cinematheque this weekend for a special presentation by Vancouver writer, curator and filmmaker Alex Mackenzie and Winnipeg filmmaker Heidi Phillips, who will each premiere a new work of Expanded Cinema. Each artist works with their own tools - Mackenzie uses hand processed film loops and rare analytic projectors while Phillips works with found footage, scratch marks and chemical spills to escape the slick production look of modern technology.

Alex Mackenzie will also be our guest artist for this months' Cinema Lounge: Critical Dialogue on Canadian Cinema series. Mackenzie will introduce a short film series and an accompanying essay relating to the topic of The Western Influence: Films by Ellie Epp, Chris Gallagher, Al Razutis and David Rimmer. Mackenzie curated this selection of influential experimental films from Canada's West Coast which have greatly influenced his own artistic practice as well as that of many others.

Special Events

CINEMATHEQUE T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST - EXTENDED DEADLINE to MARCH 5
New deadline is March 5

Cinematheque T-Shirt Design Competition, please click below for more details. Email your design to us today!

CINEMA LOUNGE: CRITICAL DIALOGUE ON CANADIAN CINEMA - THE WESTERN INFLUENCE: FILMS BY ELLIE EPP, CHRIS GALLAGHER, AL RAZUTIS AND DAVID RIMMER (FREE ADMISSION)
Sat. March 6 | 9:00 PM

Vancouver writer, curator and multimedia artist Alex MacKenzie introduces The Western Influence: Films by Ellie Epp, Chris Gallagher, Al Razutis and David Rimmer. Come experience this series of short films by four Vancouver-based experimental filmmakers whose image works are sometimes beautiful, sometimes disturbing and always rigorous explorations of landscape, structure, light and the tools of cinema.

Upcoming Films

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
Wed. March 3 | 7:00 PM
Thu. March 4 | 7:00 PM

The riveting story of how one man's actions changed the course of American history. This film explores one of the most important news stories of the 1970's that involved a bureaucrat named Daniel Ellsberg, who - so torn by his conscience over the state of the Vietnam War - decided to turn over top secret government papers to the New York Times that revealed that the war was a lost cause to begin with. The impact of his actions had a strong influence on public opinion and is credited with helping lead to a series of events that ended the war.

PRECIOUS
Fri. March 5 | 7:00 PM
Sun. March 7 | 7:00 PM
Wed. March 10 | 7:00 PM
Thu. March 11 | 7:00 PM

Nominated for six Academy Awards and acclaimed around the world, Precious is the story of an overweight and illiterate Harlem teenager named Clareece "Precious" Jones who is subjected to a constant diet of abuse and humiliation from her mother and father. When she gives birth to a second child she is sent to an alternative school learning program where she finally discovers the light in her soul by learning to read.

THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD
Fri. March 5 | 9:00 PM
Sat. March 6 | 11:30 PM
Wed. March 10 | 9:00 PM
Thu. March 11 | 9:00 PM

Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno are brilliant anti-globalization activists and satirical performance artists known as The Yes Men, who pull off political pranks to draw attention to world issues.

ANTICHRIST
Fri. March 12 | 10:00 PM
Sat. March 13 | 9:00 PM
Sun. March 14 | 7:00 PM
Wed. March 17 | 9:00 PM
Thu. March 18 | 9:15 PM
Fri. March 19 | 9:00 PM
Sun. March 21 | 7:00 PM

One of most celebrated filmmakers of our time, Lars von Trier is back with the beautiful, terrifying, and altogether engrossing Antichrist. Starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg as a grieving couple retreat to 'Eden', their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse. Antichrist was the talk to the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where Charlotte Gainsbourg took home the award for Best Actress. Warning: This film contains explicit violence and sexual content.

THE END OF POVERTY?
Fri. March 12 | 7:00 PM
Sat. March 13 | 7:00 PM
Sun. March 14 | 4:00 PM
Mon. March 15 | 7:00 PM

With so much wealth in the world, why is there so much poverty? The End of Poverty? brilliantly explores the nature of how poverty continues in the world.

Cinematheque News

CINEMATHEQUE ONLINE AUDIENCE SURVEY - NEXT PRIZE DRAW IS FRI. MAR 26, 2010
Ongoing

Cinematheque has created an online survey in order to collect feedback from our audience about what we do. It only takes a few minutes to complete and you have the chance to win a monthly draw of ten Cinematheque passes or a copy of the Winnipeg Film Group's latest 136-page publication PLACE: 13 essays, 13 filmmakers, 1 city . This information will allow us to better serve our Cinematheque's community. We greatly appreciate the time you take to share your thoughts and all the information and ideas submitted will be kept strictly confidential. Please click this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9D76BSG to start the survey, thank you!

CINEMATHEQUE RENOVATIONS

Renovations to include a stage Cinematheque's theatre is now complete (the stage size is approx. 10ft x 29 ft.). Please click the link below to see a slideshow of the finished renovations. For rental information and other theater inquiries, please contact Kristy Muckosky at 925-3459 or email kristy@winnipegfilmgroup.com.

MARCH/APRIL PROGRAM GUIDE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
Cinematheque's new Program Guide now available for download.

Local Events and Happenings

Freeze Frame International Children's Film Festival (Reduced admission)
Select screenings are taking place at Cinematheque on March 6, 7 + 13, 2010. Please see Freeze Frame's website (www.freezeframeonline.org) for more information about this event.

Every March, Freeze Frame presents an award winning collection of films for children and young people. They strive to be an international leader in providing an enriching cinematic experience through the delivery of diverse and innovative programming that educates, inspires and empowers children and youth.

(Psst - exciting possible broadcast opportunity!)

Culture Days is creating a video montage of photos and video clips to showcase the vast range of artists, arts and culture in communities across Canada. Want to be part of the public announcement of Culture Days? Submit your photos and videos today!

Deadline: March 12, 2010.*

We’re looking for all varieties of arts and culture, from crafts and visual arts, to dance and theatre, to design and architecture, to literature and music, and much much more.... Amateur and community groups are highly-encouraged to be a part of Culture Days. If you’re asking yourself “...I wonder if they want my photos/videos?” – the answer is yes! Images that show interaction with the public are particularly welcome.

Don’t have HD-quality videos? Submit your work anyway; we’ll try to work with it. Just send us the largest files, best resolution you’ve got, the sooner the better.

*By submitting your photo(s) and/or video footage, you are authorizing us to use your materials without renumeration to promote and communicate the Culture Days initiative via print, web, TV or any other media. Please include credit information if possible.

Ways to submit:

By mail (sorry, we are unable to offer return of your materials):
Keith Baguley, Endeavour Marketing
RE: Culture Days video montage
22 St. Clair Avenue East, 14th Floor
Toronto, ON M4T 2S3

By FTP:
host: ftp.endeavourmarketing.com 
username: CultureDaysVideo
password: CDV_EMftp

By email:
info@culturedays.ca
subject line: video montage

Culture Days is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities. To learn more, please visit our website: www.culturedays.ca 

TRANS ATLANTIC PARTNERS
International Co-Production: Focus Europe and Canada

Deadline is March 11th, 2010.

The Erich Pommer Institut, Potsdam (Germany) and Strategic Partners, Halifax (Canada) proudly present a two-module, intensive film training Program for Canadian and European producers.

Download the application form and guidelines at www.coproduction-training.com

NEW: Case Studies 2010
We are thrilled to announce the following case studies that will be presented at this years event:

Restless
Canadian producer Martin Paul-Hus (Puffball) and Belgian producer Sébastien Delloye (Irina Palm) will present the Amos Kollek movie Restless as a case study - a Canadian, Israeli, Belgium, French, German co-production.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
British producer Amy Gilliam will present the Terry Gilliam movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus as a case study - a Canadian, UK, French co-production.General Information.

General Information

>>What
TRANS ATLANTIC PARTNERS, a two module program, will give producers the necessary tools and knowledge to manoeuvre through the complex arena of trans-Atlantic co-productions and to overcome the legal and financial barriers.

>>Who
established producers seeking international co-production training
a maximum of 15 producers from Canada and 15 producers from Europe

>>Why
Developing specific skills in international co-production
Learning from key professionals from both sides of the Atlantic
Receiving up-to-date information on Canadian and European film funds and tax incentives
Discovering new international partners and projects
Accessing top industry players to discuss their projects in 1-2-1 meetings
Participating in excellent networking opportunities

>>Where >>When
Module 1: 19th - 24th June 2010 in Berlin
Module 2: 14th - 20th September 2010 in Halifax

>> Fee 1.500 Euro (2,420 CAD) includes:
1) Registration for Module 1, Module 2, and Strategic Partners
2) Accommodation and meals in Berlin (5 nights), and in Halifax (6 nights)

And just a reminder -

Strategic Partners: September 16-19, 2010.
Application Deadline: July 12th, 2010.
Spotlight Countries: USA and GERMANY

An International Film, Television and Multiplatform Co-Production Market

One of the world's pre-eminent co-production markets, Strategic Partners focuses on feature film and TV fiction projects and long form documentaries, including those at an early stage of development, looking for the right partner. New this year, SP will also include multiplatform projects in the mix. SP 1-2-1 meetings will not only include those with financiers, agencies, distributors, broadcasters and traditional co-production partners, they will also include pre-scheduled meetings with potential multiplatform partners as well.

The SP 2010 applications are now open and available on our website at: www.atlanticfilm.com/sp/

For inquiries regarding Strategic Partners 2010 please contact: strategicpartners@atlanticfilm.com

Canada Feature Film Fund ˆ French-language Development: Revised application date for the 2009-2010 period

Montreal – February 26, 2010 – Please take note that the previously announced application deadline of April 5, 2010 for French-language development projects originating in all regions of the country as well as English-language projects originating in Quebec has been changed to Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

The criteria of: a maximum of three [3] projects per production company and, a maximum of one [1] project for new production companies that have not previously been eligible, still stands.

For additional information, or to access guidelines and application forms, please go to www.telefilm.gc.ca.

PERSPECTIVE CANADA_CANNES 2010
Cannes, France, May 12 to 21, 2010
(Feature Films)

PERSPECTIVE CANADA_CANNES is a Telefilm Canada initiative that showcases ten recent Canadian films at the Cannes Festival Marché du Film with the aim of increasing their international exploitation.

The selection process is conducted by Telefilm Canada.
Decisions will be rendered by March 25, 2010

Information and Entry Procedure
Telefilm Canada Entry Form

Deadline for receipt of duly completed entry forms by Telefilm Canada : March 18, 2010

Eligibility
PERSPECTIVE CANADA_CANNES

The fifth annual PERSPECTIVE CANADA_CANNES will take place during the Marché du Film, which runs parallel to the Cannes Festival. This showcase is designed to increase the international exploitation of Canadian features and to promote Canadian companies, films and talent to some 10,500 accredited buyers, sellers and producers.

Each film selected will be shown twice between May 14 and 21 in one of the Marché du Film screening rooms.

The average rate for Marché screening slots is €660 plus taxes (per screening for 35mm films under 110 minutes). Telefilm Canada will also consider films in HDCAM; the average rate for films in this format is €840 plus taxes (per screening).

Applicants must bear 50% of the Marché screening costs.

Applicants must meet Marché du Film deadlines for print delivery, market accreditation, and market screening registration.

Applicants must also meet Telefilm Canada deadlines for delivery of promotional campaign production materials and shipment of screening prints to Cannes.

For further information, contact Céline Pelletier at pelletc@telefilm.gc.ca

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

Kelly Hughes Live! High Life

Date: Friday, March 5, 7:00 pm
Location: Aqua Books (274 Garry Street, between Graham and Portage)
Cost: FREE

Host Kelly Hughes interviews High Life star Stephen Eric McIntyre, stunt coordinator Rick Skene and storyboarder Nicholas Burns.

Winnipeg's only live talk show, Kelly Hughes Live! brings you all the trappings you've come to expect from the television talk show: comedy, music and celebrities. The only difference is that you haven't heard of any of my guests, and you'll have to leave your house. So it's not that much like TV after all.

High Life (dir. Gary Yates, 2010) is a comedic heist movie from the flip-side of the 80's consumer dream. It's 1983, and petty-thief Dick gets a surprise visit from his unhinged former cellmate, Bug. When Bug gets Dick fired from his first straight job, Dick devises the perfect plan for some much needed, fast cash. The problem is, his crew is so rife with loathing that just getting to the bank's front door will take a miracle as the plan starts to unravel before Dick's eyes.

By: Brad Oswald / Watching TV

AS they say in the casino game, you've got to know when to hold 'em.

And it's pretty clear, judging from a sampling of Cashing In's second-season episodes, that the producers of this locally made drama made the right call when they decided not to fold 'em.

Cashing In, which has its second-season premiere tonight at 9 on APTN, returns to the airwaves as a much more focused, geographically grounded and narratively confident show than the one that endured a somewhat rocky rookie season last year.

The series, which follows the high-stakes gambling and backroom/bedroom double-dealing at the fictional North Beach Casino on the equally make-believe Stonewalker First Nation in rural Manitoba, begins its sophomore set of episodes with a clear declaration that it intends to conduct its business much closer to home.

Where the first season seemed a bit tentative about being a Manitoba-based story, Cashing In's new season gathers all its main characters at or near North Beach, adds a couple of extra complications and then lets the misbehaviour begin.

At the centre of the action are casino owner Mathew Tommy (Eric Schweig), who seems to have left his high-rise digs in T.O. behind and taken up residence in his rural-Manitoba gambling palace, and his right-hand schemer Liz McKendra (Karen Holness); they're still at odds with rancher/property owner John Eagle (Glen Gould), whose refusal to sell off his land might prevent Tommy from completing his casino/condo/golf course dream.

Things heat up early in the season when a temptress named Rebecca Craig (Jennifer Baxter) strikes up a relationship with Tommy's rebellious son, Justin (Wesley French) -- it looks like at-first-sight love, but Rebecca is actually a lawyer working undercover for local mayoral candidate William Eastman (John B. Lowe), who's hoping to use his political aspirations to leverage a cut of Tommy's real-estate profits.

Meanwhile, on the casino floor, entertainment booker Cheyenne Blueweed (Sarah Podemski) scores a big win by landing aboriginal blues musician Derek Miller for a short-notice show that, both on- and offstage, she's hoping will develop into more than just a one-night stand.

The storylines are well in motion as the second season opens, but viewers who missed out on Cashing In's first year will have no trouble catching up with the action. Adding heat to the mix are the presence of artist Aura Sphere (Tina Keeper), who's taken to mentoring young Justin and may have some crucial information about his family background, and the ambitious-cougar antics of Claire Eastman (Nancy Sorel), who's determined to keep racking up young male conquests while forcing her hands-off hubby to elevate her to first-lady status.

There's an appealing maturity to Cashing In as it resumes its place in APTN's; it's a show that has shuffled its deck just enough and now seems ready to play a winning hand.

brad.oswald@freepress.mb.ca

Cashing In Tonight at 9 on APTN

By: Bruce Owen

MANITOBA'S film and TV production industry is appealing to the Selinger government to help them prevent their work from fading to black.

On Screen Manitoba chairwoman Phyllis Laing said Monday the group is meeting with Finance Minister Rosann Wowchuk next week to lobby the province to change its film and video production tax credit to help lure American productions back to the province.

On Screen Manitoba, which represents the industry, is also encouraging its members to lobby MLAs and cabinet ministers about why the change is needed in advance of the March 23 budget. Laing, president of Buffalo Gal Pictures, said over the past year the industry here has lost potential work as larger productions have picked Ontario, which last year started offering a 25 per cent rebate on every dollar spent on film production. Manitoba's tax credit only rebates 35 per cent of approved Manitoba labour expenditures up to a maximum of 22.5 per cent of eligible production costs.

While still competitive, Laing said if Manitoba doesn't adjust its tax credit to compete with Ontario, there is a fear much of the behind-the-scenes production talent will move out of province to follow the jobs.

"It is time to stand up and make some noise for the industry in Manitoba,''

Laing and former chair Kim Todd of Original Pictures wrote in a recent On Screen newsletter in a bid to get members to lobby government.

"We have proven we can make great shows but if we cannot marshal political and financial support we will lose everything we have all worked so hard to build.

"It is a critical political time as we cannot count on the new premier and his new cabinet understanding or supporting our industry. We have to let them know all over again what we bring to the province."

Laing also said the industry recognizes the tough position the province is in as it confronts a $592-million forecasted budget deficit for 2009-10.

But, she added, a new "all-spend" tax credit would put Manitoba back on the map of big American and other productions. It would also put more people to work locally and have spin-off benefits for hotel bookings, car rentals and catering. Production activity has slowed over the past two years and has further fell victim to the economic downturn and high Canadian dollar. Production in the year ending March 2009 dropped to its lowest since 2001, to $68.4 million from $133.3 million the year before. The peak year was 2005-06, with $145 million.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Roll the credits

Economics 101 for TV and film production in Manitoba:

Fastest-growing film and television production industry in Canada between 1998-99 and 2007-08

Total film and television production volume of $685 million over five years between 2003-04 and 2007-08

Offshore production volume of $328 million or 48 per cent of Manitoba's total production volume

Co-production volume of $157 million

$378 million of private investment financing for Manitoba productions or 63 per cent of total financing

$506 million in financing originating from outside Manitoba over the last five years

Total direct and spin-off Gross Domestic Product of $365 million for Manitoba's economy over five years

Creation of an average 1,600 full time equivalent jobs each year

An estimated 50 production companies employing 200 Manitobans

78 per cent recovery rate for provincial-government investments and 137 per cent recovery rate for federal-government investments in Manitoba productions over the past five years

March 1, 2010 - Winnipeg, Manitoba: MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC is pleased to announce the 2010- 2011 Film and Television Production Financing deadlines. Production Financing deadlines have been set as follows:

market driven Television Production PROGRAM
Deadline: Drama AND Non-Drama > Monday, April 26, 2010

Important Notes:

1) All applications must have 75% of financing confirmed and supporting commitment letters must be submitted with the application in order to be considered;
2) The first day of principal photography MUST occur AFTER March 31, 2010 and/or hard prep must occur after March 15, 2010;
3) Applicants are advised that the deadline will be strictly enforced and LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
4) Applicants are advised that complete documentation is required on submission of applications.
5) Applicants must be in good standing (not in default) with MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC at the time of application.
6) Manitoba Film & Music will make best efforts to announce decisions by June, 2010.

market driven Feature Film Production PROGRAM
There is no deadline for market driven feature film production applications. Applications for feature film production financing may be made throughout the year. Funds will be committed on a first come first serve basis dependent upon availability of funding, upon confirmed financing for the project, and upon satisfying the respective eligibility criteria.

MARKET DRIVEN TELEVISION AND FEATURE FILM DEVELOPMENT FINANCING PROGRAM:
There is no deadline for development financing programs for either market driven television or market driven feature film. Applications for the development financing programs may be made throughout the year. Funds will be committed on a first come first serve basis dependent availability of funding, upon confirmed financing, and upon satisfying the eligibility criteria.

All film guidelines and applications are available on our website at www.mbfilmmusic.ca. For further information on production equity guidelines, please contact Sebastien Nasse, Senior Analyst - Film, Television, & Tax Credits at sebastien@mbfilmmusic.ca. For further information on development financing please contact Andrea Kaptein, Development Analyst/Film Programs Administration at andrea@mbfilmmusic.ca.

MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC exists so that our film and sound industries flourish! MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC participates in the on-going development of Manitoba’s motion picture and music industries by way of equity investments, loans, recoupable advances and financial contributions in the areas of development and production. As well, MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC administers the Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit, which is a tax credit of up to 65%* (*base rate = 45%, plus 10% Frequent Filming Bonus, 5% Rural Bonus and 5% Manitoba Producer Bonus). MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC is a statutory corporation funded by the Province of Manitoba through the Department of Culture, Heritage, and Tourism.

For Further information contact:
Louise O’Brien-Moran, Manager, Film Programs
MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC
Phone: 204-947-2040
Fax: 204-956-5261
Louise@mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmmusic.ca

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DATES LIMITES POUR LE PROGRAMME DE FINANCEMENT POUR LA PRODUCTION D’ÉMISSIONS TÉLÉVISÉES ET DE LONGS MÉTRAGES AXÉS SUR LE MARCHÉ, 2010-2011

le 1 mars Winnipeg (Manitoba) : MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA a le plaisir d’annoncer les dates limites pour le Programme de financement pour la production d’émissions télévisées et de longs métrages axés sur le marché, pour 2010-2011. Voici les dates d’échéance pour obtenir le financement pour la production :

PROGRAMME DE FINANCEMENT POUR LA PRODUCTION D’ÉMISSIONS TÉLÉVISÉES AXÉES SUR LE MARCHÉ
Date limite : Drame ET non-drame > Le lundi 26 avril 2010

Important :

1) Tous les demandeurs doivent avoir obtenu un financement confirmé à 75 % et les lettres d’engagement doivent accompagner la demande pour que celle-ci soit considérée.
2) Le premier jour des principaux travaux de prise de vues DOIT avoir lieu APRÈS le 31 mars 2010; ou la préparation du tournage doit avoir lieu après le 15 mars 2010.
3) Les dates limites seront strictement respectées et, par conséquent, TOUTE DEMANDE SERA REFUSÉE APRÈS CES DATES.
4) La documentation au complet est requise au moment de soumettre une demande.
5) Au moment de la demande, le demandeur doit être membre en règle de MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA, et non en défaut auprès de cet organisme.
6) Musique & Film Manitoba fera les plus grands efforts pour annoncer les décisions en juin 2010 au plus tard.

LE PROGRAMME DE FINANCEMENT POUR LA PRODUCTION DE LONGS MÉTRAGES AXÉS SUR LE MARCHÉ
Il n’y a aucune date limite pour soumettre une demande de financement pour la production d’un long métrage axé sur le marché. Les demandes de financement pour la production d’un long métrage pourront se faire à tout moment au cours de l’année. Une fois que le financement du projet sera confirmé et que les critères d’admission seront satisfaits, les fonds seront affectés selon le principe du premier arrivé, premier servi et selon le financement disponible.

LE PROGRAMME DE FINANCEMENT POUR LA PRODUCTION D’ÉMISSIONS TÉLÉVISÉES ET DE LONGS MÉTRAGES AXÉS SUR LE MARCHÉ
Il n’y a aucune date limite pour soumettre une demande de financement pour la production des émissions télévisées ou des longs métrages axés sur le marché. Les demandes de financement pourront se faire à tout moment au cours de l’année. Une fois que le financement du projet sera confirmé et que les critères d’admission seront satisfaits, les fonds seront affectés selon le principe du premier arrivé, premier servi et selon le financement disponible.

Vous pouvez obtenir toutes les lignes directrices et tous les formulaires de demande dans notre site Web, www.mbfilmmusic.ca. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements sur les lignes directrices en matière de capital, veuillez communiquer avec Sebastien Nasse, Analyste principal, Film, télévision et crédit d’impôt, au sebastien@mbfilmmusic.ca. Pour obtenir plus de renseignements sur le financement de développement, veuillez communiquer avec Andrea Kaptein, Analyste au développement, administration du programme cinéma, au andrea@mbfilmmusic.ca.

MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA a comme raison d’être l’essor des industries manitobaines du film et de la musique. MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA contribue au développement continu des industries du cinéma et de la musique par le moyen de la participation au capital, de prêts, d’avances récupérables et de contributions financières dans les secteurs du développement et de la production. De plus, MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA applique le Crédit d’impôt du Manitoba pour la production de films et de vidéos, un crédit d’impôt pouvant valoir jusqu’à 65 %* (*taux de base = 45 %, plus 10 % en prime pour la production fréquente, 5 % en prime pour les tournages dans les régions rurales, et 5 % en prime pour un réalisateur manitobain). MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA est une société constituée en vertu de la Loi sur la Société manitobaine de développement de l'enregistrement cinématographique et sonore et elle est financée par Culture, Patrimoine et Tourisme Manitoba.

Pour obtenir plus de renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :
Louise O’Brien-Moran, Directrice, services de production cinématographique et tournages
MUSIQUE & FILM MANITOBA
Téléphone : 204-947-2040
Télécopieur : 204-956-5261
Louise@mbfilmmusic.ca
www.mbfilmmusic.ca

FREEZE FRAME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
For Children of all Ages
SEE FILMS - MAKE FILMS
March 4-13, 2010
IMAX Theatre / Globe Cinema / Portage Place / Artspace /  Cinematheque

For advance passes and tickets or to register for English or French workshops call 204-949-9355, 1-866-543-3378 or email info@freezeframeonline.org.  For a full schedule, visit our website: www.freezeframeonline.org.
 
Freeze Frame International Film Festival presents an award-winning collection of films made for children and young people from the all over the world, post-screening discussions and hands-on workshops with international, Canadian and local guest artists.  Find out what the 2010 festival has in store and why Winnipeg's own Freeze Frame is one of the top international children's film festivals.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
- DVDs of the 2010 films – for review. Broadcast, or online news
- Interviews with Artistic Director Pascale Boutroy (pascal@mts.net)  227-1136, Executive Director Anna Fontaine (execdirector@freezeframeonline.org), 949-9355
- Interviews with guest filmmakers:  Francois Avard and Marie Cadieux mariec@magma.ca, marie@bellefeuilleproduction.ca (506)-855-8467
- Hi res colour photos
 
MEDIA CALL:  10:30 AM, Tuesday March 2nd, Portage Place, Third Floor - Interviews with our executive director, kids making their own animated movies at our traveling “Animation Station”, DVD copies of films from the festival and copies of films made by kids.

CONTACT:  CLAIRE MARCHAND (cell) 955-7751 (office) 949-9355, freezeframefestival@live.com

The Western Association of Broadcasters is now accepting nominations for the WAB Gold Medal Awards, the WAB Broadcaster of the Year Award and the WAB Honourary Life Membership Award to be presented at the WAB Conference on June 5, 2010.

WAB Honourary Life Membership
The WAB Honourary Life Membership is awarded to an individual Prairie Region broadcaster who has enhanced the broadcast industry, while making a significant contribution to his or her community.

WAB Broadcaster of the Year
The WAB Broadcaster of the Year Award is presented to an individual Prairie Region broadcaster who has made a significant contribution to our industry and will have:

• Demonstrated extraordinary leadership within his or her field
• Developed and maintained a positive image for broadcasting in general
• Acted as a role model for broadcasters outside his or her normal scope of operations

WAB Gold Medal
The Gold Medal Awards are presented to a WAB television member and a radio member for outstanding contribution to Canadian broadcasting industry in the area of community service. Entries will be judged using the following criteria:

• Benefit to the community
• Magnitude of the effort
• Staff support and participation
• Sustainability of the initiative/program
• Other recognition received

WAB Broadcast Partner of the Year
Our clients and suppliers work hand in hand with broadcasters to put together wonderful philanthropic initiatives and events.

The WAB Broadcast Partner of the Year Award is presented to an organization that has:

• Partnered with Prairie broadcasters for philanthropic projects in their community.
• Demonstrated extraordinary leadership within their field
• Acted for broadcasters outside their normal scope of operations

Send nominations to be received by April 16, 2010 to:

Bill Hanson
WAB Awards Committee Chair
Western Association of Broadcasters
C/o CTV Winnipeg
400 - 345 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 5S6
Fax: (204) 788-3496
Email: bill.hanson@ctv.ca

For further information go to www.wab.ca, or e-mail info@wab.ca or call toll free 877-814-2719 - and don't forget to register for WAB 2010 A Future in Focus June 4 - 6, 2010.

The CRTC has reached a decision on fee-for-carriage, the source of bitter debate between Canada's broadcasters and cable providers, and plans to release its findings next month.

CRTC spokesman Denis Carmel confirms the "second half of March is the planned date" for the ruling.

The decision will end months of public squabbling on what has become the thorniest issue in Canadian broadcasting: whether casters including Canwest Global, CBC and CTVgm should be permitted to charge cablecos for their over-the-air station signals, which they currently carry for free.

The federal watchdog has twice turned down broadcasters on the issue, in its 2007 TV policy and again in 2008, before a round of hearings last year aimed at establishing "fair market value" for over-the-air signals.

Broadcasters vigorously lobbied for the fees, starting anew last spring with the "Save the Local TV" campaign just as they were hit hard by the recession and declining advertising sales. Layoffs and the closure of some local TV stations added fuel to the political fire. Cable and satellite distributors such as Bell TV, Cogeco and Rogers Communications warned that the proposed fees would be passed on to consumers and instead proposed an overhaul for the entire broadcast system.

It is not clear what the CRTC's new policy will look like, though Ottawa will have the final say -- as Heritage Minister James Moore stated last year that fee-for-carriage will not be imposed "without the consent of the government." Recently, the CRTC was overruled on another major decision, that of Wind Mobile, by Industry Canada.

Whatever the ruling, cable giant Shaw Communications looks to be in an awkward position now that it has moved to acquire Canwest Global's TV assets -- putting it, like Rogers Communications in Toronto, on both sides of the fence. Rogers, which also owns the OMNIs and the Citytvs, opposed fee-for-carriage, as did Shaw.

Around five years ago Frantic Films, a company with roots in animation and fiction, announced it would focus more on unscripted television. It's a plan that seems to be working.

The Winnipeg company currently has series on HGTV, Food Network and Slice, is shooting a pilot for Discovery Canada, and is in the midst of making a new program for W Network.

CEO Jamie Brown is thankful his company is so busy, but the swelling tide of business required a ramping up of his creative staff -- leading to the addition of development execs Anne-Marie Varner, Alberta Nokes and Melissa Kajpust.

"We were looking ahead, and even though we are in some challenging times, we believe that in six to 18 months the broadcasters who have been holding back and carefully looking at their pennies and amortizing their shows to meet their Canadian content spend requirements are going to have to start ordering again," explains Brown.

The company is also aiming to partner with more U.K. and U.S. channels. On the U.S. front, one of its most successful nonfiction programs, 'Til Debt Do Us Part, was picked up by CNBC at the end of 2009. The business news channel started out with 39 episodes and recently asked for more, says Brown.

Frantic is also about to spin off 'Til Debt into a new series for host and financial expert Gail Vaz-Oxlade. Princess, a one-hour series for Slice, will see Vaz-Oxlade helping financially challenged singles, rather than couples, who don't know the meaning of living on a budget.

"When we started 'Til Debt the idea of doing a money show seemed like it would be very challenging and it wouldn't last very long because how many stories can you tell?" remembers Brown. "And over 100 episodes later, we could still keep going. It was really just Gail and the producers who thought, 'Hey, let's try something else.'"

Frantic has this year implemented a number of other changes. It rebranded Red Apple Entertainment, a Toronto-based prodco it acquired at the end of 2008, as an office of Frantic Films. The company also partnered with distributor Cineflix International in an effort to get its factual content out to the world through one streamlined and dedicated source.

Frantic is also looking to develop its branded content business, a division headed by Jeff Peeler, as in a recent one-hour documentary the company created for Cadbury. "From the TV side we're learning a lot and we're developing relationships with the people who write the cheques in the business, the advertisers," says Brown. "It's really opened up a lot of opportunities for us."

From Realscreen Online

The Writers Guild of Canada has announced the finalists for the 2010 WGC Screenwriting Awards. Manitoba productions and writers received a total of eight nominations. The winners will be announced at the 14th Annual WGC Screenwriting Awards on Monday, April 19, 2010 at Maro in Liberty Village, Toronto.

On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music are excited for all the writers who have been nominated. Our provinces nominations at this year’s WGC Screenwriting Awards are a testament to the talent and success of our community. Congratulations and best of luck to everyone!

2010 WGC Screenwriting Awards - Manitoba Nominations:

4 nominations for Less Than Kind (Produced by Buffalo Gal Pictures and Breakthrough Films & Television)
Less Than Kind is a smart, edgy, dysfunctional half-hour comedy that follows 15-year-old Sheldon Blecher, his self-destructive driving instructor father, his pyromaniac mother and his failed-actor brother as they try to revive their failing family business. It's a sharp and humorous look at the collisions and twists that happen between the hugs and kisses in a "loving" family.

• Episodic half-hour
Garry Campbell - Less Than Kind “The Daters”
Jenn Engels – Less Than Kind “Fun”
Marvin Kaye & Chris Sheasgreen – Less Than Kind “Happy Birthday Sheldon”
Mark McKinney – Less Than Kind “Careers Day”

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet – 40 Years of One Night Stands (Produced by Merit Motion Pictures and Inside Out Productions)
40 Years of One Night Stands recounts the true story of two British women, Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Hey, who in 1939 moved to Winnipeg to teach dance. Unbeknownst to them, their small dance school would one day become the world renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company. The film follows the RWB through four decades of growth into one of the most prestigious dance companies in the world.

• Documentary
Robert Lower – The Royal Winnipeg Ballet – 40 Years of One Night Stands

High Life (Produced by Buffalo Gal Pictures, Triptych Media and Lucky Pictures)
High Life is a hilarious crime caper that takes place in the year 1983, during the implementation of the first ATM machines. Following a visit from his former cellmate Bug, Dick gets fired from his job as a hospital janitor. Unemployed and in need of cash to support his drug habit, Dick forms a master plan to rob an ATM machine. But of course, things don’t go quite according to plan.

• Feature Film
Lee MacDougall – High Life

Manitoban Comedian Dean Jenkinson was nominated for his work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes XVII (Produced by Halifax Film Company)

• Variety
Head Writer: Ed Macdonald / Written by Mark Critch, Gavin Crawford, Kyle Tingley, Albert Howell, Dean Jenkinson, Joanne O’Sullivan, Tara Doyle, Erik Van Wyck, Mike Allison, Joey Case – This Hour Has 22 Minutes XVII “Episode 6”
Head Writer: Ed Macdonald / Written by Mark Critch, Kyle Tingley, Albert Howell, Shaun Majumder, Dean Jenkinson, Geri Hall, Joanne O’Sullivan, Tara Doyle, Erik Van Wyck, Mike Allison, Stephen Patterson – This Hour Has 22 Minutes XVII “Episode 8”

For the complete list of nominations, please visit www.writersguildofcanada.com.
 

For more information on these workshops please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca. To register please call us at 989-9669!

Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Scene Study with Ben Davis
March 26th | 27th | 28th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125
Location Winnipeg | Film Group Studio, 304-100 Arthur Street

Straight from Los Angeles, acting coach Ben Davis will be using the Ivana Chubbuck Technique to  take participants through a scene study workshop.

“I found the Scene Study with Ben Davis class very valuable. Ben has great instincts about the  actors he's working with and uses the technique he teaches from, the Ivana Chubbuck Technique,  to elicit from all participants their very best work, even in the course of a two-day workshop. It was exciting to watch this growth in the other actors and exciting to experience it
firsthand. I would love to study with him again.”  - Terri Cherniack, Actor

“I watched in wonder as over and over again as he took competent performances and transformed them into riveting, compelling scenes. I'll go to his classes whenever I can.”  - Norma Bailey, Director

Are you a director interested in observing the course to learn the Ivana Chubbuck Technique? Give us a call to audit the course at a reduced rate.

Freeze Frame International Film Festival
March 4th to 13th, 2010

Film Training Manitoba is pleased to announce its participation in the Freeze Frame International Film Festival. As a part of FTM’s mandate to provide training to the francophone community, FTM and Freeze Frame will partner to offer two workshops for French professionals during this year’s festival.

Scénarisation des Documentaires avec Marie Cadieux
March 7th | 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm | $25
Location | Winnipeg Film Group Studio | 304-100 Arthur Street

Marie Cadieux will be attending the festival to present her film L'Éloge du Chiac. Marie will be instructing a workshop on directing documentaries. This workshop will be conducted in French.

L’écriture Humoristique avec François Avard
March 13th | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm | $25
Location | Collège universitaire de Saint Boniface | Salle 0133

Francois Avard will instruct a workshop on comedy writing for French TV. This workshop will be conducted in French.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has chosen Shaw Communications' $95 million bid to grab control of Canwest Global Communications' TV assets and take them private.

The court's blessing sets up a likely confrontation between Shaw and Goldman Sachs & Co. as the cable operator attempts to tear up Canwest Global's agreement with the U.S. investment bank over their jointly owned 13 former Alliance Atlantis channels.

Goldman Sachs backed a failed eleventh-hour $120 million bid from a consortium that included Canadian equity firm Catalyst Capital, Canwest Global CEO Leonard Asper and siblings David and Gail Asper.

Shaw's winning bid was endorsed by Canwest Global's board of directors, the Ontario court's monitor and a majority of U.S. bondholders and other senior lenders -- and signals the exit of the Asper family from the Canadian media giant originally founded by Israel Asper.

Shaw will now look to cross remaining hurdles in its way to acquiring at least 20% of equity in a rebooted Canwest Global and 80% of the broadcaster's voting stock. That equity stake is likely to exceed 20% as Shaw eventually offers U.S. bondholders and other secured lenders cash rather than shares in a restructured broadcaster.

Shaw said it does not know how many U.S. bondholders will take cash payments, but that its "80% voting interest will give it effective control of a restructured Canwest regardless of its final equity interest."

Goldman Sachs backed the Catalyst bid in part over a suspicion that the interests of U.S. bondholders increasingly dictate the course of Canwest Global's restructuring and the fate of the Alliance Atlantis channels.

"Sadly, it is difficult to see this filing as anything other than perpetuation of the noteholder committee's and the company's continued efforts from the start to exclude GSCP from the process and force a fait accompli," lawyer Kevin McElcheran, who is representing Goldman Sachs, said in a Feb. 13 letter to the Ontario court before its ruling on the Shaw bid.

Shaw's rationale for ripping up the 2007 shareholders agreement is clear: Goldman Sachs stands to pocket a huge profit from putting up two-thirds of the financing for Canwest Global's takeover of the AAC channels when the Canadian broadcaster purchases Goldman's stake in 2011.

Goldman Sach's take-out price will be determined by the relative value of the AAC channels and the Global Television network, starting in 2011.

Besides talks with Goldman Sachs, Shaw's equity play for Canwest Global faces a number of other hurdles, including securing approval from the CRTC, creditors and the court for the broadcaster's overall restructuring.

To potentially appease the CRTC, Shaw proposes that a restructured Canwest Global will remain "a pure play Canadian broadcaster," with its own management team and board of directors.

Shaw said it wants Canwest Global's court-directed trip through creditor protection to conclude by Aug. 11.

Congratulations to Farpoint Films who won Best Documentary at the Derby City Film Festival for their film Winnipeg Burlesque. OSM members John Barnard (Director/Cinematorgrapher), Chris Charney (Writer), Kyle Bornais (Producer), Cam Bennett (Executive Producer) and Andrew Wall (Editor) were all part of the team that made this film possible.

Winnipeg Burlesque
44 Minutes/Colour/2009

From the 1960’s until the late 1980’s every exotic dancer in the city of Winnipeg was managed by one woman: Gladys Balsillie. This is the story of those three decades and the wild antics that ensued. Told with interviews and sexy dramatic recreations, you don’t have to know where Winnipeg is to enjoy this story about striptease in a small Canadian city.

About Derby City Film Festival
A different kind of festival...

From the beginning the Derby City Film Festival (DCFF) wanted to distinguish itself from other festivals. Focusing on independent films and filmmakers rather than celebrities and Hollywood, the DCFF wanted to make sure that those quality films that do not have million dollar budgets were made available to audiences, if only once. By keeping the love of film first in all we do and present we hope to change the way filmmakers and film lovers view a film festival.

2008 marked the inaugural year of the Derby City Film Festival and will be looked back upon as the year Louisville took a major step in becoming a "go to" location to screen newly produced independent films.

Canada Pavilion at the 2010 Marché du Film, Cannes
Cannes, France, May 12 to 21, 2010

Telefilm Canada is currently accepting accreditation applications by Canadian companies for the 2010 Marché du Film at Cannes, taking place May 12-21, 2010.

Telefilm Canada, with its partners and sponsor, offers an array of services and special discount rates under the Canada Pavilion umbrella. Located at the heart of the Cannes Festival, the Canada Pavilion at the Marché du Film provides meeting areas and a program of events designed with the needs of Canadian professionals in mind.

General Information
Registration Form

Deadline for Canada Pavilion registration : April 2, 2010

Eligibility
See General Information for details and registration procedure.

For further information, contact Véronique Le Sayec: lesayev@telefilm.gc.ca, 514‑283-0838 or 1-800-567-0890, ext. 2029.

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

The Banff World Television Festival and nextMEDIA Banff
One Ticket, Two World Class Media Events
June 13-16, 2010

For over 30 years, the Banff World Television Festival has offered television professionals a chance to meet, mingle, and make career-changing deals. This year, joining forces with Canada’s premier digital media conference, nextMEDIA, the Banff World Television Festival offers the unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of the latest developments in the emerging media ecosystem. Network with over a thousand of the world's top entertainment and digital technology executives. Connect with interactive talent that will take your content properties to new and growing audiences. Explore emerging multi-platform business models and funding opportunities.

Take the next step - Register Now and Save 30% with our Kick-Off Rate, ending March 5, 2010

Visit us at www.banff2010.com

is a dramatic comedy series which examines casino life on a fictional Aboriginal reserve in southern Manitoba. Card sharks, fast dealers, high rollers and an eclectic crew of local characters make up the scene at North Beach Casino, a successful gaming palace. When the new owners set out to make it North America’s No.1 First Nation Casino, they quickly find out some members of the community have other ideas.

Cashing In stars Eric Schweig (Blackstone, Last of the Mohicans), Karen Holness (jPod, Smallville); Glen Gould (Elijah, Into the West, Da Vinci’s Inquest) and Sarah Podemski (The Border, Moccasin Flats).

Cashing In (Season ll) premieres Tuesday, March 2nd at:
8:00 pm ET on APTN East
8:00 pm MT on APTN West
8:00 pm ET on APTN HD

And on Friday, March 5th at:
8:00 pm CT on APTN North

ONE OCEAN
A Special 4-Part Series Exploring the Past, Present and Future of the World's Ocean and Our Race Against the Clock to Save Them.

CBC’s the nature of things – March 4, 11, 18, & 25, 2010 at 8:00pm / 8:30pm NT

In an ambitious and provocative new 4-part series exploring our global ocean, THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki brings to audiences a unique, investigative look at the water that covers over 70% of our planet. Beginning Thursday, March 4, the series will broadcast for 4 consecutive weeks. A new multi-faceted interactive website, www.cbc.ca/oneocean, will launch at the same time, designed to educate and entertain audiences of all ages about the wonders of the ocean and the challenges facing it.

Revealing the ocean’s awesome beauty, extraordinary power and beguiling mysteries, ONE OCEAN’s HD cameras witness the many extraordinary and unique events and species living in the world’s oceans. From seeing underwater volcanoes erupting only metres away from the camera lens to the discovery of rare and bizarre life forms, each breathtaking episode gives viewers a window into the complexities and beauty of the ocean, and reveals how this vast and seemingly infinite space is a single, interconnected system.

One Ocean’s camera teams travelled to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, The Middle East, Europe, USA and Canada with research expeditions to document discovery at work. Guiding us on this adventure are some of the planet’s most innovative and charismatic marine scientists who are simultaneously learning new things about the past and present of the oceans’ life force, while racing against the clock to determine how we can save its future.

BIRTH OF AN OCEAN (March 4, 2010 – 8:00 pm / 8:30 pm NT)
In the premiere episode, Birth of an Ocean, we travel back 4 billion years when there was no ocean. As we discover, without the ocean, life as we know it, would not exist. From a blistering volcano in Ethiopia, to strange rock-like structures in Australia that are the legacy of first life on earth, experts trace the evolution of our planet’s greatest asset and the extraordinary evolution of life within it. Learn why one remarkable creature, the nautilus, has survived extinction for more than 500 million years, and how Tiktaalik (the “fish-a-pod”) is the believed to be the missing link between the ocean and all limbed creatures, including us.

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND (March 11, 2010 - 8:00 pm / 8:30 pm NT)
The second episode of our series, Footprints in the Sands, looks at our coastal oceans and how humankind is inextricably linked to the ocean’s rhythms, whether we live next to it or thousands of kilometres from its shores. The episode reveals how our actions are changing those rhythms, to the detriment of life in the ocean. From over-fishing, to the over-development of the world’s coastlines, and the continuing pollution that we pour into the sea - we discover that there’s a domino affect at play, one that has far reaching consequences here on land. There’s still time to avoid disaster though, as Footprints in the Sand travels to marine protected areas in far away places. Although they are small and community based, sustainable practices in Zanzibar show that living in balance with the ocean yields greater benefits. In New Zealand, long-time activists have demonstrated that simply leaving the ocean alone allows the ocean to rebound.

MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP (March 18, 2010 - 8:00 pm / 8:30 pm NT)
Starting in the deepest part of the ocean known to humans, Mysteries of the Deep takes us to a secret and magical world beneath the water`s surface. Here, for the first time in human history, technology is allowing us to explore the darkness and crushing pressure of the deep seas and reveals a world of mystery and surprise: mountains higher than Everest, more volcanoes than anywhere on earth, and abysses so deep, no human has seen them. Toxic thermal vents spew hot lava, but life continues to exist beside it in these unimaginable places. Bizarre and rarely seen creatures with no eyes but bioluminescence, navigate total darkness. The mysteries and revelations seem endless. What is down here? How does it exist? And what don’t we know? Scientists, now modern day explorers, are in a race to answer these questions before our reckless exploitation destroys the undiscovered wonders of the deep sea.

THE CHANGING SEA (March 25, 2010 - 8:00 pm / 8:30 pm NT)
From the majestic kelp forests of Monterey Bay to a magical night on a coral reef; from the storm-tossed waters of the mighty North Pacific to the crystal blue of the Mediterranean Sea: the last episode of our series explores some of the most stunning underwater locations in the world as we set sail on a scientific race – a race to predict the fate of the global ocean. Over the past 200 years, human beings have poured more than 2 trillion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And as The Changing Sea vividly illustrates, carbon dioxide isn’t just changing the climate on land. It’s transforming the ocean in ways that haven’t been seen for millions of years. So is mass extinction the inevitable fate of the future sea? In the waters near a still-active Mediterranean volcano, the concluding episode of this stunning and timely documentary series shows us what the future ocean may look like, if we don’t take action now.

WWW.CBC.CA/ONEOCEAN
www.cbc.ca/oneocean allows you enter the ocean and experience it in a very personal way. Inside the 3D Biosphere users can create their own personal marine reserve. They can challenge themselves on a Mystery Mission, or set a record in the fast-paced Pollution Collector. Develop strategies for sustainable fishing and defend coral reefs from the hazards threatening them. Ocean Explorer takes users on guided tours, or allows users to explore independently using Google Earth’s satellite and sonar imagery. Historical timelines, profiles of sea life, experts, and creators of the series and website are available, along with new webisodes and podcasts. Finally, the One Ocean Pledge, is an open call to all of us to make a difference in the future life of the ocean.

One Ocean is co-produced by CBC’s the nature of things and Merit Motion Pictures (The Science of the Senses, The Truth About Liars and The Secret World of Shoplifting), in association with National Geographic Channel, and with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, Manitoba Film & Music, the Government of Canada - Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit and the Government of Manitoba - Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit.

www.cbc.ca/oneocean is co-produced by Merit Motion Pictures and Tactica Interactive Communications, in association with CBC’s the nature of things, and with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, and the Government of Manitoba – Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.

For more information, to schedule an interview with one of the scientists or to receive a screener, please contact:

Jennifer Jensen Tracy
Publicist, Merit Motion Pictures
T: (519) 442-9179
E: jen.jensen@sympatico.ca
W: www.meritmotionpictures.com

Charmaine Khan
Publicist, Media Profile
T: 416 342 1805
E: charmaine.khan@mediaprofile.com

Sherline Joe
Publicist, Media Profile
T: 416-342-1852
E: sherline.joe@mediaprofile.com

CANADA PAVILION AT MIPTV 2010
Cannes, France, April 12 to 16, 2010

Telefilm Canada is currently soliciting applications from Canadian production and distribution companies for MIPTV 2010. MIPTV is a major international market for financing, co-producing, buying and selling entertainment across all platforms. It provides you with more contact in the entertainment content business, more exposure and a wider range of distribution platforms than any other industry event anywhere in the world.

Under the Canada Pavilion umbrella, Telefilm Canada, its partners and sponsor, offer many services at attractive rates. Given that the organizer of MIPTV, Reed Midem, has decided to freeze its rental rates for the 2010 year, we are pleased to announce that the 2009 Canada Pavilion option rates will be kept for 2010.

In 2009, there were 11,500 industry professionals, including 3,800 buyers and 4000 companies from 105 countries. The Canada Pavilion covers a surface area measuring 457 m2 and can accommodate a maximum of 80 companies, making it MIPTV’s largest national pavilion.

NEW IN 2010! The Canada Pavilion offers a special networking activity for companies gathered under its umbrella: Connect with Canada! is part of the official program of MIPTV and available to all market participants.

Application form
Information and registration procedure

Extended deadline : February 26, 2010

It pays to use eTelefilm!
Telefilm Canada is expanding the use of its eTelefilm services to include it festival and market activities. We are happy to announce that it is now available. We encourage you to subscribe now to eTelefilm.Note that the validation of the one time process for eTelefilm may take up to 5 business days.

If you are a registered E-Telefilm user, click on the same link and connect directly to eTelefilm.

If the above is not possible, Download, complete and sign the attached participation form.

Should you require additional information, please contact Marie-Claude Viau by e-mail at viaum@telefilm.gc.ca or by phone at (514) 283-0838 ext.: 2009

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

PETER WINTONICK: GUEST FILMMAKER AT THE WINNIPEG FILM GROUP AND CINEMATHEQUE
FEBRUARY 26-27, 2010

Peter Wintonick is a pioneering Canadian filmmaker, producer, critic, a documentary media activist and a recipient of the Governer-General Media Arts Award. Well-known around the world as a documentary diplomat, he spreads the gospel according to reality through his films (pilgrlMAGE, Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment, Seeing is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News).

Wintonick also facilitates workshops with international emerging filmmakers, and helps operate a production company called Necessary Illusions in Montreal - his home base. He is currently developing several films with partners in Sweden, Canada and Asia.

Please join us for a screening of his latest film pilgrIMAGE on Fri. Feb 26 at 7:00 PM (introduced by Peter Wintonick), a Master Workshop: Documentary Storytelling on Sat. Feb 27 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM and a free screening of The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood on Sat. Feb 27 at 4:00 PM which will be introduced by Wintonick and is part of Cinematheque's ongoing film series, Cinema Lounge: Critical Dialogue on Canadian Cinema.

Calls for Submissions

CINEMATHEQUE T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST
Deadline to submit is March 1, 2010.

Cinematheque News

CINEMATHEQUE ONLINE AUDIENCE SURVEY - NEXT PRIZE DRAW IS FRI. FEB 26, 2010!
Ongoing

Cinematheque has created an online survey in order to collect feedback from our audience about what we do. It only takes a few minutes to complete and you have the chance to win a monthly draw of ten Cinematheque passes or a copy of the Winnipeg Film Group's latest 136-page publication PLACE: 13 essays, 13 filmmakers, 1 city . This information will allow us to better serve our Cinematheque's community. We greatly appreciate the time you take to share your thoughts and all the information and ideas submitted will be kept strictly confidential. Please click this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9D76BSG to start the survey, thank you!

CINEMATHEQUE RENOVATIONS
Renovations to include a stage Cinematheque's theatre is now complete (the stage size is approx. 10ft x 29 ft.). Please click the link below to see a slideshow of the finished renovations. For rental information and other theater inquiries, please contact Kristy Muckosky at 925-3459 or email kristy@winnipegfilmgroup.com.

Special Events

pilgrIMAGE (INTRODUCED BY DIRECTOR PETER WINTONICK)
Fri. Feb 26 at 7:00 PM

Peter Wintonick and his daughter take a journey through documentary film-making around the world. They trek through the present and future of film and image-making, using significant contemporary and historical cinematic sites and personal encounters as their points of departure. pilgrIMAGE is a trans-generational, cine-genetic meditation on media and its personal and social consequences.

CINEMA LOUNGE: THE ADVENTURE OF FAUSTUS BIDGOOD (INTRODUCED BY PETER WINTONICK)
Sat. Feb 27 at 4:00 PM

Ten years in the making, The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood is probably the most important independent feature every to come out of Newfoundland. Featuring an all star cast of actors from the East Coast, this film is unlike any other produced in Canada. It shows the epic struggle for an independent Newfoundland and a tall tale about one man's increasingly precarious world view of reality. This classic of Canadian independent filmmaking will be introduced by documentary pioneer Peter Wintonick. (FREE ADMISSION)

CABIN FEVER: FANTASTIC ANIMATION (FREE STOP-MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOP WITH FREEZE FRAME)
Sun. Feb 28 at 2:00 PM

A cute selection of new animated shorts by award winning filmmakers including Cordell Barker's Runaway. (creator of The Cat Came Back). This film selection also includes Sarah Guindon's Wiggles and Giggles, in which a dancing playful group become aware that they're being watched by a huge, menacing head and Philip Edoll's Git Gob where two creatures wonder, "what is a hole?" that leads to an idea to change the world (FREE ADMISSION).

Upcoming Films

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
Sat. Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM
Sun. Feb 28 at 7:00 PM
Wed. Mar 3 at 7:00 PM
Thu. Mar 4 at 7:00 PM

The riveting story of how one man's actions changed the course of American history. This film explores one of the most important news stories of the 1970's that involved a bureaucrat named Daniel Ellsbert, who - so torn by his conscience over the state of the Vietnam War - decided to turn over top secret government papers to the New York Times that revealed that the war was a lost cause to begin with. The impact of his actions had a strong influence on public opinion and is credited with helping lead to a series of events that ended the war.

Winnipeg Film Group News

MASTER SERIES: DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING
Sat. Feb 27 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Documentary Pioneer, Peter Wintonick (Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media) visits the Winnipeg Film Group for a four hour workshop on Documentary Storytelling to be held at Cinematheque. Workshop runs Sat Feb 27 - 11 AM to 3 PM and the registration fee is $30 for members and $60 for non-members.

MEMBERS OF MANITOBA'S FILM COMMUNITY,

As the newly elected Chair of OSM and past Chair we are writing to ask for your action on the request we've made to enhance the tax credit. This change will ensure the future of our industry and it affects everyone involved even indirectly in the industry.

We need you to call your MLA, talk to your friends and neighbours and write letters to the Ministers who will make budget decisions in the next two weeks. Tell everyone about how the industry is a important to you and tell them what you and your businesses give back to Manitoba.

It is time to stand up and make some noise for the industry in Manitoba. We have proven we can make great shows but if we cannot marshal political and financial support we will lose everything we have all worked so hard to build. It is a critical economic time and to deal with that we need the enhanced tax credit that has been proposed. It is a critical political time as we cannot count on the new premier and his new cabinet understanding or supporting our industry. We have to let them know all over again what we bring to the province.

This is an industry with a future - it adds jobs and economic benefit to Manitoba. It's also a building block for Manitoba's creative industries - a core component of our provinces innovation strategy. Reality is, with a highly competive tax credit our industry will grow and unfortunately without the ALL SPEND option we've recommended, a further decline is likely.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T WAIT - WE HAVE ONLY A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT THERE.

Sincerely,

Phyllis Laing, new Chair of the Board of On Screen Manitoba and President of
Buffalo Gal Pictures

Kim Todd, past Chair of On Screen Manitoba and President of Original
Pictures Inc.

HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION:

CALL your Member of the Legislative Assemby (MLA)
Click here for the MLA Directory Listing

Get your personalized letter in to Minister Wowchuk and Marcelino (their contact info is listed below)
Download the LETTER TEMPLATE

Hon. Rosann Wowchuk
Minister of Finance
Room 103, Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
Fax: 204-945-6057
E-mail: minfin@leg.gov.mb.ca

Hon. Flor Marcelino
Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism
Room 118, Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
Fax: 204-945-5223
E-mail: mincht@leg.gov.mb.ca

Please make sure to copy letters to:

Tara Walker
tara@onscreenmanitoba.com
(sorry - no fax at the moment)

Carole Vivier
Manitoba Film & Music
carole@mbfilmmusic.ca
Fax: 204.956.5261

Creatives Loop organised the 1-2-1 meetings with UK Producers as part of On Screen Manitoba UK Mission 2006.

Since then they have organised many other international missions and networking events for clients such as Telefilm Canada, Pact and Creative Business Wales, resulting in over $65m of Co-Pro deals (actually these are the only ones audited by the gov't).

If you are interested in Co-Productions, then their latest initiative in creating the word's first and only fully dedicated Co-Production website, will be of great assistance to your company. Co-Production Factory gives Producers access to a powerful information hub and interactive community.

Please go to www.co-productionfactory.com & simply click on the Co-Production Factory Brand

If you like what you see and you would like to join, then we have a special discount code, for all those that we have worked with in the past and have effectively become part of the 'LOOP', reducing 1 years membership from CAD$300 (£195) to CAD$85 (£50)
To take advantage of this offer when registering use Coupon Code: oscars

The structure and content was designed with advice from Isabel Davis of the UK Film Council, who is also a member. I followed the Google principle of simplicity, allowing users to get the most out of their time online, whilst there over 4500 pages of useful information behind the scenes, run by sophisticated software.

Jan Miller of Strategic Partners is a member and states:

“One stop shopping for everything you need to know about international co-production! Creatives Loop is offering a remarkable resource globally. As its membership grows its value will increase exponentially – everyone should sign up for this invaluable source and exchange of information.”

We now have over 120 Film-makers, Producers, Broadcasters, Sales Agents and Distributors from Canada, Germany, UK, Denmark, Australia etc... Membership to the site is growing each day

NEW - Showcase - NEW

We want YOU to reach a Global audience

Do You have a Trailer or Promotional Short video that you would like to appear in the Showreel Pages to be showcased globally?

Do You have a Premiere, Workshop, Studio, Facilities or any Event that you want to promote?

Do YOU have any News, Practical Tips or just Good interesting stories / experiences you want to share with others?

If so then Email info@co-productionfactory.com

The 4th annual Lindalee Tracey Award is calling for submissions. This award celebrates emerging Canadian filmmakers.

Submission deadline is March 12, 2010

In 2007, the first Lindalee Tracey Award was presented to NSI Drama Prize alumnus Trevor Anderson for his film Rock Pockets.

To be eligible for the award you must be an emerging artist (an individual who has less than three years of training or experience in media arts, which can be formal (university or college studies) or informal (production courses, workshops, hands-on experience in production, etc.). The emerging artist must also have completed at least one independent film or video, excluding school film projects.

The Award
The Lindalee Tracey Award is presented yearly at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival held in Toronto each spring.

This year's award winner will be announced at the Hot Docs awards night on Friday, May 7, 2010. The winner will receive $5,000 in cash, courtesy of the Lindalee Tracey fund, $3,000 in film stock or services and $1,000 in cash, courtesy of Kodak Canada, and a beautiful hand-blown glass sculpture commissioned to honour Lindalee.

For full details about the submission process, please visit the official Lindalee Tracey Award website.

About Lindalee
Lindalee Tracey was an award-winning filmmaker, author, entertainer and mother. Through her extensive body of work and indefatigable personality, Lindalee brought great joy to the world.

She was passionate about bringing issues of social justice into her work, and championed people who are often ignored, underestimated or forgotten. Equally, she celebrated those who rise above disadvantage.

Lindalee passed away on October 19, 2006, at age 49, after a five-year battle with breast cancer. At the time of her passing, Lindalee's family, friends and admirers created this award in her honour.

BOB CULBERT APPRECIATION NIGHT
With Special Guest Robert Hardy, Development Manager, Western Region, CTV

DATE: THURSDAY MARCH 4
TIME: 7:00 PM
PLACE: THE IRISH CLUB, 654 ERIN STREET

CASH BAR

DOC members free; $5 general admission for non-DOC members.

ONE ON ONE MEETINGS:
Robert Hardy and Bob Culbert available for one on one meetings with DOC Winnipeg members on March 4.

About Bob Culbert:
Bob Culbert was Vice-President of Documentaries for CTV. Until 2009, he was responsible for all network documentaries on CTV. Winnipeg productions were among them: As Seen on TV: The K-Tel Story (Midcanada), Music Rising (Frantic Films), There’s Something Out There (Farpoint Films), the forthcoming 4Teen Stories (Merit Motion Pictures) and Gemini-winner Hockey Brawl: Battle on Thin Ice (Numan Films).

Bob’s impact on the independent documentary community in Winnipeg has been unparalled.

Previously, Culbert had a distinguished 29-year career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. From 1994 to1999, he was Executive Director of News and Current Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for all network news and current affairs programming, and Newsworld, CBC’s 24-hour news channel.

From 1991 to 1994, he held the position of Area Head of Network TV Current Affairs, responsible for all network current affairs programming, all documentary specials and documentary series. From 1981 to 1991, Culbert worked at the CBC’s daily current affairs program The Journal, becoming Senior Producer. He was Area Head of all television news and current affairs programming for CBC Nova Scotia from 1979 to 1981. He joined CBC Winnipeg in 1970, working in both television news and current affairs.

In addition to his television journalism experience, he also worked in print media in Northern Ireland and the Winnipeg Free Press (1968-1970), after immigrating to Canada in 1968. Culbert is a member of the Board of Directors of Hot Docs, North America's largest documentary festival. He is also on the steering committee for Innoversity. For 18 years, Culbert has taught a course in documentary programming at Ryerson University in Toronto, and teaches at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont. Culbert was also the recipient of the Academy Achievement Award at the 2006 Gemini Awards.

ISPs, broadcasters and "mobile companies" will be able to apply alongside TV producers to the "experimental stream" of the Canada Media Fund if its proposed guidelines are approved by the new board of directors, according to executives apparent Valerie Creighton and Stéphane Cardin.

The board of the new $350 million fund is reviewing the proposed guidelines this week. Speaking last week to attendees of the Prime Time conference, Creighton, president and CEO of the old Canadian Television Fund, said the new, official rules will be announced "towards the third week of March."

Management and staff of the CTF are expected to move to similar positions at CMF, which arrives with the federal fiscal year on April 1. Telefilm Canada will continue to administer the application process.

Further changes, however, to the broadcaster performance envelopes will not be unveiled until "the first or second [fiscal] quarter." Creighton also seemed to indicate that CBC will be judged on performance of its shows, as are commercial broadcasters. "CBC is coming into the competitive mix," she said.

Creighton and Cardin, who is CTF's policy VP, told concerned producers that CMF will be divided into a "conversion stream" and an "experimental stream" and that all projects will effectively require an interactive element.

The experimental stream will be earmarked for Canadian companies which are "leading-edge, interactive, innovative" content creators, said Creighton, noting the rule-makers will "keep barriers to an absolute minimum." Meanwhile, the conversion stream would require two distribution platforms, "one must be TV" and the "second could be a game," Creighton continued.

If the new guidelines fly, web-only series need not apply. The CMF is looking for experimental interactive content but wants applications that incorporate both web and TV. Docs are still eligible, and animators will be happy that the proposed rules mean "they can go elsewhere in the world" and still be considered Canadian.

Regional incentives haven't changed and a "northern bonus" has been recommended for the three territories -- a first. Producers can expect the same deadlines for applications, meaning "October and final in December."

Creighton noted that decisions for both streams will be once again made on a "per project basis" and that there "will be more flexibility in year one" as the inevitable bumps of new guidelines get ironed out.

She said CMF management will continue its "town hall" process to answer questions, warning, finally, that "It's gonna be messy the first year."

CALL FOR INNOVATIVE NEW FILMS AND VIDEOS

WNDX - Winnipeg's Festival of Film and Video Art - seeks new Canadian and international films and videos for our next edition, to be held Sept 30 to Oct 3, 2010.

WNDX pays special attention to the most innovative and ground-breaking works completed by moving image artists. Works completed in 2010 and 2009 are eligible for submission.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: MONDAY, MAY 31, 2010

There is no submisssion fee.

Submission forms are available at www.wndx.org

****************

WNDX acknowledges the generous financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Winnipeg Arts Council and the Manitoba Arts Council. We also acknowledge the services support of the Winnipeg Film Group.

Because no matter what business you're in, you have to sell.

About Girl Drinks
A group of women who were together at the CMA (Canadian Marketing Association-Manitoba Chapter) luncheon the other day thought that it would be a fun idea for women in the business of advertising and marketing to get together every so often for an informal time of drinks and networking.

First meeting:

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Time: 5:00 pm
Place: Lounge at Confusion Corner (Osborne and Corydon)

No need to RSVP - just show up if you can make it

PS please feel free to pass this along to any female in the business who you think would like to attend

March 23, 2010: “Cashing In”: From Concept to Completion – How a TV Show is Made in Manitoba

Learn about the process of taking a television project from development to broadcast! Join CWC Manitoba Region on Tuesday, March 23 for a panel with the Manitoba production team behind the first season of “Cashing In”, a half-hour series, aired on APTN and Showcase. This event will be moderated by Alison Gilmor, Entertainment Critic and Journalist.

Confirmed panelists for this event:

- Jean du Toit, Producer, Buffalo Gal Pictures

- Vanessa Loewen, Producer, Animiki See

- Norma Bailey, Director & Co-Executive Producer

Presented in partnership with On Screen Manitoba

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Check-in at 11:30 a.m., Lunch at 12:00 p.m.)
Location: The Park Theatre, 698 Osborne Street, Winnipeg

Members: $35
Non-Members: $50
Students: $20 (Rate is for full-time students only. Students will be required to show valid student ID at the door on day of event. Student spaces are limited.)
All Prices include GST (R130652902)
Lunch is included.

*Members who have registered for the 2009-2010 Full-Season Subscription DO NOT have to register for this event! You're already on the list!

Register Now!
Online registration deadline is March 21, 2010

Our cancellation policy allows for refunds up to 3 days before the event, after which we regret that we will not be able to offer you a refund.

About the television series Cashing In:

Cashing In is a half-hour comedy drama set on Stonewalker First Nation, nestled comfortably beside an affluent beach community in Southern Manitoba.

With a diverse cast of shark executives, smooth dealers, scheming slicksters and colourful community members, the North Beach Casino is a successful gaming palace recently purchased by Matthew Tommy and his casino empire. His mission: to make North Beach North America's #1 First Nation Casino.

Season 1 of Cashing In was produced by Buffalo Gal Pictures and Animiki See Digital Productions Inc. for APTN and Canwest. The series is directed by Norma Bailey.

Find out more about Cashing In at the websites below:

Buffalo Gal Pictures
APTN
Showcase
Facebook
Myspace

Province promoting its 'good things' in big way
By: Bruce Owen

If you want to be a big dog you've got to bark like one.

That's why Canadians in Hogtown and Cowtown will start seeing ads on CTV during the final week of the Vancouver Winter Olympics trumpeting Manitoba's quality of life.

Manitoba Day is Feb. 25
PREMIER Greg Selinger has his eyes set on the women's hockey gold-medal game Feb. 25.

Not only is that a game Canada is anticipated to win, it's also Manitoba Day at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Selinger arrives in British Columbia Feb. 23 and will stay until the closing ceremonies on the 28th.

While in Vancouver, he will attend receptions for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Manitoba film and music industries (industry associations On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Music), as well as the Homecoming 2010 social on Feb. 24.

The social is being held at the Commodore Ballroom on Granville Street and features performances by Manitoba's Doc Walker, Streetheart, Eagle & Hawk, Inward Eye and members of Chic Gamine. Ace Burpee hosts the evening.

Selinger is currently in Washington, D.C., with other premiers meeting with U.S. officials on trade and agriculture issues.

Manitoba is spending an estimated $6.4 million to promote the province at the Games, including $2.3 million for a pavilion in downtown Vancouver showcasing the province's eco-friendly initiatives, immigration programs and tourist destinations.

For more on Manitoba at the Olympics, visit www.centreplacemanitoba.ca.

The ads are the latest initiative from the province and its Start Living campaign, said Jim August, who heads up the province's year-old Promotion Council.

The $350,000 ad-buy won't be seen by viewers in Manitoba, as it targets people living in big cities like Toronto and Calgary who are sick of long commutes, expensive houses and too much time spent away from their families.

"Everyone I talk to is just fascinated with the Olympics," August said. "We're all following it. There's a lot of attention. There will be great exposure.

"There's only four provinces that have bought into this. The risk is if you don't buy into it, you're just not out there. You're not a player."

CTV has enjoyed blockbuster ratings during the Winter Games. On Tuesday, some 6.2 million Canadians tuned into watch Team Canada's 8-0 rout over Norway. An average of 3.7 million Canadians watched mid-afternoon Tuesday as B.C.-raised snowboarder Maëlle Ricker took to the slopes and won a gold medal.

"When an opportunity comes along to really tell your story and do it when then Olympics is on when you've got all this people, you can't ignore it," August said.

The trick after the Olympics end is whether anyone remembers Manitoba. Officials will monitor Start Living website www.livingmanitoba.ca to see if the ads generate any interest.

The locally produced ads will be spread out throughout the day during Olympic coverage -- they won't run after viewers have gone to bed.

"We picked the markets that we wanted and that's where they are going to run the ads," August said. "We weren't bottom-feeders on this. We'll get good times."

August also said the 30-second ads aren't intended to get people off the couch, pack up the U-Haul and move to Manitoba right away.

Rather, the ads are geared to put the word Manitoba in peoples' heads.

"It raises awareness," he said. "It really is an opportunity to increase awareness and make people aware about many of the good things about Manitoba."

Premier Greg Selinger has said Manitoba has to promote itself to compete with other jurisdictions who are also looking for new residents.

The Start Living campaign has been somewhat in limbo since last spring when $1.7-million worth of television and newspaper advertising was purchased in other provinces. The province has since provided an additional $750,000 for ongoing promotion.

The campaign was originally launched several years ago under the Spirited Energy banner, but that slogan was met with a mixed reaction.

Manitoba isn't the only province with such a campaign. Alberta launched a $25-million campaign last year, Saskatchewan has a $14-million campaign, Nova Scotia Tourism recently spent $5 million and Toronto spent $4 million.

Snake River - the new Winnipeg feature film by writer/director Joseph Novak, with music by Danny Schur, earned praise from Winnipeg Free Press film critic, Randall King, in this February 20th 3-star review.

Guns a-blazin’ despite low budget

It feels like an old tale: a former Union soldier, scarred by atroci ties of the Civil War, crawls out of a bottle and seeks redemption on the humble homestead of a widow woman and her young son.

Not so old, but an equally familiar tale: a filmmaker with a dream gathers together a volunteer cast and crew and puts together a perfectly respectable feature film on an impossibly tiny budget of $5,000.

That is the story and backstory of Snake River, a labour of love — and not a little obsession — for Winnipeg writer- director Joe Novak. Mostly shot on evenings, weekends and holidays over the course of six months, the feature only rarely betrays the meagreness of its budget. Indeed, this is a surprisingly solid film that uses the minimalist trappings of the western genre to its advantage: scrubby landscapes, rough-hewn interiors, terse dialogue and fast draws.

We first find Jacob (Milton Bruchan ski) sleeping off a solitary bender. He’s in the employ of his former commanding officer, The Major (Frank Adam son), a gun for hire in an impending range war.

That war doesn’t go in Jacob’s favour and he happens to fall down wounded at the door of the widowed former slave Mia (Kimberly Rampersad) and her son Tobias (Andy Kuhn). As he is nursed back to health, he develops a fondness for this shattered family and helps around the homestead. But apparently, the district is called Snake River for a reason, as the territory is rife with belly-crawling varmints who have victimized Mia in the past and intend her harm again.

When it comes to this kind of micro budget filmmaking, Novak is going against the trend of Mumblecore movies or films such as Paranormal Activity, which use video and minimal production values to achieve an edginess and a sense of documentary immediacy. Novak is having none of that. This is very much a film in the model of the formal western, with flinty-eyed showdowns, galloping horses, and a harmonica on the musical soundtrack.

(Danny Schur, also one of the film’s producers, supplies music and a lovely gospel spiritual sung by Rampersad that would not be out of place in a big-budget western, if only they were making such things.) It is the cast that makes it work, and Novak has to be commended for cannily casting local actors in parts large and small, dovetailing their talents to suit stock western characters, particularly Harry Nelken as a snake oil salesman, Ernesto Griffith as a supportive homesteader and Jon Ted Wynne as a psychopathic killer.

Rampersad, a dancer-choreographer, acquits herself with grace as the traumatized Mia. And Bruchanski, tempted though he might have been to portray the hero as an implacable, Clint Eastwood-esque gunslinger, layers the hero with an undercurrent of melancholy that renders him distinctive from the herd of honourable cowpokes of westerns past.

Only Three Shows Left!

Saturday, February 20th: 7:00 PM
Sunday, February 21st: 7:00 PM
Wednesday, Feb 24th: 7:00 PM

Location: Cinematheque, 100 Arthur Street, Winnipeg

Eagle Vision is proud to announce that Jessica Lo is our new Development Manager. Jessica has been with Eagle Vision for nearly 3 years and we are excited that she will be overseeing our outstanding slate of development projects.

Eagle Vision Inc. is one of Canada's leading Aboriginal owned Production Companies. Founded in 2000, Eagle Vision produces exceptional, award winning television and film content for the Canadian and International marketplace.

Producer Assistant
Eagle Vision Inc. is seeking a highly motivated individual for the position of Producer Assistant.

Job Summary

Creating and managing the schedule for key staff
Coordinating meetings
Preparing expense reports
Coordinating business travel
Reading and providing feedback on scripts
Additional tasks including filing, faxing, photocopying and assisting with all other clerical functions

Qualifications

Detail-orientation with strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks required
Strong Microsoft Office Skills including Word and Excel
Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written skills in English
Valid drivers license required
Bilingual in English and French is an asset
Knowledge of the Manitoba film and television industry is an asset

Interested candidates should apply with a resume and cover letter no later than March 3rd to jessica@eaglevision.ca

We thank everyone for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Reassurances and warnings about the digital era greeted attendees at the Prime Time conference on Thursday, as kick-off speaker Brent Lowe-Bernie delivered the message that "The sky is not falling."

Though that should be qualified. Like everything else in a binary world, there is a counterpoint.

Canadians, added the president of the consumer marketing company comScore, need to seize the digital day.

"People will go to where the content is," Lowe-Bernie told the crowd on the first day of the annual CFTPA conference. "They will pursue it, and they will consume it. We don't have a digital plan like other countries do and it's a shame because we lead the world in usage in many ways. In engagement, we rate right at the top."

He noted that -- while the only media currently growing in Canada is online -- creatives should be reassured by the fact that filmed content is leading the way. Year-over-year Internet video consumption has grown by 200%, and 90% of Canadians now watch at least one video online every month.

Thus the opportunity, and the warning.

Distribution silos are a thing of the past -- content has to play across all screens organically, and that means cross-platform has to be woven in from the beginning and not just bolted on afterwards.

"How can you build new audiences?" Lowe-Bernie asked rhetorically. "Are there ways to find them and entertain them wherever they are? You have to think about leveraging all the distribution channels.

"People will consume as makes sense to them."

He also had a warning for those who think that Twitter and its ilk are a flash in the pan: social media is here to stay -- and that's a good thing for traditional media.

"There is no question there is an affinity between entertainment and social media," he explained. Facebook, he demonstrated, is already driving users to traditional media sites -- more than 1.4 million to CTVglobemedia alone last year, to name but one example.

To help seize the advantage of this holistic approach to media, he recommended cross-platform experimentation, informed by the precise measurement tools offered on the digital platforms.

"You must measure from the start," he cautioned, "and know how to measure it."

Despite all the uncertainty, he summed, Canadians shouldn't be worried. As always, timeliness and relevancy of content will drive usage -- as long as the industry is prepared to step up.

"Embrace the Canadian opportunity," he added.

Strengthening and promoting Canadian content in an age of rapid technological and social change is an important theme in a new document released by The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

"Navigating Convergence" is a research and policy document that takes a lengthy look at the new world of digital content creation and distribution, and new market realities that are sprouting up as a result..

Sections of the document discuss unique and trendsetting digital developments, including YouTube and Hulu; mobile video and the 'TV anywhere' movement; spectrum allocation and 'Net neutrality; Docsis, IPTV, FTTH and more.

Noting that "Canadians are increasingly seeking multi-platform content wirelessly and online that incorporates complements to television content" the CTRC also goes on to speculate about possible regulatory looks at the booming wireless sector.

The document conveys some concern over a "potential for gatekeeping", and posits the need for a review to look at the opportunity and consequence of "open networks and preferential treatment" in an industry known for a high ownership concentration.

"Over time, the Commission's hands-off approach to wireless may come under pressure as it becomes a more important platform tool to access all forms of communications and the distribution of Canadian content" the document states.

Looking at a wide range of media platforms, content creation strategies and distribution technologies, the paper states that "the 'pipes' are only useful inasmuch they are used to deliver services, applications and content to Canadians. It will be necessary to ensure that Canadians can contribute to and see themselves in stories that are accessible on multiple digital platforms, whether from private, public or community sectors. The role of the public broadcasters in this environment will be a key consideration."

It says user privacy and service standards will be key to the success and value of an emerging digital communications industry and it speaks to the need for a rebalancing of retail, wholesale and contract offering in the information and communications service sector.

The document says that the CRTC "should continue to monitor the state of communications competition in Canada" by paying close attention to retile or wholesale rate increases, any potential barriers for consumers or competitors, established quality of service for resale-based competitors, and the comparisons to other countries in terms of price parity and service innovation.

Nevertheless, the CRTC states that "the elimination of monopolies in most residential and business services has been accompanied by the removal of the need for regulation to manage most facets of service. "

While discussions and hearings continue at the CRTC on these and related topics ( a CRTC decision about cable TV and broadcast carriage, or fee-for-service, is expected within two months, for example, while changes to the Copyright Act and development of an overall national digital strategy have been delayed, the CRTC document notes that any steps taken for "the preservation of Canadian programming and the protection of consumers may be increasingly required in the programming sphere" it also says that "many of the Broadcasting Act's objectives will be achieved, in part, outside of the regulated sector." 

Click here to see the entire CRTC policy document

Why Shaw wants a piece of Canwest
By: Nicholas Hirst

What changes will happen to your television viewing if the cable company Shaw Communications Corp. gets control of the television assets of Winnipeg-based Canwest Global Communications?

Shaw's intent to take a 20 per cent stake in Canwest, which would bring with it 80 per cent of the votes of the company built by Winnipeg's Izzy Asper, is taking place just as the digital revolution is poised to radically alter how we all get our filmed entertainment.

For Shaw it's a gamble that, by taking Canwest out of bankruptcy protection, it gets a bargain that will make it the key player in the future of Canadian television.

All that is known about the deal is that Shaw has to put up a minimum of $65 million, on the face of it, a small sum for a company that still has billions of dollars of assets, even if it also has billions of dollars of debt.

The risk would appear small. If Shaw fails to make a go of it, then it will lose its stake, but it will not be risking either the Shaw family's cable empire or its stake in the Corus television company that owns the "W" network and the pay TV-channel Movie Central.

For viewers, though, the move is at least intriguing and possibly revolutionary. As television viewing has fragmented among many different channels and the big old networks like CBC, NBC, CTV and Global have lost audiences, the big beneficiaries have been the cable companies like Shaw. Once cable just brought a better quality picture than rabbit ears. Now, cable delivers a huge variety of programs to most households. As cable companies' grip on the delivery of a wide choice of television programming has increased, so have their profits. Cable has become the method of choice in television watching.

Not that cable is without competition. The telephone companies like MTS and Bell are in the same game. Competition is spreading across the board for delivery of television, Internet and phone services.

No one quite knows where all of this is going to end up. One intermediate step though, is that the cable companies are becoming more and more like the broadcasters.

Cable companies like Rogers and Shaw as well as MTS and Bell, now offer broadcast programs "on demand." You want to watch the Lost or Flashpoint episode you missed? Just go to your cable company's "on demand" site and there it is to be watched well after it was first broadcast. Of course, you can record the program on your PVR, also provided by you cable or telephone company.

Alternatively, you can watch programs (this is particularly true of the Olympics) streamed directly onto your computer. If you really know what you are doing, you can link up your computer to programs delivered both by the Internet and your cable television. Many Blu-Ray receivers have Internet access, as do the more advanced game consoles.

This is the new convergence and so far, it is in its infancy. As time goes by, it's going to be dead simple. You're going to have a box that receives both from the Internet and from old-style cable seamlessly.

If you can get any programming any time from a menu of choices, then why does the traditional broadcaster even exist? If the cable company has access to the delivery of all content, what is the purpose of a broadcaster?

The answer so far has been that the cable companies don't have expertise in buying, assessing and developing content and selling the advertising that goes with it. If they buy the broadcaster, though, they do.

That's why, in the United States, the cable company Comcast in a complicated transaction is buying NBC/Universal. The Shaw deal is a smaller step in the same direction. The crucial difference is that for success in Canada, companies like Canwest rely on purchasing programs that have been developed by broadcasters and studios south of the border. That arrangement is protected by a wealth of licensing deals and government regulation

The world of television, however, is changing faster than the regulators can keep up. And it is far from certain as programs are increasingly delivered through multiple channels that they will continue to be delivered on a country-by-country basis as they are today.

The day may come when you can simply order up any program you want from anywhere in the world.

Shaw is positioning itself for that world. For a world in which the broadcaster and the cable company are essentially the same thing and the money that supports the content comes as much from your cable subscription as from the advertising that now supports most network programs.

The competition for your eyeballs then, will be not between broadcasters, but between which cable or telephone company can give you the best choice of all programs available, anywhere.

Nicholas Hirst is CEO of Winnipeg-based television and film producer Original Pictures Inc.

TRLabs Information & Communication Technologies Symposium 2010 in Winnipeg will explore the theme of "Converged Digital Media".

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Time: 7:30am - 4:30pm
Place: Delta Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Ave

Featured speakers and discussion panelists from the telecommunications & digital media industries, together with researchers, policy makers, financiers and visionaries will discuss the implications of the "convergence" of telecommunication networks with New Media.

What are the disruptive applications, creative opportunities and new business models that lay at the confluence of converged telecommunication networks, information technology and New Media?

Join us at the 2010 TRLabs ICT Symposium to learn and get connected with the people creating the next great communications revolution!

Click Here to Register

TRLabs is a not-for-profit, tri-partite, applied R&D consortium with a mission to foster information and communication technology innovations. With an industry-led pre-competitive research program, community connector activities and other industry services, TRLabs fast tracks innovation to market by creating innovative technologies, training students, and working with its partners to accelerate technology commercialization.

Last month, as most of you know, the National Film Board of Canada announced that the long held Winnipeg office would be undergoing a massive downsizing. All current employees except for the Marketing Manager were let go. According to a statement by Cindy Witten, Director General of the NFB’s English Program, the shake-up is intended to “broaden the reach of the NFB in the Prairies and to develop expertise in multi-platform digital production in the West."

The Winnipeg office will effectively close its doors to the public at the end of next week. When it re-opens, whether it’s still at the Market Avenue location or somewhere else, the office will be considerably smaller. The NFB has stated that the staff will include two digital media producers and a marketing manager. The office will be run by the NFB’s North West Centre in Edmonton under Executive Producer David Christensen. In addition, a small office will open in Saskatchewan, which will also fall under this new jurisdiction.

Yesterday, On Screen Manitoba’s Executive Director Tara Walker sent the following letter to Tom Perlmutter, the NFB’s Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson:
 

Tom Perlmutter
Government Film Commissioner
Chairperson
National Film Board of Canada
3155 Cote de Liesse Road
St. Laurent, PQ H4N 2N4
via email t.perlmutter@nfb.ca

February 17, 2010

Dear Mr. Perlmutter.

On behalf of On Screen Manitoba members, I’d like to express our concerns around the re-structuring and downsizing of the National Film Board’s Winnipeg office.

We fully recognize the budgetary constraints the NFB is under and we appreciate the move to put more money into actual production as opposed to operating costs. In fact, we applaud it.

A few weeks ago On Screen Manitoba’s Programs Manager and the Chair of our Board, Phyllis Laing were invited to speak with the newly appointed Executive Producer, David Christensen. It was a positive meeting. Mr. Christensen is a professional in every sense of the word and it is clear that he is committed to filmmaking and to the NFB.

However, a few concerns arose for us.

We are worried about how much time Mr. Christensen will be able to commit to Manitoba projects given his workload and his regular commute from Calgary to Edmonton and now to Winnipeg and possibly Saskatchewan. Although we realize that Bonnie Thompson will also be commuting, it is natural to question how long they can keep going at this pace and at what cost to all the NFB offices, let alone Winnipeg.

While we are very excited to have digital producers be part of the new Winnipeg office, we wonder if this comes at the expense of linear production.

Mr. Christensen expressed to our Board Chair that the NFB felt it was easier to train digital producers in linear production then the other way around. There are many within the Manitoba community that would argue that.

We respectfully recommend that the NFB consider creating one digital producer and one linear producer position for the Winnipeg region. This would certainly lessen the stress on Edmonton having to provide producers.

Manitoba has a thriving Francophone production community that is growing every day. Companies like Productions Rivard and Media Rendezvous are just a few of the superstars we have. It has always been frustrating that French language productions have had to deal with producers outside of Winnipeg.

We ask you to also consider making one of the producer positions bi-lingual and qualified to act on behalf of French language production for the NFB.

We’d also like to address the Aboriginal production the NFB has historically nurtured, especially through its First Stories Program. No one has communicated what will happen to this program or future Aboriginal programs. Along with a thriving Francophone production community, the Aboriginal community is also a force to be reckoned with and a priority for our industry.

And finally, we would ask you to consider keeping the 3D animation equipment, an editing suite and a basic screening/meeting room for training purposes in the Winnipeg office. Without a basic production facility it would be difficult to produce content, either linear or digital, or to do any type of training. The availability of these resources adds valuable assets to our infrastructure in Manitoba and we’d like to see the NFB continue to provide access to our creators - emerging to established.

Although we are saddened by the NFB’s decision to downsize the Winnipeg office, an office that has a very long history of film production excellence, we understand the present climate of budget restraints and technological changes. We look forward to helping shape your evolution. We ask however, that the NFB keep in mind that history and when looking forward, that it does not come at the expense of a thriving, culturally diverse and talent-filled region like the prairies.

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss anything further. My direct line is 204.927.5893 or you can email me at tara@onscreenmanitoba.com 

Tara Walker
Executive Director

cc: Phyllis Laing, Board Chair
Merit Jensen-Carr, DOC Winnipeg Chair
Carole Vivier, CEO, Manitoba Film & Music


Claudia Garcia de la Huerta
Programs Manager, On Screen Manitoba

Didn't get to attend ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator? Or were you there and had to step out for a few minutes to take an important call and missed out on some info? Or maybe you're just one of those people who likes to watch the same movie repeatedly?

Well for your viewing pleasure we have posted the speaker videos from ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator. Relive Alexander Manu, Rochelle Grayson, Mark Bishop, Ken Bautista and Norm Bolens' presentations over and over again.

Click here to view all five speaker's videos.

Special thanks to Mid Canada Production Services with the help of camera man Dave Wowchuk who captured and edited these videos.

The National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI) is excited to announce a Winnipeg event featuring Jon Reiss (named one of "10 Digital Directors to Watch" by Daily Variety) and David Geertz (described by Ted Hope as one of the brave new thinkers of the film world) who will talk about new models of film marketing, distribution and financing for the digital era.

Independent film marketing expert Sheri Candler will moderate a panel featuring Jon Reiss and David Geertz who will talk about new models of film marketing, distribution and financing for the digital era.

Wednesday, March 10 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Venue: Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art
Admission $20
RSVP on Facebook

The National Screen Institute is offering a special price for students, On Screen Manitoba members, Winnipeg Film Group members and New Media Manitoba members: $10, valid student ID or membership card must be presented to receive discount.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jon Reiss - filmmaker and author of the acclaimed book Think Outside the Box Office (Ted Hope calls Jon's book, '... mandatory reading ...") - will share his innovative perspectives on film marketing and distribution.

Jon is a critically acclaimed filmmaker whose films have screened at Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca, Los Angeles, Rotterdam and Seattle. He has produced and directed shorts, music videos and three feature films, most recently Bomb It (Tribeca 2007) about graffiti, street art and the battle over visual public space throughout the world. Based on his experience releasing Bomb It with a hybrid strategy and the classes he teaches at California Institute of the Arts, Jon wrote: Think Outside the Box Office: The Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution in the Digital Era.

David Geertz - entrepreneur, crowdfunding expert, filmmaker and transmedia producer - will share ideas about new models of film financing including crowdfunding. With The Biracy Project, David hopes to transform film financing and promotion.

David founded The Biracy Project after he was asked by an investor for a film project to remove his cast, fire the director and put the investor’s girlfriend in the role of his leading male. David's mission with The Biracy Project is to ensure no one with a creative vision would ever have to compromise their ideas again.

For more information, please email Liz Hover or telephone 204-957-8481.

About the National Screen Institute (NSI)

NSI is widely known for its prestigious training programs for Canadian writers, directors and producers working in film, television and digital media. Most programs are part-time so students keep their day jobs while they train. Participants do not have to relocate – intensive training happens in one place and participants return home to work with a mentor for the rest of their program. All training is delivered by senior industry experts.

SHARPEN YOUR AUDITIONING SKILLS WITH ONE-DAY PROFESSIONAL AUDITIONING WORKSHOPS FOR FILM AND TELEVISION
With Emmy Award Winning Casting Director Jackie Lind CSA

“It is not always the best actor that gets the role, it is the best auditioner”.

March 20 or 21, 2010 in Winnipeg

Jackie Lind has been a Canadian Principal casting director for eleven years, casting in Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Jackie won an Emmy Award in 2007 for “outstanding casting in a mini-series”.

Credits include Honey I Shrunk The Kids, The Assassination of Jesse James, Shooter, Open Range and Broken Trail, just to name a few.

With over eleven years experience, Jackie creates an interactive and supportive workshop that covers every aspect of the audition including business, technique and performance.

Actors receive one on one feedback on their prepared auditions, cold reads, and how they are perceived on camera, gaining confidence in their own range and audition ability.

Jackie will also invite actors to be casting directors, allowing them to see who is right for a role and why.

This unique and interactive environment will leave actors with a greater understanding of themselves, their choices and their abilities when auditioning, leading them to working.

Don’t miss out on these exciting one-day workshops with Jackie Lind, an award winning Canadian Principal casting director who wants to meet YOU!

Workshop Fee: $150.00
Workshop Location: Children’s Acting Center
Workshop Dates: Sat. March 20 or March 21, 2010
Workshop Time: 10am to 4pm

To register contact: loisbrothers@shaw.ca or lhb45@hotmail.com

SEATING IS LIMITED!

In association with The Children’s Acting Center
Produced by local talent Lois Brothers

www.childrensactingcenter.com

For more information on these workshops please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca. To register please call us at 989-9669!

Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Flagsperson Training
February 24th | 6 pm – 9 pm | $50
Location | Red River College, Princess Street Campus, Room P315

Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) required course

This course will familiarize participants with the provincial laws governing traffic control. Flagsperson training deals with developing an understanding of who is responsible for establishing traffic control on a film set, the duties of a flagsperson on set, the proper dress and equipment necessary for flagging, and the proper techniques for directing traffic.

Scene Study with Ben Davis
March 26th | 27th | 28th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125
Location Winnipeg | Film Group Studio, 304-100 Arthur Street

This is your last chance to study with Ben Davis and learn the Ivana Chubbuck Technique in Winnipeg!

Straight from Los Angeles, acting coach Ben Davis will be using the Ivana Chubbuck Technique to take participants through a scene study workshop.

“I found the Scene Study with Ben Davis class very valuable. Ben has great instincts about the actors he's working with and uses the technique he teaches from, the Ivana Chubbuck Technique, to elicit from all participants their very best work, even in the course of a two-day workshop. It was exciting to watch this growth in the other actors and exciting to experience it firsthand. I would love to study with him again.”

-Terri Cherniack, Actor

“I watched in wonder as over and over again as he took competent performances and transformed them into riveting, compelling scenes. I'll go to his classes whenever I can.”

-Norma Bailey, Director

Are you interested in observing the course to learn how to use the Ivana Chubbuck Technique as director? Give us a call to audit the course at a reduced rate 989-9669.

Cinematheque News

CINEMATHEQUE T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST
March 1, 2010 Submission Deadline

As part of Cinematheque's fundraising and profile raising initiatives, we have created a limited edition T-Shirt Design Competition. The winning design will be unveiled at the Winnipeg Film Group Fundraising Gala on May 1, 2010. The winner will receive a prize package that includes $200 of WFG equipment rental, an Individual Cinematheque Membership, WFG merchandise and a copy of their unique T-shirt design.

CINEMATHEQUE AUDIENCE SURVEY
NEXT SURVEY PRIZE DRAW WILL BE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2010

Cinematheque has created an online survey in order to collect feedback from our audience. It only takes a few minutes to complete it and you have the chance to win a monthly draw of ten Cinematheque passes or a copy of the Winnipeg Film Group's latest 136-page publication PLACE: 13 essays, 13 filmmakers, 1 city. We appreciate the time taken to share your thoughts with us. Please be advised that all the information and ideas submitted will be kept strictly confidential. Follow this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9D76BSG to start the survey, thank you!

Special Events

PANEL DISCUSSION: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE FAR NORTH
Thu Feb 18 at 7:00 PM

Filmmakers and researchers Ian Mauro (Winnipeg) and Zacharias Kunuk (Igloolik) will show clips from a work-in-progress and discuss their upcoming documentary on climate change and the far north.

Panel discussion with filmmaker and scientist Ian Mauro (Seeds of Change), filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat and The Journals of Knud Rasmussen), Danny Blair (Chair of the Department of Geography at the U of W and Co-Chair of Climate Change Connection), Curtis Hull (Manitoba Project Manager for Climate Change Connection) and Ryan Galley, a Research Associate for the Center for Earth Observation Science.

CABIN FEVER: SECRET OF THE SWORD (FREE ADMISSION)
Sun Feb 21 at 2:00 PM

Based on the TV cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Secret of the Sword features all your favorite He-Man characters: Battle-Cat, Man-at-Arms, Beast Man, She-Ra, Tri-Clops and more! FREE ADMISSION!
View details

Upcoming Films

COLLAPSE
Thu Feb 18 at 7:00 PM

Collapse is a powerful and terrifying documentary film by acclaimed director Chris Smith ( The Yes Men, The Pool and American Movie ) about a reporter, author and radical thinker named Michael Rupert who eerily predicted the current economic crisis in his self-published newsletter. Reminiscent of Errol Morris's work, this film will stay with you long past the screening.

SNAKE RIVER
Fri Feb 19 - Sun Feb 21 at 7:00 PM
Wed Feb 24 at 7:00 PM

The premiere of the independent feature film Snake River, shot locally for a mini-budget of $5,000. This film is directed by Joe Novak and based on a screenplay by Jonathan Ball and David Navratil called Way of the Samurai.

CRUDE
Fri Feb 19 + Sat Feb 20 at 9:00 PM
Sun Feb 21 at 4:00 PM
Wed Feb 24 + Thu Feb 25 at 9:00 PM

Three years in the making, this cinéma-vérité feature from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) is the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet. Crude is an insider's look at the famous $27 billion Amazon Chernobyl case. (English and Spanish with English subtitles)

BEST OF THE imagineNATIVE FESTIVAL (FREE ADMISSION)
Thu Feb 25 at 7:00 PM
INTRODUCTION BY CURATOR NIKI LITTLE

A selection of short film works from Toronto's ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, which screens the most compelling and distinctive indigenous works from around the globe.

About Niki Little
Little is a member of Garden Hill First Nation and the Program Director at Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art. Little recently returned to Winnipeg via Montreal and Banff where she was a Studio Assistant for Algonquin artist Nadia Myre and a participant of the Visual Arts Aboriginal Administrative Work-Study as the Banff Centre for the Arts. She has studied at the University of Manitoba, the National Screen Institute, and the Camberwell College of Art, in London, UK and is currently participating in the MAWA Foundation Mentorship Program.

pilgrIMAGE (INTRODUCTION BY DIRECTOR PETER WINTONICK)
Fri Feb 26 at 7:00 PM

Peter Wintonick and his daughter take a journey through documentary film-making around the world.

CINEMA LOUNGE: THE ADVENTURE OF FAUSTUS BIDGOOD
Sat Feb 27 at 4:00 PM
Documentary pioneer Peter Wintonick introduces this classic of Canadian independent filmmaking. (FREE ADMISSION)

Winnipeg Film Group News

MASTER SERIES: DOCUMENTARY STORYTELLING WITH PETER WINTONICK
Sat Feb 27 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
* Registration fee: $60 non-members / $30 members
* Space is limited: please register in advance

Canadian documentary pioneer, producer, critic, media artist, editor and recipient of the Governor-General Media Arts Award, Peter Wintonick (Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media) will visit the Winnipeg Film Group for a four hour workshop on Documentary Storytelling at Cinematheque. For more information, please contact Darcy Fehr, Training and Outreach Programs Coordinator at 925-3450 or darcy@winnipegfilmgroup.com

NSI New Voices Training Program

The National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI) is looking for nine talented Canadian Aboriginal adults aged 18 to 35 who are seeking careers in film & TV for its NSI New Voices training program.

Chosen students will connect with industry professionals through skills development training and an eight week full-time industry work placement.

NSI New Voices begins in April and takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba. There are a limited number of openings for non-Winnipeg residents; out-of-town program participants are responsible for covering the costs of their accommodation and travel.

Apply by Thursday, April 1, 2010, 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

Read application guidelines and apply

"NSI New Voices has become the cornerstone program of our Aboriginal training," said Susan Millican, CEO at NSI. "Over 50 students have graduated from the program in the past five years. They are working in the business in various capacities including production assistants, editors, and crew members.

"We’re pleased that NSI New Voices is meeting an identified training need in the market. The program continues to grow and develop each year to meet the changing needs of the marketplace and the changing skill sets of the young people applying."

Participants will receive minimum wage during the program, which runs in two phases:

Phase 1 - Skills development training: begins with 'Spirit Day.' Spiritual leaders and participants come together for a sharing circle, talk about personal goals and enjoy a Traditional Feast. The next six weeks of skills training takes place in the classroom and is designed to deliver a well-rounded understanding of industry job requirements.

Phase 2 - Work placement: provides an opportunity for students to put their new knowledge to work in a film or TV setting, exposing them to a variety of creative and technical opportunities. The contacts made with industry professionals during skills development and work placement are invaluable to students starting their careers.

The NSI New Voices Program Advisor is Lisa Meeches and Program Co-Managers are Ursula Lawson and Sam Vint.

Click here for more information on the program.

Cashing In is back on APTN for another season of lust, glamour and deceit. The series was developed through the NSI Storytellers program. Watch sneak peaks of the first two episodes February 23 at 10:30 pm et/mt, and February 28 at 11:30 et/mt.

Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 8 pm et/mt starting March 2.

Cashing In is a 13-episode half-hour comedy drama set on Stonewalker First Nation, nestled comfortably beside an affluent beach community in Southern Manitoba.

With a diverse cast of shark executives, smooth slicksters, and colourful clientele, the North Beach Casino is a successful gaming palace recently purchased by Mathew Tommy. His mission: expanding the casino to include adjoining premiere golf course and luxurious lakeside condos. His goal: capitalize on North Beach, making it the jewel in his casino empire crown. The challenge: wheeling and dealing while earning the respect of his toughest critic – his son Justin.

Follow Cashing In on Facebook
 

2010 Dark Bridges Film Festival
September 24 - 26, 2010
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

The Dark Bridges Film Festival is set to take place on the weekend of September 24th through 26th, 2010. This will be the first annual festival where we showcase some of the best new horror, sci-fi, fantasy, martial arts and cult movies from around the world. In addition to a weekend full of feature length films we will be highlighting many short films from up and coming directors.

Deadline for Submissions is June 30, 2010

Submission Guidelines
- Films must be 40 minutes or less (recommended length)
- Films should be in the Genres of Horror, Sci-fi, Fantasy, etc (this being a genre film festival)
- Films must be submitted on DVD NTSC for (please test before sending)
- All film must be rated by Film and Video Classification Board (www.justice.gov.sk.ca)
- Open to anyone who wishes to enter.

Those who wish to submit their film can contact us via our website www.darkbridges.com for more information about submissions, or email matthew@darkbridges.com

Less Than Kind Season 2 premiers on Movie Central (Western Canada) February 19th at 8:30 p.m

Less Than Kind more than happy with its switch to HBO Canada

"It actually feels like coming home," writer/producer Mark McKinney says of the move this week of his second-season sitcom, Less than Kind, to HBO Canada.

The delightfully dysfunctional domestic comedy returns Feb. 19, kicking off a new Friday-night HBO comedy block at 8:30 p.m., followed by the cartoon Ricky Gervais Show at 9, the second season of the also-animated Life and Times of Tim at 9:30, the eighth season of Real Time with Bill Maher and the new, web-spun Funny or Die Presents.

After disappointing ratings last year season on regional Citytv stations – "Who knew The Bachelor would become such a hit in its fifth season?" McKinney marvels about his former time-slot rival – the Winnipeg-set and shot Less than Kind is back with a brand-new lease on life and a venue more appropriate to its edgier inclinations.

"As you do with any show," explains McKinney, "you kind of `find' yourself at a certain point. What you write in your pilot, if you're lucky, is not going to be what the show eventually becomes. It will grow. And the show was totally growing toward a premium cable-style show ... (strong) language and mature themes all over the place."

When the deal was struck, McKinney was in the middle of editing the already-shot second season. They seized the opportunity to cut back in some of the more objectionable material they had initially been asked to excise.

"We had taken the show to a very edgy place," he says, "and some of it wasn't working for City when they were still involved. And we were able to restore a whole bunch of stuff back into the show.

"So we were editing up until about three weeks ago. That's a year and a half we've spent on this season."

This in addition to the ongoing CBC hit Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town, reuniting McKinney with his original comedy colleagues in, among others, the title role of Death, complete with rotting teeth and a protruding pot-belly. "People keep coming up to me, `Oh, you're so brave!'" he laughs.

"It's funny, but when you're working in isolation like that (Death was shot in and around North Bay), you lose all sense of human dignity."

FREEZE FRAME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
For Children of all Ages
SEE FILMS - MAKE FILMS
March 4-13, 2010
IMAX Theatre / Globe Cinema / Portage Place / Artspace / Cinematheque
Winnipeg, Canada

Freeze Frame International Film Festival presents an award-winning collection of films from all over the world for children and young people, post-screening discussions and hands-on workshops with international, Canadian and local guest artists. To purchase advance passes and tickets or to register for English or French workshops call 204-949-9355 1-866-543-3378 or email info@freezeframeonline.org. For a full schedule, visit our website: www.freezeframeonline.org.

The Eagle Hunter's Son / Örnjägarens Son
Sunday, March 7, 2:30 PM - Cinematheque, Artspace Building, 100 Arthur St.

Germany/Sweden, 2009 (Mongol with English subtitles), 87 mins
Director: Renè Bo Hansen
Suggested for ages 10+
Print Source - Bavaria Film International

Instead of going to school in the city, young Bazarbai begins training as an eagle-hunter in the 4,000 year old tradition of his Kazakh Nomad family.

The Letter for the King / Der Brief voor de Koning
Thursday, March 11, 10:00AM - Globe Cinema, Portage Place
Friday, March 12, 12:30 PM - Globe Cinema, Portage Place

The Netherlands, 2008 (Dutch with English subtitles), 108 mins
Director: Peter Verhoff
Suggested for grades 4 and up
Print Source: Eyeworks Egmond

The medieval quest of sixteen-year old Tiuri, who risks his future as a Knight to fulfill a promise, and in so doing discovers adventure, honor, valor and love.

(Voir message en français ci-dessous)

Francophone Program Coordinator (PDF) / (WORD)

The Francophone Program Coordinator will coordinate and implement initiatives associated with On Screen Manitoba’s Film & Television Strategy as well as provide support to the Programs Manager on all matters relating to the Francophone Program.

This is a bilingual position requiring a high level of proficiency in both of Canada’s official languages.

The job of Francophone Program Coordinator is a part-time position with the possibility of evolving into a full-time position. It is funded by On Screen Manitoba’s ACCESS Project, terminating March 31, 2013.

The successful candidate will share their time between the On Screen Manitoba office and CDEM (Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities www.cdem.com)

Job Description:

• Create and maintain a database of Francophone cultural entrepreneurs and companies who are currently operating within the Manitoba screen-based media industry.
• Facilitate communication and interaction between members of the Francophone screen-based media community and On Screen Manitoba.
• Promote business and career-development opportunities
• Promote creative opportunities in the industry through participation in industry conferences, festivals, markets and other community gatherings
• Promote and encourage Francophone participation in existing On Screen Manitoba programs under the ACCESS project.
• Coordinate outreach and marketing events targeted specifically to the needs of the Francophone screen-based media
• Create material intended to raise awareness of Manitoba’s Francophone screen-based scene within the community itself, the industry and the public at large
• Facilitate and maintain the partnership between On Screen Manitoba and CDEM under the direction of On Screen Manitoba’s Programs Manager

Required Skills:

• Experience in program development and administration
• General knowledge of the film, television and new media industry in Manitoba
• Strong knowledge of the Francophone community within this sector
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Ability to work alone and in a team
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to create presentations
• Ability to build and maintain a network of contacts
• Creative and flexible approach to problem solving
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook

Interested candidates must submit a resume and cover letter by mail or e-mail to the attention of Claudia Garcia de la Huerta by March 7, 2010.

The position will commence April 1, 2010

We thank all candidates who apply. However, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Email: claudia@onscreenmanitoba.com

Claudia Garcia de la Huerta
Programs Manager
On Screen Manitoba
Unit 100 - 62 Albert St
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1E9
___________________________________________________________________

Coordonnateur de la stratégie francophone (PDF) / (WORD)

La personne embauchée pour ce poste coordonnera et fera l’implantation des initiatives associées avec le programme francophone de On Screen Manitoba ainsi qu’appuyer le gérant des programmes sur toutes matières reliées au programme francophone.

Description du poste:

• Gestion du dossier de la stratégie francophone;
• Promouvoir l’industrie en participant à des conférences, etc.;
• Promouvoir et accroître la participation francophone aux programmes existants de OSM;
• Aider à développer davantage l’industrie dans la communauté francophone
• Créer et maintenir une base de données;
• Liaison entre industrie et communauté francophone;
• Faciliter et maintenir partenariat entre OSM et le CDEM

Compétences recherchées:

• Développement de programme et administration
• Connaît l’industrie du film, vidéos et nouvelles médias
• Connaît bien ce secteur dans la communauté francophone
• Aptitudes organisationnelle et de gestion de projet
• Forte capacité d’autonomie et de travail en équipe
• Forte compétence en communications, orale et écrite, et habileté de faire des présentations
• Fait preuve d’entregent
• Créatif et une approche flexible aux résolutions de problèmes
• Aptitudes à travailler efficacement en Word, Excel, PowerPoint et Outlook

Poste à temps partiel jusqu’au 31 mars 2013.

Les personnes intéressées doivent faire parvenir leur curriculum vitae, par courrier postal ou électronique à l’attention de Claudia Garcia de la Huerta, par le 28 février 2010. Nous remercions tous les candidats et candidates pour leurs intérêt. Toutefois, seules les personnes retenues seront convoquées en entrevue.

Email: claudia@onscreenmanitoba.com

Claudia Garcia de la Huerta
Programs Manager
On Screen Manitoba
Unit 100 - 62 Albert St
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1E9
 

In a very smart move for the future Shaw Communications plans to purchase Canwest Global Communications and with that their extensive library of speciality channels. This would give Shaw access to content they could distribute to their customers on various platforms, including mobile phones, a territory they have been working on developing for the past couple of years.

Since it has become increasingly popular for people to watch their content via the internet, this is a good move for Shaw. People are cancelling their cable subscriptions and opting to stream shows from the internet, diminishing future revenue from cable subscriptions. It doesn't seem to far-fetched to assume that once bandwith capacity increases enough, everyone will just stream content from the internet.

Shaw Plans to Buy Canwest Global and Pay Off Creditors

Canwest Global Communications has struck a deal that will see Global TV and a handful of lucrative specialty channels move under the control of Western Canadian cable giant Shaw Communications.

Shaw said Friday it will buy control of the broadcasting assets of a restructured Canwest Global Communications Corp. It has also agreed to help Canwest pay back creditors as it deals with a mountain of debt.

Jim Shaw, president and CEO of the diversified communications company founded by his father J.R. Shaw, said the deal will result in Canwest as a "pure play" Canadian broadcaster. Shaw will take "effective control of one of the premier broadcasters and owners of content in the Canadian broadcasting industry at a reasonable valuation," he said.

"We believe that Shaw's investment results in a number of benefits to the broadcasting system, including an ability to strengthen local programming, ensure the ongoing viability of the second-largest private conventional television network in Canada and sustain a dynamic and competitive television market."

While a price tag hasn't been attached to the deal, some industry observers expect Shaw to have negotiated a discount, considering that Canwest has been struggling to restructure its overall operations - including a stable of daily newspapers slated to be sold separately.

Canwest spokesman John Douglas would not comment on whether Leonard Asper will leave his post at the company, but confirmed that the Shaw agreement would include buying out all of the current shareholders - which would include the Asper family.

Shaw Communications Corp. would own at least 20 per cent of Canwest's equity and 80 per cent of its voting stock after the deal.

In terms of assets, the agreement would give Shaw 11 local TV stations across the country, and ownership of a group of specialty cable channels, including History Television, Showcase, MovieTime and HGTV, some of which were acquired from Alliance Atlantis in 2007.

Shaw's announcement said financial terms of the deal would be filed with Ontario Superior Court on a confidential basis and remain so until court approval is obtained, which must be done by April 15.

Both companies will meet in court next Friday to flesh out some of the details, which could include more details on the price for the deal, and the fate of the Asper holdings, and whether Leonard Asper will continue to be linked with the company.

The recapitalization must be completed by Aug. 11, at which time Canwest will delist from the TSX Venture Exchange.

Shaw president Peter Bissonnette said that the proposed takeover is more than just a play for broadcast TV assets, but also a move to bulk up Shaw's content holdings ahead of a shift into the mobile phone market.

"We're going to be launching a wireless product in the next while and having content available for those customers that come to Shaw, we think would have some value," Bissonnette said in an interview.

Shaw has said it plans to launch its own wireless services by early 2011, entering a highly competitive market for mobile devices that includes several new discount carriers, as well as longtime market leaders Rogers , Bell and Telus.

He also said that Shaw is looking to gain the rights to more video-on-demand content for its cable subscribers..

Canwest also owns a major chain of Canadian newspapers - including the National Post, Montreal Gazette and Ottawa Citizen - which are not part of the Shaw deal and are expected to be sold before the restructuring under court protection is completed.

Bissonnette said the newspapers were never an asset that Shaw was interested in picking up.

Some industry observers have suggested that Shaw should've kept its eye on the basics of moving into the mobile phone market, rather than planning such an ambitious media launch pad.

Canwest said the proposed deal with Shaw has the support of key creditors.

Frantic Films is pleased to announce the appointment of three new development executives to its rapidly expanding team. Anne-Marie Varner and Alberta Nokes both join the Toronto office as Vice-President, Development for the factual division. In Winnipeg, Melissa Kajpust was named Executive in Charge of Development, Scripted Programming.

“We are very excited to expand our development team with such incredibly high calibre people,” says Jamie Brown, CEO of Frantic Films. “Each has a combination of stellar broadcast and production experience that will give Frantic one of the strongest development teams in the country.”

Alberta Nokes has developed, financed, executive produced and commissioned more than 500 hours of television from long-running factual series to award-winning feature documentaries on subjects ranging from archaeology to outlaw bikers. Her previous positions include Director of Independent Production for Vision TV, Production Executive for History Canada and Executive Producer and Head of Development for Associated Producers Ltd. She has worked with Oscar, Emmy, BAFTA, Peabody, Juno and Gemini award winning directors and producers. At Frantic, she will concentrate on developing programmes for the factual division from the Toronto office.

Broadcast veteran Anne-Marie Varner recently acted as Executive Producer of In-House Programs at Discovery Channel. Under her helm, in 2008 alone, Discovery won a record 16 awards for content excellence. She previously worked as Head of Original Productions for Canwest Mediaworks, where among her many successes she launched their Global Currents doc strand. Most recently, Anne-Marie ran her own production and consulting firm Varner Productions Limited. In her new role at Frantic Films, Anne-Marie, who will be based in the Toronto office, will develop programmes for the factual division.

Award-winning author, screenwriter and playwright Melissa Kaipust joins Frantic Films from Super Channel where she developed numerous projects and served as story editor on over 100 feature film and television projects. Previously she worked on and developed series for CTV, W, SLICE, APTN, Treehouse, Citytv, YTV and Movie Central. At Frantic Films, Melissa will concentrate on sourcing and developing scripted properties. She will be based in Winnipeg.

In addition, award winning producer Rachel Low, former President of Red Apple Productions, transitions to her new role at Frantic Films as Executive Producer and Development Consultant. Martha Kehoe also maintains her role as Director of Development.

All appointments are effective immediately.

About Frantic Films: Formed in 1997, Frantic Films is an award winning producer of film and television programs, branded content and commercials. Frantic’s programs have set numerous ratings records and have been sold to over 130 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.franticfilms.com.

In order to sweeten its brand as a one-stop shop for foreign producers, the Quebec government has made post-production work in the province 20% cheaper.

In what will likely be a boost to the province's burgeoning effects industry, the minister of finance, Raymond Bachand, has increased the tax breaks on computer-aided special effects and animation for foreign productions.

Foreign shoots can now deduct 20% of labor costs -- up from 5%. The change is effective retroactively from June 12, 2009, when the government introduced its new "all spend" tax credit, which allows producers to claim 25% of all production-related expenses.

The recent changes for post-production work are not "all spend" -- only qualified labor costs are eligible -- but it now allows producers to deduct the money spent on freelancers. Extending the tax credit to contract workers is key because so many effects shops can only afford to hire on a project-by-project basis, explains the Quebec Film and Television Council's Sylvain Gagné.

"It's a big plus. Many effects shops have to hire temporary employees when they get a project. Before only salaried employees were eligible for the tax reduction," says Gagné.

Likewise, British Columbia moved last week to increase its tax break on effects and video game production.

The new tax credit may help stabilize the Montreal industry, which has been struggling to compete with India, Asia and the U.S. for special effects contracts. Because the competition is global, and the work sporadic, companies lowball bids to get work and then hire dozens of salaried employees to complete a project. In Montreal, the employees don't always get paid right away.

Since 2007, effects artists have gone to Quebec's labor standards commission twice to fight for back pay from two shops that worked on blockbusters that ultimately grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, Meteor Studios and damnfx.

But the new tax credit may only serve to increase the precarious nature of effects work for the artists themselves by making freelancing the industry standard. Quebec effects workers aren't represented by the province's two main unions, AQTIS and U.S.-based IATSE, whose members work mainly on American service shoots.

The West End Cultural Centre is a dynamic, not-for-profit arts organization enriching the lives of artists, audiences and the community through the sharing of music and culture.

The West End Cultural Centre seeks a Marketing and Production Coordinator to facilitate and implement the marketing and promotions of the centre and to coordinate production for West End Cultural Centre events.

Reporting to the General Manager, the selected candidate will work with the Programming and Administrative staff of the organization and will be expected to:

• Develop and implement a marketing and promotions strategy for all West End productions
• Complete biographic material on performers for use on the website and in press releases
• Coordinate a promotion schedule and write detailed press releases for specific West End shows/events
• Coordinate print ads, media, and the printing and distribution of seasonal calendars
• Check all newspaper and online entertainment listings for accuracy
• Prepare programs for each West End performance
• Assist the Artistic Director with duties such as arranging accommodation and hospitality for performers
• Work with the Artistic Director to ensure efficient scheduling of all rentals.
• Ensure rental contracts are completed accurately and paid in full.
• Mentor renters to host their own shows. Provide support for stage management, volunteer management, media releases, etc.

An exciting opportunity for a leader whose strengths include creativity, teamwork, communication and interpersonal skills. Candidates should have a strong knowledge of music in a variety of genres, marketing and communications experience and experience in production or event management. A post-secondary education in the arts, or a related discipline as well as a background in arts and culture and contracts and negotiation is an asset.

Interested candidates should apply with a resume and cover letter no later than March 4, 2010 to hr@wecc.ca.

We thank everyone for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The WECC encourages diversity in all aspects of its operations.

SNAKE RIVER
Dir. Joe Novak | 2009 | Canada | 94 mins.

Fri Feb 19, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Sat Feb 20, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Sun Feb 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Wed Feb 24, 2010 at 7:00 PM

Snake River, shot entirely in Birds Hill and rural municipalities in the vicinity of Winnipeg for only $5,000.00, this revisionist Western is set in the West of 1867. Haunted by a Civil War atrocity, Jacob (Milton Bruchanski) is lost. Violence follows him and the only home he knows is destroyed by the ambitions of his surrogate "brother". Mya (Kimberly Rampersad) is a widow and a freed slave. She struggles daily to care for herself and her son, and to cope with the scards left by her past. Jacob wanders and is ambushed. He stumbles half conscious onto Mya's property, who reluctantly tends to his wounds. Together they seem to find peace. Inevitably, Jacob's pas catches up with him and it will forever affect their future.

Snake River was produced by Joseph Novak, Alf Kollinger and Danny Schur. Reel Horse Wranglers was a set supplier for the film.

Special Events

11 ON THE 12th: NEW SHORTS FROM THE WFG CATALOGUE ($5 Admission)
Fri. Feb 12 | 7:00 PM
Sat. Feb 13 | 7:00 PM

The Winnipeg premiere of a remarkably eclectic range of new independent works from the Distribution Department of the Winnipeg Film Group.

CABIN FEVER: ONLY (FREE ADMISSION + SPECIAL GUESTS)
Sun. Feb 14 | 2:00 PM

ONLY is a coming-of-age piece which finds a pair of 12 year olds enacting a junior courtship over one faintly enchanted afternoon. Please join us for this special presentation by the lead actors from this film, Jacob Switzer and Elena Hudgins Lyle, for a post screening Q&A. NOTE: ONLY is a film recommended for children aged 10 +. The Winnipeg Film Group acknowledges the generous support of the Assiniboine Credit Union for our Cabin Fever: Free Films for Kids series.

Dave Barber T-Shirt - Cinematheque Fundraiser
Deadline for pre-order is February 16 | 5:00 PM

These limited edition Dave Barber T-shirts are part of our fund-raising efforts here at the Winnipeg Film Group's Cinematheque. If you don't know Dave Barber personally, he has been the Cinematheque Programming Coordinator for 25 years and he's a nice guy. His image will be printed black on gray shirts from American Apparel. For an additional $5 - Dave Barber will personally sign the shirt for you. All proceeds from this sale will go to helping support Cinematheque, Winnipeg's ONLY Artist-Run Cinema.

PANEL DISCUSSION: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE FAR NORTH
Thu. Feb 18 | 7:00 PM

Filmmakers Ian Mauro and Zach Kunuk will show clips and discuss their new documentary work-in- progress regarding climate change with Danny Blair, Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of Winnipeg and Co-Chair of Climate Change Connection (Manitoba's principal climate change outreach organization), Curtis Hull, the Manitoba Project Manager for Climate Change Connection, and Ryan Galley, a Research Associate for the Center for Earth Observation Science. Kunuk and Mauro's community-based work involves research into the significant contributions that Inuit people have made regarding climate change impacts and the associated adaptation strategies.

Upcoming Films

COLLAPSE
Wed. Feb 10 to Sat. Feb 13 | 9:00 PM
Sun. Feb 14 + Wed Feb 17 | 7:00 PM
Thu. Feb 18 | 9:30 PM

Directed by Chris Smith | 2009 | USA | 82 mins. Collapse is a powerful and terrifying documentary film about a reporter and author named Michael Ruppert who eerily predicted the current economic crisis. Ruppert is a former Los Angeles cop who became a rogue investigative reporter and author, who discusses where he thinks the United States is now heading. Reminiscent of Errol Morris' work, this film will stay with you long past the screening.

pilgrIMAGE (SPECIAL INTRODUCTION BY DIRECTOR PETER WINTONICK)
Fri. Feb 26 | 7:00 PM

Peter Wintonick and his daughter take a journey through documentary film-making around the world. Equal parts vérité film-journal, digital-diary and ciné-blog, through a series of Socratic father-daughter dialogues, gleaned from years of inter-continental film-gypsy journeys, they meet other renowned film 'pilgrims' and media practitioners.

Winnipeg Film Group News

PETER WINTONICK MASTER WORKSHOP: DOCUMENTARY STORY-TELLING (Feb 27)
Sat. Feb 27 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
*Registration fee: $60 non-members / $30 members
*Space is limited: advanced registration is required.

Peter Wintonick, a Canadian documentary pioneer, will give a workshop on the unique ways of telling a story through the documentary genre. Wintonick is well respected in the world documentary community having co-directed on of the most successful Canadian documentaries ever made, Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media. For more information, please contact Darcy Fehr, Training and Outreach Programs Coordinator at 925-3450 or by email at darcy@winnipegfilmgroup.com.

Important information for the 2010-2011 Development Program for English-Language Productions

Telefilm Canada wishes to announce changes to the Development Program for English-Language Productions guidelines to be implemented in 2010-2011.

Highlights

1. A streamlined process: there are now standard financing amounts for each scriptwriting phase.
2. A more efficient process: 100% of Telefilm’s commitment will now be paid upon contracting.
3. An eco-responsible process: as of February 22, 2010, all development applications must be submitted via eTelefilm thereby reducing the amount of paper applications.

These improvements to the guidelines and the application process will result in efficient standardized payments, allow for a faster turnaround of contracts and draw downs, and provide predictable financing for our clients.

Telefilm is committed to effective and efficient client service. As such, Telefilm has worked in consultation with the representatives from the English-language CFFF Working Group during this process.

The 2010-2011 guidelines are now available on Telefilm’s website; previous guidelines and application forms are no longer valid. For additional information, please contact your regional Telefilm Canada office or visit Telefilm’s website at www.telefilm.gc.ca.

Are you an aboriginal producer of French-language content with a good documentary idea?

If so, the National Film Board and APTN want you.

The Winnipeg-based channel and the NFB's French arm are soliciting ideas from aboriginal producers for six half-hour documentaries aimed at youth between the ages of 18 and 35

"This first partnership with APTN and the French Program is meant to encourage aboriginal talent and creativity," said the NFB's Monique Simard in a statement.

Eligible projects must include: an aboriginal director, an interactive/digital platform component and a training or internship aspect.

The interns will be part of the project team at the production and post-production stages and will be selected by the NFB and the private producer. The interns will be paid by the NFB for a period of three to six months.

Producers who wish to participate must submit their ideas before March 19.

For details, go to onf-nfb.gc.ca/fra/realiser-coproduire or aptn.ca/au-sujet-d-APTN/producteurs.

Friday February 26 from 1 - 2pm
$7 ACI Manitoba members/$12 non members - includes lunch from Human Bean Coffee & Tea
The Buchwald Room at the Millennium Library, Second Floor, 251 Donald Street

Presenter: Media Panel moderated by RoseAnna Schick (RAS Creative)

Hear the insiders’ advice from print, television and radio media in a panel presentation moderated by a publicist in the arts and creative industries. Panel: John Kendle, Canstar News/Uptown Magazine; More to come.

Reserve your spot and lunch today! contact admin@creativemanitoba.ca or ph:204-927-2787

Promotion through Publicity
Media Panel moderated by RoseAnna Schick (RAS Creative)

Hear the insiders’ advice from print, television and radio media in a panel presentation moderated by a publicist in the arts and creative industries. Panel: John Kendle, Canstar News/Uptown Magazine; and Laurie Langcastor, CJOB.

RAS Creative is a strategic communications company specializing in publicity and promotions, writing and editing, research and consulting, and project management for music and motion pictures, special events, sports and entertainment, travel and tourism, and the Aboriginal community. Since 1995, company president RoseAnna Schick has worked on more than 60 film and television productions, over 50 special events and creative projects, and with dozens of musicians. RoseAnna was proud to be recognized by her peers with nomination for the Manitoba Women Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2007. www.ras-creative.com

Check out Talia Pura's short video Aerial Artistry, that was commissioned to be screened on-line as well as on various public outdoor screens in Vancouver and Whistler during the Olympic Winter Games.

Aerial Artistry will explore and showcase the beauty of aerial dance on “silks” — fabric rigged from a single point, 25 feet above the floor, with the dancer climbing twisting, posing and falling in space.

This film was commissioned by CODE Motion Pictures, a collection of digital shorts that explore the human body in motion, created by filmmakers across Canada.

Congratulations to OSM Members Buffalo Gal Pictures and Eagle Vision who are representing Canada at the Berlinale European Film Market 2010.

Phyllis Laing, President of Buffalo Gal Pictures is looking for a co-production opportunities for their project Kush Kush in the Bush: Bollywood Comes to the Trailer Park, currently in development.

Kyle Irving, Vice-President of Production at Eagle Vision is looking for co-production opportunites for their project Strange Love, currently in development.

DACAPO Productions reaches production agreement with Wales based Griffilms for European Union environmental series.

Benefitting from network opportunities at MIPCOM, DACAPO Productions had entered into a production agreement to provide original music, sound effects and audio post production for My Friend Boo.

Boo is a 9 episode environmental awareness animation series that will air across the E.U. in five languages teaching children how the choices they make can make a difference to the environment. Production on the series commenced in December, and is scheduled to wrap up in late spring.

Paris, France, October 1st, 2010 to February 15, 2011

Application deadline : April 1, 2010

Canada Pavilion at the 2010 Marché du Film, Cannes
Cannes, France, May 12 to 21, 2010

Deadline for Canada Pavilion registration : April 2, 2010

REMINDER

63rd FESTIVAL DE CANNES
Cannes, France, May 12 to 23, 2010

Forum FUTURALLIA 2010
April 28-29-30 2010
Poitiers-Futuroscope FRANCE

Futurallia 2010: A GALA EDITION

Started by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of La Vienne and continually improved since the 1st edition of Futurallia in Poitiers-Futuroscope in 1990, Futurallia will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010.

After editions in Canada, in Belgium, in Poland, and most recently Qatar, the fifteenth edition will take place in the birthplace of Futurallia, in Poitiers – Futuroscope (France).

The concept is simple: it is to gather between 600 and 800 entrepreneurs for 2 days with personalized business to business meetings. Between 7,000 to 9,000 business meetings will take place!

Download the PDF or visit www.futurallia2010.com for more information.

20th Montreal First Peoples’ Festival 2010
Montreal Native Film & Video Showcase

Entry deadline is Monday the 15th of March 2010

The 20th Montreal First Peoples Festival is calling on you to submit your audiovisual works for this years showcase, taking place June 17th to June 23rd. As always, the showcase features works by native directors and films by non-native directors about aboriginal topics.

Complete details can be found on our submission form, now on-line:

www.nativelynx.qc.ca 

Send all entries postmarked by Monday March 15th 2010, to:

Terres en Vues
6865 Christophe-Colomb, suite 102
Montréal, QC, H2S 2H3
Canada

Mark all parcels ‘Cultural content, no commercial value’.

For more information write to: tev@nativelynx.qc.ca or call: (514) 278-4040

(français)

20e festival Présence autochtone de Montréal 2010
Volet films et vidéos

Date limite, lundi le 15 mars 2010

Vous êtes invités par la présente à soumettre vos œuvres audiovisuelles pour la sélection 2010 du festival Présence autochtone de Montréal. La section film et vidéo de Présence autochtone met en valeur les œuvres cinématographiques portant sur des sujets touchant aux Premières Nations; les productions réalisées par des non-autochtones sont aussi sollicitées.

Vous trouverez toutes les informations pertinentes, et le formulaire d’inscription, en ligne à:

www.nativelynx.qc.ca

Les copies de visionnement doivent être acheminées à:

Terres en vues
6865, rue Chrisophe-Colomb, suite 102
Montréal QC H2S 2H3
Canada

IMPORTANT: Pour les envois à partir d’un autre pays que le Canada, il faut écrire sur le paquet : CONTENU CULTUREL SANS VALEUR COMMERCIALE, ceci afin d’éviter les frais de douane.

Plus d’information: tev@nativelynx.qc.ca ou encore (514) 278 4040

6th Annual Bay Street Film Festival
September 30, October 1 - 3, 2010
Finnish Labour Temple, 314 Bay Street, Thunder Bay ON

Earlybird Deadline - February 19, 2010

Regular Deadline - March 10, 2010

Since the inaugural festival in 2005, the Bay Street Film Festival has screened hundreds of films to thousands of Thunder Bay residents and visitors. The 2009 lineup included 31 films, a testament to the city's growing film industry, 4 local films, and many national and international films in a variety of formats including feature fiction, documentary, short and animated films.

Our theme, “Films For The People” guides the selection committee in choosing stories that are relevant to our audiences enabling them to connect to the social justice, environmental, community activism, human rights and other themes explored through film.
In addition to many International and Canadian films, the Bay Street Film Festival serves as showcase for films made in Northwestern Ontario.

How to submit
Visit www.baystreetfilmfestival.ca or www.withoutabox.com to submit via Bay Street Film Festival listing

For more information please visit www.baystreetfilmfestival.ca

Alexander Manu (Innospa International) was the keynote speaker at ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator. His insightful and thought provoking presentation is now available for download.

Alexander Manu's Presentation (PDF)

"Just Watch Me!" Berlin Screeningroom
March 2010
Canadian Embassy, Berlin

Due to popular demand, the "Just Watch Me!" Berlin Screeningroom has extended the deadline for submissions by one week to Monday, 15th February, 5pm [EST].

Submission are now open at www.justwatchme.ca 

Canadian distributors, sales agents and rights holders are invited to submit content to this pilot initiative, a television sales event at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin designed to promote sales of Canadian film and television content to German broadcasters and to broaden contacts in the German market. The initiative was created by the Embassy of Canada in Berlin and "Just Watch Me!" in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage (Trade Routes program), the Canadian Television Fund and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA).

Buyers and programmers from German television networks will be invited to the Embassy to attend a special screening of promotional clips for Canadian films and television programs that will be selected through a juried process.

Online submissions will be accepted between 20th January and 15th February, 2010. All types of content suitable for broadcast are eligible. This may include but isn't limited to feature length and short film, documentary, animation, dramatic or reality-based television series, children's or arts programming. There is no limit to the production year of the content, however preference is given to content that is relevant to current market tastes.

To submit, visit the web site www.justwatchme.ca to register and upload your promotional trailers (max 2 minutes each) and promotional kits in the specified format. A maximum of three entries per production company (not per distributor/sales agent) will be accepted.

For more information on the submission and selection process and on how the material will be presented to German buyers, please go to www.justwatchme.ca. The website will also serve to receive submissions for the event and to give registered German buyers password protected access to the selected material after the event.

Fri. Feb 12 + Sat. Feb 13 | 7:00 PM
$5 ADMISSION

Twice a year the Cinematheque is host to a membership screening featuring a selection of the newest short films and videos in distribution at the Winnipeg Film Group.

**Please join us for a post-screening reception at the Kingshead Pub on February 12th starting at 8:30 pm!

Here is the full list of films being screen for this special event!

TATTOO STEP
by Mike Maryniuk | 1:15 mins. | 2008 | Animation

FRAGMENTS
by Kevin Nikkel | 18:00 mins. | 2009 | Drama

IKWÉ
by Caroline Monnet | 4:30 mins. | 2009 | Experimental / Fantasy

SITKA
by Olga Zikrata | 4:45 mins. | 2009 | Experimental

LOVING THE BOMB
by Alison Davis | 4:00 mins. | 2009 | Animation

BELT BUCKLE / QUONSET HUT
by Terry Mialkowsky | 1:30 mins. | 2009 | Comedy

STATIC
by Tyler Funk | 2:30 mins. | 2009 | Experimental

TRUCE
by Cam Patterson | 16:30 mins. | 2010 | Drama

MAINTENANCE MAN
by Roger Boyer | 7:30 mins. | 2009 | Drama

THE SNOWBANK: A WINNIPEG STORY
by Cindy Murdoch | 2:30 mins. | 2009 | Comedy

LAZER GHOSTS 2: RETURN TO LASER COVE
by Stven Kostanski | 9:00 mins. | 2008 | Comedy/Sci-fi

B.C. is sweetening its foreign production tax credit and effects bonus, while also offering a new video game development incentive.

The B.C. government proposes to increase the Production Services labor-based credit from 25% to 33%; with the qualified labor expenditure cap rising from 48% to 60%.

In a boost for the gaming industry, a new Interactive Digital Media tax credit for video game development will be launched this fall, offering a 17.5% rebate on B.C. labor costs.

The DAVE (Digital Animation or Visual Effects) tax credit will also be increased, from 15% to 17.5%.

The film industry in B.C. has been lobbying for an improved incentive since Ontario and Quebec announced wide-ranging 25% credits back in early summer 2009.

Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. and president of North Shore Studios, says that while he would have liked to see a more lucrative film program announced, this is a positive step.

"Our objective was never to match Ontario, we think what they did isn't necessarily sustainable in the long term," he says. "This is a starting point to build on."

Leitch says that the tax credit increase, combined with B.C.'s other competitive advantages, will work to the province's advantage.

"We have fantastic crews and cast, infrastructure, locations and the same time zone as L.A., so we think that will weigh in our favor," he adds.

But not everyone in the local industry thinks the increase is enough to stop production from heading east.

Shawn Williamson, partner at Brightlight Pictures, told the Vancouver Sun that he is disappointed because an extra 8% isn't enough to give the province an edge over Ontario when you crunch the numbers. He also points out that the announcement does nothing for indigenous producers, as the basic domestic credit still sits at 35%.

B.C.'s production industry has faced a massive drop in activity in recent months as a result of more lucrative tax credits in other jurisdictions. The Winter Olympics has also kept productions away due to difficulties with shooting in the city and housing talent and crew.

Vancouver Film Studios president Pete Mitchell notes that this is the time of year when U.S. pilots and big movie projects are gearing up for production in B.C. and that hasn't happened so far this year. "It's been very quiet," he says.

In the next couple of weeks, American studios will be finalizing their summer shooting locations, so the local industry will quickly find out if B.C.'s tax credit increase is sweetened enough to impact their decision-making.

The B.C. tax credit proposals will be presented to the legislature in the March 2 budget for approval. The tax credit improvements are expected to become effective after Feb. 28. The video game development credit will come into effect for projects beginning after Aug. 31.

By Claudia Garcia de la Huerta

When the news hit last week that the National Film Board’s Winnipeg office would be undergoing a massive downsizing, Manitoba’s screen based industry was in shock. Not only for the loss of 4 dedicated employees but also what this would mean in the long-term for our industry.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the shake-up is intended to “broaden the reach of the NFB in the Prairies and to develop expertise in multi-platform digital production in the West”, according to the statement by Cindy Witten, director general of the NFB’s English Program.

The NFB office will effectively close its doors to the public February 27th. When it re-opens, whether it’s still at the Market Avenue location or somewhere else, the office will be considerably smaller. The staff will include two digital media producers, one marketing manager and a “heavy presence” of the Executive Producer.

On Screen Manitoba’s Executive Director Tara Walker says this news is very disappointing, “It will mean reduced access to the tools and expertise that support emerging to established documentary filmmakers and animators. This represents a very real loss to our community.”

The history of the NFB in Manitoba is full and vibrant with countless success stories. You only need to mention names like Cordell Barker, Richard Condie or John Paskevich

Under the NFB’s proposed new model, administrative duties will be consolidated in the West. This means everything will fall under the North West Centre based out of Edmonton. In addition, a small office will open in Saskatchewan, which will also fall under this new jurisdiction. The North West Centre originally covered Alberta and the Northwest Territories and is well known for its work with many of Canada’s most distinguished First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists.

David Christensen is the Executive Producer of the North West Centre. The producer, director and writer has quite a few documentaries under his belt, including “The Mirror”(“Lo specchio”) which is having its U.S. premiere this weekend at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He essentially replaces outgoing Manitoba NFB Executive Director Derek Mazur.

Christensen has been in Winnipeg this week meeting with various industry professionals and associations like On Screen Manitoba. He agrees that it is unfortunate that the infrastructure Manitoba has enjoyed for so long will no longer exist but he says it was inevitable. “The NFB has not had an increase in its funding since the early 90’s. Our purchasing power is at the same level it was in the mid 90’s. By streamlining our offices we can put more money into production—where it’s needed.”

Christensen says he also sees this as an opportunity to reinvigorate the Manitoba community. The fact that digital media producers will now make up the NFB staff of industry professionals should not be something to be scared of, “This doesn’t mean we’re abandoning linear filmmakers because we’re not. This is an opportunity to make contact with those in the industry who have felt, for a long time now, that the Board has been closed to them.”

Christensen also says that he doesn’t want the creative content community to feel abandoned. He says he does not want to see the NFB turn into an organization that forces documentary makers and animators to shell out for the “7-hundred-dollar cup of coffee”. Christensen says he will make a concerted effort to be in the Winnipeg office as much as possible and if not him, then North West Centre producer, Bonnie Thompson.

“It’s up to me to make sure this community continues to be served,” says Christensen. After all is said and done, he says he wants the community to know that he understands their concerns, “I’m not a bureaucrat that’s come into the Board; I’m a filmmaker that’s come into the Board.”

For all you film buffs, here's your chance to shine!

Date: Thursday, 25 February 2010
Time: 19:00 - 22:00
Location: Kings Head Pub

Get your company team together and put your movie trivia skills to the test! This first annual "Movie Trivia Night" is a fundraiser for Freeze Frame/Storyline FX Inc. and will help promote this year's Freeze Frame International Film Festival!

Entry fee is $100 per team, with a maximum of four members per team. Only 20 teams can enter and tickets are going fast so make sure you confirm your attendance ASAP!

Doors open at 7:00, with the trivia contest starting at 7:30. Let's get out as many film, television, and media production people here in Winnipeg to help support this great cause. Prizes and bragging rights for the winning team!

For your convenience...

Direct Deposit is now available to Canadian Television Fund (CTF) clients.

Access your CTF payments faster by registering to receive disbursements directly in your bank account.

Details and an application form are available on e-Telefilm and on the CTF website at www.ctf-fct.ca.

Seven new titles from Frantic Films, totaling 64 hours of factual programming, have been added to Cineflix International's portfolio.

Included in the deal are the home-renovation series House Poor (13x30'), makeover and lifestyle programs Rags to Red Carpet (13x30') and Princess (13x60') and two seasons of the food shows Pitchin' In (26x30') and The Opener (19x60'). Further titles are the documentary Surviving the Future (1x60') and stand-up comedy Winnipeg Comedy Festival (5x60).

Diane Rankin, Cineflix International’s head of acquisitions, commented: "The opportunity to acquire this number of original titles from such a great producer is rare. This is the start of new relationship that we're very excited about and is part of our strategy to build key partnerships as a distributor with top production houses worldwide."

Jamie Brown, the CEO of Frantic Films, added: "Cineflix International has a very strong reputation for sales in the international market. We are excited to collaborate with them on the international distribution of our most recent programming and feel confident our shows are in very good hands."

is designed to support a local, Manitoba filmmaker who has been practicing for at least five years to further develop their careers by providing them with added profile and with funding to support self-directed development work.

This award includes $10,000 in cash, and $5,000 in services and a full user membership from the Winnipeg Film Group. Additionally, the award-recipient will be provided with a special, retrospective screening at the Winnipeg Film Group’s Cinematheque.

There is one award annually. A filmmaker can receive the Manitoba Film Hothouse Award only once.

* APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 12 @ 4 PM
* DOWNLOAD: Application Guidelines / Form

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Eligible applicants are practicing Manitoba filmmakers who have been working as creators / directors in film or video for a minimum of five years and who have produced a recognizable body of independent work that has been presented within a professional context.

• Applicants should be able to articulate the self-directed development work that they seek to engage in over a minimum four month period supported by this award, including any project-related expenses. Examples of eligible self-directed development work include – but are not limited to – research, experimentation, script writing and process-based development.

• Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and have lived in Manitoba for at least one year prior to submitting an application for this award.

• Applicants must be over 18 years of age and cannot be full-time students.

• Applicants can hold a Manitoba Film Hothouse Award concurrent with a Production Fund and / or a Marketing Fund Award.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

The award recipient will be selected by a committee of experienced independent filmmakers and other film professionals such as programmers, curators and arts administrators.

The jury will base its decision on the following criteria:

1. The historic artistic achievements of the filmmaker, as demonstrated by their history of professional presentation, awards and other distinctions, as well as the overall quality of their body of work.

2. The artistic merit of the self-directed work proposed and its connection to the filmmaker’s artistic career trajectory.

3. The capacity of the resources of this award to assist the filmmaker in their overall career development objectives.

Inquiries about this program can be directed to Cecilia Araneda, Executive Director at cecilia@winnipegfilmgroup.com or 925-3451.

The Winnipeg Film Group acknowledges the generous funding of the Province of Manitoba for the Manitoba Film Hothouse Award for Creative Development.

HRSDC opens EI Special Benefits to the Self-Employed

In a

issued just before Christmas, the federal government announced that Royal Assent has been given to the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act.

This is legislation that the cultural sector has been pressing for, for many years. Self-employed Canadians will be able to voluntarily opt into the EI program effective January 31, 2010, in order to take advantage of the EI special benefits. "Special benefits provided to self-employed individuals will mirror those currently available to salaried employees under the EI program."

Regulations are still being written, but the commitment has been made and the option for the self-employed to access a social security net as do employees will soon be in place. "Self employed Canadians who choose to take advantage of EI special benefits will be required to opt into the program at least one year prior to claiming benefits, and will be responsible for making premium payments for the tax year in which they apply to the program. [...] As a transitional measure those who register on or before April 1, 2010, will be able to collect benefits as early as January 1, 2011."

As of January 31, 2010, it will be possible to register with the EI program through the Service Canada website.

The Gimli Film Festival (GFF) is celebrating its 10th year from July 21 – 25, 2010. As a non-profit charitable organization GFF is dedicated to screening exceptional films and nurturing an enthusiastic audience for new and extraordinary world cinema.

The festival is now accepting entries for the 2010 program, the deadline is April 1.

Highlights of the Gimli Film Festival

• GFF showcases new Canadian and International films
• Awards: Best Film, two short film awards
• Nightly beach screenings to audiences of 700-1,000 with a 35-foot screen that rises out of the lake
• Three indoor theatre venues
• Invited filmmakers participate in Q&A sessions and industry sessions.
• Daily parties and networking events.

All filmmakers of accepted films would be invited to attend the GFF; details to be discussed upon acceptance.

CanWest Best Manitoba Short Film Award
Will be presented at the “Celebrating Manitoba Filmmakers” Reception. All short films from Manitoba filmmakers accepted into the festival will be considered. Cash Prize

Short Film for Best Artistic Achievement
All short films accepted into the festival will be considered. Cash prize.

Best Film 2010
All features and documentaries will be eligible for this juried award. Cash Prize

Eligibility:
Submissions may be fiction, documentary, animation or experimental. A short film must be less then 60 minutes long. Films must be completed after August 2007.

Please visit our website, www.gimlifilm.com , for more information and to download a submission form, or contact the program department at 204-642-8846 or email at info@gimlifilm.com

In the Shadow of the Company (Curated by Kevin Nikkel)
Fri. Feb 5 to Sun. Feb 7, 2010 | Multiple screenings and events

In the Shadow of the Company is a program of films and events that offers a critical viewing of an integral part of Canadian, Manitoban and Winnipeg history. The stories of the Hudson's Bay are vast, the history is long and the territory is massive. There are also many voices that tell the stories of this place. How do we interpret these histories to make meaning or to make entertainment? How do different filmmakers make sense of the topic in different ways? In the end, the fragmentary views of this history amount to different versions of the Hudson's Bay, from documentary realism to dramatic recreation, mythologizing and satire, or a hybrid of film genres. (Kevin Nikkel)

The Winnipeg Film Group gratefully acknowledges the funding support of The Beaver: Canada's History Magazine, Manitoba Film and Music and Saint Margaret's Anglican Church for sponsoring this series.

Special Full Series Pass: $50 non-members/ $35 members (Available for purchase through our online store).

THE BISHOP WHO ATE HIS BOOTS (INTRO BY BOB LOWER)
Fri. Feb. 5 at 7:00 PM

This film is a remarkable work by former Winnipegger and pioneer Canadian cinematographer Richard Stringer. Before Stringer's sudden passing in 2007, he was working on this film about about his grandparents, Bishop Isaac O. Stringer and his wife Sadie who were adventurous missionaries who were stationed in Canada's Arctic and faced incredible obstacles and challenges. The film explores the history of this Anglican missionary, from the late 1800s and early 20th century, including the bizarre and harrowing 51-day journey of Bishop Isaac in the frozen wastes of the Canadian Northwest through the use of rare photos and archival footage.

NANOOK OF THE NORTH (LIVE SCORE PERFORMED BY NATHAN REIMER, MARK PENER, KURT YOUNGBLOOD AND NIKI KOMAKSIUTIKSAK)
Fri. Feb 5 at 8:30 PM

Robert Flaherty's 1922 film, Nanook of the North is a widely shown and praised silent documentary which described a year in the life of Nanook and his family, and showed the ways of trading, hunting, fishing and migrations used by a group barely touched by industrial technologies. Special presentation featuring a live musical score by Nathan Reimer and Mark Penner (of Moses Mayes), Kurt Youngblood and Inuit throat singer Nikki Komaksiutiksak. (Special Event Admission is $10 for members / $12 non-members)

WORKSHOP: A Master Class with John Walker
Sat Feb 6, 2010 - Noon - 3:00 PM

In this special master class, acclaimed Canadian documentarian John Walker will present his views on genre, his approach to working with historical material within both dramatic and documentary structures.

PANEL DISCUSSION: FROM THE SHADOWS OF THE VAULTS
Sat. Feb 6 at 3:30 PM

Using a screening of rare archival footage piece, (Adventures on the Bay from 1934 - with original score by Nathan Reimer and Mark Penner of local group Moses Mayes) from the Hudson's Bay archives, this panel discussion will explore current issues facing filmmakers and historians. Panel discussion with moderator Kevin Nikkel, Jody Baltessen of the City of Winnipeg Archives, Peter Geller, author of the book Northern Exposures: Photographing and filming the Canadian North, 1920-1945 filmmaker Paula Kelly, director of Souvenirs and more.

PASSAGE (SPECIAL PRESENTATION BY DIRECTOR JOHN WALKER)
Sat. Feb 6 at 7:00 PM

Passage is a story of incredible sacrifice, a stunning distortion of the truth and single-minded obsession. It challenges the way we look at history.

SHORTS FROM THE NORTH
Sun. Feb 7 at 7:00 PM

A selection of short films which all interpret the north through dramatic, satirical and documentary themes. Featuring Man Of The Northwest, The Chronicler, Adventures On The Bay, and The Other Side Of The Ledger: An Indian View of The Hudson's Bay Company.

UPCOMING FILMS

CABIN FEVER: 101 DALMATIANS (FREE ADMISSION)
Sun. Feb 7 at 2:00 PM

The original version of the Disney classic is the story of the wicked villainess Cruella de Ville who kidnaps a hundred dalmatians with the goal of creating her own line of personal fur coats.

MARK LEWIS: THE CINEMA OF INVENTION
Wed. Feb 10 at 7:00 PM
Thu. Feb 11 at 7:00 PM

Featuring two short documentaries (Back-story and Cinema Museum) from one of Canada's most renowned and internationally acclaimed artists working in digital and film moving image media and photography.

COLLAPSE
Wed. Feb 10 at 9:00 PM
Thu. Feb 11 at 9:00 PM
Fri. Feb 12 at 9:00 PM
Sat. Feb 13 at 9:00 PM
Sun. Feb 14 at 7:00 PM

Collapse is a powerful and terrifying documentary film about a reporter and author named Michael Rupert who eerily predicted the current economic crisis.

Everyone knows that their is a huge shift in the way people consume content. With increasingly busier lives people want convenience which means they want to view content on their time, wherever they may be. This shift in consumer behaviour was addressed at ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator. Below is an article in Playback about American content becoming more available to Canadian viewers online.

The most interesting thing said in the article, is a comment that eventually the CMF will contribute fewer dollars to broadcaster envelopes and more to indie producers. Looks like a backwards shift from broadcasters running the show to the producers calling the shots. It just makes sense; smaller business are more in touch with their markets and can create content fast and distribute it to their viewers quickly via the web for cheaper.

Just more confirmation that people in the traditional film & television industry need to makes some major changes in strategy in order to stay afloat.

US Contact Could Swamp Canada

Funding agencies and other industry players need to do more to adapt to YouTube and iTunes, which are driving Canadian Internet users to American content, or risk the eventual marginalization of Canadian content online.

That stark warning came this week at Interactive Ontario's "What Is Broadcast" panel in Toronto, where digital consultant Alan Sawyer warned U.S. content is increasingly being "broadcast into" Canada via streaming technologies, and all under the CRTC's radar.

"The threat is an influx of U.S. content that will dwarf, or obliterate the Canadian industry, if we don't take measures to survive."

Brady Gilchrist, president of Admodo Group, agreed that, with "shadow broadcasters" like Facebook and Twitter already directing content to Canada, Canadians had only to unhook their cable or satellite TV service to end the Canadian broadcast system.

"If people pull the plug on that [digital set-top box], it's game over," said Gilchrist, who added he already ended his cable service to watch TV at home via the Internet and iTunes.

Stéphane Cardin, VP of policy and stakeholder relations at the Canadian Television Fund, said the upcoming Canada Media Fund aims to shore up Canadian content producers looking to prosper in an increasingly border-less digital world.

"We're going to support innovation. We'll be making significant financial contributions," he told the panel.

Cardin predicted the CMF will eventually direct fewer dollars to broadcaster envelopes and more to indie producers as the latter innovate and gain a presence online.

"As we evolve, if you are a distributor and secure a sizeable audience, you will make your way into the system, over time," he told digital content producers at the gathering.

And while CTF didn't fund domestic content without a Canadian broadcast licence, Cardin said he could see Canadian producers that make product for the world market eventually securing CMF funding with only an international broadcast presale and no Canadian broadcaster yet on board.

Congratulations to Adam Smoluk who won the Future Leaders of Manitoba award in the Arts category. Adam holds a position at Film Training Manitoba as Community Outreach and Programs Staff and has recently completed his second feature length film Foodland produced by julijette inc. Juliette Hagopian recognized Adam's talent and dedication to the film community in Manitoba and nominated him for the award. 

This past Thursday evening at Fort Garry Place, a crowd of more then 500 Manitoba business professionals and community leaders applauded as the Future Leaders of Manitoba Council (FLMC) announced the winners of the 2010 awards.
 
This event gives prominent business leaders the opportunity to honour professionals who are committed to contributing to the social and economic growth of Manitoba.
 
The awards ceremony was established by FLMC in partnership with the Business Council of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and was hosted by Hot 103's Ace Burpee and the City of Winnipeg's Mayor Sam Katz.

Among the winners were Sam Pellettieri, 34, Chief Investment Officer at Wellington West, in the Professional/Business Category, and Kevin Chief, 34, coordinator, University of Winnipeg’s Innovative Learning Program, for Community Service. Winnipeg based writer-director Adam Smoluk, 29, won in the Arts category.

“I’m absolutely honoured to have received this award and I'm so thankful to the people and organizations that have supported and nominated me,” Smoluk said after receiving the award.

Smoluk’s first feature film Horsethieves won the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the Winnipeg International Film Festival. He is an alumnus of the British American Drama Academy, National Screen Institute of Canada and the Canadian Screen Training Centre and is a member of the Winnipeg Film Group and ACTRA Manitoba. In 2009 he was shortlisted for the prestigious John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer. Smoluk serves as community outreach coordinator at Film Training Manitoba and his second feature film Foodland is set to premiere in 2010.

The Future Leaders of Manitoba Council:
www.flmc.mb.ca
 
The Winnipeg Sun:
www.winnipegsun.com
 
For more information please contact:
foodlandthefilm@gmail.com

Freeze Frame 2010
3 theatres, 10 days, over 25 films, 9 workshops and lots of guest filmmakers.
March 4 - 13, 2010

Multiple venues, films from around the world, many workshops and lots of guest artists. Lots to do and see. Lots to coordinate too! We couldn’t do it without our valuable volunteers; the heart and soul of our organization.

If you would like to be a part of our exciting Festival, please contact our staff at 943-5341, 1-866-543-3378 or email: info@freezeframeonline.org

Volunteering is a perfect way to make your resume stand out!

Volunteer Opportunities:

Freeze Frame is currently seeking a Youth Video Competition Awards Event Coordinator

Make the participants in Reel Views and Wee Reel feel like stars for an evening! Designed to celebrate the creativity of young filmmakers, these events are hosted by a local celebrity and has local guest artists handing out awards. This position requires
advance planning two to three months prior to the Awards event at the end of May.

In conjunction with the Youth Video Competition Coordinator and the Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator,
you will:

• coordinate those giving out prizes
• contact the host with schedule and list of guests
• rewrite the script for the event and contact the host with script for the event
• organize prizes and ensure they are attractively packaged for distribution
• draw up the program for the evening, ensuring that all nominees are listed
• ensure sponsors are adequately thanked using slides and verbal recognition
• facilitate media interviews with nominees and winners.

Other Opportunities:

• Office Assistant
• Driver
• Animation Station Assistant
• Workshop Assistant
• Cinema Staff (Door Person, Usher, Ticket Sales)
• Hospitality
• Youth Jury Coordinator
• Voice-Over Readers
• Festival Photographer/videographer

Let’s show the world that Manitoba's Screen-based Industry is open for business!

Looking for international trade and investment opportunities? Mark October 20, 2010 on your calendar.

From October 20-22, 2010, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce in partnership with ANIM, Manitoba’s bilingual trade agency, will host one of the largest and most important international business forums in Canada. The event is called Centrallia 2010. It’s a business to business match-making event that will bring more than 500 SMEs from around the world to Winnipeg. Your business needs to be there. There will never be a better or more cost effective way to expand your business internationally.

Key features of Centrallia 2010:

* 2 ½ days of match-making meetings
* 12 pre-programmed, one-on-one meetings with businesses of your choice
* 500 businesses from multiple sectors
* Abundant opportunities to meet and network
* Various guest speakers including Ken Blanchard, best-selling author of The One-Minute Manager

Register now and take advantage of early bird pricing by visiting www.centrallia.com. Space is limited so register early to attract the kinds of businesses that can take your company to the next level.

Centrallia 2010 is a unique opportunity to develop your business internationally. Don’t miss it.

Congratulations to Farpoint Films celebrating a decade of top-notch filmmaking! Click here to check out their 10 year Anniversary reel.

Farpoint Films is known for their television shows Warriors: TKO (produced through their division MicroBus Pictures) airing on APTN and House Party on the Comedy Network. They also produced the feature film Wild Cherry and recently serviced the upcoming horror flick Mother's Day.

February 1st, 2010 marks Farpoint's 10th year in film and television production. Owners Kyle & John are thrilled their partnership has given rise to scores of award-winning television and film programs over the past decade. The guys look forward to growing the company further and producing many more compelling projects for local, national, and international audiences in the years ahead.

For more information please visit their website www.farpointfilms.com

ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator was brought to you by On Screen Manitoba in partnership with New Media Manitoba.

Thank you to all the delegates who attended ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator! Without all of you there the event would not have been the same, it would have been less interactive.

For those of you who couldn't make the event, we won't let you miss out on what happened.

Keynote speaker Alexander Manu (Innospa International) kicked off the day with his presentation entitled 'Current Media' where he spoke about mediums as modes of individual action rather than channels, that allow individuals to create, manage and distribute content. The day was shared with four other speakers, Rochelle Grayson (Social Media, Social Gaming and Online Entertainment Executive), Mark Bishop (marblemedia), Ken Bautista (CIE: Seek Your Own Proof) and Norm Bolen (CFTPA). They covered everything from how to monetize digital media to creating a national digital strategy for Canada. The afternoon started off with a panel discussion moderated by Rogue Nation's Ryan FitzGerald, featuring interactive digital media projects by Manitoba companies.

There were also many networking opportunities; including round table sessions with guest speakers. We also had 'Trans-meetings' where members of the interactive digital media community and film & television community met one on one in a speed dating style.

The day was enlightening, inspiring and groundbreaking. This was the first time our two associations (OSM & NMM) partnered on an event.

DOWNLOADS
ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator Program
Alexander Manu's Presentation (PDF)
Alexander Manu's DISRUPTIVE BUSINESS: Desire, Innovation and the Re-Design of Business
Rochelle Grayson's Digital Media Monetization: What People Pay For

Visit www.allaccessosm.com often over the next coming weeks for videos and pictures from the event.

And because you just can't get enough, stay tuned for ALL ACCESS: TV 2010 at the end of April - date TBA.

ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator was presented with generous support from:

Telefilm Canada
Midcan
Fairmont Winnipeg
Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines
Government of Canada
Destination Winnipeg
Manitoba Trade and Investment
CFTPA
CTF
TRLabs
William F. White International
RBC

focus | ckuw 95.9 fm | mondays | 3 pm

this week's guest: Kevin Nikkel

This is Kevin's second time on the show. We will discuss IN THE SHADOW OF THE COMPANY: Films of the Hudson's Bay Company. Kevin curated the films from this program, that will play at the Cinematheque.

host: Matthew Etches.

focus is a radio show that interviews winnipeg filmmakers, and explores their passions and influences.

future guests:

Feb 8th, 2010: Cam Patterson

Feb 15th, 2010: Joe Novak

join the facebook group.

listen online.

If you have any comments, or would like to be on the show, email focus.ckuw@gmail.com

Freeze Frame, Winnipeg’s Media Arts Centre and the 14th annual International Film Festival for Kids of All Ages, is pleased to present a NEW ‘Traveling Animation Station’ series.

Supported by Cultural Capital of Canada 2010 and the Winnipeg Arts Council, Freeze Frame will be touring Winnipeg and Southern Manitoba, visiting as many communities as possible during various events, such as Carnivals, Family Fun Days, Children and Youth programs etc.

The Traveling Animation Station is a bilingual, informal and fun hands-on workshop that will be presented free of charge to the public. It is designed to encourage children, teens and adults to explore the world of stop motion animation. Kids of all ages, including the very young, will create characters out of plasticine, paper and other recycled materials. The characters are brought to life through a series of digital photos, that are edited and played back. A selection of the animated shorts will be posted on the Freeze Frame web site.

“The Animation Station is one of our most popular and widely accessible activities. We’re definitely having fun, but we’re also showing children and families how films are made,” says Freeze Frame Executive Director, Anna Fontaine.

The Animation Station is warm-up to the actual annual international film festival. The Festival features films made for young audiences from the world over and lots of opportunity for hands-on workshops under the direction of guest filmmakers. Participants at each Traveling Animation Station location will have the chance to win a Family Pass for the Festival. Held at Portage Place, Globe Cinema and the Cinemathèque from March 4th to the 13th, 2010 Freeze Frame’s Fourteenth Annual International Film Festival for Kids of All Ages is sure to be a highlight for schools and families alike.

To have Freeze Frame’s Traveling Animation Station come to your community event contact us toll free at: 1-866- 543-3378 or by email: info@freezeframeonline.org.

MASTER CLASS WITH JOHN WALKER
A Special Presentation With DOC WINNIPEG
(A part of the film weekend of panels and screenings @ THE CINEMATHEQUE - IN THE SHADOW OF THE COMPANY)

ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE

* Dates: Sat Feb 6 (12 PM – 3 PM)
* Fee: $25 / members | $40 / non-members
* Instructor: John Walker

For more information on workshops, please contact the Training & Outreach Programs Coordinator at 925-3450 or darcy@winnipegfilmgroup.com

Bending Genre: Hybrid Documentaries W/ JOHN WALKER
As filmmakers push the boundaries of genre and form, documentary hybrids, features documentaries that borrow and adapt, bend and remake the notion of non-fiction filmmaking have emerged. From Guy Maddin's MY WINNIPEG to John Greyson's FIG TREES, hybrid films are increasingly popular with directors and audiences alike. John Walker's PASSAGE is among this new form. In this master class, Walker will present his views on genre, his approach to working with historical material within both dramatic and documentary structures that resists recreation, and how he broke both fiction and non-fiction ideas apart to create the stunning, innovative and provocative work that is PASSAGE. Walker will review the process of making PASSAGE from its original proposal to the aesthetic choices that resulted in casting actors to present historical facts in a documentary feature, and his unique twist on those facts. He will present clips from the film and comment about scene structure, story editing, pacing and making his approach work in the editing suite.

Background ON John Walker:
A pioneering documentary Canadian cinematographer and filmmaker John Walker launched his career behind the camera in 1970 as a photographer based in Montreal. He began working as a cinematographer for Crawley Films in 1975 and over the years has worked on a superb body of work beginning with his first film, the multiple award-winning Chambers: Tracks and Gestures (about Canadian artist Jack Chambers) produced by Atlantis Films in 1981. The following year, his passionate commitment to the documentary form led him to co-found the Canadian Independent Film Caucus (now the Documentary Organization of Canada), a lobby group for point-of-view documentaries. Walker has credits on more than sixty films as producer, director or cinematographer many which have received international acclaim and have been widely broadcast and screened at many of the world’s major film festivals. Walker’s numerous international honours include a Genie Award for Best Feature Length Documentary (Strand: Under the Dark Cloth, 1990). He has also earned five Gemini Awards and his most recent film Passage has been released to wide acclaim. (Film Reference Library)

PASSAGE ( BLU RAY PREMIERE )
Dir. John Walker | 2009 | 108 min. | Canada
Sat./ Feb. 6 / 7:00 PM
THE CINEMATHEQUE, 100 ARTHUR STREET

INTRODUCED BY JOHN WALKER
It was news that shook the English-speaking world. Celebrated British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men had perished in the Arctic ice during an ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest Passage. More shocking, they had descended into madness and cannibalism. A Scottish doctor John Rae, had discovered what six years of searching by British, Americans, French, and Russian had failed to do. With PASSAGE, filmmaker John Walker employs an innovative approach to structuring the incredible multilayered story of John Rae and brings it to vibrant life using a unique blend of dramatic action, and behind-the-scenes documentary footage. PASSAGE is a story of incredible sacrifice, stunning distortion of the truth and single-minded obsession. It challenges the way we look at history.

”Provocative… no one who has any knowledge or feelings about either Franklin or Rae should miss seeing it.” Russell Potter

“Nothing in this daring film is straightforward. As much as it chronicles Rae's journey across the Arctic, Passage also traces a journey across time, an encounter with the Victorian world that will mesmerize viewers." (Michael Robinson, Humanities Department, University of Hartford)

Our workshops are held in various venues in the downtown area so please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca, for more information on how to find us, and how to register for these workshops. You can also call us at 989-9669!

**Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Dr. Linda Seger Screenwriting Workshop
February 10th - 14th | 9:30 am – 5 pm | $300
Location | Burn’s Family Classroom, 218 - 100 Arthur Street

Not able to attend this workshop for the full 5 days? FTM is pleased to offer a rate of $70.00/day for those interested.

This intensive five-day screenwriting course is designed to focus on integral elements of the screenwriting work process. Beneficial for beginning, mid-career, or established screenwriters, it provides a comprehensive immersion in contemporary screenwriting craft. The workshop will be divided into modules of lectures, demonstrations and exercises.

Day One: Focus on the creative process and story development
Day Two: Learn how to pitch your story and create your scenes
Day Three: Develop your theme and create your characters
Day Four: Explore conflict and dialogue
Day Five: Understanding the transformational arc of a story, and the art of adaptation

Scissor Lift Certification
February 13th | 9 am – 5 pm | $100
Location | Safety Services Manitoba, 3 – 1680 Notre Dame Avenue

Participants are taught to identify specific health and safety hazards associated with operating man lifts. Training includes a complete review of fall protection requirements, pre-shift equipment inspection, work area survey requirements, and safe operating procedures. Instruction in these safety concepts applied to the operation of this complex piece of machinery will provide participants with certification and help reduce workplace accidents.

Winter Driving
February 21st | 8 am – 3 pm | $150
Location | Safety Services Manitoba & Canad Inns Stadium, 3 - 1680 Notre Dame Ave & 1465 Maroons Rd.

Improve your winter driving skills with this practical, hands-on course that teaches the basics of winter driving as well as evasive techniques for skid control. Drive the Skid Monster and learn valuable skills to better prepare you for Manitoba’s winter road conditions. This course will be divided into three hours of classroom driving techniques theory and three hours of hands-on in-vehicle instruction.

Flagsperson Training
February 24th | 6 pm – 9 pm | $50
Location | Red River College, Princess Street Campus, Room P315

This course will familiarize participants with the provincial laws governing traffic control. Flagsperson training deals with developing an understanding of who is responsible for establishing traffic control on a film set, the duties of a flagsperson on set, the dress and proper equipment necessary for proper flagging, and the proper techniques for directing traffic.

Online marketing and promotion of Canadian films via social media tools

While taking part in Ciné-Québec -- an annual networking event for Quebec film industry representatives -- Telefilm Canada announced the launch of Web-Ciné 360, a pilot initiative aimed at encouraging the integration of online marketing and the use of social media tools into distribution strategies for Canadian films ahead of the films’ theatrical release. In order to accelerate the industry’s adoption of these new interactive tools intended to strengthen film promotion and marketing, Telefilm will offer financial assistance as well as training to distributors submitting eligible projects. In its pilot phase, the initiative targets French-language feature films.

Distributors can submit their project until April 2, 2010. For further details regarding eligibility criteria, please visit Telefilm Canada’s website.

“Social media tools and the web have enormous potential when it comes to promoting Canadian films,” stated Michel Pradier, Telefilm Canada’s Director of Project Financing. “Encouraging distributors to make better use of online marketing tool should produce convincing box-office results. Throughout the rollout of this new initiative, we will work closely with industry representatives to help them develop or perfect their knowledge of social media, to help them maximize their projects’ impact.”

“Web-Ciné 360 is a splendid initiative from Telefilm that meets distributors’ need to put in place effective web strategies in support of their films’ release,” said Patrick Roy, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Vivafilm. “The initiative will allow us to develop strategies earlier in the production cycle, and so achieve better box-office results.”

In its initial stage, Telefilm’s initiative is aimed at distribution companies eligible for the organization’s Marketing Program for French-language Productions, for projects having recently obtained production support. Distributors wishing to benefit from Telefilm support under the Web-Ciné 360 project must include online marketing in their promotional strategy by making use of search engine optimization or web technologies in general; by producing a content-rich website; by creating content for such social media tools as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; or by using online advertising. In order to measure the strategies’ efficiency, distributors will be invited to make use of recognized online marketing and web audience analysis tools, and even to use companies with expertise in this area. 

Telefilm Canada is a federal cultural agency dedicated to developing and promoting the Canadian audiovisual industry. Telefilm provides financial support to the private sector to create distinctively Canadian productions that appeal to domestic and international audiences. The Corporation also administers the funding programs of the Canada Feature Film Fund, the Canadian Television Fund and the Canada New Media Fund. Visit www.telefilm.gc.ca.

Implementation of a streamlined structure to expand reach and develop digital expertise in the Prairies.

In keeping with the digital revolution and a rapidly changing audiovisual environment, Cindy Witten, Director General of the English Program of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), has announced the reorganization of the Prairie Centre to broaden the reach of the NFB in the Prairies and to develop expertise in multi-platform digital production in the West.

The NFB will open a new small office in Saskatchewan and will continue to maintain a strong presence in Winnipeg as a producer. Overall, infrastructure costs will be reduced by consolidating administrative duties for the western provinces in NFB’s Edmonton office. As a result, four positions are being abolished in the Winnipeg office, and two new producers with digital expertise will be hired for the West. 

“The NFB has set ambitious goals for itself in terms of creative and organizational renewal. This is about putting less money into infrastructure and more into digital expertise and programming, while ensuring an increased presence in western Canada,” explained Ms. Witten. “The challenge is considerable, but the technology does make it possible to bring the NFB closer to creators and Canadians, even with limited resources.”

“Production levels will be maintained in the Prairies,” Witten added, “and very likely increase as we explore new forms with the considerable creative talent of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.”

Tom Perlmutter, Government Film Commissioner and Chair of the NFB, noted that “as the country deals with a difficult deficit situation, we need to be smarter about how we use our resources to serve all Canadians better.  It is essential that the many voices and faces of this country continue to be represented. Today it is particularly important that all regions across the country play a role in the digital revolution and have a presence on the online and mobile platforms that are attracting Canadian audiences in ever greater numbers.”  

Over the last few years the National Film Board has taken a leadership role in developing new original works for multi-platform and digital media.  In January 2009 it launched its national online screening room, which to date has generated 3.7 million film views.  Its iPhone application, launched in October, was an immediate hit. There have been more than 527,500 i-Phone screenings to date. Last week the NFB launched one of the first Canadian on-line HD offers and a limited offer of 3D films.

About the NFB

Canada’s public film producer and distributor, the National Film Board of Canada creates social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, alternative drama and digital content that provide the world with a unique Canadian perspective. The NFB is expanding the vocabulary of 21st-century cinema and breaking new ground in form and content through community filmmaking projects, cross-platform media, programs for emerging filmmakers, stereoscopic animation – and more. It works in collaboration with creative filmmakers and co-producers in every region of Canada, with Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities, as well as partners around the world. Since the NFB’s founding in 1939, it has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. In 2009, Neighbours/Voisins by NFB animation founder Norman McLaren was added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The NFB’s new website features over 1,400 productions online, and its iPhone app has become one of the most popular and talked about downloads. Visit NFB.ca today and start watching.

Frantic Films presents…The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival television series is now showing on Monday nights (9:00pm Winnipeg time). Check out these one-hour stand-up comedy specials taped live last spring, starring some of North America’s best comedic talent. www.franticfilms.com

The Winnipeg-shot High Life (Co-produced by Buffalo Gal Pictures) is currently playing in movie theatres across Canada (at Towne Cinema 8 in Winnipeg). This dark comedic heist stars Timothy Olyphant, Joe Anderson, Rossif Sutherland, and Winnipeg’s own Stephen Eric McIntyre. It also features a rockin’ music soundtrack. Support our industry and go see this flick – you won’t be disappointed! www.highlifethemovie.com

Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story debuts on CBC Television March 28 and 29, 2010. The four-hour mini-series is co-produced by Frantic Films, E1 Entertainment, and 5 for Fighting. It stars Jared Keeso as Don Cherry and Sarah Manninen as Rose Cherry. www.franticfilms.com

Check out this interesting article in The Toronto Star: Will female directors break through the glass ceiling?

OSM Member Danishka Esterhazy is quoted several times in the article on the subject of female directors and the difficulties they face in their profession. Danishka is a director who has just recently finished her first feature film Black Field in 2009.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
63rd FESTIVAL DE CANNES
Cannes, France, May 12 to 23, 2010

CANADIAN PRE-SELECTION SCREENINGS IN MONTRÉAL
February 24 to March 10, 2010
(Feature-length films only)

Telefilm Canada is currently accepting entries for the Canadian Pre-Selection Screenings in Montréal for the 63rd FESTIVAL DE CANNES, including the Official Selection (Competition, Out of Competition, Un Certain Regard), the Directors’ Fortnight and the Semaine de la Critique.

Application Form - Pre-Selection Screenings
Information and registration process

Registration deadline with Telefilm Canada : February 12, 2010

The Cannes Film Festival is the most important festival in the world: close to 40,000 accredited professionals and 4,000 journalists attended the Festival.

The Festival and the parallel sections waive their entry fees for films submitted at the Screenings in Montréal.

Short films will not be screened in Montréal and must be submitted directly to the Festival in Paris. Telefilm Canada will coordinate consolidated shipments to the Selection Committees in Paris. Consult this Call for entries for detailed information.

For further information, contact Céline Pelletier (pelletc@telefilm.gc.ca) by phone at 514 283-6363 or 1 800 567-0890.

Good luck!

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

CALL FOR ENTRIES
CANADA PAVILION AT MIPTV 2010
Cannes, France, April 12 to 16, 2010

Deadline : February 19, 2010

Telefilm Canada is currently soliciting applications from Canadian production and distribution companies for MIPTV 2010. MIPTV is a major international market for financing, co-producing, buying and selling entertainment across all platforms. It provides you with more contact in the entertainment content business, more exposure and a wider range of distribution platforms than any other industry event anywhere in the world.

Given that the organizer of MIPTV, Reed Midem, has decided to freeze its rental rates for the 2010 year, Telefilm Canada is pleased to announce that the 2009 Canada Pavilion option rates will be kept for 2010.

In 2009, there were 11,500 industry professionals, including 3,800 buyers and 4000 companies from 105 countries. The Canada Pavilion covers a surface area measuring 457 m2 and can accommodate a maximum of 80 companies, making it MIPTV’s largest national pavilion.

NEW IN 2010! The Canada Pavilion offers a special networking activity for companies gathered under its umbrella: Connect with Canada! is part of the official program of MIPTV and available to all market participants.

For more information, visit www.miptv.com

Application form
Information and registration procedure

It pays to use eTelefilm!
Telefilm Canada is expanding the use of its eTelefilm services to include it festival and market activities. We are happy to announce that it is now available. We encourage you to subscribe now to eTelefilm.Note that the validation of the one time process for eTelefilm may take up to 5 business days.

If you are a registered E-Telefilm user, click on the same link and connect directly to eTelefilm.

If the above is not possible, Download, complete and sign the attached participation form.

Should you require additional information, please contact Marie-Claude Viau by e-mail at viaum@telefilm.gc.ca or by phone at (514) 283-0838 ext.: 2009

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

Congratulations to OSM Members Danishka Esterhazy and Mike Maryniuk who are headed to Cologne, Germany!

Winnipeg filmmakers Jaimz Asmundson, Jeffrey Erbach and Danishka Esterhazy will shortly begin their international artist-in-residence terms in Cologne, Germany, where they will work with the support of the Kölner Filmhaus.

Winnipeg Film Group staff member Mike Maryniuk, an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, will also be on-site in Cologne to support the residents' work and to lead workshops in the DIY filmmaking techniques for which Maryniuk is renowned.

All four filmmakers will have special screenings at the Kölner Filmhaus Kino:

* Wed Feb 3: The short films of Mike Maryniuk, including Bush Wact (2003), Asleep at the Wheel (2005), Fish Arms (2007) and Cattle Call (2009)

* Fri Feb 5: Recent work by Danishka Esterhazy

* Mon Feb 6: The short films of Jaimz Asmundson, including Attack of the 50 Foot Chihuahuas from Outer Space (1999), Liquid Lunch (2004), Drawing Genesis (2006) and Goths! On the Bus! (2009)

* Web Feb 10: Jeffrey Erbach's feature film The Nature of Nicholas (2003)

Following their return to Winnipeg, Asmundson, Erbach and Esterhazy will discuss the work completed during their residency in Cologne at an artist talk session at Cinematheque, Sunday, March 21 at 2 PM (admission is free).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This international residency is a collaboration between the Kölner Filmhaus and the Winnipeg Film Group. In May, three filmmakers from Cologne will travel to Winnipeg to engage in production and development works supported by the resources of the Winnipeg Film Group.

This international artist exchange is the first of its kind facilitated by the Winnipeg Film Group. It has been developed and coordinated by Cecilia Araneda of the Winnipeg Film Group, and Yvette Krause and Christian Rall of the Kölner Filmhaus, and has been designed to provide both a unique creative development opportunity as well as to support an increased international profile for the selected participants.

The Winnipeg Film Group acknowledges the generous support of the Manitoba Arts Council for this program. Additionally, the individual artists' travel has been generously supported by On Screen Manitoba, the Winnipeg Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.

"Canadians have paid over a billion dollars over the last decade for community TV channels. Cable companies have responded by curtailing access," says the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations.

"The CRTC created these channels so Canadians could learn about broadcasting and produce their own programs," CACTUS spokesperson Catherine Edwards noted. "But cable companies have gutted community TV by closing studios, 'firing' volunteers, and regionalizing programming."

CACTUS is urging Canadians to tell the CRTC to reinstate access as it reviews its community TV policy. "Communities should run these channels, not profit-driven corporations," said Edwards. "But the CRTC needs to hear this from Canadians themselves-before February 1st."

The dead-line for interventions is February 1st. The hearings are in late April. There is more detailed information on the CACTUS web site at cactus.independentmedia.ca. The CRTC public notice can be found at: www.crtc.gc.ca

If you wish to write a letter of support, CACTUS has provided a sample letter which can be downloaded here. It summarizes the issues from the point of view of the production community.

Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund is pleased to announce its latest round of funding for 27 new and ongoing projects through its Script Development Program and Equity Investment Program.

Chosen from a record 139 applications (nearly twice the average amount), the most recent selection of supported projects includes a dynamic combination of new stories from old hands and old favourites from new voices.

“New voices are always exciting and, of course, essential to the growth of our industry, but it’s great that we’re also seeing scripts from filmmakers whose success we have shared in the past,” said John Galway, President, English-Language Program, Astral Media The Harold Greenberg Fund. “The fact that we have an established core of capable creative professionals who are continuing to produce work lets us know that we’re succeeding in our efforts to support local talent, and make screenwriting a viable career option in Canada.”

This latest collection of supported scripts includes new projects from recognized industry veterans Sarah Polley (Away From Her) and Michael McGowan (One Week), while Michael Dowse (Fubar) gives us a small-town Newfoundland take on the 2003 Quebec hit La Grande séduction.

Congratulations to the OSM members whose projects were approved this quarter!

In Second Draft:

Kush Kush in the Bush: Bollywood Comes to the Trailer Park

Buffalo Gal Pictures Development Inc., Femmina Films Inc. and Diamonds to Bullets Enterprises Inc.
Screenwriter: Rebecca Sernasie

In Polish & Packaging:

Kosher Sexy

julijette inc. and Jonas Chernick
Screenwriter: Jonas Chernick

For the full list of projects that have received funding please click here.
 

5th ANNUAL WIFTV WOMEN IN FILM FESTIVAL 2010
April 17 - 18, 2010

EXTENDED DEADLINE: January 28, 2010
ENTRY FEES: WIFTV Members $27.04, Non-Members $37.85

New this year: Use our online submission form. Submission criteria and information can be found at www.womeninfilm.ca

Women In Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV) is pleased to announce that the 5th Annual Women In Film Festival (WIFF) will be presented April 17 & 18th, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

"Our 2009 festival was a huge success and a huge undertaking. We had great films, great parties, movie stars and plenty of inspirational moments from our multi-talented WIFTV members and the film community.

"Our 2010 film festival will continue to inspire and celebrate the contributions of our members and non-members alike. It will be a more compact version of our festival, as we are also presenting the Women In View Symposium in October 2010" says WIFTV Film Festival Chair, Roslyn Muir.

Highlights of the spring festival include a feature film presentation that will be followed with a panel discussion with the female director, presented by The Creative Women Workshops Association CTV/CAM program. In addition, there will be short film programs, an opening reception as well as networking and pitching opportunities. The festival is produced by WIFTV, an internationally affiliated non-profit society committed to advancing and celebrating women in screen based media.

This year, the Women In Film Festival will accept Canadian and international SHORT FILM submissions (20 minutes maximum) in the following categories: narrative, documentary, new media, music videos, video poems, or experimental shorts.

Submissions featuring strong female characters and stories are encouraged. Eligible films must have THREE of the following (one woman may serve more than one role): a woman as Writer, a woman as Producer, a woman as Director, a woman as D.O.P., a woman as lead Actor, a woman as lead Animator / Editor.

In addition, the Legacy Awards will be presented by festival sponsor, Producer Deboragh Gabler of Legacy Filmworks, to three B.C. filmmaking teams for outstanding achievement in film.

CTV WIDC Career Advancement Module (CAM) ~ Creative Women Workshops Association (producer of the annual Women In the Director's Chair Workshop) will present an intensive career advancement program for four (4) mid-career Canadian women directors. This module focuses on the personal skills needed to achieve success in screen fiction.

For further information, check our website www.womeninfilm.ca, email info@womeninfilm.ca or call 604-685-1152.

WIFTV is an internationally affiliated non-profit society committed to advancing and celebrating women in screen-based media. We are the Vancouver chapter of Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI), which counts more than 10,000 members world-wide.

Our workshops are held in various venues in the downtown area so please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca, for more information on how to find us, and how to register for these workshops. You can also call us at 989-9669!

**Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Scene Study with Ben Davis
January 22nd to the 24th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125
Location | Actor’s Training Centre

Straight from Los Angeles, acting coach Ben Davis will be using the Ivana Chubbuck Technique to take participants through a
scene study workshop.

"After years of going to various acting workshops to hone my directing skills, last year I had the amazing experience of attending a workshop with Ben Davis. I think I learned more in one day than all of the other workshops combined. For my purposes Ben is the perfect coach: he's enthusiastic, funny, extremely focused and very critical. But his criticism is always constructive and comes from a place of passion and belief in his student’s capabilities. I watched in wonder as over and over again he took competent performances and transformed them into riveting, compelling scenes. I'll go to his classes whenever I can."
- Norma Bailey, Director

IATSE 669 Assistant Camera Trainee Course
February 4th to the 7th | 8:30 am – 5 pm | $350
Location | *See full posting on the FTM calendar for more details

The purpose of the camera trainee course is to provide the basic set of skills needed to work on a Western-based union set (BC, AB, SK, & MB). This course is structured to give participants an introduction to cinematography within a union environment. The emphasis will be on the camera department, specifically the duties of a camera trainee who is working towards becoming a 2nd camera assistant. This course will be taught in a combination of lecture and hands on teaching techniques.

Upon successful completion of the assistant trainee course, participants will be accepted into the camera trainee program. The ultimate aim of the trainee program is to produce working 2nd camera assistants in the IATSE 669 union, whose skills and professional workmanship help to create a desirable environment for productions contemplating shooting in Western Canada.

*Please visit our course calendar for more information on the assistant camera trainee course, including eligibility requirements for the course.

Dr. Linda Seger Screenwriting Workshop
February 10th - 14th | 9:30 am – 5 pm | $300
Location | Burn’s Family Classroom, 218 - 100 Arthur Street

This intensive five-day screenwriting course is designed to focus on integral elements of the screenwriting work process. Beneficial for beginning, mid-career, or established screenwriters, it provides a comprehensive immersion in contemporary screenwriting craft. The workshop will be divided into modules of lectures, demonstrations and exercises.

Lift Certification
February 13th | 9 am – 5 pm | $100

Winter Driving
February 21st | 8 am – 3 pm | $150

This past October, John Couchman joined us as our Aboriginal outreach and programs staff. On behalf of FTM, John attends Aboriginal and other community outreach events in Manitoba to promote career opportunities in the film and television industry. He also assists in the guidance and training of the Aboriginal program participants.

John is a proud member of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and he has extensive training in conflict-resolution, leadership, and community building. John brings with him a unique perspective on issues facing our Aboriginal crewmembers.

We are happy to announce that Allison Bile has accepted the position of training coordinator, replacing Bertha Twin whose last day was on December 18th, 2009.

Allison has been with Film Training Manitoba since 2006, most recently as the office coordinator, and is now overseeing the work experience program. The goal of the work experience program is to provide on-the-job training to both new and established technicians; to expand the number of skilled crewmembers working in the Manitoba film industry, and to address succession planning for production companies, and industry related organizations.

We are also pleased to welcome Irene Bindi to the team as our new administrative assistant. Irene holds an MA in film studies from York University and has worked with film festivals, not-for-profits, and various film organizations across Canada. Irene is FTM’s first contact with the public and we are very happy to welcome her to the team.

For more information on FTM’s training programs, please contact us at:

Film Training Manitoba
100 – 62 Albert Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1E9

Ph: (204) 989.9669
TF: 1.866.989.9669
E: info@filmtraining.mb.ca

www.filmtraining.mb.ca

The Board of Directors of the Independent Production Fund (IPF) has approved a new pilot program to fund drama series created for any platform. In recognition of the evolving broadcast environment, the IPF will provide equity financing not only to drama series with a television broadcast licence, but also to scripted drama series that are designed and produced for exploitation on the web.

As the sources of financing for web video without a broadcast licence are very limited, the IPF support is intended to stimulate the growth of new forms of content. This unique contribution to independent producers will help them to explore the potential for high quality, story driven drama with new and innovative narrative forms. As a leading supporter of Canadian drama, the IPF will experiment in partnership with web content developers to determine how good story-telling translates to other platforms. “It will be an exciting learning process for all of us”, stated Charles Ohayon, Chair of the Board of the IPF. “We will help develop best practises to take advantage of the opportunities that the digital platforms provide for new production styles, processes, formats and business models”.

Joining the IPF in this pilot venture is Film Nova Scotia which will provide additional funding targeted for Nova Scotia based creators and producers of web drama. "Film Nova Scotia is excited to partner with the Independent Production Fund on this program to help Producers explore storytelling through new digital platforms", noted Ann Mackenzie, President and CEO.

The IPF is inviting proposals for online drama series at its application deadline of March 31, 2010. Regulations for applicants will be minimal in order to encourage maximum innovation and experimentation. Projects must be webcast on Canadian-owned websites as a “first window” to ensure more Canadian content for Canadian portals. Some of these projects may serve as pilots for traditional television drama, while others may develop their own dedicated online communities and audiences.

The Independent Production Fund was established in 1991 and has invested over $50 M in 229 television drama series and over 300 professional development projects. The IPF works in collaboration with the Cogeco Program Development Fund which will also finance drama series for television in 2010, enabling the IPF to undertake this special pilot program. The IPF is incorporated as a private foundation with charitable status. It operates on interest generated by its $35M endowment, and recoupment from its project investments. An independent Board of Directors representing the industry oversees the operations of the Fund and makes all funding decisions.

Further information and Requests for Proposal Guidelines are available at www.ipf.ca.

Buffalo Gal Pictures co-produced TV series Less than Kind website has launched: www.lessthankind.ca

Play Sheldon’s Run: Yes Sheldon has his very own game! Help him get through his day in three levels of comic mishaps -- fighting the combination of a Winnipeg winter and classmates out to get him.

Follow Blog Girl’s weekly diary. Who is Blog Girl? Come back weekly to read her postings and find out!

Check out the Downloads: there is a HUGE music section that features all of the cool Canadian bands that play in this season’s episodes.

Send an E-Card Mashup. This is your chance to get a sneak peek at scenes from the second season and put together an awesome and hilarious mashup. Send one to a friend to get the word out that Less Than Kind is premiering on HBO Canada [The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Movie Central (Western Canada)] February 19th at 8:30 p.m.!

Also, join our group ‘Watch Less Than Kind’ on Facebook and follow Blog Girl on Twitter.

"Just Watch Me!" Berlin Screeningroom
March 2010
Canadian Embassy, Berlin

Submissions Open: 20th January, 2010
Submissions Close: 8th February, 17.00 [EST]

Canadian distributors, sales agents and rights holders are invited to submit content to this pilot initiative, a television sales event at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin designed to promote sales of Canadian film and television content to German broadcasters and to broaden contacts in the German market. The initiative was created by the Embassy of Canada in Berlin and "Just Watch Me!" in collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage (Trade Routes program), the Canadian Television Fund and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA).
 
Buyers and programmers from German television networks will be invited to the Embassy to attend a special screening of promotional clips for Canadian films and television programs that will be selected through a juried process.  

Online submissions will be accepted between 20th January and 8th February, 2010. All types of content suitable for broadcast are eligible. This may include but isn't limited to feature length and short film, documentary, animation, dramatic or reality-based television series, children's or arts programming. There is no limit to the production year of the content, however preference is given to content that is relevant to current market tastes.   
 
To submit, visit the web site www.justwatchme.ca to register and upload your promotional trailers (max 2 minutes each) and promotional kits in the specified format.  A maximum of three entries per production company (not per distributor/sales agent) will be accepted.

For more information on the submission and selection process and on how the material will be presented to German buyers, please go to www.justwatchme.ca. The website will also serve to receive submissions for the event and to give registered German buyers password protected access to the selected material after the event.
________________________________________________________

Contacts:  
 
Claudia Seeber
Trade Commissioner
Embassy of Canada
Berlin
Tel: 011-49-30-20312-366
Email: claudia.seeber@international.gc.ca
 
Michael A. Dobbin
Project Consultant "Just Watch Me!"
Tel: 613 314-0331
Email: michael@justwatchme.ca

Century Street Distribution
c/o Leo Dufault
204 510 2835
leo@centurystreet.ca

***Voir message en français ci-dessous ***

The deadlines for applications to two CTF programs are coming up next month. The final closing date for the Digital Media Program is February 1, 2010 and for the Versioning Assistance Stream is February 16, 2010.

The CTF allocates funds to eligible projects in both of these programs on a first come, first served basis until resources are depleted.

Please note that funds from the Digital Media Program allocated to English projects have been fully depleted.

For information about eligibility requirements, please read the guidelines available on the CTF website:

Digital Media Program

Versioning Assistance Guidelines

For questions regarding the application process, please contact the Television Business Unit at Telefilm Canada.

_______________________________________________

Les dates limites pour déposer les demandes à deux programmes du FCT tombent le mois prochain. Pour déposer les demandes au Programme des médias numériques, la date limite est le 1er février 2010; pour le Volet de l’aide au doublage et sous-titrage, la date limite est le 16 février 2010.

Le FCT accorde des fonds aux projets admissibles dans le cadre de ces deux programmes sur une base du premier arrivé, premier servi jusqu’à l’épuisement des ressources. Nous rappelons que les fonds du Programme des médias numériques alloués aux projets en langue anglaise sont entièrement épuisés.

Pour des renseignements sur les critères d’amissibilité, veuillez consulter les Principes directeurs sur le site Web du FCT:

Programme des médias numériques

Principes directeurs de l’Aide au doublage et au sous-titrage

Si vous avez des questions concernant le processus de demande, veuillez communiquer avec l’Unité d’Affaires Télévision à Téléfilm Canada.

CAMERA/EDITOR - OTTAWA

APTN has a career opportunity for an experienced individual who will be responsible for all day-to-day production operations of APTN National News & Current Affairs for the Ottawa News Bureau including shooting, editing and transmitting to Winnipeg News Room.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
• Shoots interviews, b-roll, stand ups, stock footage, and sequences etc.
• Operates XDCAM, DVCAM VTR’s, Avid Newscutter Nitris DX non-linear edit system
• Logs and digitizes material prior to the edit session
• Organizes material including audio, video, music, graphics titles, effects, clips, bins and sequences within the editing system
• Completes rough and final edit and outputs the final product to tape or to disc
• Coordinates and feeds edited and raw material to the Winnipeg News Room
• Conducts live and live-to-tape double-ender interviews from studio or remote locations
• Performs required dubs to and from all APTN formats
• Completes equipment, tape and broadcast fault reports as required.
• Consults with Winnipeg-based Broadcast Technologists on technical, maintenance and repair issues
• Maintains the videotape/stock footage library and videotape and camera supply inventory for the Ottawa News Bureau

Education/Experience:
• Diploma or certificate from college or university; three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination
• Broadcast experience required
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, internet and e-mail software, and broadcast industry technology required
• Proof of valid driver's license (driver’s abstract) required
• Shift work and travel are required
• Must be able to carry camera gear
• Knowledge of French and/or at least one Aboriginal language would be an asset
As this position is part of a bargaining unit, the successful candidate will operate under the collective agreement with the Canadian Media Guild.

Remuneration: DOQ/DOE

Please forward your resume quoting Competition 09/10-19 and where you saw this ad, by 3 p.m. (CST), Friday, January 29, 2010 to:

Human Resources
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
339 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2C3
Fax: 204-943-2368 E-Mail: careers@aptn.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. As an Aboriginal employer we encourage First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants to apply.

People always say you need to "stop and smell the roses" and this rings very true, especially so on home ground. Far too often we forget to stop and take a minute to appreciate the great abundance of talent we have right here in Manitoba.

That is why it is so great to see our members taking the time to recognize one another. "In a small community like ours, it is important that we support our up and coming talent and that's why I submitted a letter nominating Adam Smoluk for the prestigious Future Leaders of Manitoba Award." Juliette Hagopian (julijette inc.) said about Adam being short listed for the arts category of the FLMA awards.

Juliette acted as producer on the film Adam directed, Foodland, allowing her to observe his talent first hand.

Now thanks to Juliette's nomination, more Manitobans will be aware of the great work that filmmakers such as Adam have been accomplishing in this province. "In the end we need to not only promote directors, but also have them be recognized and awarded for their work."

Read the article below published in the Free Press to learn more about Adam's nomination.

Filmmaker Finalist for Future Leaders of Manitoba Award

Winnipeg based writer-director Adam Smoluk was notified earlier this month that he is a finalist for the Future Leaders of Manitoba Award for the arts. “This is an excellent organization (FLMC) and I’m absolutely honoured to be in the running for this award,” Smoluk said upon learning of his nomination. 

The award was established by The Future Leaders of Manitoba Council in partnership with the Business Council of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. The awards will be presented on January 28th at the 2010 Annual Awards Reception: Celebrating Exceptional Manitobans.

This event will give prominent business leaders the opportunity to honour young professionals who are contributing to the continued social and economic growth of Manitoba. Young professionals will have an opportunity to be recognized for their contributions in their community building efforts and their commitment to staying in Manitoba.

The arts award recognizes and honours a young Manitoban who is active in the Arts Community.

Smoluk’s first feature film Horsethieves won the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the Winnipeg International Film Festival. He is an alumnus of the National Screen Institute of Canada and was shortlisted for the prestigious John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer. Smoluk serves as community outreach coordinator at Film Training Manitoba and his second feature film Foodland is set to premiere in 2010.

The Future Leaders of Manitoba Council:
www.flmc.mb.ca 

For ticket information about the 2010 Annual Awards Reception please contact:
president@flmc.mb.ca

For more information please contact:
foodlandthefilm@gmail.com

Check out the the website for Mother's Day, which shot in Winnipeg last fall and was serviced by Farpoint Films. The site features a Vlog with videos set, along with a message board and chat feature to get the inside scoop on the film.

www.mothersdaythemovie.com

Mother's Day is set to premiere Mother's Day 2010.

From director Darren Lynn Bousman (SAW II, III and IV)
Loosely based on the 1980 Troma cult classic

Synopsis
After a bank robbery gone wrong, three brothers head home...only to discover that their mother lost the house in a foreclosure. The new owners and their guests, gathered for an ill-timed birthday party, become the brothers' unwitting hostages. Their mother and sister arrive, and it soon becomes obvious that Mother will do absolutely anything to protect her children. In one terrifying evening, Mother brilliantly takes control of the situation and masterminds her sons' escape. Sides will be taken, secrets revealed, and sins punished as the hostages struggle to make it through the night.

Congratulations to Farpoint Films and their sub-divison MicroBus Pictures who won awards for:

Director John Barnard's film Lost Bones: In Search of Sitting Bull's Grave won an Accolade Award of Excellence in Television in the states:

www.accoladecompetition.org

And CBC pilot The Flip Side won an "Award of Merit" in the category of "pilot program"

www.accoladecompetition.org

Early Bird Deadline is February 1st, 2010

Final Submission Deadline is February 15th, 2010

The Banff World Television Awards is one of the world’s most prestigious international television program competitions. The 2009 competition attracted more than 800 entries from 30 countries around the world.

The categories awards will be presented at the 31st Banff World Television Festival at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta, Canada, in June 2010. Our Special Jury Awards this year will include Best Non-Fiction, Best Fiction, Interactive, and Youth & Animation awards. Our International Final Jury will select the winner for the coveted Grand Jury Prize to name this year’s “Best in Show”.

View contest details and submit by clicking here

The Asper School of Business Co-operative Education Program is currently recruiting for Summer 2010 Work Term opportunities. There will be over 100 bright and enthusiastic students representing a variety of business majors seeking work experience this summer. Gain access to tomorrow’s business leaders today by visiting our website, calling 204-474-6673 or emailing Courtney Griffith.

Post your summer 2010 work term opportunity before February 16th 2010!
_______________________________________________________________________

CELEBRATING CO-OP!

Please join us to celebrate the continuing success of the Asper School of Business Co-op Program!

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Four Points by Sheraton South
2935 Pembina Hwy

5:00 - 6:30 pm 'Speed Greet' - A unique opportunity for you to meet face to face with small groups of students to share insight on your organization and answer questions about future careers.

6:30 - 8:00 pm Cocktail Reception and Awards - Announcing the Asper Co-op Employer of the Year and Asper Co-op Student of the Year!

To RSVP for the Cocktail reception and/or reserve a table for the 'Speed Greet' please contact Jenn Webber by email or phone at 474-7103 before Friday, January 22, 2010.

JOB TITLE: Education and Outreach Coordinator

DEADLINE: January 28, 2010

SCHEDULE: A contract position at 15-20 hours per week. Starting at 15 hrs per week with a flexible schedule. Wage $16.00 per hour. Position to start February 8, 2010.

CONTEXT: Video Pool is a non-profit centre for the professional development of independent artists. Working with existing Video Pool staff in all areas, the Education Coordinator provides individual artists members with affordable education in media arts and beneficial professional development opportunities.

REPORTS TO: Director, Board of Directors

PURPOSE: To provide professional development opportunities for Video Pool members in media arts literacy and to develop skills for the production of independent video, audio and new media artworks.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

Develops and manages a variety of workshops for members that respond to prevailing needs/interests.
Creates and manages outreach programs for members of communities who would otherwise not have access to professional media arts education and production tools in collaboration with community organizations.
Manages Video Pool’s production funds.
Promotes Video Pool’s professional development opportunities for artists (workshops, funds, etc.)
Hires instructors, mentors and temporary contract staff (cultural liaison), as required.
Prepares summary reports and grant applications as required.
To undertake any other duties, as appropriate, as required by the Director from time to time.

TASKS - Key tasks and skills include:

Develops collaborative relationships with community partners and program participants
Ensures high quality education and support through considered and effective planning and assessment
Responds to the needs of members and community partners in developing educational and professional development programming
Promoting Video Pool’s education activities
Coordinating workshops
Managing production funds (including calls for submissions, juries, contracting mentors, coordinating meetings and setting timelines)
Communicating with members, workshop attendees, instructors, mentors and fund recipients
Preparing summary reports and grant applications
Overseeing the departmental budget
Maintaining an active network/contact list of capable instructors
Preparing guidelines and reference documents
Supervising contract staff
General advocacy for Video Pool

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION - ATTRIBUTES NEEDED FOR SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE:

Experience working with marginalized communities
Personable, sets clients at ease
Organized and self-directed
Ability to multi-task
Able to explain things clearly
Program/project management experience
Intermediate computer skills (word processing, e-mail, spreadsheets, Final Cut Pro…)
Some familiarity with video production is essential
Administrative skills (record-keeping, budgeting)
Understanding of artist-run centres, the media arts environment

HOW TO APPLY: Please submit cover letter and resume with the subject line 'Re: Programming Coordinator' by e-mail to :

Attn. Hiring Committee
Video Pool Media Arts Centre
300 - 100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 1H3

E: vpadmin@videopool.org

We thank all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Video Pool is committed to Employment Equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.

Over the next three months New Media Manitoba is hosting the most incredible series of iPhone events.

January 22: Adam Saltsman on Developing and Marketing iPhone Games
February 3: Nick Campbell on Designing iPhone Applications and Getting Paid
February 17: Jeff Hughes on Getting your iPhone App on Apple's Top 100 List
March 1 - 5: Big Nerd Ranch, 5-day iPhone Development Bootcamp

From January - March 2010, we're hosting 4 events for designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and businesses to create their own iPhone application and sell it to the world starting with:

GAME GOD
Our first iPhone event begins on January 22, 2010 with the much celebrated pixel game designer Adam Saltsman. Adam has developed and co-created over 13-games both online and for the Apple iPhone and has stirred a media frenzy in such publications as Edge Magazine, IGN, Kotaku, MTV Multiplayer, Boing Boing, and PC Gamer.

On January 22, Adam will share his methodology for creating successful iPhone games that have netted over $500,000 in independent sales. He will describe how he conceptualizes and prototypes games, and his chronic attention to design and sound.

Adam will present a case study for the 2009 hit "Canabalt" that earned him no less 650,000 players in less than 5-days and how his iPhone game "Wurdle" became a top-10 classic on the iTunes Store. He will also share the social media strategy that has attracted oodles of ravenous players from around the world to his gaming multiverse.

This presentation is ideally suited toward game developers, students and educators, ad agencies, creatives, and programmers interested in game development for mobile devices.

Adam's flixel API, an open source flash game library, has been embraced by both beginners and veterans and earned Adam a place on Game Developer Magazine's inaugural Top-50 Developers list alongside Apple's Steve Jobs and Will Wright (Creator of Spore & The Sims).

Cost is $49.95 and includes breakfast.

You may register here
---

DESIGN AN iPHONE APP AND GET PAID
On Wednesday, February 3, Nick Campbell will spend the day deconstructing how to design and get your app started, develop a user interface, find a programmer, and market and sell your iPhone app. Nick will deconstruct how he created a business plan for ShakeItPhoto, an App Store Staff Favourite which turns your iPhone into the perfect Polaroid.

Nick is a regular speaker on the Web 2.0 lecture circuit and maintains a popular blog and podcast at greyscalegorilla.com. Over the course of the day he will unveil a wealth of knowledge that any new or seasoned producer can use to sell their iPhone application including:

- picking a development team if you're a non-programmer
- dealing with contracts
- usability that makes you an Apple staff favourite
- making an app for an international audience
- establishing buzz before launch
- testing and tweaking
- supporting your app after launch
- dealing with Apple
- getting paid

This presentation is ideally suited for designers, recent graduates, and entrepreneurs that have an iPhone idea and are looking for a place to start.

Nick Campbell is a motion designer, and photographer from Chicago. He graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art with a degree in Design and Fine Art. He spent three years at Digital Kitchen, where he animated and designed titles for shows such as True Blood and Dexter and with such clients as HBO, Showtime, Target and most recently with The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. His creative portfolio can be found at CreamyOrange.com

Cost is $$49.95 and includes breakfast.

You may register here
---

IF YOU BUILD IT, WILL THEY COME?
Everyone has a great moneymaking idea for their iPhone, but in a sea of over 100,000 Apps, how will yours get noticed?

Jeff Hughes brings over 18 years industry passion as a marketer, publisher and keynote speaker. He is the author of 10 technology books and numerous trade press articles on technology and marketing topics and is the author of the upcoming Pearson Education book "iPhone Apps Marketing: Secrets to Selling Your iPhone App."

On February 17, 2009, Jeff will show you case studies for companies and applications he has helped develop iPhone marketing plans for companies that have resulted in hundreds of thousands in sales on the iTunes Store. Throughout the day he will provide step-by-step instruction on how you can achieve similar results including:

- how to get your app into the top 100 on iTunes
- how to define your app's marketing message
- using promos to sell your app
- how to conduct a pricing analysis for your app
- how to measure results with analytics, and,
- implementing a marketing plan & calendar for your launch

This presentation is ideally suited for small, medium, and big business, as well as entrepreneurs, iPhone developers, marketing departments, and ad agencies.

Jeff is the developer and lead instructor for "Intro to iPhone Apps Marketing" a course that has helped hundreds of developers learn how to market their iPhone apps in a very competitive market and is a frequent contributor to popular iPhone sites including 148Apps.Biz.

Cost is just $49.95 for the day and includes breakfast.

You may register here
--

iPHONE DEVELOPMENT BOOTCAMP
We round out our iPhone Marketing with the most comprehensive 5-day iPhone Developer Course ever offered in Canada from Big Nerd Ranch. Let me speak quite plainly when I say that Big Nerd Ranch's Bootcamp is recognized as the most comprehensive and influential iPhone course in the world. Their list of clients and students include Pixar, Google, and Apple (to name a few).

Our trainer from Big Nerd Ranch will be Scott Ritchie.

Scott Ritchie has been developing and teaching Objective-C since he joined NeXT Computer in 1990. Prior to that time he was an engineer at Sun Microsystems working on window systems. Since 2000 he has held several training and engineering positions with Apple, most recently working with both AppKit and UIKit development. When the Fortune 500 companies of the world need an iPhone trainer, they call Big Nerd Ranch and ask for Scott Ritchie.

This week long course normally starts at $4200 for registration plus flight and hotel. But thanks to the generous support from the Province of Manitoba and Entrepreneurship, Training & Trade, Manitobans can take this course for just $1,495.

We at New Media Manitoba have worked for 2-years to offer this kind of top-tier iPhone development training at little cost. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I knew of someone locally that develops for the iPhone I would be a hundred-naire! :) We are excited to promote you as part of an exclusive group of iPhone application developers in Manitoba.

The course is ideally suited for programmers that already have some experience with Obective-C and Cocoa.

Upon completion of the iPhone Bootcamp, you receive exclusive access to Big Nerd Ranch's private developer board where you have access to all the students Big Nerd Ranch has ever trained (in the thousands) and can ask questions of their trainers. You will also be profiled on New Media Manitoba's upcoming website relaunch as an iPhone specialist.

Cost is $1,495

You may register here

Response to the inaugural Factual Entertainment Awards, which will culminate in a high-profile presentation at Factual Entertainment Forum 2010 in June has been very strong. The final deadline has been extended to allow for extra time to prepare a submission for the industry’s first truly global celebration of factual entertainment excellence.

Final submissions will be received up until 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 21st, 2010.

We are accepting entries in the following categories:

• COMPETITION
• REALITY
• NON-FICTION/FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT
• LIFESTYLE

Winners will be determined by juries of the industry’s most highly regarded experts in these audience fields, who will also
single out projects that merit special Craft Awards for editing, direction, casting, music, opening titles, cinematography, hosting and talent.

Please visit awards.realscreen.com for all the information you’ll need on Eligibility, Judging and Entry Guidelines. Again, the deadline is Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 5 p.m. EST. The awards ceremony will take place at the close of the Factual Entertainment Forum on June 3, at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. Any questions regarding the submission process or the awards show can be directed to Claire Macdonald, publisher, realscreen at cmacdonald@brunico.com.

Our workshops are held in various venues in the downtown area so please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca, for more information on how to find us, and how to register for these workshops. You can also call us at 989-9669!

**Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Featured Courses:

Dr. Linda Seger Screenwriting Workshop

February 10th - 14th | 9:30 am – 5 pm | $300 
| Location | Burn’s Family Classroom, 218 - 100 Arthur Street

This intensive five-day screenwriting course is designed to focus on integral elements of the screenwriting work process. Beneficial for beginning, mid-career, or established screenwriters, it provides a comprehensive immersion in contemporary screenwriting craft. The workshop will be divided into modules of lectures, demonstrations and exercises.
Dr. Seger is the author of eleven books including eight on screenwriting and filmmaking. She has given seminars for ABC, CBS, NBC, Disney Animation, Turner Network Television, Embassy Television, Matinee Productions, the MacGyver Series, and the Television and Motion Picture Academies.

Winter Driving 

February 21st | 8 am – 3 pm | $150

Improve your winter driving skills with this practical, hands-on course that teaches the basics of winter driving as well as evasive techniques for skid control. Drive the Skid Monster and learn valuable skills to better prepare you for Manitoba’s winter road conditions.

Other courses:

Lift Certification

February 13th | 9 am – 5 pm | $100

Scene Study with Ben Davis

January 22nd to the 24th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125
 | Location | Actor’s Training Centre

IATSE 669 Assistant Camera Trainee Course

February 4th to the 7th | 8:30 am – 5 pm | $350


Please visit our course calendar on our website for more information on all of these courses.

Danishka Esterhazy's first feature-length film Black Field is set to screen at the European Film Market, Berlin Film Festival.

SYNOPSIS
A dark historical drama set in 19th century rural Canada, Black Field is a gothic tale about two sisters, the man that comes between them, and the tragedy that results.

More information at:
www.BlackFieldMovie.com

ZOOEY & ADAM

Dir. Sean Garrity | 2009 | Canada | 85 mins.

Winnipeg Cinemateque
Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 7:00 PM (Opening Night)
Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Sat Jan 30, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Sun Jan 31, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Mon Feb 1, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Tue Feb 2, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Wed Feb 3, 2010 at 7:00 PM
Thu Feb 4, 2010 at 7:00 PM

* Opening night screening introduced by Winnipeg director Sean Garrity

One of Canada's most imaginative independent filmmakers, Sean Garrity (director of Inertia, Winner Best Canadian Film / Toronto Film Festival 2001 and Lucid, Winner CITY TV award / Vancouver International Film Festival) has created a controversial new feature which will split audiences everywhere.

Adam and Zooey have been trying to have a baby for several months, only to end up pregnant after a rape. Unsure of the patronage of their child, they decide to have the baby anyway. Haunting and emotionally devastating, some festivals have refused to screen the film on the grounds that it is too contentious, yet it has sparked an incredible debate everywhere it has played. You decide.

TuTuMUCH
9 Girls 4 Weeks 1 Dream
tutumuchthemovie.com

A Canadian-Produced Feature Documentary Breaks New Ground As It Screens Across Canada At Over 55 Theatres

January 17, 2010 marks a special date in the history of Canadian documentary programming. On that date, at 1 PM, the arts feature documentary film, TuTuMUCH, will premiere at over 55 theatres to audiences of all ages across the country - from Quebec to British Columbia. This will be followed by a repeat screening on January 20 at 7:00pm.

Its believed that this is the first time in Canadian film history that a 100% Canadian-produced arts documentary feature has screened at this number of theatres on the same day.

Produced by Vonnie Von Helmolt and Merit Jensen Carr of Ballet Girls Inc, TuTuMUCH follows 9 young dancers behind-the-scenes as they plié and pirouette for coveted spots in an intensive 4 week ballet summer program at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Division School. Leaving behind their families and friends, often for the first time, each girl confronts in her own way the painstaking and sometimes rewarding realities of actually living her dream.

The torturous journey of TutuMUCH began with the commission of a 3-part mini-series for Bravo! Television called BALLET GIRLS. From the outset, the producer’s plan included the production of a feature documentary. Little did they suspect that it would take over 6 years before they would see TutuMUCH on screen. Persevering through the declaration of bankruptcy of Christal Distribution (who were providing a sizeable MG), to Superchannel’s unexpected lack of funding, two editors, and over a year of editing (with assistance from Manitoba Film & Music), it wasn’t until the spring of 2009 that a champion for the film was found. That April, with assistance from Telefilm Canada, producer Vonnie Von Helmolt attended ShowCanada in Montreal, where she met with Michael Kennedy, Executive Vice President, Filmed Entertainment, of Cineplex Entertainment Inc. Michael immediately suggested that TutuMUCH would be a fit for Cineplex Odeon’s successful Special Events Program which screens live arts performances in limited, exclusive runs in theatres across Canada. Brad laDouceur, Vice President, Alternative Programming, agreed. Once Cineplex confirmed the deal for 30 to 60 cinemas, completion funding from the Telefilm & Rogers Theatrical Documentary Program and Telefilm’s Alternative Marketing Fund swiftly followed.

“This is a whole new and exciting way of bringing theatrical arts features to the audiences that want to see them. And Cineplex has been completely supportive, not only running our trailer, but even allowing us to place dance students in tutus at theatres across the country to hand out buttons and postcards promoting TuTuMUCH at every Special Events screening. They’ve been great!” say Von Helmolt and Jensen Carr.

TuTuMUCH is self-distributed by the production company, Ballet Girls Inc. For more information about the film or to talk to the producers, please contact:

Jennifer Jensen-Tracy
Publicist – Ballet Girls Inc
T: (519) 442-9179 Cel: (519)750-4725
E: jen.jensen@sympatico.ca

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Park City, UTAH
Jan. 21 - 31, 2010

Eleven Canadian films set to compete and captivate from morning ‘til midnight

With a large serving of talent, a great deal of commitment and a wealth of passion… Canadian cinema will be lighting up the screens at Sundance.

In addition to six top-flight short films, the Competition line-up includes Grown Up Movie Star, an accomplished first feature by Adriana Maggs that magnifies the pain of growing up -- at any age -- and Lixin Fan’s Last Train Home, an exceptional debut documentary that puts a human face on China’s ascendance as an economic power. Park City at Midnight features three modern-day horror films and thrillers from north of the border: Daniel Grou aka Podz captures the psyche of a sane man gone mad in his first feature 7 Days; Vincenzo Natali gives the classic monster film a deliciously sadistic twist in Splice; and Eli Craig’s ingenious send-up of the horror genre Tucker & Dale vs. Evil recounts a simple misunderstanding gone grotesquely wrong.

OSM Member Derek Mazur produced the short Runaway, with Winnipeg animator Cordell Barker for the NFB. Runaway follows happy passengers on a crowded train, oblivious to an unknown fate that awaits them around the bend. The ensuing crisis leads to a class struggle that is as amusing as it is merciless.

Runaway Trailer
Making of Runaway - Interview with Cordell Barker

Click here to view schedule of Canadian films at Sundance

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC), is looking for applicants for two of its programs; the Cineplex Entertainment Film Program and CFC Features.

CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT FILM PROGRAM
APPLICATION DEADLINE | JANUARY 25, 2010

EDITORS – PRODUCERS – WRITERS – DIRECTORS

In this five-and-a-half month program, directors, producers, writers and editors will be completely immersed in the art and business of dramatic filmmaking. Filmmakers develop their technical, collaborative and business skills, while developing project slates and refining their artistic expression in an intensely demanding, creative and professional environment.

Apply today at www.cfccreates.com/film
For more information contact: amcguigan@cfccreates.com

CFC FEATURES
APPLICATION DEADLINE | JANUARY 29, 2010

GET YOUR MOVIE MADE.

CFC Features is looking to invest in filmmakers from across Canada with engaging stories for the big screen. From development to distribution, we offer an unparalleled opportunity to make your movie a reality.

Check out our new guidelines offering even more flexibility and financing for filmmakers at www.cfccreates.com/features

For more information contact: abacchus@cfccreates.com

TKARONTO (Opening Night Intro by Dir. Shane Belcourt)
Fri. Jan 15 at 7:00 PM (Intro by Dir. Shane Belcourt)
Sat. Jan 16 at 7:00 PM
Sun. Jan 17 at 7:00 PM

Shane Belcourt's multi-award winning Tkaronto is a provocative exploration of two Aboriginal thirty-somethings' caught in the urban crossroads: Ray and Jolene discover an unexpected connection when their paths' cross in Tkaronto (the original Mohawk word for Toronto). The opening night screening will be introduced by the film's director, Aboriginal Artist in Residence Shane Belcourt.

CABIN FEVER: THE INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES OF WALLACE AND GROMIT (FREE ADMISSION)
Sun. Jan.17 at 2:00 PM
FREE ADMISSION

Featuring three of their best stories including the hilarious stop-motion animated adventures of inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit as they face the world in Nick Park's ingenious, short films - A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave. FREE ADMISSION! The Winnipeg Film Group gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Assiniboine Credit Union for our annual CABIN FEVER: FREE FILMS FOR KIDS SERIES.

determiNATION SONGS (Opening Night Intro by Shane Belcourt)
Sat. Jan. 16 at 9:00 PM (Intro by Shane Belcourt)
Wed. Jan. 20 at 9:00 PM
Thu. Jan 21 at 9:00 PM

The latest film by Paul Rickard and former Winnipegger Michelle Smith, determiNATION songs interweaves the stories of three talented native singer/songwriters - Samian, Cheri Maracle and CerAmony - through the artists' creative process, inspiration, commitment and involvement with the resistance movements in their communities. (Introduced by Aboriginal Artist in Residence, Shane Belcourt)

THE STORYTELLING CLASS
Wed. Jan 20 at 7:00 PM
Wed. Jan 21 at 7:00 PM
Sun. Jan 24 at 7:00 PM

Group rates and booking are available for The Storytelling Class by contacting Kristy Muckosky, Cinematheque Operations Coordinator at kristy@winnipegfilmgroup.com or 925-3459.

Back by popular demand, The Storytelling Project is a documentary made by local filmmaker John Paskievich and teacher/ filmmaker John Whiteway who made this film that discovers the healing power of storytelling in a unique project at Gordon Bell High School. The film is based on a worshop inititiated by Marc Kuly, a dynamic teacher at Winnipeg's Gordon Bell High School. Kuly developed an after-school storytelling class which enable immigrant students to share their stories with their school peers. This documentary follows the inspiring and influential effect that storytelling had for its participants.

CLICK HERE to download the Jan / Feb Schedule for the Cinematheque

MARKETING AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR (PDF) / (DOC)

On Screen Manitoba is looking for a personable, detail-oriented multi-tasker to fill the team position of Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, under OSM’s ACCESS Project. The successful candidate will be able to work in a fast paced environment independently and within a team of equally passionate colleagues. The Marketing and Outreach Coordinator will serve our membership by offering support and expertise to OSM’s Marketing Department.

JOB SUMMARY
Responsible for the coordination of marketing initiatives, outreach events and fund development.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Marketing & Membership Manager, the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for the following areas within the Marketing Department:

Marketing and Outreach
• Assist the Marketing & Membership Manager to implement OSM’s marketing strategies.
• Maintain a comprehensive collection of images, clips and photos.
• Coordinate all marketing collateral (ads, signage, promotional material, etc.) with design firm.
• Assist with the creation of promo reel.
• Control all visual elements of OSM website & other marketing materials:
     o Maintain consistency of OSM brand, copy, visual appeal;
     o Work with design firm on visual components as needed;
     o Liaise with web designers on all functions of website (both existing and in development).
• Undertake all event Logistics and coordinate OSM’s involvement in all sponsored events. Duties include:
     o Outsourcing/booking venues;
     o Working with venue representatives;
     o Ordering food & beverage;
     o Organizing A/V logistics;
     o Overseeing registration logistics;
     o Budget & critical path development;
     o Coordinating venue set up/layout;
     o Working with Programs & Financial Coordinator to ensure invoices are correct/paid;
• Coordinate and attend Marketing & Membership Committee meetings.
• Attend industry events.

FUND DEVELOPMENT
• Assist with fundraising for ACCESS Project initiatives.
• Research potential revenue sources/funders.
• Maintain member/VIP database.
• Coordinate sponsorship fulfillment, both when OSM is sponsored and OSM is a sponsor.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Reports to OSM’s Marketing and Membership Manager. Accountabilities include:

• providing coordination for the effective implementation of OSM’s marketing and fund development strategies;
• developing impactful and cost-efficient initiatives while at all times meeting the highest standards of performance and best-practice.
• work to achieve the goals set out in the ACCESS Project related to: increased production volumes, cumulative job increases, increased total revenues by production companies, increased export revenues and increased traffic to OSM’s websites;
• serving all of OSM’s organizational goals, with a particular focus on “Being the leading voice of the Manitoba motion picture industry” (Foster community and increase member participation), and “Building the Industry” (Be a catalyst in helping our members reach their career & business goals)

QUALIFICATIONS
1. General understanding of the motion picture industry.
2. Post-secondary education in marketing and/or communications.
3. Strong written communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.
4. Excellent organizational skills.
5. Must be prepared to work under pressure and unsupervised.
6. Effective networking skills to build and maintain relationships and networks of contacts.
7. Events management experience required.
8. Fund development knowledge.
9. Experience working with Photoshop would be an asset.

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS:
• Term position funded by OSM’s ACCESS Project, terminating March 31, 2013
• This is a full-time position with benefits (after 3 months of employment)
• Hours of work at 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Occasional weekend and evening work is required
• The Marketing & Outreach Coordinator reports directly to the Marketing & Membership Manager
• The initial three months of employment will be probationary

APPLICATION PROCESS
Please submit a cover letter and resume with the subject line “Marketing and Outreach Coordinator” by 5pm Friday, Jan. 29, 2010 to:

Megan Deaust
Marketing and Membership Manager
On Screen Manitoba
Unit 100 – 62 Albert St
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1E9
P: (204) 927-5890
E: megan@onscreenmanitoba.com

THE ORGANIZATION
On Screen Manitoba is an innovative membership-driven association that leads, builds and represents Manitoba’s screen-based media industry. Our association has grown and evolved over its 22 years into a vital force in the industry. We lead our community in setting common goals and in building a stronger industry. Our membership represents the full spectrum of individuals and organizations (production companies, labour groups, distributors, broadcasters, suppliers and supporting organizations) that make up the screen-based media industry in Manitoba. On Screen Manitoba membership totals nearly 300 but reaches more than 1,500 individuals.

On Screen Manitoba supports the ongoing growth and development of Manitoba’s screen-based media industry by providing a number of services to its membership, including: Regular Communications, Advocacy Efforts, Networking Opportunities, Marketing Initiatives and Industry Development Programming.

LESS THAN KIND (Season 2) Friday, February 19 at 8:30 p.m.

This half-hour Canadian comedy series follows overweight Winnipeg teenager Sheldon Blecher as he attempts to survive his awkward teenage years with a dysfunctional family that includes Sam Blecher, Sheldon’s self-destructive driving-instructor father; Anne Blecher, his unstable pyromaniac mother; and Josh Blecker, his failed-actor brother.

As season two begins, the abrasive Sam is at Death’s door. But even Death won’t answer when Sam comes knocking. As a result, Anne’s anxiety reaches a breaking point while Josh is torn between obligations to his dying acting career, family and his girlfriend. As the turmoil at home escalates, Sheldon is dealing with seismic developments of his own as his best friend – braceface Miriam Goldstein – is becoming more than just a friend. Together they endure the explosive shift from their life as innocent geeks to being sixteen – a world on the cusp of sex, drugs and even rock ‘n roll. For Sheldon, this is a year of bullies and girl bullies, cliques and parties – just to add a little gasoline to the fire. Starring Maury Chaykin, Jesse Camacho, Wendel Meldrum, Benjamin Arthur, Brooke Palsson, Tyler Johnston, and Ross McMillan.

Click here to watch the first season of Less Than Kind

MIPTV
April 12-16, 2010, Cannes, France

This April, attend MIPTV and get your first taste of the newest programmes, freshest formats and latest technologies for TV, the Internet and all digital platforms.

Simply register by January 28 and benefit from the special rate of €860.

Fresh Shows. Fresh Formats. Fresh Deals.
Prepare for five extraordinary days of unprecedented face-to-face networking with 11,500 global media professionals, including 4,000 buyers, from 102 countries.

Your MIPTV registration gives you access to 21,000m2 of exhibits, featuring 1,500 TV and media companies; plus 45+ sessions, blockbuster keynotes and matchmaking events. Prospect in advance and find partners via MIP’s Online Delegate Database.

Register early to get a fresh start on MIPTV’s multi-billion entertainment content market.

Early Deals / Serious Savings

Save 34% on Registration: Deal ends January 28
Book now for NEW lower room rates at select hotels
Save on international flights through Air France
Become an exhibitor? Pre-packaged stands save time and money

Register now!
 

TRANS ATLANTIC PARTNERS
International Co-Production: Focus Europe and Canada

TRANS ATLANTIC PARTNERS (TAP) is pleased to announce it is currently accepting applications from qualifying film producers to participate in its 2010 co-production training program.

Online application forms are available at www.coproduction-training.com,

The deadline to apply is March 11, 2010.

TAP, presented jointly by the Erich Pommer Institut (Germany) and Strategic Partners (Canada), is an intensive two-module training program for Canadian and European producers seeking co-production professional development. Module 1 kicks off June 19 -24, 2010 in Berlin, Germany, and Module 2 takes place September 14-20th, 2010 in Halifax and includes registration at Canada's leading international co-production market, Strategic Partners.

Trans Atlantic Partners gives producers the necessary tools and knowledge to maneuver through the complex arena of international co-production and to overcome the legal and financial barriers. The Program is designed specifically to strengthen ties between the Canadian and European screen industries and provide excellent networking opportunities.

TRANS ATLANTIC PARTNERS offers producers the opportunity to:

Develop specific skills in international co-production
Learn from key professionals from both sides of the Atlantic
Receive up-to-date information on Canadian and European film funds and tax incentives
Discover new international partners and projects
Access top industry players to discuss their projects in 1-2-1 meetings
Participate in excellent networking opportunities

TAP is designed for producers with at least five years experience in producing film and/or television, but not necessarily in international co-production. Further information is available at the following link:

http://www.epi-medieninstitut.de/pn-programm_seminar-205_en.html

For a flyer that includes all Trans Atlantic Partners information, download the Trans Atlantic Partners 2010 (PDF)

And just a reminder -

Strategic Partners: September 16-19, 2010. Application Deadline: July 12th, 2010.

An International Film, Television and Multiplatform Co-Production Market

One of the world's pre-eminent co-production markets, Strategic Partners focuses on feature film and TV fiction projects and long form documentaries, including those at an early stage of development, looking for the right partner. New this year, SP will also include multiplatform projects in the mix. More and more producers are exploring the multiplatform possibilities of their projects and who they can partner with to deliver their product. SP 1-2-1 meetings will not only include those with financiers, agencies, distributors, broadcasters and traditional co-production partners, they will also include pre-scheduled meetings with potential multiplatform partners as well.

The SP'10 applications will be on our website in early February at www.atlanticfilm.com

Key deadlines:

Trans Atlantic Partners application deadline March 11, 2010
Strategic Partners application deadline July 12, 2010

For inquiries regarding Strategic Partners 2010 please contact: strategicpartners@atlanticfilm.com

TONIGHT on CBC! 9 PM Eastern, 8 PM Central!

TONIGHT’S EPISODE: “Queer As Jokes”

Elvira Kurt hosts the first “All Gay” variety show on a national Canadian network! These six comics come out of the comedy closet - sharing the humorous moments, universal problems, and ridiculous experiences of everyday life. Tonight’s comics include Bob Smith - the first openly gay comic to appear on The Tonight Show, Trevor Boris – of MuchMusic’s “Video On Trial” fame, and of course, your host Elvira Kurt from the Comedy Network’s “Pop Cultured with Elvira Kurt” and “Elvira Kurt: Adventures in Comedy”.

Featuring:
TREVOR BORIS
BOB SMITH
JONATHAN WILSON
ED SAHELY
DIANE FLACKS
DARCY MICHAEL

Check out these two teasers from acts Trevor Boris and Darcy Michael

The nationally renowned CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival Television Series features five hours of stand-up comedy from some of North America's best comedic talent. Politically charged funnyman and viral video star Marc Maron, Whose Line Is It Anyway's Kathryn Greenwood, ABC's Shark Tank billionaire Kevin O'Leary, comedy circuit faves Tim Steeves and Bob Smith and oddball Kids in the Hall alum Kevin McDonald are just a handful of the hysterical performers who find the funny in specially themed episodes: Savings & Groans, The Holiday Show, Queer as Jokes, Cradle to the Grave and The Seven Deadly Sins.

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival Television Series will be airing every Monday night on CBC until February 22, 2010. You don’t want to miss a single episode!

focus | ckuw 95.9 fm | mondays | 3 pm.

This week's guest: Shane Belcourt.

Shane is the Winnipeg Film Group's Aboriginal Artist-in-Residence 2010. We will talk about how identity plays a role in his films. Shane will be conducting workshops and presenting his films, follow link below for more information.

www.winnipegfilmgroup.com

host: Matthew Etches.

focus is a radio show that interviews winnipeg filmmakers, and explores their passions and influences.

Join the

facebook group

Click here to listen online.

Future guests:

Jan 18th, 2010: TBA

Jan 25th, 2010: Sean Garrity

if you have any comments, or would like to be on the show, email Matthew Etches at

focus.ckuw@gmail.com

.

With the overwhelming success of our inaugural ALL ACCESS: The TV Edition in the spring of 2009, it was evident that Manitoba’s screen-based media industry wants more ACCESS! We are happy to announce that On Screen Manitoba will be delivering two conferences in 2010 - ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator (January 28) and ALL ACCESS: TV 2010 (April).

ALL ACCESS SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

There are exciting sponsorship opportunities for both ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator and ALL ACCESS: TV 2010, that will position your company in front of key industry professionals. These sponsorship packages also include tangible benefits that you don’t want to miss out on!

Please click here for all the details (PDF)

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR ALL ACCESS: THE DIGITAL INCUBATOR!

Registration Form (PDF)

Registration Form (Word)

Schedule at a glance (PDF)
 

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

On Screen Manitoba in partnership with New Media Manitoba present:

ALL ACCESS: THE DIGITAL INCUBATOR

Lead Sponsors: Telefilm Canada and Midcanada Production Services

Registration Closes Friday, January 22, 2010 @ 4:30pm

DATE: Thursday, January 28, 2010

PLACE: Fairmont Winnipeg – Midway Ballroom
TIME: 7:30am-5:30pm
COST: $75 Members (On Screen Manitoba & New Media Manitoba)
            $100 Non-Members

REGISTRATION FORM: PDF / WORD

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE (PDF)

For everything ALL ACCESS please visit www.allaccessosm.com

For an OSM MEMBERSHIP complete and submit the OSM MEMBERSHIP FORM (PDF)

For a NMM MEMBERSHIP contact:
Kathy Driscoll, Training Director, New Media Manitoba at kathy@newmediamanitoba.com

ALL ACCESS: The Digital Incubator is a daylong interactive digital media forum that will bring together the 3 C’s—computing, communications and content to highlight the interlocking of traditional film & television with interactive digital media. The day will consist of a keynote speaker, a panel discussion, guest speakers, round-table meetings, one-on-one meetings and networking opportunities.

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:

- Ken Bautista, CEO & Creative Director, CIE: Seek Your Own Proof
- Norm Bolen, President & CEO, CFTPA

- Mark Bishop, Partner & Producer, marblemedia

- Rochelle Grayson, Social Media, Social Games and Online Entertainment Executive, Rochelle.ca
- Alexander Manu, Senior Partner & Chief Imaginator, InnoSpa International Partners

COMING SOON: The ALL ACCESS micro-site (Powered by Midcanada Production Services), your source for everything ALL ACCESS. Stay tuned for more details!

Presented with generous support from:

Telefilm Canada
Midcanada Production Services
Fairmont Winnipeg
Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines
Destination Winnipeg
Manitoba Trade & Investment
CFTPA
CTF
TRLabs
William F. White International

More sponsors to be announced.

Jennifer Finnigan has taken the lead role in Shadow Island Mysteries, the new MOW property from Breakthrough Films & Television and Buffalo Gal, now shooting in Manitoba.

The Montreal-born actress, seen previously in ABC's Close to Home and NBC's Committed, plays a would-be mystery writer whose day job at a resort in the Canadian wilderness leads to real-life whodunits. The first installment concerns a groom-to-be who goes missing shortly before his wedding.

Breakthrough and Buffalo Gal plan to make six Shadow Island telemovies and have handed the U.S. distribution rights to Fireworks International. Further, Fireworks parent ContentFilm will rep the would-be franchise worldwide, excluding Canada and the territories covered under a previous deal for Europe with Daro Films and Free Dolphin.

Shadow Island Mysteries is set to air here on Movie Central, W Network and, via a second window deal, on Sun TV. Gary Yates (High Life, Seven Times Lucky) directs from the script by Alex Galatis and Paula Smith.

Our workshops are held in various venues in the downtown area so please visit our website, www.filmtraining.mb.ca, for more information on how to find us, and how to register for these workshops. You can also call us at 989-9669!

**Film Training Manitoba is pleased to offer training at a significantly reduced cost to the Manitoba Film industry.

Scene Study with Ben Davis
January 22nd to the 24th | 10 am – 6 pm | $125
Location | Actor’s Training Centre

Straight from Los Angeles, acting coach Ben Davis will be using the Ivana Chubbuck Technique to take participants through a
scene study workshop.

"After years of going to various acting workshops to hone my directing skills, last year I had the amazing experience of attending a workshop with Ben Davis. I think I learned more in one day than all of the other workshops combined. For my purposes Ben is the perfect coach: he's enthusiastic, funny, extremely focused and very critical. But his criticism is always constructive and comes from a place of passion and belief in his student’s capabilities. I watched in wonder as over and over again he took competent performances and transformed them into riveting, compelling scenes. I'll go to his classes whenever I can."
- Norma Bailey, Director

IATSE 669 Assistant Camera Trainee Course
February 4th to the 7th | 8:30 am – 5 pm | $350
Location | *See full posting on the FTM calendar for more details

The purpose of the camera trainee course is to provide the basic set of skills needed to work on a Western-based union set (BC, AB, SK, & MB). This course is structured to give participants an introduction to cinematography within a union environment. The emphasis will be on the camera department, specifically the duties of a camera trainee who is working towards becoming a 2nd camera assistant. This course will be taught in a combination of lecture and hands on teaching techniques.

Upon successful completion of the assistant trainee course, participants will be accepted into the camera trainee program. The ultimate aim of the trainee program is to produce working 2nd camera assistants in the IATSE 669 union, whose skills and professional workmanship help to create a desirable environment for productions contemplating shooting in Western Canada.

*Please visit our course calendar for more information on the assistant camera trainee course, including eligibility requirements for the course.

FTM workshops taking place in early 2010:

Dr. Linda Seger Screenwriting Workshop
February 10th - 14th | 9:30 am – 5 pm | $300
Location | Burn’s Family Classroom, 218 - 100 Arthur Street

Lift Certification
February 13th | 9 am – 5 pm | $100

Winter Driving
February 21st | 8 am – 3 pm | $150

CALL FOR ENTRIES - CANADA PAVILION AT MIPTV 2010
Cannes, France, April 12 to 16, 2010

Telefilm Canada is currently soliciting applications from Canadian production and distribution companies for MIPTV 2010. MIPTV is a major international market for financing, co-producing, buying and selling entertainment across all platforms. It provides you with more contact in the entertainment content business, more exposure and a wider range of distribution platforms than any other industry event anywhere in the world.

Given that the organizer of MIPTV, Reed Midem, has decided to freeze its rental rates for the 2010 year, Telefilm Canada is pleased to announce that the 2009 Canada Pavilion option rates will be kept for 2010.

In 2009, there were 11,500 industry professionals, including 3,800 buyers and 4000 companies from 105 countries. The Canada Pavilion covers a surface area measuring 457 m2 and can accommodate a maximum of 80 companies, making it MIPTV’s largest national pavilion.

NEW IN 2010! The Canada Pavilion offers a special networking activity for companies gathered under its umbrella: Connect with Canada! is part of the official program of MIPTV and available to all market participants.

For more information, visit www.miptv.com

Information and registration procedure
Application form

Deadline : February 19, 2010

It pays to use eTelefilm!
Telefilm Canada is expanding the use of its eTelefilm services to include it festival and market activities. We are happy to announce that it is now available. We encourage you to subscribe now to eTelefilm. Note that the validation of the one time process for eTelefilm may take up to 5 business days.

If you are a registered E-Telefilm user, click on the same link and connect directly to eTelefilm.

If the above is not possible, Download, complete and sign the attached participation form.

Should you require additional information, please contact Marie-Claude Viau by e-mail at viaum@telefilm.gc.ca or by phone at (514) 283-0838 ext.: 2009

Consult the complete list of current calls for entries

National and International Business Development
Telefilm Canada, Montréal
514 283-6363

12th Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente
Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 7 to 18, 2010
Feature-length films

Application deadline: January 29, 2010

64th Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland, June 16 to 27, 2010
Feature-length and short films

Regular Deadline: February 1, 2010

Late Deadline, higher registration fee: February 15, 2010

REMINDER

56th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
Oberhausen, Germany, April 29 to May 4, 2010
Short films only

34th International Animation Film Festival
Annecy, France, June 7 to 10, 2010
Animated Films and Videos

Frantic Films announces the growth of its television distribution library with the acquisition of the international rights to factual entertainment programming produced by Vancouver-based production company, The Eyes Television Production Ltd., a division of Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc.

Known for producing series such as “The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp,” “Bulging Brides,” and “Air Dogs,” The Eyes’ library includes over 150 hours of programs, the bulk of which has never been sold in the international market.

The transaction increases Frantic Films’ library to approximately 500 hours – including 67 hours currently in production – and supports greater international distribution revenues. Peace Arch has retained the US and Canadian rights to the programs acquired by Frantic Films.

“The Eyes programming is the perfect addition to our existing library,” says Jamie Brown, CEO of Frantic Films. “They are very successful programs in Canada and the United States that have been underexploited internationally to date. We know there is a strong appetite for high quality programs like these in the international market.”

“This is a win-win situation for both companies – Frantic is able to expand their distribution library and we are happy to see The Eyes’ programming actively selling internationally,” said Michael Taylor, President of Peace Arch Television Ltd.

“In addition to the titles Frantic has acquired, we have several new series in various stages of piloting as well,” stated Blair Reekie, President of The Eyes. “We look forward to working with Frantic on the distribution of the collection of our shows that they have picked up.”

The acquisition is another milestone for the fast-growing Frantic Films. In December 2006, the company secured a $5-million equity investment from Toronto-based Priveq Capital Funds. In December 2007, Frantic successfully divested its visual effects and software divisions to India and UK-based Prime Focus Group (PRFO: BSE) to focus on film and television production. Last year, Frantic acquired successful Toronto production company Red Apple Entertainment.

About Frantic Films
Formed in 1997, Frantic Films launched its Live Action division in 2000 when Jamie Brown joined the company as CEO. It has since produced over 286 hours of live action programming winning numerous awards and setting several ratings records. Its programming includes feature films, MOWs, documentary and lifestyle programming, including Gemini Award winning “Til Debt Do Us Part” (Slice Network), “House Poor” (HGTV) and “Guinea Pig” (Discovery Channel). For more information, visit www.franticfilms.com.

About Peace Arch Entertainment:
Peace Arch Entertainment produces and acquires feature films and television programs for worldwide distribution. The Company’s Emmy and Gemini Award winning drama “The Tudors” airs on Showtime in the United States and CBC in Canada, and its lifestyle series “The Last 10 Pounds Boot Camp” and “Bulging Brides” each air on FLN in the U.S. and Slice in Canada. The Company’s recent feature film releases include “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh” starring Jon Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Sienna Miller, Mena Suvari and Nick Nolte and “JCVD” starring Jean Claude Van Damme. Peace Arch owns one of the largest libraries of top quality independent feature films in the world, featuring more than 800 classic and contemporary titles. For additional information, please visit www.peacearch.com.

Reporting to the Executive Producer – Eastern Region in Ottawa, we have a full-time career opportunity for an experienced individual who will be responsible for submitting daily television news stories for broadcast on APTN National News.

Key responsibilities:
• Structures, writes and delivers News & Current Affairs stories for daily and/or weekly show(s)
• Identifies, researches and submits ideas
• On-camera presentation of News & Current Affairs stories
• Evaluates leads/tips
• Receives assignments
• Writes and/or voices on-camera scripts, copy stories and voice overs
• Acts as interviewer on and off air
• Oversees technical staff working on assigned stories
• Oversees editing of re-package pre-taped video news material

Requirements:
• Minimum of two years experience in meeting the deadlines of daily news in television
• A journalism degree, certificate or equivalent experience
• As an on-air representative of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples – must be of First Nations, Métis or Inuit ancestry
• Must be able to articulate social, economic and cultural issues relevant to Aboriginal communities
• Knowledge of French and/or at least one Aboriginal language an asset
• Proof of valid driver’s license (driver’s abstract)
• Must be able to travel within the province
As this position is part of a bargaining unit, the successful candidate will operate under the collective agreement with the Canadian Media Guild.

Remuneration: DOQ/DOE

Please provide a demo of you delivering a newscast, a paragraph stating how you would focus and visualize a current Aboriginal story of your choice, and your resume quoting Competition 09/10-18 and where you saw this ad, by 3 p.m. (CST), Tuesday, January 19, 2010, to:

Human Resources
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
339 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2C3
Fax: 204-943-2368 E-Mail: careers@aptn.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

CLICK HERE to download the Reporter/Correspondent – Toronto Posting

imagineNATIVE & LIFT
6TH ANNUAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: CALL FOR APPLICANTS
(Indigenous artists around the GTA only)
-Make a short film for imagineNATIVE 2010!-

Application Deadline: Monday January 11, 2009

Do you have a great idea for a 5-minute short film? Explore 16mm filmmaking through LIFT's workshops, equipment and facilities. Shoot and edit your ideas to film, and see them on screen at the 11th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, which will take place in Toronto from October 20-24, 2010!

You will be provided with a LIFT Membership, and be eligible to enroll in any film production and post-production training workshop offered during their Winter/Spring and Summer 2010 calendar. You will be paired with LIFT's knowledgeable staff and a specially selected mentor to help you through your various development, production and post-production stages. imagineNATIVE will subsidize additional costs related to your project, and facilitate aspects of your post-production stages.

Please note: Projects must be realistic in scope and subject matter as they must be completed and transferred to beta by September 24, 2010.

The participant will receive the opportunity to use LIFT's extensive 16mm production equipment and facilities for their film. As every film is unique. Equipment and facilities access will be established in the budgeting section the development phase (past equipment and facilities budgets have ranged from $500 - $2,500). Any additional equipment and facilities costs will be the responsibility of the participant.

imagineNATIVE will provide a bursary towards production costs (minimum $500). 1200 feet of film stock will be provided by Kodak. Assistance with transferring and processing will also be provided. All other associated costs are to be covered by the participant.

Eligibility Criteria:

This call is open to Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit, other international Indigenous) candidates only;
Preference will be given to artists who have not had the opportunity to work in film (Note: you do not have to be a youth, but youth may also apply); Candidates must commit to attending the LIFT training workshops from March - August 2009. We strongly encourage applicants who are deadline driven and self-starters. You must live in Toronto or within commuting distance from the city. Travel subsidy and cost of living are NOT covered by this mentorship.

Your Application Must Include:

One-page short film idea
A half to one-page statement on why you would like to participate and how you would benefit from this mentorship;
Your bio (no resumes or CVs please). Please be certain to indicate your past experience with film, video and other artistic mediums, if any, and your Indigenous affiliation.
Email to kpotts@imagineNATIVE.org.

Questions? Please call Kerry Potts at (416) 585-2333 or kpotts@imagineNATIVE.org.

About the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto
LIFT has a market niche as Canada's foremost artist run centre for independent filmmakers wishing to create films on celluloid. It is a custodian of equipment and specialized knowledge of that medium. To ensure that emerging and established filmmakers have an opportunity to work with film, LIFT offers a variety of programs (workshops, equipment rental, residencies, commissions, screenings etc) that empower filmmakers in that medium. LIFT acknowledges the validity of other media technologies, such as digital and emerging hybrid media, and provides programs to filmmakers who wish to create on other media. www.lift.on.ca

About the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, now in its 11th year, is an international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples on the forefront of innovation in film, video, and new media. Each fall, the festival presents a selection of the most compelling and distinctive Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival's screenings, parties, panel discussions, and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. The works accepted reflect the diversity of the world's Indigenous nations and illustrate the vitality and excellence of our art and culture in contemporary media. This year's festival runs Oct. 20-24th. www.imagineNATIVE.org

Montréal, January 5, 2010

Dear Colleagues,

As you may know, my appointment as Executive Director of Telefilm Canada is coming to an end.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your valued support and collaboration over these past five years.

Your enthusiasm and commitment to our film, television and new media industries, as well as your ongoing support of Telefilm and its programmes have contributed enormously to the success and achievements we can all celebrate.

Prosperous and Happy New Year.

S. Wayne Clarkson

The Globe and Mail calls it a "brilliantly-acted caper flick" and the festival audiences in Berlin, Shanghai, Edinburgh and Toronto loved it! And on Friday, January 15, High Life opens in the city where it was made, at Winnipeg’s SilverCity Polo Park.

It’s 1983. The accidental reunion of two drug-addled and petty criminals, Bug and Dick, turns into an uproarious high jinks when the duo joins forces with a pair of hapless characters to rob an ATM machine. High Life, from Winnipeg director Gary Yates, is a tale of friendship and honour among thieves that is both edgy and hilarious. Compact, fast-paced, and wonderfully idiosyncratic, the film is a hoot.

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Joe Anderson, and Rossif Sutherland.
Produced in association with Buffalo Gal Pictures

www.highlifethemovie.com<