On Screen Manitoba

DACAPO has received a 2010 SOCAN Award in the category 'Creating Music in a Domestic, Non-animated Television Series' for Til Debt Do Us Part (a Frantic Films production)!

HUGE Congratulations to both DACAPO and Frantic Films! We LOVE it when our members partner up together and create award winning content. Good job you two!

DOC is delighted to welcome 6 at-large board members elected by acclamation in August.

They are:

John Christou returning for another term as an at-large member
Ava Karvonen also returning for another term as an at-large member

Newcomers to the board are:

Vonnie Von Helmolt
Mandy Leith
Katie McKenna
Francine Pelletier

The breadth and depth of their expertise will serve DOC well. We look forward to having them join their regionally appointed colleagues for the next two years in what promises to be exciting times for DOC.

The regionally appointed board members are:

Teresa MacInnes (Atlantic)
Pepita Ferrari (Québec)
Jacques Ménard (Ottawa)
Michael McNamara (Toronto)
Jean du Toit (Winnipeg)
Brandy Yanchyk (Alberta)
Michaelin McDermott (British-Columbia)

DOC would like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing board members who have guided DOC so well in the last year. Thank you to Sue Brinton, Peter Wintonick, Gita Hosek, Eric Geringas, Barry Greenwald, Leah Mallen, Erin Faith-Young and Lana Lovell.

A special thank you is owed to Betsy Carson and Chuck Lapp, two long standing board members who tirelessly gave their time and energy to the organization. Your generosity of spirit has supported DOC for many, many years and for that, we thank you.

Congratulations to Buffalo Gal Pictures Producer Liz Jarvis who has been selected participate in the Producers Lab Toronto (new this year) as part of the Toronto International Film Festival industry programmes.

Manitoba produced BLACK FIELD will screen at the Dark Bridges Film Festival in Saskatoon (Sun, Sept. 26, 1pm), selected as their Canadian Historical Drama (Part of Canada Culture Days). Writer/Director Danishka Esterhazy's beautiful dark historical drama is about two young sisters living alone on an isolated farm who become involved with a stranger who is interested in more than just spending a night in their barn while his horse rests. Admission for BLACK FIELD will be by donation for those who do not have a festival pass.

Click here to view the full line up.

John Barnard's short film A Fable About Beauty has two Canadian festival dates this September starting with the Cabbagetown Short Film & Video Festival in Toronto, ON at the Winchester Theatre on September 10th at 7 pm. The second festival date is at Halifax, Nova Scotia's Atlantic Film Festival with the screening taking place on September 19th, at Park Lane, Theatre 7 at 7 PM. Barnard will be attending both festivals and screenings. A Fable About Beauty's international premiere was at the CFC's Short Film Festival in Toronto this past June.

Narrated by Michael O'Sullivan (Careful, Archangel) and featuring performances by Tracy McMahon (The Lookout, Fringe) Tricia Cooper and Sarah Constible, the film follows socially inept losers Becky and Kimmy on their quest to meet their shared crush, notorious documentary cameraman Joel Stone.

AN AMAZING 22 GEMINI NOMINATIONS FOR MANITOBA PRODUCTIONS AND CREATORS! (PDF)

WINNIPEG, MB – September 1, 2010: The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has announced the nominations for the 25th Annual Gemini Awards, which include 22 nominations for Manitoba projects/creators.

On Screen Manitoba would like to thank the Province of Manitoba for their support of these projects and the ongoing development of the screen-based media sector in Manitoba. We are especially excited for the recognition received for LESS THAN KIND, a prime-time comedy series based in Winnipeg, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP KID: THE DON CHERRY STORY, a mini-series chronicling the life of famed sportscaster Don Cherry and ONE OCEAN, a multi-platform project that includes a television documentary and an educational interactive website. These projects are representative of the kinds of productions we hope to see more of – homegrown drama series, scripted dramatic programming and innovative multi-platform productions – which have a significant impact on the growth and sustainability of the industry in Manitoba.

2010 Gemini Awards - Manitoba Nominations:

7 nominations for Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story
This four-hour mini-series chronicles the life of one of Canada’s most prominent hockey personalities and top sportscaster Don Cherry. A true rags to riches story of a strong-willed character following his dreams.

• Best Direction in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
Jeff Woolnough – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
Tim Cherry – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series
Glen MacPherson – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
Jared Keeso – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
Sarah Manninen – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Costume Design
Patti Henderson – Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story

• Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Fiction Program or Series
Rejean Labrie – Keep Your Head Up Kid: the Don Cherry Story

8 nominations for Less Than Kind
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.

• Best Comedy Program or Series
(Buffalo Gal Pictures, Breakthrough Films & Television, E1 Entertainment)
p. Phyllis Laing, Ira Levy, Peter Williamson

• Best Direction in a Comedy Program or Series
James Dunnison - Less Than Kind - First Nighters

• Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Program or Series
Jenn Engels – Less Than Kind - Fatso Loves Lesbo
Marvin Kaye, Chris Sheasgreen – Less Than Kind - Third Death’s The Charm

• Best Individual Performance in a Comedy Program or Series
Benjamin Arthur - Less Than Kind - That’s Somebody’s Knish!
Lisa Durupt – Less Than Kind - Road Trip
Wendel Meldrum – Less Than Kind - I Am Somewhere

• Best Achievement in Main Title Design
Trevor Hembrey – Less Than Kind

2 nominations for 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. Episode Three, Mysteries of the Deep takes us to the most beguiling parts of the sea, the very depths that we know so little about.

• Best Science, Technology, Nature, Environment or Adventure Documentary Program
One Ocean: Mysteries of the Deep (Merit Motion Pictures)
p. Merit Jensen Carr ,Michael Allder, Caroline Underwood

• Best Cross-Platform Project – Non-Fiction
One Ocean Interactive (Merit Motion Pictures)
p. Merit Jensen Carr, Alexandra Rosentreter, Kevin Glasier, Vergil Kanne

1 nomination for The Secret World of Shoplifting
This one-hour documentary examines the rise in retail crime and how the consumer's quest for the lowest price fuels the market for stolen merchandise. Featuring astonishing security camera footage, the latest crime-fighting technology and interviews from both sides of the law, The Secret World of Shoplifting investigates why people steal, what others are doing to fight it, and how retail theft affects us all.

• Best Original Music Score for a Documentary Program or Series
Shawn Pierce – The Secret World of Shoplifting (Produced by Merit Motion Pictures)

1 nomination for Til Debt Do Us Part
To save families from the doldrums of debt, Til Debt Do Us Part follows financial wizard Gail Vaz-Oxlade as she helps families go from red to black by getting to the root of their destructive spending habits.

• Best Lifestyle/Practical Information Series
(Frantic Films)
p. Jamie Brown, Jennifer Horvath

1 nomination for Pitchin’ In
Follow renowned chef Lynn Crawford as she travels across the world in search of the freshest and finest ingredients, all the while learning about sustainable food production.

• Best Host in a Lifestyle/Practical Information, or Performing Arts Program or Series
Lynn Crawford – Pitchin’ In – Shrimp (Produced by Frantic Films)

2 nominations for CBC News: Winnipeg
A live news program that runs weekdays at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. Provocative and to the point, the CBC Winnipeg news team works to bring Manitoba viewers a unique blend of local, national and international news.

• Best Local Newscast, Large Market
CBC News: Winnipeg
p. Melanie Verhaeghe, Chris Armstrong, Kevin Cox, Brad Lillies (CBC Winnipeg)

• Best Breaking Reportage, Local
Sheila North-Wilson - CBC News: Winnipeg – Homeless Rescue, Homeless Hero, & Rescue Reunion

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

The 2010 Broadcast Gala, which will recognize the year's best in Canadian English-language television, will take place Saturday November 13th in Toronto, Ontario at the historic Winter Garden Theatre. It will broadcast live-to-tape on Global and Showcase.

For the complete list of nominations, please visit www.geminiawards.ca.

Congratulations to OSM Member Jon Compton who's project Lucky was selected as part of the Telefilm and APTN Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program; and to Coleen Rajotte, who's project Concrete Indian was also selected into the program.

Lucky
Manitoba

Writer: Jim Compton
Production company: N/A
Producer(s): N/A

Concrete Indian
Manitoba

Writer: Coleen Rajotte
Production company: Rajotte Productions Inc.
Producer(s): Coleen Rajotte

Telefilm Canada and APTN announce 13 feature-film projects selected under the Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program

Telefilm Canada, in partnership with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), is delighted to announce that 13 projects have been selected under the 2010 edition of Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program (FASP). Twenty-one projects from all regions of the country were submitted for consideration.

Participants will benefit from a combination of training, professional development and personalized mentorship activities, and will receive a development advance.2010 Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program participants
English-language projects

Click Here for the full list of projects selected under the 2010 Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program.

Congratulations to OSM Member Shelagh Carter who's short film One Night will be screening at the Montreal World Film Festival (Montreal International Film Festival), which runs from August 26 to September 6, 2010.

One Night
Painful truths emerge when a woman, Evelyn, is attacked in her home and her husband, Jack, fails to intervene. After shooting the intruder, Evelyn forces Jack to answer for his cowardice and in so doing, realizes exactly what has robbed her life of meaning and love.

Shelagh Carter lives and works in Winnipeg, New York City, and recently Los Angeles. She is an associate professor of theatre and film at the University of Winnipeg and a recent graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Directors' Lab. Shelagh is currently shooting her first feature film Hello, Darling in Winnipeg.

SCREENING TIMES
August 28, 2009 • 16:40:00 • CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 13
August 29, 2009 • 17:20:00 • CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 13
August 30, 2009 • 19:30:00 • CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 13
August 31, 2009 • 17:00:00 • CINÉMA QUARTIER LATIN 13

A short film collaboration long in the making, Negativipeg tells the story of Rory Lepine, who went from obscurity to fame in 1985 when he attacked The Guess Who’s legendary lead singer Burton Cummings with a beer bottle at a Winnipeg 7-Eleven. Rankin has previously had two other short films in the festival, 2006’s Où est Maurice?, co-directed with Alek Rzeszowski and 2008’s Cattle Call, co-directed with Mike Maryniuk.

Warchild (directed by Caroline Monnet and produced by Kevin Lee Burton)

Part of a trilogy of experimental documentary focusing on students from Northern Manitoba who come to live at a boarding school in Winnipeg for Aboriginal youth, Warchild follows a young man on a solitary portage juxtaposed between the barren wilderness and a desolate city as he reflects on his past and future. Monnet premiered her short experimental film, IKWÉ, at the festival in 2009.

Open Window (directed and produced by Cam Woykin, co-produced by Boaz Beeri)

This short film intimately depicts the portrait of a family and the rising tension of the unspoken during a backyard birthday party in a single continuous shot. Cam Woykin, originally from Calgary and later Winnipeg, is currently completing his MFA in film production at York University in Toronto. For more information on Woykin and his films please visit www.woykin.com.

On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music will celebrate the screenings of these Manitoba films during TIFF and all the Manitoban productions that went to camera this year with our renowned Manitoba Party on September 12, 2010, in Toronto. This event highlights Manitoba’s talented filmmakers and provides networking opportunities with hundreds of industry VIP’s from around the globe.

For additional festival information and screening times please visit www.tiff.net.

Bredon Sawataky of Inferno Pictures lets us know when Jay Baruchel's film Goon will come to town.

Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal Pictures updates us on the current status of Less Than Kind - Season 3.

And currently shooting in Winnipeg, the Frantic Films' television production Men With Brooms, gives you an inside look into the production process. Read more about these stories below.

Goon hockey film likely to drop gloves here in fall

Jay Baruchel's hockey movie Goon is opening its production office next week in Winnipeg, a reasonable indication that the movie is a go. Local service producer Brendon Sawatzky of Inferno Pictures says the film, scripted by Baruchel and Superbad co-scribe Evan Goldberg, will be prepping for a month, which means that the hockey comedy is likely to begin shooting in September. Michael Dowse, the director of Fubar and the criminally underrated It's All Gone Pete Tong, is slated to direct.

Click here for the full story
 

Congratulations to OSM Members Matthew Rankin and Michael Maryniuk who's films will be part of a series of free outdoor screenings will be held in Toronto, presenting highlights from 15 years of Bravo!FACT funded Canadian shorts and BravoFACT productions, as selected by programmers from the Toronto International Film Festival.

Organizers say most of the filmmakers will be present at the screening, as will TIFF Bell Lightbox Director of Public Programmes, Shane Smith and Bravo!FACT executive director Judy Gladstone.

The screenings take place at Metro Square with highlights from the 15th Anniversary of BravoFact being presented Wednesday 21 July 2010, by TIFF and the local business association.

Featured filmmakers and performers include Matthew Rankin, Michael Maryniuk, Peter Wellington, Noam Jenkins, Oliver Dennis, Hubert Davis, Ann Tager Page, Chris McCawley, Craig Eldridge, Devon Bostick, James Downing, Nate Smith, Patricia Fagan, Ray Kahnert, Soo Garay, Jesse Rosensweet, Simon Ennis, Julian Richings, Liane Balaban, Dylan Reibling, Howard Jerome, Jason Gautreau, Josh Raskin, John Lennon, Jerry Levitan, Mio Adilman, Jean Yoon, Bobby Del Rio, Paul Hyung Sun Lee, and more!

In partnership with TIFF, the Toronto Entertainment District is hosting complimentary Summer Movie Nights every Wednesday at 9 pm in Metro Square from June 30 - September 1st. The uniquely designed CN Tower light show every Wednesday at sundown signals the beginning of each movie night. Summer Movie Night Menus are presented at participating district restaurants in area.

The feature length horror film Aegri Somnia (A Sick Man's Dreams) produced by OSM Member Absurd Machine Films has just been distributed to Wal-Marts all across Canada for purchase!

The film was shot entirely in Manitoba utilizing about fifteen different locations as well as sets built in Absurd Machine Studios. All cast and crew are local - this production is as 'Manitoban' as you can get. Absurd Machine Studios President James Rewucki was the Writer/Director/Producer on this project.

Aegri Somnia is a Kafka-esque psychological thriller driven by strong visuals, dynamic performances and a complex and disturbing soundtrack. The film centers on the tormented mental state of Edgar, a loner who is disturbed by the sudden death of his controlling wife. Edgar's reality unravels as he is haunted by vivid hallucinations and surrounded by a faceless city threatening to swallow him whole. The bulk of the film is spent exploring Edgar's dreams and hallucinations until, like Edgar, the film itself becomes consumed by those dreams and Edgar is left with a choice: prison or paradise.

CLICK HERE to view the trailer for Aegri Somnia

Aegri Somnia has been receiving some very good reviews from independent review sites stateside such as The Blood Sprayer, and Cinesploitation. You can also check out their recent review in local Uptown Magazine (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Check out this article in Uptown Magazine on the making of Aegri Somnia

The Distributor is R Squared Films, based out of Pheonix, Arizona. The DVD release date was July 13th 2010, with it being available for purchase at Wal-Mart, Amazon.com and Netflix.

The film also became available May 1st on the Rogers cable VOD / PPV in Canada as well as the following American cable / satellite providers:

Charter, Verizon FiOS, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Insight Communications, Duo County Telecom, EPB of Chattanooga, Guadalupe Valley, Hotwire, HTC Conway Telco, INS (Des Moines), Massilon, MUS Fiber Net, NTELOS, NuLInk, One Source, San, Bruno Municipal Cable, Service Electric Cable, VTMS, Wave Broadband Cable, Wilkes Barre Cable, Wilson Cable

Aegri Somnia
Production company: Absurd Machine Films
Producers: James Rewucki, Mike Sanders, Colin Musulak
Writer / Director: James Rewucki
Lead actors: Tyhr Trubiak, Mel Marginet

Absurd Machine Films is a full service production/post-production facility that has been serving the Winnipeg production community for five years.

THOUGH Maury Chaykin was the patriarchal centre of the series Less Than Kind, the third season of the acerbically funny Winnipeg-shot show will likely go on after his untimely death, according to producer Phyllis Laing of the Winnipeg production company Buffalo Gal Pictures.

"We fully believe the show will continue," a melancholy Laing said Tuesday afternoon after a morning of conversations with the show's producers Mark McKinney, Marvin Kaye and Chris Sheasgreen. Buffalo Gal Pictures is the Manitoba producing partner of the series with Toronto's Breakthrough Films.

Click here to read the full article.

Congratulations to OSM Member Jeremy Torrie who's project CUDA was a recepient of the Canwest-Hot Docs Completion Fund. Torrie has been working on the documentary for the past year, which has also received support from MTS TV Winnipeg on Demand, where it will broadcast in the near future.

CUDA
Producer and Director: Jeremy Torrie
Production Company: High Definition Pictures Inc.

A Canadian soldier faces trials and tribulations when attempting to restore the classic muscle car of his deceased platoon buddy.

Recipients of Canwest-Hot Docs doc funds announced
By: Lindsay Gibb

Canwest and Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival have announced the 12 projects to receive $251,000 in grants and no-interest loans from the Canwest-Hot Docs Documentary Funds in their fifth round of disbursements.

The Funds, which were established in 2008, consist of a $3-million completion fund and a $1-million development fund which provide Canadian documentary filmmakers with financial support at critical stages in their work.

"I think what stands out across this funding round is the diversity of storytelling styles, from classical vérité to character-driven narratives and conceptual essays," says Sean Farnel, director of programming at Hot Docs. He adds that the committees behind the funds - which include Lynne Carter, production executive, factual content for Canwest Media Inc.; Aynsley Vogel, head of creative, Factual at Paperny Films; Ric Bienstock, producer/director/writer for Associated Producers Ltd.; Samantha Linton, director, factual content at Canwest Media and Farnel - believe the works will be embraced by Canadian audiences in the coming years.

"Still," he says, "it is also clear that producers are facing a funding crisis for creative documentaries in this country, a shame given the incredible rise in the popularity of the form that we've seen at Hot Docs over the past decade."

The Canwest-Hot Docs Funds have given a total of $1,369,000 in completion grants and no-interest loans to 55 projects since their inception.

Six completion grants totaling $182,000 from the Canwest-Hot Docs Completion Fund were awarded to the following projects: At Night, They Dance (Les films du tricycle), Beauty Day (Primitive Entertainment), Cuda (High Definition Pictures), Family Portrait in Black and White (Family Portrait Productions), RECESSIONIZE! For Fun and Profit! (Cave 7 Productions Inc.), and Ron Hynes - Man of a Thousand Songs (Primitive Thunder Productions).

Six no-interest loans totaling $69,000 from the Canwest-Hot Docs Development Fund were awarded to the following projects: The Art of Affliction (Mbmedia Productions), A History of Battle Fatigue (Primitive Entertainment), Lost Highway (Insurgent Projects), Painting by Number$ (Chaser Films), Rise Up (Bishari Films), and Slumdog Millionaires (Storyline Entertainment).

The application process for the second round of 2010 funding will open in the fall, with an application deadline of Wednesday, October 27. Visit Hot Docs' website for further information on requirements and deadlines.

Click Here for a full list of the recipients.
 

let's celebrate a fabulous cast and crew

Local filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy is asking for your help to bring Black Field to the Genies (a.k.a. the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars!)

Click Here to visit the 'Help Enter Black Field in the Genies!!' page on IndieGogo to help raise funds to pay the required Genie entry fee.

Black Field, the first feature by Winnipeg writer-director Danishka Esterhazy, is currently in theatrical release across the country. The film features amazing performances by Canadian actors Sara Canning, Mathieu Bourguet and Ferron Guerreiro. The film also features stunning cinematography by Paul Suderman and amazing work by Production Designer Ricardo Alms, Costume Designer Wanda Farian and composer Joe Silva. These artists deserve to be recognized with a Genie nomination. Please help us raise $1200 for the entry fee. Black Field is the little film that could!

‘WHITES INTERACTIVE' New Instructional Web Video Series!

In conjunction with the highly-anticipated launch of ‘WHITES INTERACTIVE’, we are thrilled to introduce a new series of web videos designed to provide you with quick tips on how to get the most out of your WHITES INTERACTIVE shooting experience. 

We’ve also set up our own YouTube tab on our facebook page where you’ll be able to view these videos with ease and convenience.  Don’t forget to visit our new website, www.whitesinteractive.com for all the details on how to empower your next digital shoot and see for yourself why WHITES INTERACTIVE should be your new partner in production!  Please click on the play button to view a sample from our new web series of instructional videos.  Stay tuned...there’s more to come!   

WFW Scorpio Stabilized Head Sure to Sting Competition!

At WFW, we are known for consistently providing our customers with the most innovative and technologically advanced filmmaking tools available.  We are proud to announce the arrival of the Scorpio Stabilized Head into our specialty equipment rental arsenal.  The Scorpio Stabilized Head is a fully-digital, 4-axis remote head which features programmable limits, is repeatable, has auto backpan and is capable of running 3D mirror rigs.  WFW along with our friends at All Axis Systems decided to team up to provide this rock-solid system which is perfect for Moviebirds, our new SuperTechno 50 Crane, and all other WFW vehicular camera platforms.

WFW Scorpio Stabilized Head on Toronto set of ‘High Stakes’

WFW Centre Getting Ready for Action! We are getting excited to move into our new home!  WFW Centre is now under construction and conveniently located minutes from downtown Toronto at the intersection of the Gardiner and Islington Ave.  Structural steel is being erected and the excavation of our new 6-acre parking lot is in progress.  In keeping with our Whites Goes Green Initiative, among other leading-edge ‘greenifications’ to the new facility, we are installing a first-class lighting system which uses significantly less electricity. Visit our facebook page for additional updates and photos revealing the progress of our new home.  The excitement is definitely building for a vibrant new chapter in our company’s history!

Current News at Whites Upcoming Events at Whites

Now Filming at Whites 
July 24, 2010 - WFW Golf Classic 
Royal Visit to Pinewood Toronto Studios

Emily Claire Afan, Playback

It looks like CNBC is making room for more debt, as it picked up two more seasons of Frantic Film's popular financial makeover series Til Debt Do U$ Part, distributed by Picture Box Distribution.

Having already snapped up three seasons of the series previously, CNBC's total acquisition now stands at 104 x 30 eps.

Other global broadcasters to nab the series include Discovery Asia, Zone (U.K.), Talit Communications, (Israel) and TV4 (Sweden).

The series is produced by Frantic Films in association with Slice.

The 2010 DGC Awards Nominations have been announced and many Manitoban productions received nods. Congratulations all those who've been nominated, and good luck!

Manitoba director Norma Bailey was nominated for Best Direction in a TV Movie/Mini-Series for Too Late to Say Goodbye.

Frantic Films' mini-series Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story received four nominations in total. Best Television Movie/Mini-Series, Best Direction TV Movie/Mini-Series, Best Picture Editing TV Movie/Mini-Series, and Best Sound Editing TV Movie/Mini-Series.

Buffalo Gal Pictures' tv series Less Than Kind was nominated for Best Television Series - Comedy.

Merit Motion Pictures and vonnie VON HELMOLT film production Ballet High directed by Elise Swerhone was nominated for Best Documentary.

To find out more about whose been nominated, check out the article from Playback below.

DGC nods for Chloe, Bridge
Marise Strauss, Playback

Atom Egoyan's Chloe leads the pack with five nominations in categories including best director and best feature film as the Directors Guild of Canada on Wednesday unveiled its 2010 finalists.

Egoyan will be up against fellow directors Reginald Harkema for Leslie, My Name is Evil, Penelope Buitenhuis for her fourth feature A Wake, and TV veteran George Milhalka for Faith, Fraud & Minimum Wage, when the awards are handed out in Toronto on Sept. 25.

The artsy thriller with an all star cast including Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried also picked up nods for production design, picture editing and sound editing. Chloe -- which earned over $1-million at the Canuck box office earlier this year for E1 Entertainment - will compete against Ruba Nadda's Cairo Time, Jacob Tierney's The Trotsky, and John N. Smith's romantic drama Love & Savagery in the team feature film category.

On the TV series front, it's the battle of the cop shows with CTV's Flashpoint and The Bridge each securing four nominations including direction for Holly Dale and Helen Shaver, respectively. They will compete against Adrienne Mitchell for Durham County and Robert C. Cooper for Stargate Universe. Flashpoint and Bridge are also pitted against each other in the team television series - drama category.

In the best TV movie or miniseries director category, Peter Svatek is recognized for his work on Everything She Ever Wanted, Paolo Barzman for The Phantom, Norma Bailey for Too Late to Say Goodbye, and Jeff Woolnough for Keep Your Head Up Kid: The Don Cherry Story. (Cherry garnered four DGC nominations in all).

The DGC will also present team awards for family-themed TV series with Degrassi: The Next Generation competing against episodes of Heartland, How to Be Indie, and Overruled! Meanwhile, the teams behind Death Comes to Town, G-Spot, Less Than Kind, and Little Mosque on the Prairie will vie for the best television series - comedy prize.

In the documentary category the finalists are: Ballet High, The Experimental Eskimos, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, and Love Letters.

The DGC will also recognize veteran helmer Sidney Furie with its lifetime achievement award, while Pinewood Toronto Studios' boss Paul Bronfman and Don McCutcheon will receive the life member and distinguished service awards respectively.

The 2010 DGC Awards will be hosted by Dave Foley.

A collection of artifacts and images from the history of film will be gathered together in Essential Cinema, the first exhibit to be held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the Toronto Film Festival’s new downtown home. “This is truly a representation of what happens at the festival, a back and forth between programmers, the audience and conversations in line,” says Noah Cowan, artistic director of the Lightbox. “The pieces show the history of cinema, writ large. It’s a conversation with the audience on why film matters to us all.” The exhibit, which includes original scripts and storyboards, memorabilia and new art projects from artists such as Atom Egoyan and Guy Maddin, is free to the public and open during the entire film festival, from Sept. 9-19. We asked Cowan to walk us through some of his favourite pieces from the show.

1. Hauntings I and II by Guy Maddin “Guy Maddin has created this totally unique installation where he’s gone back through the history of cinema and found abandoned projects by our most famous directors and recreated small fragments on his own,” Cowan says. “When I travel to odd corners of the globe, people always ask me about Guy. He’s this wonderful, strange filmmaker and we’re proud to have him in our show.”

Read more on the National Post Online

Serendipity Point Films, E1 Entertainment and Frantic Films Announce Start of Production on CBC Television Comedy Series
MEN WITH BROOMS

Cameras are rolling and curling rocks are sliding on the set of Men With Brooms, the CBC Television original comedy series produced by Serendipity Point Films, E1 Entertainment and Frantic Films.

Inspired by the popular Canadian movie, Men With Brooms celebrates Canadiana in a modern way. It’s a fresh and funny half-hour comedy that will hit airwaves as part of CBC Television’s fall line-up beginning Monday, September 20, 2010.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Men With Brooms is about a group of friends in ‘small town Canada’ who find lots to laugh about on and off the ice at the curling rink that brings them all together. It features an ensemble cast that includes: Brendan Gall as Gary, the charismatic yet hapless skip; William Vaughan as Matt, the dim-witted best friend; Joel Keller as Bill, the curling club manager; and Anand Rajaram as Pramesh, eccentric novice curler and local donut shop owner.

Rounding out the cast is Aliyah O’Brien as Tannis, the bartender at the curling lounge; Glenda Braganza as Rani, wife of Pramesh and co-owner of the donut shop; and Siobhan Murphy as April, who works as an accountant at the local furniture factory where Gary and Matt are also employed. Paul Gross narrates each episode and makes guest appearances as local curling legend Chris Cutter.

ABOUT PRODUCTION:
Men With Brooms is being shot in Winnipeg this summer, from June 21 to August 27. Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Curling Club will set the stage for nine days of curling rink action within the production schedule. The rest of the shooting will take place in-studio, along with some exterior Winnipeg locations.

Men With Brooms is a Serendipity Point Films, E1 Entertainment and Frantic Films production. The series was created by Paul Mather, who is also executive producer along with Laszlo Barna, Ari Lantos, Mark Musselman, Paul Gross and Jamie Brown. Paula Devonshire is line producer, and Shawn Watson is co-producer. Directors are Jeff Beesley, Brian Roberts and Kelly Makin. Men With Brooms is being produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the participation of the Canadian Media Fund, Manitoba Film and Music, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, and The Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit Program.

ABOUT SERENDIPITY POINT FILMS:

Serendipity Point Films is a motion picture production company formed in 1998 by Robert Lantos. Select feature film credits include the Golden Globe and Academy Award nominated Eastern Promises, Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winner Being Julia and the Golden Globe nominated Sunshine. Television credits include G-Spot, Power Play and Cover Me. www.serendipitypoint.com

ABOUT E1 ENTERTAINMENT:

E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO) is a leading independent entertainment content owner that acquires film, television and music rights and exploits these rights in all media in more than 190 countries. The company operates in Canada, the U.S., the UK, Holland and Belgium through four primary businesses units: E1 Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Distribution. These businesses collectively represent E1's extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production/distribution, Kids content, Licensing and Distribution. E1 Entertainment is the largest distributor of entertainment content on the Canadian market. Since the acquisition of Seville Entertainment in 2007, E1 has held a leading position in the market for theatrical releases in Canada via E1 Entertainment Canada and Seville Pictures in Quebec, and International Sales via E1 Films International. E1's content library includes more than 3,700 feature films, 2,700 hours of original television programming and 15,000 music tracks. www.e1ent.com

ABOUT FRANTIC FILMS:

Frantic Films’ award-winning series, features and documentaries have been sold to more than 180 countries worldwide. In addition to Gemini, Rockie, Accolade and other awards, its unscripted programs have set ratings records and become established hits on many channels. Frantic’s scripted projects include series (Todd and the Book of Pure Evil for SPACE), TV movies (Zeyda and the Hitman for CTV), mini-series (The Don Cherry Story for CBC) and feature films Faces In The Crowd and Lucid. Frantic currently has a number of projects in development with top networks and specialty channels continuing its track record of significant growth. www.franticfilms.com

Local writer-director Shelagh Carter and producer Polly Washburn have posted their upcoming feature Hello, Darling on the crowd-funding site Indiegogo.com:

http://www.indiegogo.com/Hello_Darling

Those who make donations are rewarded with "perks" that range from thanks in the web credits to having a school in the film named after them.

You can support them with a donation, by spreading the word and by clicking the "feature it!" link at the bottom of the page. Even small donations will help, also increasing the odds that the film will be mentioned on the top page of the site.

You can also join the Hello, Darling Facebook Page to stay updated and help build the buzz.

Good luck Shelagh and Polly!

Congratulations to OSM Member Danishka Esterhazy, who's feature-length film Black Field won the "Honorable Mention - Best Picture" award at the New Hope Film Festival in Pennsylvania. The screening at the New Hope Film Festival also marks Black Field's U.S. debut.

A full list of award recipents is available on their website.

The Winnipeg Jewish Review has just published a story on Farpoint Films and Andrew Wall's documentary The Paper Nazis.

Click here to read the article

The Paper Nazis will premiere on MTS Video On Demand in the fall of 2010. Stay tuned to farpointfilms.com for more details.

Congratulations to OSM Member Les Productions Rivard whose project Pour un soir seulement III has been nominated for a PRIX GEMEAUX for best photography/lighting. Good Luck!

Meilleure direction photographique ou éclairage : humour, variétés toutes catégories

Éric C. Lapointe
POUR UN SOIR SEULEMENT III «Caracol et Alexandre Désilets»
(Les Productions Rivard)

Philippe Roy
COMICOGRAPHIE «Martin Petit»
(Juste pour Rire TV)

Pierre-Simon Mainville
EN DIRECT DU STUDIO 42... 35 ANS D’HISTOIRE
(Bubbles Television)

Jacques Gilbert
ON PREND TOUJOURS UN TRAIN «Épisode 9»
(Société Radio-Canada et Les Productions Minh Thao)

Hubert Gagnon
RED BULL CRASHED ICE 2010
(Gestev)

Liste des finalistes 2010: http://evenements.acct.ca/documents/gem10-finalistes.pdf

Welcome to Cubicle Land
Original Pictures presents a hilarious new interactive web series
Jared Story, Uptown Magazine

Hi (insert your name here). My name is Jared and I’m calling on behalf of Uptown Magazine.

If you were taking a nap or eating dinner, I apologize. I just want to tell you about Cubicle Land, a new web series from Winnipeg’s Original Pictures.

“There are nine episodes and they’re each about two minutes long,” explains Jessica Krawec, 27, of Original. “It’s about three twentysomethings working in a call centre and it’s just a silly comedy about the ‘joys’ of working in a call circle together."

Visit Uptown Magazine Online to view the full article.

By: Denis Seguin, Playback

"The next Guy Maddin film." It's an event -- even for the auteur himself.

Reached in Winnipeg via email, Maddin admitted to full-on "panic mode" as he readies Keyhole - set to go to camera on July 6.

Executive produced by Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal Pictures (Amreeka, The Stone Angel) and distributed in Canada by E1 Entertainment, the $1.2 million project reunites the Winnipeg wunderkind with his muse, Isabella Rossellini, and his rock, producer Jody Shapiro, who has guided most of Maddin's later oeuvre. German stalwart Udo Kier and Kids In The Hall alum Kevin McDonald are also in the cast. In the lead -- and slightly out of left field -- is American actor Jason Patric (Speed 2, My Sister's Keeper).

Written by Maddin and his long-time collaborator George Toles, the screenplay is an Odyssian tale set within the confines of a house. Patric is Ulysses Pick, a gangster returning to his home after a long absence. Naturally, he is carrying a drowned girl who has now come back to life. The film moves from room to room culminating at the boudoir of Ulysses' wife, Rossellini's Hyacinth.

"I've been haunted for years by dreams almost exclusively about architecture, buildings completely devoid of people. George and I figured out a way to make a film about the residents of a house that's every bit as much about the house itself, a movie in which setting and character are completely inseparable, ... each of these halves are in a constant state of haunting each other," Maddin told Playback Daily.

Asked how he came to cast Patric, Maddin said the two met at an Edward Hopper-esque diner in Illinois after a screening of James Foley's After Dark My Sweet. Both the film and the actor left a powerful impression on Maddin.

"It seemed like he walked right off the screen to continue life as the film's vulnerable but extremely dangerous punch-drunk boxer turned kidnapper," the director recalled.

Maddin said he made a vow to himself that he would one day create a role for Patric. He added, "Given the right role, this guy can carry a movie, and its crew and all the picture vehicles and trailers behind him. Just harness him up and let him haul!"
 

Written by Gemma Manangan
Communications Coordinator
On Screen Manitoba

If you’re involved in the Manitoba film industry you’ve probably heard of them. If you’ve made a Western you’ve definitely worked with them. We’re talking about Jeff Page and Mavis Bruce of Reel Horse Wranglers. They’re a service company that provides horses, among other services, for film, television and live performances.

Jeff Page is not new to the business; he’s been working in the film industry since 1993. Starting out as a Horse Wrangler, he trained and supplied horses for documentaries and occasionally filled in as an actor.

In 2004 Jeff met Mavis and became more serious about the possibility of turning his hobby into a business. And in 2006 Reel Horse Wranglers was formed. With more than 20 horses at the ranch, supplying the animals for film and theatre productions is still one of the company’s major services. But since being able to horseback ride isn’t an essential skill for an actor, they also provide riding lessons on and off set.

Eventually Reel Horse Wranglers branched out into sets, wagons, props and costumes, mostly for Western themed concepts, but that could also be used in many Period Pieces. While it may seem risky to start a business that serves a very marginal genre, Jeff saw an opportunity to service this niche market.

“It used to be that they would bring in horses from other provinces like Alberta when a production required horses on set. We’re trying to change that and make these services available here in Manitoba,” Jeff says. “As a prairie province we have the right setting for Westerns and Period Pieces. We’ve started out by offering horse services to productions and it was just natural for us to progress into offering the sets and props that go along with these types of productions.”

The Reel Horse Wranglers ranch is located near Birds Hill Park and has become the setting for many feature-length, short films and music videos made here in Manitoba. With rural sets, stables, a stagecoach, antique props, and the only interior saloon in Manitoba, you definitely feel as though you’ve been transported straight into one of John Ford’s Westerns.

While many are under the impression that Reel Horse Wranglers is a service company only for Westerns, some of their most recent Manitoba productions include a variety of genres, such as; Farpoint Films Documentary Lost Bones: In Search of Sitting Bull’s Grave and Danishka Esterhazy’s Gothic Prairie Romance Black Field.

Reel Horse Wranglers also lends their services to smaller productions, such as short films. Last year, local filmmaker Ryan Simmons made his short film Steele VS The Sasquatch at the Reel Horse Wranglers ranch, where Jeff and Mavis were willing to lend their services to the smaller production.

“To help others start off is a bonus in our line of work; it’s great to see what people can create and to be a part of it,” says Jeff. “On the set of 'Sam Steele VS The Sasquatch', Ryan used a Snider-Enfield, a real antique gun. Where else can you access to stuff like that. We’re really passionate about having the right props our filmmakers need to make their films look authentic.”

Jeff and Mavis have also been involved in helping nurture and grow the future filmmakers of Manitoba, lending their services to the Independent Film Class at Oak Park High School on several occasions. With the help of Reel Horse Wranglers, the students at Oak Park have shot a music video for Kerri Woelke’s song ‘Last Dance’ and a short film entitled Intervention. Mavis says it’s important to give back to the community and get involved in activities that will help it grow.

“We enjoy helping out the local community. Sometimes there can be a lack of budget. We understand that. But on these smaller productions everyone still has to work hard for little pay or sometimes no pay at all. It’s worth it, because it’s all in an effort to produce something great.”

Snake River – A Manitoba Labour of Love

Snake River, which had its premiere this year, is a brilliant tribute to the classic Westerns we all know and love. The film took about six months to shoot, with production starting in May 2007. A true labour of love, the all Manitoban crew spent their free time on evenings and weekends shooting the project. Reel Horse Wranglers was involved in the pre-production, test shots and riding. Although the film had practically no budget, Jeff says it really didn’t take much to convince him to jump on board.

“I’d worked with Joe before on a commercial and one day he called me up with this idea for a film, a Western. He let me know right away there wasn’t much of a budget, but we offered him our services, because we knew that Joe was a capable director and we wanted to help bring his vision to the screen.”

Snake River has been praised for having a very professional look, even though it was made on a modest budget. A big part of the professional look achieved can be attributed to the work of Reel Horse Wranglers.

“On set we are constantly looking at the details and asking ourselves if it looks believable,” says Mavis. “We’re continuously bouncing ideas off each other and if something doesn’t seem right, we make it right. In this business I’ve learned that a little bit of ingenuity goes a long way.”

While there are several horse wranglers in Winnipeg, you’d be hard pressed to find one that provides the level of service that Jeff and Mavis do at Reel Horse Wranglers.

“On a shoot we’re there on set with our Transport Trucks and Wagons before any of the crew and we’re usually the last ones to leave at the end of the day,” says Mavis. “We really love what we do and that’s why we always give it our all on every production we’re a part of.”

Reel Horse Wranglers will be hosting an open house sometime in September. Stay tuned to OSM for details.

Congratulations to the OSM Members Buffalo Gal Pictures whose co-production Less Than Kind received an impressive 7 Canadian Comedy Award nominations and Frantic Films whose Winnipeg Comedy Festival received a nomination.

Buffalo Gal Pictures' Less Than Kind nominated for:

Direction - Television Program or Series – Kelly Makin
Writing - Television Program or Series – Garry Campbell and Mark McKinney
Performance by a Male - Television – Dave Foley
Performance by a Female - Television – Jennifer Irwin and Wendel Meldrum
Performance ensemble - Television – Jesse Camacho, Wendel Meldrum, Benjamin Arthur, Nancy Sorel, Maury Chaykin - Less Than Kind

Frantic Films' Winnipeg Comedy Festival nominated for:

Taped Live Performance - Darcy Michael - Winnipeg Comedy Festival

For the full list of nominees visit canadiancomedy.ca

Congratulations to Frantic Films who won a Rockie Award in the Lifestyle & Information Programs Category for their TV series Pitchin' In, episode 'Shrimp'.

BANFF: U.K. dominates Non-Fiction at Banff
Marise Strauss, Playback

BANFF -- Documentary producers from the U.K. hauled away four out of 12 trophies as the Banff World Television Festival recognized TV makers in non-fiction categories in a ceremony Monday night.

Brits nabbed Rockies for best political doc for Iran and the West; environmental program for How the Earth Was Made; wildlife & natural for the doc Life; and reality format for Famous Rich and Homeless, where by five celebrities spend 10 days being homeless by sleeping rough in London.

All four programs aired on BBC, and prizes were accepted on behalf of the creators by the broadcaster's Simon Nelson, who jokingly apologized to fellow nominees if "this is getting rather irritating."

Canada netted two trophies including lifestyle and information for Frantic Films' Pitchin' In, airing on Food Network Canada, and in the French category for Les vrais gagnants - about a hockey program for kids in Nunavut.

Pitchin' In follows chef Lynn Crawford who travels to far-flung locations and does whatever it takes to get the freshest ingredients possible, even if it means she has to do the dirty job herself.

"This is a small award but it means a lot to us," said Frantic Films' CEO Jamie Brown, referring to the physical size of the miniature Rockie statue.

The U.S. received Rockies for science & technology doc for PBS' The Music Instinct: Science and Song; and arts & performing for the HBO doc In a Dream.

Rounding out the non-fiction winners were programs from The Netherlands (Ton Sijbrands - Checkers Player Despite All Consequences), Sweden (The Queen and I), France (Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare), and Germany (The Miracle of Leipzig).

William F. Whites is thrilled to introduce their newly-formatted WHITE NOISE Newsletter with exciting news and information on Canada’s premier production equipment provider.

Enjoy!

By: Marise Strauss, Playback

HBO Canada has greenlit a third season the Winnipeg-set comedy Less Than Kind, sending co-producers Breakthrough Film and Television and Buffalo Gal Pictures to camera on 13 new episodes in September.

"We're ecstatic...we were hoping [for a third season] but there's a lot of good half-hour comedies [on] HBO Canada," co-exec producer Ira Levy of Breakthrough tells Playback Daily. He believes the return of a strong writing room led by showrunner Mark McKinney boosted the sitcom's chances of a third run.

Kind is the brainchild of Marvin Kaye and Chris Sheasgreen who created (and also writes) the series, which is based on Kaye's one-act play They Have Mayonnaise in Montreal. The writer's room is rounded out by Jenn Engels, Jennifer Beasley, and Garry Campbell.

Kind previously aired on the Citytv stations before it was picked up by HBO Canada last year. It stars Maury Chaykin as a self-destructive driving instructor father to Sheldon (Jesse Camacho), an overweight teen with his own set of problems. Wendel Meldrum (The Wonder Years) plays his pyromaniac mother while Benjamin Arthur (The L Word) portrays his failed-actor brother Josh.

According to Levy, the new season will see Sheldon in the final year of high school at a point when he's no longer a kid, but a young adult, dealing with the challenges of life and love, while brother Josh attempts to open up an acting school.

He's confident the series will again be part of HBO Canada's Friday comedy lineup, where it was sandwiched between Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Ricky Gervais Show.

Following the third season order, Kind will be up to 39 episodes, which Levy hopes will jump start sales in the international market, noting the producers have already had interest from U.S. and European broadcasters. Levy co-exec produces with his Breakthrough partner Peter Williamson and Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal.

HBO Canada airs on Astral Media's The Movie Network in eastern Canada and on Corus' Movie Central in the western region.

Original Pictures, producers of the hit series “Falcon Beach” and “A Bear Named Winnie”, this Thursday (June 17) will launch a new destination in cyberspace called “Cubicle Land”.

“Cubicle Land” is a virtual place (www.cubicle-land.com) that includes a 9 x 3 minute web series, an interactive site, cool merchandise and three iPhone apps – photograph yourself with Barb, the office babe in the free app “The Wingman”.

The series and the site are all about starter jobs and starter relationships. “Cubicle Land” is where dreams go to die and new dreams are formed. In the “Cubicle Land” are Walter, a telemarketing whiz who could sell ice in the Arctic but is otherwise socially inept; Barb, the new girl who becomes the stuff of Walter’s dreams, and Jackson, an annoying alpha male. All have Facebook sites and you can follow them on Twitter. A blog on the website invites the audience to share its “Cubicle Land” stories both with the producers and the world. The producers are looking for ideas for the second season. Good ideas may win a walk-on part. Join the chat!

“Cubicle Land” is produced by Original Pictures. It stars R. Morgan Slade (“Falcon Beach”, “The Adventures of Shirley Holmes”) as Walter and Winnipeggers Alisson Amigo as Barb and Eric Magnifico as Jackson. The episodes were written by Jessica Krawec, Nicholas Hirst, Rhia Alcantara and Ryan Souter and are directed by Original Pictures’ Kim Todd. The interactive digital elements were produced by Winnipeg’s Rogue Nation Studios.

“Cubicle Land” is funded by Telefilm Canada, Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Fund, Manitoba Film and Music, Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit and Original Pictures.

By: Randall King, Winnipeg Free Press

It's been three years since My Winnipeg and now Guy Maddin is prepping his next feature film, Keyhole, to shoot in Winnipeg July 6 with a cast including Jason Patric, Udo Kier, former Kid in the Hall Kevin McDonald and Maddin's go-to muse Isabella Rossellini.

Maddin and producer Phyllis Laing of Buffalo Gal Pictures dropped some of the details Thursday evening at the Gimli Film Festival's launch party at the Winnipeg Art Gallery's rooftop sculpture garden, where Maddin accepted the fest's newly minted Legacy Award.

In a kind of Maddin-esque variation of Homer's The Odyssey, the film's official synopsis suggests Patric will play Ulysses Pick, "a gangster who returns home after a long absence toting a drowned girl, Denny, who has mysteriously returned to life, and a bound-and-gagged hostage, who is actually his own teenage son, Manners."

View the full article on the Winnipeg Free Press Website.

Check out this great article in the Winnipeg Free Press about the Frantic Films co-production feature-film Faces in the Crowd that just wrapped up last week in Winnipeg. The article talks about some of the inspiration behind the film and main actress Milla Jovovich's thoughts and experience shooting the film.

You can view the article Woman in Jeopardy by Randall King on the Winnipeg Free Press Website.

Written by Gemma Manangan
Communications Coordinator
On Screen Manitoba

For local filmmaker Paula Kelly her foray into filmmaking started with a screenwriting course in University. A writer at heart, Kelly says she found the demands of writing a screenplay both a refreshing and intriguing change from her usual short fiction and essay work.

“It’s a mystery to me why I found the form of screenplay so attractive; it’s just something I gravitated to. Screenwriting felt very immediate to me and I enjoyed imagining what a film would look like.”

After University, Kelly first started working, as a reporter for a local newspaper, but it wasn’t long before she found herself feeling like she wasn’t being challenged creatively enough and decided to reinvestigate her love of screenwriting and ultimately make a film.

Through the Winnipeg Film Group’s (WFG) First Film Fund, Kelly completed her first short film titled Snakes and Ladders. Kelly says the camaraderie she experienced at the WFG attracted her deeper into the world of filmmaking.

“Making Snakes and Ladders was a learning experience, but a lot of fun. There were all these people willing to help make my vision come to life. It was the first time I’d experienced this kind of collaboration before and I really grooved on it.”

Since Kelly’s first short, she has been telling the stories of Winnipeg and its people, revealing the city’s true character in her films.

While many people are quick to classify most of Kelly’s work as historical documentaries, they are actually more character studies than historical pieces. Kelly says that her stories focus more specifically on people, rather than a particular event.

“I’m often inspired by characters, people that I find interesting. Certain characters appeal to me and I can’t help but start writing about them.”

And more often than not the city of Winnipeg happens to be one of the main characters. Kelly says she has found that Winnipeg has a strong and unique voice that can’t be ignored.

“Winnipeg is a city that speaks to the artists. There are a lot of layers to this place and people have a lot of fun lifting the corners and looking underneath. It’s not necessarily visible to outsiders, but people from here get the depth of the story that is Winnipeg.”

During a six-month artist residency at the Winnipeg Arts Council, Kelly had the opportunity to create a trilogy of short films called Souvenirs. Kelly says she used a mix of archival footage and interviews to highlight the history of Winnipeg and reveal its unique character.

“I let the record of the city speak to the content of the pieces of Souvenirs; about what the films would be about, look like and say about the city’s character. In the end these would be pieces that would be seen by the public and stay in their minds as a reflection of the city’s public consciousness.”

Paula Kelly continues to explore the many layers of history that make up Winnipeg and shares the unique stories she finds with the public. At the moment she is shooting a documentary for the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) to air on MTS Winnipeg On Demand titled Art & Stone. The project covers the history of how the WAG came to be, but Kelly says the film focuses on what the relevance of art is in our lives and how the gallery serves that purpose.

While Kelly has used the art of filmmaking to reveal the secrets of her subjects and character, the process of filmmaking has had the same effect on her own personal character.

“For me, filmmaking is the essential journey because as a person it takes you to places you’d never expect, that stretches you to a point you never thought you could go. At the end of the day you really find out what you’re made of.”

Kelly’s unique work has found her recently recognized as the 2010 recipient of the WFG’s Manitoba Film Hothouse Award for Creative Development. As part of the award, the Cinematheque is holding a retrospective called Sifting History: The Work of Paula Kelly this Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, where you can see Kelly’s films for free.

Screening tonight at 7:00pm is The Notorious Mrs. Armstrong, the true story of a working class woman who became a legendary union organizer for women workers during the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, followed by Souvenirs (a trilogy of shorts about Winnipeg) and Blog Winnipeg (a short about our love-hate relationship with Winnipeg that found in the blogosphere).

Appassionata: The Extraordinary Life & Music of Sonia Eckhardt-Gramatté will be screening Saturday at 7:00pm, along with a special live performance of Sonia Eckhardt-Gramatté’s Violin Caprice # 7: The Departing Train by Oleg Pokhanovski.

Kelly will be introducing her films on both nights.
 

The Gimli Film Festival celebrated their tenth annual film festival by awarding Guy Maddin as the first recipient of The Gimli Film Festival Legacy Award in Honour of Jack Clements. Guy Maddin accepted the Legacy Award yesterday, June 10, at their Launch Party in Winnipeg at the WAG Rooftop Sculpture Garden.

Upon receiving the award Guy reminisced over Gimli's unique beach screenings that included fish flies and vehicles that would randomly shine their lights at the screen, but these interruptions only heightened the viewing experience. "One should never loose themselves in a film so much that they forget their legs." Guy playfully said, before ending his speech.

The Launch Party celebrated the talents of filmmaking in Manitoba and ten years of bringing the very best of independent film to the shores of Lake Winnipeg.

The Gimli Film Festival is known internationally for its outdoor beach screenings with an 11 metre screen set in the water. The festival has been a champion of Manitoba filmmakers through the years, and supports their creative work by bringing their films to an appreciative audience each summer.

“We believe passionately in the talent and creativity of our Canadian filmmakers, which is well represented in the Manitoba scene,” said Janis Johnson chair of the Gimli Film Festival. “Our goal is to continue to grow the Gimli Film Festival into the most cutting edge indie film festival in the country.”

A pair of local filmmakers have turned the industry's traditional marketing model on its ear.

Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky have sold hundreds of DVDs of their latest project -- a documentary about video games, their creators and their craft -- that they won't even start shooting until this fall.

They've also raised more than $20,000 in two days from video game aficionados around the world who want to support their film after a trailer they uploaded to a "crowdsourcing" site went viral. One game developer alone pledged $9,000.

View the full story on the Winnipeg Free Press website.

Frantic Films and director, Jeff Newman filmed an extreme vehicle upgrade series for Coca Cola’s NOS Energy Drink Challenge. Jeff Peeler Executive Produced the 4-part on-line series on behalf of The Hive Strategic Marketing.

It was shot in Toronto over 3 days in May and launched on-line June 10 at www.drinknos.ca.

Written by Gemma Manangan
Communications Coordinator
On Screen Manitoba
 

As all filmmakers know, completing a film is not enough. Audiences need to see it. And in Canada, this can be a particularly difficult challenge. For Manitoba director Danishka Esterhazy it was a challenge she willingly accepted.

“As a filmmaker, you have to be dedicated; the price of being able to tell your story is a commitment to a huge amount of work. Otherwise, you don’t get to tell your story.”

Esterhazy is the creative mind behind Black Field. A dark historical drama set in 19th century rural Canada about two sisters, the man that comes between them and the tragedy that results

Since Black Field was financed through the Telefilm low budget program, there was no need to have a distributor or broadcaster attached to the project. That challenge would come after the production.

Esterhazy’s first attempt to get distribution saw her approach mainstream Canadian distributors with her gothic prairie romance but no one expressed interest. The distributors were unsure of how to market a film about Manitoba history and didn’t want to take the risk.

So, rejected by the Canadian market, Esterhazy decided to bring her film to the European Film Market (EFM) in the hopes of either finding a sales agent, a big distributor or perhaps several smaller distributors. With the help of On Screen Manitoba’s Access to Markets program, Esterhazy secured the money she needed and went off to Berlin.

Little did Esterhazy know that Europe would be the setting for a chance meeting with a fellow Manitoban and eventually a Canadian distributor in her own backyard.

In the Canada Room at EFM Esterhazy bumped into Kyle Irving- Vice President and producer for Manitoba production company Eagle Vision. That meeting eventually led to a deal that gave Century Street – Eagle Vision’s distribution arm-- the rights for Black Field in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Germany regions.

At the EFM Esterhazy also found Black Field’s international distributor—Altedena Films. After several meetings Esterhazy decided to give them the rights to become the international sales agent in the all the regions not covered by Century Street. Esterhazy says she chose Altadena Films because she liked their distribution model.

“ I wanted a boutique distribution firm who could market my film more personally.”

Next challenge? How to get the word out?

To get people interested in Black Field, Esterhazy incorporated guerilla and grass roots marketing tactics.

A lot of viral outreach was done for the film. Facebook events were created for the premiere of Black Field in different cities. Esterhazy also implemented targeted marketing, sending invites to Cultural Museums and the First Weekend Club. She utilized local press as much as possible to help promote the film.

“The thing that shocked me most was how long this whole process of making a feature film has been. I had no idea how extensive the marketing would be; that I would end up putting as much time into telling people about my film as I did making it. Marketing is part of the reality of independent filmmaking.”

In the end, even though distributors felt Black Field would be a difficult sell, the film has been well received by Canadians.

“There has been lots of local excitement for Black Field, a unique film that celebrates Manitoba history. We’ve found that there’s an audience that is hungry for this type of film.”

Esterhazy is currently working on Black Field’s Canadian theatrical release. The film is screening in Winnipeg, Brandon, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and hopefully Vancouver.

You can check out Black Field at the Cinematheque from now until June 10. There will be a special screening tonight night (June 4), where Esterhazy will introduce the film and be available for questions.

For additional information on Black Field screenings please visit the Winnipeg Film Group website.

Also, check out this article from The Uniter about Black Field!

Local filmmaker’s dark and stirring debut is a beautifully-shot historical potboiler
by Sam Hagenlocher (Arts & Culture Editor)
The Uniter
 

Black Field
Directed by Danishka Esterhazy

80 minutes
Playing at Cinematheque Friday, May 28 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Saturday, May 29 to Sunday, May 30 at 7 p.m.; Tuesday, June 2 to Sunday, June 6 at 7 p.m.; and Wednesday, June 9 at 7 p.m.

4 out of 5 stars

It is a dark night on the prairies. A horse shrieks in its stable. Two young women scurry towards a barn with a lantern to see what the trouble is. As the eldest shines her flickering light on the stallion in dismay, she sees the blood covering its head.

The horse is sick, and it’s their only one. Without batting an eye, she tells her sister to leave. She knows what has to be done.

“I’m so sorry,” she repeats, tears streaming down her face as she raises her shotgun towards the beast and fires.

So begins Black Field, the feature debut from Winnipeg filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. Set in 19th century southern Manitoba, the film follows the lives of two sisters living alone on the prairies.

Since their father passed away from typhoid years previous, Maggie (Sara Canning) has been forced to take care of her young sister Rose (Ferron Guerreiro) by herself. When a charming, mysterious young French Canadian named David (Mathieu Bourguet) arrives at the isolated farm, seeking a place to stay for the night, it sets off a series of events that will change the girls’ lives forever.

Esterhazy’s tragic tale of lust, desperation and isolation was inspired by the Victorian gothic novels of the Bronte sisters, who, like Maggie and Rose, experienced tragedy firsthand at a young age – their eldest sisters also fell ill and died suddenly.

While Esterhazy wears her dark inspiration on her sleeve, she weaves a perfectly unique and watchable yarn of her own here, creating characters of surprising depth and purpose.

Newfoundland-born actress Sara Canning deserves high praise as well, digging deep into the heart of Maggie, Esterhazy’s protective and strong but vulnerable protagonist. The hopelessness in Canning’s eyes is palpable and captivating, as Maggie desperately fights to hold their lives together when her sister suddenly goes missing and she must seek help from her distant neighbours.

Winnipeg cinematographer Paul Suderman does phenomenal work here as well, with a style reminiscent of the legendary Roger Deakins (No Country For Old Men, Fargo), perfectly capturing the harsh beauty of the prairies.

As the film twists and turns into its tragic climax, it is clear Esterhazy cares deeply about the characters she has created, delicately pushing them towards their destination. Black Field is a perfect example of independent cinema done well: a simple story featuring deeply convicted characters worth investing in, executed with precision and affection. Bravo.

(TORONTO, May 27, 2010) - Winnipeg, Manitoba’s Farpoint Films announced today it has reached an agreement with Middle Child Films, and its principal Tony Wosk, to represent the company’s interests in the Toronto market. Wosk will consult for Farpoint on both scripted and non-scripted programming and will be responsible for representing the company with Toronto based broadcasters and distributors.

Most recently Executive in Charge of Production, TV Comedy for CBC Television, overseeing projects including the series 18 To Life and CBC’s flagship stand-up comedy series Just For Laughs, Wosk has also held positions in feature film financing, acquisition, and distribution with Christal Films Distribution and Telefilm Canada. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) from York University's Schulich School of Business and a BA from the University of Western Ontario.

This business arrangement for Farpoint Films comes on the heels of director John Barnard’s latest project, the short film A Fable About Beauty, which will see its international premiere at the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto on June 2, 2010.

Narrated by Michael O’Sullivan (Careful, Archangel) and featuring performances by Tracy McMahon (The Lookout, Fringe) Tricia Cooper and Sarah Constible, A Fable About Beauty follows socially inept losers Becky and Kimmy on their quest to meet their shared crush, notorious documentary cameraman Joel Stone.

Part comedy, part art film, part bedtime story, A Fable About Beauty is a unique hybrid of genres and a lyrical meditation on our misguided reverence for beautiful people. Known for the Comedy Network’s hit series House Party, the Hugo award-winning documentary Lost Bones: In Search of Sitting Bull’s Grave, and APTN’s reality boxing series Warriors: TKO, A Fable About Beauty is director John Barnard’s latest mini-masterpiece.

A Fable About Beauty - Worldwide Short Film Festival screenings:

Wednesday, June 2 Cumberland Cinema 4 @ 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 5 Cumberland Cinema 4 @ 2:30 p.m.

For more information and to schedule interviews please contact:

John Barnard
Farpoint Films
Phone: 204-222-3755
Email: john@farpointfilms.com

(Gimli, MB) June 2, 2010 - The Gimli Film Festival will celebrate their tenth annual film festival by awarding Guy Maddin as the first recipient of The Gimli Film Festival Legacy Award. Guy Maddin will accept the Legacy Award at their Launch Party in Winnipeg on June 10 at the WAG Rooftop Sculpture Garden. The Party celebrates the talents of filmmaking in Manitoba and ten years of bringing the very best of independent film to the shores of Lake Winnipeg.

The Gimli Film Festival is known internationally for its outdoor beach screenings with an 11 metre screen set in the water. The festival has been a champion of Manitoba filmmakers through the years, and supports their creative work by bringing their films to an appreciative audience each summer.

“We believe passionately in the talent and creativity of our Canadian filmmakers, which is well represented in the Manitoba scene,” said Janis Johnson chair of the Gimli Film Festival. “Our goal is to continue to grow the Gimli Film Festival into the most cutting edge indie film festival in the country.”

We extend an invitation to join us in this celebration on June 10. Advance tickets are available at On Screen Manitoba (204) 927-5898 and Gimli Box Office or by phone at (204) 642-8846 for only $20.

Gimli Film Festival
Ten Years in Twenty Ten - Launch Party
Presented by Richardson GMP and Scotiabank

Date: Thursday June 10
Time: 8:00pm
Place: Winnipeg Art Gallery – Rooftop Sculpture Garden
Cost: $20

-30-

For more information please contact:
David Sherman: 204.334.8342
davidsherman@mts.net
www.gimlifilm.com

Congratulations to the Manitoba-Made NFB Production Runaway which won a Golden Sheaf Award in the Animation category at the Yorkton Film Festival this past weekend.

Category Awards - Animation
Runaway: Producer(s) Michael Scott, Derek Mazur; Director(s) Cordell Barker; Production Company National Film Board of Canada.

Runaway is a 9-minute short that 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. Runaway is available for viewing on the NFB website - click here.

Golden Sheaf Awards at the Yorkton Film Festival
The best of Canadian short film was celebrated at the 63rd Annual Yorkton Film Festival. Held May 27-30, delegates from across Canada took part in a number of workshops featuring top members of Canada’s film industry. Highlights included a double feature of the Canadian-made full-length films Rust and Last Train Home, the Minister’s Luncheon with the Honourable Dustin Duncan, select screenings of films nominated for an award, and a prairie LobsterBlast. The weekend culminated with the Golden Sheaf Awards held on Saturday, May 29, which honoured the best films entered into this year’s festival.

Click here to view the full list of 2010 Golden Sheaf Award Recipients

Black Field has it's Winnipeg premiere 7:00pm, Friday, May 28 at the Cinematheque and will be screening there until June 10. In honour of the premiere we are recirculating this wonderful article written by Richelle Cerrer an On Screen Manitoba Intern, that takes an in depth look into the making of Black Field and Danishka's experience during production of her first feature length film. Enjoy!

Local Winnipeg filmmaker, Danishka Esterhazy, talks about the concept and the process of her first feature length film, Black Field.

What do you get when you combine the Manitoba prairies with a historical gothic love story? Winnipeg filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy’s first feature length film. Black Field. The story captures the imagery of 19th century gothic literature, by taking elements of the Bronte sisters novels and placing it in a Manitoba setting.

"As a teenager, I wondered what would happen if the stories took place on the prairies. I always wanted to write a story like that," says Esterhazy as we sit in the On Screen Manitoba boardroom. "Black Field is a love triangle between two sisters and the man that comes between them."

Being inspired by gothic literature isn’t the only thing that made her want to produce a historical drama. Esterhazy says it was also important to show the diversity of the settlers who came to Manitoba.

"We understand each other now as a really diverse society. It wasn’t easy in the beginning creating that society, and that’s what I wanted to show."

Black Field features immigrant settlers from Ukraine and Britain. The sisters are Scottish and the man that comes between them is French Canadian.

After directing a series of shorts, Black Field, is Esterhazy’s first feature. "Once you step in the world of feature film, everything becomes larger," says Esterhazy. During the production of the film, Esterhazy quickly realized how much hard work goes along with such a big project. Despite the challenges, she describes her feeling during production as "a good kind of exhaustion."

Along with wardrobe, farm animals and stunts, Black Field’s historical component required the building of sets to accompany the particular time period. The film was produced by Two Lagoons Productions Inc. and was shot on their "Tyndallwood" property in Tyndall, Manitoba.

Jeff Skinner is a producer with Two Lagoons. He says aside from being a passionate and talented female director, Two Lagoons was instantly interested in Esterhazy’s vision.

"Danishka is a well-rounded director who understands all aspects and perspectives of what it takes to make a film. She wants to learn as many things as she can from as many sources as she can. Danishka brings a lot to the table and is prepared to let everyone else come to the table with their ideas as well,".

It was that ability to bring everyone in that Esterhazy says made this production possible. "The challenge was to create a film that needed a much bigger budget and do it with the budget we actually had" says Esterhazy who cited the creativity of the crew as the key to its success. "I don’t think we could have pulled this off anywhere else. Everyone involved really pulled together to make it look like a much more expensive production than what it really was".

Esterhazy has been producing, writing and directing award-winning shorts since 2001.Her journey through film began at The Winnipeg Film Group. She’s done training courses through Film Training Manitoba and is a graduate of the Director’s Lab at the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto. Esterhazy is also an alumna of NSI Drama Prize 2004 with The Snow Queen and NSI Features First 2006-07 with Level 16.

Black Field was shot in 35mm film and is currently in post-production and editing. Esterhazy says she is really happy with the look of the film and excited to release it to the world.

Watch the trailer for Black Field by visiting www.blackfieldmovie.com and check out Black Field’s Facebook fan page for updates.

Written by: Richelle Cerrer, On Screen Manitoba Intern

 

BlinkWorks Media has just released exciting news about their new project Indie Game: The Movie. While they have the concept for their film fully fleshed out and a sample video up on the website they are currently seeking funding to help them make the film and they are doing it in a new way. They are crowdfunding their film through kickstarter.com, a website that allows people to post up projects that fans can help fund.

To learn more about their project visit: http://www.indiegamethemovie.com

To donate and jump on the Indie Game: The Movie bandwagon visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blinkworks/indie-game-the-movie?pos=1&ref=recommended

THE FILM
It's a feature documentary about video games, their creators and the craft. It examines independent game developers as a way to understand the medium and the theory behind video games. Throughout, the film focuses on the human side of the creative process, and the connections between game and game-maker.

Available for 24 hours only, you'll be able to view a teaser for Julijette co-production The Divide, currently shooting in Winnipeg.

www.thedividethemovie.com

The film is attached to Hitman director Xavier Gens and stars Michael Biehn of James Cameron's The Terminator and Milo Ventimiglia, the star of the TV series Heroes.

The Divide is a suspense thriller that follows a group of people in an apartment building fallout shelter trying to survive the end of the world.

Manitobans will have an opportunity to see the award-winning CentrePlace Manitoba Pavilion at the Red River Exhibition June 18 to 27, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Flor Marcelino announced today.

"CentrePlace Manitoba was the cornerstone of Manitoba's participation at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics," said Marcelino. "The pavilion showcases Manitoba tourism, business, immigration and sport, and highlights our province's prosperity, opportunity, diversity and potential."

More than 121,000 people visited CentrePlace during the Olympics and Paralympics.

"This is a great opportunity for Manitobans to see this stellar attraction," said Garth Rogerson, CEO, Red River Exhibition. "It's a perfect tie-in to Manitoba Homecoming. It will remind Manitobans about all the amazing things our province has to offer and give visitors a window into our world."

CentrePlace Manitoba is a 2,560-square-foot, prefabricated, sustainable building designed by Manitoba's Cibinel Architects. The pavilion won a Sustainability Star from the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympics.

It features a recyclable outer wall and reclaimed elm woodwork throughout. The design is intended to reflect Manitoba's diversity from sculpted landforms, to lakes and rivers, to the province's vibrant urban centres, the minister said. Images of northern lights, polar bears and bison are projected onto the exterior of the building.

Inside the building, visitors will be able to see panoramic video presentations and virtual tours of Manitoba. Visitors will also get a
preview of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, a partner in the pavilion, through a series of interactive exhibits.

OSM members Jeff Peeler, Kyle Irving, Kim Bell, Chris McIvor, and Shawn Pierce worked on the video piece featured in the pavilion.

Ownership of the CentrePlace building, equipment and exhibits has been transferred to the Red River Exhibition. In exchange, the exhibition is rebuilding the structure at no cost to the province and will pay for its ongoing operation. The provincial government will retain ownership of the intellectual property contained in the Manitoba videos and displays used in the building.

CentrePlace Manitoba will be located in the north end of Red River Exhibition Park, adjacent to Kiddie Land. 

TuTuMUCH
9 Girls, 4 Weeks, 1 Dream

“A real and often shocking look into the life of young dancers trying to make it into the professional world of classical dance. It’s full of excitement and disappointment, tears and laughter and hard decisions regarding years of sacrifice and pain and the limitations of one’s anatomy. And it’s all from the mouths of children” - See Magazine, January 2010

This month, a feature doc produced by Winnipeg producers MERIT MOTION PICTURES and vonnie VON HELMOLT film will enjoy its European premiere at the famous Cannes Film Festival. As one of only ten films to screen under the Perspective Canada Showcase, TuTuMUCH is already drawing attention from international buyers and distributors.

Screenings are scheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at 6:00pm at Lerins 2 & Thursday, May 20 at 11:30am at Lerins 1 at the Cannes Film Festival in France.

TuTuMUCH, directed by Elise Swerhone, follows nine young ballet dancers as they plié, pirouette and compete for highly-coveted spots in an intensive four-week professional ballet summer program at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Leaving behind their families and friends, often for the first time, each girl confronts the painstaking and sometimes rewarding realities of actually living her dream. TuTuMUCH takes a behind-the-scenes look at how it feels to be a twelve year old girl and embark on a career as a professional ballet dancer, all before you’ve even had your first date.

As the girls learn during the course of the auditions, talent and passion alone are not enough. The classes are grueling as their physical and emotional limits are stretched and tested daily. “You’ve even got to love the pain,” says twelve year-old Sidnie, one of the prospective ballerinas. The success of a dancer often comes down to the shape of a foot or the length of the neck. In the last few days of the program the girls find out which of them will take the next step toward the dream of becoming a professional ballerina, and which ones won’t.

Produced by Merit Motion Pictures and vonnie VON HELMOLT film, TuTuMUCH made it’s Canadian premiere screening at over 55 Cineplex Entertainment theatres across Canada. This is the first time in Canadian film history that a 100% Canadian-produced documentary feature has screened at this number of theatres on the same day. In May, it screened at 30 theatres across Australia and New Zealand.

“I am delighted with the great media and public response we have received over the past couple of months for TuTuMUCH” says International Emmy Award winning producer, Vonnie Von Helmolt (Dracula - Pages from a Virgin's Diary, The Tale of the Magic Flute). “And with the screenings in Cannes, we hope to continue to build on the momentum the film has created internationally”.

To view a trailer for TuTuMUCH please visit:
www.tutumuchmovie.com or www.facebook.com/tutumuch

Here's an article on the Frantic Film co-production Faces in the Crowd currently shooting in Winnipeg. The article also has a great mood reel that visually portrays the concept of the film.

'Faces in the Crowd' Begins Filming, Full Cast Revealed
Monday, May 10, 2010

Oscar-nominated writer/director Julien Magnat's feature length debut Faces in the Crowd began principal photography in and around Winnipeg, Canada this past weekend. Joining the previously announced Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil, The Fourth Kind) and Julian McMahon ("Nip/Tuck", Fantastic Four) are Michael Shanks ("Stargate", "24"), David Atrakchi (Transporter 3), Sarah Wayne Callies ("Prison Break") and Marianne Faithful. The concept behind this thriller is pretty cool as Jovovich stars as a woman who has a severe case of face-blindess -- and there's "someone" after her. You can find the full plot details below.

"Magnat's script chronicles the account of elementary school teacher Anna Marchant (Milla Jovovich) who is attacked by a serial killer known only as Tearjerk Jack and survives, but is left to struggle with a neurological disorder commonly referred to as face-blindness (prosopagnosia).

Only able to recognize voices she fights to adapt to her diagnosis and the ever-changing faces of those around her. Working with Detective Kerrest (Julian McMahon) Anna race's to identify her attacker. All the while the killer is closing in determined to eliminate this potential witness. Only Anna has seen his face – and he could be anyone. "

Milla Jovovich (THE FOURTH KIND, RESIDENT EVIL) stars alongside Julian McMahon (NIP/TUCK, FANTASTIC FOUR) in the psychological thriller being produced for Minds Eye Entertainment, Forecast Pictures, Radar Films and Frantic Films – the Canada/France team of Kevin DeWalt (Saskatchewan), Jean-Charles Lévy (France), Clément Miserez (France) and Jamie Brown (Manitoba) will produce alongside Hollywood veterans Scott Mednick and Sylvain White. Executive producers are Christopher Petzel and Milla Jovovich.

The film is a Saskatchewan-Manitoba interprovincial Canada-France co-production with key technical and creative personnel from both provinces. Principal photography will take place in Manitoba and post-production including all computer generated visual effects will be completed in Saskatchewan.

Executive producer Nicolas Chartier of Voltage Pictures will handle international sales. Their first in-house production, THE HURT LOCKER, received six Academy Award's in 2010.

Principal photography will wrap June 13, 2010.

Canadian Dolly Parton Pic Adds Cast
By Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

Macha Grenon, Gil Bellows and Julia Stone have jumped on board Tara Johns' debut feature "The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom," from indie producers Palomar and Buffalo Gal Pictures.

The $3 million Canadian coming-of-age movie, shooting in Montreal and Winnipeg, portrays newcomer Stone as an 11 year-old girl running away and being pursued by her adoptive mother, played by Quebec actor Grenon.

The ensemble cast includes Rebecca Croll, Rebecca Windheim, Mung-Ling Tsui and Trevor Hayes.

"The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom" will be released in Quebec by Metropole Films and in the rest of Canada by Mongrel Media.

Barbara Shrier and Liz Jarvis share the producer credits.

Congratulations to OSM member Norma Bailey who has been named a recipient of the Order of Manitoba. Norma is the director on the APTN series Cashing In and recently won a DGC Award for her work on the TV mini-series The Capture of the Green River Killer. Not only is Norma a great director, but she is also a great contributor and mentor to the Manitoba film community.

Thanking them for all their good work - Order of Manitoba recipients named
By: Staff Writer

Former premier Gary Doer, filmmaker Norma Bailey and businessman Kerry Hawkins are among a dozen Manitobans who will receive the province's highest honour later this year.

Lt.-Gov. Philip Lee announced the 2010 recipients of the Order of Manitoba on Wednesday. This year's investiture will take place July 15 at the Legislative Building.

This year's recipients are:

Norma Bailey -- A pioneer in Manitoba's film industry, she was one of the Winnipeg Film Group's early members. Her first short film, The Performer (1980), received the Special Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival. She is also one of the first filmmakers to bring stories of First Nations and Métis people to the screen; her television movie, Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story (2003) received the American Indian Film Festival Best Film Award.

Visit the Winnipeg Free Press website for the full article.

...And This Is My Garden a documentary from novice filmmaker Katharina Stieffenhofer, produced in association with Buffalo Gal Pictures will be reaching as far as the United Nations. The documentary explores the innovative Mel Johnson School Gardening Project that has been breaking new ground in the world of education and literally growing a healthier community in the process. Teachers from the project have been invited to the UN Commission On Sustainable Development, where DVDs of the documentary will be distributed to attending delegates. Read the press release below for more information.

YOUNG GARDENERS SHARE SEEDS WITH WORLD
Manitoba Teachers Invited to UN Commission On Sustainable Development

Education Minister Nancy Allan today congratulated three representatives from the Frontier School Division today as they travelled to New York to present the Mel Johnson School Gardening Project to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.

Retired teacher Eleanor Woitowicz who started the project, Bonnie Monais who continues the gardening and assistant superintendent Don McCaskill will share details about the program that introduces students to sustainable development by helping them plant, tend and harvest their own vegetables in backyard gardens.

"Projects like this are great for teaching skills such as food production, healthy eating and encouraging new generations in Manitoba's northern communities to connect with the land," Allan said. "We're proud to know Manitoba teachers are being recognized for developing this innovative project and have this opportunity to share their experiences with others."

The Mel Johnson School Gardening Project began in 2006 as a part of the division's science curriculum Veggie Adventures. Seeds sprout in a greenhouse and are transplanted into gardens around the school in Wabowden. In a place where produce must be flown in from hundreds of miles away, the project allows children and their families to grow their own food and add fresh vegetables to their diets.

The project was one of three selected as good practice examples by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to be presented at this year's Commission on Sustainability. It was chosen out of 60 examples from over 30 countries because it demonstrates:

. how formal education can contribute to sustainability,
. how whole communities can contribute to sustainable practices,
. how other communities can duplicate the project, and
. how Aboriginal communities contribute and benefit from sustainability projects.

The group from Wabowden will give a 15-minute presentation during the event and will be part of discussions with sustainability experts.

"It's clear that this project has been great for Wabowden, as participation continues to increase," said Allan. "Students choose to remain involved even after they've moved on to higher grades. Projects like these inspire teachers to find new ways to include sustainability education in their curricula and encourage students to make sustainable development a way of life."

The Mel Johnson School Gardening Project is an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) initiative, using education to change social attitudes. ESD uses hands-on learning to show students how to live in a way that balances economic, social and environmental needs.

Farpoint Films and Mighty Kraken Films are happy to announce the premiere and launch dates for the Weakerthans documentary film We're The Weakerthans, We're From Winnipeg.

Saturday, May 8th the film will premiere at the The Globe Theatre for the Nuna (now) Festival a festival that celebrates Icelandic and Canadian film, music, and culture. Show starts at 7:30pm.

On May 9th, 2010 MTS subscribers will be able to watch We're The Weakerthans, We're From Winnipeg on MTS WINNIPEG ON DEMAND.

We’re the Weakerthans, We’re from Winnipeg follows one of Canada’s most acclaimed and beloved rock bands on an epic cross-country tour from St. John’s, Newfoundland all the way up to Whitehorse, rocking and rolling into the hearts of thousands along the way.

From vast big-city venues to tiny small-town taverns, this feature-length documentary weaves the band’s special blend of lyrical majesty and blistering instrumentation with unforgettable characters and a rare behind-the-scenes look at the shenanigans that only a touring band would dare.

Congratulations to OSM members BlinkWorks Media, DACAPO Productions and Frantic Films Branded Content who are all finalists for a 2010 Signature Award

The Signature Awards are put on by the Advertising Association of Winnipeg and are a Manitoba-only creative awards program is that proudly showcases the creative excellence of the Manitoba advertising community.

BlinkWorks Media finalist for

Corporate, Product or Service Video
- New Media MB "New Media MB Business Showcase"

DACAPO Productions finalist for

Self-Promotion - Print & Non-Broadcast
- daCapo "daCapo Holiday Trading Cards"

Original Music
- Jones Communications / Winnipeg Ford 5 "Driving Our Community"
- Centrallia Music "mf.1, Centric Productions, ANIM"
- Story Worldwide / Unilever "Bake It to Believe It"

Frantic Films Branded Content finalist for

Corporate, Product or Service Video
- Bio-Rad / Bruker "Once Upon a Proteomics Study"

RESERVE(d)
ART EXHIBITION EXPLORING ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art

OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, April 23rd, 2010, 8pm-11pm

EXHIBITION DATES:
April 23rd – May 29th, 2010

GALLERY HOURS
Closed Sundays & Mondays Exhibition Hours Tues - Sat 12pm - 5pm
Office Hours Tues - Fri 10am - 5pm

RESERVE(d) is a photo-based exhibition that showcases and attempts to resonate a reality unique to Gods Lake Narrows, First Nations reserve, Manitoba. Artistic intent means to capture a glimpse into characteristics and the dynamic characters that exist(ed) within Native communities.

Experimenting with ‘space and place’, award winning director, programmer and editor Kevin Lee Burton (Swampy Cree) and award winning media artist and director Caroline Monnet (Algonquin/French) express their creative research through a collaborative exhibition in the Main Gallery at Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art.

Native people have adapted to the ever-changing world while keeping pride in tact, languages alive, and diverse cultural distinctions. Yet a homogenized and uniform image of Native people remains in the general public eye. In addressing this, Burton’s photographic component of individuals, families and households on God’s Lake are combined with an archival image of Monnet’s great-grandmother and textured birds in flight printed on large format Plexiglass; alongside are Monnet’s video projections of landscapes transforming the gallery environment into a landscape place where her great- grandmother might have dwelled. Together, this collective exhibition will extend Urban Shaman into an intimate community – echoing a form of a spiritual space from constructed imagery, sound and effect. Making this opening an experience to remember.

For more information, please contact our Program & Outreach Coordinator:

E: program@urbanshaman.org
T: 204 942-2674
203-290 McDermot Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 0T2

www.urbanshaman.org

Congratulations to Manitobans and Manitoba productions who received THREE WGC awards last night! OSM members Buffalo Gal Pictures and Merit Motion Pictures both received awards in writing for their co-productions made right here in Manitoba! Dean Jenkinson, a Manitoban comedian also received an award for his writing on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

With what had to be more than 600 revellers, the WGC celebrated screenwriters in Canada last night at the 14th annual WGC Screenwriting Awards. The Manitoban winners are:

EPISODIC ½ hour
Less Than Kind “The Daters” (Produced by Buffalo Gal Pictures and Breakthrough Films & Television)
Written by Garry Campbell

DOCUMENTARY
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet - 40 Years of One Night Stands (Produced by Merit Motion Pictures and Inside Out Productions)
Narration Written by Robert Lower

VARIETY
This Hour Has 22 Minutes XVII “Episode 6” (Produced by Halifax Film Company)
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

Click here to view the full list of winners.

THIS IS ONE SUITE MAKEOVER!

The Fairmont Winnipeg is undergoing extensive renovations to its luxurious “Royal Suite”. In honour of this exciting new reappointment, we’re having a contest so that you may provide us with a brand new name! It could tie into Winnipeg/Manitoba culturally, historically or geographically but should still convey the tasteful luxuriousness for which The Fairmont Winnipeg is known.

If your submission is chosen you’ll win:

• Transfer to and from your home in our BMW X5 Limo
• A one night stay in the Suite for two guests
• Dinner for two in the Suite featuring a sumptuous, gourmet meal showcasing organic cuisine and wines
• Breakfast for two in the Fairmont Gold Lounge

Entries must be sent to namethatsuite@fairmont.com before April 30, 2010.

One entry per person. Entry must include full name, address and phone number. Contest is not open to employees of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Winning entry will be announced by May 7, 2010. Valet service portion of the prize is only available to residents of Winnipeg and will be excluded if the winner of the prize package resides outside of Winnipeg.

For information & reservations, call 204-957-1350. Visit www.fairmont.com

Join The Fairmont Winnipeg Facebook Group for more great contests!

Congratulations to OSM Members Frantic Films and Buffalo Gal Pictures who both received Rockie Award Nominations! Frantic Films received 3 Rockie Award nominations in the Lifestyle & Information Programs category and 1 nomination in the Pilot Competition - Over 20 Minute category. Buffalo Gal Pictures received a Rockie Award nomination in the Drama Mini-Series category.

Nominated Buffalo Gal Pictures productions:

Drama Mini-Series
Diamonds (Broadcast on CBC, Canal+, ABC)

Nominated Frantic Films productions:

Lifestyle & Information
Pitchin' In: Shrimp (Broadcast on Food Network Canada)
Til Debt Do Us Part: Blended Family Blues (Broadcast on Slice Network Canada)
Til Debt Do Us Part: For Richer Or For Poor (Broadcast on Slice Network Canada)

Pilot Competion - Over 20 Minute
Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: Monster Fat

The Banff World Television Awards, also known as the 'Rockies', is one of the world’s most prestigious events celebrating outstanding work by international TV creators responsible for the continuing evolution and originality in the industry. This year, pilots are also being recognized, with the inaugural Banff International Pilots Competition and Awards awarding talent and creativity in conceptualizing and creating online and television pilots.

Click here for a full list of award nominees and categories.

The National Film Board's website was updated Wednesday with Night Mayor, a new film from award-winning Winnipeg director Guy Maddin.

"I thought Night Mayor could unspool luminously and infinitely in its own enchanted, and frequently visited, corner of cyberspace," Maddin said in a statement.

Click here for the full story.

FOODLAND has just launched our official website: www.foodlandthemovie.com

There is also a FOODLAND Facebook Fan page and account (under the name Trevor Wolnik), so please feel free to join!

FOODLAND is an independent caper comedy feature film which was filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The script was selected for the National Screen Institute of Canada's Features First Program.

FOODLAND is a Julijette Inc. production set for release in 2010. Adam Smoluk wrote and directed the film which was produced by Juliette Hagopian.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television held its 30th Annual Genie Awards Show last night and Manitoba did not go home empty handed. On Screen Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music are pleased to congratulate the Manitoban production Runaway that won the Genie for Best Animated Film. Runaway was executive produced by Derek Mazur of the National Film Board and animated by Cordell Barker.

Runaway is a 9-minute short that 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. Runaway is available for viewing on the NFB website - click here.

Screening at top film festivals such as TIFF, Cannes and Sundance, Runaway has been a great success. The short film has also received international recognition winning the Le Petit Rail d'Or for Best Short Film in Cannes and the Jury's Special Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

This is Winnipeg Animator Cordell Barker’s second Genie win for Best Animated Film. He previously won a Genie for The Cat Came Back in 1989 and was nominated for Strange Invaders in 2001.

The Genie Awards is an annual celebration that recognizes and promotes outstanding achievements in Canadian cinema. This years awards took place in Toronto, Ontario at the Guvernment / Kool Haus Entertainment Complex. The awards show was broadcast live on IFC and was also available through webcast at CBC.ca. If you missed all the glitz and glamour, the award show is set for rebroadcast Sunday, May 9, 2010 11pm CT on Movie Central.

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

Cherry tops Shania, Céline
Marise Strauss, Playback Magazine

The life story of hockey legend Don Cherry stood up against the competition over its two-night event, delivering solid ratings for CBC and producers E1 Entertainment and Frantic Films.

Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story scored 1.3 million viewers on Sunday at 8 p.m. despite facing a slew of reality shows including CTV's The Amazing Race and newbie Undercover Boss, and Global's The Celebrity Apprentice. (All numbers 2+.)

The mini held on to most of its audience the following night to the tune of 1.2 million viewers versus CTV's comedy lineup and a repeat episode of Global's House, followed by 24.

"Don Cherry has been a beloved member of the CBC family for 30 years and it's wonderful to see that Canadians feel that same personal connection. The success of this movie is a testament to CBC's dedication to great storytelling that connects and resonates with viewers across the country," commented CBC Television GM Kirstine Stewart.

Cherry bested the ratings of previous CBC biopics Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (2005) and Céline (2008), which drew 1.2 million and 761,000 viewers, respectively, though that was before the arrival of BBM's Personal People Meters.

The Winnipeg-shot mini chronicles the life of Cherry from his playing career in the professional minor leagues to his coaching days for the Boston Bruins and television career as a commentator on Hockey Night in Canada's Coach's Corner. It stars Jared Keeso (The Guard, Monster Warriors) as Cherry.

The mini was written and exec produced by Cherry's son Tim Cherry.

Meanwhile, the season finale of CBC's reliable The Rick Mercer Report delivered its usual one million viewers on Tuesday, March 23, while This Hour Has 22 Minutes followed with 545,000 viewers -- down from its 700,000 season average this time last year.

Congratulations to OSM Member Danishka Esterhazy, whose debut feature film Black Field has been awarded Best Canadian Feature at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto.

The award was presented Sunday, March 28th, at the CLOSING RECEPTION and AWARDS GALA held at the Novotel Toronto Centre.

Black Field is a romantic historical drama set in 19th century rural Manitoba. Variety describes the film as "a Brontë-esque tale of two sisters and the mysterious male who romances them both. Writer-director Danishka Esterhazy gets the feel of rugged prairie life just right."

The film was written and directed by Winnipeg filmmaker Danishka Esterhazy. In 2008, Esterhazy was awarded the prestigious Kodak New Vision Award. She is currently shortlisted for the John Hirsch Award for most Promising Manitoba Writer.

"I am so thrilled to receive this award," says Esterhazy. "Black Field is a Canadian story, shot in Manitoba, starring Canadian actors. It is a romantic story inspired by the history of early Canadian homesteaders. I am so happy that the film is finding its audience and that the reception has been so positive."

Black Field will be released in theatres across Canada in June 2010.

For more information about the film, please visit www.BlackFieldMovie.com

Black Field was made possible through financial support from Telefilm Canada and Manitoba Film & Music. Development support was provided by SuperChannel. Travel support was provided by On Screen Manitoba.

High Life, the latest feature film by writer/director/producer Gary Yates and co-producer Liz Jarvis of Buffalo Gal Pictures (both NSI Features First grads) is now available on DVD in the US and UK. The Canadian release will be in May.

High Life is a comedic heist movie from the flip-side of the 80s consumer dream. It's 1983, and petty-thief Dick gets a surprise visit from his unhinged former cellmate, Bug.

Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Joe Anderson and Rossif Sutherland star.

The exact date of the Canadian release and pre-order information will be posted on the High Life site as soon as it is available. The Canadian release contains bonus material not available on any other disc as well as discrete Dolby 2.0 and Dolby 5.1 mixes.

Congratulations to OSM Member Paula Kelly who has won the Manitoba Film Hothouse Award for Creative Development.

The Hothouse Award includes $10,000 in cash and $5,000 in production services designed to support a local director through the development stages of filmmaking that will ultimately lead to the production of one or several major film productions. The Hothouse Award is also intended to provide attention for the local directing talent that Manitoba has right here at home.

Winnipeg-based director Paula Kelly has spent close to 15 years as a filmmaker, practicing her art and craft in this community, and creating projects that have made a lasting contribution to our local culture.

In 2001, Kelly completed her hour-long documentary The Notorious Mrs. Armstrong, reconstructing one woman’s crucial role in the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike. In 2006, Kelly released her documentary feature Appassionata: The Extraordinary Life and Music of Sonia Eckhardt-Gramatté, about an important figure in Winnipeg’s development as a city strongly connected to the arts.

More recently, Kelly served as Artist-in-Residence for the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Public Art Program, for which she created a trio of short films, Souvenirs. These short films capture three themes that emerged for Kelly while she engaged in her research through the City of Winnipeg’s Archives – the physical construction of the city, our relationship with the recurring floods, and the continued struggle to reconcile our vision of Winnipeg with its concrete realities.

Supported by the Hothouse Award, Kelly will work on the writing and development of several dramatic feature films, including Euphoria, Phantom Love and The Emancipation of Emily Blake. She will also engage in visual and technical research for the installation component of her upcoming short drama, The Crest, which Kelly describes as “a future-world story about a farm family faced with the catastrophic flood of the year 2059, which was inspired by my research on Souvenirs.”

As part of the award recognition, the Winnipeg Film Group will host a two-day retrospective screening series on Paula Kelly’s career, June 11 & 12, at the Winnipeg Cinematheque.

The Winnipeg Film Group acknowledges the support of the Province of Manitoba in funding Manitoba Film Hothouse Award for Creative Development. The Winnipeg Film Group additionally acknowledges the ongoing funding support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

More information on the Winnipeg Film Group is available at www.winnipegfilmgroup.com

8th Annual Female Eye Film Festival
March 24th - March 28th, 2010

If you just happen to be in Toronto this weekend, check out Danishka Esterhazy's film...

BLACK FIELD (www.blackfieldmovie.com)
(TP, Drama, 80:00, Winnipeg, MB)

Starring Mathieu Bourguet and Sara Canning. It is 1874 in the Canadian prairies. Homesteader Maggie McGregor has raised her little sister Rose since the death of their parents. One day David, a French trapper, arrives at their farm and refuses to leave. The women are wary but an attraction grows between David and Maggie. Then, without warning, David runs off – taking fourteen year-old Rose with him. Desperate to save her sister, Maggie chases the couple across the rugged and isolated countryside only to discover that David is not what he claims to be.

Showtime:
SATURDAY, MARCH 27th, 2010
9pm: SHORT & CANADIAN FEATURE
Rainbow Cinemas Market Square, 80 Front Street East

The Female Eye Film Festival
“always honest, not always pretty”

The Female Eye Film Festival established in 2001, is Ontario’s one and only annual international independent film Festival showcasing films directed by women. We present high caliber films in drama, comedy, sci-fi, action, documentary, experimental and animation. The Female Eye is a juried competitive film festival and presents films by debut, emerging and internationally recognized directors.

Stemming directly from contacts made at MIPCOM and MIPTV made possible by the former On Screen Manitoba M3P Program, DACAPO Productions recently had the opportunity to provide music for the ZDF's (Germany) documentary Die Queen - Die Dokumentation. Airing in February of 2010, the documentary examined how the Queen's actions subsequent to the death of Diana put the position of the entire monarchy in jeopardy.

As a followup, DACAPO has also inked a deal to provide music for a second ZDF production entitled Palace Affairs that probes deeper into the situation around Diana's death.

The documentary can be viewed on-line at: www.zdf.de

Congratulations to OSM members Guy Maddin and the NFB's Derek Mazur whose film Night Mayor won the award for Best Experimental Short at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Night Mayor tells the tale of a Bosnian immigrant who harnesses the power of the aurora borealis to broadcast images of his adoptive country. The comic fantasy, from the filmmaker Guy Maddin, who also created My Winnipeg and The Saddest Music in the World, was produced by the National Film Board. The film was commissioned as a tribute to the NFB for their 70th Anniversary back in 2009 and premiered at TIFF.

Click here to view the trailer, video clips and behind the scenes footage of Night Mayor.

The SXSW festival is a celebration of music, film and other arts, that annually attracts Canadian bands and filmmakers.

Three Winnipeg filmmakers return home to tell of their recent filmmaking journey
Kenton Smith

Winnipeg's film community is certainly making an international impression.

As part of a sister relationship with the Winnipeg Film Group, local filmmakers Jaimz Asmundson, Danishka Esterhazy, and Jeffrey Erbach recently completed a two-week residency at the Kolner Filmhaus, in Cologne, Germany.

The trio will be giving a free artists' talk at Cinematheque this Sunday afternoon to share the details of the experience.

"We definitely made a stamp," Asmundson says."Hand-processing your film, for instance, is common in Winnipeg, but for them it was completely fresh."

Erbach taught an acting class, and WFG production coordinator Mike Maryniuk - who came briefly to lend support - led other workshops. The filmmakers' primary work, however, were the self-defined projects outlined in their proposals.

Each filmmaker was challenged during the stay. Esterhazy's recent work - such as her debut feature Black Field - has tended to veer toward traditional narrative. This time, she created a new, experimental short on the theme of Cologne itself.

"It was a more improvisational process," Esterhazy says. "I waited for inspiration to find me. But it actually gave me more energy to 'find' the film as it evolved."

Asmundson had been working on and off on a film with his dad; his time in Cologne was focused mainly on editing the project. It primarily concerns his father's subterranean journey into a self-contained, self-created other world.

"I wanted to really push myself," Asmundson says. "The way this film mixes styles is unlike anything else I've done."

Erbach, in collaboration with local actors in Cologne, continued worked on ways of applying biomechanics, an acting process developed by Russian theatre giant Vsevolod Meyerhold. It's a system Erbach, the acclaimed writer-director of The Nature of Nicholas, had explored for the last year and a half.

"It's a more physical way of finding the 'composition' of a performance," Erbach says. "How cinematography works with this -how to place the 'notes' of a performance in a film - is what I'm still trying to figure out."

Although they brought WFG equipment with them, the filmmakers found there were many unique opportunities afforded by Cologne.

"I found the very sound of Cologne was different," Esterhazy says. "Not just the bells and subway, but how sound echoed off the old stonework." She walked around with a digital recorder to collect raw material for her film's soundtrack.

Asmundson also shot new footage in Cologne featuring his dad, who visited. The two also shot in the Paris catacombs. "All this added production value," Asmundson says.

Still, there is realization of how good filmmakers have it in the 'Peg.

"We have great resources available to us," Asmundson says. "That's less the case in Cologne. We'd love to host some Cologne filmmakers."

Those filmmakers there reacted in some unexpected ways to the Winnipeggers' work.

"They loved Attack of the 50 Foot Chihuahua from Outer Space!" Asmundson says. "That surprised me."

"It goes to show how important it is to have your work travel," Esterhazy says. "People can relate to film across linguistic and cultural barriers."

ARTIST TALK
March 21, 2 p.m., Cinematheque
Admission is FREE

WINNIPEG, MB – March 17, 2010: The Yorkton Film Festival has announced the nominees for the 2010 Golden Sheaf Awards. On Screen Manitoba member productions received an impressive total of seven nominations. The winners will be announced at the Yorkton Film Festival Gala on Saturday, May 29, 2010.

On Screen Manitoba congratulates all the Manitobans who have been nominated. Having seven different Manitoba productions in the running for awards shows the diversity and range of talent in our province. Best of luck to everyone!

2010 Golden Sheaf Awards - Manitoba Nominations:

Runaway
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.

• Animation Category - Runaway
Producer(s) Michael Scott, Derek Mazur; Director(s) Cordell Barker; Production Company National Film Board of Canada

2009 Winnipeg Comedy Festival: Queer as Jokes
The internationally renowned CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival Television Series features five hours of stand-up comedy from some of North America's best comedic talent in five specially themed episodes: Savings & Groans, The Holiday Show, Queer as Jokes, Cradle to the Grave and The Seven Deadly Sins.

• Comedy Category – 2009 Winnipeg Comedy Festival: Queer as Jokes
Producer(s) Jamie Brown, Shawn Watson; Director(s) Michael Watt; Production Company Frantic Films

Winnipeg Burlesque
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.

• Documentary History Category – Winnipeg Burlesque
Producer(s) Kyle Bornais, Cam Bennett; Director(s) John Barnard; Production Company Farpoint Films

IKWÉ
IKWÉ (meaning “woman” in Algonquin) is a visually fluid experimental film centered on the internal dialogue between a young woman and the teachings of her grandmother, the moon. Referencing ancestral traditions of oral storytelling, the narrative unfolds in both French and Cree as two generations form a bridge between the natural and modern worlds.

• Experimental Category - IKWÉ
Producer(s) Caroline Monnet; Director(s) Caroline Monnet

The Opener: Twisted Lemon
Top TV chef David Adjey knows the cutthroat restaurant business inside out, and in The Opener, he’s determined to give amateur restaurateurs a fighting chance at success. With their life savings on the line and often in over their heads, David uses unorthodox teaching techniques to identify problems and come up with a game plan to get them to opening night and beyond.

• Lifestyle Category – The Opener: Twisted Lemon
Producer(s) Barri Cohen, Cameron Rothery; Director(s) Nadine Schwartz; Production Company Red Apple Productions – A Division of Frantic Films

Til Debt Do Us Part: Turned Out
Til Debt Do Us Part follows financial wizard Gail Vaz-Oxlade as she helps families go from red to black by getting to the root of their destructive spending habits.

• Lifestyle Category – Til Debt Do Us Part: Turned Out
Producer(s) Jamie Brown, Jennifer Horvath; Director(s) Michael Sheehan; Production Company Frantic Films

Lost Bones: In Search of Sitting Bull’s Grave
Lost Bones details the life and death of Lakota leader Sitting Bull and the stories that surround his burial and final resting place. Some say he is still buried at an old US army fort in North Dakota, others say his earthly remains were moved by Ghouls to Mobridge, South Dakota. But now it is speculated that Sitting Bull's body was spirited away, shortly after his death, and taken to the Turtle Mountains of Manitoba.

• Best Aboriginal Award – Lost Bones: In Search of Sitting Bull’s Grave
Producer(s) Kyle Bornais, Scott Leary; Director(s) John Barnard; DOP(s) Dave Gaudet; Production Company Micro Bus Pictures

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

Media Inquiries:

Megan Deaust
Marketing & Membership Manager
On Screen Manitoba
Phone: 204.927.5898
Fax: 204.943.4007
megan@onscreenmanitoba.com
www.onscreenmanitoba.com

Congratulations to OSM Member Danishka Esterhazy who has been nominated for the John Hirsch Award for most Promising Manitoba Writer for her original screenplay Black Field.

Blackfield is Dansihka's first feature-length film. 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.

In theatres June 2010. Visit www.blackfieldmovie.com

The John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer is an annual award established by the Manitoba Foundation for the Arts with a bequest from the late John Hirsch, co-founder of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, and its first Artistic Director from 1958 to 1966. The endowment from the Hirsch estate will provide a cash award of $2,500 to the most promising Manitoba writer selected by a jury of senior members of the Manitoba writing and publishing community. Manitoba writers in all genres are eligible.

The Manitoba Writers’ Guild (MWG) and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers (AMBP) announced the Manitoba Book Awards shortlists Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Winners will be announced at the Manitoba Book Awards gala, on Sunday, April 25, 2010, at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain (CCFM), 340 boulevard Provencher. A pre-awards reception will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the ceremony will run from 8:00–10:00 p.m. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. This year's ceremony will be hosted by Neil Besner, Vice President and former Dean of Arts of the University of Winnipeg.

For the full list of nominees, click here.

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.

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 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 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 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 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.

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

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.
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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

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

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

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.

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.
 

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Congratulations to OSM member Inferno Pictures who received funding from the Corus Made with Pay Fund!

One Blood
Inferno Pictures Inc.
Screenwriters: Hubert Davis, Mike Derderian
Winnipeg, MB

Administered by Movie Central, the Corus Made with Pay Fund provides financial support to Canadian television and film productions at various stages of development. Since 2003, the Fund has contributed $11 million in financing towards the development of feature-length films and original television drama series.

Click Here for the full list of Corus Made with Pay Fund recepients

The next deadline for new applications for funding from the Corus Made with Pay Fund will be February 3, 2010. Applicants should note that new submission deadlines were implemented September 2009, shifting deadlines to September, February and June.

Details on the application process, guidelines and deadlines for the Corus Made with Pay Fund are available on Corus Entertainment’s website at www.corusent.com under Television, in the Industry and Talent Development section.

LINDA TOOLEY
(July 27, 1948 – December 25, 2009)

The happiness of the drop is to die in the river.

After demonstrating inspirational courage during a short fight with cancer, and surrounded by friends and family, Linda peacefully slipped away to a better place on Christmas Day. Born in Grace Hospital on Arlington Street to Doris and Bill Pankiw, Linda grew up on Alfred Avenue in Winnipeg’s North End, attending Margaret Scott School, King Edward School and Tec Voc. She worked in radio, advertising, retail and during the 1980s, created and operated IF you have to get dressed in the morning, Winnipeg’s premiere vintage clothing store on Corydon Avenue. For the last decade, as film liaison for the City of Winnipeg Film and Special Events Office, Linda negotiated City services that helped smooth the making of everything from major motion pictures to director’s first films to music videos and commercials. An ally of the arts and film industries, she felt comfortable with creative people. Video art and photography were her personal artistic outlets. She had a keen eye for incongruent scenes, architectural details and sky/earth connections. Linda was creative, witty, empathetic, capable and kind – qualities the world needs now more than ever. Linda had a special affinity for animals. She adored her cats Teedy and Tulu, knew the names of all the neighbourhood pets who could always count on a chin scritch from Linda. She loved to explore the prairies. Her favourite hiking spot was the Spirit Sands to which she returned time and again. Linda had a spiritual connection with nature that kept her strong, focused and helped her through her final journey. Predeceased by her father in 1994 and her mother in 2004, Linda leaves to mourn her loving husband and life partner of 33 years Reid Dickie, best friend Kenny Boyce, dear friends Garcea Diehl and Alex Rosales, aunts, cousins and scores of good friends too numerous to mention. Her family thanks the doctors, nurses and unit assistants at Health Sciences Centre GA5 and at Riverview E3 for their compassionate care, and all of Linda’s friends and co-workers who sent expressions of healing, love and concern. She appreciated every one. Cremation by Wojcik’s Funeral Chapel and Crematorium has occurred. A private service will be held later. In lieu of flowers, Linda suggested a donation to Quagga Stray Cat Rescue (204-237-1958), D’Arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre (204-888-2266) or a charity of your choice.

What we were, we are.
What we had, we have.
So when you walk the woods
where once we walked together
And scan in vain the dappled bank
beside you for my shadow,
Or pause where we always did upon the hill
to gaze across the land,
And spotting something, reach by habit for my hand,
And finding none,
feel sorrow start to steal upon you,
Be still.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
Listen for my footfall in your heart.
I am not gone but merely walk within you