News

Janice Fournier is sharing new original music.

On Thursday, the “Canada’s Got Talent” winner debuted the new singles “Ça ira” and “Moment”, from her upcoming self-titled major label debut album.

Read More: ‘Canada’s Got Talent’ Winner Jeanick Fournier Unveils Debut Album, Releases Single ‘I Surrender’

The new tracks follow the release of her recent cover of Céline Dion’s classic “I Surrender”, which originally earned her the Golden Buzzer from host Linsday Ell on the reality competition.

“Nobody could ever hold me back, nobody, this is my path, I will never abandon it,” Fournier sings on The French-language ballad “Ça ira”, written by award-winning songwriters Amélie Larocque, Étienne Dupuis-Cloutier, and Patrick Bouchard.

Fournier says of the song, “This song touches me and greatly reflects my deep values, helping others, listening to my neighbour, always being available… just happiness.” Explaining the significance of “Moment”, she continues, “My story!! So...

The Toronto Film Festival has revealed its annual list of top ten Canadian films. Compiled by Tiff’s team of programmers in collaboration with Canadian critics, the ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ list includes Tiff titles Freaks, which scored a significant deal with Well Go, and Giant Little Ones. Scroll down for the full list.

The feature list was curated by Cameron Bailey, Kerri Craddock, Steve Gravestock, Danis Goulet, Ming-Jenn Lim, and Kathleen Drumm, in collaboration with the Vancouver Film Critics Circle and the Association Québécoise des Critiques de Cinéma.

“Tiff is thrilled to present its uniquely Canadian list that offers a richness of voices, perspectives, and insights into adolescent identity,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director and Co-Head of Tiff. “These films expertly examine heritage, family, the fragility of friendships, and the importance of challenging the current state of our world, and are testament to the fact that our Canadian filmmakers...

Annecy, France — We’re not saying these are the best shorts at Annecy this year. Nor the forerunners for prizes. Chosen principally from the shorts in the short film competition, and buzzed up titles hitting Annecy, they are, however, undeniable proof of the huge creativity of contemporary Annecy. If Annecy is about discovery, much is to be found in these sections.

‘Bloeistraat 11’

2D, from Belgium Lumière’s Lunanime, co-producers of “Phantom Boy” and 2018 competition contender “Funan.” But this is 2D with an edge, and psychological observance as two Bbf’s girls sorority is prized apart by the onset of puberty, with one taking up with the other’s brother. Could a man have directed this? Probably yes, but almost certainly not so knowingly.

‘The Cat’S Regret’

Hitchcock in exquisite 2D, from the directors and animation studio behind 2012 Oscar-nominated feature “A Cat in Paris,” Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol and France’s Folimage,...

The lineup for the 2018 Directors' Fortnight (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs) at Cannes has been announced.

Opening Film:Birds of Passage (Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego)Closing Film:Troppa grazia (Gianni Zanasi)Feature Films Amin (Philippe Faucon)Climax (Gaspar Noe)Carmen y Lola (Arantxa Echevarria)Cómprame un revólver (Julio Hernández Cordón)Les Confins du monde (Guillaume Nicloux)El motoarrebatador (Agustín Toscano)En Liberté! (Pierre Salvadori)Joueurs (Marie Monge)Leave No Trace (Debra Granik)Los silencios (Beatriz Seigner)Ming wang xing shi ke de (Ming Zhang)Mandy (Panos Cosmatos)Mirai (Mamoru Hosoda)Le monde est à toi  (Romain Gavras)Petra (Jaime Rosales)Samouni Road (Stefano Savona)Teret (Ognjen Glavonic)Weldi (Mohamed Ben Attia)SHORTSBasses (Félix Imbert)Ce magnifique gâteau! (Emma De Swaef & Marc Roels)La lotta (Marco Bellocchio)Las cruces (Nicolas Boone)La Nuit des sacs plastiques (Gabriel Harel)O órfão (Carolina Markowicz)Our Song to War (Juanita Onzaga)Skip Day (Patrick Bresnan & Ivette Lucas)Le...

Following the first lineup announcement for the 71st Cannes Film Festival, yesterday Critics’ Week arrived, and now today we get two more sidebar reveals. First up, there’s Directors’ Fortnight, which opens with Birds of Passage, from Embrace of the Serpent director Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego. Also among the lineup is Gaspar Noé’s drug-fueled (of course) drama Climax, Mamoru Hosoda’s new animation Mirai, Romain Gavras’ Le monde est à toi, as well as Sundance favorites: Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy and Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace.

Check out the lineup below, followed by the Acid lineup, featuring Jim Cummings’ SXSW winner Thunder Road.

Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Lineup

Opening Film:

Birds of Passage (Ciro Guerra & Cristina Gallego)

Closing Film:

Troppa grazia (Gianni Zanasi)

Feature Films

Amin (Philippe Faucon)

Climax (Gaspar Noé)

Carmen y Lola (Arantxa Echevarria)

Cómprame un revólver de (Julio Hernández Cordón)

Les Confins du monde (Guillaume Nicloux)

El motoarrebatador (Agustín Toscano)

En Liberté!

Debra Granik, Romain Gavras, Ciro Guerra and Gaspar Noe are among the directors whose films will be included in the 50th Directors’ Fortnight, an independent sidebar that will run concurrently with the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Granik will go to Cannes with “Leave No Trace,” her first narrative film since the Oscar-nominated “Winter’s Bone” in 2010, and a film that received strong reviews when it premiered at Sundance in January.

Gavras, best known for his videos for M.I.A., Kanye West and Jay-z and others, will be there with “Le monde est a toi,” while Guerra and his co-director Cristina Gallego, who made the Oscar-nominated “Embrace of the Serpent,” will bring “Birds of Passage” to Directors’ Fortnight.

Also Read: Cannes Will Welcome Back Lars von Trier, Says Festival Director

The Argentinian provocateur Noe will bring “Climax” to the festival.

Also in the selection: Panos Cosmatos’ horror film “Mandy,” which features what is reportedly another wild performance from Nicolas Cage.

Of the 20 feature films in the section, 15 are directed by men and four by women, with “Birds of Passage” a collaboration between male and female directors.

Also Read: Majority of Cannes Critics' Week Competition Films Were Directed by Women

Directors’ Fortnight (Quinzaine des Realisateurs) was established in 1969, in the aftermath of a 1968 Cannes Film Festival that was canceled midway through in solidarity with the protests sweeping through France. It was set up to offer a more daring and experimental slate than the main festival, and over the years provided the first Cannes exposure for such directors as Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, Michael Haneke and Spike Lee.

Directors’ Fortnight will open on May 9 and run through May 19.

The lineup:

“Pajaros de verano” (“Birds of Passage”), Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego (opening film)

“Amin,” Philippe Faucon

“Carmen Y Lola,” Arantxa Echevarria

“Climax,” Gaspar Noe

“Comprama un revolver” (“Buy Me a Gun”), Julio Hernandez Cordon

“Les Confins du Monde,” Guillaume Nicloux

“El motoarrebatador” (“The Snatch Thief”), Augustin Toscano

“En Liberte!,” Pierre Salvadori

“Joueurs” (“Treat Me Like Fire”), Marie Monge

“Leave No Trace,” Debra Granik

“Los Silencios,” Beatriz Seigner

“Ming wang xing shi ke” (“The Pluto Moment”), Ming Zhang

“Mandy,” Panos Cosmatos

“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda

“Le monde est a toi,” Romain Gavras

“Petra,” Jaime Rosales

“Samouni Road,” Stefano Savona

“Teret” (“The Load”), Ognjen Glavonic

“Weldi” (“Dear Son”), Mohamed Ben Attia

“Troppa Grazia,” Gianni Zanasi (closing film)

Also Read: Cannes Lineup Reaches From Spike Lee to Jean-Luc Godard

Short films:

“Basses,” Felix Imbert

“Ce Magnifique gateau!,” (“This Magnificent Cake!”), Emma De Swaef & Marc Roels

“La Chanson” (“The Song”), Tiphaine Raffier

“La Lotta,” Marco Belocchio

“Las Cruces,” Nicolas Boone

“La nuit des sacs plastiques” (“The Night of the Plastic Bags”), Gabriel Harel

“O orfao” (“The Orphan”), Carolina Markowicz

“Our Song to War,” Juanita Onzaga

“Skip Day,” Patrick Bresnan & Ivette Lucas

“Le Sujet” (“The Subject”), Patrick Bouchard

Read original story Debra Granik, Gaspar Noe Films Selected for Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight Lineup At TheWrap...

Noé, Faucon and Rosales feature in 50th anniversary edition marked by strong Hispanic, French presence.

Gaspar Noé’s Climax, Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego’s Birds of Passage, and Mamoru Hosoda’s feature animation Mirai are among the features that will premiere in the 50th anniversary edition of Directors’ Fortnight this year.

Artistic director Edouard Waintrop unveiled his final selection, ahead of his departure this autumn, at a press conference at the Forum des Images in Paris on Tuesday (April 17). The 50th edition line-up – running May 9-19 - comprises 20 features and another 11 short films.

“I would like to thank the...

Update: Outgoing Directors’ Fortnight chief Edouard Waintrop revealed a 20-strong 50th anniversary lineup today that includes a return engagement for some, and a surprise inclusion for one of the most controversial filmmakers ever to hit the Croisette. Gaspar Noé will world premiere his Climax, appearing for the first time in the section after turns in Official Selection with such films as Love, Enter The Void and Irreversible. Climax has been kept close to the vest, with some conflicting information circulating (we will update when we know more).

The Fortnight will open with Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra’s Birds Of Passage. The 1970s-set film about the early days of the drug trade is a return to the section for Guerra whose 2015 Embrace Of The Serpent became Colombia’s first Foreign Language Oscar nominee.

Also notable on the roster are Guillaume Nicloux’s Les Confins Du Monde. His Valley Of Love...

The Guadalajara International Film Festival (also known as FICG29 or Festival International of Cine in Guadalajara) is on my regular beat, but this year my work with the Talents will include an introduction to the book I am writing on Iberoamerican Film Financing.

The festival's inception occurred in 1986 during Mexican cinema's worst crisis in terms of production (only 12 features were made that year), and it was held with the help of the University of Guadalajara. This small showcase was curated by filmmaker Jaime Humberto Hermosillo and researcher/professor Emilio García Riera. It consisted of 5 features, 7 shorts, 2 documentaries, and a selection of Jaime Humberto Hermosillo's work. During this edition a young Guillermo del Toro stood out as one of the most outstanding volunteers.

A few years after in 1992, the festival premiered Alfonso Cuaron's Love in the Time of Hysteria (Solo con tu pareja), the film that launched his Hollywood career, this year he won the Academy Award as Best Director for his film Gravity. The next year, Guillermo del Toro presented his feature debut Cronos, which would go on to be selected for the Critic's Week at the Cannes Film Festival. From the beginning this film showcase became a required stop for Mexican filmmakers and programmers from various international film festivals.

In 1999 a selection of Iberoamerican films was added to the program and a section highlighting Canadian cinema was included, from the 7-selection 3 were from Quebec (Streetheart by Charles Binamé; The Red Violin by François Girard and 2 Seconds by Manon Briand). During the 23rd edition of the festival a selection of 7 features and 7 shorts was presented. Added to this Patrick Bouchard held a workshop on animation at the University of Guadalajara. This year the festival will have the pleasure to present the latest works from Léa Pool, Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, and of course, Patrick Bouchard.The results of the 2008 workshop are visible in the constant production of animation in Guadalajara.

Starting in its 15th edition, in 2000,  the showcase became a competitive contest for Mexican films. Two years after all iberoamerican films began taking part in the competition. From that year on, the impact of the Guadalajara program reached the entire iberoamerican region and became the premier meeting point for the region's cinema. In 2003 the initiative know as Iberoamerican Market (Mercano Iberoamericano) was launched bringing together over 170 industry professionals dedicated to selling, buying, and distributing films internationally.

In 2005 the showcase became the Guadalajara International Film Festival (Ficg) with the clear goal of having a space for Mexican and Latin American films, as well as a to expose the public and the industry professionals to international works. In 2013 the festival screened 254 films, 102 of which were in competition. The festival received over 800 journalist, and 817 companies in the industry section. Throughout the years the festival has honored artists such as Pedro Almodóvar, the Taviani brothers, Patricio Guzmán, Theo Angelopoulos, Álex de la Iglesia, Agnès Varda, and more recently Werner Herzog and Mike Leigh, among many other great filmmakers. In terms of actors John Malkovich, Marisa Paredes, Andy Garcia and Ángela Molina have also been recognized at the Ficg.

The festival is divided in 3 competitive sections: Iberoamerican Dramatic Features, Iberoamerican Documentaries, and Iberoamerican Shorts. In total Ficg hands out 16 Official Awards and 5 parallel others though different sections.

Among the array of awards the one dedicated to the Best Mexican Film stands out -The Mezcal Award (Premio Mezcal)

This year the third edition of the Maguey Award (Read more Here) will take place. It brings together, promotes, and recognizes cinema focused on sexual diversity around the world

In total there are more than 200 works programmed and there will be over 500 screenings in Guadalajara and the surroundings areas. Throughout the last 29 years Mexican cinema has changed deeply. From the crisis it suffered in 1986 to its current state there is a notable contrast. From 12 films a year, the average number of films produced currently a year is 120. During the 20 years the Mexican Cinema Showcase and the Ficg have been protagonists in the promotion of Mexican cinema, specially in the last decade.

It is also revelatory to see how influential has Mexican cinema been in the emergence of other film industries in the region such as in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Paraguay, as well as the great period that the cinema of of Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay are experiencing.

Withing the Ficg there are also other sections dedicated to international cinema, which are not competitive, but allow for the festival to be a meeting point for many cinematic voices.

Industry and Market

In order to encourage a productive agenda for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and sales agents during the festival, the Market oriented department will hold the following events:

IX  Iberoamerican Conference of Iberoamerican Co-productions

the 7ª edition of the "Guadalajara Builds" program

Bilateral Conference: Quebec-Mexico

Over 800 film-related companies will be in attendance

Organization

During the last edition of the Ficg, the different events taking place at the festival were the product of strenuous labors by the organizers. They included the 5th edition of Talents Guadalajara, an experience in which 70 filmmakers from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean participated, as well as the the 5th edition of the Doculab where several Iberoamerican documentaries in post-production were evaluated. Aiming to take advantage of the important figures present, the festival also hosted the 9th Creators Conference on Writing with Light.

Relationships with International Festivals

Throughout its development the Ficg has formed working relationships of support with many of the most important festival in the world. With the Marché du Film at Cannes the two festivals have developed the Guadalajara Film Market Producers Network, which is a window for the exchange of knowledge and ideas among professionals interested in the Iberoamerican cinematic spectrum. Talents Guadalajara is organized with the collaboration of the Berlinale Talents from the Berlin Film Festival, which supports filmmakers from the region. In addition with the help of the San Sebastian Film Festival, Ficg presents the program known as New European Trends : San Sebastian-Guadalajara, allowing for the discovery of new European directors. It is important to mention that Ficg has a close relationship with the Montreal World Film Festival, which allows for films of the region to screen at the Canadian event.

Special Guest

Since 2001 the festival hascdesignated a country or region to be the guest of honor

Germany, 16, 2001

Switzerland, 17, 2002

Chile, 18, 2003

Italy, 19, 2004

Greece, 20, 2005

Spain, 21, 2006

Brazil, 22, 2007

Argentina, 23, 2008

Colombia, 24, 2009

France, 25, 2010

Israel, 26, 2011

U.K., 27, 2012

Scandinavia : Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 28. 2013

Besides screening a selection of films from the selected nation, the Ficg always tries to have some of their most notable filmmakers present at the festival. After a decade of its inception the Special Guest section has become one of the most anticipated ones. It allows attendees the opportunity to see the most recent works from that national cinema as well as to have a direct conversation with the filmmakers, actors, and other representatives of that country's film industry.

Quebec 2014

The selection of films was made possible thanks to the support of the Quebecois Delegation in Mexico, the Sodec, the International Documentary Conference in Montreal, the Onf, among other institutions, companies, and filmmakers. This offers the possibility to be confronted with visions that explore the world and its conflicts, it's cinema without borders.On the other hand this can also be a very intimate cinema that captures the multicultural richness of contemporary Quebec with its diverse contradictions. This selection also represents the audiovisual expression of several generations, there are films from filmmakers with a careers that expand over 4 decades who interact with directors who have just finished their debut features.

The selection of films is divided into 4 sections

Narrative Features

Conformed of 16 features completed between 2012 and 2013. Each one of these films has had acclaimed international exposure and have played at festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastian, among others. Together these films have received more than 23 international awards and 30 awards in Canada.

Ridm - Documentaries

Counting with 15 years of experience the Montreal International Documentary Festival (Ridm) is one of the most important events for documentary filmmaking. The rigorous selection process of this festival gives validation to the 5 films that will be shown at the Ficg, which will definitely be a center piece within the Quebecois program in Guadalajara. The Ficg will also have a special screening of a very important work in the history of film, For Those Who Will Follow (Pour la suite du monde) by Michel Brault, who past away last year.

Denis Côté

Denis Côté's career as a filmmaker began in 2005. Since then, he has created a short film, 3 documentaries, and 5 narrative features. Via his intense working rhythm this artist has demonstrated his abilities, rigor, and creativity. A look  into his work will easily confirm that he has a profoundly original vision that takes storytelling to its radical limits.

The Short Films

Quebecois short films show an incredible imaginative freedom. Given the fact that in recent years several shorts, including animation, have been produced in Guadalajara, this will be an enriching exchange of perspectives.

Women in Film and TV Quebec-Mexico

Finally, aiming to strengthen the friendship that exists between the associations for Women in Film and TV both in Quebec and Mexico, the Ficg will host a second panel, which will be paired with a selection of documentaries that deal with the contemporary female experience.

David K. Ross

David K. Ross (1966, Canada) works in various mediums including film, video, photography, and art installations. Ross' formal training in architecture and great experience in photography of large scale and film have resulted in a great variety of projects in which he investigates the history of optical technology and geodesic practices, as well as many urban structures. His work has been exhibited in the most important institutions in the Americas and Europe, they also form part of many public and private collections, including the  National Gallery of Canada, the Contemporary Art Museum of Montreal and the Canadian Center for Architecture. The artist will be present at the Ficg screening his work to expose the audience to his particular style.

Quebecois Presence in the Different Juries 

Prominent members of the Quebecois film industry will be part of the diverse juries which will evaluate the films in competition. 

Narrative Feature: Denise Robert's experience as a producer expands over 51 projects including narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and television.

Documentary: Roxanne Sayegh, who has worked with Ambulante, the most ambitious project to promote documentary distribution in Mexico. She is currently the Executive Director of the Ridm.

Short Films: Danièle Cauchard, Executive Director of the Montreal World Film Festival.

Maguey Award to Support Sexual Diversity in Film: Katharine Setzer, in charge of programming at the Image+Nation festival, which is in its 26th edition.

Fipresci: Montreal based critic Jorge Gutman

Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film: Alisi Telengut, a student from Concordia University, whose film Tears of Inge was honored at the World Film Festival.

For more information on Ficg 29 and its different sections visit Here...

The 19th Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival has announced its international line-up, with films starring Ben Whishaw and Alan Rickman.

A total of 225 works from 40 countries selected to be showcased in competition at the festival from September 17-22 in Bristol. This year the festival received a record 2,372 entries.

Brief Encounters

Brief Encounters will feature live action and mixed format short films from all over the world, including new short format work by a number of established British filmmakers who are returning to the festival: Daniel Mulloy (Bashk), Chris Shepherd (The Ringer), Simon Ellis (Stew and Punch) and John Smith (Dad’s Stick).

Prominent national talent is also on display in Orbit Ever After, directed by 2012 Screen Star of Tomorrow Jamie Stone and starring Mackenzie Crook; No Kaddish in Carmarthen by Jesse Armstrong (Four Lions), Aneil Karia’s Beat, starring Ben Whishaw; and Ben Ockrent’s Dust featuring Alan Rickman and Jody Whittaker.

The competition...

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup has now been revealed, and we have here the third and final wave of titles to share. Prepare to drool!

From the Press Release:

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the rest of our 120-feature lineup that comprises our 2013 event, along with a string of additional details that mark our 17th edition as a standout. Fantasia will engulf the city of Montreal from July 18-August 6, 2013. Be sure to visit the Fantasia Film Festival website for detailed essays on every title announced here, as well as all films previously disclosed over the last weeks.

Before we get started on titles... Meet Our 2013 Juries

Main Competition For The Cheval Noir Award For Best Film

Jury President: Laura Kern (Critic, Curator, managing editor, Film Comment)

Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Director, Screenwriter)

Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival, Programmer at Japan Society)

Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer and Operations Manager,...

Montreal-based genre festival also announces final wave of programming, including world premieres of Curse of Chucky and Zombie Hunter, starring Danny Trejo [pictured].

With its 17th edition kicking off next week on July 18, Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled this year’s juries and the final round of its 120-strong feature lineup.

Critic Laura Kern will preside over the Cheval Noir jury for best film, which also includes filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bergeron, co-director of the New York Asian Film Festival Samuel Jamier, SXSW’s Jarod Neece and Snowfort Pictures founder Travis Stevens.

The New Flesh award for best first film will be decided by jury president Charles de Lauzirika, composer Ramachandra Borcar, journalist Manon Dumais, filmmaker Jason Lapeyre and author Stéphane du Mesnildot.

Filmmakers Patrick Bouchard and Luc Chamberland will decide the Satoshi Kon award for achievement in animation along with Ottawa International Animation Festival programmer Keltie Duncan, while Black Nights programmer Sten-Kristian Saluveer, Bold Films’ [link...

Toronto – On December 4th, Tiff saluted the best of Canadian Cinema at the 12th Annual Canada’s Top Ten industry event, hosted by Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis, A Dangerous Method) and Don McKellar (Blindness, Trigger). A panel of industry professionals selected the top 10 Canadian feature and short films. Tiff Senior Programmer Steve Gravestock said that this year’s lineup “champions the work of familiar faces as well as emerging talent – all of whose stellar filmmaking achievements shape the Canadian film community”.

To celebrate the best Canadian films of 2012, Tiff will be hosting a 10-day festival of the winners. Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Festival, says that the festival “offers homegrown talent a dedicated platform to showcase their success, and we couldn’t be more impressed by the calibre of films the industry has produced this year.”

The selected top ten are as follows, in no particular order:

Short Films

Bydlo dir.

With all the buzz around world premieres and gala events happening at the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s easy to forget there is also a pretty stellar shorts program in the mix. Consisting of work spanning all genres, the format is a great way to experience new, upcoming talent as well as to check up on a couple familiar faces too. The following is a collection of capsule reviews and scores for each short in their respective screening blocks.

—Programme 1

Bardo Light – 10 minutes

What do you get when you mix the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the ancient metallurgical science of alchemy, and the namesake of inventor Philo Farnsworth? The answer is Connor Gaston‘s short film Bardo Light—titled for the bright glow none of us can avoid at the end of our lives.

Told via the police interrogation of the younger Farnsworth (Shaan Rahman) after his adopted...

The 37th Toronto International Film Festival® will roll out the red carpet for hundreds of guests from the four corners of the globe in September. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Rian Johnson, Noah Baumbach, Deepa Mehta, Derek Cianfrance, Sion Sono, Joss Whedon, Neil Jordan, Lu Chuan, Shola Lynch, Barry Levinson, Yvan Attal, Ben Affleck, Marina Zenovich, Costa-Gavras, Laurent Cantet, Sally Potter, Dustin Hoffman, Francois Ozon, David O. Russell, David Ayer, Pelin Esmer, Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, Andrew Adamson, Michael McGowan, Bahman Ghobadi, Ziad Doueiri, Alex Gibney, Stephen Chbosky, Eran Riklis, Edward Burns, Bernard Émond, Zhang Yuan, Michael Winterbottom, Mike Newell, Miwa Nishikawa, Margarethe Von Trotta, David Siegel, Scott McGehee, Gauri Shinde, Goran Paskaljevic, Baltasar Kormákur, J.A. Bayona, Rob Zombie, Peaches and Paul Andrew Williams.

Actors expected to attend include: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jackie Chan, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Bill Murray, Robert Redford,...

Fantasia 2012 has come to an end, which means it's time for the announcement of this year's jury winners. As usual, they're an eclectic bunch, and hopefully we'll get to see them and all the other great films that screened during the fest here in the States sooner rather than later.

Feature Film Jury - President: Gabriel Pelletier, with Jay Baruchel, Sylvain Krief and Maggie Lee

Cheval Noir Award for Best Film: Doomsday Book by Kim Jee-woon and Yim Pil-sung

The film impressed the jury by the intelligence and originality it displayed in its efforts to imagine the near future and its impending doom through a collection of short films, all the while displaying mastery in every artistic aspects of the production.

Best Director: Jason Banker, Toad Road

Best Screenplay: Alberto Marini, Sleep Tight

Best Actor: James Davidson, Toad Road

Best Actress: Marijana Jankovic, Beast

Special Mention: AnnaLynne McCord, Excision

With her fearless performance in Excision,...

Toronto has announced the homegrown portion of its lineup. Canadian filmmakers represent in both a feature film category and "Short Cuts Canada," as well as a selection of films funded by the National Film Board of Canada. Canuck first-time feature filmmakers include Jason Buxton ("Blackbird"), Brandon Cronenberg (Cannes entry "Antiviral") and Kate Melville ("Picture Day"), and returning veterans include Sarah Polley ("The Stories We Tell"), Xavier Dolan ("Laurence Anyways") and Michael McGowan ("Still"). 44 short films were selected for "Short Cuts Canada," a program that was winnowed down from nearly 700 submissions. Included in the lineup are Nfb-funded titles such as Jeffrey St. Jules' "Let the Daylight into the Swamp" and Patrick Bouchard's "Bydlo." Senior programmer Steve Gravestock stated: “Through comedy, thrills, drama and suspense, films in the...

For Love’s Sake aka Ai to makoto aka The Legend of Love & Sincerity

Written by Takayuki Takuma, Ikki Kajiwara, Takumi Nagayasu,

Directed by Takashi Miike

Japan, 2012 Fantasia imdb

This year, Fantasia pulled out all the stops to kick off the Festival with a bang – several bangs. They unveiled a new interactive screen that displays pictures from films playing in the festival with capsule reviews in English and French, logos of sponsors and recent random tweets that mention FantasiaFest. It can become a bit of an infinite “Meow” loop, but it is still very cool.

To mark the fact that a Japanese film was chosen as the official opening film for the festival, the local Japanese consulate sent a representative and (better still) sponsored a Japanese dance and an awe-inspiring Japanese drum performance. When I say that it was a percussive assault, I mean that in the most complimentary way.

In celebration of International Animation Day and the National Film Board of Canada.s 70th anniversary, the Nfb is launching a special edition of Get Animated!, a series of free public screenings, October 23.31, 2009, in 13 communities across Canada. This third edition will showcase new films for all ages from the Nfb's Oscar-winning animation studios in the programs 'Animation Feast' and the 'Nfb Family Program', featuring special presentations by Canadian filmmakers Chris Landreth and Cordell Barker, as well as hands-on animation workshops. The Nfb.s new 2-disc set Animation Express, a collection of films by 'today.s animation innovators', will also be on sale at screening venues. Taking place October 28, 2009, 'International Animation Day' is an annual celebration in over 40 countries, initiated by the International Animated Film Association (Asifa) in 2002. Nfb animation founder Norman McLaren was the first president of Asifa. This year, the Nfb celebrates 70 Oscar nominations in 70 years . more nominations than...