News

Quebec filmmaker Érik Canuel, best known for the cult black comedy Bon Cop, Bad Cop, has died. He was 63 years old.

Annexe, a Montreal-based communications firm confirmed the news of Canuel’s death with local press Monday. The director’s cause of death has been reported as complications related to secondary plasma cell leukemia.

Born in Montreal in 1961, Canuel was the son of two actors, Yvan Canuel and Lucille Papineau. He began his career in the 1980s shooting music videos for artists such as Paul Piché, Sass Jordan, Norman Iceberg, Vilain Pingouin, and Sylvain Cossette.

His first feature film was (The Pig’s Law) La loi du Cochon, a crime drama about two sisters who run a struggling pig farm in rural Quebec and decide to rent part of their land out to a criminal marijuana smuggling ring. The film starred Christian Bégin, Jean-Nicolas Verreault, Stéphane Demers, Christopher Heyerdahl and Marie Brassard.

Veteran Quebec director Erik Canuel, best known for his box office hit Bon Cop, Bad Cop, has died. He was 63.

Canuel died on June 15 in Montreal after complications from secondary plasma cell leukemia, according to Montreal-based communications firm Annexe. He was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma seven years ago.

“Erik Canuel left an unforgettable mark on the film and television industry both in Quebec and across Canada. His breakout, crossover hit Bon Cop, Bad Cop remains not just a Canadian favorite, but a groundbreaking benchmark in bilingual film,” Directors Guild of Canada president Warren P. Sonoda said in a statement.

The Quebec bilingual buddy movie Bon Cop, Bad Cop, directed by Canuel and starring Patrick Huard and Colm Feore, earned the Golden Reel Award as the highest-grossing Canadian movie of 2006 and broke Canadian box office records by grossing $10.3 million at the local multiplex.

His other French-language movie credits included his...

American streaming platforms have been ordered to direct 5 percent of their Canadian revenues into local content production.

The ruling from the Crtc, the country’s TV and telecoms regulator, follows Canada’s Bill C-11, or Online Streaming Act, coming into law in 2023 as it imposed first-time rules and regulations on foreign streaming platforms like Netflix, Spotify and Disney+ operating north of the border.

The foreign digital platform revenues will go to a range of public and private funds for investment in Canadian and indigenous content. That includes the Canada Media Fund, the Black Screen Office Fund and the Indigenous Screen Office Fund.

The Crtc in a ruling unveiled Tuesday said it will require online streaming services making $25 million or more in Canadian revenues and which are not affiliated with a Canadian broadcaster to contribute 5 percent of those revenues to local content funds, starting on Sept. 1, 2024.

The Crtc estimate around $200 million...

Canada’s Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, is set regulate digital platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify for the first time after it became law.

Another round of lobbying in Ottawa will now take place as the Crtc, the country’s media regulator, is tapped to hammer out a new framework to ensure foreign streaming giants subsidize local film and TV production, and also defines how deep the Americans will be forced to dip into their pockets to do so.

The prospect of American dollars paying for homegrown films, TV and music product has been applauded by Canadian content creators. Netflix projects to have filmed in Canada include The Umbrella Academy, which shot in Toronto.

“This new Act puts us on the path to requiring that global streaming services invest in original Canadian programming. It will help secure the fiscal future of Canadian film and television,...

Welcome to the latest installment in our regular Movies You May Have Missed series here on Nerdly, in which I highlight some of, what I think, are the best movies that have flown under the radar of many or have been “forgotten” in the intervening years since its release. This time round it’s At Your Service, aka Servitude, a 2011 Canadian comedy about the restaurant industry.

Stars: Joe Dinicol, Rachel Skarsten, John Bregar, Enrico Colantoni, David Foley, Margot Kidder, Lauren Collins, Aaron Ashmore, Kristen Hager, Linda Kash | Written by Michael Sparaga | Directed by Warren P Sonoda

If there’s two things I’m a fan of it’s Ryan Reynolds’ movies and Canada. Put those two together and you get At Your Service, the story of a group of servers and staff at a franchise chain restaurant (much like Ryan Reynolds’ Waiting) who have one last wild night at their...

Click here to read the full article.

A new study from the Directors Guild of Canada reveals the local film and TV industry still remains overwhelmingly white and male.

A voluntary self-identification census carried out among Dgc members found 82.8 percent of the guild’s membership identified as white. Another 18.3 percent identified as Black, indigenous or people of color.

That’s a significant underrepresentation compared to the 27 percent of the Canadian population that considers themselves members of Bipoc minorities. And 2.5 percent of the Dgc members responding to the census self-identified as Black Canadians, another major underrepresentation given Black Canadians make up around 3.5 percent of the overall population.

The census results also indicated women made up 46.5 percent of respondents, against 53.4 percent identifying as men. At the same time, the Dgc’s own membership records indicate the overall guild has 42.4 percent women and 57.5 percent men.

That results suggest women were more likely to...

A first-of-its-kind census conducted by the Directors Guild of Canada has found that people of color are “significantly underrepresented” among its membership, accounting for only 18.3 of the more than 3,000 members who completed a self-identifying survey. According to the report, Bipoc make up 26-27 of the Canadian population. Black members accounted for only 2.5 of the members surveyed.

“The complete results demonstrate a telling lack of diversity among the participating members,” the report found, noting that “underrepresentation of Bipoc communities exists within the guild membership in all regions of the country.”

Out of the 3,318 completed questionnaires, 82.8 of the participants identify as Caucasian, with Asian groupings (8.6) having the second highest percentage, followed by Indigenous (2.9) and Black (2.5) members of the guild. According to the report, “the largest share of Black participants is of Caribbean heritage at 51.3 of members identifying as Black.”

Women are also underrepresented. According to guild records, they account for 42.4 of all members.

Japanese-Canadian filmmaker Warren P. Sonoda has been working his way throughout the Canadian film industry working on titles that we locals all know, possibly even love: Murdoch Mysteries, Trailer Park Boys, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil and This Hour Has 22 Minutes.    He's been largely working in television after starting his career with a handful of feature films and his return to feature length this time is special because his new film Things I Do For Money is the first Canadian genre film written and directed by a Japanese-Canadian filmmaker, starring four Japanese-Canadian actors that has ever been made.    Things I Do For Money goes digital here in Canada, launching August 11th, and we have an exclusive clip to share with...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Deals for ‘Trick Or Treat’, ‘Tribal – Get Out Alive’, ‘Things I Do For Money’.

Sp Releasing has acquired rights for three titles from UK-based sales agency Evolutionary Films – two for North America and one for the Us.

The titles are led by Edward Boase’s UK Trick Or Treat, from producers Trigger Films. The thriller stars siblings Craig Kelly and Dean Lennox Kelly in their first film together, in a film about a man whose life is disrupted when his estranged brother appears, claiming to have drunkenly run someone over.

Jason Flemyng and Kris Marshall are also on the cast.

Thanks to TorontoFilm.Net here is the Toronto Film Production Update for August 2016, including "Taken", "Flatliners", "People Of Earth" and a whole lot more:

Click Here To List With A Toronto Agent

Alias Grace

Mini Series

Halfire Entertainment

Prod.: Sarah Polley, DJ Carson

Dir.: Mary Harron

Aug 15 - Nov 15/16

American Gods

TV Series

Fremantle / Starz Network

Exec. Prod.: Bryan Fuller,

Michael Green, Neil Gaiman

Dir.: David Slade & Various

Mar. 14 – Sep 30/16

Anon

Feature

Anon Film Prods. Canada Inc.

Prod.: Dan Bekerman

Dir.: Andrew Niccol

Backstage

Season 2

TV Series

Fresh TV

Prod.: Brian Campbell

Exec. Prod.: Brian Irving,

Lara Azzopardi

Dir.: Mario Azzopardi,

Wendy Morgan, Director X, Rt!,

Warren P. Sonoda, Lara Azzopardi

Jul 5 - Aug 19/16

Bruno & Boots II And III

TV Movie (2)

Aircraft Pictures

Prod.: Anthony Leo, Andrew Rosen

Dir.: Vivieno Caldinelli

Jul 22 - Sep 2

Buckout Road

Feature

Buckout Productions Ltd

Prod.

Growing up in an era of raunchy coming-of-age college comedy hits like Animal House, Van Wilder and those of the American Pie franchise, you'd think you would have seen it all, if not most. Well, leave it to Swearnet: The Movie helmer Warren P. Sonoda to prove you wrong thanks in large part to the eponymous new comedy, Total Frat Movie, inspired by the stories from the very lifestyle website of the same name. Charlie Martin couldn’t be happier to be the newest member of Alpha Chi Gamma. That is, until the rival Kappas sabotage their celebratory fireworks and the Alpha house is permanently shuttered. Just like that, Charlie’s dream of following in his late father’s footsteps, one of Alpha’s most legendary members, goes up...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The upcoming weekend boasts an onslaught of new Specialty titles vying for audiences. In all likelihood, however, many will have a short big screen life as the fall’s awards contenders ramp up and crowd others out. Five of this week’s dozen-plus newcomers are spotlighted here with Fox Searchlight’s The Drop edging on a wide release. The feature starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and James Gandolfini will bow in over 800 theaters. TWC’s The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby also joins the fray with a platform release. The film also has two accompanying titles told from the perspective of its two main characters, which will be released in more limited runs in October. Magnolia will open its thriller Honeymoon in a day and date release while Dada Films’ Swearnet: The Movie breaks a movie record with the most F-bombs ever. And Cohen Media Group’s My Old Lady bowed Wednesday in limited release.

• Jag star David James Elliott has been cast opposite Martin Freeman and Brian Cox in the indie thriller American Hangman. Elliot will play Detective James Steptoe in the kidnapping film from writer/director Wilson Coneybeare, who worked with Elliot on the movie A Ted Named Gooby. [THR]

• Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Timothée Chalamet (Homeland), Grant Bowler (Defiance), and Elizabeth Reaser (Twilight) will star as a family with dark secrets in One & Two. Director Andrew Droz Palermo is directing the film about the family of four living in peaceful isolation in a mysterious farmhouse. Palermo, who made his feature debut co-directing the...

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Timothée Chalamet (Homeland, Interstellar), Grant Bowler (True Blood, Defiance), and Elizabeth Reaser (Twilight, True Detective) will star in One & Two, the next feature from director Andrew Droz Palermo. Palermo, a Dp whose credits include You’re Next, V/H/S, and Hannah Fidell’s A Teacher, made his helming debut with co-director Tracy Droz Tragos on Rich Hill, the 2014 documentary about youngsters growing up in an impoverished Midwestern town that won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. One & Two follows a family of four who live peacefully in purposeful isolation in a mysterious farmhouse, where siblings Zac and Eva begin to explore unusual abilities and dark family secrets when their mother falls ill. Palermo co-wrote the film with Neima Shahdadi and will begin filming soon in North Carolina. Kim Sherman is producing with Bow + Arrow Entertainment’s Matthew Perniciaro and Michael Sherman. Bow + Arrow and Protagonist Pictures are executive producers.

Dynamic international distribution company Lightning Entertainment has picked up international rights to two new feature films making their market premieres; the comedy Whole Lotta Sole starring Brendan Fraser (The Mummy franchise) and directed by Oscar winner Terry George (Hotel Rwanda) and Kikoriki: Team Invincible, the Russian 3D animated-adventure comedy film from the Riki Group and produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), it was announced today by Robert Beaumont, President of Lightning Entertainment.

The dramatic comedy Whole Lotta Sole world premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and received rave reviews from critics, whilst Kikoriki comes to the market hot on the heels of its impressive $8.5 million box office run in its native Russia.

.Lightning continues to acquire top-notch material to present to international buyers with Whole Lotta Sole from the talented Terry George and the Russian animated adventure, Kikoriki: Team Invincible from powerhouse producer Timur Bekmambetov,. commented Beaumont. .Both films are highly accessible,...

Lighting Entertainment (.Lightning.), the Santa Monica-based sales, production and distribution company has acquired International sales rights in all media to the romantic drama Love And Honor (formerly known as Awol) starring Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), it was announced today by Lightning President Robert Beaumont. Lightning will premiere the film for international buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

Aussie thesp Hemsworth is joined by some of the most talented actors emerging in film right now including Austin Stowell (Dolphin Tale), Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies), Aimee Teegarden (Scream 4), Chris Lowell (The Help) and Wyatt Russell (Cowboys And Aliens). The film is directed by Danny Mooney who makes his directorial debut. Love And Honor is written by Jim Burnstein and Garrett K. Schiff, and is a love story in the tradition of films like The Notebook and The Lucky One, about a soldier who secretly returns home from the war...

Lightning Entertainment has acquired international rights to five feature films and will present the slate of new titles, including the star-studded comedy Struck By Lightning written by and starring Glee.s Chris Colfer, to buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market, it was announced today by Robert Beaumont, President of Lightning Entertainment.

Struck By Lightning will make its market premiere at the Marché du Film following its Tribeca Film Festival world debut where it received an overwhelmingly positive response. Servitude will also make its market premiere with promotional footage being shown for family film Heaven.S Door and South African thriller One Last Look. Black South-easter is currently in production.

.We are thrilled to present this eclectic slate of new titles featuring films from across the globe to our buyers at Cannes and we are incredibly excited that both Struck By Lightning and Servitude will be making their market premieres next month,...

You can't keep a good Tribute down for long.

Leven Rambin will trade the luxuries of District 1 for the hallowed halls of Mount Olympus as she joins the cast of "Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters," according to Variety.

Rambin, who can currently be seen in theaters as Glimmer in "The Hunger Games," will play the role of Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, the God of War. Besides being something of a perfectionist, Clarisse has also picked up a skill or two from dear old dad when it comes to fighting.

The "Hunger Games" loser (well, her and 21 others, to be fair) joins an ensemble that includes returning cast members Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel and Booker T. Washington, as well as new cast members Nathan Fillion (Hermes) and Anthony Head (Chiron). The sequel deals with Percy's quest to brave the Sea of Monsters in search of the mythical Golden Fleece.

The thing with making a movie about waiters is, you're bound to have a lot of chefs in the kitchen.

Joe Dinicol, star of the Canadian comedy Servitude — about one waiter's crazy last night on the job — confirms that "a good 90 to 95 percent" of the film's cast had waiting experience, as did writer Mike Sparaga and director Warren P. Sonoda.

"It's really the only thing we're qualified to do other than acting, if we're at all qualified to do that in the first place," says the 28-year-old Stratford, Ontario, native. He's been acting since he played Antony and Cleopatra's son at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 1993; he's also waited or bussed tables at many restaurants in that time, including Toronto's Gladstone Hotel and Mildred's Temple Kitchen.

But, says Dinicol, the cast's waiting experience only made Servitude a better film. "It brought up a lot of stories and memories and...

Photos from Prometheus, Dark Shadows, Men in Black 3, Wrath of the Titans and Jack and Diane.

A poster featuring "Hellboy" and "Sons of Anarchy" star Ron Perlman as a transgender computer hacker in Frankie Goes Boom.

"Producer Megan Ellison has hinted that we might see an October release for Paul Thomas Anderson's much anticipated "The Master"…" (full details)

"Both Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter have confirmed a script for a third "Bill and Ted" movie is done and they're both happy with it, now comes the time to sort out making it…" (full details)

"Sony Pictures has jumped onboard MGM's "Robocop" remake as a distributor, akin to their arrangement for "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and the upcoming Bond film "Skyfall"…" (full details)

"Warner Bros has scheduled a one-night showing of classic "Casablanca" on March 21st in nearly 500 cinemas across the country, preceding the March 27th release of...

Maple Pictures, a Canadian film distributor, revealed two posters of the upcoming comedy Servitude, which was directed by Warren P. Sonoda.

For the moment, the release date hasn't been announced.

The story is about a group of waiters of a popular steakhouse. They're so frustrated that they decide to take over the steakhouse they're working in when they discover they're about to get fired.

The film stars Dave Foley, Joe Dinicol, John Bregar, Kristen Hager, Linda Kash, Jeigh Madjus, Enrico Colantoni, Rachel Skarsten, Margot Kidder, Lauren Collins, Aaron Ashmore and John Boylan.

Moreover, Servitude will be screened at Montreal's Just for Laughs Film Festival on July 28 at 9 Pm at the Du Parc Movie Theatre.

Sexting, a seemingly timely romantic comedy about love in the world of high-tech of personal communication devices, is coming to DVD from Screen Media on Aug. 23 for a list price of $24.98.

Jason Lewis touches the magic buttons in Sexting.

Originally entitled Textuality (which we kinda like more), the movie follows the love lives of two attractive twenty-somethings, Breslin (Jason Lewis, Sex and The City) and Simone (Carly Pope, S.W.A.T.: Firefight) as they try to get into a relationship while navigating the modern world of digital dating and all the emailing, Facebooking, roaming charges, Blackberrying and, yes, sexting, that it entails.

Directed by Warren Sonoda (who’s got a handful of comedies to his credit, including 2008’s Coopers’ Christmas) and co-starring Eric McCormack (TV’s Will & Grace), Sexting received a quick theatrical release in Canada last month, but is premiering in the U.S. on DVD.

This film reads like fun...

Warren P. Sonoda's upcoming romantic comedy Textuality will be released in select theatres in Canada on April 22.

The story follows Breslin (Jason Lewis) and Simone (Carly Pope) two successful workers in their thirties. They try to get committed in a relationship. However, in this crazy digital age, will they manage to get out of the multiple love relations they were managing on their Blackberries?

The film also stars Liam Card, Kristen Hager, Eric McCormack, Holly Elissa Lamaro, Supinder Wraich, Jim Annan, Marcello Cabezas, Kelda Cummings, Marianthi Evans, Kris Holden-Ried and Anna Cyzon.

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Modern Times"

Directed by Charlie Chaplin

Released by Criterion Collection

Granted, Warner Brothers released an extensive two-disc collection of arguably Charlie Chaplin's finest film back in 2003, but Criterion Collection is bringing the silent comedian to Blu-ray for the first time with a newly remastered edition of the Depression-era classic with an array of special features including the Dardenne brothers' 2003 tribute to the film, the 1916 two-reeler "The Rink," the Alistair Cooke home movie with Chaplin and Pauline Goddard, "All at Sea," two deleted sequences from the film, a new featurette on the film's special effects with Ben Burtt and Craig Barron and much more.

"Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition"

Directed by James Cameron

Released by Fox Home Entertainment

After a bare bones edition was released in April, James Cameron's box office world-beater receives a three-disc set with all the bells and...

Director Warren P. Sonoda's film about an amateur cage fighter who gets a shot at the big time is stylishly filmed and has plenty of action in the form of impressively staged brutal fight scenes. The first half of the screenplay, however, too often favors naked pole dancers over meaty drama and has scenes that feel like they have been drawn out to fit the music. The result is a film that, clichéd plot notwithstanding, feels like it could have been much better.

As it is, Unrivaled keeps your attention without triggering much of an emotional response. Hector Echavarria creates a sympathetic loser-turned-hero in Ringo Duran, while Nicholas Campbell (the Da Vinci in Da Vinci's Inquest and Da Vinci's City Hall) gives his usual standout performance, this time as a grizzled trainer, a.la. Burgess Meredith in Rocky.

As for the rest of the cast, the acting is of variable quality,...

I am admittedly predisposed to moaning with remorse whenever a new film sponsored by a fighting organization makes its way to JustPressPlay's doorstep. Whether it's on DVD or Blu-ray rarely ever makes a difference, as they're often little more than circle jerks made to capitalize on the built-in audience of fighting fans who will consume anything as long as the scenes of controlled violence are brutal and offer up a few “did you see that?!” moments. For that reason, I rue these films. Unrivaled makes me reconsider that notion or, at the very least, amend it. This film, presented quite well in high-definition, spends as much time building on plot and character as it does in the ring with fists flying.

Ringo Duran (Hector Echavarria) has become known as a perennial loser, a fighter far past his prime. However, it's an undeserved title as the film's opening fight shows that...

Take a look behind the scenes of Unrivaled to hear what Producer Sean Buckley has to say about making the fighters comfortable, the reasons for Mma’s popularity as a sport, working with the fighters/actors and crew of the film including Director Warren Sonoda, and getting excited about the production while Keith Jardine, Hector Echavarria, Forrest ... Related Posts Rashad “Sugar” Evans talks Mma movies in ‘Unrivaled’ Directing ‘Unrivaled’ – Warren Sonoda speaks from set of Mma movie Ufc Fighter Forrest Griffin on set of new Mma Movie ‘Unrivaled’...

Go behind the scenes of Unrivaled to talk with Ufc fighter Forrest Griffin (wikipedia) about his experiences on the set if this action movie. Griffin talks about the effects of a hard day of shooting, his character Landon (or Gregor) Popoff and why he enjoys working with director Warren P. Sonoda. Forrest also discusses his acting ... Related Posts ‘Unrivaled’ Producer Sean Buckley’s interview from the set Directing ‘Unrivaled’ – Warren Sonoda speaks from set of Mma movie Rashad “Sugar” Evans talks Mma movies in ‘Unrivaled’...

Join mixed martial arts fighter and coach of a team of aspiring fighters in Ultimate Fighter, Rashad “Sugar” Evans (wikipedia) behind the scenes of Unrivaled to hear what he has to say about working on the film. He speaks about his creative process, his character Christopher Holland and the experience of acting with other fighters. Synopsis: ... Related Posts ‘Unrivaled’ Producer Sean Buckley’s interview from the set Directing ‘Unrivaled’ – Warren Sonoda speaks from set of Mma movie Ufc Fighter Forrest Griffin on set of new Mma Movie ‘Unrivaled’...

The Canadian Film Centre (Cfc) has confirmed several filmmaking teams and mentors/guests for the 'Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab', a creative/business catalyst for new comedy projects destined for theatrical release, pairing experienced Canadian feature film producers, their writer/or director teams and their scripts, to further develop/package English-language theatrical feature comedies for 2010. Chaired by actor/writer Eugene "Bobby Bittman" Levy, the Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab, a Cfc Film program presented in collaboration with "Just For Laughs", is noted as Canada.s first advanced professional program designed to develop/package theatrical feature-length comedies. Chosen projects and teams include: Victory Man Productions. "Servitude" from writer/producer Michael Sparaga, director Warren P. Sonoda, Resonance Films. romantic comedy "That Burning Feeling" from writer Nicolas Citton, producer/director Jason James, "Ramington's: Men Of Steel" from writer Sacha Pavlovic, producer Mark Montefiore and the comedy western "Saddlebags" by writer Christine Lippa and...

Another video direct from the set of Mma-powered action movie featuring Keith Jardine and other top fighters. This time, Director Warren P. Sonoda takes you behind the scenes of Unrivaled to watch movie magic being made! Listen as Sonoda runs you through the film, hear what Unrivaled star Hector Echavarria has to say about the project and find out how stunt coordinator Eric Bryson puts together a fight.

Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck cage fighter gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is chosen to compete against the greatest Mma world title-holder during a massive competition. The stakes are high and the rewards great…But should he lose, it will cost him his life.

More ‘Unrivaled’ Videos

Al Sapienza talks ‘Unrivaled’ Actor Al Sapienza (Saw V) sits down to talk about his character Sergio, and what his inspiration is while playing a gangster.

Unrivaled - Directing A Chase Scene Follow director...

Another exclusive video fresh from the set of Mma-powered movie ‘Unrivaled‘ shooting Toronto. This clip features the big, bald (& occasionally mean) Keith Jardine in a variety of scenes and on-set banter.

First off, Jardine messes with his stunt double Julian Lewis, then acts in a choreographed fight against Hector Echavarria, and also chats about his character and real-life friendship with Rashad Evans. Director Warren P. Sonoda shares some comments about working with Jardine pointing out his hard work and effort on set. Finally Jardine mentions his enthusiasm for indie film and the art of film and points out flaws in his stunt double’s hair-do.

Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck cage fighter gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is chosen to compete against the greatest Mma world title-holder during a massive competition. The stakes are high and the rewards great…But should he lose, it will cost him his life.

The Vancouver International Film Festival kicks off in earnest tonight after a few days of panels Vancouver Film and Television Forums. The fest certainly doesn’t have the high profile of Toronto International Film Festival or Festival Du Cannes to be sure but its a growing fest in a beautiful city so who’s complaining.

Whether you are in Vancouver or following along at home, here is a menu of resources to peruse and enjoy (unless of course you are instead watching the Canucks hockey season kick-off tonight instead with the rest of Vancouver except for the people at the Whitecaps vs. Timbers soccer playoffs).

Westender’s Precious Spector

Vancouver’s WestEnder arts and culture magazine provides Movies: Top picks for this year’s Viff.

We tag ‘The Agony and The Ecstasy of Phil Spector‘ saying, “He is, of course, a convicted murderer and the proud owner of many ridiculous wigs.

The 28th annual Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff) will be held October 1-16, 2009. Founded in 1982, Viff's mandate is "...to encourage the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada..." Over 150,000 people are expected to attend 640 screenings of 360 films from 80 countries. Here is an up-to-date list of directors, confirmed to attend Viff 2009, along with their films : "1428" Du Haibin "1999" Lenin Sivam "65_RedRoses" Philip Lyall & Nimisha Mukerji "Adelaide" Liliana Greenfield-Sanders "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector" Vikram Jayanti "Ana & Arthur" Larry Young "The Anchorage" Anders Edström & Curtis Winter "Antoine" Laura Bari "Argippo Resurrected" Dan Krames "The Art of Drowning" Diego Maclean "At Home By Myself... With You" Kris Booth "At The Edge Of The World" Dan Stone...

MovieSet continues the coverage of ‘Unrivaled‘ with this interview with Al Sapienza who plays Sergio. In this interview he explains that he learned to act in prison of all places - which gets some laughs. He says he likes to plays gangster “light and fun,” and “charming and funny” “because that’s what they are really like.”

He comments that Director Warren Sonoda is passionate and a very good filmmaker and that Hector’s character Ringo “is likeable” and the story reminds him of modern day Rocky.

A down-on-his-luck cage fighter gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is chosen to compete against the greatest Mma world title-holder during a massive competition. The stakes are high and the rewards great…But should he lose, it will cost him his life.

Check out our other ‘Unrivaled’ Videos right here Unrivaled - Directing A Chase Scene Follow director Warren P. Sonoda...

Double dose of stunt action from the set of ‘Unrivaled‘ - the Mma-fueled action movie in production with Warren P. Sonoda at the directing helm and Hector Echavarria, Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine contributing the fighting skills with help of stunt performers who make it look real and easy.

In this first clip “Hit and Run” - go behind the scenes of Unrivaled with actor Steven Yaffee to watch stunt performer Neil Davison and Stunt Coordinator Eric Bryson prepare for a hit and run scene.

In this second clip “Directing A Chase Scene” - follow director Warren P. Sonoda as he directs an on foot chase scene within a “live” street. See the people’s reaction as the actor’s race down the street. Then the stunt coordiantor has to move the group when a real-life bank in robbed in the neighborhood “I don’t want my boys to get shot” he says.

More Mma MovieSet Action You’ve likely seen the extensive MovieSet coverage of ‘Death Warrior‘ with Mma stars Georges St-Pierre, Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans and ‘Never Surrender‘ with Anderson Silva, (a voice-dubbed) Gsp, plus rival Bj Penn.

Next up from Insight and Grindstone is ‘Unrivaled‘ - currently shooting in Toronto, and MovieSet is again sharing exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage from the set.

Hector Echavarria and Rashad Evans in 'Death Warrior' together again in 'Unrivaled'

This new action film is executive produced, co-written (along with Brad Bode) and stars Hector Echavaria who carried similar responsibilities in the preceding films in the milieu. This time, Hector plays as Ringo Duran, a down on his luck cage fighter who is given a exciting, but dangerous, chance to beat the top fighters in the world.

He’s joined on-screen with familiar fists including Keith Jardine as “Stone” and Rashad Evans...

I know, I miss Battlestar Galactica too. As I’ve said before, it was one of my favorite tv shows of all time and each Friday I feel a sense of loss due to the hole in my TiVo schedule where BSG used to be. I also miss the great characters and actors from the show like Edward James Olmos’ Adama, Katee Sackhoff’s Starbuck and James Callis’ Gaius Baltar. Well, if you miss Baltar like I do and wish he would return to tv, you will almost get your wish when the actor who played Baltar, James Callis, returns to the Sci-Fi Channel in a tv movie called Merlin and the Book of Beasts.

In this “Sci-Fi Original Movie” Callis plays the heroic Merlin who must fight to save a book which, if it feel into the wrong hands, could spell the end of mankind. . . or something like that.