Tuesday, June 30, 2009

IRON ROAD SCREENING @ THE ROYAL (JULY 21, 2009)


A Canada/China co-production starring SUN LI, PETER O'TOOLE, SAM NEILL, and LUKE MACFARLANE

Directed by DAVID WU
Written by BARRY PEARSON and RAYMOND STOREY

Also starring Tony Leung Ka Fai, Kenneth Mitchell, Ian Tracey, Gao Yun Xiang, Charlotte Sullivan, Serge Houde, and Zhang Nai Hua.

A story of disguise and forbidden love, set against the building of the railroad.

Iron Road Wins Four Awards
At the Leo Awards, held by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British Columbia:
Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Drama -- Attila Szalay
Best Production Design in a Feature Length Drama -- Linda Del Rosario
Best Costume Design in a Feature Length Drama -- Maya Mani
Best Make-Up in a Feature Length Drama -- Joanne Kinchella

Iron Road Wins Audience Favourite Award at the Dominican Film Festival

Sun Li awarded Best Actress, miniseries, for Iron Road at the Roma FictionFest, July 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
http://www.ironroadthemovie.com

EVENT LISTING:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109163217526

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

THE SECOND CITY PRESENTS: PERSONAL PUBLICITY SEMINAR (JUNE 28, 2009)


The Second City presents a revolutionary new seminar from the award-winning publicists of the 2008 SCTV reunion and the Canadian Comedy Awards…

PERSONAL PUBLICITY

This Sunday, June 28th, 10am to 5pm @ the Second City (King St. & Blue Jays Way)

The Shehori Brothers teach everything you’ll need to know about promoting your shows, events, – and most of all, your career – like a professional publicist

Full money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the value of this seminar

Hiring a publicist for even one event will cost between several hundred and a couple of thousand dollars – with no guarantees whatsoever. The Personal Publicity seminar will give you literally all the tools needed to easily do the job yourself and obtain the results you’re looking for. Whether you are an actor, a comedian, a musician, or an entertainment producer/promoter of any genre, the methods taught in this seminar will work for you.

The Shehori Brothers – the official publicists for Second City Toronto – will, in plain and simple terms, share their proven publicity methods and secrets on how to obtain significant media attention for yourself and your endeavors. In addition, they’ll teach you to think about your career in a new way that will move you quickly and confidently towards your goals.

Among other things, the seminar will:
- Guide you, step by step, on the dos and don’ts of creating memorable press releases & eye-popping press kits

- Teach how to make your shows stand out and appear more attractive to newspapers, radio, TV and web

- Teach how to optimize your show’s success + be nominated for national awards

- Increase your media profile in Toronto, Canada, the U.S., or elsewhere

- Help you with getting an agent, or help your current agents get you more work

- Help you with obtaining government grants and garnering a U.S. Work Visa


PLUS:
- Everyone in attendance will receive a publicity booklet, which includes:

- Entertainment media list (over 250 media contacts)

- Numerous sample press releases & templates

- Key Industry contacts for photography, poster services, editors, videographers, graphic designers, etc…

Between them, the Shehori Brothers have garnered a Gemini Award nomination, a Dora nomination, plus 14 Canadian Comedy Award nominations (and 2 wins!) as writers, directors and producers. Working alongside the creators of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone, the brothers co-produced the critically acclaimed production An Awkward Evening with Martin & Johnson. More recently, they’ve penned 12 national award shows, written for The Huffington Post, and served as senior writers for The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. They’re now begun working as creative consultants for Just for Laughs Toronto 2009.

Personal Publicity – Sunday, June 28th, 10am to 5pm

The Mainstage Theatre of the Second City

51 Mercer St. at Blue Jays Way, next to Wayne Gretzky’s
Registration: $185 + GST (total: $194.25). By phone at 1-888-340-7270,

online at www.SecondCityRegistration.com, or by e-mail at training.to@secondcity.com

There Will be Refreshments

For additional information, pop by www.SweatEquity.ca

“The Shehori Brothers are highly respected in the industry as publicists & writers/producers of live theatre and television. And in addition to working with established artists, they take a lot of time to help up-and-comers with their careers. Besides being talented, they're generous as well, which I find a rare combination in this business."
Richard Ouzounian – Theatre Critic: The Toronto Star & Variety

"Daniel and Steven Shehori have the business and art of comedy in their blood. They are devoted advocates of young aspiring comedians, writers and actors, and they have the innate ability to understand what it takes to promote, produce and develop a career in the entertainment biz. They have done an extraordinary job publicizing the Second City and the 8-year run of the Tim Sims Theatre."
Andrew Alexander – SCTV Producer, Proprietor & Executive Producer of the Second City

"The Shehori brothers are tireless, knowledgeable and above all universally respected in the Canadian entertainment industry. Having them in your corner gives you a lot better chance of surviving the ridiculously tough battle that is Canadian show business."
Steve Patterson – Host of CBC’S The Debaters

“Over the past 5 years the Canadian Comedy Awards has had the pleasure of working with Daniel and Steven Shehori. From assisting in PR and media launches to the planning of live events, and of course serving on committees due to their reputation as top-flight live show producers and comedy writers; working with them has not only been professionally rewarding but a great experience.”
Tim Progosh – Founder: The Canadian Comedy Awards

“Daniel and Steven have an exceptional grasp of the industry and have always steered my company in the right direction. I’ve had the Shehoris work on a number of productions for me, including shows for Louis C.K. (which was voted top show in Toronto in 2008), as well Paula Poundstone and Debra Digiovanni. They are the link between selling out and not.”
Jake Labow – Jake Labow Productions

“I've had the fortune of working with and for the Shehori Brothers. In every instance they’ve proved themselves to be absolute professionals and up to the task. It's a two-pronged attack that never ceases to amaze those who work with them.”
Craig Lauzon – Cast Member & Writer: The Royal Canadian Air Farce

“Daniel and Steven Shehori taught us so much about comedy event production and promotion! Laughing Like Crazy, our signature comedy fundraiser has been a huge success – 5 years running. We owe much of that success to the direction and guidance of the Shehori Brothers.”
Ellen Ostofsky - Director of Fundraising & Special Projects: Mood Disorders Association of Ontario

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Daniel & Steven on numerous levels. If it is a show I need to promote, or a script I need to punch up, the first people I always think of are the Shehori Brothers. Their shared wealth of knowledge on the entertainment industry is an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike.
Carlie Baxter – Jordan and Associates Talent Agency

“I've dealt with many people in entertainment. Writers, directors, producers, agents, network executives, and talent. Well, Daniel and Steven possess a rare combination of skills that elude most of them. They're brilliantly creative in generating fresh ideas and amazingly savvy in making them come to life. Thinking. Doing. And now they're going to teach people? Good for them. Better for us.”
Ron Tite – Vice President, Creative Director: Sharpe Blackmore euro RSCG

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

TORONTO FILM RACE 2009 SCREENINGS (JUNE 26, 2009)


This past weekend as part of the Toronto Film Race 2009, local filmmakers were challenged to write, shoot and edit an original short film (4 minutes max) in just 24 hours based on the following assignment:


Theme:
Payback
Surprise Element: Spraying perfume / cologne

Come check out the world premiere of the films this Friday and vote for your favorites! Tickets are $9 (cash only) and are available at the door on the night of the screening. For more information, check out http://www.filmracing.com/Cities/toronto.htm.

The screening line-ups are below:
======================================
Friday, June 26th, 2009 (7PM - 9PM)
======================================
''Maxwell'' by High Tide Productions (Fayez Bilal)
''The Crystal Ball'' by Dynamic Duo (Mikey Singer)
''Haute Piss'' by SACKit2me (Andrew Black)
''Payback's A Bitch'' by Cheekie Bitches (Brittiny Stephenson, Christina Kopsky-Abbott)
''SprayBack'' by Lambda Lambda Lambda (Quentin Matheson)
''Snip'' by Workshed Productions (Jay Clarke)
''Whats Yours'' by Triple Entendre (Aaron Mirkin)
''Breakdown'' by Edelweiss (Greg Isaacs)
''Unfinished'' by ADC/VALLEY PRODUCTIONS (AILEEN DELA CUESTA)
''Back At Ya'' by Humblemedia Productions (Andrew Fraser)
''A Lethal Case of Nut Rash'' by Team Neo Nova (Gregory Andreychuk)
''Harsh Lights of Day'' by Just kill dixie monday Josh (Dixie Kesebi)
''Sticky Stallion'' by The Jive Media (Keaton Evans)
''Egg cellent'' by Defective Pictures (Mitchell Gibson)
''Payback's A Bitch'' by Goedist Films (Sean Grounds)
*We will also be screening a selection of top films from other cities on the 2009 Film Racing Tour.

======================================
Friday, June 26th, 2009 (9:30PM - 11:30PM)
======================================
''Roomies'' by Hockeybag Films (Mark Cannataro)
''Karmaza'' by It Turns My Milk Into Funny... (Remington North)
''Scents & Sensibility'' by M&N Productions (Matthew McGrath)
''555 2625'' by $115 USD (Noah Taylor)
''Horsefeathers'' by JJC (Colin Sharp)
''The 9th Day'' by Follow me satan films (Brandon Pitt)
''Puppy Love'' by Woodstockonian (Matt Power)
''Misunderstanding'' by PJ² (Jory Lyons)
''The Witchy Witches'' by J.A.Jones (Julie Jones)
''Payoff'' by Vrevolution (Vlad Lunin)
''A Lotta Luck'' by Think Orange Productions (Pritesh Gandhi)
''X-change'' by ON AIR (Irada Selimkhanova)
''Shwatarded'' by Anterockstar (Amanda Henry)
''God's Acre'' by Arcilesi Films (Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi)
''SprayBack'' by No Dice Films (Ryan Orprecio)
*We will also be screening a selection of top films from other cities on the 2009 Film Racing Tour.

Event Listing:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63499633543#/event.php?eid=94405053068

Monday, June 15, 2009

DOC/NOW FESTIVAL SCREENINGS - RYERSON GRADUATES @ NFB (JUNE 22 & 23, 2009)


ABOUT
Doc/Now is a two-week festival in June 2009 that showcases the thesis work of 33 artists in the Documentary Media MFA Program in the School of Image Arts. The festival consists of exhibitions at Gallery 1313, Lennox Contemporary, Ryerson Gallery and Toronto Image Works; film screenings at the NFB's John Spotton Theatre; and a panel discussion among artists working in film, photography, and new media.

Doc/Now is a two-week arts festival celebrating the work of Documentary Media artists from June 11 - 23, 2009.

The festival showcases the thesis work of graduating students in the Documentary Media MFA Program at Ryerson University in Toronto.

With four exhibitions at prominent galleries throughout the city, six days of film screenings, and site-specific installations, Doc/Now reflects the program's innovative approach to documentary in photography, film and new media.

The artists in Doc/Now expand, challenge and experiment with the documentary form and tackle contemporary political, social and cultural issues.

Join us at the NFB John Spotton Theatre on Monday June 22 and Tuesday June 23 -- both evenings feature two unique film programs starting at 6 and 8:45 pm!

FILM SCREENINGS

John Spotton Theatre, National Film Board of Canada

June 22 - Lifelines: Present, Past, and Future

Lifelines / Program One: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Lifelines / Program Two: 8:45-11 p.m.

Reception for Artists: 7:30 p.m.

Lifelines / Program One: 6:00 p.m.

Mélanie Saumure: Fragments de Corps
Sadia Mir: i was here before
Estelle Hébert: Passing Lines
Inger Whist: Bowl Tolling

Reception: 7:30 p.m.

Lifelines / Program Two: 8:45 p.m.

Ernie Kestler: Grains of Salt
Kate Schneider: The Valley of Dry Bones
Elaine Brodie: To Have and To Hold: Collecting and the Heart's Desire

June 23 - Interrogations: Biology, Social Codes, and Civility

Interrogations/Program One: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Interrogations/Program Two: 8:45 -11 p.m.

Reception for Artists: 7:30 p.m.

Interrogations/Program One: 6:00 p.m.

Lyndall Musselman: Remember Who's Emma: Punk, Politics, and Place
Jermaine Bagnall: After K
Marie Wustner: Punchlines, Progress, and the Right to Remix

Reception 7:30 p.m.

Interrogations/Program Two: 8:45 p.m.

Mike Sage: Survival of the Fabulous
Graham Runciman: Dream House
Christine Engel: Beyond the Closet
Joanne Loton: Women Will Come: Feminists Redefining Pornography

Doc/Now
http://www.documentarynow.ca

► THE BABY FORMULA HITS AMC (JUNE 19, 2009)


Check out this hilarious mocumentary about the first women in the world to conceive using 'female sperm', then join us for a "Meet The Cast" party on June 20th at Slacks (movie ticket stubs from any screening on June 19th or 20th will ensure entry)....

Veteran stunt coordinator-turned-director ALISON REID makes her feature film directorial debut with THE BABY FORMULA, hitting the AMC (Yonge & Dundas) June 19th after emerging from a huge audience and critical success on the world film festival circuit!!!

SCREENINGS EVERYDAY!! ( June 19th through to July 30th) ****times of screenings to be announced soon!!!***

“A genuinely laugh out loud, funny and moving film” The Hour

“It’s funny, rueful, absurd, angry, hysterical, deadly serious, and entertaining as hell. Sort of like life.” The Montreal Gazette

THE BABY FORMULA is a hilarious comedy about the first two women in the world to conceive using “female sperm” made from each other’s stem cells. (Yes this process of making sperm from stem cells has been successful in mice in real life! It’s being developed as a fertility treatment for men with low sperm counts.) Although the story starts out being about the science, it ends up being about love, acceptance and family.

Athena and Lilith are two women in love who are desperate to have their own biological child. They take a chance on an experimental scientific process and make sperm from their own stem cells. Pregnant with humour and unexpected twists, their journey tailspins out of control when their families discover there is no father.


Check out the trailer:
http://www.thebabyformulamovie.com/


THE CAST
Angela Vint
Megan Fahlenbock
Rosemary Dunsmore
Michael Hanrahan
Hal Eisen
Roger Dunn
Dmitry Chepovetsky
Jessica Booker
Alison Reid
RD Reid
Matt Baram
Maggie Cassella
Sarain Boylan

KEY CREW
Executive Producers - Paul Zimic, David J. Woods
Director/Producer - Alison Reid
Writer - Richard Beattie
Producers - Stephen Adams, James Mou
Director of Photography - Brian Harper
Editor - Mark Arcieri
Supervising Sound Editor - Mike Welker
Composer - Robert Carli and Charlie Finlay
Music Producer - Tim Thorney
Costume Designers - Leslie Kavanagh
Melanie Jennings
Production Desginer - Bob Sher

For more info., visit the facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/s.php?q=MCC+toronto&init=s%3Agroup&k=200000010&n=-1&sid=3aa318988b727f9115da6cff0b56c84e#/event.php?eid=102434172800&ref=mf

LIFT PRESENTS ANIMATING ANALOGUE - SCREENINGS AND PANEL (JUNE 19, 2009)


ANIMATING ANALOGUE
Screening and Panel
Part of the Strategies of the Medium Series

Friday, June 19, 2009
Starts at 7:00PM
Cinecycle, 129 Spadina Avenue (down the alley)
Suggested donation: Members $5, Non-Members $8

In this program LIFT reflects on current practices in film-based animation using professional animation stands, representing a wide range of styles and techniques. These animation stands - on which nearly all animation was produced pre-Flash and CGI - are remarkably versatile and complex machines. With a current complement of three Oxberry stands, both 16mm and 35mm, LIFT has remarkable resources available to filmmakers wishing to explore the world of animation. The screening will be followed by a brief panel discussion featuring Canadian artists who work with film-based animation.

This program introduces and complements the upcoming season of creative and technical workshops devoted to film-based animation - http://www.lift.on.ca/mt/workshops.html

Panel discussion after the screening, featuring Jonathan Amitay and Chris Gehman moderated by Ellen Besen.

EVENT LISTING:
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=115293364895

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

LUMINATO AND BRAVO!FACT PRESENT CONTEMPORARY COMMUNICATION SHORTS (JUNE 14, 2009)



Sunday, June 14, 2009 6:00pm
/ FREE

National Film Board Mediatheque, 150 John Street, Toronto

CTV’s Bravo!FACT is thrilled to announce that Luminato will be presenting a screening of some of the best shorts from across the country – all dealing with some aspect of communication – produced with grants awarded by CTV’s Bravo!FACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent).

Featured filmmakers and artists include:
Simon Davidson, Alexandria Mitchell, Kurt Evans, Matthew MacCaul, Michael Daingerfield, Missy Christensen, Ryan Drescher, Wendy Russell, Sandra Sawatzky, Bryan Wright, Kirk Miles, Paul Chambers, Sean Ling, Vern Reynolds-Braun, Corey Lee, Simone-Elise Girard, Vincent Gale, John Gould, Justine Ricard, Mark Morgenstern, Aline Blanc, Hannah Dorozio, Lael Stellick, Mateo Guez, Alicia Perez-Cromwell, Mizé Bettencourt, Daniel Kash, Hayley Tyson, Jessica Steen, Kathryn Greenwood, Adam & Dave, Rebecca Addelman, Geoffrey Pugen, Andrya Duff, Nadia Belerique, Steeve Paquet, Nathaniel G. Moore, Sharon Katz, Don McKellar, Gülçin Santricioglu, Beste Bereket, Ryan Keller, Darryl Hinds, Jim Annan, Lauren Ash, Marty Adams and Scott Montgomery.


Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. And it's FREE!!!

http://www.bravofact.com/announcements/events.asp?eventID=54

MONGREL MEDIA PROUDLY PRESENTS O'HORTEN (JUNE 5, 2009)


Odd Horten has driven the same train route every day for so long that the rest of his life has become a routine of comfortable rituals. But the time has come for the 67-year-old engineer to retire after forty years of dutiful service. His orderly, solitary existence is about to give way to a future of perplexing questions. How could Horten get himself in such an awkward situation when he should be celebrating his retirement? Will Horten ever travel by plane? Will he finally sell his prized boat? How does Horten end up in a pair of women’s red high-heeled shoes? Will he survive a nighttime drive with a blindfolded man at the wheel? The only thing for certain is that Horten is first in line for some absurd adventures and quirky encounters. And maybe even a new dog and an old love!

- Official Norway Selection
- Best Foreign Language Film
- Academy Awards

Date:
Friday, June 5, 2009

Where:
Cumberland 4 Cinemas
http://www.toronto.com/movies/listing/100100

Showtimes: 1:30 PM | 4:45 PM | 7:30 PM | 10:00 PM

O' Horten - Official Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ong76I3aJm4

MONGREL MEDIA PROUDLY PRESENTS WATERLIFE (JUNE 5, 2009)


Waterlife follows the cascade of the Great Lakes from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, telling the story of the last huge supply of fresh water on Earth. Filled with fascinating characters and stunning imagery, Waterlife is a cinematic poem about the beauty of water and the dangers of taking it for granted. Narrated by Gord Downie, lead vocalist of The Tragically Hip and Waterkeeper’s Trustee of Lake Ontario. Featuring music by Sam Roberts, Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros, Robbie Robertson and Brian Eno.

“Beautifully shot and entirely absorbing!”
– Robert Bell EXCLAIM!

“Gorgeous imagery and ethereal soundtrack”
– Jason Anderson, THE TORONTO STAR

“One of the most stunning films about the environmental crisis I’ve ever seen.”
-Agnes Varnum, DOC IT OUT

Date:
Friday, June 5, 2009

Running Time: 1h49m

Genre: Documentary

Film by: Kevin McMahon

Where:
Cineplex Odeon Varsity and Varsity VIP
http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/TheatreDetails/A21F8D00/Cineplex_Odeon_Varsity_and_Varsity_VIP.aspx?date=2009-6-5

Showtimes: 1:10pm | 3:50pm | 6:50pm | 9:40pm

Canada Square
http://www.cineplex.com/Theatres/TheatreDetails/A21F8D00/Cineplex_Odeon_Varsity_and_Varsity_VIP.aspx?date=2009-6-5

Showtimes: 4:20pm | 6:50pm | 9:30pm

Waterlife - Official Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWTu_fXgaqM

Our Waterlife
http://campaigns.hellocoolworld.com/index.cfm?campaign_id=12

Waterlife - NFB
http://waterlife.nfb.ca

Monday, June 1, 2009

TOKYO! @ THE ROYAL (JUNE 5 - 11, 2009)


TOKYO!

a film by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-Ho
- starts Friday June 5th

"Mutants abound as each episode trips the light fantastic." - Village Voice

In TOKYO!, three of the world's greatest filmmakers come together for an omnibus triptych examining the nature of one unforgettable city as it's shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok!) inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated Japanese megalopolis - the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo. Triptych, rhapsody, psychogeography, omnibus, urban valentine, freak show, mindwalk and many other things, TOKYO! is a fantasy in three movements that will make you see one of the world's greatest cities - if not any city - in unpredictable new ways.

Michel Gondry’s (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) segment, “Interior Design” tells the story about a couple of Japanese artists who move to Tokyo in order to make names for themselves. It works out for one better than it does the other, until a transformation takes place that changes everything.

Léos Carax’s (POLA X) hilarious segment, “Merde” reunites him with his Les Amants du Pont Neuf star, Denis Lavant, playing a man who emerges from the sewer system of Tokyo to play with a bunch of grenades that he’s found.

Bong Joon-ho’s (THE HOST) segment, “Shaking Tokyo” feels like it could have been written by Haruki Murakami. Teruyuki Kagawa (Tokyo Sonata) plays a recluse who hasn’t left his apt. in over a decade. Empty pizza boxes and read books are stacked perfectly around him. In all the years he’s hid himself away, he’s never looked a single delivery person in the eye. One day he accidentally exchanges glances with a pizza delivery girl, an earthquake strikes Tokyo, and he’s forced to consider the way he’s living.

"TOKYO! is a must-see for the Gondry segment, and a strange, diverting pleasure for the rest."
- Philadephia Inquirer

"A fun jaunt around the city and a quick tour of the preoccupations of three leading directors? Now there's a bargain." - L.A Times


Watch The Trailer:
http://www.tokyothemovie.com/index.html

co-presented with Over The Top Festival.

EVENT LISTING:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=93310296986