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The French-language release had the biggest local opening in a decade.

After a year in which Quebec films saw their share of Canadian box office dollars decline, French-language comedy Menteur (Compulsive Liar) has bucked the trend and taken more than $3.8m (Cad $5m) after five weeks in Canadian cinemas.

According to distributor Les Films Séville, the film’s five-day opening gross of $903,000 (Cad $1.2m), from around 100 screens, was the best opening for a Quebec film in Canada since the release of action comedy De père en flic (Father and Guns) in 2009.

Les Films Séville (owned by Entertainment One) reports that...

Recently, CW released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Reign" episode 6 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Fight or Fight," and it turns out that we're going to see some very interesting stuff go down as Claude assists Leith with his marriage quest. Mary comes to the conclusion that she needs to help Catherine, and more! In the new, 6th episode press release: Mary Aligns Herself With Catherine. Press release number 2: Mary (Adelaide Kane) will realize she must help Catherine (Megan Follows) in her quest to become regent, even at the risk of hurting the alliance with Scotland. Claude (Rose Williams) will be determined to help Leith (Jonathan Keltz) marry while Elizabeth (Rachel Skarsten) struggles with the prospect of losing Dudley (Charlie Carrick). Toby Regbo, Torrance Coombs, Craig Parker, Anna Popplewell, Celina Sinden and Ben Geurens also star. Charles Binamé directed the episode, and it was written by Lisa Randolph.

The light outside the window bleeds into the asylum, but it’s only a glimmer. The hope remains on the other side of the pane; its glow enlightening the entrapping interior. Every character in Elephant Song is incarcerated in a mental institution, some doctors, others patients, yet the thing that unites them is that on this cold Christmas day there is the unshakable feeling that past trauma is returning. This year, they aren’t spending the holiday inside their warm homes. Instead, they’re investigating a doctor’s disappearance as well as their inner selves.

Dr. Lawrence has vanished and the head of the hospital, Dr. Green, interrogates a manipulative patient named Michael, who may know the missing doctor’s whereabouts. The patient suffers from an undisclosed mental disability yet he is clearly intelligent, thoughtful and capable of pushing buttons to get what he wants. Michael complies and agrees with Dr.

Catherine Keener on Elephant SongXavier Dolan does that other thing he does – acting – in Charles Binamé’s Elephant Song, a noir-ish psychological drama set in a mental institution in which he plays Michael, a patient who may be behind the disappearance of his psychiatrist. The missing man is replaced by another doctor (Colm Feore) but he’s cowed by Michael’s manipulative mental powers and unable to restore patient/doctor balance. The hospital chief (Bruce Greenwood) doesn’t fare much better. Holding it all together is Nurse Peterson, a jealous, strong and withholding caregiver with more than a passing resemblance to Louise Fletcher’s […]...

"I'll make you a deal - I want three things..." With this film now playing in theaters in Canada, there's no better time to feature the first official trailer for Elephant Song from Canadian distributor eOne Films. Elephant Song is a psychological drama starring Xavier Dolan, the same filmmaker who made Mommy and Laurence Anyways, as a rather eerie patient with a mysterious past. Captain Pike of Star Trek, actor Bruce Greenwood, also stars as the hospital's director, and both Catherine Keener and Carrie-Anne Moss appear as well. I don't want to give away anything else in the plot, but the trailer should give you a good idea what's going on. I missed seeing this at Tiff, and I've been waiting to catch it. I've got to say, this trailer makes me more intrigued, even if I prefer Dolan as a director he certainly can act, too. Take a look.

Last night, CW released the new promo/spoiler clip (below) for their upcoming "Reign" episode 15 of season 2, and it serves up new looks at some pretty dramatic and interesting stuff as Mary is quite passionate about maintaining possession of her country. She also turns down Francis' marriage proposal without hesitation again and again, and more. Poor Francis. The episode is titled, "Forbidden." In the new, 15th episode official storyline: "Mary's mother will return to advise Mary that her throne is in jeopardy. Mary is going to make a shocking proposition to Condé, along with a bold move to reclaim her throne. Francis is going to move closer to Lola after a setback with Mary, while King Antoine makes Kenna an interesting offer." Charles Binamé directed the episode, and it was written by Laurie McCarthy and Nancy Won. Episode 15 is scheduled to air on Thursday night, February 19th at 8pm central time on The CW.

Recently, CW served up the new, official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Reign" episode 15 of season 2. The episode is entitled, "Forbidden," and it turns out that we're going to see some pretty interesting stuff take place as Conde gets a surprising proposition from Mary. Francis starts to get closer to Lola after another Mary setback, and more! In the new,15th episode press release: Mary's (Adelaide Kane) mother (guest star Amy Brenneman) is going to return to advise Mary that her throne is in jeopardy. Mary will make a shocking proposition to Condé (Sean Teale), along with a bold move to reclaim her throne. Francis (Toby Regbo) will move closer to Lola (Anna Popplewell) after a setback with Mary, while King Antoine (guest star Ben Aldridge) makes Kenna (Caitlin Stasey) an interesting offer. Megan Follows, Craig Parker, Rose Williams, Celina Sinden, Torrance Coombs and Jonathan Keltz also star. Charles Binamé directed the episode,...

CW has announced what episode will air on February 19th for The Vampire Diaries. The network held back that info when they released their prime time line up for that night. Now they seem to be willing to let it go by announced what the episode will be about. The title of it will be “Let Her Go”, which will revolve around Caroline’s latest drama. Here is the full listing for that day, which now includes the episode synopsis of the episode.

Thursday, February 19

The Vampire Diaries

“Let Her Go” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. Et) (Content Rating Tbd) (HDTV)

Executive Producer Julie Plec Makes Her Directorial Debut — After assigning tasks to each of her friends, Caroline (Candice Accola) attempts to deal with her current situation as reality begins to set in around her. While spending the day with Caroline, Elena (Nina Dobrev) grows concerned when she starts noticing...

Industry@Tallinn will feature discussions involving the likes of Jessica Switch of Lionsgate and Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas of ICM Partners.

Industry@Tallinn has announced its full programme for its upcoming edition, running Nov 24-28 during the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

Organised by Black Nights and Baltic Event, the programme is targeted to over 500 regional film industry professionals.

This year’s industry talks will look into the impact of feature-length television on the film industry, business customs and practices for Asian collaboration, strategies of linking small scale talent and post production pools to major players, and rebel release tactics in distribution.

Speakers at this year’s event include Jessica Switch, director of development, Lionsgate; Jeff Barry & Nigel Meiojas, ICM Partners; Judy Ahn, head of international, Showbox/MediaPlex Entertainment; Matteo Solaro, Creative Europe/Media; and Sylvia Wroblewska, business and marketing director, Sheffield Doc/Fest.

The Film Festivals Confab will return in collaboration with Independent Cinema Office, focusing...

Séville International has announced a slew of sales ahead of the Afm on The Dark Horse, Elephant Song and An Eye For Beauty.

Rights on The Dark Horse have gone in Benelux (Imagine Film), France (Zed), Germany (Koch Media), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Switzerland (Praesens), Turkey (Fabula), UK (Koch Media), Israel (Shoval Film), Middle East (Shooting Stars), Colombia (Babilla Cine) and airlines (Jaguar).

eOne will directly distribute in Canada writer-director James Napier Robertson’s story of a man who struggles to overcome challenges and pass on his gift to children in his community. Cliff Curtis stars.

Séville’s vice-president of international sales Anick Poirier (pictured) and her team have closed deals on Elephant Song, the psychological thriller starring Xavier Dolan that premiered in Toronto.

Deals closed in Japan (UpLink), South Korea (At Nine Film), Turkey (Bir Film), Israel (Shoval Film) and China (Blue Media Times). Séville is in negotiations for Benelux and confirmed it will handle Charles Binamé’s film...

Directing and releasing five films across the last four years, with three of them premiering at Cannes, and another at Venice, you might understand why Xavier Dolan might not have time to return phone calls. And given the limited stateside distribution of his films, it might also be easy to forget that in addition to writing and directing, Dolan is a pretty good actor, having appeared in three of his features (“I Killed My Mother,” “Heartbeats” and “Tom At The Farm”). He’s a charismatic and playful screen presence, and when Charles Binamé called with a role in his two-hander “Elephant Song,” Dolan’s attraction to the part seems obvious. It’s a scenery-chewing, spotlight-ready role, and he nimbly makes the most of it. Unfortunately, the film around Dolan’s performance is as static and restrained as he is energetic and loose. Based on the play by award-winning playwright Nicolas Billon,...

I caught Charles Biname's Elephant Song at the Toronto Film Festival and in my review called the film a little "lackluster", but noted the performances from Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood as particularly strong as the two go toe-to-toe in an adaptation of the Nicolas Billon play of the same name. Now a trailer for the flick has arrived and can be viewed below. Set in the mid'60s, the story centers on a psychiatrist that has gone missing and the last person he spoke to was a disturbed patient by the name of Michael Aleen (Dolan) and in an effort to get to the bottom of his disappearance Dr. Green (Greenwood) intends to have a chat with the young man, not knowing anything about his history or his desire to play mind games with those he comes in contact with. Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore co-star.

Charles Binamé's Elephant Song has released its first trailer.

Xavier Dolan and Bruce Greenwood star in the psychological thriller, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Greenwood stars as a psychiatrist who takes on a troubled new inpatient (Dolan).

When another doctor goes missing, the patient promises to help with the investigation, on certain conditions.

Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore also feature in the movie.

Jessica Chastain has been announced to star in Dolan's next directorial project, The Death And Life Of John F Donovan.

Elephant Song is yet to be given a release date.

Jessica Chastain will star in Xavier Dolan's The Death And Life Of John F Donovan.

The actress has joined the Mommy director's English language debut.

"It was this friend of mine - a journalist - who had brought to my attention that Jessica Chastain had seen Mommy in Cannes and had liked it and tweeted about it," Dolan told Bent.

"I went back and scrolled down the tweets and there was this lovely tweet where Jessica was saying that she had liked Mommy.

"It dawned on me that I should ask Jessica about playing the 'villain' role in John F Donovan," he continued. "There is this character of the editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine.

"The movie really is a satire of the business - more dramatic than humorous. And there's this antagonistic figure that wants to ruin the lives of every star, especially that of the lead character. And...

Xavier Dolan first attracted international attention when his first film I Killed My Mother (J’ai tué ma mère) won three awards at the Director’s Fortnight program of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. His following three pics have also been highly rated by industry professionals, earning acclaim at prestigious international festivals around the world. Now the Quebec actor and filmmaker stars in Elephant Song, a big screen adaptation of Canadian writer Nicolas Billon’s play of the same name. Billon’s play debuted in 2004 at the Stratford Festival in Ontario. A native of Ottawa who grew up in Montreal, he also wrote the acclaimed play Greenland.

The drama follows a psychiatrist investigating the disappearance of his colleague who questions a disturbed patient (Dolan) and finds himself caught in a complex mind game. With the film screening at Tiff, the first trailer has arrived.

Elephant Song is directed by Charles Binamé...

In 2009, Xavier Dolan broke out with his directorial debut, "I Killed My Mother," and while the title is provocative, his lead character actually did no such a thing. In the forthcoming "Elephant Song," Dolan takes a rare acting-only gig and gets to fulfill the title of his first film. And with the film screening at Tiff, the first trailer has arrived presenting the director in a rather villainous turn. Directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket"), and featuring a cast that includes Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener, Carrie-Anne Moss and Colm Feore, the film is a psychological thriller about about a psychiatric patient and a psychiatrist who go head-to-head when a colleague of the latter goes missing. What follows is a mind game, with both patient and doctor looking to gain the advantage, all while trying to solve the mystery at the film's core. No release date for this one yet. Watch below.

EW has an exclusive trailer for the psychological drama Elephant Song, which will be making its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday, Sept 10.

Based on the 2004 play by Nicolas Billion, the film directed by Charles Biname follows a game of quid pro quo between psychiatrist and patient that devolves into manipulation. Psychiatrist Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is tasked with interrogating the enigmatic and troubled Michael (Xavier Dolan), after the last psychiatrist Michael met with mysteriously disappears from his office.

Despite Green’s attempts to control the situation, the disaffected and disturbed Michael starts a game of...

Dr. Lawrence has gone missing and the only person that might know where he is is an elephant-obsessed and troubled patient by the name of Michael Aleen (Xavier Dolan). In an effort to get any information Michael may be withholding, Dr. Green (Bruce Greenwood) sits down with him, but Green's ego and the fact he didn't read Michael's file before beginning the interview leaves him at a serious disadvantage. Set in the mid-'60s and based on the Nicolas Billon play of the same name, Elephant Song is a psychological drama in which Michael plays mind games with the good doctor, preying on what he knows of Dr. Green's personal life, including his past relationship with Michael's nurse, Susan Peterson (Catherine Keener). Billon adapted his own play for the screen and it's easily recognizable as something intended for the stage, though the benefit of telling the story on the big...

The 34th annual Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) announced its full festival program, featuring over 190 films and a full slate of special events, to be presented over eight days in Halifax, September 11-18.

"A film festival’s primary reason for existing is to celebrate film and to say this year’s line up of films and events is a celebration is a dramatic understatement,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “The sheer breadth and quality of films from both our Atlantic region and beyond offers something for everyone and when you match that with special events that deliver an experience to remember we confidently feel we are raising the bar like never before."

“Our Government is pleased to support this iconic event through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as part of our commitment to building a strong, competitive regional economy, said the Honorable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). The Festival generates tangible benefits for our region, opening new doors to international markets for local artists and industry professionals.”

The Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala Red Carpet Opening Night will take place at a new venue this year, the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Sponsored by NBC Universal, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this star-studded evening will feature the

Opening Gala presentation of "Elephant Song," directed by Charles Binamé ("The Rocket," "Seraphin" ).

Set in 1966, a psychiatrist (Bruce Greenwood) cautiously pries one secret after another from a charismatic but unbalanced patient (Xavier Dolan) concerning the disappearance of the patient’s doctor. What begins as a psychological cat-and-mouse game quickly becomes a far more serious exchange about loss, memory and mystery, with deadly consequences all around. Fuelled by moving performances from an all-star cast, including Bruce Greenwood, Xavier Dolan, Catherine Keener and Carrie-Ann Moss, "Elephant Song" is an exceptional trip into the world of imagination and desire. "Elephant Song" is produced Richard Goudreau and Melenny Productions and is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.

Following the Opening Gala film presentation is the Opening Night Party. Penned as one of Halifax’s ‘most anticipated parties of the year’, the red-carpet event is once again sponsored by NBCUniversal and will take place at the Cunard Centre on Thursday, Sept. 11.

The Festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 18 will be "Maps to the Stars" by director, David Cronenberg. His latest feature film sees the veteran horror director veering into satire, comedy, and social commentary while still providing enough shocks to satisfy his old audience as he courts the new. This time out it is Hollywood itself that is the Toronto filmmaker’s target, telling multiple tales of past-it thespians, desperate wannabees and out-of-control child actors all colliding in a fast-paced, fame-obsessed world where nobody holds anything back. Both funny and terrifying, "Map To the Stars" sees "All About Eve" accelerated into Entourage on steroids.

"Maps to the Stars" is distributed in Canada by Entertainment One.

Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the eight films comprising the

2014 Rogers Special Presentations. Savour the sights and sounds of soon to be award-winning films: ’71 , a moving combat film set during a terrifying riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971; "Foxcatcher," starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo; Simon Pegg as a disillusioned psychiatrist on the hunt for meaning in "Hector and the Search for Happiness;" Mike Leigh’s "Mr. Turner," featuring the award-winning performance of Timothy Spall; the hilarious and heart-warming film, "My Old Lady" with Kevin Kline, Kristen Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith; Jake Gyllenhaal’s career-defining performance in Dan Gilroy’s "Nightcrawler;" and Ruba Nadda’s

"October Gale," starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.

The Aff will once again feature French films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. program will take place from Friday, Sept. 12 to Monday, Sept. 15 and will feature two Gala Presentations. Xavier Dolan’s "Mommy" will be the Gala Français Canadien and Jean-Luc Godard’s "Adieu au langage 3D" ("Goodbye to Language 3D") will be the Gala Français International – reuniting the two Jury Prize winners from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Rounding out this year’s complete program is a top-tier line up of features and documentaries from Canada and throughout the world. Viewers will delight in a wide range of features such as: François Girard’s "Boychoir;" Kristen Stewart in both "Camp X-Ray" and "Clouds of Sils Maria;" Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s "Coming Home" (Gui Lai); "God Help the Girl" by Belle & Sebastien’s Stuart Murdoch; Cannes opener, "Grace of Monaco;" Sundance winner, "Whiplash;" Palme d’Or winner, "Winter Sleep;" and many more.

Select documentaries include: Nick Cave-focussed "20,000 Days on Earth;" a career-spanning look at one of film’s greatest directors in

"Altman;" the story of Russian hockey dominance in "Red Army;" a look inside Sesame Street’s most beloved character in "I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story;" and an exposé of bird poaching in "Emptying the Skies," among many other captivating and enlightening titles.

Also included in this year’s line up are Short Film Programs, featuring both a Canadian and international selection, a ViewFinders: Films for Youth program, film retrospectives at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, and the Festival’s always popular Late Shift program, which this year will screen the 40th Anniversary Restoration of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

The 2014 Festival will host several one-of-a kind special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. In addition to the Opening Night Party and debuting at this year’s festival is the Festival Music House Atlantic presented by Radio Starmaker Fund . The event offers some of the hottest music acts in the country (open exclusively to Festival Passholders and Festival Delegates).

The event will also feature A State of Mine Exhibition , an exhibition from photographer, Chris Geworsky exploring the personal, intimate and unique place each subject visits when he/she loses themselves in their own music; the Ofe@Aff – an Aff Outdoor Film Experience screening of Aff’s 2012 Atlantic Gala film, The Disappeared on the Dartmouth Waterfront; and the 34th Atlantic Film Festival Awards Reception , honoring the amazing talents of Atlantic Canadian film industry professionals.

Strategic Partners , a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television and digital fiction, from across Canada and around the world, will take place as part of Aff, Sept. 11-14. Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters, aggregators and distributors are selected to attend. Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets and celebrating its 17th year, Strategic Partners 2014 is shining the Country Spotlight brightly on Latin America and the U.S., and offering delegates over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, screenings and receptions as well as the popular Film & Creative Industries Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner By the Sea.

Keynote speakers include: Peter Gerard , Head of Content and Audience Engagement at Vimeo and Mariela Besuievsky , Academy award-winning producer at Tornasol Films. In addition there will be a case study of The Games Maker , a Canada/Agentina co-production success story; digital panel: Web Series Wizards Weigh In , with moderator Catherine Tait (Guidestones, Sos: Save Our Skins ) which will give independent producers insight on how to create/finance successful online content; and TV panel: Beyond Broadcast , with moderator Damon D’Oliveira ( What We Have, The Book of Negroes ) who will explore the changing broadcast landscape and original television programming in an increasingly digital-first world.

Financed with the support of the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development and Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results. For more information, visit: atlanticfilm.com/sp

About the Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival (Aff) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 11-18.

Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Aff is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the Aff depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.

The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, Aff Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.

Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs:

atlanticfilm.com , on Facebook page:

/atlanticfilmfestival , on Twitter account:...

For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.

Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.

Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.

Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.

In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).

Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.

Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.

Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.

New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.

Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.

Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.

Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.

Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.

Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.

Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”

Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.

There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.

Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.

Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.

See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:

Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.

The luxurious banquet hall in Toronto’s Royal York hotel was electric with excitement as Tiff senior programmers including Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo announced the robust lineup of Canadian films (several world preems) at this year’s Tiff plus the 40+ short titles (out of an astounding 840 short films — an increase of over 200 titles from last year) that will screen at the prestigious festival. With features populating almost every section at the fest, among the headliner items from English Canada, Cairo Time‘s Ruba Nadda returns to the fest with October Gale, while also world preeming is Bang Bang Baby — Jeffrey St. Jules marks his feature film debut with a film that is equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show and early Cronenberg. Starring Jane Levy of the recent About Alex, it revolves around a small-town teenager in the ’60s whose dream of becoming a famous singer is dashed...

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...

24-year-old Quebecios filmmaker and actor Xavier Dolan will join Bruce Greenwood, Carrie-Anne Moss and Catherine Keener in the thriller "The Elephant Song".

Charles Binamé directs this $7 million-budget adaptation of Nicolas Billon's play of the same name.

The story follows a psychiatrist investigating the disappearance of his colleague. He questions a disturbed patient (Dolan) and finds himself caught in a complex mind game.

Filming will begin shortly in Montreal. Dolan will squeeze in the picture before he sets to work on directing his next film "Mommy".

Source: Global News...

Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror | Drama

Creators: Anna Fricke and Jeremy Carver, based on the original UK version by Toby Whithouse

Directors: Adam Kane, Charles Binamé, Erik Canuel, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Jerry Ciccoritti

Cast: Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Mark Pellegrino

Summary:

Being human: nobody ever said it was easy. But when you’re a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf, like the three twenty-something roommates of Being Human, it may be completely impossible. The second season of Being Human picks up as Aidan (Sam Witwer), Sally (Meaghan Rath) and Josh (Sam Huntington) continue to struggle with their supernatural double lives. By turns frightening, witty, and romantic, Being Human continues to explore what it means to be human through the eyes of these outsiders.

Being Human – Season 2 Trailer – “Monster”

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re new to this series, or maybe even if you aren’t,...

Being Human Episode 205 "Addicted to Love" Written By: Lisa Randolph Directed By: Charles Biname Original Airdate: 13 February 2012 In This Episode... Nora is shocked when her ex, Will - the one that put her in the hospital - shows up just to say hi. He promises to make amends, but when Josh sees him, he loses his temper - with Nora, for listening to him for even one moment. I guess that night's full moon is making him pissy. Josh is obviously feeling threatened, and Conner exploits this by going with Josh to see Will at the house he is building and beating the crap out of him. Nora interrupts and pulls Josh off of Will before he attacks with a plank of wood. That...

Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror | Drama

Creators: Anna Fricke and Jeremy Carver, based on the original UK version by Toby Whithouse

Directors: Paolo Barzman, Adam Kane, Charles Binamé, Erik Canuel, Jeremiah S. Chechik, Jerry Ciccoritti

Cast: Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Mark Pellegrino

Summary:

For three roommates, being human is harder than it looks… Vampires, werewolves and the supernatural collide in the first season of this Syfy smash series that mixes True Blood with The Vampire Diaries.

From the creative team behind Pillars of the Earth, The Mentalist, and Heroes, Being Human is Syfy’s reimagining of the acclaimed UK series created by Toby Whithouse and starring Sam Witwer (Smallville, Battlestar Galactica), Meaghan Rath (The Assistants), Sam Huntington (Cavemen, Superman Returns) and Mark Pellegrino (Lost, Supernatural).

Being Human: The Complete First Season series follows three paranormal, 20-something roommates living in Boston – vampire “Aidan” (Witwer), werewolf “Josh” (Huntington) and ghost “Sally...

Yesterday, the Canadian Academy released its list of nominees for the 26th Gemini Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy Awards.

Best Animated Program or Series

* Glenn Martin Dds

* Hot Wheels - Battle Force Five

* Jimmy Two Shoes

* Kids vs. Kat

* March of the Dinosaurs

Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series

* Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock

* Degrassi: The Next Generation

* How to be Indie

* That's So Weird

* Vacation with Derek

Best Children's or Youth Non-Fiction Program Series

* Artzooka!

* In Real Life

* Spelling Night in Canada: Canspell 2011

* Survive This

* TVOKids - Mark's Moments

Best Comedy Program or Series

* This Hour Has 22 Minutes

* Call Me Fitz

* Good Dog

* Halifax Comedy Fest 2010

* Living in Your Car

* Rick Mercer Report

Best Dramatic Mini-Series or TV Movie

* Fakers

* The Kennedys

* My Babysitter's a Vampire.

* The Pillars of the Earth

* Sleepyhead

Best Dramatic Series

* The Borgias

* Endgame

* Flashpoint

* Skins

* The Tudors...

From a press release

Principal photography on the third season of the award-winning series Durham County has begun in Montreal. Nominated for 13 Gemini awards, winner of 5, and praised by the New York Times as "entirely addictive," this six-part, one-hour drama series features returning stars Hugh Dillon (Flashpoint), Hélène Joy (Murdoch Mysteries), Laurence Leboeuf (Human Trafficking) and Greyston Holt (Smallville) and new cast member Michael Nardone (Rome) as Detective Ivan Sujic.

In the heart-stopping third season of Durham, Mike Sweeney's new task force investigates the brutal murder of two young boys along the 401 highway corridor, while one of their own officers struggles to bury a dangerous secret. Meanwhile Audrey and Sadie embark on a new chapter of their lives and Mike must push himself beyond his limits to overcome a sudden tragedy that may tear his family apart forever.

"The Durham County franchise is being recognized from New York to...

NEW YORK -- Palm Pictures scored all domestic rights for the hockey biopic The Rocket: The Legend of Rocket Richard, winner of nine Canadian Genie awards including best director and best actor.

Charles Biname's film follows the life of Maurice "The Rocket" Richard (Roy Dupuis), a Quebec factory worker who broke through discrimination against French Canadians in the 1940s and '50s to rise to the top of the National Hockey League. The film, written by Ken Scott and produced by Daniel Louis and Denise Robert, features many violent sports scenes in its recreation of an era before helmets were used.

Rocket earned the Canadian equivalent of the Oscar this year for Biname, Dupuis, Julie LeBreton (as Richard's wife) and Stephen McHattie (as Richard's coach). It will be released in U.S. theaters late this fall, followed by a DVD release this winter.

Palm head of theatrical distribution Ed Arentz negotiated the deal with Emmanuelle Dessureault of Montreal-based FunFilm Distribution.

TORONTO -- Quebec films dominated nearly all the major categories as nominations for the Genies, Canada's top film honors, were unveiled Tuesday in Toronto.

In the best picture competiton, Ivan Reitman-produced Trailer Park Boys: The Movie was the lone English-language Canadian entry. It will face off against four Quebecois films: Erik Canuel's Bon Cop, Bad Cop, Charles Biname's Maurice Richard/The Rocket, Jean-Francois Pouliot's Guide De La Petite Vengeance and Robert Favreau's Un Dimanche A Kigali.

The same quartet of French-language filmmakers surfaced again in the best director category, an all-Quebecois affair rounded out by La Vie Secrete Des Gens Heureux helmer Stephane Lapointe.

"Maurice Richard/The Rocket," a French-language drama about the legendary hockey player, led the Genies field with 13 nominations, followed by bilingual buddy comedy Bon Cop, Bad Cop with 10 nominations.

Terry Gilliam's Tideland, a British-Canadian co-production, grabbed five craft nominations and a best actress nod for Jodelle Ferland, while Julia Kwan's Eve and the Fire Horse earned a best supporting actress nomination for Vivian Wu and a best supporting actor nomination for Lester Chit-Man Chan. Otherwise, English-language Canadian movies, which garner a paltry 1% of cinema screen-time nationwide, look set to play second fiddle to their French-language counterparts when the Genies are handed out next month. Quebec films similarly overshadow the acting categories, with Colm Feore (Bon Cop) going up against Roy Dupuis (Maurice Richard), Belgian actor Olivier Gourmet (Congorama), Patrick Huard (Bon Cop) and Luc Picard (Un Dimanche A Kigali) in the best actor competition.

In the best actress category, Sigourney Weaver, nominated for her role in Snow Cake, will challenge Julie Le Breton (Maurice Richard), Fatou N'Diaye (Un Dimanche A Kigali), veteran Quebec star Ginette Reno (Le Secret De Ma Mere) and Jodelle Ferland (Tideland).

The Genie nominations, which came on the second day of Canada's actors strike, were announced at a Toronto press conference with no nominated directors or actors on hand for the assembled media.