“It’s great. We have to be careful how we market it because it’s like a Terrence Malick film,” he says, referring to the legendary director of such visually sumptuous epics as The Thin Red Line and The New World.You can read the rest of the article at the above link.
“But it’s really good and Brad’s terrific in it — he just gets better with age.”
In addition to Pitt and Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James also stars Sam Rockwell, Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel.
Scott, an avid rock climber, is no stranger to Calgary, frequently coming here to shoot commercials for the overseas markets — when he’s not scaling mountains.
“I love it there.”
"This is an industry we are missing out on," says Denise Strong, a Denver-based member of the Directors Guild of America and vice president of the Colorado Film and Video Association. "This industry offers a big shot in the arm economically for everybody near a location."You can read the full article at this link.
This year in Colorado, a few scenes of Resurrecting the Champ, a story about a Denver- based sportswriter starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson, were shot locally. Principal photography took place in Calgary, Alberta.
Last year, Catch and Release, with Jennifer Garner, spent five days and $500,000 filming in Boulder. Then the film spent 50 days and many millions filming in Canada.
RV, with Robin Williams, was set story-wise in the Colorado Rockies but filmed in Canada.
Runaway production film producers following foreign cash incentives and favorable currency exchange rates - is estimated to have cost many sectors of the American film industry billions of dollars in the past decade and a half.
Parts of 2005's Mr. & Mrs. Smith, featuring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, were filmed in Glenwood Springs. (20th Century Fox)
producers following foreign cash incentives and favorable currency exchange rates - is estimated to have cost many sectors of the American film industry billions of dollars in the past decade and a half.
Candidates in Alberta’s Conservative Leadership race will square off in a LIVE debate at CBC television to outline their positions on how much taxpayers money should be spent on arts and culture and who will decide how the money is spent.Those with an interest in Alberta's film, television, and digital media industries are urged to attend and show their support for renewed provincial support in one of Alberta's key industries.
Join us on Monday, November 13th from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 p.m. at the CBC Broadcast Centre in Edmonton City Centre Mall, 10062 - 102 Avenue.
Candidates confirmed include Jim Dinning, Dave Hancock, Gary McPherson, Mark Norris, Lyle Oberg and Ed Stelmach.
Read the Edmonton Journal/Canada.com article about Bill's passing at this link.To all members and friends of AMPIA,
In case you have not already heard, this note is to let you know that our friend Bill Marsden died last Saturday. Bill was one of the great pioneers of Alberta’s film and television industry. Bill was one of the original founders of AMPIA and was responsible for the creation of the Alberta Motion Picture Development Corporation (AMPDC). Bill was a major contributor to almost every important development in the Alberta industry. His book, “Big Screen Country”, is a lasting legacy to his passionate commitment to the province and to its filmmakers.
To quote Fil Fraser, “We have lost a great friend and a great champion”.
In memory of Bill, a special annual award for filmmaking will be established in his name.
To contribute to this special fund, contact Heather Palberg at the CIBC in Edmonton at (780) 429-7726.
Everyone is invited to attend a Memorial Service this coming Saturday, November 4 at 12:00 Noon at Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home in Sherwood Park (directions below).
4820 Meridian Street
Sherwood Park, Alberta
(780) 468 - 2222
Meridian Street can only be accessed when heading SOUTH on Hwy 14 - the access is 1 km South of the Sherwood Park Fwy on Hwy 14
Click here for print friendly driving directions and map and here to leave condolences.
In "I Do," Jack makes a decision regarding Ben's (Michael Emerson) offer, Kate feels helpless when it looks like an angry Pickett (Michael Bowen) is going to make good on his threat to kill Sawyer, and Locke (Terry O'Quinn) discovers a hidden message that may guide him through the next steps on his journey to unlocking the secrets of the island.Also: Sci Fi Wire reports that Fillion will also develop and/or star in a project for Fox Broadcasting Co. and 20th Century Fox TV:
Fillion’s episode airs on November 8.
Serenity and Slither star Nathan Fillion has signed a talent-holding deal with Fox Broadcasting Co. and 20th Century Fox TV, under which the studio and the network will develop a comedy or drama script for the actor or cast him in an existing project if the new one doesn't go to pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Fillion recently completed White Noise 2: The Light and can be seen in Slither, now on DVD. He is perhaps best known for his role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the science fiction series Firefly and subsequent film, Serenity, both which I highly recommend.
While indelible images of Gotham [New York] have been an integral part of some of the most iconic films ever made, by the late '90s the all-important Manhattan backdrop that played a supporting role in films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Annie Hall and Taxi Driver had been upstaged by simple economics.You can read the full article at the link above.
"Canada got very aggressive with tax credits in 1999, and that's when the city started feeling it," says commissioner Katherine Oliver, who was appointed in August 2002 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"One of the first things I had to deal with was a movie about Rudy Giuliani starring James Woods that was being made in Montreal," Oliver says. "The producers told me they hadn't even budgeted for New York. There was the perception that New York wasn't film-friendly. The 'hassle factor' kept people away."
Under Oliver's leadership, an office that had until that point been using typewriters and processing permits by hand became an advocacy center for film and filmmakers.
In short order, everything was computerized, and a major outreach campaign was launched to studios to trumpet the city's free permits, locations, parking and police details.
You can read the full article at this link.In last year’s documentary A/k/a Tommy Chong, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, comedian and social commentator Bill Maher, among many others, accused the U.S. government of making an example out of Chong for petty political reasons.
But thanks in part to his spirituality and, undoubtedly, his unabashed appreciation of the calming effects of marijuana, Chong approached his sentence with good humour. He says he didn’t mind his nine months in prison because it allowed him to focus primarily on writing the book.
"If you’re a guy like me, it’s not so bad . . . I’m an old man, I’m a writer and I’m writing my book, I’m Tommy Chong, and I’m doing time with my fans," he says.
Being Canadian, Chong says, also helped.
"When you grow up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and spend 20 years with Alberta winters, everything else is so easy. Nine months in a California jail is nothing compared to nine months of a Canadian winter," he says with a laugh.
"Canadians, we appreciate sunshine and the things that really matter in life. People say to me: ‘Don’t you get tired of signing autographs?’ No! Being famous, that’s pretty easy."
Mobifest is Canada’s first mobile film festival. Launched in 2006, it recognizes excellence and innovation in made-for-mobile filmmaking. The festival has two components: an interactive Website where audiences can vote on their favourite mobile movies, and an awards ceremony. This year’s festival, sponsored by Palm, received over 300 submissions from 15 countries and generated over 100 million media impressions. Mobifest is a trademark of Mobigardens Corporation.Check out the rest of the interview at The Gateway.“If I’ve got a giant shopping cart full of groceries and someone comes behind me with only three items and I let them go ahead rather than wait for me, people are so taken aback. It makes me feel great, but it also kind of disheartens me to know that someone would be so taken aback when you just [show] common courtesy,” Fillion explains. “Canadians aren’t afraid to be kind. They’re not afraid to be polite. They’re not offended by everything. It just seems to be more relaxed and easygoing.”
Still, Fillion will probably remain in LA for the time being while he pursues new projects. He has just completed work on an independent film called Waitress with actress Keri Russell, and White Noise: The Light, which will be released sometime in January.
Although Fillion enjoys the challenge of taking on new roles, he hasn’t forgotten the project that first introduced him to wider audiences, and most importantly, he hasn’t forgotten where he got his start. With a few films under his belt and no end to acting in sight, Fillion will always find the time to return home to Edmonton at least twice a year, whether it means reacquainting himself with the Fringe stage, or dropping in to local classrooms to speak about his achievements.
“My best friend from school teaches [in Edmonton]. I go talk to his drama classes all the time when I come back during the school year. My family brings me back. This is where I’m from.”
For more information visit www.calgaryfilm.com.Calgary, AB – Alberta’s Bruce McCulloch (director of Dog Park, Superstar and Stealing Harvard) will be in attendance at the Western Canadian Premiere Gala presentation of his newest film, Comeback Season, on Saturday, September 23, during the 2006 Calgary International Film Festival.
A cheating husband and an injured high school football star both try to make the most of second chances in Bruce McCulloch's marital comedy Comeback Season. Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) stars as Walter Pearce, whose confession of infidelity gets him kicked out of the house. Embittered, Ray’s wife rallies her daughters, destroys Walter’s possessions and empties the joint-accounts.
After a night of misbehaving, Walter finds himself sharing a jail cell with Skylar Eckerman (Shaun Sipos, also seen in Mel Gibson’s Complete Savages), the town’s football star who has recently been sidelined by a knee injury. Despite a troubled history, a truce is established and the men end up as roommates. Their shared experience allows them to overcome their challenges of injury and a broken family.
Starring with Liotta and Sipos in Comeback Season are Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Rachel Blanchard (Road Trip) and Brooke Nevin (Strange Days.)
Comeback Season shot on location in Calgary and Edmonton in the late spring of 2005.
Comeback Season is written and directed by Bruce McCulloch who, in addition to his award winning work with “The Kids in the Hall,” has directed Dog Park, Superstar and Stealing Harvard. The producers are Susan Cavan (Stealing Harvard, Superstar) and Shirley Vercruysse (Radiant City, A Problem With Fear.)
Comeback Season will be screened at the CAMERA Gala on Saturday, September 23, 2006 at the Uptown Stage & Screen at 7:00pm. Gala Reception to follow at Hotel Arts, 119 - 12th Ave S.W.
The 2006 Calgary International Film Festival will run from September 22 – October 1, 2006, at select theatres.
Full article at the Witchita Eagle.I did a movie this summer, which was incredibly fun, and when I had days off I drove around Calgary (Alberta), to these small towns, and people were approaching me and saying, "What are you doing here all by yourself? Why is Lilly Rush in Calgary?" They couldn't wrap their minds around the fact that I brought my camera and took pictures of Lake Louise, with no tourists to ruin the shot. I had on a pink jacket, and they were all saying, "Why is Lilly Rush wearing a pink jacket?" Someone said, "You look really nice in that; why don't you wear it on the show?" The look of our show is a lot of navy and gray; that's the palette, so these people couldn't conceive of me in pink. But I liked it.
“We need $25 000,” explains Laskiwsky, the producer of Global Visions, although he notes with a wry laugh that the number may drop slightly, mostly because “we’re all working for nothing at this point.”Laskiwsky comments on corporate sponsorship of the festival as well:
Despite dire and alarmist reports in the local media (a recent Edmonton Journal story on the festival sported the headline “the canary is dead”), Laskiwsky can confirm that the festival will not be cancelled outright because of budgetary shortfalls.
“We’re moving ahead—we had a board meeting last night and we still feel that we have to put this on somehow,” he reiterates, explaining that a number of circumstances have led to the festival’s current woes.
“There are several factors influencing our finances,” Laskiwsky explains. “One is growing pains: two years ago we had a 60 per cent increase in attendance so we had to develop a larger infrastructure and we need bigger venues, so it costs more to produce the festival.
“Another factor is that this year the Canada Council decided not to fund us,” he continues. “For the last three years they’ve given us $20, 000 [per year], and for the two years before that it was a little less.”
“Documentary films, in general, are controversial, and films that deal with social or environmental issues are even more controversial, so we don’t really attract huge corporate sponsors, so we are looking at local small businesses and people who care about their community,” he says, adding that he still remains optimistic that the financial challenges faced by the festival will be overcome.You can read the rest of the article at this link.
7th Annual Calgary International Film Festival to kick off Friday, September 22, 2006The filming of Big City started in the lush landscapes of the Canadian Rockies in southern Alberta, where the acclaimed and controversial Brokeback Mountain was shot. The team moved to Sofia suburbs at the end of August, to wrap it up at the end of October.Full article available at the link above. English translation of the film's premise is available by clicking here.
In 2 recent documents: a Key Messages letter to the media and AMPIA members, and an Open Letter to the Government of Alberta, Alberta Motion Picture Industries Association and the Partners Group have responded to the provincial government's decision to NOT support the industry by providing 'emergency funding' requested by the Alberta film and TV industry. A positive decision would have ensured that new productions in Alberta would not have to wait 2 years (the period now required to catch-up) before seeing a financial return, and therefore, be reviewed and approved promptly.
The 27-year-old Edmonton director begins shooting a feature-length independent Star Wars spin-off film at NAIT Saturday (July 29), and has amassed $60,000 to bring his dream to life.Check out the full article at the link above. Another article on the film can be found at this link on TheForce.net.
“I’m the only guy crazy enough to do this, because I’m not allowed to turn a profit. The film is for hardcore fans who miss the character development of the original trilogy.”
The film, titled Secrets of the Rebellion, is set in the days prior to the original Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope.
Actor Jim Siokos of Davenport, Iowa, will re-create Harrison Ford’s Han Solo character, as he wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian. The film will delve into the the downfall of the Jedi, the theft of the Death Star blueprints, and the Empire’s efforts to reclaim them.
“We’ve taken (Lucasfilm-approved) storylines and expanded them, to fill in the gaps between Episode III Revenge Of The Sith, and the original,” Twitchell said. “It’s for the fans.”
Be sure to check out the full article at this link. Canoe JAM! also posted a story on the filming.Alba's character is a penguin keeper, which is why the animals were required, [film publicist] Vigars said.
There are only three cities in North America -- Edmonton, Montreal and Chicago -- where African penguins are kept and the Alberta capital was the most accommodating, he said.
Despite lightning striking their plane on the flight in, Alba and Cook have taken a liking to Edmonton, Vigars said.
Although she hasn't been to West Edmonton Mall yet, Alba went straight to Winners to do some shopping as soon as she arrived last weekend.
Vigars said the star has bonded with the penguins, and has taken a particular shining to one named Tweeblik.
African penguins are ideal for acting since they do not require as cold an environment as other types, Evans said. The birds had three to five handlers with them on set at all times to ensure they were property treated.
The penguins won't be the only Edmontonians on screen when Good Luck Chuck hits theatres. Fifty local actors were hired as extras for the shoot, which wraps up today.
"Edmonton has been absolutely wonderful," Vigars said, adding that when the film is released, there is a possibility of having a premiere here with the penguins on hand."
Full article at the link above.Any acclaim will undoubtedly translate to good news for the Calgary film community.
Unlike the vast majority of projects shot here, including last year’s Brokeback Mountain, Champ is an urban drama. No cowboy hats or hard-bitten actors sluicing tobacco as they head towards the final shootout (or pup tent, in the case of Brokeback).
It wasn’t an easy sell at first. Calgary film commissioner Beth Thompson remembers when she first approached the producers, they were surprised there was even a city here.
Now, she hopes more Hollywood filmmakers will view the city as a viable urban location.
“It’s a great opportunity for us and there’s optimism right now that it will mean more productions shooting downtown … Everybody (involved with Champ) has been very complimentary.”
Helping to sway Lurie’s opinion was Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee.
“Ang talked to me about the quality of the crew — the crew base and the actor base. And he was absolutely right.
“Normally speaking, you shoot at least 12 hours a day and this crew is working with such efficiency they’re getting me out at nine, 10 hours.
“I think it’s really part of … the Canadian work ethic. ‘Get the job and get the job done without complaint,’ which I love.
“I’m really tempted to try to shoot everything I can up here, because I’ve just had a really good time and Calgary, in particular, is very interesting because not a lot of movies have been shot downtown.”
While the script was originally set in L.A., the story will now take place in Denver, which more closely matches Calgary’s topography.
“I chose (to set it in) Denver because I chose (to film it in) Calgary,” says Lurie. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done before.”
Cameras will soon relocate to the Deerfoot Inn and Casino for a scene with Teri Hatcher. The Desperate Housewives star is flying in for one day to film her role.
Her involvement is a coup — it’s her first film role since Desperate Housewives.
By all accounts, Jackson and Hartnett (who brought along girlfriend Scarlett Johansson) enjoyed themselves in Calgary
Jackson, an avid golfer, took to the links. Among restaurants and bars cast members frequented, Lurie cites the Metropolitan Grill as well as Mynt Ultralounge and the Ship & Anchor. “We were just there last night, in fact.”
Show producers Rick Siggelkow and Jim Corston say choosing Alberta for the show’s location was carefully thought out.Check out the full article at this link.
“We wanted to be some place where there had been big dinosaur digs and then I saw this documentary on CBC about Drumheller. The landscape looked so perfect, so we hooked up with Alberta Filmworks,” says Siggelkow.
“It all seemed pretty logical and it couldn’t have worked out any better. The locations are amazing, the cast has been fantastic and this is easily one of the best crews we’ve ever worked with.”
Bob and Jeff Welsh, a father and son from Indiana, won an auction on eBay for a tour of the Brokeback Mountain sites in the 1950 pickup truck used in the movie.The article also mentions the father's enjoyment of the trip:
"Great scenery ... lot of friendly people and absolutely stunning," Jeff Walsh said after spending Saturday touring the Kananaskis area where the mountain scenes were shot.
"It was really interesting now that on some of the scenes we've looked at how close they were to the roads. So you know there was just a couple of scenes where we had to walk off on a trail and not for a great distance," he told CBC Radio.
"I'm a little 76-year-old guy. In 1950, I had a truck just like that ... brand new ... $1,100. But at any rate, I enjoyed riding in the truck — I enjoyed driving the truck — brought back old times."Check out this link for the full article and a video (Real Media) from CBC.
The tour was also the perfect way to spend time with his movie-loving son.
On Sunday, they visited the Rockyford and Carseland areas, where the bank, rodeo and bar scenes were filmed.
Check out the full article at this link.In the meantime, he’s preparing to wrap Moondance Alexander this week. The production, which has been shooting for the past month in High River, Okotoks and around Calgary, finds Johnson — as a down-and-out ex-horse show rider who mentors a young girl named Moondance Alexander (Kay Panabaker) — far removed from the cocaine-fuelled glamour of Miami’s seedy underworld.
Which is, he adds, the idea.
“I was looking for a family picture so my young kids can see it because a lot of my stuff they can’t.”
Moondance, which producers are intending for the big screen, is being directed by Michael Damian, an ’80s teen idol, thanks to his role on The Young and Restless and co-stars Lori Loughlin (Full House) as Moondance’s mother. The size of the project — low-budget independent or large-scale Hollywood fare — “has never really mattered,” Johnson says. “For me, I just enjoy the work. Like I said, this was a sweet film my kids could see.” For the actor, the shoot marks a return to Calgary where he’s previously headlined such productions as the 1989 thriller Dead Bang and the 2003 TNT movie Word of Honor.
This past weekend, he reports, “I did my obligatory trip to the Stampede. It was great. I say obligatory because I’ve been there half a dozen times, I think, so it’s like an annual sojourn at this point. I enjoyed it. Every year it gets better and better.”
Writer Alan Geoffrion strived to make Broken Trail as genuine as possible, right down to the "therapeutic papers," people dying of tick fever, and a lamb shepherd who wears a mishmash of fur around his shoulders.Read the full article at the link above.
"He even had cowboys read it and check it for authenticity," Duvall says.
Duvall and Geoffrion pitched it to Hollywood as a movie, but studios didn't bite. They ended up at AMC, where Duvall was happy to be, but he had to fight to keep others from turning the miniseries into a nail-biting adventure.
"They kept saying it needed a 'B' plot. I'm not sure it needed that. We had a lot of problems with the rewrites. They would rewrite, and then Al and I would come in at night and rewrite the rewrites.
"The thing was going off in another direction, with gunfights and action. This is a character-driven piece, so we had to make sure we could keep it on track that way."
The dialogue isn't filled up with a bunch of throwaway cliches, although Duvall's character has a few lines of wisdom to dispense, like "Never use money to measure wealth," and "It's a great life, when it ain't rainin' or snowin'."
Duvall considered marketing the story as a feature or one-day network TV movie before landing at AMC, which has never bought the notion that the western is dead, having stopped speaking to audiences more inclined to watch antiheroes than heroes and who find their escapist clashes between civilization and a lawless frontier in sci-fi tales set in space. Or maybe it was simply counterprogramming that led AMC to embrace westerns and John Wayne, licensing 32 of his films. In any case, the network was eager to back its first original project.Full article and video clip available at the link above.
"We were looking for a big event that would be our first big event," says AMC President Ed Carroll, who gave the go-ahead for shooting the two-part Broken Trail last summer in Alberta, Canada, with the confidence that Duvall would "lend immediate credibility" to the debut effort but also understanding that AMC was getting "a perfectionist … who has a strong point of view."
Translation: This star-producer would not sit quietly by if a network suit decided that TV required a happier ending, say, than he believed appropriate.
Duvall is not generally a believer in those. The 90-year-old Foote recalls the one line in Tender Mercies for which the actor, in character, allowed himself tears. It goes, "I don't trust happiness. Never did. Never will."
So that was one issue, how much happily-ever-after. Also how much gunplay. "You gotta have a shootout in a western, I suppose," Duvall says, but "you can't overdo that. They weren't such deadeye shots, those guys."
Check out the rest of the article at this link."Using different venues for their annual VIP ceremonies, this year's red carpet was laid in front of the Metro Cinema downtown and, unlike other events where carpets are placed symbolically, this one was truly star-studded. Even though its specifically an aboriginal film celebration, the actors who arrived are recognizable on a national and even international level - like Dakota House and one of last year's inductees, Jimmy Herman, whose credits include Dances With Wolves and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.
The large lounge was filled with patrons in colourful evening gowns, black tuxedos and other creative ensembles like the top hat and purple velvet coat worn by award-winning Mohican composer Brent Michael Davids, who created a beautiful score for the 1920 silent film The Last of the Mohicans screened this year.
Board members and organizers recognized all areas of the film industry including APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) and the National Film Board of Canada for their contributions to the success of the artists and industry.
This year, five astounding individuals were chosen to lay their hands in concrete and formally be inducted into the Walk of Honour including Tantoo Cardinal, one of the most renowned and recognized aboriginal actors in the world."
On Monday, June 12, the Banff World Television Festival 2006 announced the winners for the 27th Annual Banff World Television Awards.The official story is located at the Calgary Sun website.Shatner, 75, will play a journalist following the attempt by Laurie Skreslet and Pat Morrow to become the first Canadians to scale the highest mountain peak on Earth.
Everest 82 is a co-production of Ontario’s Screen Door Productions and Calgary’s Alberta Filmworks Inc.
The four-hour, two-part TV film which began shooting in Banff, Jasper and Kananaskis in April is set to wrap June 19.
Edmonton-born Eric Johnson stars as Skreslet.
Jason Priestley is currently in town shooting a cameo as John Laughlin, a climber who helped organize the expedition, but was killed in an Alberta climb months before it began.
Sorensen wrote the screenplay three years ago, inspired by friends and folks of the Big Stone Cree Nation, while teaching school in Wabasca, a small community north of Slave Lake.
What started off as a school project with a budget of $7,000 (saved by Sorensen through driving truck during the summer) became more ambitious after he hooked the interest of well-regarded Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis.
Now that it was going to be a real movie he needed real financing.
Denied by every major film funding agency, he tried the corporate world and was finally offered $50,000 by Peace River grocery store merchant Frank Lovsin.
"He said he'd give me $50,000 if I could raise the rest in four weeks. The Woodlands Cree Nation came in as one of the big partners, as well as other people from Peace Country."
Despite the modest budget ($250,000,) Hank Williams First Nation boasts a good script, realistic acting and wonderfully scenic shots.
Indeed, the film won a best director for Sorensen from the 2005 American Indian Film Festival, and the superb country-flavoured soundtrack (by local artists) won the best music award last year at the Nashville International Film Festival.
Shot over three weeks mostly in Peace River, (Edmonton's Whyte Avenue stands in for a U.S. street), it's the first Canadian film EVER to premiere in competition at the American Film Institute's Los Angeles film festival.
"The summer is about to get a little less boring at 'Dinosaur Discovery Camp' for Lauren Slater, Kit Whitefeather and their friends. When Lauren decides to go for a walk to let off a little steam, she decides to go to a nearby ghost town. It is here that she makes a discovery that will change her entire summer camp experience. She discovers real living dinosaurs."Information on the director, David Winning, can be found at his official website.
"See all the breathtaking Alberta scenery from this classic movie for real. See the actual buildings, meet & speak with the real people who witnessed the film being made. Hear the funny stories & anecdotes you'll never read online anywhere! Everyone will know this is the real Brokeback Truck - satin black as in the movie, & will have Alberta license plates front & back: 'BR0KEBK.' The memories you take home will last a lifetime.Full details at the auction link above.
Rob will turn over all monies earned in this auction to The Rob Freeman Foundation, a registered Canadian charity, founded by him. The RFF proudly supports Freeman House, home to 4 adults with special needs. The RFF also supports AIDS/HIV & cancer research. The buyer will receive an official tax deductible charitable receipt from the Foundation & may stipulate specifically which of the Foundation's objectives he/she would like to have his/her donation go toward.
This custom tour is for 2 people and will take place over a 3 day period in the summer of 2006 to be agreed upon between Rob & the buyer.
The tour will take in the 3 areas identified in the above Travel Alberta web page in the Brokeback Truck, & will be conducted by Rob. For approx 3 - 5 hours each day, in each of the 3 separate areas, the tour is in the Brokeback Truck, driving around, & getting out to walk & see the specific places filmed in the movie. There are 24 different places in total where filming took place. The winner & Rob will plan the trip together according to specific interests of the buyer. The trip can be lengthened or shortened...every effort will be made to make this as an enjoyable experience as possible for the buyer. The winner will be able to drive the truck at certain agreed upon times provided he/she has a legitimate drivers license & insurance."
Access to a rig is not easily garnered, says Anaid president/executive producer Margaret Mardirossian (X-Weighted). She and her team, including producer Deb Proc (Icebound: The Final Voyage of the Karluk), contacted several Alberta-based drilling operations before finding one where both the oil company and drilling outfit agreed to participate. Even so, the oil company has requested not to be named on the show.You can read the full article at this link.
"There is a lot of confidentiality when it comes to the oil and gas industries, so this is sort of unprecedented for us to be able to get in there, behind closed doors, and see what is really going on," says Mardirossian. "We feel very fortunate."
The series began its 13-week shooting sked on April 11, and will follow a 16-man crew. Mardirossian says an Anaid crew of four is shooting on the rig, a potentially dangerous assignment, but the producer assures that Anaid and the drilling crew are taking all necessary safety measures.
Why did the production — which is not a western or a period piece — choose Calgary as its location?Great to hear continued praise for Alberta's film crews! Check out the full story at this link.
“First off, there’s the obvious financial incentive to shoot in Canada and in Calgary, the film commission has been extremely helpful to us thus far,” [film director] Lurie says.
Also swaying him in our direction was a conversation he had with Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee.
“He told me he thinks in Calgary that they double for America better than America does. He was very convincing, talking about the talent base that exists there — he was extremely impressed. We have a slighter smaller budget than he did, but he managed to make Brokeback (look like) a magnificently expensive film and I’m hoping for the same.”
Says Calgary film commissioner Beth Thompson, “It’s a great opportunity for us. When I sat down and met with them and showed them what Calgary had to offer, they were quite impressed.”
Lurie, a former L.A.-based journalist, says the film “is a journalism story based on a true story about a Los Angeles Times, down-on-his-luck reporter who comes across the story of his life. He publishes it and becomes a star only to then find out that it was inadvertently a fraud.”
Full article at the link above."It's been a guerrilla shoot and it couldn't have worked if it weren’t for the Alberta crew. They make some of the shoots I've had in L.A. look like amateur hour at the Roxy."
She says another plus is Alberta itself.
"The mountains are so majestic. It is so unbelievable peaceful."
"I want to work here again and I will definitely come back if just to visit."
The stamp debuts May 26. Check out the official press release and the Palaeoblog post for more info."Born in Cardston, Alberta in 1907, Wray later moved to Arizona. At the age of 14, she went to California dreaming of a movie career and before long, began picking up small parts in westerns and comedy shorts.
In 1926, Erich von Stronheim cast Wray as the female lead in The Wedding March – her own all-time personal favourite role. Shortly after, she played opposite Gary Cooper in the war drama, Legion of the Condemned and was re-teamed with him for 1928's The First Kiss. But it was the classic "beauty and the beast" film, King Kong (1933) that secured Fay Wray's place in film history. Wray was cast as an actress who becomes the love object of a monster gorilla. After a rampage in the streets of New York, Kong scales the Empire State Building with Fay Wray in his hairy hands. With stunning special effects, King Kong places high on lists of the best films ever made and has been remade into a new movie that is being hailed as the 2005 holiday season's blockbuster release."
Matthew Kennedy said he bought the black, 1950 GMC truck last year at an auction of vehicles used in the movie because he liked its looks, and only decided to sell when he realized the amount of attention the film was garnering.Check out the rest of the article at the link above.
"The movie was getting a lot bigger and I thought I could sell it and put away the money for school," he said.
Kennedy's eBay description of the vehicle says it was driven by Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, when he meets Ennis Del Mar, played by Heath Ledger, at the start of the film.
Bidding has reached $15,000 so far, almost double the $8,000 starting price, fueled by the ties to the film.
From a record number of entries (640), the nominated finalists for the 2006 Alberta Film & Television Awards represent a wide range of production companies throughout Alberta.Tickets are available through AMPIA. For a complete list of 2006 finalists, check out this link.
The 24 judges who adjudicated the entries were Executive Producers and senior Executive Program Managers from across Canada. Each panel of judges were given the challenge of selecting only 6 Finalists in each category from an impressive list of submissions. Several categories set new records for the number of entries, including "Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes" (25 entries), "Best Commercial" (26 entries), "Best Director Non-fiction Under 30 Minutes"(26 entries), "Best Editor Non-fiction Under 30 Minutes"(40 entries) and "Best Animator/Graphic Artist" (25 entries).
The 2006 Alberta Film & Television Awards is scheduled for Saturday, April 29th in the magnificent new Hall D at The Shaw Conference in Edmonton starting at 4:45pm. Hosts for the special evening include actor/performer Tom Jackson and a featured star from STAR-TV!, the stunningly beautiful Larysa Harapyn, along with Edmonton news anchors Jennifer Martin (CITY-TV) and Mark Connolly (CBC).
