Alberta Film and TV 3-Year Production Plan

Alberta's Film and Television production industry has finalized a proposed a 3-year plan to increase film and television production in Alberta.

AMPIA has the details and downloadable PDF and Power Point documents of the plan at this link.

Edmonton's Fillion to Get Lost

Moviehole.net (from Scifi.com) is reporting that Edmonton-born Nathan Fillion will guest star on the the hit ABC show Lost:

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.

Fillion’s episode airs on November 8.

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:

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.

Canada Discussed in New York Film Industry Article

Variety discusses New York's successful attempts to revitalize it's film and television production industry. While Alberta isn't mentioned directly, Canada is:

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.

"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 the link above.

King Kong ™ & © Warner Bros Pictures.

Tommy Chong Discusses New Book

Edmonton-born Tommy Chong discusses his new book, The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint with Lee-Anne Goodman of the Canadian Press:

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."

You can read the full article at this link.

Photo: Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press.

Edmonton International Film Festival Coverage

Check out the Edmonton Journal's coverage of the 2006 Edmonton International Film Festival (which runs until October 7) at this link.

An article about Daniel Baldwin appearing at Edmonton's City Centre cinemas on Tuesday, October 3, can be found at the Edmonton Sun Showbiz section.

Brocket 99: Rockin' the Country, a documenatary on a controversial and racist audio tape purported to be from a southern Alberta radio station, is discussed at this Canada.com article.

Check out the festival's webiste at: www.edmontonfilmfest.com.

Mobifest Screening at EIFF

Toronto, ON (PRWEB) September 30, 2006 – Mobifest, the world’s largest independent mobile film festival, will screen more than fifty made-for-mobile movies – each under one-minute in length – Sunday, October 1, 2006, from 4:00 to 6 PM, at the Princess II Theatre, 10337-82 Avenue, part of the Edmonton International Film Festival.

In addition to showcasing the winning entries from this year’s Mobifest Mobile Film Festival, the event will preview the mobile serial or "mobisode", The History of Hooch, by Genie Award-winning director, David Ostry.

“Mobile movie making is just like finger painting,” says Ostry. “I get to have fun with a new medium where anything is possible”. Ostry has won numerous awards for his short films, including his most recent Milo 55160. Named by Playback Magazine as “One of the 10 to Watch for in 2006”, he is currently in post-production on the comedy feature, Mr. Gibb, for Kevin Spacey’s Trigger Street Independent.

The screening will be preceded by a discussion with Edmonton Film Festival Chair, Mieko Ouchi, and Mobifest winner, Harley Hay. Hay who is from Red Deer, Alberta won Mobifest’s “Best of Festival” Award for his comedic short, Regurgitation. Duncan Kennedy, Executive Producer of Mobifest, hosts the discussion.

TICKETS:
Tickets to the Mobifest screening are $15 at the door. Reel Deal passes will be honoured. Phone 780-423-0844 or visit http://www.edmontonfilmfest.com for more details.

WHERE TO SEE MOBILE MOVIES:
Winning entries and audience picks from this year’s Mobifest Mobile Film Festival can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.mobifest.ca.

ABOUT MOBIFEST:
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.

ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HOOCH:
The History of Hooch is a mobile serial or “mobisode”, which is co-produced by Shane Kennedy of Edmonton's Lone Pine Publishing and Duncan Kennedy of Mobigardens Corporation, and supported by Telefilm New Media.

Audience Casting Call: A Total Write-Off

From an AMPIA e-mail:

Audience Casting Call
A new half hour variety show entitled: "A Total Write-Off" with host Barbara North

LOCATION/TIME:
Saturday, September 30th,2006
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Transalta Arts Barns, Studio B
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The shows will be taped in Edmonton in front of a live studio audience from October 9 - 15.

CONTACT:
Panacea Entertainment
780.490.1220

U of Alberta Gateway Interviews Nathan Fillion

Meghan Potkins, a reporter with the University of Alberta newspaper, The Gateway, recently interviewed Edmonton-born Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Serenity, Slither.) He speaks about attending University, doing improv, and return visits to Edmonton.

From the interview:

“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.”

Check out the rest of the interview at The Gateway.

McCulloch to attend CIFF’s Gala Presentation of Comeback Season

From the CIFF press release:

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.

For more information visit www.calgaryfilm.com.

Cold Case Star Talks About Alberta Visit

Cold Case star Kathryn Morris recently commented on part of her experience in Alberta to film Resurrecting the Champ:

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.

Full article at the Witchita Eagle.

Photo: CBS.com

Mini-Series Wounded Knee Seeks Extras

The production of the mini-series Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is seeking more extras.

The show needs male amputees — both arm and leg amputees, who are ages 18 to 60 — to play dead soldiers.

The cast includes Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall, Third Watch), Anna Paquin (X2: X-Men United, Almost Famous), and Adam Beach (Windtalkers, Skintalkers.)

LOCATION/TIME:
September 23, 2006
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Radison Hotel
2120, 16th Ave. NW
Calgary, Alberta

Source: Calgary Sun

Cash Crunch Threatens Global Visions Film Festival

Vue Weekly reports on the 25th anniversary of the Global Visions Film Festival and how the lack of once-available federal grants have provided planning difficulties for this year's festival:

“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.”

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.”

Laskiwsky comments on corporate sponsorship of the festival as well:

“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.

Garage Sale Fundraiser:

LOCATION/TIME:
September 21 - 23
10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Garage Sale Fundraiser
8217 - 151 Street (Lynnwood Area)
Edmonton, Alberta

CONTACT:
http://www.globalvisionsfestival.com/

Global Visions Festival
#202, 10138 81 Ave
Edmonton, AB, Canada
T6E 1X1
780-414-1052
info@globalvisionsfestival.com