Exclusive: Schitt’s Creek star Emily Hampshire is starring in and executive-producing under-the-radar rom-com The End Of Sex, which has just wrapped in Hamilton, Canada.
Also starring are Jonas Chernick (James Vs His Future Self), Gray Powell (Sort Of), Lily Gao (Letterkenny) and Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp).
The feature follows a young couple (Hampshire and Chernick), who feeling the pressures of parenting and adulthood, send their kids to camp for the first time and embark on a series of sexual adventures to reinvigorate their relationship.
Vortex Productions is behind the feature from director Sean Garrity who is re-teaming with his My Awkward Sexual Adventure collaborators Chernick and Hampshire. Chernick has also penned the script.
Vortex Media financed the picture, in association with Brainstorm Media. Vortex and Brainstorm will collaborate on the distribution plan. Worldwide rights remain open.
Justin Rebelo and Sally Karam served as producers with Jesse Ikeman, Christopher Giroux and...
Also starring are Jonas Chernick (James Vs His Future Self), Gray Powell (Sort Of), Lily Gao (Letterkenny) and Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp).
The feature follows a young couple (Hampshire and Chernick), who feeling the pressures of parenting and adulthood, send their kids to camp for the first time and embark on a series of sexual adventures to reinvigorate their relationship.
Vortex Productions is behind the feature from director Sean Garrity who is re-teaming with his My Awkward Sexual Adventure collaborators Chernick and Hampshire. Chernick has also penned the script.
Vortex Media financed the picture, in association with Brainstorm Media. Vortex and Brainstorm will collaborate on the distribution plan. Worldwide rights remain open.
Justin Rebelo and Sally Karam served as producers with Jesse Ikeman, Christopher Giroux and...
- 1/31/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeremy Lalonde and Jonas Chernick's timey wimey comedy James vs His Future Self is currently touring the Canadian festival circuit. A trailer for their film was released prior to the weekend; thankfully there is still time (eh? eh?!) to watch it below. A brilliant scientist on the cusp of inventing time travel finds himself tormented by his unhinged future self who wants him to give up his work for a normal life. When he won’t go along with the plan, it becomes a wicked battle of man versus himself - literally. Starring Daniel Stern, Jonas Chernick (My Awkward Sexual Adventure) & Cleopatra Coleman. Directed by Jeremy Lalonde (The Go-Getters) produced by...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/10/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Exclusive: Cleopatra Coleman, star of Fox series The Last Man On Earth and Summit hit Step Up Revolution, will star alongside comedy vet Daniel Stern (Home Alone) and Jonas Chernick (My Awkward Sexual Adventure) in time-travel sci-fi comedy James Vs His Future Self, which Amp International is launching world sales on in Cannes.
Jeremy Lalonde (How to Plan An Orgy In A Small Town) will direct the feature, which is due to begin shoot on Monday in Northern Ontario, Canada. Script comes from Chernick and Lalonde while supporting cast includes Tommie-Amber Pirie (Syfy’s Bitten) and Tara Spencer-Nairn (CTV’s Corner Gas).
Producers are The Witch and Patti Cake$ exec Jonathan Bronfman for JoBro Productions, Jordan Walker of Neophyte Productions (How To Plan an Orgy In A Small Town) and Chernick’s Banana-Moon Sky Films (My Awkward Sexual Adventure).
The movie will tell the story of an uptight but brilliant...
Jeremy Lalonde (How to Plan An Orgy In A Small Town) will direct the feature, which is due to begin shoot on Monday in Northern Ontario, Canada. Script comes from Chernick and Lalonde while supporting cast includes Tommie-Amber Pirie (Syfy’s Bitten) and Tara Spencer-Nairn (CTV’s Corner Gas).
Producers are The Witch and Patti Cake$ exec Jonathan Bronfman for JoBro Productions, Jordan Walker of Neophyte Productions (How To Plan an Orgy In A Small Town) and Chernick’s Banana-Moon Sky Films (My Awkward Sexual Adventure).
The movie will tell the story of an uptight but brilliant...
- 5/9/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The things we do for fashion!
"After the Ball" is a modern-day fairy tale set in the world of fashion, starring Portia Doubleday ("Youth in Revolt," "Her") Marc-André Grondin ("Goon"), Chris Noth ("Sex and the City"), Lauren Holly ("Dumb & Dumber), Mimi Kuzyk, and Carlo Rota. The light-hearted movie is directed by Sean Garrity ("My Awkward Sexual Adventure").
"After the Ball," which features elements of "Cinderella" and "Twelfth Night," takes place in the contemporary fashion industry. Kate's (Doubleday) dream is to design for couturier houses. Although she's a bright new talent, she can't get a job. No one trusts the daughter of Lee Kassell (Noth), a retail guru who markets clothes "inspired" by the very designers Kate wants to work for. Who wants a spy among the sequins and stilettos?
Reluctantly, Kate joins the family business where she must navigate around her duplicitous stepmother (Holly) and two "wicked" stepsisters. With the...
"After the Ball" is a modern-day fairy tale set in the world of fashion, starring Portia Doubleday ("Youth in Revolt," "Her") Marc-André Grondin ("Goon"), Chris Noth ("Sex and the City"), Lauren Holly ("Dumb & Dumber), Mimi Kuzyk, and Carlo Rota. The light-hearted movie is directed by Sean Garrity ("My Awkward Sexual Adventure").
"After the Ball," which features elements of "Cinderella" and "Twelfth Night," takes place in the contemporary fashion industry. Kate's (Doubleday) dream is to design for couturier houses. Although she's a bright new talent, she can't get a job. No one trusts the daughter of Lee Kassell (Noth), a retail guru who markets clothes "inspired" by the very designers Kate wants to work for. Who wants a spy among the sequins and stilettos?
Reluctantly, Kate joins the family business where she must navigate around her duplicitous stepmother (Holly) and two "wicked" stepsisters. With the...
- 1/9/2015
- by Chris Jancelewicz
- Moviefone
Exclusive: While she’s got TV projects 12 Monkeys and Schitt’s Creek on deck, Canadian actress Emily Hampshire has added a new feature to her résumé. She’ll reteam with her My Awkward Sexual Adventure director Sean Garrity for Borealis. The drama follows an unemployed gambler who takes his estranged pot-smoking teenage daughter on a dangerous road trip to Churchill, Manitoba to show her the magnificent Northern Lights — before her vision disorder renders her completely blind. Kevin Pollak and Joey King also star in the Buffalo Gal Pictures production.
Hampshire, whose credits also include Rookie Blue and Cosmopolis, is starring in Syfy’s 12 Monkeys which premieres January 15. She’s playing the female version of Brad’s Pitt’s character in the original Terry Gilliam film. The CBC’s Schitt’s Creek also premieres in January with Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.
Hampshire’s agent Dani De Lio of Creative Drive Artists...
Hampshire, whose credits also include Rookie Blue and Cosmopolis, is starring in Syfy’s 12 Monkeys which premieres January 15. She’s playing the female version of Brad’s Pitt’s character in the original Terry Gilliam film. The CBC’s Schitt’s Creek also premieres in January with Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara.
Hampshire’s agent Dani De Lio of Creative Drive Artists...
- 10/9/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
When the Montreal-born actress, who moved to L.A. with hubby Matt Smith five years ago, got word that she'd landed the role of a stripper in My Awkward Sexual Adventure, she decided research was in order.
"I went to a strip club and I got a lap dance. And I even asked for a receipt after," says Emily Hampshire, between hearty laughs on the phone from L.A. "And I went to a place in L.A. called The S Factor, kind of a pole-dancing exercise class thing to teach you how to do stripper moves, and that was very educational."
That kind of dedication would make Daniel Day-Lewis proud.
Find out more about Hampshire's big-screen sexual adventure, playing the "hot girl" and who she hopes watches the movie but Never tells her about it.
"I went to a strip club and I got a lap dance. And I even asked for a receipt after," says Emily Hampshire, between hearty laughs on the phone from L.A. "And I went to a place in L.A. called The S Factor, kind of a pole-dancing exercise class thing to teach you how to do stripper moves, and that was very educational."
That kind of dedication would make Daniel Day-Lewis proud.
Find out more about Hampshire's big-screen sexual adventure, playing the "hot girl" and who she hopes watches the movie but Never tells her about it.
- 4/15/2013
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
Sex sells! Remake rights for Sean Garrity's My Awkward Sexual Adventure have been sold to companies in France and South Korea, according to The Hollywood Reporter, proving once again that sex is truly the international language. The Canadian sex comedy debuted at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, and has since gained distribution deals in the U.S. (Tribeca Films), France (Entertainment One), and South Korea (Joy-n Contents). From the official synopsis: When uptight accountant Jordan Abrams proposes marriage to his life-long soul mate Rachel, she finally reveals the painful truth: he's terrible in bed. Frustrated and deeply unsatisfied, Rachel dumps him, and Jordan embarks on a desperate mission to seek some much-needed sexual experience and acquire some basic requisite skills. Committed to doing whatever it...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/26/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Toronto – Tribeca Film has acquired the U.S. rights to Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure, ahead of a March 2013 release for the raunchy sex comedy. The Canadian indie, which bowed at the Toronto International Film Festival, has also been sold by Archstone Distribution to Entertainment One in France, the UK, Scandinavia and South Africa, Rialto Distribution in Australia, Premiere in the Benelux and Russia, and Euro Video in Germany. Other territories checked off by Archstone include a deal with Edko Films for Hong Kong, Hungary’s Ads, Joy-n-Contents in South Korea and Spain’s Alimpro Films. My
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- 12/18/2012
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto – On December 4th, Tiff saluted the best of Canadian Cinema at the 12th Annual Canada’s Top Ten industry event, hosted by Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis, A Dangerous Method) and Don McKellar (Blindness, Trigger). A panel of industry professionals selected the top 10 Canadian feature and short films. Tiff Senior Programmer Steve Gravestock said that this year’s lineup “champions the work of familiar faces as well as emerging talent – all of whose stellar filmmaking achievements shape the Canadian film community”.
To celebrate the best Canadian films of 2012, Tiff will be hosting a 10-day festival of the winners. Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Festival, says that the festival “offers homegrown talent a dedicated platform to showcase their success, and we couldn’t be more impressed by the calibre of films the industry has produced this year.”
The selected top ten are as follows, in no particular order:
Short Films
Bydlo dir.
To celebrate the best Canadian films of 2012, Tiff will be hosting a 10-day festival of the winners. Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Festival, says that the festival “offers homegrown talent a dedicated platform to showcase their success, and we couldn’t be more impressed by the calibre of films the industry has produced this year.”
The selected top ten are as follows, in no particular order:
Short Films
Bydlo dir.
- 12/13/2012
- by Justin Li
- SoundOnSight
A movie like this could swing either way. The sex comedy is a fickle beast, and the membrane between entertaining and stupid is thin indeed. Despite a formulaic story (screenplay written by lead actor Jonas Chernick), My Awkward Sexual Adventure is mostly entertaining. The script doesn't go for the obvious jokes (forgive me for this huge parenthetical tangent, but earlier in the festival I saw fifteen minutes of The Movie Out Here, a film by the Kokanee brewery, which features a scene where a nursing mother on a plane obliviously sprays the lead in the face with breast milk multiple times, and a scene where a Chris Farley-sized gentleman has a heart attack while taking a shit and passes out on the lead's face), instead opting for a clinical vivisection of the various hang-ups and neuroses that might lead a 21st century male to be bad in bed. [Continued ...]...
- 12/7/2012
- QuietEarth.us
As selected by a panel from the Toronto International Film Festival (in alphabetical order) Cosmopolis, David Cronenberg The End of Time, Peter Mettler Goon, Michael Dowse Laurence Anyways, Xavier Dolan Midnight’s Children,...
- 12/6/2012
- by Ryan Adams
- AwardsDaily.com
The 12th annual Whistler Film Festival , attracted more A-list talent and more deal-makers than previous years. The respected British stage and film actor Daniel Radcliffe discussed his upcoming films (Kill Your Darlings, The F Word, Horns) and return to London’s west stage during a special Spotlight on Daniel Radcliffe hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos.
Actor and screenwriter Rashida Jones was recognized for her talents in front and behind the camera with Wff’s Trailblazer Award For Acting and Scriptwriting. Writer and actor Will McCormack was also in attendance for the screening of Celeste and Jesse Forever, which he co-wrote and acts in. Both Jones and McCormack, who were among Variety’S 10 Screenwriter To Watch class in 2011, also received Variety’S One To Watch honor, which was announced at the festival.
Variety’s Steven Gaydos presented Melissa Rosenberg with the publication’s Billion Dollar Screenwriter Award for her impressive accomplishments with the Twilight Saga films. Five out of Variety’S 10 Screenwriters To Watch were in Whistler to receive recognition: Katie Dippold (The Heat); Patrick Aison (Wunderkind); Reid Carolin (Magic Mike); Scott Rothman (Draft Day); and Ted Melfi (St Vincent De Van Nuys).
Other stars gracing the Wff red carpet included James Cromwell (Still), Gil Bellows (Mad Ship), Rachelle Lefevre (Borsos juror and actress in Omerta which screened at Wff), musician Bruce Cockburn (featured in Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage), Kristanna Loken (Love Orchard), Caroline Dhavernas (Mars Et Avril), Helen Shaver (Borsos juror), Liane Balaban (Borsos juror), Katherine Isabelle (American Mary), and Emily Hampshire (My Awkward Sexual Adventure).
The Wff Audience Award went Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure, which was one of eight contenders in the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. The Wff Audience Award runner up went to Hit ‘N Strum, Kirk Caouette’s charming Vancouver street movie which was presented in the new Discoveries program. The Wff Audience Award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the audience.
“This year marks yet another milestone for us. We have been embraced by China, adopted by Variety, and partnered with Bell Media, and we surpassed all expectations in terms of our targets. We have 12 years of experience behind us, and we have several promising initiatives on the horizon,” commented Wff Founder and Executive Director Shauna Hardy Mishaw. “Not only have we become a desired place for filmmakers to present their films, we have become an essential place for the industry to meet and do business with both established and emerging filmmakers, and that is what makes Whistler a filmmakers’ festival. I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that this was the best fest yet!”
The Wff Programming Team under the direction of Director of Programming Paul Gratton assembled a program that was broader and more eclectic than in years past. New strands included American Indies, Discoveries, Late Night TerrorFest and Gkids Animation Showcase. Certain films from these strands, such as Vancouver-made American Mary, the French animated film The Painting, It'S A Disaster and Bruce Cockbrun Pacing The Cage created major buzz and word-of-mouth amongst festival-goers. Canadian films were prominently featured throughout the fest with a number of World Premieres such as Mad Ship, the closing night film The Sheepdogs Have At It and the World Documentary winner Status Quo?. Over all, the festival had something for everyone.
"In what was hoped to be a transformative year for Wff, audiences and critics alike seem to have responded extremely well to such innovations as repeat screenings, press and industry screenings, new programming strands and the very successful China Canada Gateway for Film Script Competition,” says Paul Gratton, Wff’s Director of Programming. “Business was done, audiences were enthusiastic and the many celebrities that graced our presence, from Daniel Radcliffe and Rashida Jones to Bruce Cockburn and James Cromwell, all gave us very positive feedback on the warm Whistler welcome they received. We are all looking forward to building on this year’s momentum and an even greater Wff in 2013.”
Whistler Film Festival screenings were organized in 9 categories: Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature; World Documentary; World Now; Mountain Culture; and ShortWork as well as the newly added American Indies; Discoveries, Late Night TerrorFest and Gkids Animation Showcase. Five Special Presentation screenings and a Programmer’s Surprise, Samsara, rounded out this year’s diverse lineup.
Several of the feature films were at or near capacity and included Still, My Awkward Sexual Adventure, Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage, Love, Marilyn, Bird Co Media, Anna Karenina, American Mary, The Movie Out Here, Karakara, Hit ’N Strum, The Mountain Runners, and Few Words. Total attendance, including industry insiders, was at 9,964 attendees, a 20% increase over 2011 (8,270 in 2011), including 556 delegates (a 10% increase compared to 506 in 2011). Box office was up 37% over 2011.
The Whistler Film Festival celebrated its 12th edition as one of Canada's leading festivals from November 28 to December 2. It showcased 78 films consisting of 44 features and 34 shorts on five screens in four theatres over five amazing days including 6 World Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 8 Canadian Premieres, 5 English Canadian Premieres, 15 Western Canadian Premieres, 4 British Columbian Premieres, and 3 Whistler Premieres. 51 percent of the films presented were Canadian. Films from 18 countries were screened: Canada, UK, USA, France, China, India, Iran, Japan, Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Vietnam, Slovakia, Colombia, Poland, Palestine and Australia.
The Festival continued to support cinematic excellence and awarded up to $31,500 in cash prizes and commissions. Picture Day, by first time feature director Kate Melville, won the coveted $15,000 Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. The$1,000 Canadian ShortWork Award went to Requiem For Romance, directed by Jonathan Ng. The $500 ShortWork Student Award went to Plating by Sfu student Jon Thomas. The Mppia Short Film Award was won by Jon Ornoy for True Love Waits. Presented by Mppia and British Columbia Film + Media, the award consists of a $15,000 cash award plus up to $100,000 in production services.
Whistler Film Festival announced three Canadian film projects that will move into development with Chinese production financing. There were several other deal discussions that began at the Festival both with China and other international investors.
With a focus on the changing media landscape and designed to facilitate international alliances and financial partnerships, the Whistler Summit, Wff’s industry forum, focused on filmmaking in the digital age presenting 15 interactive sessions that addressed a range of issues affecting the film, television and digital media industry. Sessions were complimented by networking opportunities including one-on-one meetings, roundtable information sessions and receptions.
Overall, the industry Summit was at 82% capacity. In addition to the scheduled meetings that took place during the Summit, there was again a notable increase in unscheduled meetings that took place outside of scheduled blocks proving the festival remains an important place for the industry to meet and do business. Industry guests came from the USA and Canada to participate, and delegate representation was from the USA, China, UK, Norway, Japan, Korea and Canada.
A team of 143 volunteers contributed over 1500 hours of time to support the festival’s success.
For information, go to whistlerfilmfestival.com
The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, and is sponsored by Bell Media, Variety, the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, American Airlines, Sorel, Kokanee, Zoom Audio Visual Networks, Christie Digital, Glacier Media Group, Whistler Blackcomb and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.
The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a cultural charitable organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada’s leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering professional and project development programs for filmmakers.
Whistler is Canada’s premier, year-round destination located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver. Consistently ranked the number one mountain resort in North America, Whistler features two majestic mountains, epic skiing and snowboarding conditions, four championship golf courses, more than 200 shops, 90 restaurants and bars, accommodations galore, hiking trails, spas and arguably the best mountain bike park in the world. In short, Whistler has everything you will ever need to have the time of your life - and so much more.
Actor and screenwriter Rashida Jones was recognized for her talents in front and behind the camera with Wff’s Trailblazer Award For Acting and Scriptwriting. Writer and actor Will McCormack was also in attendance for the screening of Celeste and Jesse Forever, which he co-wrote and acts in. Both Jones and McCormack, who were among Variety’S 10 Screenwriter To Watch class in 2011, also received Variety’S One To Watch honor, which was announced at the festival.
Variety’s Steven Gaydos presented Melissa Rosenberg with the publication’s Billion Dollar Screenwriter Award for her impressive accomplishments with the Twilight Saga films. Five out of Variety’S 10 Screenwriters To Watch were in Whistler to receive recognition: Katie Dippold (The Heat); Patrick Aison (Wunderkind); Reid Carolin (Magic Mike); Scott Rothman (Draft Day); and Ted Melfi (St Vincent De Van Nuys).
Other stars gracing the Wff red carpet included James Cromwell (Still), Gil Bellows (Mad Ship), Rachelle Lefevre (Borsos juror and actress in Omerta which screened at Wff), musician Bruce Cockburn (featured in Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage), Kristanna Loken (Love Orchard), Caroline Dhavernas (Mars Et Avril), Helen Shaver (Borsos juror), Liane Balaban (Borsos juror), Katherine Isabelle (American Mary), and Emily Hampshire (My Awkward Sexual Adventure).
The Wff Audience Award went Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure, which was one of eight contenders in the Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. The Wff Audience Award runner up went to Hit ‘N Strum, Kirk Caouette’s charming Vancouver street movie which was presented in the new Discoveries program. The Wff Audience Award is a non-cash prize presented to the highest-rated film as voted by the audience.
“This year marks yet another milestone for us. We have been embraced by China, adopted by Variety, and partnered with Bell Media, and we surpassed all expectations in terms of our targets. We have 12 years of experience behind us, and we have several promising initiatives on the horizon,” commented Wff Founder and Executive Director Shauna Hardy Mishaw. “Not only have we become a desired place for filmmakers to present their films, we have become an essential place for the industry to meet and do business with both established and emerging filmmakers, and that is what makes Whistler a filmmakers’ festival. I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that this was the best fest yet!”
The Wff Programming Team under the direction of Director of Programming Paul Gratton assembled a program that was broader and more eclectic than in years past. New strands included American Indies, Discoveries, Late Night TerrorFest and Gkids Animation Showcase. Certain films from these strands, such as Vancouver-made American Mary, the French animated film The Painting, It'S A Disaster and Bruce Cockbrun Pacing The Cage created major buzz and word-of-mouth amongst festival-goers. Canadian films were prominently featured throughout the fest with a number of World Premieres such as Mad Ship, the closing night film The Sheepdogs Have At It and the World Documentary winner Status Quo?. Over all, the festival had something for everyone.
"In what was hoped to be a transformative year for Wff, audiences and critics alike seem to have responded extremely well to such innovations as repeat screenings, press and industry screenings, new programming strands and the very successful China Canada Gateway for Film Script Competition,” says Paul Gratton, Wff’s Director of Programming. “Business was done, audiences were enthusiastic and the many celebrities that graced our presence, from Daniel Radcliffe and Rashida Jones to Bruce Cockburn and James Cromwell, all gave us very positive feedback on the warm Whistler welcome they received. We are all looking forward to building on this year’s momentum and an even greater Wff in 2013.”
Whistler Film Festival screenings were organized in 9 categories: Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature; World Documentary; World Now; Mountain Culture; and ShortWork as well as the newly added American Indies; Discoveries, Late Night TerrorFest and Gkids Animation Showcase. Five Special Presentation screenings and a Programmer’s Surprise, Samsara, rounded out this year’s diverse lineup.
Several of the feature films were at or near capacity and included Still, My Awkward Sexual Adventure, Bruce Cockburn Pacing The Cage, Love, Marilyn, Bird Co Media, Anna Karenina, American Mary, The Movie Out Here, Karakara, Hit ’N Strum, The Mountain Runners, and Few Words. Total attendance, including industry insiders, was at 9,964 attendees, a 20% increase over 2011 (8,270 in 2011), including 556 delegates (a 10% increase compared to 506 in 2011). Box office was up 37% over 2011.
The Whistler Film Festival celebrated its 12th edition as one of Canada's leading festivals from November 28 to December 2. It showcased 78 films consisting of 44 features and 34 shorts on five screens in four theatres over five amazing days including 6 World Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 8 Canadian Premieres, 5 English Canadian Premieres, 15 Western Canadian Premieres, 4 British Columbian Premieres, and 3 Whistler Premieres. 51 percent of the films presented were Canadian. Films from 18 countries were screened: Canada, UK, USA, France, China, India, Iran, Japan, Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Vietnam, Slovakia, Colombia, Poland, Palestine and Australia.
The Festival continued to support cinematic excellence and awarded up to $31,500 in cash prizes and commissions. Picture Day, by first time feature director Kate Melville, won the coveted $15,000 Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature. The$1,000 Canadian ShortWork Award went to Requiem For Romance, directed by Jonathan Ng. The $500 ShortWork Student Award went to Plating by Sfu student Jon Thomas. The Mppia Short Film Award was won by Jon Ornoy for True Love Waits. Presented by Mppia and British Columbia Film + Media, the award consists of a $15,000 cash award plus up to $100,000 in production services.
Whistler Film Festival announced three Canadian film projects that will move into development with Chinese production financing. There were several other deal discussions that began at the Festival both with China and other international investors.
With a focus on the changing media landscape and designed to facilitate international alliances and financial partnerships, the Whistler Summit, Wff’s industry forum, focused on filmmaking in the digital age presenting 15 interactive sessions that addressed a range of issues affecting the film, television and digital media industry. Sessions were complimented by networking opportunities including one-on-one meetings, roundtable information sessions and receptions.
Overall, the industry Summit was at 82% capacity. In addition to the scheduled meetings that took place during the Summit, there was again a notable increase in unscheduled meetings that took place outside of scheduled blocks proving the festival remains an important place for the industry to meet and do business. Industry guests came from the USA and Canada to participate, and delegate representation was from the USA, China, UK, Norway, Japan, Korea and Canada.
A team of 143 volunteers contributed over 1500 hours of time to support the festival’s success.
For information, go to whistlerfilmfestival.com
The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, and is sponsored by Bell Media, Variety, the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, American Airlines, Sorel, Kokanee, Zoom Audio Visual Networks, Christie Digital, Glacier Media Group, Whistler Blackcomb and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.
The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a cultural charitable organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada’s leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering professional and project development programs for filmmakers.
Whistler is Canada’s premier, year-round destination located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver. Consistently ranked the number one mountain resort in North America, Whistler features two majestic mountains, epic skiing and snowboarding conditions, four championship golf courses, more than 200 shops, 90 restaurants and bars, accommodations galore, hiking trails, spas and arguably the best mountain bike park in the world. In short, Whistler has everything you will ever need to have the time of your life - and so much more.
- 12/6/2012
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
The 12th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival's annual Top 10 list of the best Canadian films made room for heavyweights like David Cronenberg and Deepa Mehta and bourgeouning talents with Xavier Dolan's third film, Laurence Anyways and Sean Garrity's cheekily-titled My Awkward Sexual Adventure cracking the best-of list.
Canada's foreign language Oscar contender Rebelle, a drama about a female child soldier in Africa, directed by Quebec's Kim Nguyen, was also part of the honoured films, chosen by industry professionals and aimed at increasing awareness of the great homegrown movies that are being made on Canadian soil but don't often demand the visibility that their Hollywood counterparts do.
Canada's foreign language Oscar contender Rebelle, a drama about a female child soldier in Africa, directed by Quebec's Kim Nguyen, was also part of the honoured films, chosen by industry professionals and aimed at increasing awareness of the great homegrown movies that are being made on Canadian soil but don't often demand the visibility that their Hollywood counterparts do.
- 12/5/2012
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
Whistler, B.C. -- The Tatiana Maslany-starring coming-of-age drama Picture Day on Sunday won the Borsos Award for best Canadian feature at the Whistler Film Festival. Maslany also won the trophy for best performance in the film by first-time director Kate Melville that bowed at the Toronto International Film Festival. Picture Day follows a rebellious teenager, played by Maslany, who is caught between adolescence and adulthood as she repeats her last year of high school. Melville’s film beat out other Tiff titles for the Borsos crown, like Sudz Sutherland’s Home Again, Sean Garrity’s My Awkward Sexual Adventure
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- 12/2/2012
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gersh has signed three directors who premiered films as last month’s Toronto Film Festival. The agency inked Irish writer-director Kieron Walsh, whose film Jump also recently won best picture at the Irish Film New York Festival. He is also represented at Independent Talent in the UK. Gersh signed Antoinette Beumer, the Netherlands helmer (and sister of actress Famke Janssen) who directed the Holly Hunter-starrer Jackie. She is managed by Echo Lake. Gersh also signed Canadian Sean Garrity, who directed My Awkward Sexual Adventure. The agency also signed that film’s writer (and star), Jonas Chernick.
- 10/16/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Chuck grad Vik Sahay is spying a return to the small screen with a Six Feet Under-esque guest stint on Bones, TVLine has learned exclusively.
Sahay will play Akshay Mirza, the eco-hip head of a funeral home that provides holistic, coffin-free burials. When his business partner and former lover is murdered, he becomes a prime suspect in the case.
Related | Bones Exclusive: Booth and Brennan to Go Undercover as [Spoiler]!
Since wrapping Chuck one year ago, Sahay has shot the indie sex romp My Awkward Sexual Adventure and the horror flick Wer (both due in 2013). He also just snagged a...
Sahay will play Akshay Mirza, the eco-hip head of a funeral home that provides holistic, coffin-free burials. When his business partner and former lover is murdered, he becomes a prime suspect in the case.
Related | Bones Exclusive: Booth and Brennan to Go Undercover as [Spoiler]!
Since wrapping Chuck one year ago, Sahay has shot the indie sex romp My Awkward Sexual Adventure and the horror flick Wer (both due in 2013). He also just snagged a...
- 10/16/2012
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Whistler Film Festival Offers Sneak Peek of 2012 Film and Summit Programming Early Bird Industry Registration, Festival Passes and Accommodation Now Available. The countdown has begun! The 12th annual Whistler Film Festival returns November 28 to December 2, 2012 and the Festival is proud to offer a sneak peek of the first wave of confirmed films as well highlights from its industry program designed to foster innovation, connections and deals. Set in North America’s premiere mountain resort, the Whistler Film Festival combines an esteemed international film competition with a concentrated screen-based industry Summit organized to address the ever-evolving landscape crossing borders and platforms in the digital age. The Festival hosts filmmaking luminaries for an intimate five-day program of screenings, tributes, industry initiatives and special events. Up to 90 innovative and original films from Canada and around the world will be presented. Recognized by filmmakers and film lovers alike as one of Canada’s most important showcases for film, the Festival is a place where artists are celebrated, audiences are inspired, new ideas are discussed, and business opportunities are solidified.
"This year's Whistler Film Festival program will prove to be an exciting and eclectic mix of traditional quality festival fare, sprinkled with a large sampling of the unusual, the unexpected and the just plain entertaining," comments Paul Gratton, Wff’s Director of Programming. "From the sublime to the outrageous, the films at Wff this year will offer something for everyone, with more than a few surprises along the way. The Summit will complement our film programming by addressing key challenges and opportunities facing the industry this year." The Whistler Film Festival is pleased to announce the first round of confirmed titles. Leading off the charge in this year's Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature are two world premieres, named in honor of legendary Canadian filmmaker Phillip Borsos. The Mad Ship, a first feature from Winnipeg based filmmaker David Morton, presents some of the most breathtaking shots of the prairies ever committed to film, and tells the true story of a Scandinavian immigrant caught in the Depression-era dustbowl where drought destroyed the farming hopes of a generation of would-be Prairie settlers. Having lost everything, he embarks on the Sisyphean task of building a boat in the middle of nowhere, far from any body of water. The Mad Ship features performances by Gil Bellows, Martha Burns and Aidan Devine, with Nikolaj Lie Kass in the lead. Sean Garrity's pulse-pounding thriller Blood Pressure about an unhappy wife who starts receiving anonymous notes enticing her to perform certain inexplicable acts of voyeurism directed towards a mysterious young man. Michelle Giroux, Tatiana Maslany and Jonas Chernick are featured. Another Borsos contender returns Garrity and Chernick with My Awkward Sexual Adventure, undoubtedly the funniest Canadian sex comedy ever made. A nerd is dumped by his true love for being a lousy lover. When he attempts to drown his sorrows, a Toronto stripper played by Emily Hampshire takes pity on him and teaches him the ropes, so to speak. Also featured in the Borsos Competition is Michael McGowan's moving new film, Still, featuring unforgettable performances by James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold, who play an aging couple that lead the fight against diminished faculties by attempting to build their own dream house, despite objections from family members and the Maritime municipality in which they live. A film that will have everyone talking is the English Canadian premiere of Martin Laroch’s faux documentary Fair Sex (Les Manèges Humains), featuring a courageous, unforgettable performance by Marie-Evelyne Lessard, who plays an African-Québecoise making a documentary on her summer job with itinerant country fair workers. What starts out as a light-hearted treatise on how to lock up a ferris wheel at night, soon transforms itself into something far more substantial, as a shocking reveal at the halfway mark leads to the most human, extended sex scene between a young woman with a very particular request and an older man in his 40s who reluctantly agrees to her proposal. This is one movie that will not leave you indifferent.
Other titles confirmed for Whistler include Mountain Culture entry The Mountain Runners, an engrossing docudrama about the first mountain footrace held in Bellingham, Washington in 1911 directed by Todd Warger and Brian Young. Two other American indie films, both featuring the charismatic Julia Stiles as part of talented ensemble casts who is confirmed to attend this year’s fest, will have their BC premieres at Whistler. It's a Disaster is a dark comedy about four couples who get together for Sunday brunch regularly, only on this particular occasion, a 'dirty' bomb has gone off in downtown San Francisco, forcing them to seal up their windows, and try to carry on as usual, with David Cross and America Ferrara. Also starring Ms. Stiles is Dan Mirvisch's first feature Between Us (David Harbour, Taye Diggs and Melissa George) about two couples who get together after years of estrangement to patch up old differences, only to find that some broken things can't be mended. Taking place during the 2012 Whistler Film Festival, the Whistler Summit features three concentrated days of business programmes and networking where industry can delve into the ever-evolving convergence of the art, technology and commerce of cinema. Wondering about digital platforms and distribution, how to break into the China market, the latest trends in Visual FX, or the business of made for TV movies? Offering in-depth conversations, lively debates, and critical insight into a broad range of issues vital to the international and domestic film communities that address crossing borders and platforms in the digital age, Whistler is the place to be, to connect and to deal. New for 2012 is the China Canada Gateway for Film® Script Competition, a dynamic pitching competition designed to stimulate international financing for Canadian feature film projects by introducing experienced Canadian writer/producer teams to Chinese studios with up to $15 million on the table for three selected projects. “This year’s festival marks our 12th edition and we have some major developments which will reinforce Whistler’s reputation as being an important place to experience fresh films and connect with industry leaders,” says Whistler Film Festival Society Executive Director Shauna Hardy Mishaw. “Prepare to be inspired; our lineup this year promises to exceed expectations.” The Festival’s online box office is now open for early bird industry registration, festival passes and ticket packages until October 31st. Best accommodation rates are also available starting from $79* per night until November 8th. The Festival lineup and film schedule will be available online on November 1st. Individual film and special event tickets go on sale on online November 1st (until December 2nd). The Festival Box Office opens November 1st for phone sales and on November 22nd for walk-in sales. For information, go to www.whistlerfilmfestival.com The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, and is sponsored by Bell Media, Variety, the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, American Airlines, Sorel, Kokanee and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler. About the Whistler Film Festival Society The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada's leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering project development programs and opportunities for filmmakers. About Whistler Located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver, Whistler is Canada’s premier, year-round destination. Consistently ranked the number one mountain resort in North America, Whistler features two majestic mountains, epic skiing and snowboarding conditions, four championship golf courses, more than 200 shops, 90 restaurants and bars, accommodations galore, hiking trails, spas and arguably the best mountain bike park in the world. In short, Whistler has everything you will ever need to have the time of your life - and so much more.
"This year's Whistler Film Festival program will prove to be an exciting and eclectic mix of traditional quality festival fare, sprinkled with a large sampling of the unusual, the unexpected and the just plain entertaining," comments Paul Gratton, Wff’s Director of Programming. "From the sublime to the outrageous, the films at Wff this year will offer something for everyone, with more than a few surprises along the way. The Summit will complement our film programming by addressing key challenges and opportunities facing the industry this year." The Whistler Film Festival is pleased to announce the first round of confirmed titles. Leading off the charge in this year's Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature are two world premieres, named in honor of legendary Canadian filmmaker Phillip Borsos. The Mad Ship, a first feature from Winnipeg based filmmaker David Morton, presents some of the most breathtaking shots of the prairies ever committed to film, and tells the true story of a Scandinavian immigrant caught in the Depression-era dustbowl where drought destroyed the farming hopes of a generation of would-be Prairie settlers. Having lost everything, he embarks on the Sisyphean task of building a boat in the middle of nowhere, far from any body of water. The Mad Ship features performances by Gil Bellows, Martha Burns and Aidan Devine, with Nikolaj Lie Kass in the lead. Sean Garrity's pulse-pounding thriller Blood Pressure about an unhappy wife who starts receiving anonymous notes enticing her to perform certain inexplicable acts of voyeurism directed towards a mysterious young man. Michelle Giroux, Tatiana Maslany and Jonas Chernick are featured. Another Borsos contender returns Garrity and Chernick with My Awkward Sexual Adventure, undoubtedly the funniest Canadian sex comedy ever made. A nerd is dumped by his true love for being a lousy lover. When he attempts to drown his sorrows, a Toronto stripper played by Emily Hampshire takes pity on him and teaches him the ropes, so to speak. Also featured in the Borsos Competition is Michael McGowan's moving new film, Still, featuring unforgettable performances by James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold, who play an aging couple that lead the fight against diminished faculties by attempting to build their own dream house, despite objections from family members and the Maritime municipality in which they live. A film that will have everyone talking is the English Canadian premiere of Martin Laroch’s faux documentary Fair Sex (Les Manèges Humains), featuring a courageous, unforgettable performance by Marie-Evelyne Lessard, who plays an African-Québecoise making a documentary on her summer job with itinerant country fair workers. What starts out as a light-hearted treatise on how to lock up a ferris wheel at night, soon transforms itself into something far more substantial, as a shocking reveal at the halfway mark leads to the most human, extended sex scene between a young woman with a very particular request and an older man in his 40s who reluctantly agrees to her proposal. This is one movie that will not leave you indifferent.
Other titles confirmed for Whistler include Mountain Culture entry The Mountain Runners, an engrossing docudrama about the first mountain footrace held in Bellingham, Washington in 1911 directed by Todd Warger and Brian Young. Two other American indie films, both featuring the charismatic Julia Stiles as part of talented ensemble casts who is confirmed to attend this year’s fest, will have their BC premieres at Whistler. It's a Disaster is a dark comedy about four couples who get together for Sunday brunch regularly, only on this particular occasion, a 'dirty' bomb has gone off in downtown San Francisco, forcing them to seal up their windows, and try to carry on as usual, with David Cross and America Ferrara. Also starring Ms. Stiles is Dan Mirvisch's first feature Between Us (David Harbour, Taye Diggs and Melissa George) about two couples who get together after years of estrangement to patch up old differences, only to find that some broken things can't be mended. Taking place during the 2012 Whistler Film Festival, the Whistler Summit features three concentrated days of business programmes and networking where industry can delve into the ever-evolving convergence of the art, technology and commerce of cinema. Wondering about digital platforms and distribution, how to break into the China market, the latest trends in Visual FX, or the business of made for TV movies? Offering in-depth conversations, lively debates, and critical insight into a broad range of issues vital to the international and domestic film communities that address crossing borders and platforms in the digital age, Whistler is the place to be, to connect and to deal. New for 2012 is the China Canada Gateway for Film® Script Competition, a dynamic pitching competition designed to stimulate international financing for Canadian feature film projects by introducing experienced Canadian writer/producer teams to Chinese studios with up to $15 million on the table for three selected projects. “This year’s festival marks our 12th edition and we have some major developments which will reinforce Whistler’s reputation as being an important place to experience fresh films and connect with industry leaders,” says Whistler Film Festival Society Executive Director Shauna Hardy Mishaw. “Prepare to be inspired; our lineup this year promises to exceed expectations.” The Festival’s online box office is now open for early bird industry registration, festival passes and ticket packages until October 31st. Best accommodation rates are also available starting from $79* per night until November 8th. The Festival lineup and film schedule will be available online on November 1st. Individual film and special event tickets go on sale on online November 1st (until December 2nd). The Festival Box Office opens November 1st for phone sales and on November 22nd for walk-in sales. For information, go to www.whistlerfilmfestival.com The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, and is sponsored by Bell Media, Variety, the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, American Airlines, Sorel, Kokanee and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler. About the Whistler Film Festival Society The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada's leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering project development programs and opportunities for filmmakers. About Whistler Located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver, Whistler is Canada’s premier, year-round destination. Consistently ranked the number one mountain resort in North America, Whistler features two majestic mountains, epic skiing and snowboarding conditions, four championship golf courses, more than 200 shops, 90 restaurants and bars, accommodations galore, hiking trails, spas and arguably the best mountain bike park in the world. In short, Whistler has everything you will ever need to have the time of your life - and so much more.
- 9/11/2012
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
In the upcoming Tiff selection My Awkward Sexual Adventure, Canadian actress Emily Hampshire plays an exotic dancer who helps a reserved accountant gain sexual experience in order to win back his ex-girlfriend. But the Cosmopolis star will soon take on a very different role in the Filmax feature horror film The Returned.
Directed by Manuel Carballo (Exorcismus), and written by Hatem Khraiche Ruiz-Zorrilla, The Returned is a futuristic zombie movie in which undead victims are temporarily healed thanks to weekly injections of a serum. Hampshire, who just finished shooting All the Wrong Reasons with Kevin Zegers and Cory Monteith, will play a doctor who works with the victims. The film will also star Kris Holden Reid and Shawn Doyle. [Variety]
Production on The Returned will begin sometime this fall.
Does the premise of The Returned sound interesting? Do you think zombie movies are still relevant or have they become stale?...
Directed by Manuel Carballo (Exorcismus), and written by Hatem Khraiche Ruiz-Zorrilla, The Returned is a futuristic zombie movie in which undead victims are temporarily healed thanks to weekly injections of a serum. Hampshire, who just finished shooting All the Wrong Reasons with Kevin Zegers and Cory Monteith, will play a doctor who works with the victims. The film will also star Kris Holden Reid and Shawn Doyle. [Variety]
Production on The Returned will begin sometime this fall.
Does the premise of The Returned sound interesting? Do you think zombie movies are still relevant or have they become stale?...
- 9/5/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
In the last major update for the Toronto International Film Festival 2012 slate, they’ve announced their Canadian features. The line-up includes Sarah Polley’s upcoming documentary Stories We Tell, coming off her Take This Waltz this summer (which also premiered at Tiff). The other major films include two we’ve seen at Cannes,one being Brandon Cronenberg‘s Antiviral, which premiered alongside his father’s Cosmopolis. We disliked it (full review), saying it came off as an “an amateurish, high-budget student film.” The other major title is Xavier Dolan‘s Laurence Anyways, which we loved (full review), calling it a major step forward for the filmmaker. Check out the rest of the titles below, which I’m sure will include many discoveries.
Antiviral Brandon Cronenberg, Canada/USA North American Premiere
Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans.
Antiviral Brandon Cronenberg, Canada/USA North American Premiere
Syd March is an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebrities to obsessed fans.
- 8/8/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The latest batch of titles released by the movers and shakers behind the Toronto International Film Festival today are homegrown movies, part of the Canadian 2012 lineup and include thrillers, dramas, a trans love story and one awkward sexual adventure.
Among those movies screening during Tiff are Antiviral, the directorial debut of David Cronenberg's son Brandon, a genre-mashing flick from Sarah Polley called The Stories We Tell, Xavier Dolan's modern romance Laurence Anyways and the latest from Michael McGowan (One Week, Saint Ralph), the based-on-real-events drama Still.
While those movies are part of the Special Presentations programme, the Discovery programme boasts three world premieres (Blackbird, Krivina, Picture Day) and one North American premiere (Tower) and the Contemporary World Cinema section includes the brazenly-titled My Awkward Sexual Adventure from Sean Garrity (Inertia, Lucid).
Among those movies screening during Tiff are Antiviral, the directorial debut of David Cronenberg's son Brandon, a genre-mashing flick from Sarah Polley called The Stories We Tell, Xavier Dolan's modern romance Laurence Anyways and the latest from Michael McGowan (One Week, Saint Ralph), the based-on-real-events drama Still.
While those movies are part of the Special Presentations programme, the Discovery programme boasts three world premieres (Blackbird, Krivina, Picture Day) and one North American premiere (Tower) and the Contemporary World Cinema section includes the brazenly-titled My Awkward Sexual Adventure from Sean Garrity (Inertia, Lucid).
- 8/8/2012
- by Andrea Miller
- Cineplex
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