Douglas Booth, Alison Pill and Iris Apatow have joined an adaptation of the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe classic “The Sorrows of Young Werther.”
The film, simply titled “Young Werther,” is produced by Toronto-based film and TV outfit Wildling Pictures, which describes the project as a modern retelling of the book.
Booth (“That Dirty Black Bag”) and Pill (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) will take lead roles, with Apatow (“The Bubble”) also set to star along Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”). Production will begin this month in Toronto.
Drawing from Goethe’s passionate personal accounts, which were first published in letter form in 1774, “Young Werther” is the story of a charmingly irresponsible and enthusiastic young man named Werther (Booth) who finds himself at the mercy of Charlotte (Pill), whose allure and commitment to her impressive fiancé Albert turns Werther’s life upside down.
The project marks the feature directorial debut for José...
The film, simply titled “Young Werther,” is produced by Toronto-based film and TV outfit Wildling Pictures, which describes the project as a modern retelling of the book.
Booth (“That Dirty Black Bag”) and Pill (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”) will take lead roles, with Apatow (“The Bubble”) also set to star along Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”). Production will begin this month in Toronto.
Drawing from Goethe’s passionate personal accounts, which were first published in letter form in 1774, “Young Werther” is the story of a charmingly irresponsible and enthusiastic young man named Werther (Booth) who finds himself at the mercy of Charlotte (Pill), whose allure and commitment to her impressive fiancé Albert turns Werther’s life upside down.
The project marks the feature directorial debut for José...
- 5/17/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: A nearsighted woman being pursued through the woods by her homicidal ex has to have a stranger on a video call try to guide her to safety.
Review: Two of the best thrillers to be released in the last few years were John Hyam’s Alone and Randall Okita’s See for Me – and if you were to drop those two movies into a Mixmaster, the resulting concoction would probably be something very much like Yoko Okumura’s feature directorial debut Unseen. Like Alone, Unseen is about a woman escaping from the clutches of a killer who has taken her to a cabin in the woods, running off through the forest in hopes of finding help and civilization. The women in both movies even end up taking a plunge into a river. And as in See for Me, the endangered woman in this movie has vision issues, so she...
Review: Two of the best thrillers to be released in the last few years were John Hyam’s Alone and Randall Okita’s See for Me – and if you were to drop those two movies into a Mixmaster, the resulting concoction would probably be something very much like Yoko Okumura’s feature directorial debut Unseen. Like Alone, Unseen is about a woman escaping from the clutches of a killer who has taken her to a cabin in the woods, running off through the forest in hopes of finding help and civilization. The women in both movies even end up taking a plunge into a river. And as in See for Me, the endangered woman in this movie has vision issues, so she...
- 3/6/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
See for Me is a 2021 Canadian thriller film directed by Randall Okita and written by Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue. The film stars Skyler Davenport as Sophie, who is house-sitting a secluded mansion for a wealthy client. Sophie is visually impaired and uses a smartphone app called See for Me, which connects its users to volunteers to aid them in their actions. A group of criminals breaks into the mansion and she must now rely on her app which connects her to Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy), an army veteran. Together they try to survive and fight back against the
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “See For Me”...
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “See For Me”...
- 2/14/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
From “Scent of a Woman” to “Dancer in the Dark,” blind characters onscreen have rarely been played by the visually impaired. While recent films like “Coda” and “Sound of Metal” have shown deaf characters with nuance and authentic casting, blindness has not been afforded the same progress. Especially in genre fare, blindness is often used to indicate a certain grisly callousness (see: the “Don’t Breathe” films), or a sagely omniscience. Even though authentic casting undoubtedly creates the best characters, like S. Robert Morgan as Omar’s trusted advisor Butchie on “The Wire,” as with all things progress, Hollywood has taken awhile to catch on.
: an apathetic young woman with attitude and cunning to spare. Played by visually impaired actor Skylar Davenport (who is non-binary and playing cisgender), Sophie is a former competitive skier who has turned to house sitting for the uber wealthy since losing her vision. Dejected but never self-pitying,...
: an apathetic young woman with attitude and cunning to spare. Played by visually impaired actor Skylar Davenport (who is non-binary and playing cisgender), Sophie is a former competitive skier who has turned to house sitting for the uber wealthy since losing her vision. Dejected but never self-pitying,...
- 1/7/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
In 1967, Audrey Hepburn was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Wait Until Dark, a film about a blind woman who becomes the target of three con-men. Due to the character’s impairment, Terence Young’s film – ranked among AFI’s best thrills – becomes a much more anxiety-inducing experience than most thrillers. But what if the star was actually visually impaired? Something not thought of or considered at that time, but Randall Okita’s See for Me, written by Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue, is one of only a handful of films that allow actors with disabilities to shine – in situations only they could fully understand or convey. Wheelchair user Kiera Allen shows immense strength as she attempts to escape the suffocating clutches of a psychotic mother in Run, giving one of the best performances in 2020. Representation like Allen’s on-screen is barrier-breaking because it shows that those with...
- 1/7/2022
- by Sara Clements
- DailyDead
Looks like 2022 is off to a promising start, courtesy of “See for Me,” a home-invasion drama in which the young woman tasked with defending said home — and, just as importantly, the cat who lives there — is blind. It’s rare that the first week of the year brings a notable performance, but Skyler Davenport’s lead turn in director Randall Okita’s no-nonsense thriller (which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival last summer) will be worth remembering well after the January doldrums have passed.
Sophie (Davenport) is sneaking out of the house, and we don’t know why. Neither does her mother (Natalie Brown), for that matter: She catches her twentysomething daughter just before she’s made it out the door, telling the would-be escapee she’s “seen the deposits” and asking whether the money came from OnlyFans or a sugar daddy. Sophie insists it was just a tip from...
Sophie (Davenport) is sneaking out of the house, and we don’t know why. Neither does her mother (Natalie Brown), for that matter: She catches her twentysomething daughter just before she’s made it out the door, telling the would-be escapee she’s “seen the deposits” and asking whether the money came from OnlyFans or a sugar daddy. Sophie insists it was just a tip from...
- 1/7/2022
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
See For Me IFC Midnight Reviewed for Shbockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Randall Okita Screenwriter: Adam Yorke, Tommy Gushue Cast: Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, George Tchortov, Laura Vandervoort Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 11/17/21 Opens: January 7, 2021 The home-invasion thriller “See […]
The post See For Me Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post See For Me Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 1/2/2022
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Stars: Skyler Davenport, Laura Vandervoort, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Kim Coates | Written by Adam Yorke, Tommy Gushue | Directed by Randall Okita
See for Me is a new twist on the plot of a blind person forced to defend themselves against a threat they literally can’t see coming. Writers Adam Yorke & Tommy Gushue and director Randall Okita (The Lockpicker) have taken the basic plot of the classic Wait Until Dark and upgraded its technology. Blind and being stalked by violent criminals? Don’t worry, there’s an app for that.
Sophie Scott (Skyler Davenport), was a promising skier until she lost her sight to a rare disease. Now she combines housesitting and larceny because “Nobody would suspect the poor blind girl.”. Her current assignment house/cat sitting for Debra looks to yield an expensive bottle of wine or two.
When she manages to lock herself out she is forced to rely...
See for Me is a new twist on the plot of a blind person forced to defend themselves against a threat they literally can’t see coming. Writers Adam Yorke & Tommy Gushue and director Randall Okita (The Lockpicker) have taken the basic plot of the classic Wait Until Dark and upgraded its technology. Blind and being stalked by violent criminals? Don’t worry, there’s an app for that.
Sophie Scott (Skyler Davenport), was a promising skier until she lost her sight to a rare disease. Now she combines housesitting and larceny because “Nobody would suspect the poor blind girl.”. Her current assignment house/cat sitting for Debra looks to yield an expensive bottle of wine or two.
When she manages to lock herself out she is forced to rely...
- 12/13/2021
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
"Where are they now?!" IFC Films has debuted the first official trailer for a home invasion horror-thriller titled See For Me, taking the concept of Don't Breathe and mixed with a techno thriller involving someone helping remotely over the phone. This first premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and later stopped by the Vancouver and London Film Festivals. When blind former skier Sophie cat-sits in a secluded mansion, three thieves break in to go after the hidden safe. Sophie's only defense is army veteran Kelly. Kelly helps Sophie defend herself against the invaders and survive. The film stars Skyler Davenport as Sophie, with Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, and Laura Vandervoort. This is a cool concept for a horror film, and it looks scary! I just hope the film is good. I dig the way this trailer ends... in darkness. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for...
- 12/2/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
See For Me Opens in select theaters, on digital platforms and VOD on January 7th and we have a look at the official trailer!
"Sophie, a young blind woman, house-sitting at a secluded mansion, finds herself under invasion by thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense: a new app called “See For Me”. It connects her to a volunteer across the country who helps her survive by seeing on her behalf. Sophie is connected to Kelly, an army veteran who spends her days playing first-person shooter games. Sophie is forced to learn that if she’s going to survive the night, she’ll need all the help she can get. A blind teenage girl who ends up being not so powerless after all."
Directed by: Randall Okita Written by: Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue Produced by: David Di Brina, Adam Yorke, Matt Code, and Kristy Neville Cinematographer:...
"Sophie, a young blind woman, house-sitting at a secluded mansion, finds herself under invasion by thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense: a new app called “See For Me”. It connects her to a volunteer across the country who helps her survive by seeing on her behalf. Sophie is connected to Kelly, an army veteran who spends her days playing first-person shooter games. Sophie is forced to learn that if she’s going to survive the night, she’ll need all the help she can get. A blind teenage girl who ends up being not so powerless after all."
Directed by: Randall Okita Written by: Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue Produced by: David Di Brina, Adam Yorke, Matt Code, and Kristy Neville Cinematographer:...
- 12/2/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport stars as a blind house sitter in the upcoming See for Me from director Randall Okita, which Bloody Disgusting learned will release in theaters and on VOD platforms January 7, 2022. Meagan wrote in her review for Bloody Disgusting out of Tribeca this year, “It’s a simple story that’s stunningly executed.” She also calls it a […]...
- 12/2/2021
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Grimmfest team have hijacked Rudolph, booted Santa off the back of the sleigh, and are heading for a chimney near you, or at least a computer screen. Two nights of festive frights, seasonal shockers and merry mean-spiritedness, delivered right into your homes. Fearsome feature films, startling shorts, and all manner of eerie extras; everything you need for a chilling Christmas and a cruel Yule.
On Friday December 10th, there’s a reminder of just what a hellish time of year this is for those working in the retail trade, as Bruce Campbell and Devon Sawa find themselves confronted by hordes of demented bargain hunting shoppers possessed by alien parasites in Casey Tebo’s riotously funny splatter satire Black Friday. The film is scheduled for a February 2022 release in the UK from Siguature, but this will be the International Premiere; an exclusive opportunity to see the film ahead of the crowds.
On Friday December 10th, there’s a reminder of just what a hellish time of year this is for those working in the retail trade, as Bruce Campbell and Devon Sawa find themselves confronted by hordes of demented bargain hunting shoppers possessed by alien parasites in Casey Tebo’s riotously funny splatter satire Black Friday. The film is scheduled for a February 2022 release in the UK from Siguature, but this will be the International Premiere; an exclusive opportunity to see the film ahead of the crowds.
- 11/25/2021
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport stars as a blind house sitter in the upcoming See for Me from director Randall Okita, which Bloody Disgusting learned will release in theaters and on VOD platforms January 7, 2022. Meagan wrote in her review for Bloody Disgusting out of Tribeca this year, “It’s a simple story that’s stunningly executed.” She also calls it […]...
- 11/15/2021
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Our friends at the Lund Fantastic Film Festival have announced their lineup for this year's edition. It is a terrific mix of classic hits and contemporary standouts. Where do we start? We start with a 25th anniversary screening of Wes Craven's iconic slashsic Scream and a 15th anniversary of Satoshi Kon's Paprika. Both are classics of their respected genres and should not be missed on the big screen. The festival is highlighting a couple Canadian titles, probably to get on my good side when asking me to post this news today. We were already fans of Violation but I strongly suggest that no one miss an opportunity to see Randall Okita's home invasion thriller See For Me (pictured). It stars visually-impared actor Skylar...
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- 10/22/2021
- Screen Anarchy
Exclusive: IFC Midnight has acquired U.S. rights to Randall Okita’s Tribeca Film Festival title See For Me, the home invasion chiller that pits a blind house-sitter against three experienced thieves.
The film stars visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport alongside Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, George Tchortov, Laura Vandervoort and Emily Piggford.
Davenport plays blind former skier Sophie, who accepts a last-minute house-sitting job in a secluded mansion. But she awakes in the middle of the night to find the house under invasion by a group of thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense is a new app called “See For Me,” which matches her with a volunteer across the country who uses Sophie’s cell phone to see on her behalf. Stubbornly independent, Sophie is reluctant to accept help until she is connected to Kelly, an Army veteran who spends her days playing first-person shooter games.
The film stars visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport alongside Kim Coates, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Pascal Langdale, Joe Pingue, George Tchortov, Laura Vandervoort and Emily Piggford.
Davenport plays blind former skier Sophie, who accepts a last-minute house-sitting job in a secluded mansion. But she awakes in the middle of the night to find the house under invasion by a group of thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense is a new app called “See For Me,” which matches her with a volunteer across the country who uses Sophie’s cell phone to see on her behalf. Stubbornly independent, Sophie is reluctant to accept help until she is connected to Kelly, an Army veteran who spends her days playing first-person shooter games.
- 8/30/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
A home invasion thriller with a few predictable twists and turns, See For Me has an intriguing concept that could have transcended the boundaries of a well-worn genre. Instead, it serves up some familiar beats but with an original victim who is not quite as innocent as she looks. Visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport stars as Sophie, a young woman who as a teen had a promising career as a professional skier until a medical disorder took her eyesight. She’s currently living at home with an overbearing mother who questions recent large deposits into her bank account slightly out of line for her chosen profession: house and cat sitting for the wealthy.
Upon arriving at the remote mansion of Deborah (Laura Vandervoot), Sophie beings casing the place with the help of a friend on video chat; her big score this time around is a bottle of rare wine that likely won’t be missed.
Upon arriving at the remote mansion of Deborah (Laura Vandervoot), Sophie beings casing the place with the help of a friend on video chat; her big score this time around is a bottle of rare wine that likely won’t be missed.
- 6/16/2021
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Paris-based sales firm Elle Driver has inked a slew of pre-sales on under-the-radar home invasion thriller See For Me, which was one of the sleeper hits at the virtual AFM.
Visually impaired actress Skyler Davenport, in her first leading film role, stars alongside Sons Of Anarchy star Kim Coates, The Flash actress Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Joe Pingue (Godless), Pascal Langdale (Killjoys) and George Tchortov (Goon).
The film, currently in post-production, follows blind teenager Sophie who is house-sitting at a secluded mansion which comes under attack from thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense is an i-phone app called See For Me which connects her to Kelly, a veteran and volunteer across the country who spends her days playing first-person shooter games online and who now must see on Sophie’s behalf.
Elle Driver closed deals off the promo and script for German Speaking...
Visually impaired actress Skyler Davenport, in her first leading film role, stars alongside Sons Of Anarchy star Kim Coates, The Flash actress Jessica Parker Kennedy, Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Joe Pingue (Godless), Pascal Langdale (Killjoys) and George Tchortov (Goon).
The film, currently in post-production, follows blind teenager Sophie who is house-sitting at a secluded mansion which comes under attack from thieves seeking a hidden safe. Her only means of defense is an i-phone app called See For Me which connects her to Kelly, a veteran and volunteer across the country who spends her days playing first-person shooter games online and who now must see on Sophie’s behalf.
Elle Driver closed deals off the promo and script for German Speaking...
- 11/24/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Though Canada’s National Film Board has invested in interactive projects for well over a decade, 2020 has proven to be a banner year for the publicly funded organization, as three of their VR productions made waves across the international festival circuit.
This past January, director Randall Okita’s “The Book of Distance” premiered at Sundance, kicking off a yearlong festival tour that took the immersive doc from Tribeca to Bucheon to Venice. On the Lido, Okita’s critically acclaimed doc was joined by two other Nfb co-productions, Pietro Gagliano’s “Agence” and Michelle and Uri Kranot’s “The Hangman at Home,” the latter of which would go on to win the festival’s grand jury prize.
Now playing at NewImages Festival in Paris ahead of additional festival dates in Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, “The Book of Distance” represents a new milestone for the Nfb’s interactive lab, which began to...
This past January, director Randall Okita’s “The Book of Distance” premiered at Sundance, kicking off a yearlong festival tour that took the immersive doc from Tribeca to Bucheon to Venice. On the Lido, Okita’s critically acclaimed doc was joined by two other Nfb co-productions, Pietro Gagliano’s “Agence” and Michelle and Uri Kranot’s “The Hangman at Home,” the latter of which would go on to win the festival’s grand jury prize.
Now playing at NewImages Festival in Paris ahead of additional festival dates in Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, “The Book of Distance” represents a new milestone for the Nfb’s interactive lab, which began to...
- 9/24/2020
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Venice VR Expanded will run online this year.
The virtual reality line-up for the Venice Film Festival (September 2-12) features 31 competition titles, including a project created by Jon Favreau.
Badged Venice VR Expanded, the strand will run entirely online. The out of competition line-up includes nine of the best international VR titles and four projects developed during the Biennale College Cinema - VR.
The Favreau project is Gnomes & Goblins, an original production from Wevr, MWMi and Golem Creations that features a virtual world created by the Lion King director in collaboration with VR director Jake Rowell.
The Venice VR digital platform,...
The virtual reality line-up for the Venice Film Festival (September 2-12) features 31 competition titles, including a project created by Jon Favreau.
Badged Venice VR Expanded, the strand will run entirely online. The out of competition line-up includes nine of the best international VR titles and four projects developed during the Biennale College Cinema - VR.
The Favreau project is Gnomes & Goblins, an original production from Wevr, MWMi and Golem Creations that features a virtual world created by the Lion King director in collaboration with VR director Jake Rowell.
The Venice VR digital platform,...
- 7/31/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
From TorontoFilm.Net here is the Toronto Film Production Update for June 2020, including film/TV productions on temporary hiatus, due to the Covid-19 pandemic:
8 Bit Christmas
Feature Films - Streaming
8 Bit Productions Inc.
Prod.: Allan Mandelbaum,
Status: On Hiatus
Best Intentions Season 1
Episodic Series – TV
Best Intentions 1 North Prods. Inc.
Prod.: Steve Solomos
Exec. Prod.: Adam Hertz,
Tom Brady, Mindy Schuktheis,
Michael Hanel
Dir.: Paul Fox, Yael Staav
Status: On Hiatus
Blood And Water Season 4
Episodic Series – TV
4Breakthrough Entertainment Inc.
Prod.: Paula J. Smith
Exec Prod.: Ira Levy, Diane Boehme
Dir.: Felipe Rodriguez
Status: On Hiatus
Flint Strong
Feature Films – Theatrical
NBC Universal
Prod. Michael DeLuca, Elishia Holmes, Barry Jenkins
LP: Tracey Landon
Dir.: Rachel Morrison
Status: On Hiatus
Good Sam
Episodic Series – TV
CBS Studios Inc.
Prod.: John Weber
Exec. Prod.: Katie Wech, Jennie Urman, Joanna Klein
Dir.
8 Bit Christmas
Feature Films - Streaming
8 Bit Productions Inc.
Prod.: Allan Mandelbaum,
Status: On Hiatus
Best Intentions Season 1
Episodic Series – TV
Best Intentions 1 North Prods. Inc.
Prod.: Steve Solomos
Exec. Prod.: Adam Hertz,
Tom Brady, Mindy Schuktheis,
Michael Hanel
Dir.: Paul Fox, Yael Staav
Status: On Hiatus
Blood And Water Season 4
Episodic Series – TV
4Breakthrough Entertainment Inc.
Prod.: Paula J. Smith
Exec Prod.: Ira Levy, Diane Boehme
Dir.: Felipe Rodriguez
Status: On Hiatus
Flint Strong
Feature Films – Theatrical
NBC Universal
Prod. Michael DeLuca, Elishia Holmes, Barry Jenkins
LP: Tracey Landon
Dir.: Rachel Morrison
Status: On Hiatus
Good Sam
Episodic Series – TV
CBS Studios Inc.
Prod.: John Weber
Exec. Prod.: Katie Wech, Jennie Urman, Joanna Klein
Dir.
- 6/24/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Once a teen enters into the world of crime, it’s too late to get out.
In The Lockpicker, this grounded narrative film looks at a teenage thief who tries to leave town to escape the violence that threatens him and the people he loves.
The film stars Kegian Umi Tang, Storie Serres, David Woroner, Jordan Gray and Madi Langdon. It is directed by Randall Okita.
Lrm had a sit-down interview with director Randall Okita yesterday at the press day for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
He talked to us about trying to make a grounded realistic film with teenagers and similar neighborhoods that once represented parts of his past life.
The Lockpicker will be shown at the festival on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent. Visit festival.vconline.org for ticket information.
For possible future screenings at festivals, visit www.randallokita.com.
Don't...
In The Lockpicker, this grounded narrative film looks at a teenage thief who tries to leave town to escape the violence that threatens him and the people he loves.
The film stars Kegian Umi Tang, Storie Serres, David Woroner, Jordan Gray and Madi Langdon. It is directed by Randall Okita.
Lrm had a sit-down interview with director Randall Okita yesterday at the press day for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
He talked to us about trying to make a grounded realistic film with teenagers and similar neighborhoods that once represented parts of his past life.
The Lockpicker will be shown at the festival on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent. Visit festival.vconline.org for ticket information.
For possible future screenings at festivals, visit www.randallokita.com.
Don't...
- 4/29/2017
- by Gig Patta
- LRMonline.com
Last year the The Globe & Mail released an article entitled "What is Wrong with the Canadian Film Industry?" that outlined the problems facing our country’s cinema: low box-office numbers, a crisis of English-Canadian identity, an inability to compete with Hollywood entertainments etc., etc. Focused entirely on the industry, the piece fails to mention the resurgence that had been taking root for quite some time. 2015 was an important year for Canadian cinema, but while Room, Hyena Road and Wet Bum ate up the article’s word count, three of the year’s great Canadian films by emerging directors went unnoticed: Isiah Medina’s 88:88, Kurt Walker’s Hit 2 Pass, and Kazik Radwanski’s How Heavy This Hammer. Equating cinema with ‘content,’ a product to be bought and sold, the article is as much a reflection of the problems with Canadian cinema as an exposition of it. But this insidious...
- 11/29/2016
- MUBI
Randall Okita's debut feature, The Lockpicker, screened as part of the Vancouver International Film Festival's new Future // Present series, which showcases emerging directorial talent in Canadian film. The film is a claustrophobic -- mainly shot in tightly held closeups and from confining angles -- intimate portrait of a teenager, Hashi, a seemingly average kid who nonetheless find himself an outsider traversing the vicious landscape that is high school. Hashi (played by Keigian Umi Tang) is haunted by the memory of a friend (and crush) who recently committed suicide by jumping off their high school's roof. She remains a constant presence in Hashi's daily life, immortalized by recordings he's saved of their old phone conversations. He plays these audio loops over and over, the girl's...
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- 10/25/2016
- Screen Anarchy
It's hard to say what's the most intriguing part of Randall Okita's upcoming feature film debut: The trailer, or the methods used to create the film. The trailer speaks for itself. It's a gorgeously shot piece of work that promises a haunting and unsettling vision of the teen experience. There's a vision here, that's abundantly clear, and Okita appears to have brought that vision to the screen with just the right amount of force. And then there's the methodology. Already highly acclaimed in Canada for his short film work, Okita took a very unique approach to his debut feature. The production set up in a live, functioning high school as a sort of long term art project. Students were not only aware that a film...
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- 9/7/2016
- Screen Anarchy
The Vancouver International Film Festival (Viff) has today announced 22 additional Canadian feature films in two series, Canadian Images and Future//Present. These films join 10 British Columbia-produced features announced previously to create one of the largest annual showcases of Canadian cinema in the world. Standouts include Nathan Morlando’s Cannes premiere “Mean Dreams,” Johnny Ma’s “Old Stone” and Bruce McDonald’s “Weirdos.”
The longstanding Canadian Images series will once again feature some of the country’s best narrative films and documentaries, while the new Future//Present series highlights the work of emerging independent filmmakers from across the country. Future//Present promises to “bring together the most talented, bold and distinct voices in Canadian film.”
Read More: Tiff Adds New Round of Titles, Including ‘It’s Only the End of the World,’ ‘Mean Dreams’ and More
As part of its commitment to Canadian filmmakers, Viff offers three cash awards to celebrate...
The longstanding Canadian Images series will once again feature some of the country’s best narrative films and documentaries, while the new Future//Present series highlights the work of emerging independent filmmakers from across the country. Future//Present promises to “bring together the most talented, bold and distinct voices in Canadian film.”
Read More: Tiff Adds New Round of Titles, Including ‘It’s Only the End of the World,’ ‘Mean Dreams’ and More
As part of its commitment to Canadian filmmakers, Viff offers three cash awards to celebrate...
- 8/22/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
A heavyweight roster of world premieres from the leading lights of Canada’s film industry will grace the Toronto International Film Festival next month.
New work from Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald and Chloé Robichaud are among the Canadian features set to receive their world premieres, while Xavier Dolan and Kim Nguyen earn North American premieres for their latest films following their Cannes debuts.
Wednesday’s announcement included the slate of Canadian short films, the festival’s four Rising Stars, and participants in the Talent Lab and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! programmes.
Talent Lab alumnus Andrew Cividino is named the 2016 Len Blum Resident. The film-maker will take up residency at the Festival Tower for three months later this year and receive one-on-one script consultations with screenwriter Blum, mentoring from Tiff’s industry and programming teams, and support from Tiff partners.
Cividino will work on his screenplay, We Ate the Children Last, a feature...
New work from Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald and Chloé Robichaud are among the Canadian features set to receive their world premieres, while Xavier Dolan and Kim Nguyen earn North American premieres for their latest films following their Cannes debuts.
Wednesday’s announcement included the slate of Canadian short films, the festival’s four Rising Stars, and participants in the Talent Lab and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! programmes.
Talent Lab alumnus Andrew Cividino is named the 2016 Len Blum Resident. The film-maker will take up residency at the Festival Tower for three months later this year and receive one-on-one script consultations with screenwriter Blum, mentoring from Tiff’s industry and programming teams, and support from Tiff partners.
Cividino will work on his screenplay, We Ate the Children Last, a feature...
- 8/3/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
A heavyweight roster of world premieres from the leading lights of Canada’s film industry will grace the Toronto International Film Festival next month.
New work from Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald and Chloé Robichaud are among the Canadian features set to receive their world premieres, while Xavier Dolan and Kim Nguyen earn North American premieres for their latest films following their Cannes debuts.
Wednesday’s announcement included the slate of Canadian short films, the festival’s four Rising Stars, and participants in the Talent Lab and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! programmes.
Talent Lab alumnus Andrew Cividino is named the 2016 Len Blum Resident. The film-maker will take up residency at the Festival Tower for three months later this year and receive one-on-one script consultations with screenwriter Blum, mentoring from Tiff’s industry and programming teams, and support from Tiff partners.
Cividino will work on his screenplay, We Ate the Children Last, a feature...
New work from Deepa Mehta, Bruce McDonald and Chloé Robichaud are among the Canadian features set to receive their world premieres, while Xavier Dolan and Kim Nguyen earn North American premieres for their latest films following their Cannes debuts.
Wednesday’s announcement included the slate of Canadian short films, the festival’s four Rising Stars, and participants in the Talent Lab and Telefilm Canada Pitch This! programmes.
Talent Lab alumnus Andrew Cividino is named the 2016 Len Blum Resident. The film-maker will take up residency at the Festival Tower for three months later this year and receive one-on-one script consultations with screenwriter Blum, mentoring from Tiff’s industry and programming teams, and support from Tiff partners.
Cividino will work on his screenplay, We Ate the Children Last, a feature...
- 8/3/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 2014 Toronto Film Festival has come to a close and the awards have been announced with little surprise at the top as it seemed it would either be James Marsh's The Theory of Everything my review and Morten Tyldum's The Imitation Game my review, at least based on the movies I saw and the reaction I'd heard walking around the fest. And lo and behold, it was Imitation Game taking hom the People's Choice Award, but it appears Theory of Everything wasn't a close second. The first runner up was Isabel Coixet's Learning to Drive and the second was Theodore Melfi's St. Vincent starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy. The People's Choice Documentary award went to Hajooj Kuka for Beats of the Antonov with David Thorpe's Do I Sound Gayc taking first runner-up in which Thorpe confronts his anxiety about "sounding gay" while the second...
- 9/15/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Toronto International Film Festival today announced award winners from the 39th Festival which wraps up this evening.
This year marked the 37th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favorite Festival film, with the GrolschPeople’s Choice Award.
This year’s award goes to Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.
The Imitation Game is the type of film the awards season was made for. Look for it...
This year marked the 37th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favorite Festival film, with the GrolschPeople’s Choice Award.
This year’s award goes to Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch.
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing, the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Turing went on to assist with the development of computers at the University of Manchester after the war, but was prosecuted by the UK government in 1952 for homosexual acts which the country deemed illegal.
The Imitation Game is the type of film the awards season was made for. Look for it...
- 9/14/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Bang Bang Baby
Over the years, the Toronto International Film Festival has grown into one of the top destinations for film fans and one of the biggest stops on the festival circuit, with numerous films making their World Premiere and North American Premiere at the event before going on to commercial and critical acclaim. This has given Tiff’s awards a level of prestige, as previous winners include 12 Years a Slave, The King’s Speech, and Slumdog Millionaire. The committee has now announced the winners for the 2014 incarnation of the festival, and they are as follows:
The Grolsch People’s Choice Award for most popular film at the festival goes to Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game.
Runners up for the prize included Isabel Coixet’s Learning to Drive and Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award for most popular documentary at the festival goes...
Over the years, the Toronto International Film Festival has grown into one of the top destinations for film fans and one of the biggest stops on the festival circuit, with numerous films making their World Premiere and North American Premiere at the event before going on to commercial and critical acclaim. This has given Tiff’s awards a level of prestige, as previous winners include 12 Years a Slave, The King’s Speech, and Slumdog Millionaire. The committee has now announced the winners for the 2014 incarnation of the festival, and they are as follows:
The Grolsch People’s Choice Award for most popular film at the festival goes to Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game.
Runners up for the prize included Isabel Coixet’s Learning to Drive and Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award for most popular documentary at the festival goes...
- 9/14/2014
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
The Imitation Game leads this year's winners at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The thriller starring Benedict Cumberbatch won the People's Choice Award, which was announced at the Festival's annual awards brunch on Sunday (September 14).
Many films that won the People's Choice Award have gone on to win Best Picture Oscar, with Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech and 12 Years A Slave all taking both honours.
The Imitation Game stars Cumberbatch alongside Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode and Rory Kinnear.
Other winners at this year's awards include Beats of the Antonov and What We Do in the Shadows.
The full list of this year's Toronto International Film Festival winners is as follows:
People's Choice Award - The Imitation Game, directed by Morten Tyldum
People's Choice Award For Documentary - Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka
People's Choice Midnight Madness Award - What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Jemaine Clement,...
The thriller starring Benedict Cumberbatch won the People's Choice Award, which was announced at the Festival's annual awards brunch on Sunday (September 14).
Many films that won the People's Choice Award have gone on to win Best Picture Oscar, with Slumdog Millionaire, The King's Speech and 12 Years A Slave all taking both honours.
The Imitation Game stars Cumberbatch alongside Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode and Rory Kinnear.
Other winners at this year's awards include Beats of the Antonov and What We Do in the Shadows.
The full list of this year's Toronto International Film Festival winners is as follows:
People's Choice Award - The Imitation Game, directed by Morten Tyldum
People's Choice Award For Documentary - Beats of the Antonov, directed by Hajooj Kuka
People's Choice Midnight Madness Award - What We Do in the Shadows, directed by Jemaine Clement,...
- 9/14/2014
- Digital Spy
The Toronto International Film Festival leadership announced the juried and audience award winners as the 39th annual event wrapped on Sunday (September 14).
The festival ran from September 4-14 and was due to climax on Sunday evening with a free screening of Morten Tylden’s The Imitation Game, winner of the $15,000 Grolsch People’s Choice Awards Festival Film.
The award confirms the film’s status as a leading awards contender, however a significant number of potential rivals are yet to be seen.
Organisers also claimed the event generated record delegate attendance – up 7% on 2013 with more than 5,000 delegates from 80 countries, powered in part by a 217% year-on-year rise in the number of Chinese industry attendees, 59% in South Africa and 16% in the Us. Industry delegates included 1,900 buyers.
In a departure from the leadership’s traditional policy of not emphasising the business side of events, top brass on Sunday trumpeted the second-week avalanche of acquisitions, including the record...
The festival ran from September 4-14 and was due to climax on Sunday evening with a free screening of Morten Tylden’s The Imitation Game, winner of the $15,000 Grolsch People’s Choice Awards Festival Film.
The award confirms the film’s status as a leading awards contender, however a significant number of potential rivals are yet to be seen.
Organisers also claimed the event generated record delegate attendance – up 7% on 2013 with more than 5,000 delegates from 80 countries, powered in part by a 217% year-on-year rise in the number of Chinese industry attendees, 59% in South Africa and 16% in the Us. Industry delegates included 1,900 buyers.
In a departure from the leadership’s traditional policy of not emphasising the business side of events, top brass on Sunday trumpeted the second-week avalanche of acquisitions, including the record...
- 9/14/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival gave its top prize Sunday to The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and distributed by The Weinstein Company. The announcement brings the huge festival to a close after hundreds of film screenings over 10 days. The Imitation Game, a biopic about gay computer pioneer and code-breaker Alan Turing, won the Grolsch People’s Choice Winner, Aka, the audience award for favorite feature-length film shown.
The acclaimed film, which had its World Premiere at Telluride over Labor Day weekend and its unveiling at Tiff on Tuesday, also stars Keira Knightley and was directed by Norwegian helmer Morten Tyldum.
Unlike other festivals that throw their weight behind juried prizes, Tiff prides itself on the fact that their most important honor is chosen by actual moviegoers (although they do hand out some juried awards in other categories).
At the beginning of each film, the audience is reminded that they can vote.
The acclaimed film, which had its World Premiere at Telluride over Labor Day weekend and its unveiling at Tiff on Tuesday, also stars Keira Knightley and was directed by Norwegian helmer Morten Tyldum.
Unlike other festivals that throw their weight behind juried prizes, Tiff prides itself on the fact that their most important honor is chosen by actual moviegoers (although they do hand out some juried awards in other categories).
At the beginning of each film, the audience is reminded that they can vote.
- 9/14/2014
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline
[Press Release] Toronto -- The Toronto International Film Festival® today announced award winners from the 39th Festival which wraps up this evening. The short film awards below were selected by a jury comprised of Franklin Leonard, founder of The Black List; Beth Sá Freire, deputy-director of the São Paulo International Short Film Festival; and visual artist Floria Sigismondi. Vimeo Award For Best Canadian Short Film The winner of the Vimeo Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Randall Okita for The Weatherman and the Shadowboxer. The jury remarked, “For its bold blend of live action and digital animation to produce a striking meditation on the nature of memory and its legacy, the jury awards the Vimeo Award for Best Canadian Short Film to Randall Okita’s The Weatherman and the...
- 9/14/2014
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
The luxurious banquet hall in Toronto’s Royal York hotel was electric with excitement as Tiff senior programmers including Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo announced the robust lineup of Canadian films (several world preems) at this year’s Tiff plus the 40+ short titles (out of an astounding 840 short films — an increase of over 200 titles from last year) that will screen at the prestigious festival. With features populating almost every section at the fest, among the headliner items from English Canada, Cairo Time‘s Ruba Nadda returns to the fest with October Gale, while also world preeming is Bang Bang Baby — Jeffrey St. Jules marks his feature film debut with a film that is equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show and early Cronenberg. Starring Jane Levy of the recent About Alex, it revolves around a small-town teenager in the ’60s whose dream of becoming a famous singer is dashed...
- 8/6/2014
- by Leora Heilbronn
- IONCINEMA.com
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
This afternoon, with poutine and local wine to mark the occasion, the Toronto International Film Festival announced their Canadian film selections. Programmers Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo proudly pronounced that this year both new and seasoned filmmakers had the “curiosity and courage to show troubling issues occurring in our country in new and exciting ways.” Past festival favorite (and one of my personal own as well) Xavier Dolan, the always controversial Bruce Labruce and Jennifer Baichwal’s films garnered applause from the crowd at the majestic Royal York ballroom. Titles sure to draw headlines and attention in the Canadian slate are Denis Villeneuve’s locally filmed ‘Enemy‘ which has Jake Gyllenhall playing a man with two identities, torn between a mistress and a wife. Villeneuve’s other recent feature ‘Prisoners‘ was previously announced as a festival title. It’s worth mentioning that two feature films being presented at...
- 8/7/2013
- by Leora Heilbronn
- IONCINEMA.com
Bobcat Goldthwait, Buddy Giovinazzo & Joe Dante Among Fantasia Fest’s 2013 Frontieres Co-Prod Market
Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival – it takes place this year between July 18 and August 6 and has always been about more than just the films. They offer plenty of panel discussions and master classes every year, and last year’s edition introduced the Frontières International Co-Production Market, uniting North American, European, and Australasian talent and funders in an initiative focused specifically on fostering genre film productions and relationships. Noteworthy projects from the inaugural edition included new works from seasoned filmmakers such as Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator) and Bruce McDonald (Pontypool), as well as up-and-coming talent like Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Resolution), Paul Campion (The Devil’s Rock), Jason Eisener (Hobo With a Shotgun), and Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are). At the Fantasia Industry Rendez-Vous – a sort of three-day industry cocktail party – professional introductions were made, and many of the projects found co-producers and/or international sales agents.
- 5/7/2013
- by Jason Widgington
- IONCINEMA.com
Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival, widely acclaimed as one of the largest and most influential genre film festivals in the world, is proud to announce the official selections of the second edition of its Frontières International Co-Production Market.
Frontières is the first and only international co-production market to connect North America with Europe, in an environment focused specifically on genre film production. It was just announced last week that Frontières will become a circuit in-between Fantasia, in July, and the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, in April. This initiative was made possible by funding from the Media Mundus program of the European Commission. Frontières was the only new initiative to be funded by the program this year.
The projects to be presented in the market feature an exciting array of filmmakers, from gifted newcomers to world-renowned maestros, coupled with numerous established international producers. The second edition of the Frontières International...
Frontières is the first and only international co-production market to connect North America with Europe, in an environment focused specifically on genre film production. It was just announced last week that Frontières will become a circuit in-between Fantasia, in July, and the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, in April. This initiative was made possible by funding from the Media Mundus program of the European Commission. Frontières was the only new initiative to be funded by the program this year.
The projects to be presented in the market feature an exciting array of filmmakers, from gifted newcomers to world-renowned maestros, coupled with numerous established international producers. The second edition of the Frontières International...
- 5/7/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
For the unfamiliar, Montreal is a city which hosts at least one film festival each and every month of the year. Of the dozens of fests, Fantasia Film Festival is without a doubt our favourite, and is widely acclaimed as one of the largest and most influential genre film festivals in the world. They’ve just announced the official selection of the second edition of its Frontières International Co-Production Market, and the slate is looking good. Frontières is the first and only international co-production market to connect North America with Europe, in an environment focused specifically on genre film production. The projects to be presented in the market feature an exciting array of filmmakers, from gifted newcomers to world-renowned maestros, coupled with numerous established international producers. The selection of the second edition of the Frontières International Co-Production Market will consist of the following 12 projects:
Casting the Runes (Canada / Germany / USA)
Director: Joe Dante (The Hole,...
Casting the Runes (Canada / Germany / USA)
Director: Joe Dante (The Hole,...
- 5/7/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
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