Last night the First Weekend Club kicked off the 2009 Canada Screens series with a sold out event at District 319. The event marked a great start to 2009 and it was wonderful to see so many people out to enjoy the company of other film enthusiasts in celebrating great Canadian cinema.
The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on September 4th and a number of announcements have been made over the last few weeks regarding some of the films being screened. Today, alongside some of the big international titles, the festival also announced a big chunk of the Canadian films making appearances on various programs within the festival.
Once thought to be lost, Edward S. Curtis’ 1913 dramatic epic In the Land of the Head Hunters, a film which broke new ground for not only using indigenous people to play indigenous characters, but also by telling a uniquely aboriginal story, has finally been restored.
South of the border, Canadian films often see poor treatment, if they're not completely ignored, by fans and critics alike but for months now Martin Geros' Young People F**king has had the internet abuzz both here and in the US, most notably because of the film's title. But now the film is getting some well deserved love from one of the most recognized names in the Critics circles.