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Here is an interview I conducted with Oscar-bound director of Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau, before his TIFF2011 premiere. Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars and garnering nine nominations at the Genie Awards, including Best Director, Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, Falardeau had a keen instinct that this was the film that would change his game. He was right.

Check out the interview here:

I had the pleasure of catching up with Philippe Falardeau, director of Monsieur Lazhar, the film that swept Locarno Film Festival last month and which opens at TIFF next week. The last time we connected, it was to learn about his process making It's Not Me, I Swear!, the charming coming of age story of a child menace.

Falardeau is again delving into the rich territory of childhood with this latest film.  Based on the play Bachir Lazhar by Quebec playwright Evelyne de la Chenelière, Falardeau’s film is a drama about an Algerian immigrant who takes over a grade-school class in Montreal after the death of the previous teacher.

AH - How did you come across this play by de la Chenelière? What was the process like of translating it to screen?

PF - For ten years, I had been looking for an angle to tackle the subject of immigration. All the ideas I had were too academic for my taste. When I saw Evelyne’s play three years ago, I found that point of entry through this incredibly rich character of Bachir Lazhar. I liked the fact that Bachir's tragic story of being an immigrant wasn’t the central plot. He is confronted with something that is very concrete within the society where he has settled, but this confrontation could have occurred anywhere. The story had to be able to stand on its own merit, beyond the fact that he has gone through a traumatic event leading to his exile. It has an influence on what is going to happen, it makes him a foreigner who is going to upset our view of the world, but I still do not believe it is the subject of the film.

During the play, I thought: “Here is a rich character.” He’s not a character that has just been invented making us wonder what could be his traits and features. Not at all. Bachir has his own backstory, his own history, even before the movie starts.

But the play was basically a one man show. My producers who attended the play on the same evening were a little skeptical when I told them I wanted to adapt Evelyne’s work. But I could see the film in my head quite clearly.  On the one hand, a strong and touching protagonist already existed. On the other, there was sufficient maneuvering space for me to create the rest. The character Alice existed slightly, Simon not at all, so there was a whole story to invent. I knew there was room for creation.

From the moment Evelyne accepted that I adapt the play, it was understood that I would be the screenwriter. I asked her to help me uphold the character’s integrity and to follow me step by step. I wanted her to make sure to bring me back in line each time I headed in a direction that would betray the character’s essence. She also was my first reader, along with my producers. Whenever I hit a wall, because she is an extraordinarily skillful writer, she was able to come up with real ideas. Not necessarily concrete ideas for the film, but she always knew when there was an important moment at stake and she’d send me her reflections, articles to read… and that unblocked me. 

AH - Evelyne appears in the film -- what was it like directing the playwright?

PF - In addition to being a prolific and talented playwright, Evelyne is a skilled actress. I don’t understand why she doesn’t appear more in films, but I think it’s only a matter of time. I directed her the same way I always work with actors, no special treatment for the playwright!  It was fun to have the author of the play stand before Bachir, her own creation, thanking him. Evelyne plays the mother of Alice and she is the only parent who thanks Bachir for what he has accomplished with the kids.

AH - I'm curious about your process from It's Not Me, I Swear! to making this film. Did you have any in-between time, time to reflect or did you just go straight to work again?  Perhaps you were developing Monsieur Lazhar  concurrently?

PF - I was ready to go in pre-production with It's Not Me, I Swear! when I saw Evelyne’s play. Before shooting, I had time to write a 30 pages synopsis of the film and even went to Algeria to research Bachir’s background.  That allowed us to get development money from Telefilm and SODEC. While in postproduction on It's Not Me, I Swear!, that’s when I really started working on the various drafts.

AH - How many ideas and projects are you nurturing at once?  Do you tend to multi-task on your writing and filmmaking projects?

PF - When my first feature The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge was released, it took me a while to get started on another project. I got tangled in the festivals, the promotion, the Jutra Awards, the Genies… I found it difficult to get going on a second script while still discussing The Left Hand Side, something I had written three years earlier. Staying close to your film freezes you in the past.

From then on, I understood the importance of thinking one step ahead when you are making a film. While preparing Congorama, I dug up a book that I had wanted to adapt since 1997. I tried to do the same this time around.  I have been working on a political comedy for a year, just before shooting Monsieur Lazhar. But I have to admit that the process is difficult and that my brain doesn’t allow me to multitask (I think women are much better than men at multitasking…).

I also feel a sense of fatigue after writing and directing four films in 12 years. I wouldn’t mind directing someone else's script, as long as I’m the right person for it. Anyone? Anyone?

AH - You've said in interviews you're keen to reach a wider audience with this film.  It's Not Me, I Swear! had a great run across Canada and a great reception internationally.  What does "a wider audience" mean to you now?

PF - Hmmm… It's Not Me, I Swear! has been well received critically, but it did not reach a wide audience despite the fact it was my most "accessible" work yet. With no big stars and no big commercial packaging, I never expect to break a record at the box office. But I would like the film to be seen by more people than just the "cinephile" crowd.

AH - What do you think was the secret of the crossover success of It's Not Me, I Swear! into English Canada?  Quebec films seem to be the most successful films in Canada and internationally. We talk a lot about the issues of making films in Canada at FWC.  Do you have any specific insights into filmmaking in this country and particularly Quebec?

PF -  Part of the answer is that in Quebec, we are not in direct competition with Hollywood, as opposed to English Canadian films. Commercially, we can do well at the box office in Quebec with big comedies for example, because we have a closed market. But most of the big box office hits don’t travel well internationally, with the exception of La Grande Séduction and CRAZY. The films that break the international market are often smaller productions geared toward film festivals audiences.

Now, if your questions relate to the inherent qualities that allow our films to cross-over, I don’t know. Perhaps Quebec filmmakers are more… uninhibited? I’m skating on thin ice here...

AH - What are your TIFF survival tips? What are you looking forward to at TIFF?

PF - TIFF survival tips? Don’t be intimidated by Brad Pitt, Georges Clooney and company. This is our festival as well. If you bump into them between two interviews at the Intercontinental, invite them to your film. And tell them I said hello.

AH - Will do, Philippe!

Here is an interview I conducted with Oscar bound director of Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau, before his TIFF2011 premiere. Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars and garnering nine nominations at the Genie Awards, including Best Director, Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay, Falardeau had a keen instinct that this was the film that would change his game. He was right.

Check out the interview here:

I had the pleasure of catching up with Philippe Falardeau, director of Monsieur Lazhar, the film that swept Locarno Film Festival last month and which opens at TIFF next week. The last time we connected, it was to learn about his process making It's Not Me, I Swear!, the charming coming of age story of a child menace.

Falardeau is again delving into the rich territory of childhood with this latest film.  Based on the play Bachir Lazhar by Quebec playwright Evelyne de la Chenelière, Falardeau’s film is a drama about an Algerian immigrant who takes over a grade-school class in Montreal after the death of the previous teacher.

AH - How did you come across this play by de la Chenelière? What was the process like of translating it to screen?

PF - For ten years, I had been looking for an angle to tackle the subject of immigration. All the ideas I had were too academic for my taste. When I saw Evelyne’s play three years ago, I found that point of entry through this incredibly rich character of Bachir Lazhar. I liked the fact that Bachir's tragic story of being an immigrant wasn’t the central plot. He is confronted with something that is very concrete within the society where he has settled, but this confrontation could have occurred anywhere. The story had to be able to stand on its own merit, beyond the fact that he has gone through a traumatic event leading to his exile. It has an influence on what is going to happen, it makes him a foreigner who is going to upset our view of the world, but I still do not believe it is the subject of the film.

During the play, I thought: “Here is a rich character.” He’s not a character that has just been invented making us wonder what could be his traits and features. Not at all. Bachir has his own backstory, his own history, even before the movie starts.

But the play was basically a one man show. My producers who attended the play on the same evening were a little skeptical when I told them I wanted to adapt Evelyne’s work. But I could see the film in my head quite clearly.  On the one hand, a strong and touching protagonist already existed. On the other, there was sufficient maneuvering space for me to create the rest. The character Alice existed slightly, Simon not at all, so there was a whole story to invent. I knew there was room for creation.

From the moment Evelyne accepted that I adapt the play, it was understood that I would be the screenwriter. I asked her to help me uphold the character’s integrity and to follow me step by step. I wanted her to make sure to bring me back in line each time I headed in a direction that would betray the character’s essence. She also was my first reader, along with my producers. Whenever I hit a wall, because she is an extraordinarily skillful writer, she was able to come up with real ideas. Not necessarily concrete ideas for the film, but she always knew when there was an important moment at stake and she’d send me her reflections, articles to read… and that unblocked me. 

AH - Evelyne appears in the film -- what was it like directing the playwright?

PF - In addition to being a prolific and talented playwright, Evelyne is a skilled actress. I don’t understand why she doesn’t appear more in films, but I think it’s only a matter of time. I directed her the same way I always work with actors, no special treatment for the playwright!  It was fun to have the author of the play stand before Bachir, her own creation, thanking him. Evelyne plays the mother of Alice and she is the only parent who thanks Bachir for what he has accomplished with the kids.

AH - I'm curious about your process from It's Not Me, I Swear! to making this film. Did you have any in-between time, time to reflect or did you just go straight to work again?  Perhaps you were developing Monsieur Lazhar  concurrently?

PF - I was ready to go in pre-production with It's Not Me, I Swear! when I saw Evelyne’s play. Before shooting, I had time to write a 30 pages synopsis of the film and even went to Algeria to research Bachir’s background.  That allowed us to get development money from Telefilm and SODEC. While in postproduction on It's Not Me, I Swear!, that’s when I really started working on the various drafts.

AH - How many ideas and projects are you nurturing at once?  Do you tend to multi-task on your writing and filmmaking projects?

PF - When my first feature The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge was released, it took me a while to get started on another project. I got tangled in the festivals, the promotion, the Jutra Awards, the Genies… I found it difficult to get going on a second script while still discussing The Left Hand Side, something I had written three years earlier. Staying close to your film freezes you in the past.

From then on, I understood the importance of thinking one step ahead when you are making a film. While preparing Congorama, I dug up a book that I had wanted to adapt since 1997. I tried to do the same this time around.  I have been working on a political comedy for a year, just before shooting Monsieur Lazhar. But I have to admit that the process is difficult and that my brain doesn’t allow me to multitask (I think women are much better than men at multitasking…).

I also feel a sense of fatigue after writing and directing four films in 12 years. I wouldn’t mind directing someone else's script, as long as I’m the right person for it. Anyone? Anyone?

AH - You've said in interviews you're keen to reach a wider audience with this film.  It's Not Me, I Swear! had a great run across Canada and a great reception internationally.  What does "a wider audience" mean to you now?

PF - Hmmm… It's Not Me, I Swear! has been well received critically, but it did not reach a wide audience despite the fact it was my most "accessible" work yet. With no big stars and no big commercial packaging, I never expect to break a record at the box office. But I would like the film to be seen by more people than just the "cinephile" crowd.

AH - What do you think was the secret of the crossover success of It's Not Me, I Swear! into English Canada?  Quebec films seem to be the most successful films in Canada and internationally. We talk a lot about the issues of making films in Canada at FWC.  Do you have any specific insights into filmmaking in this country and particularly Quebec?

PF -  Part of the answer is that in Quebec, we are not in direct competition with Hollywood, as opposed to English Canadian films. Commercially, we can do well at the box office in Quebec with big comedies for example, because we have a closed market. But most of the big box office hits don’t travel well internationally, with the exception of La Grande Séduction and CRAZY. The films that break the international market are often smaller productions geared toward film festivals audiences.

Now, if your questions relate to the inherent qualities that allow our films to cross-over, I don’t know. Perhaps Quebec filmmakers are more… uninhibited? I’m skating on thin ice here...

AH - What are your TIFF survival tips? What are you looking forward to at TIFF?

PF - TIFF survival tips? Don’t be intimidated by Brad Pitt, Georges Clooney and company. This is our festival as well. If you bump into them between two interviews at the Intercontinental, invite them to your film. And tell them I said hello.

AH - Will do, Philippe!

The two front running films at this years' Genie Awards could not be more different, yet they tackle similar themes.

Their differences are at first most obvious. Passion versus intellect. Modern love story versus famed historical figures. Wave-making new talent versus iconic filmmaker.  Jean-Marc Vallée leads the Genie race with 13 nominations for his epic tale of love, spanning two continents and eras, Café de Flore. David Cronenberg follows with 11 nominations for his exploration of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freuds' difficult friendship in A Dangerous Method.

While love is a central theme in both movies, it could not be approached more differently in each. Cronenberg splices into the theme with scalpel-like precision, dissecting the complications of desire from a scientific and intellectual standpoint. Vallée dives deep into the dangerous world of obsessive love, hypnotic soundtrack throbbing, while his characters' lives spiral before us.

Both stories hinge on the difficulties of staying married over the long term, and reason over passion. Both stories explore the challenges of letting go of love. Both stories explore the metaphysical realm.  Visits to the bedroom and the psychoanalyst's office feature in both films. There is much more dialogue in Cronenberg's, however, as screenwriter Christopher Hampton adapted his stage play The Talking Cure for the screen (Hampton himself no stranger to the subject of illicit desire, as the screenwriter/adapter of Dangerous Liaisons for the stage and screen). Vallée, on the other hand, uses music and imagery to weave his two disparate plots together.  I was amazed at how a love story could be so gripping and suspenseful.

In both films, the imagery is layered and both merit a second viewing.  For example, in A Dangerous Method, when Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel) discuss the value of monogamy, they sit in a garden, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, and Otto, acting as Jung's alter ego, wears black and sits to his left. Meticulous details like this permeate both films.

Watching these movies back-to-back proves to be an interesting exercise.  I left A Dangerous Method wanting to discuss Freud and Jungs' theories, and how they have permeated modern consciousness. I left Café de Flore unable to speak or move, having been wracked with tears throughout.  An older couple behind me in the cinema clung to each other and wept for ten minutes after the credits finished. 

It's well worth it to catch both films while they're still in cinemas, and I highly recommend watching them back-to-back.  The Genie jury has a tough job this year.

The two front running films at this years' Genie Awards could not be more different, yet they tackle similar themes.

Their differences are at first most obvious. Passion versus intellect. Modern love story versus famed historical figures. Wave-making new talent versus iconic filmmaker.  Jean-Marc Vallée leads the Genie race with 13 nominations for his epic tale of love, spanning two continents and eras, Café de Flore. David Cronenberg follows with 11 nominations for his exploration of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud's difficult friendship in A Dangerous Method.

While love is a central theme in both movies, it could not be approached more differently in each. Cronenberg splices into the theme with scalpel-like precision, dissecting the complications of desire from a scientific and intellectual standpoint. Vallée dives deep into the dangerous world of obsessive love, hypnotic soundtrack throbbing, while his characters' lives spiral before us.

Both stories hinge on the difficulties of staying married over the long term, and reason over passion. Both stories explore the challenges of letting go of love. Both stories explore the metaphysical realm.  Visits to the bedroom and the psychoanalyst's office feature in both films. There is much more dialogue in Cronenberg's, however, as screenwriter Christopher Hampton adapted his stage play The Talking Cure for the screen (Hampton himself no stranger to the subject of illicit desire, as the screenwriter/adapter of Dangerous Liaisons for the stage and screen). Vallée, on the other hand, uses music and imagery to weave his two disparate plots together.  I was amazed at how a love story could be so gripping and suspenseful.

In both films, the imagery is layered and both merit a second viewing.  For example, in A Dangerous Method, when Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) and Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel) discuss the value of monogamy, they sit in a garden, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, and Otto, acting as Jung's alter ego, wears black and sits to his left. Meticulous details like this permeate both films.

Watching these movies back to back proves to be an interesting exercise.  I left A Dangerous Method wanting to discuss Freud and Jung's theories, and how they have permeated modern consciousness. I left Café de Flore unable to speak or move, having been wracked with tears throughout.  An older couple behind me in the cinema clung to each other and wept for ten minutes after the credits finished. 

It's well worth it to catch both films while they're still in cinemas, and I highly recommend watching them back to back.  The Genie jury has a tough job this year.

Vancouver-based Network Entertainment is set to launch the world premiere of feature documentary, "I am Bruce Lee" in Vancouver on February 8, followed by a theatrical release in over 200 theaters in the United States and Canada. 

Network principal partners Derik Murray and Paul Gertz produced the acclaimed Muhammad Ali documentary "Facing Ali," directed by Pete McCormack, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2010. McCormack also directs "I am Bruce Lee," with Bruce Lee Enterprises and Lee's daughter Shannon Lee as executive producers.
The doc is already getting considerable buzz. Apparently, the trailer shot to No. 1 this week on iTunes.

Featuring the very best footage of Bruce's motion pictures and rare archival footage and photos provided by Bruce's family, "I am Bruce Lee" gives us access to rarely viewed Lee interviews and home movies —offering a close-up look at the man whose wit was as rapid-fire as his martial arts moves.

The film's cast includes UFC President Dana White who calls Lee the "Father of Mixed Martial Arts," NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, boxing champions Manny Pacquiao and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, UFC stars Jon Jones, Cung Le, Stephan Bonnar and Gina Carano, actor and star of the hit show 'Modern Family' Ed O'Neill, Academy Award Nominated actor Mickey Rourke, the Black Eye Peas' Taboo, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and his wife Linda Lee Cadwell, as well as martial arts legends like Dan Inosanto, Bob Wall and Gene LeBell.

Network Entertainment is no newcomer to the world of sports.  In 2004, their Making the Cut series marked the first time that reality television was partnered with a professional sports league, the National Hockey League.  They've also done one-hour docs such as: "The Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky," "The Life and Times of Mario Lemieux," "The Life and Times of Gordie Howe,"  for CBC.  "Legends of Hockey" was their Gemini Award winning TV series tracing the game's early beginnings. The series has aired on TSN, ESPN Classic Canada, NHL Network, RDS, History Television and Historia.

I'm sure that Bruce Lee fans will be excited to see this!

Vancouver-based Network Entertainment is set to launch the world premiere of feature documentary, "I am Bruce Lee" in Vancouver on February 8, followed by a theatrical release in over 200 theaters in the United States and Canada. 

Network principal partners Derik Murray and Paul Gertz produced the acclaimed Muhammad Ali documentary "Facing Ali," directed by Pete McCormack, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2010. McCormack also directs "I am Bruce Lee," with Bruce Lee Enterprises and Lee's daughter Shannon Lee as executive producers.
The doc is already getting considerable buzz. Apparently, the trailer shot to No. 1 this week on iTunes.

Featuring the very best footage of Bruce's motion pictures and rare archival footage and photos provided by Bruce's family, "I am Bruce Lee" gives us access to rarely viewed Lee interviews and home movies —offering a close-up look at the man whose wit was as rapid-fire as his martial arts moves.

The film's cast includes UFC President Dana White who calls Lee the "Father of Mixed Martial Arts," NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, boxing champions Manny Pacquiao and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, UFC stars Jon Jones, Cung Le, Stephan Bonnar and Gina Carano, actor and star of the hit show 'Modern Family' Ed O'Neill, Academy Award Nominated actor Mickey Rourke, the Black Eye Peas' Taboo, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and his wife Linda Lee Cadwell, as well as martial arts legends like Dan Inosanto, Bob Wall and Gene LeBell.

Network Entertainment is no newcomer to the world of sports.  In 2004, their Making the Cut series marked the first time that reality television was partnered with a professional sports league, the National Hockey League.  They've also done one-hour docs such as: "The Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky," "The Life and Times of Mario Lemieux," "The Life and Times of Gordie Howe,"  for CBC.  "Legends of Hockey" was their Gemini Award winning TV series tracing the game's early beginnings. The series has aired on TSN, ESPN Classic Canada, NHL Network, RDS, History Television and Historia.

I'm sure that Bruce Lee fans will be excited to see this!

Vancouver-based Network Entertainment is set to launch the world premiere of feature documentary, "I am Bruce Lee" in Vancouver on February 8, followed by a theatrical release in over 200 theaters in the United States and Canada.  
Network principal partners Derik Murray and Paul Gertz produced the acclaimed Muhammad Ali documentary "Facing Ali," directed by Pete McCormack, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2010. McCormack also directs "I am Bruce Lee," with Bruce Lee Enterprises and Lee's daughter Shannon Lee as executive producers.
The doc is already getting considerable buzz. Apparently, the trailer shot to No. 1 this week on iTunes.

Featuring the very best footage of Bruce's motion pictures and rare archival footage and photos provided by Bruce's family, "I am Bruce Lee" gives us access to rarely viewed Lee interviews and home movies —offering a close-up look at the man whose wit was as rapid-fire as his martial arts moves.

The film's cast includes UFC President Dana White who calls Lee the "Father of Mixed Martial Arts," NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, boxing champions Manny Pacquiao and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, UFC stars Jon Jones, Cung Le, Stephan Bonnar and Gina Carano, actor and star of the hit show 'Modern Family' Ed O'Neill, Academy Award Nominated actor Mickey Rourke, the Black Eye Peas' Taboo, Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee and his wife Linda Lee Cadwell, as well as martial arts legends like Dan Inosanto, Bob Wall and Gene LeBell.

Network Entertainment is no newcomer to the world of sports.  In 2004, their Making the Cut series marked the first time that reality television was partnered with a professional sports league, the National Hockey League.  They've also done one-hour docs such as: "The Life and Times of Wayne Gretzky," "The Life and Times of Mario Lemieux," "The Life and Times of Gordie Howe,"  for CBC.  "Legends of Hockey" was their Gemini Award winning TV series tracing the game's early beginnings. The series has aired on TSN, ESPN Classic Canada, NHL Network, RDS, History Television and Historia.

I'm sure that Bruce Lee fans will be excited to see this!

Today has been an exciting news day for Canada. Quebec filmmaker Philippe Falardeau has managed to earn his first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign-Language Film for "Monsieur Lazhar."

According to The Canadian Press, Falardeau admits that he "shrieked and leapt into his producer's arms" when he found out that he was shortlisted for one of the most coveted awards in cinema.

"I just heard 'Canada' and I screamed and I jumped into my producer's arms like a baby," he said.

But Falardeau is not the only Canadian rejoicing.  Poland's submission, "In Darkness," is also nominated -- the film is also co-produced by Germany, France, and Canada (by Eric Jordan and Paul Stephen) - with Torontonian David Shamoon responsible for the screenplay. Christopher Plummer got a nod for his work in front of the camera as best supporting actor in "Beginners" and composer Howard Shore scored a nomination for his work on "Hugo." Canadians must have a good ear because sound mixer David Giammarco also got a nomination for "Moneyball."
National Film Board of Canada shorts "Wild Life" and "Dimanche/Sunday" were also nominated.
On behalf of First Weekend Club, we would like to congratulate them all on the nominations! It really IS an honour just to get nominated. Now on to winning…

Today has been an exciting news day for Canada. Quebec filmmaker Philippe Falardeau has managed to earn his first Oscar nomination for Best Foreign-Language Film for "Monsieur Lazhar."

According to The Canadian Press, Falardeau admits that he "shrieked and leapt into his producer's arms" when he found out that he was shortlisted for one of the most coveted awards in cinema.

"I just heard 'Canada' and I screamed and I jumped into my producer's arms like a baby," he said.

But Falardeau is not the only Canadian rejoicing.  Poland's submission, "In Darkness," is also nominated -- the film is also co-produced by Germany, France, and Canada (by Eric Jordan and Paul Stephen) - with Torontonian David Shamoon responsible for the screenplay.
Christopher Plummer got a nod for his work in front of the camera as best supporting actor in "Beginners" and composer Howard Shore scored a nomination for his work on "Hugo." Canadians must have a good ear because sound mixer David Giammarco also got a nomination for "Moneyball."
National Film Board of Canada shorts "Wild Life" and "Dimanche/Sunday" were also nominated.
On behalf of First Weekend Club, we would like to congratulate them all on the nominations! It really IS an honour just to get nominated. Now on to winning…

The Genie Awards race in on. A friendly race, of course. (After all, we are Canadians).

The leaders in this "race" are: Jean-Marc Vallee’s "Café de Flore," which scored 13 nominations and David Cronenberg’s "A Dangerous Method"  with its 11 nominations. Other contenders for Best Picture include Philippe Falardeau's "Monsieur Lazhar," Ken Scott's "Starbuck," and Larysa Kondracki's "The Whistleblower."

The Genies Awards will take place on March 8th, 2012 and will be broadcast on CBC.

Below, you'll find the full list of nominees:

Best director: David Cronenberg, A Dangerous Method; Steven Silver, The Bang Bang Club; Jean-Marc Vallee, Cafe de Flore; Philippe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar; Larysa Kondracki, The Whistleblower.

Best actor: Mohamed Fellag, Monsieur Lazhar; Garret Dillahunt, Oliver Sherman; Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method; Patrick Huard, Starbuck; and Scott Speedman, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster.

Best supporting actor: Antoine Bertrand, Starbuck; Kevin Durand, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster; Marin Gerrier, Café de Flore; Taylor Kitsch, The Bang Bang Club; Viggo Mortensen A Dangerous Method.

Best actress: Catherine de Lean, Nuit #1; Pascale Montpetit, The Girl in the White Coat; Vanessa Paradis, Café de Flore; Rachel Weisz, The Whistleblower; Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz.

Best supporting actress: Roxana Condurache, The Whistleblower; Helene Florent, Café de Flore; Julie LeBreton, Starbuck; Sophie Nelisse, Monsieur Lazhar; Charlotte Sullivan, Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster.

Best original screenplay: Anne Emond, Nuit #1; Eilis Kirwan, Larysa Kondracki, The Whistleblower; Ken Scott, Martin Petit Starbuck; Jean-Marc Vallee, Café de Flore; Ryan Ward, Matthew Heiti, Son of the Sunshine.

Best adapted screenplay: Philippe Falardeau, Monsieur Lazhar; Ryan Redford, Oliver Sherman; David Shamoon, In Darkness; Steven Silver, The Bang Bang Club.

Best feature length documentary: Beauty Day, Family Portrait In Black and White, The Guantanamo Trap, At Night, They Dance, Wiebo’s War.

For more info, visit: http://www.genieawards.ca/genie32/main.cfm

Montreal filmmaker Philippe Falardeau ("It's Not Me, I Swear") has a lot to be happy about. His film, "Monsieur Lazhar," has made the second-to-last shortlist (consisting of nine films) in the category of foreign-language film at the Academy Awards. The final five foreign-language contenders will be unveiled on Tuesday morning, Jan. 24 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Monsieur Lazhar," the story of an Algerian immigrant who helps a class of middle-school students deal with the loss of their regular teacher, has been performing well at the box-office in Quebec and getting rave reviews.  Falardeau was also recently announced as one of Variety's "Ten Directors to Watch."

The film opens in theatres in Toronto and Vancouver beginning Jan. 27.

One of Canada's most established and internationally recognized directors, David Cronenberg, goes head to head with a director making waves around the world, Jean-Marc Vallée, in the 32nd Annual Genie Awards Nominations.  Vallée leads the race with his love story Café de Flore, which received 13 nominations.  Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method is not far behind with 11 nominations.

Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar, close on their tales and also up for Best Picture, is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and has a total of 9 nominations.

International stars received nods, perhaps raising the profile of our homegrown awards show, including Rachel Weisz (The Whistleblower), Michelle Williams (Take This Waltz), Vanessa Paradis (Café de Flore) and Viggo Mortenson for his supporting role in A Dangerous Method.

Newcomer, Ryan Ward, who wrote, directed and starred in his first feature Son of the Sunshine, is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, shared with writer Matthew Heiti.  If you haven't seen the film, it's being presented at our Canada Screens event this Wednesday, January 18th in Vancouver.

The Genie Awards will be broadcast live on Thursday, March 8 at 8 p.m. on CBC, from the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

Read on for a full list of nominations:

Best Motion Picture

A Dangerous Method – Martin Katz, Marco Mehlitz, Jeremy Thomas
Café De Flore – Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Jean-Marc Vallée
Monsieur Lazhar – Luc Déry, Kim Mccraw
Starbuck – André Rouleau
The Whistleblower – Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray

Achievement In Art Direction/Production Design

Jean Bécotte – Funkytown
Aidan Leroux, Rob Hepburn – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
James Mcateer – A Dangerous Method
Patrice Vermette – Café De Flore
Emelia Weavind – The Bang Bang Club

Achievement In Cinematography

Miroslaw Baszak, C.S.C. – The Bang Bang Club
Pierre Cottereau – Café De Flore
Jon Joffin – Daydream Nation
Jean-François Lord – Snow & Ashes
Ronald Plante – Monsieur Lazhar

Achievement In Costume Design

Denise Cronenberg – A Dangerous Method
Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh – Afghan Luke
Ginette Magny, Emmanuelle Youchnovski – Café De Flore
Heather Neale – Keyhole
Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt – Funkytown

Achievement In Direction

David Cronenberg – A Dangerous Method
Steven Silver – The Bang Bang Club
Jean-Marc Vallée – Café De Flore
Philippe Falardeau – Monsieur Lazhar
Larysa Kondracki – The Whistleblower

Achievement In Editing

Jean-François Bergeron – The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
Michael Czarnecki – In Darkness
Patrick Demers – Jaloux
Stéphane Lafleur – Monsieur Lazhar
Ronald Sanders, C.C.E. A.C.E. – A Dangerous Method

Achievement In Make-Up

Christiane Fattori, Frédéric Marin – Café De Flore
Amber Makar – Amazon Falls
Virginie Paré – Bumrush
Tammy Lou Pate – Snow & Ashes
Leslie Ann Sebert, David R. Beecroft – Take This Waltz

Achievement In Music – Original Score

Ramachandra Borcar – Jaloux
Mychael Danna – The Whistleblower
Martin Léon – Monsieur Lazhar
Philip Miller – The Bang Bang Club
Howard Shore – A Dangerous Method

Achievement In Music – Original Song

Jay Brannan – Cloudburst – My Love My Love
Carole Facal – Starbuck – Quelque Part
Malajube – Good Neighbours – Oeil Pour Oeil
Steven Page – French Immersion – A Different Sort Of Solitude
Jean Robitaille, Steve Galluccio – Funkytown – Waiting For Your Touch

Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role

Fellag – Monsieur Lazhar
Garret Dillahunt – Oliver Sherman
Michael Fassbender – A Dangerous Method
Patrick Huard – Starbuck
Scott Speedman – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role

Antoine Bertrand – Starbuck
Kevin Durand – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
Marin Gerrier – Café De Flore
Taylor Kitsch – The Bang Bang Club
Viggo Mortensen – A Dangerous Method

Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role

Catherine De Léan – Nuit #1
Pascale Montpetit – The Girl In The White Coat
Vanessa Paradis – Café De Flore
Rachel Weisz – The Whistleblower
Michelle Williams – Take This Waltz

Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role

Roxana Condurache – The Whistleblower
Hélène Florent – Café De Flore
Julie Lebreton – Starbuck
Sophie Nélisse – Monsieur Lazhar
Charlotte Sullivan – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

Achievement In Overall Sound

Stéphane Bergeron, Yann Cleary, Lise Wedlock – Marécages / Wetlands
Pierre Bertrand, Shaun Nicholas Gallagher, Bernard Gariépy Strobl – Monsieur
Lazhar
Jean Minondo, Jocelyn Caron, Gavin Fernandes, Louis Gignac – Café De Flore
Lou Solakofski, Stephan Carrier, Kirk Lynds – The Bang Bang Club
Orest Sushko, Christian Cooke – A Dangerous Method

Achievement In Sound Editing

Fred Brennan, James Bastable, Gabe Knox, John Sievert – You Are Here
Claude Beaugrand, Olivier Calvert, Natalie Fleurant, Francine Poirier –
Marécages / Wetlands
Wayne Griffin, Rob Bertola, Tony Currie, Andy Malcolm, Michael O’farrell – A
Dangerous Method
Martin Pinsonnault, Blaise Blanchier, Simon Meilleur, Mireille Morin,
Luc Raymond – Café De Flore
Jeremy Maclaverty, Daniel Pellerin, Geoff Raffan, Jan Rudy, John Sievert,
James Mark Stewart – In Darkness

Original Screenplay

Anne Émond – Nuit #1
Eilis Kirwan, Larysa Kondracki – The Whistleblower
Ken Scott, Martin Petit – Starbuck
Jean-Marc Vallée – Café De Flore
Ryan Ward, Matthew Heiti – Son Of The Sunshine

Adapted Screenplay

Philippe Falardeau – Monsieur Lazhar
Ryan Redford – Oliver Sherman
David Shamoon – In Darkness
Steven Silver – The Bang Bang Club

Achievement In Visual Effects

Dennis Berardi, Mathew Bornett, Mike Borrett, Wilson Cameron, Ovi Cinazin,
Jason Edwardh, Oliver Hearsey, Jim Price, Milan Schere, Wolciech Zielinski – A
Dangerous Method
Éve Brunet, Jacques Lévesque, Philippe Roberge – Snow & Ashes
Marc Côté, Stéphanie Broussaud, Gary Chuntz, Vincent Dudouet,
Cynthia Mourou, Eric Normandin, Martin Pensa, Luc Sanfaçon, Sylvain Théroux,
Nathalie Tremblay – Café De Flore
Geoffroy Lauzon – Bumrush
Tom Turnbull, Ian Britton, Robert Crowther, Tony Cybulski – Edwin Boyd: Citizen
Gangster

Best Feature Length Documentary

Beauty Day – Jay Cheel, Kristina Mclaughlin, Kevin Mcmahon, Roman Pizzacalla
Family Portrait In Black And White – Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
The Guantanamo Trap – Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
La Nuit, Elles Dansent / At Night, They Dance – Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault,
Lucie Lambert
Wiebo’s War – David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

Best Short Documentary

75 Watts – John Cullen
Derailments – Chelsea Mcmullan
Sirmilik – Zacharias Kunuk, Joel Mcconvey, Kristina Mclaughlin, Kevin Mcmahon,
Michael Mcmahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

Best Live Action Short Drama

Doubles With Slight Pepper – Ian Harnarine
Hope – Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
Ora – René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
La Ronde – Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

Best Animated Short

Choke – Michelle Latimer
La Cité Entre Les Murs / Inner City – Alain Fournier
Muybridge’s Strings – Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota,
Keisuke Tsuchihashi
Romance – Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
Wild Life – Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

www.genieawards.ca

I came across an article this morning by Misty Harris in the Ottawa Citizen about Canadians and their voracity in consuming CanCon on YouTube. She interviewed Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, who raised the question of the relevancy of content regulation in the new media world. If the cream rises to the top, and we're in a multi-channel, multi-platform universe, can't we be left to our own devices to choose our content, and can't we trust that Canadians will make and choose to watch great material?

I hesitate to support de-regulation of CanCon, as we can all see the results of the strict regulation of the music industry in the seventies. Canadian pop music is heard all over the world, thanks to a thriving, home-grown industry, and good radio play in our own country to generate a fan base. Our television and film industry did not receive the same strict regulation and our home-grown TV shows are still struggling for strong prime time spots on the schedule (they are often shunted around to accommodate US product) and suffer the loss of audience and cancellations as a result.  First Weekend Club was founded because of this same problem in the film industry -- Canadian movies struggling to find a home in cinemas, to find an audience, in the face of stiff competition from US blockbusters.

Quebec filmmaker Patrick Boivin has launched a directing career on YouTube.  His first feature, Fall, Finally, was the first premiere of a Canadian feature on YouTube.  It has over 29,000 views.  I wonder if some cinema releases in Canada get that much attention.  He was able to fund the film entirely from advertising dollars he earnt on his YouTube site. 

As First Weekend Club forges deeper into the online world, by creating our own curated library of great Canadian films, I wonder what the next curve will be.  Will we find new films by following YouTube instead of the film festival circuit?  Will we see films hitting mainstream cinemas that first grew a fan base from YouTube?

What do you think about the importance of regulation of Canadian content in this new-media world?

Sarah Polley is set to adapt Margaret Atwood's novel "Alias Grace," the real-life story of a young housemaid who is accused of murdering her employer and his mistress (also a housekeeper) in 19th century Toronto.

Polley will receive funding from Astral Media’s Harold Greenberg Fund to option and adapt the best-selling Canadian novel.

Polley has been on a roll as a director starting with the acclaimed "Away From Her," continuing on with 2011's "Take This Waltz."

Dimension Films (which is part of the Weinstein Company) announced today that it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the heist comedy "The Black Marks" from prolific Canadian production company, Darius Films.

The film will star Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, and Montreal-er Jay Baruchel.  "The Black Marks" is written and directed by Jonathan Sobol whose last film, "A Beginner's Guide to Endings," premiered at TIFF 2010.  Darius Films'  Nicholas Tabarrok will produce with Jeff Sackman as executive producer. The film is set to begin production this month.
Synopsis:  Crunch Calhoun (Russell), a third rate motorcycle daredevil and semi-reformed art thief, agrees to get back into the con game and pull off just one more lucrative art theft with his untrustworthy brother Nicky (Dillon).  Crunch reassembles the old team and comes up with a plan to steal a priceless historical book, but the successful heist leads to another, far riskier, plan devised by Nicky. What the brothers don’t realize is they each have their own agenda and their plan goes awry in this con movie about brotherhood, honor and revenge.