News

On the heels of Telefilm Canada’s pledge on November 11 that half of its projects will be directed or written by women in a move to close the industry gender gap by 2020, the Whistler Film Festival (Nov 30 — Dec 4) was proud to present an unprecedented number of female focused films, talent, events and awards throughout its 2016 programs.

The festival featured a record 31 (36%) films all directed by women (including 15 feature films out of 50 and 16 short films out of 36). Wff also has 38 (58%) female filmmakers out of the 66 Canadian artists confirmed to date participating in 11 talent programs — including 22 directors, 6 producers, 3 screenwriters, 2 actors, and 5 musicians/bands in the Music Showcase. Add this to the talent confirmed to attend the festival in support of their films and projects, including award winning director and screenwriter Deepa Mehta (An Anatomy Of Violence), director Ingrid Veninger (Hockey Night), director Kirsten Carthew (The Sun At Midnight) and director Martine Blue...

Jinga will represent international sales on Sci-Fi thriller Lost Solace [pictured], while Raven Banner will handle Us and Canada.

Genre sales company Jinga Films has boarded two titles ahead of Cannes Film Festival.

The first title is Chris Scheuerman’s Sci-Fi thriller Lost Solace, which it will represent international rights on, with Raven Banner handling Us and Canada.

Starring Andrew Jenkins (Stormworld) as a psychopath forced to confront his own morality after taking a recreational drug, the film was co-written by Jenkins with director Scheuerman. Producers were the aforementioned duo alongside Lori Triolo and David Angelski.

The second title Jinga has picked up is Jackson Stewart’s fantasy-horror Beyond The Gates, which will world premiere at the La Film Festival next month.

The film stars Graham Skipper (Almost Human), Chase Williamson (The Guest), Brea Grant (Halloween 2) and Barbara Crampton (We Are Still Here).

Director Stewart co-wrote the screenplay with Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune).

The story follows...

A stellar group of eight Canadian women directors, along with an ensemble of hand-picked Industry professionals, mentors, actors and crews, have been selected to attend the 19th annual Women In the Director’s Chair (Widc) program, and the two-day pilot session of the Widc Whistler Film Festival Industry Immersion. Over the next two months these rising stars will develop their feature films and web series, while cultivating relationships with industry insiders along with key collaborators, and an ensemble of hand-picked professional actors and technicians. The program culminates with a technical creative master-class at The Banff Centre.

Mounting their directorial debut feature films are, from the Northwest Territories, Kirsten Carthew ("Prototype"), Manitoba-based Rebecca Gibson ("Jane Garbage"), from Ontario, Renuka Jeyapalan ("Sex with as Perfect Stranger"), and Simone Stock ("Dark Horse"), BC-based Kate Kroll, ("One.Last.Stop"), Reem Morsi ("Lips"), and Loretta Todd ("Monkey Beach'), and Pei-based, Jenna MacMillan is developing a new web series, ("Gran Bandit").

“These filmmakers are already established in their own right,” says Carol Whiteman, award-winning Widc producer. “They have won awards and fellowships, some from our collaborating partners like Women In Film, the St John’s International Women’s Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. We all see the talent that these women possess and the potential of their projects.” “I appreciate how Widc supports women’s work and vision,” says seasoned documentary filmmaker, Loretta Todd whose sci-fi martial arts pilot Skye and Chang airs on Aptn. “Being part of Widc Sim 2.O is a significant opportunity to help me be prepared so I can be even more courageous as a director.”

This year's eight directors also benefit from the expertise of award-winning Canadian writer/directors and Widc alumnae, Katrin Bowen ("Amazon Falls," "Random Acts of Romance"), Lulu Keating ("Lucille's Ball," "The Mood Brood") who mentor in Vancouver, Deanne Foley ("Beat Down," and "Relative Happiness" premiering at Whistler Film Festival) at the Whistler Film Festival, and celebrated writer/director Gail Harvey ("Looking is the Original Sin," "Long Story Short") will be the program's Mentor Director in Banff. The line up of award-winning Widc mentors also includes director of photography, Roger Vernon ("Twilight: Breaking Dawn"), Teresa Hannigan (Rookie Blue), Jeanne Slater ("Lucille's Ball," "Evangeline"), screen-writer and Jungian expert, Dr. Carolyn Mamchur, writer/story consultant Linda Coffey ("These Arms of Mine"), and actress/acting instructor, Lori Triolo (Blackstone, Supernatural). Industry experts include, John Galway (of Harold Greenberg Fund), Maureen Levitt, (of Super Channel), independent producer, Lael McCall, (of Principia Productions), and Lauren Davis of Telefilm Canada.

The Women In the Director’s Chair (Widc) program has earned an international reputation for propelling women directors’ skills, stories and careers to the next level of excellence. Creative Women Workshops Association, The Banff Centre and Actra (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) have been Widc collaborators and Telefilm Canada has been a major sponsor since the program’s 1997 inception. This is Widc’s first year collaborating with the Whistler Film Festival, with the Widc Whistler Film Festival Industry Immersion taking place on December 3 and 4.

The Festival’s online box office is now open for industry and festival passes, ticket packages, and individual film and special event tickets (until December 7). The Festival Box Office is also open for phone sales (1-877-838-film) and on November 28 for walk-in sales. Wff’s film, event and industry Summit lineup and schedules are available at whistlerfilmfestival.com.

The Westin Whistler Resort and Spa is Wff’s official host hotel. Wff has 17 accommodation partners to choose from that offer special rates to Whistler Film Festival attendees. Book your accommodation early to ensure your perfect match and price. For information, go to whistlerfilmfestival.com.

The Whistler Film Festival is supported by Telefilm Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler, and is sponsored by Variety, Elle Canada, the Directors Guild of Canada - British Columbia, Creative BC, The Harold Greenburg Fund, Cineplex, CTV, Pandora, Sorel, Columbia, Whistler Blackcomb, Promosa and the Westin Resort & Spa Whistler.

About Widc – Women In the Director’s Chair (Widc) is an internationally respected Canadian professional development offering, specially designed to advance the skills, careers and screen projects of women directors. With nearly 200 director alumnae across Canada, Widc is presented in partnership by Creative Women Workshops Association, The Banff Centre and Actra, with major support from Telefilm Canada, William F. White Intl., and with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts | Conseil des Arts du Canada, Panavision Canada, Sim Digital, Clairmont Camera Film and Digital, North Shore Studios, The Bridge Studios, Vancouver Film Studios, Front Row Insurance, Banff World Media Festival, Actra Fraternal Benefit Society, Ubcp/Actra, Actra Alberta, Iatse 669, Iatse 212, Independent Production Fund, Wift Vancouver, Female Eye Film Festival, St John’s International Women’s Film Festival and Whistler Film Festival. Director’s chair sponsors include Creative BC, BC Arts Council, Wiftv. Find out more at www.widc.ca www.facebook.com/widc.ca @WIDC_ca #Widc enquiries@creativewomenworkshops.com

About the Whistler Film Festival: From December 3 to 7, 2014, the Whistler Film Festival (Wff) will celebrate its 14th edition as one of Canada's leading festivals. Featuring innovative and original films from around the world and opportunities to connect with the people who made them, this year’s five day Festival will be filled with a solid lineup of premieres, star-studded guests, lively celebrations and unique industry initiatives. Find out more at www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.

About the Whistler Film Festival Society: The Whistler Film Festival Society (Wffs) is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. Wffs produces one of Canada's leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering project development programs for Canadian filmmakers. Find out more at whistlerfilmfestival.com.

The Friday round of updates:

A new episode of Grimm, with Sasha Roiz, airs tonight at 9 pm. Here is the synopsis:

As Portland's homeless youth start to go missing, Nick uncovers a deadly black market supplying the Grimm world with human organs for all types of elixirs. As the investigation heightens, Nick and Juliette befriend a pair of homeless siblings, Hanson (guest star Daryl Sabara, "Spy Kids") and Gracie (guest star Hannah Marks, "Necessary Roughness"), whose friends have gone missing.Valerie Cruz from Alphas and The Dresden Files also guest stars.

Starting next week, NBC will be airing Grimm reruns on Thursdays at 10 until March, and The Firm is moving to Saturdays.

You can find a bunch of stills from Extracted on the film's Fb page.

Here is a sneak peek from Grimm:

Playback with Alessandra Torresani is finally available on demand. The film will also hit theatres on March 9. Synopsis and clip,...

First, a reminder that the last two episodes of Prime Suspect air tonight at 9 pm on NBC.

And a bunch of cast news:

Esai Morales has been nominated for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for his work in We Have Your Husband. Big congrats!

And also congrats to the Gun Hill Road team on the nomination for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film (Limited Release). Still no DVD release date for Ghr.

Not sure if I mentioned it, but Eric Stoltz directed an episode of Californication last year. The episode now has a title and an air date: "Love Song," February 12. Spoiler TV has the synopsis.

Magda Apanowicz has a new credit on the IMDb. She will make an appearance in episode 1x06 of Holliston, the first original series from the FEARnet cable channel. The show is a horror sitcom,...

Lois waits at the farm for a woman from the Vr Agency to answer the phone. Her call is on hold and you know how long that takes. When the call is finally answered, Lois threatens her, after she calls her huffy, "stop giving me the runaround bitch, or I will come for you." There's no record of Clark Kent (Tom Welling.) Clark returns and begins to pick up the pieces of the glass Lois dropped, but his finger bleeds and doesn't heal. The Vra took away their powers. Oliver (Justin Hartley), Dinah/Black Canary (Alaina Huffman) were all released, just like Lois was. The Vra were waiting for them at Carter Hall's (Michael Shanks) funeral. Which explains what that pyramid object was. Lois claims she went all Erin Brokovich on them. They couldn't really remove Clark's powers could they since he's not a 'meteorite freak' and doesn't have powers in that sense.

Clark (Tom Welling) takes another look at the engagement ring, when waiting for Lois (Erica Durance). He's made reservations for dinner at an expensive restaurant, but she prefers to just have dessert at home. He promises her dessert even if he he has to fly to Madrid for cherries and hot chocolate. Lois wants to spend time with him, yet she was stopping him at every opportunity when he was coming up with all the suggestions and having booked a busy restaurant too. She'd like to pretend for one night that the world isn't crazy. The government has updated their status from vigilantes to terrorists. Clark calls Lois at the phonebox and tells her to look up, he throws petals from the sky and then proposes on bended knee. Now that's how a proposal should be, unashamedly romantic: raining petals from the night sky. Clark tells her she's "the woman...