Friday, September 28, 2012
8th Season Here We Come!
This year REEL CANADA has added seven new feature films to our catalogue.
How a film gets added is year-long process involving many people. The REEL CANADA team, with the help of our programming consultant Stacey Donen, is constantly on the lookout for great Canadian movies. When we find something that we like we pass it on to one or more of our teacher partners and they screen it for their classes. In this way we can determine whether it’s appropriate for screening in high schools and more importantly whether it’s something our student audiences are likely to enjoy.
These student evaluators – and over the course of the year there are hundreds of them – are brutally honest with us. If they think a film is lame, they let us know. But they’re also quite responsible about any content they think might be questionable in a high school setting. More than once we’ve had senior students expressing concern that a movie might be too “mature” for the younger students in their school.
By the time these films have been seen by our team, the teachers and students, we are pretty confident that the “survivors” can be programmed for a REEL CANADA festival and, along with all the other films in the catalogue, will help persuade kids what we already know – that Canadian films are as good as any movies anywhere.
So here’s the batch that most recently acquired the REEL CANADA Seal of Approval.
45 RPM – a funny, touching coming of age story set in Saskatchewan in 1960.
BREAKAWAY – comedy, romance, hockey action and… Bollywood! They all come together in the story of one man’s passion for our national sport, along with a few visual surprises we guarantee you have never seen before.
EDWIN BOYD: CITIZEN GANGSTER – an exciting retelling of the legendary Canadian bank robber’s tale.
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING – Zach Braff stars in a story that is both suspenseful and touching, about two strangers who deeply affect each other’s lives.
MAMAN EST CHEZ LE COIFFEUR – Léa Pool, one of our most celebrated filmmakers, tells the story of a very difficult and eventful summer in the life of a fifteen year old girl.
MIGHTY JEROME – Fascinating documentary about Harold Jerome, one of Canada’s most heroic athletes.
MONSIEUR LAZHAR - Oscar nominated Monsieur Lazhar is a touching film about a teacher with a secret past who helps his students deal with the sudden and disturbing loss of their previous teacher. As he guides them through the process, it becomes clear that the students are not the only ones who need healing.
SAINT-MARTYRS-DES-DAMNES – A Québecois horror film with a wicked sense of humour.
Whether they are English, French, multi-cultural, funny, sad or informative, we guarantee they’re all well-made and very entertaining.