REEL CANADA Blog : Tags : Canadian film

Students at Colonel Gray High School

Canadian film spread across PEI last week as REEL CANADA visited two schools and screened more than 20 feature films. After showing three of their comedy shorts, filmmaker duo Adam and Dave led laughter-filled Q&A sessions with three different groups of students. They shared how they got involved in filmmaking, how they balance between scripted and improv filmmaking, and their advice for young film makers: just never stop making films. Students also heard from filmmaker Pat Smith about his own experiences in the Canadian film industry, and the importance of supporting our local cultural products. Imagine how awful it would be if the only hockey games that were ever televised were those of American teams...

Filmmakers Adam and Dave at Colonal Gray High School

Thankfully, the students of Montague and Colonel Gray High Schools got to watch the Canadian film ONE WEEK, and travel on a motorcycle trip across the country with its main character, Ben. At Colonel Gray, we also watched BREAKAWAY, and six lucky students won DVDs of Canadian films for their trivia wizardry. When the theatres let out, students at both schools watched films with their classes for the rest of the week, showing REEL CANADA favourites like THE GREY FOX, THE CORPORATION, THE ROCKET, and MIGHTY JEROME. Several Colonel Gray students were interviewed about their film festival experience for the CBC radio program Main Street, and for all you islanders, keep an eye out for REEL CANADA’s appearance in the local paper, The Guardian, as well. Thank you to PEI for such a warm welcome!

On April 30th, over 2,000 students across Canada will participate in REEL CANADA'S National Canadian Film Day!

Starting in PEI and ending in BC, we'll be presenting 3 unique Canadian film festivals featuring programming selected by participating students at Montague High School (PEI), Evan Hardy Collegiate (Saskatoon) and Vancouver Community College (Vancouver). Through REEL CANADA's "Our Films In Our Schools" students will have the opportunity to experience Canadian films that reflect their curriculum.

• REEL CANDA'S most popular filmmaker guests, Adam & Dave (Adam Brodie and Dave Derewlany), will present a selection of their shorts at Montague High School. Followed by an afternoon of 10 different screenings of Canadian films, including: THE CORPORATION, ONE WEEK, HOW SHE MOVE and 32 SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD. 
• In attendance at Evan Hardy Collegiate, local producer Anand Ramayya will present Saskatchewan feature 45 RPM. 
• At Vancouver Community College, over 700 ESL will have the opportunity to watch BREAKAWAY. This will be the first Canadian film experience for the majority of the ESL students.

MAMBO ITALIANO at Laurier Macdonald

We had an amazing couple of days in Montreal earlier this month. On Wednesday, April 3rd, we pulled into Laurier Macdonald, an English high school in the Italian neighbourhood of St Leonard, which also happens to be the setting for MAMBO ITALIANO, the coming-out family comedy co-written by Steve Galluccio based on his fantastically successful stage play of the same name. It is always great to watch the kids get excited about seeing streets and landmarks that they actually know turn up on the big screen and this was no exception. Steve himself spoke to the students afterwards and answered some very pointed questions about the autobiographical nature of the story, such as how he dealt with showing the film to his own family. By way of an answer, Steve told the funny and touching story of the film’s opening night, when he realized that he had not actually told his family that he was gay, and that the screening itself would be his own coming out.

MAMBO ITALIANO co-writer Steve Galluccio talks to students at Laurier Macdonald

The afternoon was rounded out with a screening of another Montreal movie, THE TROTSKY, and an appearance by animator Jonathan Ng, who discussed the way movement, drawing and drama intersect for him in his “martial arts/breakup” short, REQUIEM FOR A ROMANCE.

Animator Jonathan Ng

In the evening, REEL CANADA hosted an extraordinary dinner for the Quebec filmmakers that support our program, including a few we were only just meeting for the first time. Our guests included REEL CANADA alumni Kevin (producer of BON COP/BAD COP) and Jacob Tierney (director of THE TROTSKY), Michel Poulette (director of LOUIS 19: LE ROI DESONDES), Don McKellar (director/writer of LAST NIGHT), and Kevin Duhaney, Daniel Keith Morrison and Tristan D Lalla (cast members from the dance film HOW SHE MOVE), as well as new friends to the program, Louise Archambault (one of the directors of THE NATIONAL PARKS PROJECT) Wiebke von Carolsfeld (director of MARION BRIDGE), and Stéphane Lafleur (editor of MONSIEUR LAZHAR). Telefilm’s Sheila de la Varende was on hand to help with hosting duties.

High school students at REEL CANADA's Cineplex Day

The next day was the Big One: 1,300 kids from across the entire Riverside School Board on the south shore of Montreal gathering at the Cineplex Brossard. (The board was so pleased with our event at Centennial Regional HS last year that dynamo board chair Moira Bell insisted that we do something for the entire district.)

This one really tested our team’s organizational muscle as we juggled different school schedules, bus routes and 3,000 pieces of pizza (thanks to PIZZA PIZZA for the generous help!) but somehow we pulled it off without a hitch.

BON COP/BAD COP director Erik Canuel

Érik Canuel, director of BON COP/BAD COP, spoke to two packed theatres, passionately exhorting the students to be aware of the way Canadian movies were part of their identity. This message – as well as his “colourful” language – got a big rise out of both students and teachers.

THE TROTSKY writer/director Jacob Tierney

In other venues, Jacob Tierney talked about his perennially popular THE TROTSKY, hockey historian Jean-Patrice Martel shared a lot of insight into the historical accuracy of THE ROCKET, and the HOW SHE MOVE actors had their audience screaming with excitement.

HOW SHE MOVE actors Daniel Keith Morrison & Kevin Duhaney

Hockey historian Jean-Patrice Martel answering student questions on THE ROCKET 

Thanks to LEARN Quebec for helping to support our Montreal tour, and to the incredible Val McLeod of the Canadian School Boards Association for wrangling every detail into place. We look forward to coming back to Montreal next year.

On April 22nd every year, we celebrate Earth Day to promote a heathlier environment. In honour of the 43rd Earth Day, here are a selection of thought provoking Canadian films from the REEL CANADA catalogue that may change your perspective on how you treat the environment. 

SHARKWATER

Filmmaker Rob Stewart sets out to dispel the myth that they’re bloodthirsty, merciless monsters who prowl the seas in search of tasty swimmers. SHARKWATER takes you into shark-filled oceans, exposing the true nature of sharks as well as the way human interference has turned this noble predator into prey. Stewart teams up with a rogue environmentalist group on a breathtaking adventure to battle shark poachers around the globe. His incredible journey will make you see sharks in a whole new light.

PROJECT GRIZZLY

A documentary follows a Canadian fellow working on his dream: building a suit of armor so he can observe grizzly bears from a close distance.

WALK IN THE FOREST

A medicine man walks in the woods and discovers an intriguing secret world.

QAGGIQ

A late-winter Inuit camp in the 1930's. Four families build a qaggiq, a large communal igloo, to celebrate the coming of spring with games, singing and drum dancing.

HEART OF THE WORLD

Story of a state scientist Anna, and the two brothers who vie for her love while she tries to save the world.

THE SNOW WALKER

A pilot and his passenger struggle for survival after crashing in the Arctic tundra.

Here's the latest feedback from Grade 12 students from our Seycove Secondary School event in BC. These are the kind of comments that we get all the time and makes what we do worth it!

"It was extremely impressive and I am proud that Canadian make such great movies. I am more enticed to watch another Canadian film after being part of this festival." 

"Before I thought the films would be alright, but for sure the most interesting thing was that the movies seemed to have a different perspective than those we normally watch (Hollywood produced). It was great to see that creativity is abundant in our country." 

"I honestly didn't expect Canadian films to be so good, since you hardly see any on TV or in theatres. I was proven wrong and I'm glad I was. The Canadian films were a breathe of fresh air. The scripts weren't dumbed down like most Hollywood films are; they were clever and had a proper plot. The films were overall very enjoyable and they left me wanting to see more Canadian films." 

"I loved C.R.A.Z.Y. I have never seen a French-Canadian film and I am proud that my country is filled with such brilliance in both acting and directing. I am interested in seeing more films similar to this one and am thankful for REEL CANADA for exposing me to films as interesting as C.R.A.Z.Y. that are made in my home country." 

"C.R.A.Z.Y. changed my idea of Canadian film. I loved this movie so much. The story was much more real and effective than Hollywood movies. This movie was so well done I am hoping to find others like it." 

"I really liked how in THE TROTSKY the high school scene was much more similar to my own than in other movies. In most American movies, school is portrayed completely different than how it actually is. I don't know if American and Canadian high schools are really as different as movies make them seem but THE TROTSKY's depiction of high school is much more "Canadian" than schools with cheerleaders and quarterbacks. I liked this about the movie because it made the characters and their stories much more believable and relatable. THE TROTSKY really showed that there is indeed a difference between American and Canadian culture." 

"I liked THE TROTSKY and found it very interesting. In History class, we recently learned about Leon Trotsky, Stalin, and Lenin. This movie was amazing. They were able to include historical knowledge while still providing the audience with a gripping and funny storyline. THE TROTSKY was very interesting and with my previous knowledge of this historical time, my experience was 10 out of 10!"