Canada’s Top Ten Feature And Short Films Announced
Emerging filmmaking talent permeates this year’s prestigious list
Toronto – TIFF announced the top ten Canadian feature and short films of 2009 this evening at the 9th annual Canada’s Top Ten industry event, hosted by actors Liane Balaban and Ennis Esmer. Established in 2001, Canada’s Top Ten is devoted to celebrating excellence in Canadian cinema and raising public awareness of Canadian achievements in film. Public screenings with introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers as well as a panel discussion will be held from January 14 through 21 at TIFF Cinematheque. Tickets go on sale December 8 on topten.ca, by phone at 416-968-FILM (toll-free 1-877-968-FILM) and at the box office located at 2 Carlton Street, West Mezzanine. A selection of the films will tour select venues across Canada in early 2010 including Vancouver’s Pacific Cinematheque and Ottawa’s Canadian Film Institute.
"Canadian filmmakers are creating outstanding work and continue to thrive on the international stage," said Steve Gravestock, Associate Director of Canadian Programming, TIFF. "This year's list features a group of young and exciting new directors. They have made bold work, a sign that the future of our cinema is in good hands."
"Canada's Top Ten provides the opportunity to discover and celebrate these films", said Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF "By screening the Top Ten selections at TIFF Cinematheque and in cities around the country we provide a unique opportunity for the public to see the best films of the year. It's essential for the Canadian public to stand behind the efforts of these audacious filmmakers."
The top ten Canadian feature films of 2009 are (in alphabetical order, including future release dates where applicable):
Cairo Time – Ruba Nadda (Mongrel Media)
Carcasses – Denis Côté (FunFilm Distribution)
Crackie – Sherry White (Kickham East)
Defendor – Peter Stebbings (Alliance Films, early 2010)
La Donation – Bernard Émond (E1 Entertainment, January 2010)
J’ai tué ma mère – Xavier Dolan (K-Films Amérique, February 2010)
Passenger Side – Matthew Bissonnette (KinoSmith, March 2010)
Polytechnique – Denis Villeneuve (Alliance Films)
The Trotsky – Jacob Tierney (Alliance Films, May 2010)
The Wild Hunt – Alexandre Franchi (TVA Films, Spring 2010)
The top ten Canadian short films of 2009 are as follows (in alphabetical order):
The Armoire – Jamie Travis
The Cave – Helen Haig-Brown
Danse Macabre – Pedro Pires (PhiGroup Inc.)
Five Hole: Tales of Hockey Erotica – Cam Christiansen
Naissances – Anne Émond (Vidéographe)
Out in that Deep Blue Sea – Kazik Radwanski
Runaway – Cordell Barker (NFB)
The Spine – Chris Landreth (NFB)
La Vie commence – Émile Proulx-Cloutier (locomotion)
Vive la rose – Bruce Alcock (NFB)
Canada’s Top Ten lists are chosen from features, shorts, documentaries, animation and experimental films. Each film must have either premiered at a major Canadian film festival or obtained a commercial theatrical release in Canada in 2009. The filmmaker must be a Canadian citizen or resident and have a history of working in Canada or on Canadian-financed films.
CANADA’S TOP TEN SCREENINGS AND PANEL DISCUSSION: JANUARY 14 THROUGH 21
All films screened will include introductions and Q&As by filmmakers when available. In addition, in the panel discussion Seriously Funny, Canada's Top Ten filmmakers Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky), Peter Stebbings (Defendor) and Alexandre Franchi (The Wild Hunt) will discuss the challenges of balancing humour and drama in film. Screenings and the panel discussion take place at TIFF Cinematheque (held at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Jackman Hall, 317 Dundas Street West).
The 2009 Canadian Features Panel Canada’s Top Ten feature films are chosen by a national panel of 10 filmmakers, journalists, programmers and industry professionals:
Craig Adlard – Vice President, Worldwide Sales, IndustryWorks Pictures Inc.
Bart Beaty – Associate Professor, the Faculty of Communication and Culture at the University of Calgary
Karen Black – Director of Canadian Initiatives, TIFF
Jerry Ciccoritti – Director Blood, The Life Before This, and Gemini winning television series Trudeau
Tom McSorley – Author; Executive Director, Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa
Nicole Robert – Founder and president of Go Films
Dr. Julietta Sichel – Program Director, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Jay Stone – National film critic for CanWest News Services
Ingrid Veninger – Director and producer, Nurse.Fighter.Boy and Only; Genie winning documentary Gambling, Gods and LSD
Norman Wilner – Senior film writer for NOW Magazine
The 2009 Canadian Shorts Panel
Canada’s Top Ten short films are chosen by a national panel of five filmmakers, journalists, programmers and industry professionals:
Shane Belcourt – Filmmaker, Tkaronto
Michèle Maheux – Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, TIFF
Adam Nayman – Film critic for EYE WEEKLY
Shane Smith – Executive Producer, Inflight Entertainment at Spafax Canada
Sherry White – Filmmaker, Crackie
Tickets go on sale December 8 on topten.ca, by phone at 416-968-FILM (toll-free 1-877-968-FILM) and at the box office located at 2 Carlton Street, West Mezzanine. Ticket prices are as follows: ten feature films plus the panel discussion for $65; special price for the two short film programmes for $14; single tickets (film, shorts programme or panel) are $8.00. Prices do not include GST, buildingfund fee or service charges. All screenings and the panel discussion are held at AGO’s Jackman Hall, 317 Dundas Street West (McCaul Street entrance). Doors open 30 minutes prior to the screening of the evening . Visa† is the only credit card accepted by TIFF.
Canada’s Top Ten is generously supported by RBC, the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto.
About TIFF Bell Lightbox: Currently under construction, TIFF Bell Lightbox, a breathtaking five-storey complex located in downtown Toronto, will provide a permanent home for film lovers to celebrate cinema from around the world and will propel TIFF forward as an international leader in film culture. Designed by innovative architecture firm KPMB, TIFF Bell Lightbox’s fluid structure encourages exploration, movement and play. The campaign to build TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by founding sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario, the King and John Festival Corporation – consisting of the Reitman family and the Daniels Corporation – RBC as major sponsor and official bank, Visa†, the Copyright Collective of Canada, NBC Universal Canada, the Allan Slaight Family, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and CIBC. The Board of Directors, staff and many generous individuals and corporations have also contributed to the campaign. For more information on the TIFF Bell Lightbox campaign, visit belllightbox.ca.
About TIFF: TIFF is a not-for-profit cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. Its vision is to lead the world in creative and cultural discovery through the moving image. TIFF generates an annual economic impact of $135 million CAD and currently employs more than 100 full-time staff and 500 part-time and seasonal staff, and counts upon the largesse of over 2,000 volunteers year-round.
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For information, contact the Communications Department at 416-934-3200 or email proffice@tiff.net.