Tomorrow night the best and brightest in Canadian movies and television get celebrated with the Canadian Screen Awards (airing on CBC at 8:00pm, hosted by Martin Short). Our Film and Performing Arts editor looks at this year's nominees, makes a couple of predictions, and wonders aloud why only technically three of the Best Feature nominees have actually been released in theatres.
The Canadian independent teen sex comedy-drama Picture Day is like an oasis for those wanting something different than middling documentaries, slight local independent films, and overhyped blockbusters, featuring sharp writing and an excellent leading performance from Tatiana Maslany.
Orphan Black is a slick, sexy new sci-fi thriller premiering this Saturday on the Space network. The pilot episode is engaging, tense, and deftly paced, electing to merely hint at the series’ genetic bio-conspiracy underpinnings in favour of establishing character and atmosphere.
With the Canadian film Blood Pressure director Sean Garrity has crafted a dark fantasy about repressed dreams and suburban malaise with a real eye and ear for how such scenarios would most likely play out in reality.
We talk to Winnipeg born and current Toronto area filmmaker Sean Garrity about his dueling projects at the beginning of this year (with the award winning My Awkward Sexual Adventure and this weekend's Blood Pressure), suburban malaise, collaborating with actors, his working relationship with writer and actor Jonas Chernick, and what draws him to films about fledgling relationships.