This Week in Film: March 13th 2008

A porn comedy, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, a day dedicated to the Coen brothers, and this is just a sample of what's playing at the Bloor Cinema this week! All this and more because it's time for This Week in Film.

Quebec animator Frederic Back, recipient of the Eco-Hero Media Award at the 2004 Planet in Focus Film Festival and Academy Award winner, has always made his love of nature visible in his works. This weekend a selection of these films will be screened on 35mm film at the Bloor Cinema. Frederic Back: A Drawing Life will begin at 4pm this Saturday March 15th with the animator in attendance and the event will be free. This is the first of several events dedicated to Back and his work, the schedule of which can be found at the Toronto Animated Image Society website.

Today marks the 2nd day of the UofT Film Festival at Innis Town Hall. Comprised primarily of short films in different program groupings from 'Shitty Films' to political films, to films done on Super 8 film, the festival offers a broad look at the achievements of undergrads at the university and some filmmakers who may be big movers and shakers in the near future. Tickets are $5 for students, $8 for the general public and the Friday screening, featuring works by Cinema Studies students, will be free for everybody.

In terms of big-screen releases, CJ7, the highly anticipated sci-fi/comedy/family film by director Stephen Chow, which has been described as "Stephen Chow meets ET" can be seen at Canada Square and Kennedy Commons starting this weekend. While the film has been given some mixed reviews, the consensus seems to be that if you are a fan of the more overt humour of Shaolin Soccer, you will enjoy CJ7 as well.

Last but not least, let's talk about Doomsday. In less than a week, this film has gone from a blip on a radar to being on the tip of everybody's tongues thanks to an intensive marketing campaign. The real question is, will director Neil Marshall who brought us the intense film The Descent be able to pull it all together in a post-apocalyptic film that's half a Mad Max film and half Escape from New York?

Image: CJ7 from IGN