Film
Corey Haim (1971-2010)
Corey Haim, the 80's film heartthrob who was born and raised here in Toronto, has died at the age of 38 in Los Angeles. The New York Times reports that his death is under police investigation, and that a full obituary will follow. Film
Filmmaker Profile: Clement Virgo
From humble beginnings growing up in Regent Park, filmmaker Clement Virgo has gone on to direct TV shows like The Listener and The Wire and feature films including his most recent Poor Boy's Game. Here he talks to us about his next project (he has optioned Lawrence Hill's The Book of Negroes) and his recent appearance on a Black History Month panel with Lee Daniels and Norman Jewison.Read the profile of Clement Virgo in our special Toronto Filmmakers section.
Film
Filmmaker Profile: Jamie Travis
Although he might be best know for directing the music videos Hell and Back in Your Head for Tegan and Sara, Jamie Travis has also created an impressive collection of short films. From The Saddest Boy in the World to his most recent The Armoire, tragedy, humour and mystery assert themselves as common themes.Read the provide of Jamie Travis in our special Toronto Filmmakers section.
Film
Dylan Reibling and 39 more Toronto filmmakers
Along with the launch of our new design yesterday, some of you may have noticed our new Toronto Filmmakers section. In it you'll currently find five profiles of some of our favourite local filmmakers including Dylan Reibling, Ed Gass-Donnelly, Jennifer Baichwal, Larry Weinstein and Shane Belcourt. All photos were taken for blogTO by James Kachan in his studio.Over the course of the next month or two we'll be unveiling 35 more profiles of some of the other talented individuals who work in film in Toronto. Some you'll definitely recognize, but we also aim to uncover a wealth of up-and-coming talent who you may not be familiar with yet. It's all part of our effort to shine more of a spotlight on what truly is one of the best movie-making and going cities in North America. We hope you like it. And if you have any suggestions for film directors you think we should profile please leave a comment below or email us at editors [at] blogto [dotcom].
Film
World of Comedy Film Festival gets serious about being funny
Leading up to the big Oscar showdown between Kathryn Bigelow and ex-hubbie James Cameron this weekend, the World of Comedy Film Festival is presenting its annual blitz of funny flicks. Sure, humour is a very subjective thing. But whether you're keen on dark, silly, satirical, screwball, animated, romantic, political or sex comedies, World of Comedy should have you covered. Film
Are Films Really Art? It's a Moot Point at the Reel Artists Film Festival
For its seventh annual run, the Reel Artists Film Festival takes us into the lives and creative processes of leading art world stars, with 13 documentaries in all. Artists like African sculptor El Anatsui, Canadians Alex Colville and Francoise Sullivan, Japanese painter Yoshitomo Nara, and Jean-Michel Basquiat will be profiled on the big screen, from February 24 to February 28. Oh, and the films will be introduced by a who's who of art critics and curators.It all kicks off this evening, with the Canadian premiere of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (fresh from Sundance) followed by a big-ticket soiree at the Royal Conservatory, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West.
New to the fest, I asked Ann Webb, Reel Artists Film Festival Founder and Organizer and Executive Director of the Canadian Art Foundation, to fill me in on the festival's mandate and why opening night tickets are so darned expensive.
