Canada in Berlin

As we roll into Berlin where War Witch (aka Rebelle) (ISA: Films Distribution) by Kim Nguyen is in Competition.  While it’s Kim’s 4^th feature, this is the first of his films to have a world premiere at an international festival.  This is exceptional as well because the last time the Canadians had a Canadian director in Competition at the Berlinale was in 1999 with Emporte-Moi ! Guy Madden’s Keyhole holds a Berlinale Special slot.  Guy is Canada’s cultural ambassador in Berlin and a regular at the Festival and sat on the Berlinale’s Official Jury last year – with Isabella Rossellini.

Sheldon Larry’s Leave It on the Floor (ISA: Arrow) is a U.S.-Canadian Co-pro which has played LAFF, TIFF and is now in the Panorama.

Films in the Forum include Green Laser by another Berlinale favorite, John Greyson. Green Laser is his 8^th film at the festival. His first was Urinal in 1989.  Denis Côté’s Bestiary, straight from Sundance, and Francine, the first narrative feature by Melanie Shatzky (Canada) and Brian M. Cassidy (U.S.) the team that directed Patron Saints (TIFF 2011, Rotterdam 2012) are are all in the Forum.

4 films are in the Forum Expanded: 

Chris Kennedy’s 349 (For Sol LeWitt)(1min long!) in TIFF 2011 Wavelength Program: Schedule

American Colour, TIFF 2011 Wavelength Program: Schedule

Road Movie by Elle Flanders and Tamira Sawatzkystarring Melissa Leo (Frozen River) TIFF 2011 Future Projections: Schedule, a 6-channel installation produced by The National Film Board of Canada.  Elle Flanders’ documentary Zero Degrees of Separation was screened in the Forum section of the Berlin Festival in 2005.

The Tiny Ventriloquist by Steve Reinke, (with contribution from James Richards).  The installation will be presented at the McLuhan Salon of the Canadian Embassy

In Berlinale Shorts Competition, The Man That Got Away by Trevor Anderson is his second film in this section (2009 The Island).  His doc short The High Leve Bridge was in Sundance in 2010. 

All we have to do now is wait to see which prizes go to them!  Last year Canadian productions came away with three. 

PERSPECTIVE CANADA will present 16 titles at the Market:

Café de Flore - Jean-Marc Vallée, Films Distribution, France

China Heavyweight (Straight from Sundance) - doc - Yung Chang Cat & Docs, France & EyeSteelFilms

Décharge (Trash) - Benoit Pilon, eOne

Edwin Boyd - Nathan Morlando, Myriad Pictures, USA

French Kiss - Sylvain Archambault ,Delphis

Goon - Michael Dowse, Myriad Pictures, USA

La Peur de l'eau - Gabriel Pelletier, eOne

Marécages - Guy Édoin, Fortissimo Films

Monsieur Lazhar - Philippe Falardeau, Films Distribution, France

Nuit #1 - Anne Émond, Wide Management, France

Payback  (Straight from Sundance) - doc- Jennifer Baichwal, National Film Board of Canada

Pink Ribbons - doc - Léa Pool, National Film Board of Canada

Pour l'amour de dieu - Micheline Lanctôt, Filmoption

Roméo onze - Ivan Grbovic, Reprise Films

Surviving Progress - doc- Mathieu Roy + Harold Crooks, National Film Board of Canada

Take this Waltz - Sarah Polley, TF1 International, France