I am trying to find a movie and I can’t remember the title. It’s a new Canadian drama, 2023 or 2024, set in a small island. The trailer gave me some big art house vibes. It’s driving me crazy!

Our submissions for our fifth annual film festival in Los Angeles has opened.

If you have any shorts, features, scripts, music videos, or trailers, we'd love to see it!

https://filmfreeway.com/lilspookyfest

Can use code LSFFRIEND2025 for half off fees.

https://collider.com/levels-trailer-sci-fi-thriller/

I’m teaching a course on Canadian film this fall. I’m looking for a variety of films from 2000 on, and a variety of genres. If you have any suggestions, that would be great!

So, I'm trying to wrap my head around the Tax Shelter era of Canadian film, and why it would make sense to an investor.

The idea was that investing in film was treated as a Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) of 100%, so that your full investment would be deducted from your income tax calculation. So, as an example:

An investor's income is $100,000 in a year
They invest $20,000 in a film, with a 100% CCA
Theirs taxable income is now $80,000, with the opportunity to earn back their principal plus interest (which would have been treated as capital gains, and - at the time - only 50% would have been taxed).

My question is this: How many of those investors actually recouped their principal plus interest? There's no value to an investor if they aren't paid back by the production, correct? In the above example, that would mean a $20,000 loss which is more than what would have been taxed.

Did investors actually make money during the tax shelter era, or was it just a big boondoggle that scammed numerous dentists, doctors and other high-earning professionals out of their money?

I remember seeing it in 2016, or around that time, on Netflix Canada. It can’t remember much about it, but the plot is about this struggling musician who lives next door to a woman who is in an abusive relationship. He ends up taking her on a road trip around Canada, playing shows, and there’s a song he writes about her that says something about “these walls”. I’ve been desperately trying to find this movie for years, but I can’t remember what it’s called, who the cast is, all I remember is the basic plot. Maybe it’s too obscure, and I’ll never find it again? Someone on Reddit’s gotta know!

In the vibrant, largely unknown landscape of Canadian cinema, the Toronto New Wave movement emerged during the dynamic and transformative period of the 1980s. Filmmakers like Atom Egoyan, Patricia Rozema and Bruce McDonald distanced themselves from the conventional norms of Hollywood dramas, embracing independent and unique way of storytelling.

While not a formal or structured movement, the term “Toronto New Wave” is commonly used retrospectively to encapsulate the spirit of the creative wave that emerged in the city. The Toronto-based group of young filmmakers (all were under the age of 30) existed through a sense of cooperation, often helping each other on their work, which was rarely seen in Canada since the growth of Quebec cinema in the 1960s.

Several factors contributed to the birth of the Toronto New Wave. One significant influence was the cultural and artistic climate of Toronto itself. As a diverse and cosmopolitan city, Toronto provided a unique backdrop for filmmakers to explore a wide range of narratives and perspectives. The city’s multiculturalism and urban dynamics became integral components of the films produced during this period.

Continue reading here: https://cinemawavesblog.com/movements-page3/toronto-new-wave/

Exotica (1994) by Atom Egoyan

Hey there, I am wondering if anyone has a link to (or a line on) The Hamster Cage specifically, or anything else of Larry's work (except The Bitter Ash, we have a copy of that!)

My partner worked with Larry a couple decades ago and loves his work, and has always wanted to show it to me, but we're having trouble tracking down Hamster Cage... I'd love to surprise him with it on one of our movie nights!

Thanks so much!

As the title says, I'm looking to add more writers to my website. Preference is Canadian based with a strong interest in Canadian cinema. I get access to just about every Canadian film festival applied to and slowly am getting access to more and more screeners from publicists and studios. From time to time I also get emails about physical releases and e-books too.

You can either comment here or DM me if you have any questions or wish to apply. You can check out recent reviews HERE.