Wow, a lot has happened since my last post and my two-month vacation! Since I left off at the TIFF, let me start up again with news from the conclusion of the TIFF. Guy Maddin was the big winner of the Best Canadian Feature with his documentary, My Winnipeg. If there's a more-deserving Canadian filmmaker, I can't think of anybody. Maddin has been the toast of avant-garde film afficionados south of the border since his debut Tales from the Gimli Hospital in 1988, but he's still a virtual unknown to most Canadians. I think he shares a lot in common with David Lynch, taking nostalgic imagery and manipulating it to create something totally different (and a lot of European influence too), but calling him Canada's David Lynch would be unfair. You can find The Saddest Music in the World at most video stores, but try seeking his older work on DVD (most of it has been released by Kino Video in the US, available from amazon).

David Cronenberg didn't leave empty-handed either, winning the Audience Choice Award with his Eastern Promises (one of my most anticipated films this Fall). Stéphane Lafleur won for Best Canadian First Feature Film with Continental, Un Film Sans Fusil. I hope it actually plays in arthouse theatres here in Western Canada.

Next up: I'm trying to secure a VIP pass for the Calgary International Film Festival (My girlfriend works for one of the major sponsors). With The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford set to open the festival, there is speculation that Brad Pitt might attend. Either way, the shot-in-Alberta film is getting very good notices, so it should be a memorable screening.