We still haven't had time to sift through our photos and videos from the amazing day we had in Windsor earlier this week, but I wanted to update you on a great festival that we just had at Northern Secondary School in Toronto.
Northern is a REEL CANADA alumni - with two festivals under their belt, this year the school took on the challenge of mounting their own festival with a bit of help from us. The school organized their own projectors, screens and crew to staff the screening rooms, and showed four films today to a group of senior media, drama and English students. We provided REEL CANADA catalogues, DVDs, facilitators, lots of advice, and of course, help in finding some very cool guests.
Citizen Duane, a comedy about a young man who decides to run for mayor of his town, played to a packed house. Actor Devon Bostick (currently starring in Saw VI, for the horror fans) came out to the school to talk to students about his experiences in the film business, which he's been in since he was in grade one.
An enthusiastic crowd was on the edge of their seats for a screening of Pontypool, which was preceeded by a terrific short film called Deadspiel - a truly Canadian take on the zombie genre, in which the zombies are all members of a curling team. Director Jay Molloy was on hand to answer questions about his award winning short, which was recently named Best Zombie Short at the Toronto's Zombie Short Film Festival.
We also played One Week, and producer Avi Federgreen talked to students about working in the Canadian film business, and how he abandoned a lucrative career in computers to pursue his passion of working in film. An inspiring discussion for the aspiring filmmakers in the crowd.
The big story of the day, though, was our screening of the new Canadian documentary Prom Night in Mississippi.
In 1997, Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman offered to pay for the senior prom at Charleston High School in his home town in Mississippi under one condition: the prom had to be racially integrated. His offer was ignored. In 2008, Freeman offered again. This time the school board accepted, and history was made. Canadian filmmaker Paul Saltzman followed the students, teachers and parents in the lead-up to this very big day in the history of a small town.
Saltzman came out to Northern with his producer, Patricia Aquino, to talk to students about the film. Prom Night in Mississippi opens theatrically in Toronto tonight, so students at Northern got a sneak peak at this doc hours before the public audience. Tonight, Morgan Freeman himself will be coming into town for a special benefit screening to kick off the film's release. If you'd like to see the film for yourself, here are some upcoming screening times at theatres around the GTA:
Kennedy Commons 2
(Kennedy Rd & 401, 416-335-5323)
Nov 13, 2009 - 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 14, 2009 - 11:15 AM , 1:25 , 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 15, 2009 - 11:15 AM , 1:25 , 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 16, 2009 - 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 17, 2009 - 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 18, 2009 - 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
Nov 19, 2009 - 3:35 , 5:45 , 7:55 , 10:05
SilverCity Mississauga
(Hwy 5, east of Hwy 403, 905-569-3373)
Nov 13, 2009 - 12:15 , 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 14, 2009 - 12:15 , 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 15, 2009 - 12:15 , 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 16, 2009 - 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 17, 2009 - 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 18, 2009 - 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Nov 19, 2009 - 3:50 , 6:40 , 9:20
Varsity
(55 Bloor St W, 416-961-6303)
Nov 13, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 9:30
Nov 14, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
Nov 15, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
Nov 16, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
Nov 17, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
Nov 18, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
Nov 19, 2009 - 1:30 , 4:10 , 7:00 , 9:30
For more info, you can also check out the film's website, www.promnightinmississippi.com.
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