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CANADIAN FILM FEST
ANNOUNCES 2008 FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS
 
 
March 31st, 2008, Toronto, Canada – The 5th annual Canadian Film Fest (CFF) recently marked the end of another fabulous year, boasting a record-high number of sell out screenings, box office sales and fantastic parties. The CFF (which ran from March 25th– 29th, 2008 at the Carlton and Varsity Cineplex Odeon cinemas) remains the only Toronto film festival dedicated solely to the celebration, advancement and promotion of exclusively Canadian short and feature film works.
 
Now, with the dust settled and the ballots tallied, the final results of the fest are in…

The Best Feature, Best Short, Reel Canadian Indie, Best Screenwriting award and special jury prizes were selected by a distinguished panel of judges, including director Johnny Kalangis (THE MAD, LOVE IS WORK), producer Simone Urdl (AWAY FROM HER, REDACTED) and Andre Bennett, President of Cinema Esperança International Inc. The People’s Pick for Best Flick award was chosen based on ballots cast by Festival filmgoers. The Adflix award showcases the best in short films by Canadian ad agencies.
 
The results are as follows:
 
Best Feature
THE LAST HIT MAN
Joe Mantegna stars in this eccentric thriller from writer/director Christopher Warre Smets about an ageing assassin (Joe Mantegna) who discovers he’s dying and decides to hide the truth from his daughter. But when a younger hit man is sent to clean up the mess after a botched hit, he impacts their lives in more ways than initially intended.
 
Best Short
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS
Writer/director Jamie Cussen’s hilarious short comedy about three nine-year-olds who embark on a quest for beer and cigarettes and are lead down the path towards adulthood…and find something far greater.
 
Cineplex Entertainment's ‘People's Pick For Best Flick’ Award
MR. BIG
This gripping documentary examines criminal confessions resulting from an RCMP undercover sting strategy known as "Mr. Big". Filmmaker Tiffany Burns investigates RCMP actions after her brother Sebastian and his friend are convicted of murder. Their confessions are made to an undercover RCMP police officer who builds a relationship with the suspects while presenting himself as an organized crime gang member. Considered entrapment in the U.S. and England, Burns questions the ethics of using the "Mr. Big" sting technique.
 
William F. White ‘Reel Canadian Indie’ Award
RIVER
Producer/Director/Co-Writer Mark Wihak’s RIVER follows the exploits of Stan (Adam Budd) and Roz (Maya Batten-Young), two people living in a small city on the Canadian prairies. Stan has just finished university and is working on a novel; Roz has a dead-end job and roams the city with her camera. When Stan and Roz meet, they help to nurture each other’s artistic dreams and discover what is possible – in friendship and in themselves.
 
Meridian Artists ‘Best Screenwriting’ Award
RIVER
Screenplay by: Maya Batten-Young, Adam Budd, Mark Wihak
 
Buck Productions ‘Adflix’ Award
HAROLD
Director Justin Harding’s branded short film tells the story of a mannequin that wakes up one day and realizes that he wants more than what his life currently offers.
 

Other awards administered by the CFF included the Special Jury Prizes. They are as follows:
 
Best Director
Brett Sullivan for THE CHAIR

Best Cinematography
GRAND WHEEL by Gavin Heffernan

Best Female Actor
Shauna MacDonald for PRODUCTION OFFICE
 
Best Male Actor
Adam Budd for RIVER
 
Honorable Mention
Darkness Calls in Gitxsan (short)
 
 
Festival Highlights
One of the Festival’s mandates is to help advance the Canadian film industry by promoting Canadian filmmaking talent, providing a venue to feature these films for audiences to view and enjoy. This year, 7 world premieres, 5 Canadian premieres, and 19 Toronto premieres (31 films in total) from across the country were screened at the Varsity and Carlton Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, with seven sold out shows. The Festival welcomed over 4,000 attendees at screenings, panel discussions and gala parties this year. The Canadian Film Fest key Sponsors included Bell Canada, Leo Burnett, Buck Productions, Cineplex Entertainment, 70 Main Street, William F. White International, Delta Chelsea Hotel, Meridian Artists, Jones Brown Insurance Brokers, Premiere Underwriting, IFC, Imarion, Videoscope, The Butcher Shop, Steam Whistle, Grand Marnier, Toronto.com, Playback, eye WEEKLY. The Canadian Film Fest is held in association with Film Circuit of the Toronto International Film Festival Group.

www.canfilmfest.ca 

 
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Media Contact:
Chris Alexander
chrisalexander@canfilmfest.ca
 
If you do not wish to receive notices from the Canadian Film Fest, please accept our apologies and reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject heading.