Canada First! Programs Highlights Debut Helmers
Written by: FFT Webmaster | September 14th, 2011
Canadian filmmakers making their feature film debuts form the core of the Canada First program of the Toronto International Film Festival, one of several initiatives that put Canadian cinema first and foremost at the country’s most prestigious film event. This being Canada, the entries include representation from various provinces. From French-language Quebec comes WETLANDS, a coming-of-age story about the conflict between personal longing and family obligations from debut director Guy Edoin; NUIT #1, a sexually explicit yet intimate study of a torrid one-night stand, by director Anne Emond; and ROME ELEVEN, a touching portrait of a young man’s struggle to lead a normal life despite a physical disability, set in the Lebanese community of Montreal, and directed by Ivan Grbovic. English language productions include LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR, a dazzling musical drama about a boy attempting to find his place in the underground ballroom culture of Los Angeles, directed by Sheldon Larry; AMY GEORGE, a strikingly honest coming-of-age story about a thirteen year old boy who learns about life from his older neighbor, directed by the team of Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas; and THE ODDS, a bracing story that skillfully mixes teen drama with suspense thriller, directed by Simon Davidson. The sole non-fiction feature in the section is THE PATRON SAINTS, an unorthodox doc about a home for the aged and disabled, co-directed by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky. For more information on these and other Canadian films in the Festival, visit: www.tiff-net.