Ctflddlflll FILIT1I1EWS
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CtfldDlflll FILIT1I1EWS CFDC funds final three shorts in Montreal (Suite 2220, P.O. Box 71, Tour Canadian Film Development Corporation West Coast grant competition de la Bourse, Montreal-11 5, Quebec - is participating in the project with a (514) 283-6363), or in Toronto (Suite $125,000 investment. The Canadian Film Development Cor 18, Lothian Mews, 96 Bloor Street West, Productions Mutuelles seems to be poration has just announced the last Toronto 5, Ontario - (416) 966-6436). the most active Quebec production three recipients of its West Coast grant group. According to Cournoyer, they competition for the production of short have another feature project commenc films. The projects are After the Dance ing in April, as well as major productions by George Johnson, Inside the Reflection scheduled for July, August, and Septem by Thomas Braidwood, and Birdland by ber. He was unwilling to give us details, Arnold Saba and Gordon Fidler. They since there are pending legalities invol received $6,350, $7,350, and $7,500, ved. The organization just opened a Tor respectively. onto branch office, called Mutual Films, After the Dance, written by Johnson and plans to emphasize more English- and Doug White, is a comedy about a language productions in the future. couple of loggers, who roam around a They've already co-produced The Rain small town, after the dance, looking for bow Boys with Potterton Productions some 'action', 'tail' etc. Cinematography of Montreal, and two more joint pro by Tony Westman, sound by Richard Michael Spencer of the CFDC jects are scheduled with that company. Patton, and production manager will be A previously announced joint ven Mike Chechik. Hagen Beggs is cast as the ture, however, has been postponed in lead actor. definitely. Godsend, a script based on a Tom Braidwood's Inside the Reflec short story by Joan MacKenzie, is un tion is a film on Nijinski's last dance and fortunately 'on ice,' according to Potter- madness. B. J. Clayden will do the cine ton producer Tony Robinow. Shooting matography. Jeremy Long the sound, was to have started mid-winter in a and the actors will be supplied by The Northern Ontario mining town. Neither Theatre Workshop in Vancouver. Bird- Robinow nor Cournoyer were saying land was written jointly by Saba and what caused the cancellation, but they Fidler, and it will be directed the same spoke of 'difficulties'. way. Fidler is planning to do the cine matography on the story, concerning a man who fantasizes about his friends as Pierre David of Mutual Films birds. With the funding of these three More Canadian Features? shorts, the CFDC concludes its grant- Major feature production ground to a giving programme. From now on a film Productions Mutuelles Limitee halt throughout Canada during the first maker wishing to obtain money for the shooting with Jeanne Moreau in three months of 1973. It usually does, production of anything other than a fea Quebec mid-winter. This time, however, the ture film, will have to turn to the Canada weather was not the only factor. The Council. The Council's budget has been France's Jeanne Moreau plays the lead CFDC exhausted its funds for the cur increased in keeping with this added in a film now being shot in Quebec by rent fiscal year, and producers had to responsibility. The exact figures of the Production Mutuelle Ltee. Entitled Je wait with their scripts until April. Both increase were not available at press time, t'aime, the $500,000 production was IATSE and ACTRA members received but they will be released to the public written and is being directed by Pierre wage increases, making it less lucrative sometime in April. The appointment of a Duceppe, and co-stars his brother, Jean for major U.S. productions to shoot new Film Officer by the Canada Council Duceppe (the uncle in Mon Oncle An- here. And the federal government de is also imminent. toine). The script is the story of a cided to close some tax loopholes, there The Canadian Film Development Cor Parisienne woman, played by Moreau, by scaring away potential private in poration will continue to invest in mo who lives in a northern Quebec town. vestors. Many people within the film tion picture production on two levels: Local inhabitants spurn her for her dif community were alarmed by these de its low-budget, special programme for ferent ways, including her 'strange ac velopments (see Directors Guild page), features costing up to $100,000; plus its cent.' but others are going ahead with planned regular, major investments of up to Armand Cournoyer, Mutuelle's direc scripts and projects. $200,000 in big-budget Canadian films. tor of distribution, revealed that the Harold Greenberg of Bellevue-Pathe They have around a dozen applications company is relying on distribution in is as busy as ever. According to Sid Adil- for the latter, with an April 1st deadline, France. The use of 'joual' is being kept man of the Toronto Star, he is helping and none as yet in the former category, to a minimum, but the film will never to finance a comedy written and directed with the same closing date. For up theless attempt to retain a distinctive by Ben Gazzara, and scheduled to go be coming deadlines and further informa Quebec flavour. Je t'aime's executive fore the cameras in Montreal on June tion, please contact the CFDC offices in producer is Claude Heroux, and the 1st. Canadian actors will be recruited for 6 Cinema Canada the movie, but the starring role goes to Carle-Lamy announces financing Film (Mag Bodard) and NouveUes Edi Gazzara himself. He must have liked for four features tions de Film (Louis Malle) for France. working here on The Neptune Factor. According to the co-production deal be Maxine Samuels, presently winding Les Productions Carle-Lamy Ltee. an tween France and Canada, two actors up production on The Pyx (starring nounced the signing of an agreement have to be French, and the music and Karen Black and Christopher Plummer), with the Societe Nouvelle de Cinema post-production will have to be done in has announced the acquisition rights to tographic which assures the financing of France. In exchange, French, Swiss, and Harry J. Boyle best seller. "The Great the next four feature films produced by Belgian distribution is guaranteed by the Canadian Novel." Richard Shouten will Carle-Lamy. This includes Les Corps Societe Nouvelle and Societe Pare Film. be associated with Ms. Samuels in the Celestes (The Heavenly Bodies), Gilles An autumn release is planned for the movie project. Director will be Harvey Carle's new project currently in produc latest work of this prolific filmmaker. Hart, who also directed The Pyx. Screen tion. The agreement is similar to the one "I like my films to be comic and ser writer for the new feature has still to be Carle-Lamy has already concluded with ious at the same time," he said in the selected and distribution has not as yet their investors or groups of investors, interview. "Sentimental, and not senti been arranged. Producer Harry Rasky and permits co-production deals. mental. I like to keep contradicting my was reportedly interested in the rights to self, changing the mood. I hate a film Boyle's book, but it looks like Ms. Sam which is only one thing all the way." uels beat him to it. Carle's The True Nature of Berna- One Hundred Dollar Misunderstand dette is in world-wide distribution, after ing, from Elkins Productions, is now being shown at the Cannes, Barcelona, slated for a June start in.Toronto. The Chicago, and London film festivals last screenplay, by American Robert Kauf year, and winning five Canadian film man, is based on the book of the same awards, including best director. His La title, which was an 'underground classic' Mort d'un Bucheron (The Death of a in the sixties. The story deals with a fif Lumberjack) is playing in Quebec now, teen year-old Black hooker, and a white and some critics have hailed it as being college freshman, who loses some of his better than Bernadette. Coming after naivite through encounters with her. Bucheron chronologically, Les Corps On a lower budget level, we have the Celestes is Gilles Carle's seventh feature. nine CFDC approved $100,000 features (See interview with Carle elsewhere in to look forward to: Jack Cunningham's this issue.) Peep, Jean Guy Noel's Tu Brules . Tu Brules, Andre Forcier's Bar Salon, Paul Lynch's The Hard Part Begins, Robbie Malenfant's Moss Tarts, Morley Mark- "The Rainbow Boys" opens in son's Killing Time, Michel Bouchard's Vancouver. Toronto, Montreal Blanc Noel, Jean Cousineau's LTIe Gerald Potterton's The Rainbow Boys Jaune, and Jean-Pierre Lefebvre's On was slated to have its gala World Pre N'Engraisse Pas Les Cochons LT.au miere at the Park Royal Cinema in Van Claire. Some of these have already been Gilles Carle of Carle-Lamy couver on March 27th. Mutual Films is shot. launching it simultaneously in Toronto It is now definite that Don Owen's and Montreal, as well. It is the first Rosedale Lady lost its $60,000 CFDC The Heavenly Bodies reunites three Canadian feature to open in Canada's commitment, since he was unable to of Gilles Carle's 'discoveries', Donald three largest populated centres during raise the other forty thousand by the Pilon, Micheline Lanctot, and Carole the same week. In Montreal and on the given deadline. Potential investors were Laure. The eight-week shooting schedule West Coast the film is running at several skeptical that his script could be made started March 12th in Abitibi, and will theatres at once.