Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong

One of the most anticipated events of Hot Docs is the immersive dining experience being offered by chef Justin Cournoyer following the May 1st screening of Maurice Dekker’s Ants on a Shrimp. Hosted by Eatable Films, The Canadian Landscape in 5 Courses, is a dinner that will change the way you think about Canadian cuisine.

Ants on a Shrimp follows chef Rene Redzepi of Noma fame as he and his team travel to Tokyo to create a unique 14-course meal that combines local Japanese flavours and ingredients with his own Danish atheistic. While much is made of Redzepi, the Film spends much of its time with the members of his team who help shape the Tokyo menu.

Although the Movie may scare people away from life in a professional kitchen, it will definitely inspire amateur foodies and lifelong epicurians to indulge. But rest assured, despite the chef’s notorious fanatical control over every aspect of the kitchen, accommodations can be made for more squeamish or dietary restricted diners, “Veg: no meat, no fish, but dairy and insects are okay.”

Justin Cournoyer’s Actinolite Restaurant is famous for using local ingredients in all their dishes. Chef is sure to amaze even the most jaded guest at his post-Movie dinner, The Canadian Landscape in 5 Courses. Fear not, I have been personally assured that no ants (living or otherwise) will make an appearance on your plate. For more information about this one in a lifetime dinner visit http://eatablefilms.com.

Sunday, May 1 at 6:45 p.m. Isabel Bader
Monday, May 2 at 12:30 p.m. Hart House
Wednesday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. Isabel Bader
Sunday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. Royal Cinema

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Our extensive coverage of Hot Docs continues with reviews on more great Documentaries.

HOTEL COOLGARDIE

In director Pete Gleeson’s Hotel Coolgardie, we meet Finnish backpackers Lina and Steph who are forced to look for work after having had their credit cards stolen and their accounts emptied on a trip to Bali. When they arrive in Coolgardie, a mining town in Australia, Lina and Steph are not thrilled about being thrown into the local bar scene but are willing to work it to make ends meet and hopefully find their way home. Upon arriving at work they are met with a sign that reads “new girls tonite” and are forced to contend with customers who verbally and physically harass them.

Hotel Coolgardie will anger you at the fact that there is still this much blatant sexual harassment still prominent in the world in 2016. It will evoke rage and spark the conversation about an important issue.

Sunday, May 1 at 7:15 p.m. TBLB
Monday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. Scotiabank
Saturday, May 7 at 9:45 p.m. Scotiabank

THE LAST LAUGH

You know what is funny? The Holocaust! With interviews from comedians ranging from Gilbert Gottfried to Mel Brooks, The Last Laugh follows a Holocaust survivor as he discusses the use of humour in relation to the Holocaust and whether or not it is acceptable. The Last Laugh focuses on the Holocaust, but also addresses other horrific events throughout history showcasing some of the jokes about them demonstrating when it is not funny to make light of a tragedy. The Last Laugh will leave you laughing or will leave you upset and dismayed; it all depends on how one views comedy in light of tragedy.

Sunday, May 1 at 1:15 p.m. Bloor Cinema
Monday, May 2 at 9:00 p.m. Isabel Bader
Saturday, May 7 at 10:30 a.m. Isabel Bader

WEINER

Back in 2011, Anthony Weiner’s life changed forever and in a way that were he not a person in political power it would not have garnered as much attention as it did. Weiner, the Documentary capturing what happened since the incident regarding an inappropriate photo released on Twitter, captures the timeline of Anthony Weiner’s life after the incidents that occurred. The Documentary is about former U.S representative hailing from New York, and his scandal leading towards his resignation and failed run for mayor.

Now the question has to be asked, is there anything that Anthony Weiner did that warranted the media attention towards him on such a level? Yes, he did cheat on his wife by sexting women, but in many cases issues like this are dealt with on a personal level and not garnering world news coverage. He made a mistake and his entire political life has completely unraveled due to the controversy and statements made by the media in light of his situation. The Documentary focuses more on the actions that he took to try to salvage his career and the steps he tried to take to distance himself from the situation rather than how the political world can destroy a career based on something so minimally to do with politics. Weiner will have you re-examining the way media represents our higher-ups in light of their decisions and personal choices that do not affect the greater population.

Friday April 29 at 3:30 p.m. Isabel Bader
Saturday April 30 at 1:00 p.m. Bloor Cinema
Friday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. Bloor Cinema

With $1.6 million in funding awaited to be distributed, some familiar and emerging names were granted support through Telefilm Canada and Rogers Group of Funds’ Theatrical Documentary Program. To date the program has provided funding for over 60 Films with $12 million granted.  Rogers alone has handed out over $29 million in grants over the last 22 years. These are the Films that will come to grace the Festival circuit and potentially go on to Awards Season glory for Canada.

The latest recipients include:

Anthropocene (Ontario and Nunavut)
Directors: Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes, Watermark), Edward Burtynsky (Watermark)
Writer: Jennifer Baichwal
Production: Anthropocene Films

Anthropocene is a feature documentary film from the multiple-award winning team of Jennifer Baichwal, Edward Burtynsky and Nicholas de Pencier. It marks the third in a trilogy that includes Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and Watermark (2014). The film follows an international group of geologists who want to change the name of our present interglacial epoch, Holocene, to Anthropocene in recognition of human impact. Using high-end production values and cutting-edge camera technologies, we will traverse the globe, go up in the sky, underwater and underground, to document evidence of human planetary domination: from the world’s biggest open-pit mine to the last remaining female northern white rhino, from vast swaths of illegal deforestation in Peru to subterranean salt mines in Siberia. Combining hard science with stunning visual sequences, Anthropocene will mark an historic moment in human history and bring a visceral and unforgettable understanding of our species’ reach and impact.

The Gordon Pinsent Documentary (Western Region)
Writer-Director: Brigitte Berman (Artie Shaw: Time Is All You’ve Got, 1987 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature)
Production/Distribution: Bridge Film Productions

Multi-award-winning actor/writer/director Gordon Pinsent is one of Canada’s most beloved performers, and after a six-decade-long career, he shows no signs of slowing down. This film will be a gripping new-form documentary featuring Gordon Pinsent reliving his stories at the major crossroads of his life. Filled with humour, passion and complexity, this film by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Brigitte Berman will not only tell the story of Gordon Pinsent, but will tell a universal story about the human condition in a format that makes creative use of state-of-the art digital technology.

My Enemy, My Brother (Western Region)
Director: Ann Shin (The Defector: Escape from North Korea)
Writers: Ann Shin, Melanie Horkan
Production: Fathom Media
Distribution: A71 Entertainment

My Enemy, My Brother tells the real-life story of two former enemies from the Iran-Iraq War who become blood brothers for life. Zahed, an Iranian child soldier, risked his life to save a wounded Iraqi soldier, Najah, after finding a photo of his wife and child. Thirty years later, they met again by sheer chance in Vancouver. Now, Najah and Zahed embark on an emotional journey back to Iraq to face the ghosts of their past in a region that has endured decades of conflict. Najah searches for his missing wife and child, and Zahed reunites with his family for the last time. As the struggle for peace in Iraq continues, the two friends try and reconcile the sacrifices they made in war with present-day realities.

The New Corporation (Ontario and Nunavut)
Director: Mark Achbar (Manufacturing Consent, The Corporation)
Writer: Joel Bakan
Production: Grant Street Productions
Distribution: Blue Ice Distribution

Winner of 26 international awards, The Corporation was a sensation when it was released in 2003. The film’s central claim—that the institutional character of the publicly traded corporation is akin to that of a human psychopath—hit a nerve. But today, corporations are widely believed to have changed; renewed, socially responsible, often dedicated to philanthropic causes, and ecologically sustainable. Yet, as their influence on societies and governments continues to grow, these “new” corporations are coming under increasing scrutiny. Grassroots movements around the world, spurred on by new forms of political thought and action, are fueling change. The New Corporation asks: Will these trends converge? What would the role of corporations look like in a truly democratic, just and sustainable future?

French-language projects

Flying Sisters (Quebec)
Writer-Director: Julie Lambert (Un film de chasse de filles, funded under Telefilm’s Micro-Budget Production Program)
Production: Parallaxes
Distribution: Les Films du 3 mars, Spira Distribution

This feature-length documentary takes us into the world of hang-gliding though the story of Camille, 28, a mental-health worker and doctoral candidate in psychology, and Catherine, 35, a nurse practitioner, who combine their sport with a therapeutic health initiative. The women are unique in that they are two of only three women hang-glider pilots in Quebec—proud representatives of a sport with few adherents. They are known as the “Flying Sisters.”

Movements – Louise Lecavalier (Quebec)
Writer-Director: Raymond St-Jean (A Chair Fit for an Angel)
Production: Ciné Qua non Média
Distribution: Filmoption International

The feature length documentary film Movements – Louise Lecavalier is built around a series of cinematographic moments that create an intimate and honest portrait of the dancer and choreographer Louise Lecavalier.

Movements – Louise Lecavalier tells the inspiring story of this indomitable creator, who revolutionized dance in the 1980s with choreographer Édouard Lock and who now, at age 57, is seeing her solo career take off on the international scene. For the last 35 years, Louise Lecavalier has drawn from her life experience—its trials, injuries, sadness and joy—to feed her art. The artist, her close friends and collaborators talk openly about some of the events, equally light and somber, that marked the development of an extraordinary artist. Dance, words and music are linked by well-paced editing to create a moving, accessible and informative film in which are mingled interviews and spectacular dance sequences.

More on the Program here!  Can’t wait to see these on the big screen!

By Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong

Documentary Films

It’s the most nonfictional time of the year.
With the kids all Hot Doc’ing
And everyone tell you to watch a Documentary.
It’s the most nonfictional time of the year!

Well, while they haven’t started writing carols to celebrate North America’s largest Documentary Film Festival, it’s only a matter of time. Starting on April 28th and running through May 8th, the Canadian International Documentary Festival is eleven days great nonfiction programming featuring the best Documentaries from over all over the world.

One of Toronto’s most accessible Film Festivals, Hot Docs prides itself on offering free daytime screenings to seniors (60+) and students. This year, they will also be offering close captioning and described audio at select screenings at both the TIFF Bell Lightbox and Scotiabank Theatre.

As Toronto gears up for Hot Docs here are some of our top picks for the Festival:

LEAGUE OF EXOTIQUE DANCERS

Directed by Rama Rau, the Opening Night Film features some of the best burlesque dancers of their day. Their day may have been a few decades ago but these ladies are artists of highest caliber. The Movie opens in Las Vegas at an induction ceremony for the Burlesque Hall of Fame and quickly sets the tone for a raunchy 90 minutes of fun and sequins. Using recent interviews and archival footage the audience is taken on a journey through the heyday of burlesque through to its sad downturn when strip clubs started demanding more pole dancing and nudity and less artistry. Rau is careful never to mock her subjects and treats them with unfaltering respect.

Thursday, April 28 at 9:45 p.m. Bloor Cinema
Friday, April 29 at 1:30 p.m. TBLB

AFTER CIRCUS

After clowns and aerialists retire from the circus they still close their eyes and dream of performing. Although their days flying through the air are often left behind due to injury or old age, their thirst for applause is more difficult to forget. In the tight knit community of Sarasota, Florida, these former circus-folk become family to one another and learn to apply the skills they learned in the ring for a new audience.

Warning: Not for people who suffer from coulrophobia.

Friday, April 29 at 9:15 p.m. TBLB
Sunday, May 1 at 1:15 p.m. Scotiabank
Saturday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. Scotiabank

AIM FOR THE ROSES

Two artists who struggled for years to realize their dreams, the lives of Canadian daredevil Ken Carter and composer Mark Haney are intertwined through music. Carter’s dream of jumping the St. Lawrence River in a jet-powered car inspired Haney to write an album retelling the trials Carter suffered trying to make his dream a reality.

Sunday, May 1 at 7:15 p.m. Scotiabank
Monday, May 2 at 1:15 p.m. TBLB
Friday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. Scotiabank

GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM

After leaving a healthcare system that continued to fail her, Linda Bishop survived for months on little more than apples and rain water in an abandoned farmhouse in New Hampshire. Her poignant story is revealed through diary excerpt and interviews.

Saturday, April 30 at 9:15 p.m. Scotiabank
Monday, May 2 at 12:15 p.m. TBLB
Saturday, May 7 at 9:30 p.m. Scotiabank

THE INCOMPARABLE ROSE HARTMAN

A woman described as “A Rose with many thorns,” Rose Hartman is a documentary photographer whose work is immediately recognizable. In an age when a woman standing up for herself was considered abrasive, Hartman proved herself to be in a class of her own taking photos of celebrities long before paparazzi became a byword amongst the elite.

Wednesday, May 4 at 9:00 p.m. Isabel Bader
Friday, May 6 at 11:00 a.m. Isabel Bader
Saturday, May 7 at 9:15 p.m. Fox Theatre

RAVING IRAN

Rebellion can take many forms. Susanne Regina Mueures’ Film introduces you to Anoosh and Arash, two young men who use music to escape the tyranny of the new Iranian regime. Dessert raves become a form of rebellion as Anoosh and Arash fight back against a system that tells them “if your music is political they’ll execute you.”

Sunday, May 1 at 4:15 p.m. Scotiabank
Tuesday, May 3 at 3:15 p.m. TBLB
Saturday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. TBLB

SPACESHIP EARTH

What if earth were simply a ship travelling through the galaxy and we were its crew? This Sarah Polley-narrated documentary challenges the viewer to look at the environment as an ever changing planetary species that we must care for before we destroy it forever. With interviews from scientists around the world, Kevin McMahon’s latest documentary pulls no punches as it confronts the human and environmental costs of everything from fossil fuels to apathy about the fate of the arctic.

Saturday, April 30 at 9:15 p.m. TBLB
Sunday, May 1 at 12: 30 p.m. Isabel Bader
Saturday, May 7 at 10:00 a.m. Bloor Cinema

TOWER

The story of first mass shooting in the United States is told through animated recreations of first-hand witness accounts. This powerful documentary is sets the scene at the University of Texas where 16 people died as the result of one man’s actions on August 1, 1966.

Director Keith Maitland doesn’t use his platform to preach about gun control but instead paints a picture of both the victims and heroes of that day. From the opening scenes where a young, pregnant girl is shot walking with her boyfriend to the ongoing reports from a radio journalist on the ground, the Film draws the audience in and doesn’t let go until long after the credits have stopped running.

Sunday, May 1 at 9:30 p.m. TBLB
Monday, May 2 at 1:00 p.m. Isabel Bader
Friday, May 6 at 3:15 p.m. Hart House

UNDER THE GUN

While many documentaries struggle for years with small budgets and little outside support, Stephanie Soechtig’s latest Film did not. Executive produced and narrated by Katie Couric, the Movie already has distribution in the States through Lionsgate and yet will likely still have to fight an uphill battle for viewership.

As the Movie opens, the following chilling statistic is shared: “By the end o this Film 22 people will be shot and 6 will die.” Perhaps more chilling is that the day I saw this Movie the first notification I had on my phone after the screening was about yet another mass shooting in the States.

Somewhat manipulative and one-sided, this movie will make everyone think twice about the NRA and gun control in the States. Discussing everything from right to carry rifles into the local supermarket to laws that continue to tie the hands of the ATF, the filmmaker makes no apologies about which side of the gun control debate she sits on.

Tuesday, May 3 at 3:15 p.m. TBLB
Thursday May 5 at 9:30 p.m. Bloor Cinema
Sunday, May 8 at 9:30 p.m. Regent Cinema

Stay tuned in the coming days for reviews on more great documentaries coming to Hot Docs!

FULL SCHEDULE here.

A lot happens in a month and since our last installment of PRINCESS DIARIES, our girl A PIC BY MRWILL (aka “Princess“) has continued to amaze us! She keeps-up with her weekly workout regimen under jockey Sheena Ryan at Woodbine like a true professional.  Her Owner/Trainer John Ross and Cathy Wong, along with the team, are doing an amazing job getting her in top shape for her forthcoming first race.

Princess just keeps growing and growing and growing.  I quite literally have to reach-up for those kisses now and never have I felt shorter!

Can we brag for a moment that she along with her two stablemates Saturday Dancer and Raglan Road – also just babies – shared the fastest workout of the day last Wednesday for three furlongs?  We were floored!  In fact, we want to frame this! I’d equate the feeling to a parent seeing straight As on their child’s Report Card.  Yeah, I know it’s easy to get carried away as we know workouts many a time can be a false-positive to how a horse performs on race day, but we just can’t mask our excitement!

This girl (@apicbymrwill) continues to make me so proud. Fastest workout of the day. And she was just breezing! BOOM. I want you all there at @woodbineracing when she debuts!!

A photo posted by Mr. Will Wong (@mrwillwong) on Apr 20, 2016 at 11:24am PDT

Although I had my doubts that Princess was sold on me, we finally had that one bonding moment. She is quite the carrot connoisseur – baby carrots to be exact. Peppermints? Meh.  Please don’t tell anyone she ate a whole small bag of mini carrots by herself last week!!!  We like to play our own little game where I tickle her lips, which really gets her going!  After a bit of playtime, it was time to go and I got my confirmation that our love was mutual when she tried picking the lock on her stall when I told her ‘goodbye’. I turned into a pile of mush, all verklempt leaving the barn,  pretending to yawn so that those tears wouldn’t be so obvious to passersby.

Princess‘ lip is a bit sore right now, so we didn’t play our game this weekend as she just got her official lip tattoo and according to Cathy, this now makes her a legit racehorse!

Those of us who follow Woodbine on Social Media know and love our feline friend Gator Kitten (@gatorkitten), whose sassy Tweets are voiced by his mom (and our dear friend) Sarah Ritchie.  She is the assistant to three-time champion trainer Mark Frostad. After a winter in Florida, we were thrilled to see Gator and his mom on the backstretch again and we even threw a little party to celebrate Gator‘s homecoming and Princess‘ bullet workout! We coined it #GATORPRINCESSDAY and it was amazing to see Princess so smitten with the kitten.

The wonderful day was capped-off with her stablemate R U Watchingbud‘s huge score in the $125k New Providence Stakes at large odds under #emmazing Emma-Jayne Wilson!  One day prior, Brooklynsway, who used to occupy Princess‘ stall, ran huge to win the Grade III Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland against some top U.S. fillies! Never underestimate a John Ross trainee.

There is a new Team Ross member here for the summer, a student named Emily (below, in purple), who is taking great care of Princess.  She got a nice trim on the bangs from Emily, plus some braids, giving her that Cleopatra look. Love it!

See our Princess Video Diary for April 2016:

Princess Moments.

#GATORPRINCESSDAY

Princess + I support ONE LAST RACE, for the dignified retirement of racehorses. Donate here. Many celebrity racehorses like Lady Eli (whom we’re meeting next week!) and California Chrome also have joined the cause! Why don’t you?

Princess + Anna who was visiting from Lexington, Kentucky. She handles champion and soon-to-be millionairess Leigh Court for trainer Michael Stidham! We can only dream one day Princess will be anywhere near Leigh‘s level!

Princess (turquoise, under Sheena Ryan) and stablemate Saturday Dancer at work.

If you aren’t following Princess on Social Media yet, you may do so here:

A PIC BY MRWILL on Twitter
A PIC BY MRWILL on Instagram

See you back in May, PICsies!

Will you be there to cheer Princess on at Woodbine when she debuts later this year?

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Universal Pictures Canada + Mr. Will want to take you to see on the big screen the live action 3D adaptation of global phenomenon, WARCRAFT. Screenings take place in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton on Wednesday, June 8, 2016.

Synopsis:
From Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures comes Warcraft, an epic adventure of world-colliding conflict based on Blizzard Entertainment’s global phenomenon.

The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: Orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect the two worlds, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. From opposing sides, two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family, their people and their home.

So begins a spectacular saga of power and sacrifice in which war has many faces, and everyone fights for something.

Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) and written by Charles Leavitt and Jones, the film starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Rob Kazinsky and Daniel Wu is a Legendary Pictures, Blizzard Entertainment and Atlas Entertainment production.

See the Trailer:

Artwork:

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Indicate your city and also tell us about a time you had to step-up and be a warrior!

G’luck, Willionaire$!

Universal Pictures Canada release WARCRAFT on Friday, June 10, 2016 in RealD 3D and IMAX.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada)

For a second straight week THE JUNGLE BOOK reads the minds of Moviegoers at the top of the Box Office with a whopping $60 million from 4,028 theatres. It has made $195 million already for Disney.

Debuting in second is THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR with $20 million from 3,791 theatres for Universal Pictures. Its 2012 predecessor by comparison made $56 million when it opened. It gets 17% on the Tomatometer and a B+ Cinemascore.

In third with $10 million this weekend is BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT. In two weeks it has made $35 million for Warner Bros.

ZOOTOPIA is in fourth with $6.7 million, now in its eighth week out for Disney.

THE BOSS earns $6.1 million in its third week out for Universal Pictures, closing-in on $50 million thus far.

COMPADRES doesn’t have a Canadian release but is in ninth with $1.4 million for Pantelion Films.

Rounding out the Top Ten is A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING with $1.2 million in its debut from 401 theatres for eOne Films/Roadside Attractions. It gets 62% on the Tomatometer.

Now this we’ve always wanted to know about. THE FOUNDER tells the story of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and how he helped transform it to the worldwide success it is.  It’ll be hitting theatres this summer!

Synopsis:

The Founder is a drama that tells the true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

See the Trailer:

Elevation Pictures release THE FOUNDER on Friday, August 5, 2016.

(Photo/video credit: Elevation Pictures)

By Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) kicks off today with a slew of incredible workshops, talks and new Animated Movies to be screened. The Festival starts Friday, April 22, 2016 and goes until Monday April 25, 2016. With a diverse and incredible line up of talks, workshops and film premieres there is plenty of things to do and excite oneself with at TAAFI this year.

Starting right off on Friday morning is a workshop with the cartoonist from the Hanna-Barbera era which would be an incredibly-fun workshop as Hanna-Barbera created most of the cartoons embraced by a generation of kids in the ’70s and ’80s. These series including the likes of The Flinstones, Jetsons, Tom and Jerry and so forth  now are viewed widely as classics by generations to follow. Later on in the day there is another workshop with Michael Rianda titled the Big Dipper workshop as he talks for 3 hours about how to get your story off the ground and seen by the world. He has worked on such shows as Gravity Falls and works with Sony Animation, so animators this would be a great workshop to attend. Wrapping-up the opening day there’s a screening of Spark directed by Aaron Woodley and voiced by Jessica Biel, Susan Sarandon, Hilary Swank and Patrick Stewart. Following the Film there is a Q&A and opening ceremonies.

On Saturday there is the TAAFI Animation Arts Maarket all day but there are several talks and workshops that are also incredibly interesting. The Hanna-Barbera era, Confessions of an Animaniac, The Inside-Outs of Pixar Animating all sound exquisite and discussions about the world of animation while the workshops of SHED/SideFX: Outside behind the scenes, Pipeline Studios: Vision Talent & Skill, as well as Super Science Friends from Kickstarter to YouTube all are engaging workshops about how to get a project off the ground and into cinema or online, and having them. To end Friday night there are two screenings of Nova and Possessed and an event called Nelvana Bouncing Ball, all of which provide are sure to provide a night of incredible fun.

Moving towards Sunday, the Maarket continues to run all day while there are Shorts, Talks, and Workshops to fulfill the rest of the day. There is a selection of student Shorts later on in the day on Sunday which to me always seems the most interesting because it showcases the work of the students who are just mastering their craft and gives us a glimpse at the potential future of Animated Films. As well, there are panels and talks subjected around Eric Goldberg, animator at Disney on projects like Aladdin on animating Genie, and co-director of Pocahontas. Also a talk with Laika + Kubo The Two Strings: Behind the Scenes which would be an incredibly engaging conversation as Laika changed the animation world in a way we have not seen in years in the mainstream when they first hit the scene.

Lastly, to wrap up on Monday there are three back-to-back workshops that encompass talent from Eric Goldberg as he talks about the classical animation craft, Richard Arroyo: Plusing story through animation talking about the creative process and best ways to tackle a project, and lastly but certainly not least Samantha Youssef: Movement and Form discussing how to draw and make it look natural.

With all of the great talks, workshops, panels, and screenings TAAFI is certainly the place to be this weekend as everything happens in rather one convenient location of George Brown College Waterfront campus.

More info on TAAFI here.

We love a good Thriller. Bestseller THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN is about to hit the big screen and from this first look, we think we’re gonna love it.

Synopsis:

Each day, Rachel Watson takes the train to work in the city, heading past the town of Witney. The train passes her old house where her ex-husband, Tom, and his new wife, Anna, live. She can also see the home of another married couple a few houses down. Rachel becomes endeared to this couple, whom Rachel nicknames ‘Jess and Jason‘. They appear to have the perfect life, and Rachel is both envious and happy for them. One day while passing their house, Rachel witnesses something that changes everything she thought about the couple. Then Jess goes missing, and Rachel wonders if she is somehow connected to her disappearance.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN stars Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, luke Evans, Lisa Kudrow, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney and Edgar Ramirez.

See the Trailer:

Universal Pictures release THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN Friday, October 7, 2016.

TIFF ’16 anyone?

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)